Listening to the crickets chirping outside her bedroom window, Mary tossed and turned in bed unable to sleep. This was the first time in a while that she was having trouble getting to sleep, but maybe that had something to do with her going to bed feeling excited. Almost two weeks had gone by since Joshua moved in and all he had done since then was succeed at keeping her gaze and, despite insisting otherwise, was very handy around the cabin. She'd never would have taken him for a romantic either, but he proved her wrong.
Sighing and turning on her front, she tried to relax and calm her mind, but all she could think about was Joshua…
Joshua chopping wood for the stove. Joshua carrying the buckets of water for her bath. Joshua making her breakfast. Joshua's arms wrapped around her waist as he held her while she made the evening meal. Joshua's gaze lingering on her when he thought she didn't notice.
Her whole body flushed just from thinking about him; it was like she was drunk but still sober.
'You're never going to get to sleep if you don't stop thinking about him!' Mary buried her head in her pillow, muffling a frustrated groan when a knock on her door made her almost jump out of her skin.
"Yes?" she answered hesitantly after a moment, sitting up and straightening her shirt.
"Can I come in?" Joshua's voice called behind the door.
'Can he ever?' her inner voice spoke up but was quickly quelled by her more sensible side.
"Yeah", she answered and pulled herself up on the bed.
Joshua walked in, still dressed in his dark jeans and white shirt, "Sorry to bother you, I didn't know if you were asleep".
"It's no bother", she smiled up at him, "Actually I've been having trouble getting to sleep".
Joshua chuckled awkwardly, "Funny, I've been having a hard time getting to sleep myself and was wondering if you were awake", he moved to sit on the chair next to her bed.
"Have you tried reading? I've got several books in the bookcase that are sure to make your eyes feel heavy".
Joshua laughed and it sent a giddy wave through her whole body that made her mind swim. She couldn't get enough of the sound of his voice.
"Truth is, actually, I've not been able to stop thinking", he said, rubbing the back of his head
"Oh? What thoughts have you so wrapped up you can't sleep?"
His eyes met hers and there was something in them that Mary couldn't shake. "Thoughts of you and how much I have enjoyed being here, living here, with you", he answered, softly gazing into her eyes and taking her breath away, "I know it's only been about two weeks, but I've never felt more at home than here with you".
"Oh…", she gulped, feeling her face flush, "I've enjoyed having you here".
Joshua shifted and looked like he was about to say something before he stopped himself.
"What is it?"
"Oh… Nothing, I just wanted to let you know that I'm very appreciative of you and that I hope you can get to sleep".
Mary smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek before he stood up and started for the door. An idea had been brewing in her mind all day, and something told her that now was the time to speak up before he left her room.
"Wait!"
He stopped and turned to face her, a confused look in his eyes.
"I, uh… Have a question, that may sound a little… adventurous for you", she stammered, trying to find a way to make her suggestion without giving him the wrong impression.
"I'm open to a little adventure, now and again", a curious grin crept on his face.
"Well… I was thinking… If you can't get to sleep, and I can't get to sleep, maybe we could try something that might help both of us. And if it doesn't end up working, we can go back to the way it was before".
Joshua stood rooted to the spot, waiting for her to continue.
"How about we try sleeping next to each other?" she shrugged but Joshua could see an eager glimmer in her eye that made him smile.
"You mean, sleep in the same bed…Together?" he took a step forward, placing his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't fidget nervously. The very idea of lying next to her both frightened and thrilled him.
"Yeah", she nodded, biting her lip, "Is that too stupid? If it is, just tell me".
"No, actually, I… I was… thinking about suggesting it as well", he chuckled nervously, "But it seems I didn't have the courage to do it".
"So… Yeah?" Mary looked up expectantly at him, and when he nodded after a moment's consideration she scooted over to give him room to lie down.
