AN - Short-ish chapter, cos I couldn't cut up the stuff that comes next. So this is like a filler chapter, I guess!
The character of Grace Mason of course belongs to Jem, and you can read Grace on it Jem's fic, Heartbeat Away From Death. Story ID: /10691430/
Chapter 21: Killing Time
As far as Casey could gather from her keen-eyed observing-slash-eavesdropping, the deal was that Jeanne and all the kids were basically living by themselves. They had bikes of their own, but the engines had worn out and the bearings were rickety. So that's what made them steal Ben, Hal and Grace's bikes which led Hal and his siblings to track to the kids hideout. The group of kids were also led by a boy of about twenty years called Diego who appeared Jeanne's boyfriend. In trade for giving back the bikes and letting the kids off, Hal had convinced Diego to come back to the 2nd Mass to see if they could scrounge up any old bike parts to share. That's what Casey managed to catch, anyway.
Jeanne being Weaver's daughter had blindsided everyone – most of all Weaver.
But by the morning after the kids' arrival, Jeanne looked as though she'd always been with the 2nd Mass. From her seat in the mess tent, Casey watched Jeanne travel around the camp glued to her father's side. Though Jeanne didn't look much like her father, the way she commanded her team of wayward kids was definitely something hereditary. Casey had never seen Weaver look more at ease. She'd come to think of that shadow in his eyes as just a part of his fabrication, but with Jeanne around, Weaver's eyes were clear and bright with pride.
Casey sipped her mug of coffee while holding Etta over her shoulder and waiting for the baby to burp when Weaver and Jeanne came into the mess tent. "Casey, I want you to meet my daughter. Jeanne." Weaver gestured to his daughter with a huge grin on his face. "Jeannie, this is Casey and little Etta."
Casey set her mug down and rose from her chair. "It's so nice to meet you," Casey settled Etta in the crook of her arm and then shook Jeannes' hand. Again Casey was struck at Jeanne's eyes. They looked like pale blue crystals.
"You, too." Jeanne's smile was warm and friendly. Her eyes dropped to Etta and her smile widened. "She's gorgeous."
"Do you wanna hold her?"
Jeanne's blue eyes brightened. "Can I?"
"Sure," Casey offloaded Etta and her blanket into Jeanne's arms. "Careful, though, I just fed her. She might spit up on you."
Jeanne grinned and held the baby close. "Hi, angel," she said softly.
Casey watched as Jeanne enclosed her arms gently around the baby. Jeanne had the same ease with Etta that Lourdes did, that kind of natural ability that Casey was trying to learn.
"Can I take her to meet Diego?" Jeanne asked Casey.
"Um," Casey checked over her shoulder, Diego was sitting with Hal at one of the picnic tables by the mess tent. Maggie and Ben were kicking around a soccer ball with Matt and the new kids. They were nearby, Casey would be able to see them. "Sure," Casey nodded to Jeanne.
Jeanne jiggled Etta in her arms and walked over to Diego and Hal. Casey watched her sit beside the boys, in plain view of everyone. Diego started making faces at Etta while Jeanne played with the baby's fingers.
Weaver cleared his throat, which made Casey realise she hadn't been paying attention to what he was saying. She gave Weaver an apologetic grin. "Sorry?"
"I was saying that Hal, Grace, Ben and Maggie are going back with Jeanne and Diego to their hideout to drop off the supplies." Weaver said. "Wanted to see if you'd go along."
Casey was surprised and was sure it showed in her expression. "Really?"
"Diego said they only brought half their crew," Weaver said. "There's a half dozen more still at the hideout. Bring them back with you, Hal said they could use a good meal."
Casey's eyes flickered over to Jeanne and Etta.
"It's a simple supply drop so you can take Etta along," Weaver paused. "And I know you'll keep an eye on Jeanne."
Casey raised her eyebrows at him. "She's been doing pretty good for this long, doesn't seem like she needs someone to keep an eye on her."
"I saw you just now," Weaver said. "Checking to make sure Etta would be in your sight before you gave her to Jeanne. You have to know where Etta is, you don't want her to be somewhere or with someone you don't trust - easier to do when their babies, lemme tell you. And since I have to stay here, I want you there with Jeanne."
Casey paused. Weaver had never assigned her a solo mission before. She had become pretty comfortable being the third wheel for when Maggie needed an dutiful extra hand. "Uh, yeh, sure," Casey nodded. "Of course I'll go."
Weaver gave her a slight nod and made his way towards his daughter. Casey watched him, brow creasing, as she tried to figure out the reason for his confidence in her. After all the Pope stuff, Casey had certainly not expected Weaver's trust to swell to the extent he'd want her watching his daughter. Okay, Jeanne had just arrived so maybe Weaver was a little scattered. But Weaver had been vocally disapproving of Casey's attempts to bridge the gap between the Berserkers and the 2nd Mass. And now that issue seemed to have evaporated. Man, Pope being gone seemed to be working out great for everyone.
"Work with me here, kid," Casey muttered to Etta as she tried to buckle her in to the car seat. Etta kept waving her hands around and Casey couldn't loop them through the straps.
