A/N: As I mentioned in a reply to a comment on this story, the last chapter wasn't PWP (Plot Without Point, not the other one). Several things actually happened in that chapter, short though it was.

First off, the whole point of the chapter was that Melanie actually slept on his side of the bed for once. She has NEVER done that. She has been on his side of the bed for a nice platonic hug after a long day. But she never stayed there, and always went back to her side of the bed to sleep. And it simply went to show just how much she: 1. missed him, 2. was scared something would happen to him, and 3. how much more comfortable she is getting around him (the second point of the chapter).

It was also one of the first times Melanie was the 'cuddler' and not the 'cuddlee', so to speak. Usually Layton is the 'cuddler'. But more by 'accident' than anything. He loves the bed. It's large, soft, warm, and he can spread out, which he does. As Melanie often states, 'You hog more than your share of the bed'. But during the night, things get cold, and he immediately cuddles up to her. Not intentionally, as he's mostly asleep and she's simply a source of heat to him. And usually when he wakes up and realizes where he is, he mentally shrugs, and goes back to sleep.

'The past is the past' is sort of the way they deal with their shared pasts. I mean, if you can't let it go, how can you sleep in a bed with someone who held a scalpel to your throat and threaten to kill you, plotted to destroy your perfectly planned little society, and basically hated everything you stood for, including you.

On the other side of that coin, how can you live with someone who basically treated you like something on the bottom of their shoe for seven years?

Melanie and Layton unquestionably have a deeply scarred past between them. And the way they decided to deal with it for the time being is to, basically, ignore it ever happened.

Impractical? Absolutely. Will it continue to work? Absolutely not.

Chapter 20 - A NEW APPOINTMENT PART V

Several days after having been released from the clinic and declared fully cured, Layton went down the train a few cars to a cabin he rarely, if ever, visited.

The night before he had laid his plan out to Melanie in it's entirety. The pros, the cons, and everything in between.

At first she had been diametrically opposed to the plan, pointing out they were trying to establish order and normalcy for the train. For the passengers.

"For the 'citizens'." Layton pointed out as they sat up in the bed, each with their laptops propped up on their knees as they hashed out his plan into the early morning hours.

"Whatever you choose to call them." Melanie stated. "I thought we were trying to go forward. How much further back can you drag us than this plan?"

"It's not going back to the old ways." Layton quickly countered. He never thought the hardest part of his plan would be getting Melanie on board. "It is taking an inventory of our resources and putting them to use in the best possible way."

"By trying to put me back in charge of the train?"

"Would you honestly rather see Ruth sitting in that chair, leading the train? Or one of her First Class cronies?"

Melanie sighed softly. "They're not her...'cronies'." She told him. "They're just...the people she feels the most responsible for. I swear, if Ruth disappeared one day, half of them would end up just wondering around the train like lost sheep and the rest would die of starvation by the end of the week. They need her more than she needs them, Layton."

A small laugh answered her. "I doubt that."

Melanie turned a questioning look to him.

"Ruth would be as lost without them as they would be without her and you know it. They're her sense of purpose, Melanie. In short, they give her something to do."

Melanie scoffed at him. "You don't know Ruth Wardell very well at all then."

"Meaning?"

"She's not a person who 'lacks purpose', Layton."

"I didn't say she lacked purpose. I just question who gives her that purpose."

"Just don't go underestimating her." Melanie warned with a finger pointed directly at him. "She's a force to be reckoned with. Believe me."

"She a pain in my a..."

"And that attitude isn't going to get you very far with her!" She stated, then added with a quiet sigh. "Maybe if I went and talked to her. Tried to expl..."

But Layton quickly cut her off. "Did you just hit your head on the backboard or something?!"

"Layton...,"

"Melanie, you are the last person she wants to talk to."

"We used to be very good friends."

"And just a few weeks ago she tried to kill you."

"And that wasn't totally all her doing." Melanie replied. "Ruth actually...spoke to me about it...briefly."

Layton turned a very skeptical look to her. "Really?"

Melanie nodded once. "Yes. And she said the whole incident was like...well, like the revolution. First Class had a plan, they just needed a leader to carry it out."

"And Ruth, of course, stood up and immediately protested, 'Oh no! I could never do that to my friend!'" Layton replied, putting on a very good impression of the new Head of Hospitality.

Melanie gave him a disapproving look. "Maybe you should thank her one day."

"For nearly getting you killed? Can I do that as I'm dislodging my conversation axe from her body?"

"Without Ruth, you would never have had the time you needed to put your own plan into action. Ruth, first of all, was not in favor of my execution."

Layton gave her questioning stare. "Because burning at the stake is more fun and those in attendance could be warm as well?"

Melanie looked like she was about to hit him. "Noooo." She answered. "Ruth said...she was more in favor of incarceration. She said she tried to make the others realize killing me didn't benefit the train because on some level, they still would need me. I was the only one, after all, who knew the most about the train."