Trying to quell his hesitant and doubting thoughts, Joshua pushed himself past the invisible hurdle and took the empty spot next to Mary. He felt his core quiver as her soft skin brushed up against his while trying to get into a comfortable position. He noticed that she was trying to give him as much room as possible, creating a wide gap between them, but that meant that her back was placed up against the wall.
"You don't have to do that", he said apologetically.
"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable", she hesitated, but Joshua slid his arm under her neck and around her shoulder to pull her closer to him.
"You could never make me feel uncomfortable", he sighed and felt the apprehensive tension melt from his body.
"I mean, I don't want you to feel physically uncomfortable".
"Oh", he said, realising what she meant, "Well, I don't want you to worry about that".
"Sure?"
Joshua grinned widely and tenderly stroked her cheek, pulling her even closer to him so that her head was resting on his chest, "I'm sure".
Feeling her head rest on his upper body and her arm slide around his waist as her body relaxed into his was the most comforting and heartening thing he'd felt in a very long time. His mind's racing thoughts slowed to a lull, the tension in his body melted away, and for the first time in his life, he felt complete.
He kissed the top of her head, squeezed her gently and felt one of her legs wrap around his, "Sweet dreams, Mary", he sighed happily, "I love you".
"I love you too".
Almost two days after the incident with the Deathclaw, Aelius finally woke and the doctor made a start on his rehabilitation treatment to get him walking again, much to Ash's relief. Gael insisted on visiting him the moment he found out, and so between his recovery sessions, Aelius would watch over and play with Gael in the infirmary room while Ash explored this small town and its mysterious people. What she did find out, which was very useful for them, was the name of the town. Currently they were in the little town of Manti, which put them less than 60 hours away from New Canaan. The thought of being so close to home was almost overwhelming.
Although quite helpful when Ash needed something mended, more supplies, or even with directions for planning their route to New Canaan, she couldn't help but feel that the townspeople were keeping something from them. Many times she was instructed not to go to the east side of the town without any real explanation as to why, which made her all the more curious to find out what was so bad in the east side that they told her to keep away, even though she saw some of others frequently go there in the evenings.
Walking into the mercantile building, Ash had a browse to see if she could find anything of use to them. She wanted to get everything prepped and ready for their departure so that Aelius didn't have to burden himself with it, and seeing as doctor Ormond, who operated on Aelius, seemed to want them gone as quickly as possible, Ash figured that she may as well spend the time she has on her hands well and effectively.
"Could I help you with finding anything?" the gruff voice from the shop keep asked her behind his counter.
"Erm… Perhaps", Ash answered, "I'm looking for some clothing, and supplies. Preserved food, water, medicines if you have any".
"The doc would be the best person for medicines", he answered, moving away from his till and walking towards the back of the shop with Ash following close behind, "But I do have plenty of clothing and survival supplies for you".
"Great, thank you", she said as she looked over the clean and neatly folded clothing on one of the shelves.
"What size are you after?"
Ash bit her lip and thought for a second, "What's the biggest size you have?"
"Ah, for your friend, I assume?" he said. Ash thought she could detect a smile behind those rags, "Here, these are the largest items of clothing I have. They should fit him… I hope". He handed her a beige linen shirt with rolled up sleeves, a pair of faded blue jeans that looked rugged enough to withstand plenty of walking and a cowboy style belt with a horseshoe shaped buckle.
"Here, he'll probably need a new pair too", the man took down a large pair of boots from the top shelf, "And don't worry if they don't fit. Just come on back in and we'll see if we can't find him something suitable".
"Thank you", Ash took the shoes, placing them on top of the already large pile of items, "But I'm not sure how I could ever afford all of this".
"Nah, don't worry about it. Consider this, and anything else you need for your journey, as a gift from our little town", the man waved her concern away.
"Oh, no, I really couldn't!" Ash stammered and shook her head, but the shopkeeper insisted. He even gave her a new set of clothes for herself and Gael, as well as all the other items she was after; even helped her carry the items to the room they were allocated at the infirmary.
