CHAPTER 5 - THE ART OF COMPROMISE

Layton would have bet anything he had of value that he could never render this woman speechless. But with one offer, he seemed to have done just that.

For several seconds Melanie simply stood staring at him as though she hadn't quite heard him right. But abruptly she shook it off, starting to protest his offer. But Layton stopped her just as fast.

"Mela...Ms. Cavill, everyone needs some small sense of normalcy right now. And as much as you may not want to admit to it, that includes you."

She kept her eyes fixed on him. And Layton could clearly see the old hatred clawing its way to the surface again.

Very cautiously he reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, which immediately came up in defense. But still he held onto her as gently as he could, not wanting her to think he was trying to hurt her or force her in any way.

"Ms. Cavill...," he faced her stare down, "this is the perfect solution to our...problem. And you know you have nothing to fear from me if we're both in the same quarters."

She quickly shook his hold off. "I'm not afraid of you!" She stated with a great deal more bravado than she actually felt as she turned and put some distance between them.

Layton wasn't about to let up. The solution he proposed, the more he thought about it, was perfect. It solved all his problems with one, simple act. Ruth would get off his case, he had a semi-permanent place to live, Melanie stayed safely in her cabin, and maybe in closer quarters, they could work on building some sort of relationship where they could successfully run the train together.

Coming up behind her, he could see her expression reflected in the window as she stared out at the frozen landscape as they pasted it by. It clearly echoed her feeling of loss, he thought. And currently that was likely her greatest fear.

But as he had told her, everyone on the train could use a little normalcy right now. Even her. And to achieve that, he wasn't going to see her loose her home.

"I don't doubt that for one second." He told her in a level, unthreatening tone. "But you are afraid."

He watched her expression suddenly change as she pulled on her anger again and turned to face him down, her denial already etched in her expression.

But he wasn't about to let it make it to her lips.

"I know I am." He quickly confessed. "I'm know I'm scared out of my mind right now."

He could tell she wanted to give him some sort of biting remark, or flat out deny what he said. But to his surprise, she stopped herself and instead took to studying him for a moment, then gave him a slight, scoffing laugh.

"I can't imagine what you're afraid of." She practically spit the words at him, but without much venom, he noted. "After all, you have everything you came for. You have my train. You have my position." She lifted her head, all the defiance coming back into those green eyes. "Well done, Mr. Wilford."

With surprising speed Layton's own anger rose up at the comparison. "Don't ever call me that!" He snapped at her. "He is everything I fought against. Everything people...GOOD people...lost their lives for. As far as I am concerned, his name is dead on this train!"

Melanie pulled back a little under his anger, causing Layton to quickly stop himself. Because the last thing he wanted was to ever see that fear in her eyes again when she looked at him. So he tried to get the conversation back on track.

"And if you want to know what I'm afraid of," he said in a much more tempered voice, "it's everything you just mentioned." He leaned down a little so he was closer to her, looking her directly in the eyes. "I'm afraid of running this train. That I'll mess up. That I'll make a mistake. That someone will get hurt because of a wrong decision that I made. And I'm afraid of being in your shoes. Because they're awfully big ones to have to fill, and I'm not sure inside if I'm up to the task." He gave her the smallest of smiles. "But mostly, Ms. Cavill, I'm afraid of seeing you loose one more thing you treasure. So I'm not here to take your cabin away from you."

Slowly Melanie looked up at him. She didn't like his stare one bit, she decided. It was too close. Too personal.

It cared too much.

She quickly turned her head to the side. To look at anything other than him.

"Then where am I suppose to go?" She ask quietly.

"I told you." Layton replied in the same quiet, gentle tone. "How about 'no where'?"

She turned back to him. "No where?"

"Stay here." He offered again.

Melanie pulled back slightly, suddenly coming up with a new conclusion about his offer.

"I don't come with the room, Mr. Layton!" She informed him coldly.

Layton pulled up, surprised she even came up with that idea. "I never said you did." He replied quickly. "And I'm sorry if I said anything to make you think I was implying such a thing." He just as quickly softened his tone again. "I just saying I'm not forcing you out, Ms. Cavill. You can stay here...for as long as you like."

"What about Ruth?" Melanie ask cautiously.

"I said you could have this cabin, and I'm not going back on my word because of Ruth Wardell. So you stay. I'm the intruder here. I'll find somewhere else to go. If nothing else, I still have my bunk back in the Tail."

He turned to leave as Melanie stood watching him. In her arms she still held onto the clothing she had randomly gathered as though each one was a prized possession.

