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She's sleeping again. That's good, she needs rest. It's been good seeing her, even if she is sick. I can comfort her, or at least I hope that I can. At the way, way least, I need to keep her safe, over anything. I promised her that I would protect her, and though we may have been four at the time, I will always keep that promise. Always.
I used to feel so guilty about the accident. Hell, I still do. It's my fault that she never got to be with her family, my fault that she has this stupid virus. I tore her away from the only family that she really has, made her go through it alone. Even if I didn't mean to, how could I hurt someone so...well, perfect? God, she's so perfect, so beautiful. I just can't stop blaming myself for everything that's gone wrong for her.
At least she lived a normal life. Well, as normal as life can be in this screwed up, post-Pulse world. I watched over her, trying to guard her from everything that I could, but I never even introduced myself. She had to try and fit in with the norms, never feeling like she belonged but also never knowing why.
She's been through so much in the past week. If that happened to me, I think I would have gone crazy. I feel her moving around, interrupting my thoughts. I look down and see that she's awake. She has tears in her eyes, but she tries to hide it and smiles weakly at me. I smile back. My perfect little soldier...
I've missed you.
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I lay in his arms, not wanting to move. I'm peaceful now, having come to the conclusion that if I die, at least I'll have known the truth. Not that I'm planning on dying, however...I plan to throw everything that I have left in me at this virus bitch. I just hope it's enough. Ok, who am I fooling? I have definitely not achieved inner peace, hell, I'm not even just happy knowing that I finally know the truth. I want to live out my life, get married, have kids(ok, maybe not so much-sounds painful), die old. But now there's a chance that I won't be able to do any of that. God, why has my life suddenly snowballed?
I look out the window. We're in a small town, and pull over to a diner not unlike Sandy's. My whole life's just...gone. My friends, family, the whole world that I grew up in, belonged in, is now just a distant memory. I look down and study my hands, trying to inconspicuously blink back the tears. I feel a rough, calloused finger brushing away a tear that's managed to slide down my cheek. "Are you ok?" he whispers softly, the worry he's trying to hide obvious. I nod.
The others have already gone into the diner. Ben opens the door and slides out, being careful not to move me. Okay, that is it, I'm tired of not being told anything, and being totally clueless and treated like a baby! I'm not letting anyone carry me or treat me like a baby anymore. It's humiliating!
Ben leans in to lift me out of the truck, but I shake my head. "No. I can do it." I say, and slowly climb out of the car. Ben grabs my waist as I climb out, gently setting me on the ground. It's hard when you have people constantly checking how you are. I mean, it's nice and all, but after a while, it gets old. Real old. I think positively, willing my legs to work right. Ben drops his hand as soon as I'm steady, but hovers close by. I take slow, wobbly steps, but at least I'm doing it. Ben puts his arm around my waist again, but I don't mind because I don't know if my legs can hold that much. As if in response to that thought, a sudden wave of nausea hits, and the pavement comes up to meet my face. I close my eyes and brace myself for the fall, but strong arms encircle my waist and stop me from falling to the ground. I look up at Ben gratefully, "Thanks."
"That's it." Ben says authoritatively, "You aren't walking in." Before I can find the words to stop him, he scoops me into his arms.
"You know, we're going to attract a lot of attention if you carry me in. I'd rather walk, you know." I say, knowing that Ben's bossiness will win.
"Not anymore than our stunning good looks, and yes, I know you'd rather walk, but don't you just love being by me?" he says. I roll my eyes.
"God,you are so conceited! Why can't I just try walking? Please?" I ask, giving him my patented puppy-dog-I'm-gonna-cry face.
"Because we're already at the door." he says, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Fine, but on the way out I'm so walking, whether you like it or not." I say.
We, well, he walks into the diner, carrying me in his arms. My siblings spot us walk in and wave us over to the corner booth. Ben carries me over and we sit down. He's so careful with me, like I'm gonna break.
"Hey guys. What took you so long?" Brin asks, handing us a menu to look over. I grab it and open it up.
"I wanted to walk in, but Mr. Over-Protective here didn't think that I was strong enough to." I say before Ben has a chance to respond.
"You almost fell on your face!" he exclaims, taking the menu away from me. Okay, he's about to learn that if you take away Liz's choice of food, you lose.
"Yeah, and I would have caught myself if you hadn't first. I could've done it, you know. You didn't have to carry me." I respond while trying to sneak the menu away from him. I grab the edge, but this time he doesn't let go. I look up at him, just to see him grinning like the Chesire Cat. Apparently he likes having someone to banter with. My siblings watch the scene before them play out, with Jondy and Syl making bets on who'll win. But we don't notice them, being too caught up in the game.
"You know you like it when I hold you." he says, a cocky grin plastered on his features. Again with the innuendo!!
"Oh yes, Ben." I say sarcastically, "I want you. I need you. Take me now, please, oh baby, oh baby." His jaw drops, and muffled laughter can be heard from the rest of the table. I take the moment of shock to grab the menu away from him, and start scanning for some food. Mmm...chicken soup. Nothing else sounds good right about now. Well, maybe water.
I'm pulled away from the thought of food by a girl squealing excitedly. Okay, not the best thing to do in front of a girl with a migrane so bad that her head feels like it's about to explode. I look in the direction that the girly squeals are coming from and see a familiar face. Do I know her? Then it hits.
"Tinga? Girl, how've you been? It's been like forever!" Syl says, grinning as wide as she can, hugging Tinga.
"Good, good. Lying low. I'be got a new boyfriend, Charlie. And it's Penny now." she corrects, "What brings you here?"
"Well, we're showing off the newest addition to our family." says Krit, acting like a proud father. Tinga looks around the table, scanning for new faces. She stops on me, her eyes going wide and the smile on her face threatening to crack her face in half.
"Oh, my god! Liz? How'd you...what? I thought you were still pretending to be ordinary!" she exclaims, apparently still shocked that I'm there. I guess no one told her that I pulled a 180- from being a normal, ordinary waitress to a genetically engineered, revved-up teenage girl.
"First things first-I wasn't pretending to be normal. I thought I was. And to explain the whole 'me being here' thing, Lydecker gave me some virus and is now trying to track me down. I don't even know what else is going on, because they don't tell me." I give a look around the table, hoping they tell me what's up. Probably not. I'm treated as the baby, something I'm really not liking much, to be honest. "I'm not a baby, you know." I manage to say before Tinga pulls me out of the booth and hugs me, squeezing me so tight that I can't breathe and my internal organs threaten to implode.
"I've missed you so much, baby sister." she says, pulling away. Her eyes are full of tears, and I know that mine are, too. "How are you?" she asks, her voice full of concern.
"Well, physically, I think I'm getting better, but this has been a lot to handle." I say. I slowly make my way back to the booth and lower myself back in. I look at Ben defiantly. "See? I could've done it."
"So," says Tinga, all professional-like, "Are you guys all ready to order?
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A/N: hey guys! A HUGE shoutout to all of my loverly reviewers! Don't worry, if you're angry about my lack in the updating-department... after this weekend, no more play practice for me!!!! wish me luck, guys!
Live fast.
Cheer hard.
Die laughing.
Molly Jeane :D