Ash could still hear Gael chatting and giggling with Aelius in the recovery room when she finished sorting through all the items. By the time she'd finished packing up their bags, which were bursting at the seams, she saw doctor Ormond briskly walk down the corridor heard him proceed to scold Gael for causing so much noise and disturbing Aelius.
"What's going on here?" she said with a hint of a threat in her tone.
"Your child is disturbing my patient", the doctor looked over at her displeasingly, "If you want him to recover, he needs his rest".
"That's no reason to be so abrasive", Ash retorted, "My son wasn't doing anything wrong".
"She's right, doctor. Gael was just keeping me company", Aelius wrapped an arm around the boy as he was beginning to look upset, "Besides, what else am I supposed to do in the long hours between our sessions?"
"Rest!" the doctor looked at him with exasperation.
"But I'm not tired!" Aelius protested, his tone rising from the frustration of having to deal with the doctor's strict rules.
"Doctor, you can't keep us from Aelius when he asks to see us. How about we come up with a compromise? We promise to keep the noise down and to let Aelius rest when he's had enough; keeping him alone in this room, in silence with no mental stimulation would be cruel", Ash tried to reason with the doctor, which seemed to be working.
Ormond's eyes narrowed, glancing from Ash to Aelius and he seemed to consider her words.
"Fine… But keep it down!" he said firmly, "My lab is down the hall and I can hear everything! I have other time sensitive matters that require my attention and if I am disturbed-"
"Noted, doc", Ash interrupted, holding up her hands and nodding, "I'll make sure we keep the noise to a minimum".
"And you", he pointed at Aelius, "tired or not, you need your rest. Tomorrow we start trying to get you back on your feet! And by the time we're done, you'll wish you listened to me today".
Aelius blinked in surprise at the brusqueness of the doctor, who quickly turned on his heel and left them all in stunned.
"Wow", Ash whispered, moving to sit next to Aelius, "He's a character and a half".
"I suppose", Aelius chuckled, letting Gael get back into his mother's arms, "I can't help but somehow feel like I am a burden to him".
"What do you mean?" Ash cocked her head in confusion.
Aelius shrugged, trying to find the best way to describe what he meant, "I dunno… Call it a gut feeling". He sighed and rubbed his aching sides, "Have you been able to find out anything about our gracious hosts?"
"Yeah, a little", Ash nodded hesitantly, setting Gael down and asking him to go to their room so she could speak with Aelius privately. Once Gael was out of earshot, Ash continued to describe her findings, how everyone in this town was a ghoul that had survived the bombs of the Great War, how although people were very kind and helpful towards her she had a nagging suspicion that they were holding something back. "And the doctor keeps saying he has other matters to attend to. What kind of matters is he attending? I haven't seen any sick or injured people around here".
"He could have some patients that aren't able to come to the infirmary", Aelius shrugged.
"Maybe", Ash sighed, shaking her head and feeling a shiver up her spine.
Seeing that the topic was causing her some concern, Aelius shifted in his bed with a groan, "Do you think we have reason to be concerned".
Mulling his question over in her mind, she eventually shook her head, "I think if they meant us harm, they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of helping. But I do feel like they're hiding something from us; and I get the feeling that our presence makes them feel…uncomfortable".
"I see", Aelius exhaled, "Well, no sense prying in their personal affairs. I'll focus on getting back on my feet so we can leave this place as quickly as possible".
"Alright", she nodded, looking him over, "Speaking of getting back on your feet, how are you doing?"
"Well…I've had better days", he winced, remembering the pain he was subjected to in the morning, "Right now I'm not even able to stand on my own. But Peggy assured me that I'll be able to stand and walk a bit on my own two feet tomorrow".
"Peggy?" Ash's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Oh, I meant Doctor Davis", Aelius added, "She was the other one who helped during my surgery. And now she's in charge of my physiotherapy".