He did seem to be trying to make this go smoothly for her. Since the very first day, he had never really ever seemed to push her. Try to force her to his point of view on matters. If anything, he had come to her for help. Ask her advice. Implemented many of her suggestions. He seemed to be doing everything in his power to make things easier for her.

Maybe she could give just a little too, she thought. A peace offering of sorts for the last few days.

"Mr. Layton." She suddenly called after him.

Nearly at the door, Layton stopped and turned back to her over his shoulder with a questioning look.

Pulling herself back up with that air of Head of Hospitality that she still wore so well, she added, "That's not necessary."

Layton turned back to her with the same questioning stare.

Melanie stood for a moment. Again, thinking on her feet was what she usually excelled at. But that particular talent seemed to be abandoning her when she needed it the most. Like right now.

What plausible reason could she give him for not leaving?

Because she believed he cared about the train as much as she did?

Because she could see the devotion he had to her creation and the last remnants of humanity it sheltered? To her idea that the human race was worth saving?

That in some small way, that maybe just now she wasn't even ready to admit to herself, she was starting to consider him something a little less than an enemy.

But suddenly another thought gratefully pushed its way past all the others, offering itself up as a simpler, less complicated answer.

"I mean," She quickly amended, "that's not a good idea. You're going back to the Tail."

Layton turned back to her. "Why not?"

"Because..." Melanie paused as she pulled her thoughts together into a more cohesive idea. "You're the Chancellor of the train now. And while the Tai...," she stopped, and tried to find something less offensive sounding, "your own ki..." No. That didn't work either. "Your own...'people'...may see you as their leader, the other passengers mostly do not. If you go back to the Tail...section..., they would see that differently than you would. To them it would be akin to...'stepping down'..., as it were."

Andre turned back to her. He had to give her credit. She was trying like everything to say the right things. 'The Consummate Diplomat', he told himself.

But she WAS trying.

He answered her back with her own question. "Then where am I suppose to go, Ms. Cavill?"

He couldn't help but find amusement in the fact she actually started to fidget for a moment as she dropped his stare.

"I...I suppose...you could...stay here." She quickly added, "For now."

Layton stared back at her. He would never have thought in a hundred years she would turn his own offer back to him. That the two of them share the cabin.

"With you?" He ask for clarification. He still wasn't about to force her out of her home.

"Yes, Mr. Layton. With me." She confirmed. "Until we figure something else out."

"And no ones going to question that?" He ask. He wanted to make sure she looked at this from all sides. "My living here with you? Or are you really that unfamiliar with the favorite pass-time on this train?"

Melanie frowned at him. "I have never cared much for what others thought, Mr. Layton, since they will, no matter what, think what they want. And do you honestly think I am that unfamiliar with gossip?"

Layton didn't answer her. But while he couldn't imagined anything about her that would have inspired gossip before, he was pretty sure she was a favorite for it now.

Melanie's voice broke into his thoughts. "So what are you going to tell Ruth?" She ask him.

Layton gave her a confident smile. "I'm going to tell her the truth."

"And that is?"

"That I'm living in this cabin now."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "With me?" She asked.

Layton shrugged a little. "Ruth doesn't need to know everything, Ms. Cavill."

Melanie gave a small, mirthless laugh. "You honestly think she won't find out? That the whole train won't find out that you're living here now as well?"

Layton tapped his chin again as he thought about it. "Actually," he finally stated, "I think that's a perfect idea. That they do know."

Melanie gave him a very skeptical look. "Really?"

He walked back into the main room, turning finally to face her again. "Think about it." He asked her. "What have they seen up until now? Since I took over?"

Melanie considered the question. "I would say mostly chaos."

"Exactly." Layton told her. "There are still factions on this train, Ms. Cavill. And the main ones are those that still support Wilford's ways...ie; you, and those who support me. And I can't think of a better way to try and bring those two factions together than to have them seeing us as a united front. Not at each other's throats. They see us uniting, working together, and that in turn may help stop the factions from fighting as well."

Melanie still look skeptical.

"Friction at the head moves downward very fast, I promise you." Layton told her. "But the same goes true for unity. And what better way to display that than us sharing the same cabin?"

"Living together?" Melanie ask incredulously. "That's going to solve all the problems on this train?"

"No. But it's a start. And I think its the best one we have going. At least for now."

Layton could still see the wariness in her eyes at the suggestion. She still didn't trust him, and he didn't expect that out of her immediately. Trust had to be earned. But he did know one small thing he could throw out to her that she would bite at. "And this way," he added carefully, "you also get to keep your cabin."

