Dani didn't sleep well at all. She constantly woke up from any twitching sound in the woods, and her ankle went through episodes of painful spasms. The only way she could describe it was that it felt like it was now slowly breaking in half. Grace on the other hand didn't seem to stir at all that night, completely still and heavy.

Dani studied Grace's face as she slept,lit by the moon when the clouds would pass, thinking about the troublesome journey from the crash site. Grace had good intentions trying to lighten the mood, but Dani could feel her emotions take a defensive stance.

Even though she had begun to hate the concept of soulmates, isn't this what she always wanted? To find her destiny among this desolate world? There was no comfort here, and in the most recent years, Dani had begun to lose the spark she had when she started this whole rebellion. All she wanted now was to just rest and never come back, swallowed into a deep depression, unable to get out of its waves. But here was fate, sleeping right next to her. Dani hated fate… but she knew she couldn't hate Grace. Grace and The Powers That Be were different entities, and Grace didn't deserve Dani's disdain for fate.

Maybe Fate was having a laugh again, bringing Grace into her life at this moment. So many ups and downs, and she guessed it was the "balance of the universe". First the world ended, but she had her family. Then Diego and Papi were murdered by terminators. Then Dani found a band of survivors to hitchhike with, only for them to start stealing and hurting each other. After that, Dani had enough and killed her first terminator, the victory flooding her veins with adrenaline and hope. She created the rebellion. And that first year was probably the best she felt since before Judgement Day. But that was many years ago, and while ground was gained, it was also lost. An endless cycle of the same shit everyday. No real goal actually being achieved. Now, she had a small battle where her squad could gather their fragile morale, only for them all to die. Then she found her soulmate… what bad luck was coming next to balance this out?

She thought about how horrible she had been feeling inside, and an ounce of what remained of her soul rejoiced at the future possibilities of having Grace now. Maybe it was hope slowly growing. Hope that she wouldn't feel so dead and hurt anymore… she'd feel better and happy again.

Happiness…

Dani's quizzical journey came to an end as another spasm wreaked havoc on her poor ankle. She couldn't stop crying out, no matter how hard she grit her teeth. The pain was too much. It echoed through the empty woods.

"Dani," pleaded a sleepy voice. Grace shifted beside her, trying to sit up. "Dani, take the medicine, please."

"Go back to sleep," Dani growled, her teeth still clenched tight as the spasm ceased to release her muscle. She threw her head back, groaning.

"Dani," Grace repeated again.

Dani let out a trembled gasps, her body finally relaxing as the spell left. "It's over," she whispered to more to herself.

"Has it been happening all night?" Grace asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes," Dani shivered, enjoying the relief.

"We should do something about it."

"There's nothing to do but give it rest, really," Dani said, keeping her voice low.

Grace thought for a moment, then suggested, "Then you're gonna rest. We won't leave when the sun rises. We probably won't travel at all tomorrow. We will keep your foot up."

Dani's eyes widened. "Are you out of your mind? We are really only about… an hour or less out of our crash site and you want to stay here when the day comes? The first 24 hours you want to put the most distance between yourself and a hostile zone."

Grace shrugged. "Guess we can leave a few hours before sunset, but all of the morning and all of noon, you are resting. No question."

"You don't really get to have the final say," Dani pursed her lips.

"There's no rank in this situation, Dani. We gotta survive, and we're not gonna make it if you further injure yourself. And even if you closed my wound, I can't exert myself too much, either. All I'm asking for is half a day, Dani. We can relocate if you want, but actual travel? Not happening."

Dani looked away and shook her head. Grace was right, and she felt immature for not liking it. It's just that… she didn't know what to do. About Grace. This just wasn't the right time, and she wasn't in the right mood.

"We can look for water, because we'll need it, but we should take care of ourselves. Our bodies will thank us."

