Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own The Tribe. Kinda wish I did but that's another story.

Lex followed Amber down to the cafe and leaned against a wall in the back as she moved to the center and began speaking.

"I'm sure by now you all know why we're here. Rose is awake now so we need to decide if we're going to ask her to stay? Does anyone want to speak?"

"What happened to her?" May asked.

Amber looked toward Lex and he pushed away from the wall and began to speak. He relayed the story of the attack in the forest quickly.

"Is there anymore discussion?" Amber took back over the discussion.

"We can't just take in all of Lex's strays." Siva sulked from her spot on the sofa beside Ebony.

"Can we get rid of you then?" May whispered just loud enough to be heard by the room.

"We should let her stay." Trudy spoke up. "We have no good reason not to."

"Can we just vote?" Dee asked.

"Ok," Amber looked around, "I vote yes. Salene?"

"Yes."

"Trudy?"

"Yes."

"Pride?" she worked her way around the room.

"Yes."

"Jay?"

"Yes."

"Ebony?"

"No."

"Siva?" she asked already knowing the answer."

"Of course not."

"Dee?"

"Yes."

"Patch?"

"Yes?" he answered almost as a question.

"May?"

"Absolutely." She voted glaring at Siva.

"Mouse?"

"Yes."

"Sammy?"

"I guess."

"Lex?"

"Yes." His eyes never left his girlfriends hard glare.

"Well that's it then. Rose can…" Amber was cut off as Siva stormed from the room followed closely by her sister, "stay." She shook her head, "does anyone have anything else?"

"Lex," Jay asked, "what did she say about the tribe that attacked them?"

"She said they came out of the trees. They wore dark colors. She said they looked like they'd been in the wood for a while. Hand weapons, close combat stuff it sounded like. They had their faces painted blue."

"That doesn't sound like the Technos." May came around and sat at the table.

"No," Jay agreed, "they haven't been gone very long and anyway, there not big on close weapons. Not outside reality space anyway. It's just not there style."

"Not the Ecos, either." Pride jumped in the conversation. "They're not into kidnapping or murder."

"Do you think there's a new tribe out there?" Salene looked slightly worried.

"Could be. Do you think she would show us where they attacked them?" Jay asked Lex.

"Probably. She also said that the tribe that attacked them looked like they left their supplies alone. We might be able to get some stuff out there."

"Ok, we can wait a few days. Until she heals a bit more."

They all nodded and the meeting broke up.

"Lex?" Amber stopped him as he headed toward Rose's room. "I'll go talk to her. You should go see Siva."

He sighed dramatically. "Wouldn't it be easier to just rip my fingernails out with pliers?" he shrugged at her look. "I'm going. But if Ebony says one word I can't be held responsible for my actions." He stormed away toward his room and Amber headed up the stairs to see Rose.

Rose turned her head toward the door as Amber entered. "So, what's the verdict?"

"You can stay, if you want."

"Great."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic." She took a seat by the bed.

"I don't meant to sound ungrateful or anything. I just… I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You wouldn't be the first person to join this tribe for that reason. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get on fine."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"So… Lex said he knew you before."

"Yeah. We were close."

"How close?"

"Close enough."

"Oh… has he always been…" she stopped a moment trying to find a polite way to ask the question.

"A great big asshole?" Rose supplied.

"I was going to say… I wasn't going to word it that way."

"It's ok. And, yeah, when he wants to he can be a real piece of work. I always thought it was just his defense mechanism."

"So you know about his… issue?"

"Which? I know about a lot of his issues."

"Reading."

"You mean that he can't? Yeah, I know about that. And he's too proud to ever admit it to anyone."

"I think I'm one of the only people that actually knows."

"I'm sure he's very good at hiding it by now."

The conversation lapsed and soon Amber stood. "I should let you get some rest." She turned and walked toward the door.

"Amber." Rose called out, "Thank you, I mean it."

She nodded and switched off the light on her way out.

Lex sighed when he heard the noises coming from the room he and Siva shared. He was more than tired. He now realized what ever he had said to Siva this afternoon had been completely in vain. He had disagreed with her and so yet again he was the bastard. This was the final nail in the coffin of their relationship and Lex just didn't care. He steeled himself and entered the room.

Siva stalked around the room like a caged animal, gathering her things and tossing them into a basket on the end of their shared bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked from where he leaned against the door in his most annoyed tone of voice.

"Leaving you." She answered throwing down an armful of clothes.

"Well, Siva," he swaggered across the room and touched her chin lightly, "it's been fun." He pulled away quickly and tossed himself across the bed.

"You're not even gonna try to stop me?" she seemed outraged at his automatic acceptance of her decision.

"Nah, you've got your mind made up and far be it from me to argue with a lady. It was fun while it lasted but this has been coming."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I'm… I'm just gonna be me." He answered his mouth curling into a smirk.

Siva made an exasperated sound, grabbed her basket and stormed from the room.

Lex hadn't been quite ready to let his relationship with Siva go but she had made the decision for him. He knew she was just being dramatic, she wanted him to beg her to stay, or to get angry, anything. Just accepting her decision had definitely ruined her plan. But far be it from him to hinder her decision making. She said he didn't listen to what she wanted, well he listened this time. Of course, Lex knew, Siva was just going to be a prissy bitch now, not only that but her psychotic sister would be right with her. Ebony pissed at him, at least that would be normal. He almost felt sorry for Jay. He would have to deal with both girls now. Well, the voice in his head added, it's his fault for being with the shrew. Lex suddenly had the strongest urge to go visit Rose. She would make fun of him, sure, but she would just listen. She was resting though. He would wait till morning to bother her. And, he realized, he would actually get to sleep tonight.

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