He watched the look in her eyes shift at the mention. Just as he predicted, the idea had her full attention now as she thought it over. And just like that wonderful little computer he liked to compare her to, he was sure she was going through every possible variable to this new equation at lightening speed. The problem was, her expression was telling him she was coming up with the wrong answer. She was still wary of him. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, she was still afraid.

Maybe that was one of the blocks to knock out of her wall.

"Look," he said, sitting down on the sofa. "I know you don't trust me, and I certainly don't blame you. You have no reason to. You don't really know me." He gave her a small smile again. "So let's make a start."

"A start?"

"Let's play a game. We'll trade secrets. Each of us gets to ask the other a question, and the other has to answer it honestly."

Melanie didn't like the look in the man's eyes. He was up to something.

Fanning out his arms, he kept that smile in place. "Ladies first." He stated. "Ask anything you want. I have to give you an honest answer."

Melanie was about to refuse to play. She thought the game was pointless. But then she had an idea.

"Tell me why you took my train from me." She stated, anger running closely attached to every word.

Pausing for a moment more, he set his stare on her. Well, he had made the invitation. No time to turn back now.

"I never wanted to take this train away from you." He finally said.

Melanie all but scowled at his answer. "That's not..."

"No. Listen to me." Layton answered quickly. "I know you've heard that from me before. But...listen to me this time. Really listen. You wanted the truth? You're going to get it. The brutal truth of the matter." He paused for a moment to make sure she was doing just that. Listening. "I've never breathed a word of this to anyone. How I really felt about this whole mess from the start. But I truly never wanted you to relinquish control to me. Not totally. And for a lot of reasons."

Melanie studied him for a moment. "Such as?"

"Well, mostly, because I knew above everything else...this train needs you. In whatever capacity it can get you." He paused for a moment, holding her stare. "I knew things needed to change. And I wanted the change. But not without YOU. But after I took over, you just vanished and I was left standing there alone. It was the reason I first came to you for help. I knew how badly things were going. I was trying, but it wasn't working by my way either. So I tried to get you back in some sort of control. So you could see...how much I needed your help." Layton pulled back, running his hands over his head. "I thought...maybe both us running the train would work. Your ideas and mine. We'd take the best from both and use them to try and restore order. To make the new society work. I didn't even care if I just ended up being your puppet. Just relaying your orders to the train. I was good with that for a start. Because you were the one who knew how to run her. But I knew the hardest part was going to be to get you out of that blasted engine room." He added with a small smile.

Melanie gave him a curious look. "Out...?"

"I remember the first time I came to you for help." He went on. "The first time I had seen you in the engine. You were standing there, working on some circuit board. And you were...humming. I think it was the first time I had ever heard you do that. And you just sounded...so happy. I hated taking that away from you as well. I almost turned and left when you looked up and saw me.

Melanie stared back at him. "Well, you were right." She conceded. "I was happy." She set her gaze on him. "I wasn't born to be a politician, Mr. Layton. Nor did I ever want to be one. I was born to be an engineer. To build. To create. That is where I get my satisfaction. But... from that first day, the train needed leadership." The gaze hardened a little. "I didn't choose leadership, Mr. Layton. It chose me. Like you, it was thrust upon me."

"And the train survived because of you. For seven long years.

I never understood the things you did. And for a lot of them, I hated you. I still don't understand all the reasons why you did things." His tone softened a little. "But I'm starting to." He paused, then picked up on his story again. "But because of you, the train survived. You made the hard decisions. Few knew about them. Less even cared. But you were also willing to concede that the old ways...Wilford's ways...weren't working. That something needed to change. And for a while, we did work together. Helped each other. And I thought...working together, we could both bring about something better for all the passengers.

But after the revolution, when I turned around, you were gone. And I was left alone. And as I said, after trying, and seeming to just make a bigger mess of things, I went looking for you. For your help. But we certainly weren't what anyone would call 'friends'. But I started to try to build that bridge."

For the first time since he had known her, Layton felt he saw the first real smile, no matter how small, cross her lips. "And I kept lighting it on fire and burning it down." She admitted.

Layton returned her cautious smile. "That's OK." He assured her. "I'm a pretty persistent bridge builder."

Her smile spread just a little further. "And I had a lot of matches."

After a few moments of holding each others stare, Layton finally broke the silence.

"Your turn." He reminded her. "Are you ready?"

Melanie's whole expression swiftly changed to one of extreme caution. Well, she had agreed to play the game. And he had been, in her opinion, brutally honest. So she owed him his turn.