"Fine," Dani said. She was looking away still, but then got distracted by the stars again, swearing to god one was a faded shade of red. She read somewhere before planets could be seen in the night sky, but never got to see that when she had her previous vision. And then-

"Shit, Dani, are you okay?"

Another cramp seized her ankle and she shut her eyes tight, leaves crunching in her fists, moaning through it.

"Dani-"

"No!" She grunted, knowing exactly what Grace was going to say, then resumed to grit her teeth through the pain. She wasn't going to use the medicine, something worse was gonna happen, it always did. They needed to keep it.

"Fine," Grace surrendered.

Dani thought she had won and could suffer in peace when she felt Grace's hand place over her fist.

"Hold my hand then, until it passes."

What?! Dani couldn't speak, all her energy needed to be focused on the pain.

"You won't break my hand or anything, it's okay. It'll pass easier if you take it out on something besides yourself."

"And hurt you?" Dani questioned on a fragile breath.

"I'll be okay," Grace said gently. Dani relaxed her fist just for the moment needed for Grace to put her hand in hers, then as the electric pain shot it's way through her muscle again, Dani's hand clasped instantly.

Grace hissed.

"I'm sorry," Dani muttered, about to relax her grasp.

"No, don't let go," Grace said. "Don't mind me."

"This is ridiculous," Dani seethed. "Why does it hurt so much?"

"Might be more than a sprain," Grace suggested. "Do you mind if I have a look?"

"What?"

"I'm just gonna have a look, I won't apply any pressure, don't worry. Just going to feel for where the most heat and swelling is."

"If it hurts-"

"I'll stop," Grace reassured gently, returning a squeeze to their clasped hands. Dani let out a controlled breath and nodded, releasing her hold of Grace.

Just in that moment, the pain subsided with a wash of relief. Dani prayed another spasm wouldn't be on it's way. She watched Grace leave the nest of leaves they were snuggled into, frowning at the immediate decrease of warmth. The tall woman kneeled by Dani's propped foot, brushing some of the leaves away.

"Hey, Dani? Toss me that little red book you've got?"

Dani dug into her chest pocket and pulled it out, flinging it carefully to Grace, who caught it with both hands, clapping the flapping pages together like squashing a gnat.

"I'm gonna hold your foot up for a second," she warned, and Dani braced for oncoming discomfort. However, Grace elevated her so slowly, and from her calf muscle, that she didn't feel any pain. The soldier held her leg up with one hand as the other hand dug through the first aid kit, it's contents clinking around through Grace's rigorous search. Dani wanted to warn her to be more quiet, but she felt she should bite her tongue, letting the soldier continue her kind gesture of helping.

"Hey, Dani?" Grace said again.

"Do you approve what goes in these things?"

"In a way, but I delegated that to the Health Office."

"Well when we get back, tell them to add a fucking flashlight to the inventory," Grace muttered.

Dani chuckled, surprising even herself.

"What kind of survival kit doesn't have a flashlight?" Grace continued, smiling now herself. She closed the tin box and put Dani's foot down again, as gently as she could. "I used to go camping with my parents, and it was full camping. My dad wanted to teach me everything: knots, traps, safe to eat plants, how to fish, how to avoid predators, how to make a fire. During one particular time, my dad wanted to go all out and bought a survival kit that came with almost everything that came in here- minus the good drugs- and that thing had two flashlights and those glowstick things you crack. Our military?" Grace tsked, "We gotta do better, Dani." Grace said this with a lightheart and a faux smirk.

"I'll add that to my list when we get back," Dani scoffed with the same light energy.

Grace's smile didn't leave her lips as she began working on untying Dani's boot. She pulled the black laces up in a long draw, the strings hanging in wide loops from the eyelets, making her way down to the bottom of the tongue.

"Pulling it off now. This may sting, but tough it out for me, okay?" Grace said softly. "I've loosened it up as much as I can, just keep your leg up."