"So then she was the one I spoke to and who drew my blood".
"Why did she have to do that?" Aelius asked with concern.
"You had lost a lot of blood after they finished with the surgery", Ash's voice spoke gently, "And they didn't have any blood bags with a suitable blood type. I'm O negative so I volunteered even before the doctor suggested we test if I'm compatible".
"I can't believe you did that…for me", Aelius answered with surprise, "Knowing what I was".
"Was", she emphasised, "You're not a Legionary any more. You have earned our trust and friendship, many times over in fact".
His eyes welled up a bit and he tried to find the right words to convey his gratitude, "Thank you Ash".
"Don't mention it", she smiled down at him and squeezed his hand, "Just…do me a favour?"
"Anything".
"Try not to get yourself killed", she said and they both broke into a chuckle.
"I will do my best", he nodded, accepting her hand in his. Ash's eyes hovered over the cuts on his body and she felt herself wincing unconsciously.
"It doesn't hurt" he reassured her, noticing her concerned looks, "It just feels…sore".
She bit her lower lip and shook her head, heaving a heavy sigh as if the weight of the world were resting on her shoulders, "You have no idea how worried we were. Seeing you on the doctor's table…well… it was terrifying", she tried to hide her tears by Aelius could see that she was upset, "I really thought this was it; we were going to lose you".
"I know, but it's alright. I'm alright" he smiled up at her, "In a couple of days I'll be back on my feet and we'll be walking out of here. Besides, we gotta be close to your home by now".
"Oh! Yes!" she exclaimed, taking out the map that was folded neatly in her back pocket to show him where they were, "This is where we're at, a little town called Manti. Just north of our position, about a sixty hour walk I estimate, is New Canaan".
Aelius' eyes widened in happy surprise, "That's less than 160 miles from here!"
Ash nodded happily, watching as his blue eyes as they hovered over the map, "And the good news is that from here to New Canaan there are some active settlements along the way. One of the residents working at the Mercantile told me today, and they have caravans that go to and from each settlements, they might even let us travel with them".
"I don't know about that", Aelius looked at her cautiously, "I still think it's better if we stick away from the roads".
"Why?" Ash laughed, "We're so close we can see the finish line. Taking the scenic route will only cost us more time".
"I know but, I still feel like we need to be cautious. We can never truly know how far the Legion's grasp spans across the wastes".
Ash scoffed and waved his concerns away, "I doubt they span this far. Besides, he would never go after this area".
"How do you know?"
"Because Edward Sallow, the man who calls himself Caesar and leader of the Legion, doesn't want to have anything to do with people in this area".
"Why not?"
"From what I hear, it has something to do with his Legate", she pursed her lips.
"If you're talking about Graham, he executed him by dousing him in pitch and throwing him over a cliff in the Grand Canyon", Aelius countered, raising an eyebrow, "No, I don't believe any where's safe. Not as long as the Legion is still around".
The news that Caesar had executed one of his highest-ranking officers, and closest friends, took Ash aback. Although a big part of her didn't want to believe him and wanted more than anything to believe that they were safe this far north, she couldn't ignore his point.
"Alright, well… We'll just have to be cautious", she added, putting her map back in her back pocket, "I would prefer if we stick to the roads. Less chances of bumping into another Deathclaw".
The corner of Aelius' mouth turned up in a sheepish grin, "Probably right".
Over the next couple of days they planned their route down to a precise schedule between treatments. Two days of physio treatment and diluted stimpaks to speed up his recovery helped Aelius back on his feet, even if he was a bit wobbly on his legs at first. He still sported a slight limp but he was able to maintain a steady gait; running was out of the question, at least for another couple of days until his bones had completed knitting together.