She gave him a small nod.

"Don't look so terrified." He gave her a quick smile. "It's an easy one."

"Ask your question." She stated flatly.

Layton paused for a moment, acting as though he had to think of something to ask her. But he had his question ready from the start of the game.

"Tell me why the cabin is so important to you."

Layton swore he had never seen a person go so completely silent. He couldn't even hear her breath in the utter stillness of the cabin as two wide, green eyes stared back at him.

Layton could admit to himself the curiosity was eating at him and he thought it was the perfect way to satisfy it. But he immediate regretted the request. Maybe it was asking too much from her too soon.

"Look, forge..."

But before he finished, she started talking. It was a low, quiet tone. One he barely heard at first.

"From the first day Bennett had come to me with his idea, I started thinking forward." She told him. But she wasn't looking at him anymore. She had shifted her gaze off to the side, now staring at the floor. "He wanted to steal the train. He called Wilford...a 'psychotic lunatic'. Before the train left, even before the chaos broke out, I watched him killing people...for little to no reason at all. And he enjoyed doing it. Whether he was trying to make a point, or just enjoyed watching their bodies fall into the snow, staining it with their blood. He enjoyed watching it. Knowing he held that kind of power."

She turned back to him, her expression hardening slightly. "Bennett and I agreed if he was on the train when it left, we wouldn't survive the year. But if we stole it, we stood a better chance of saving humanity.

At one point, he left the train to go check on the back. Apparently people were trying to force their way onto the train. Likely he wanted to stand there and shout the orders to his guards to kill everyone they could. Like some insane shooting gallery.

So Bennett and I took our chance. We knew it was now..., or never. We started the engine. And we left him there to die."

Layton listened in complete silence. Most of this story he already knew. But from the way she was telling it this time, he knew there was something more to it.

"It wasn't our immediate plan to front Wilford to the passengers." She went on in the same hollow sounding voice as she turned back to studying the floor. "To deceive everyone into thinking he was on board. But Bennett said it was the best way to go. Passengers already saw him as some great savior. Someone they depended on for their very survival. And what would we say otherwise? He had been accidentally left behind? He had simply been off the train at departure time, but no one knew?

And Bennett said it would also be an easier way to keep things under control.

And with Wilfrod left behind, the cabin...this cabin...the one he had had me build especially for him...was empty.

But as I said, I was thinking forward from the day Bennett and I formed our plan. You see, I never really built this cabin for him. Why would he need two bedrooms? Why would he care if the room was well hidden? But he didn't ask many questions about how I built it. He liked the concept of it being...'mysterious'. But why would he...the head of his own train, need to hide himself? Especially him? He was far to flamboyant to ever want to go un-noticed."

She stopped there, seeming to have gotten lost in the memory.

Layton leaned a little towards her. "Why was that so important to you?" He ask softly. "That the room was hidden?"

Melanie slowly shook her head as a small, single tear broke free and rolled down her cheek.

"I was trying to make sure everything was in place for that day. My family was coming. They were suppose to board that day. My parents...and my daughter."

Layton stared back at her in shock. Not that it was something he would know about her, but he would also have never guessed she had a child.

"By the time we had our plan in place, I thought my daughter would be safely onboard.

But I needed a place for her. A safe place." She gave a small smile. "Somewhere a ten year old child could spread out and feel comfortable. Where her grandparents could watch over her until her mother was sure things were stabilized enough for the child to go out into the train."

Layton caught her stare. "A hidden cabin."

Melanie gave a slow nod. "But when the time came to leave...they hadn't shown up."

Melanie lifted her head up as she turned back to him. "So you see, Mr. Layton," she added, "that is why this cabin is so important to me. It's a testimony to my love for my daughter. I built this cabin for her. So she would be safe and protected here." Melanie paused for a moment. But just when Layton wasn't sure if she was going to say anything else, she suddenly seemed to shake off her mood and turned back to face him, quickly wiping the tear out of existence.

"We still have one problem to solve." She quickly spoke up.

Layton quickly thought things over as he looked around the room. He was pretty sure they had their bases covered. There was no doubt in his mind the cabin was large enough for two. She had been purposing three people living there, so there was more than enough space. She already had her things settled. And what he had for possessions could fit in a cupboard. So he didn't see any problems.

"Which is?" He asked.

Melanie paused for a moment before she turned her steeled features back to him.

"There's only one bed in this cabin, Mr. Layton." She stated empirically. "In the main bedroom."