Dani simply nodded, watching Grace get a good grip on the boot, and began a gentle tug. She was moving at a good speed, the boot sliding past the fabric of the combat sock effortlessly, but her foot still screamed at the dragging sensation.

"Great, Dani, good job," Grace began working on the air cast, loosening the straps and sliding it off Dani's foot. "Now the sock, okay?"

Dani sighed and threw her head back, getting ready for the dragging once again. Grace's fingers slipped under the band of the sock and she gently rolled it down, pulling off the sock in a clean motion.

"Come on, moon," Grace whispered, waiting for the clouds to clear away from the moon. When the moonlight came throw, bringing the bright white beams through the bare fog of the night, Grace inspected the ankle.

Dani grimaced as she saw the color herself. The area of her ankle was completely purple and swollen. It was worse than she thought. Grace put Dani's foot on the tin kit again. She hovered her hands on either side of Dani's ankle, barely touching. Dani could feel how cool Grace's fingers were just from the mere graze in comparison to the heat radiating off her foot. Grace held her delicately, a hand sliding down the injured limb slowly, chilling the overheated area unintentionally, but to Dani's silent pleasure. Her fingers explored cautiously, careful not to press. While Dani was distraught over her injury, a small sliver of her was grateful for it, because if Grace had touched her without an injury, she probably would have involuntarily kicked her like a rabbit. She was ridiculously ticklish, but now her body couldn't register any overwhelming pleasure on sensitive skin.

"Could be a really bad tear, Dani," Grace sighed honestly. "I am gonna have to really emphasize that we don't travel at least for half the day. I'll like… find you a walking stick or something."

Dani laughed through the pain of Grace replacing the sock and aircast.

"Let's keep the boot off though, okay? Let it breathe."

Grace now made her way back to their leaves and thermal blanket cocoon, moving just the right distance close to Dani without overstepping an unspoken line. Dani found herself happy for Grace's return.

"We'll do our best to sleep, but if you need me again, don't feel bad about waking me up, okay? We're in this together."

Dani nodded, not wanting to comment on that. She couldn't. She wished Grace would stop with the implications… even if she didn't mean them, Dani couldn't handle this right now.

But in this world, when would be the right time?

Dani shook the thought away and closed her eyes to try and sleep.

When they woke up in the morning, Dani's first action was to check her watch, reading 0939. They slept in too late. She shifted around to tap Grace awake.

The blonde grumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"How's your foot? How did you sleep?" was the first thing she asked. Instantly Dani realized she had slept soundly after Grace helped her remove her boot.

"I slept better, thank you. There's no pain at the moment."

"I think the night air really helped you out, since we lack a cool compress," Grace explained, groggily removing herself from their makeshift bed. "When we find water, we'll make a cooling rag for you, dip it in that freezing water."

Dani would not reject that. Now that Grace mentioned it, she'd have to add compresses to the list of things that kit should have.

Grace motioned for Dani to lift her foot off the kit for a second, eyes squinting with tiredness. She reached into the tin and pulled out a ration bag, then motioned for Dani to put her foot back down once she closed the lid. She then walked to Dani's other side, not where she slept beside her, and knelt, trying to open the ration.

"I'm gonna get another one here in a second," Grace said, having to use her teeth to tear the bag. "Didn't know why I didn't take two, guess I'm too groggy."

She was, and it strangely suited her. Dani watched Grace, all shaggy blonde hair, married with strands of light brown, tossed around into a bed head, her blue eyes peeking from her squint, shying away from the sunlight.

Grace finally reached into the bag and pulled out the accessories pouch, pulling out a toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. "There you go, Dani," Grace handed it out. "I'm gonna get me one from another pouch. I know we don't have any water, but we gotta make do."

They washed up best they could before going through the meal kit Grace randomly selected. It was simple: two protein bars, a pouch of dried cranberries mixed with almonds, a pouch of applesauce, and a packet of coffee.

They ate in silence at first, letting themselves marvel at their newfound colors again, seeing the food they ate all the time look much more different.