Layton's expression suddenly turned very serious as he heard his own words being echoed back to him.

"When they still pushed for the execution," Melanie continued, "Ruth was the one all for formality in the matter. The others were more of a 'Let's throw her off the train when no one is looking'."

Layton frowned at the comment. "I'll go have a talk with her just the same." He replied.

"And you'll leave the axe here?" Melanie asked.

"And I'll consider leav...

"And you'll leave the axe here?" She repeated a bit firmer.

Layton sighed. "And I'll leave the axe here." He answered her, then turned back to his notes. "Don't need an axe to kill that woman." He mumbled under his breathe.

Melanie turned sharply to him. "What?"

Layton continued to study his notes. "I said 'It's very taxing dealing with that woman'."

Melanie turned back to her own notes. "Uh-huh."

As they continued forming their plan, Layton began to realize more and more that, no matter how much he may not want to admit it, the success or failure of said plan did lay with one person more than any other. And that was the person he needed on his side now more than ever. Because no matter what he thought or felt about the woman, Ruth Wardell carried a great deal of sway with the First Class passengers.

So maybe Melanie's idea of diplomacy over outright brutality was the way to go.

Knocking on the cabin door, Layton stood with his hands folded in front of him, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible.

Shortly after, the door silently slid open. But the cabin's occupant looked anything but happy to see her visitor.

"Mr. Layton." Ruth stated formally. "I certainly didn't expect to find you of all people at my door tonight."

"My apologies for the hour, Ms. Wardell." Layton replied with a small smile. "But I was wondering if you might have a moment?"

Layton didn't miss the hesitancy in her expression. The last thing this woman wanted was him in her cabin. But he could practically read her mind as she finally lowered her head and stepped back, allowing him access.

Her whole reaction to him was exactly what Layton was trying to avoid. He didn't want Ruth to be frightened of him, or feel he had her on a leash now. She was an intelligent and strong willed woman, not afraid to speak her mind. It was those qualities that earned her a seat on the counsel, and Layton had no desire to see them stifled.

He just wished she used them more to support him than oppose him.

As soon as he entered, Ruth turned to face him.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Layton?" She asked with all the dignity of one of her teal uniforms.

"For one," Layton replied with the same small smile, "you can stop being the poster child for 'formal'. This is just a friendly visit."

Ruth paused, then did her best to adopt a more relaxed look, although in Layton's opinion there wasn't much of a change.

"I guess as Head of Hospitality, that's as casual as it gets?"

The formal air returned almost immediately. "Was there something specific you wanted, Mr. Layton? The hour is quite late."

Layton sighed quietly to himself. He was losing big on the friendly approach side, so he decided to just abandon the effort and get right to the point.

"Yes, Ms. Wardell. I wanted to let you know that at the next council meeting tomorrow night there is going to be a vote."

Ruth looked a bit surprised, though she quickly hid it well. "I didn't receive notice of any articles being voted on." She stated in an affronted sounding manner at being left out of some council matter.

"No one has." Layton informed her. "It's an emergency vote I'm putting on the table at tomorrow's meeting. This is just a...'heads up' for you."

Ruth paused as she considered the man's statement for a moment. From the look on her face, Layton was sure she did not come up with a very favorable impression.

"I see." She stated in a tone that positively dripped with suspicion and made her previous responses seem altogether friendly. "And on this...'emergency' matter, Mr. Layton, exactly how am I suppose to vote? 'For' or 'against'?"

Layton gave a heavy sigh as he turned back to her. "This is the very reason I came to you tonight, Ruth." He stated with a touch of frustration. "Because I didn't want you to feel pressured to vote one way or the other."

Ruth simply stared back at him, her expression not softening one bit.

"Look," He stated, trying another way to reach her and sway her to their way of seeing the matter, "I'm sorry about bringing up Frank at the execution. But you have to realize how desperate I was. I was trying to save someone's life!"

"Someone you feel the train needs." Ruth replied.

"The train DOES need her, Ruth! We all do if we're going to survive this. She's the one who keeps this train running. She's the one who makes the repairs. No one else can do those things."

Ruth folded her hands in front of her. "Just the same, Mr. Layton, I'm not a fool, and I understand how things work. So, again..., exactly how am I to cast my vote tomorrow night?"

Layton stared back at her, trying not to let his frustration show. "However you wish, Ms. Wardell."

Ruth paused as she studied him. "Really?" She finally asked.

"Yes. Really. I'm not going to try and influence you one way or the other. And I swear to you, your relationship with Frank Jackson is none of anyone's business. Least of all mine. If I had wanted to sink that ship, I wouldn't have whispered it to you.

I'm not here to try and sway you or threaten you one bit. I want you to vote how you truly, freely feel on the matter. If you don't, then the revolution was just a sham that cost a lot of people their lives for nothing and we're just back to the old ways."

Ruth considered his words for a moment. "And this vote will be on...?"

Layton gave her one more small smile before leaving. "I'll let that be a surprise for everyone, Ms. Wardell."