"The doctor says I should be as close to being back to my old self as possible by tomorrow", Aelius grinned as he walked with Ash down the street. Ormond had instructed him to walk as much as he could take and to be on his feet to help his body heal, and it seemed to be working. Not only did it get Aelius out of the boring recovery room and out into some fresh air, but he also got to meet some of the local residents and found them to be very pleasant and helpful, if a little odd at times. They'd just finished collecting some final items for their trip and were returning to Ash's room, admiring the sunset as they walked.
"I bet he's happy you're out", Ash giggled, "He's probably having a party in his lab now, counting down the hours until we leave".
"I think we both know Doctor Ormond doesn't do parties", he quipped, making Ash laugh.
"No, I guess not", she chuckled, "Well, I guess we better start making our way back to the room. Going to be dark out soon"
Aelius nodded and followed her lead. Since his condition had improved, there was no need for him to stay in the recovery room anymore. Instead he found out that he was moved to a room with Ash in what used to be an old world bed and breakfast. The building itself was a two storey place that looked like it used to be someone's house at some point before going through an extension. They made it inside the lobby and when they turned around the corner to go up the stairs to the room, they were surprised to hear people chattering not far away.
"You expecting company?" Aelius joked, and before he could turn around and go around the corner to inspect what was going on, Peggy came out of the reception room carrying a large crystal bowl filled with a light pink liquid.
"Oh! My! You startled me", she whooped, then her amusement turned to regret, "I'm so sorry, this was supposed to be a surprise!"
"A surprise?" Ash's eyebrows raised, "What for?"
"For you three", Peggy gestured to them, "Oh! Now I've gone and ruined it".
"Now that's not possible", Aelius smiled at her, offering to take the heavy bowl out of her hands.
"Thank you", she carefully handed him the bowl, "I suppose we better go in then". She led them inside the reception room, where it looked like the whole town had gathered. As soon as they walked in the crowd turned all their attention to Ash and Aelius, hollering "Surprise" in , and Gael came running up to them from the centre of the gathering.
"Hey! Good for you to finally show up", the leader of the community and the one who helped Ash down from the Church, Tom Reiley, handed them both a bottle of beer.
"Thank you so much", Ash looked up at him gratefully, "You are all too kind"
"It's not every day you meet someone who went up face to face with a Deathclaw and lived", Tom chuckled, clinking bottles with them both, "You're practically celebrities around here".
"I don't know how I could ever repay your kindness and generosity", Aelius bowed his head, "If there's anything you need-"
"Don't think nothin' of it!" Tom interrupted him, patting him on the back, "Why if anything, we should be thankful to you. You three have brought more life to this town since…well… since before the Great War. It was our pleasure and honour to be your hosts. And seeing as Ash mentioned you'll be leaving in a day or so, we wanted to throw you a leaving festivity, so that happiness and good luck may follow you wherever you go".
Aelius could see Ash tearing up a little next to him, trying to hide her humbled reaction by fussing over Gael.
"We baked you a cake!" Gael said rather loudly in excitement, making the whole room erupt in laughter.
"Well, I suppose I'd better go get it!" Tom answered gleefully, running off with Peggy to the kitchen to grab the food and eating utensils while Ash and Aelius mingled with the crowd.
Though they were initially a timid people when Ash, Aelius and Gael first disrupted their quiet lives, the people of the town very quickly warmed to them and showed them such kindness that Aelius had never witnessed before. Listening to their stories of the world that was before the bombs dropped and the lives they led, compared with their current situation, was humbling and awe inspiring. It made Aelius wonder that if this community was able to survive all these centuries without getting destroyed by vicious tribes, mutants, then maybe the Legion's grasp over this territory wasn't as massive as he originally thought.
The sun was setting on the horizon on the third day by the time Aurelius and his men made it to the reservoir, casting a warm hue over the land. Crossing a little over forty miles in a day without stopping was one of the more physically exerting things he had done in a long time, but they managed to follow the tracks without much incident. When they ran up the hill to get to the reservoir, they were accosted by a stunted yao guai. Luckily there were a dozen of them and only one of the beasts, which they managed to dispatch without any effort.