"I feel so stupid," Grace laughed, breaking the silence. Dani looked up from inspecting the dark red shrivelled cranberries in her palm to pay attention. "I'm like 'wow, a protein bar!'" Grace mocked her own excitement before biting into the bar, tearing it with her mouth like it was some stiff jerky.

Dani chucked. "Everything's new," she said, "don't let yourself not enjoy it."

Grace's eyes squinted in curiosity, probably piqued at this one possibly positive comment. She opened her mouth, ready to say something in return, when Dani put her hand up.

It wasn't necessarily because she was afraid to have this conversation, but because she heard something. When Dani didn't move her body, but her eyes scanned the perimeter, Grace caught on. Both women didn't move, their ears tuning to anything they could catch. Perhaps Dani was wrong, maybe it was a deer or something…

Her heart began to pound, waiting to hear the sound again. The sound of a machine, it's internal engine making that telltale whirring noise as it's limbs moved. Slowly, Grace got up from her spot, making her way to the guns they rested on the other side of the tree trunk. Dani remained in cover, waiting for Grace to return with the arms. But it was too fast-

Dani's fear was realized as a terminator appeared, quickly rushing Grace, flingling the rifles from her hands, tackling her to the ground.

"Grace!" Dani shouted, her heart picking up dangerously and adrenaline broke through her nervous system. She stood up. Pain shot from her foot all the way up to her neck. But she had to push through that. Grace was wriggling on the ground, crisp leaves crunching and scattering underneath her, her feet kicking and her hands working on the terminator's, which was trying to crush her throat. A battle roar emerged from Grace as she did all she could to keep the metal fingers from closing, but all she could do was buy herself time.

Why is there only one? Dani asked to herself, stumbling to pick up one of the rifles Grace had dropped. Dani shouldered it with expertise, taking aim. It was risky, but Dani never really missed her shot these days, and the right angle…

She pulled the trigger, the weapon blazing automatic fire, the bullets shredding the exoskeleton like sheet metal. The machine however, looked over to Dani for a brief second, and the red light- what had once just been a hue of light now brought menace to a color she was just admiring not too long ago. A sensation of fear shivered in her knees for just a moment before she continued fire. The Machine looked down at Grace, scanning her body. Both women knew what it was doing. It released one hand from Grace's next, raising it as a fist in the air, more than likely locking on her abdominal injury.

"Hell no, mothherfucker!" Dani shouted, changing her aim to fire upon it's skull. The bullets pinged off it's skull, a few succeeding in penetrating the weakening metal. It dropped its attack and looked at Dani, inspecting her now too. It then got up, leaving Grace on the ground, making a charge for Dani.

"Dani, move!" Grace rasped.

Dani knew she wouldn't be fast enough to dodge, not with this foot, and the terminator knew it. It saw it. It ripped the rifle from her arms and flung it aside. Dani could hear Grace scramble about as the machine continued its advance, pushing Dani hard in the chest, causing her to fall.

"Daniela Ramos, Commander of Human Resistance…" it registered in its dead voice. Dani was about to scramble away from it, but in pure violent fashion, the terminator lifted it's leg, and brought its metal foot down on Dani's ankle.

Dani's vision went out to white light, and she screamed dreadfully, a sob rising in her chest. Searing hot white pain burned through her foot as the machine added more pressure, waiting for it, waiting for it- there it was, a definitive crack, crunching the bone underneath it's mechanical weight.

She could hear Grace calling her name out repeatedly, but she couldn't respond. Her mouth stayed open from her initial scream, full of so much pain but not enough strength in her vocal chords to express it. Eventually the ending point of a moan made it's way from her throat, tears, sliding down her cheeks.

She didn't really notice when the terminator was no longer crushing her foot, or when Grace had regained a weapon, firing with a heavy finger, until the terminator lay unresponsive on the fall covered ground, the red eyes watching Dani cry out all the while, finally going out to black.