Jamil had found the car seat in one of the rusted out campervans where the 2nd Mass had set up for the time being. The car seat was in pretty good condition, according to Anne. Casey had no clue, so she'd let Tom strap the seat into the car and had Anne buckle Etta in. But then Etta needed to be changed and Casey had to take her out.
Though it was easy to get her out of the seat, Casey was struggling to get her back into it.
She clicked in one side and managed to pinch the skin of her finger into the buckle. "Crap!" Casey jumped and yanked back her hand. Blood seeped from her finger, and her sudden yelp made Etta cry.
"Sorry," Casey sighed and tickled Etta under her chin with her non-bleeding hand. "It's not your fault this seat is utter BS." She sucked on her cut finger and tried strap in Etta with one hand.
Light footsteps approached the car and then Grace leant in through the driver's side window. and "Hey," she said. "Everything okay?"
"Other than the fact this car seat is cursed?" Casey gave her a tight lipped smile as she untangled the strap that had managed to twist itself into a knot.
Grace opened the driver's side door and climbed into the seat. "Nah, see these clasps? They crossover and go in the opposite sides." In a flash, Grace had Etta strapped in. "It's weird, I know." She added. "Terrible design."
"Thanks," Casey gave Etta her pacifier. She could feel Grace's eyes watching her.
"Are you alright?" Grace asked.
"Yeh," Casey looked up and made herself smile. "Just tired, I guess."
"You can stay here," Grace offered. "It's just a supply drop, we won't be an hour."
Casey appreciated Grace's concern but she had no intention of disappointing Weaver and letting Jeanne go without her. "I'm fine," She forced a stronger smile on her face. "Really."
"She ready?" Hal hung through the window behind his sister. "Hey," he reached over Grace and rubbed Etta's head. "She has hair now."
"Get off," Grace shrugged her brother off of her back. "
"You're in my seat," Hal said.
"You're so not driving." Grace argued.
"Ah, I so am," Hal said. "Gimme the keys."
"No," Grace climbed out of the car and felt her pockets. She came up empty. "Did you steal the keys?"
Hal grinned. "Why would I steal them and then ask for them?"
Grace gave him a playful but forceful shove. "Cos you're a tool. Give them back."
Hal held his hands out at his sides. "Search me, I don't have 'em."
Casey backed out of the car and shut the passenger side door. "No, I have 'em," Casey pulled the keys from her pocket. She'd grabbed them when Tom was strapping the car seat in.
"You stole my keys?"
Casey nodded and made herself smile again. "I stole your keys. So let's go."
Something was wrong. Casey had no idea what the hideout was supposed to look like, but she was pretty sure it shouldn't have been on fire. The garage doors to the hideout were wide open, and from the driver's seat Casey could see that the place was ransacked. An old couch and a recliner chair had their cushions ripped up and the stuffing thrown about. A flat screen television set was flipped over and the screen smashed into a raggedy shag rug. Old magazines and newspapers were strewn about like a wind gust had blown through.
"This isn't good," Grace said from the passenger's seat. She reached for her hip and pulled out her gun. "Stay here," she told Casey as she exited the car.
A sick feeling rose in Casey's throat. "Grace, wait," she called after the girl but she didn't listen. Hal, Jeanne, Diego and Ben climbed off the quad bikes and followed Grace as she carefully stepped towards the hideout. Then suddenly Diego just ran inside.
"Crap," Casey got out of the car. "Wait!" She called out in a hushed voice. She wasn't going to leave Etta alone in the car but she was supposed to be keeping her eye on Jeanne. Casey rushed to Jeanne's side and clung to her elbow.
Jeanne turned to Casey, her eyes shining and her lips curved down into frown. "Someone ripped up our place…" She took a step forwards and lifted a child's jacket up off the ground. A dribble of red blood stained the sleeve of the coat. "This is Robbie's jacket."
Casey slowly pulled her revolver from the back of her jeans. She felt much more confident with it than with Boon's rifle. But she hadn't anticipated using it, this mission was supposed to just be a simple supply drop. She looked over her shoulder and saw Etta in her seat chewing on her toes. They had to leave. Now. Casey wanted to slap herself; she never should never have brought Etta along.
A muffled sob behind Casey made her spin around and raised her gun. The noise didn't sound like skitters; it sounded like a person. And it was nearby. Jeanne heard it, too, and called for Diego and the Masons Casey followed the path of the sob to the right side of the hideout. The sound got louder, Casey turned around a bend and saw a crying boy huddled into the corner. He was dirty and covered in grazes, and he couldn't have been older than ten.
"Jonny?" Diego pushed passed Casey, knelt down and grabbed the boy up by his shoulders. Jonny was sobbing, but seemed unhurt. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"Chinches!" Jonny cried.
"Skitters." Hal whispered to Casey.
Jeanne face crumbled and she held her hands over her mouth.
"They took everybody!" Jonny cried.
"Hey, buddy," Hal knelt down in front of Jonny. "How long ago was this?"
Jonny shook his head. "I dunno."
Hal looked up to Ben, which prompted Casey to do the same.
Ben straightened, and his young face became grave. "They're gonna be harnessed."