Guest replies

1st guest: Agreed. It is a very sad story for all of them, unfortunately. Ooh that's a neat idea! I think maybe I could try to work a cameo for Ray in at some point in the future.

2nd Guest: I did know that, indeed. I guess once a bean always a bean haha

3rd Guest: Ooh. I didn't know that. That's interesting. Maybe after I finish JD here, I could write an au story or one shot about it.

4th Guest: Ooh that's interesting as well. I'll have to add that story to my to do list!

5th Guest: Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it!

6th Guest: Here ya go! Sorry for the wait!

0: Definitely!

7th Guest: Thanks! Don't worry about it. You didn't know. I usually don't tell personal stories through the internet (we all have some sob story or another so mine isn't really anything special), I just thought I might try to explain why I made them the way I did. They were a coping mechanism, and that made me overestimate them. But indeed, I think they could be as good as I wanted them to be with a bit of polishing. I was actually thinking of maybe a small reboot/prequel perhaps? I'll put an author's note in their story if you want to learn more about that, so I don't over crowd this story with info about them haha. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Allison and Mick stayed at the shelter for a few weeks, just like Linda had suggested. After that, Allison thought it best that she follow the rest of Linda's advice and return to the farm to at least hear what Dick had to say for himself. (She couldn't very well just let her son stay in some crummy shelter could she? He needed a proper home.)

Unfortunately, they did not return to pleasantry. As soon as Allison walked through the front door, she could tell something wasn't quite right. Dick wasn't anywhere insight, and he didn't appear when she called for him. It was as if he too had abandoned the little farm house.

Allison sent Mick up to his room to unpack, checking all the rooms down stairs for her husband before making her way upstairs, looking in the rooms up there as well. The last room she entered was her and Dick's bedroom. The bed was freshly made, and the dressers were nice and tidy, just as she had left them. Like he hadn't been in there since she and Mick had left. Allison could see that the safe on the far wall where Dick kept his gun had been opened… And it was empty.

Allison gasped at the realization, rushing to the window, peering out urgently. It only took a moment for her to spot what she was looking for – Dick. He hadn't gone far. Just a little past the pig gates that were a few feet from the house. He was standing with his back to the house, not noticing his wife and son's return, gun in his hand. Allison couldn't see the look on his face, but she knew it had to be pretty listless if he was doing what she thought he was.

With a shout, Allison turned, racing down the stairs two at a time and rushing out the door, not even bothering to close it behind her as she flung it open. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her across the farm's lawn, hoping she could reach her husband before he did something stupid. Allison raised her hand as she ran, as if that would somehow help her reach him faster. She called out to him, yelling as loud as she could.

Thankfully, Dick turned at the sound of her calls, a look of utter surprise on his features. He paused, watching as she finally closed the distance between them; she leaned forward, hands on her knees, exhausted from the sprint and foreboding pounding her heart was partaking in. "Dick," she managed, after a moment. "Don't do it. Don't…don't k-kill yourself…" The words nearly got stuck in her throat, struggling to get out. She felt tears swelling up, a lump forming, her mouth filling with the uncomfortable taste of cotton. Her hands were shaking, but she wasn't sure if that was because the adrenaline or the unease.

Dick looked back at her, and it hurt how broken he looked. His eyes, once filled with such livelihood and child like wonder, was now nothing more than an empty, dark abyss, an endless pit that she could easily fall into, becoming trapped until the end of time. Though maybe she'd already gotten trapped in the abyss years ago. Perhaps, Dick was also stuck in that bottomless pit. And maybe that's why he was giving up, now. Allison had left with their son. There was nothing to get him through the darkness.

Guilt seeped in, as her adrenaline slowly began dying down. Allison looked down at her feet, unable to look him in the eyes anymore. Not with that expression. That broken, awful expression…

"Why shouldn't I?" Dick asked hollowly. "I hurt…" He shook his head, looking down at the gun that still lay in his hands. "You shouldn't have come back… You were right to leave. I –I can't…"

Allison hushed him, reaching up to touch his face, finally meeting his eyes again. "Don't talk like that. You don't have control over it. Just…just apologize."

Dick shook his head, stepping away from her slowly. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I can't…I can't do it again. Can't live with…with everything I've done. It's only going to get worse, Allison. It won't get better. Ever."

"Don't say that! You don't know that! Just –" She took a step forward, reaching out to him again, but he took another step back, making her frown.

"I do know that, Allison!" he said a bit louder than necessary. "I can feel it! If you come back now, if you bring him back… How much longer until one of you end up dead because of me? What if…what if I –"

"Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?" Allison asked, remembering Linda's words from the park. Cautiously, she took another step towards him, gently taking the gun from him. He slowly looked up at her, with those broken eyes, a frown deep on his lips.

"And how many second chances can a person get before it's enough? Before it's gone too far?" he asked, eyeing the gun now in Allison's hands. She sighed, making sure the gun's safety was on before she placed it in her pocket. Allison took his hands in hers, smiling lightly up at him.

He was still so handsome, even if he was war torn, broken. There were bags under his eyes, like he hadn't slept since Allison had left. (And judging from the clean bed she suspected he really hadn't.) His hair was an utter mess, and he smelled a bit, clearly indicating that he hadn't bothered much with hygiene either. But still. She remembered how rich and full of life those gorgeous brown eyes had once been. How they looked upon her with such love and care. She remembered how well groomed that hair used to be. And that was just enough to make her forget about the incident that had taken place a few weeks ago.

"It won't go to far," she promised him. "Just apologize. We'll go from there."

He nodded slowly, hesitating for a moment longer, like he wasn't sure he really agreed with her. (And Allison wondered how she could have possibly thought he was abusive before. That clearly wasn't the case, if he felt bad about it, right?) "I'm sorry…" he said quietly.

She gave him a curt nod in response, letting out a heavy breath. "Okay…" she said. "…And for what it's worth, I am sorry I left. I should have stayed to work it out. I won't do it again. Promise."

He just gave his own nod in response, letting her lead him back to the farm house. Allison's heart had finally stopped pounding in her chest, as the intense moment settled down. She wasn't sure where they'd go from here, but she knew they'd figure it out. They'd have to. For Mick's sake. He needed them both, and they owed it to him to make this work.

Finally finished with the first chapter! This is the last part. It took a little while to get here, but it's finally here! Yay! So sorry about the inconsistent updates. I mean to update every week or so, but I've been preoccupied with roleplaying on discord servers and working on my story Sandstorm. But...better late than never! Hope you enjoyed!

That's all for now, toodles!

~ Elsie