Harvesting as much of the animal's meat as they could, the group followed the tracker to the top where they found three broken in old world cabins, a recently used grill and fire pit close to the water, strips of crimson cloth from the kind a Legionary soldier wears, and dried crimson blood stains on a bench nearby. There was no doubt that the traitor and the profligates passed through this area not long ago. Aurelius' tracker confirmed what he had expected: they were travelling north. They were so close that Aurelius wanted nothing more than to carry on until he caught up to them, but the men needed their rest.
"It's safe here. We can set up camp for the night", he heard one of the scouts relay the information to him from the edge of the reservoir. He nodded his approval and dropped his gear on a bed inside the cabin, claiming it for himself. If fortune continued to favour them, they could make another forty miles in the new day. Aurelius knew they were close; another day or two on foot and he would be within reach of his next promotion. All he had to do was remain relentless.
It was one of the happier moments in Aelius' life. Festivities for the evening were the most fun any of them ever had, and they carried on well past midnight. Some of the residents brought out their instruments and working record players for entertainment, and that's when Ash asked Aelius for a dance. He'd never felt so self-conscious or blushed as much as he did in that moment, much to the amusement of the others. Fortunately, he somehow managed to muddle through the dance without stepping on her feet, sacrificing grace and poise for the occasional downward glances at his legs.
When everyone finally had enough of their revelries and started leaving for the night, they found Gael asleep all cosy in a foetal position in an armchair. Aelius picked him up and carried him up to their room which. The room had a spartan old world décor with a work desk and chair, a working computer terminal, a rickety old closet, a small single bed in one corner of the room that almost looked like a child's bed, and a larger double bed in the other corner. No couch for him in sight.
"Erm, maybe I should ask for another room?" he whispered so as not to wake Gael, laying him down on the small bed and tucking him in.
"This is the only room they have that's suitable", Ash shook her head, getting out a blanket from the closet.
Aelius glanced from the bed to the door, rooted to the spot with his uneasiness.
"I can go back to the infirmary then. I'm sure my bed's still there", he made a move to leave but Ash stopped him.
"There's no need! You can sleep here, that was the whole idea".
"But there's no space for me", he glanced around, wondering if he had somehow missed another bed.
"There's a double bed, Aelius", she motioned towards the bed opposite Gael's as if it was obvious to everyone but him, "It'll fit both of us fine".
He stood there wanting to protest but kept his mouth tightly sealed until Ash got into bed and looked up at him as if he were being irrational.
"You gonna sleep standing up like a Brahmin or what?"
"No", he shifted on his feet and felt his face flush.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant Big Horner", she grinned cheekily at him, "Lord knows you're as stubborn as one".
Relenting with an exhale, he moved and sat at the edge of the bed and after some fussing, he finally lay on his side, facing away from Ash.
"Are you okay?" he heard her ask behind him.
"Yeah, just…a little cramped, is all", he answered, trying not to let his feeling of discomfort seep into his tone.
"You've got plenty of space", she said, "You don't need to perch on the edge".
He turned his head to see and noticed that he had at least a full foot and a half of space between them.
"Here", she unfurled her blanket and threw half of it over him, "Don't want you to get cold".
"Thanks", he nodded, wrapping it around his chest and inched a little closer to her.
"You can relax. I don't bite", she said as she turned on her side to face him, tucking her arm under her pillow, "I do snore sometimes though".
"Oh, yeah I know", Aelius grinned, remembering some loud snores he heard from her when they were sleeping out in the open, "And Gael farts in his sleep. A lot".
Ash burst into a fit of giggles, pulling the blanket over her lower face to stifle the sound, "His farts could put some grown men to shame".
Aelius chuckled quietly next to her, feeling the tension in his body melt. He didn't know why he was so worried about sharing a bed with Ash, but somehow she knew exactly how to put him at ease and he was very grateful for that.
"Good thing we didn't have any tinned beans tonight".
