Chapter 6
Mel
As her daughter reached the ripe old age of five weeks old, Mel had the pleasure of experiencing Ferns first developmental leap. According to the books she'd been reading, her baby would go through eight of these in her first year. This first centred around the newborns changing metabolism and her senses becoming more sensitive. She was becoming more aware of the world around her and it was turning Mel's life into a nightmare.
Some things that had worked just days ago, no longer did. If Mel had rocked her to sleep in a certain way yesterday, well too bad, that wasn't what would work today. If she usually seemed to sleep at a specific time, she no longer would. Her little girl was changing and growing so Mel would have to change with her. She consoled herself with the fact that if this was so all so new and confusing to her, it was a million times more so for her baby.
To top it all off, she was cluster feeding as well. It felt like the little gremlin wanted access to her boobs every minute of every day and it was getting exhausting. It also meant she had less and less time to do everything else she needed to do, which meant relying on Jesse more and more. This was still something that she found difficult. It was nothing to do with her trust in Jesse, rather it was fear that if she came to rely on him too much she'd be pulling him away from his own child when they were finally born.
But he was there anyway and she was, at this particular point, thankful that he was. Fern had been crying non-stop for fifteen minutes now, Mel didn't like to let her cry at all, so this was extreme. She'd tried everything she could think of, she'd offered her a feed, she'd sung to her, rocked her, laid down with her and various combinations of all. She was in tears herself now.
"Do you want me to have a go?" Jesse asked gently, recognizing just how distressed she was getting.
Mel was bobbing up and down, side to side and quietly shushing the tiny form of her girl.
"Okay…" she swallowed "Maybe five minutes? If she's still crying I'll come back in"
She reluctantly handed the crying infant to Jesse and left the room, gently closing the door behind her. Exhausted, she flopped down on the couch and stared intently at the clock, counting down the minutes until she'd be back on duty. Fern was still crying, but she tried to relax. Then, at around two minutes, the crying stopped. Mel stiffened but told herself everything was fine. If something was wrong, Jesse would have called for her. He must have done the seemingly impossible.
The minutes dragged on, five, six and then finally after seven, Jesse very quietly opened the door, wincing as he stepped on a creaky floorboard. He paused, but there was no crying and he silently closed the door behind him.
"In her cot" He said proudly as he sat down next to Mel.
"What? How? She never sleeps in the cot"
"Maybe she does now" He shrugged, grinning.
"How did you get her to sleep to start with?" Mel said, starting to get genuinely annoyed.
"I just held her and rocked her a little"
"What the hell kid. This is so infuriating!"
"She must like me…"
"Jesse. I have never been able to get her in that cot" Mel said, with evident frustration.
"Hey, hey. It's okay. You're her mom, makes sense she wants you close"
Mel shuffled closer to him and curled up beside him, her head resting on his chest
"I'm just so tired. It's been like this for days"
"She's asleep now, just try and relax for a bit" Jesse said as he stroked her face.
Mel sat up and moved in closer, resting her forehead up against his, breathing in the same air. She looked into his eyes and took a deep breath before kissing him. There was a lot more feeling to it this time as she ran her hands down his chest and then back up, this time under his shirt. Jesse leant into it, kissing her back passionately and lifting her t-shirt slightly, placing a hand on her bare waist. She flinched and he recoiled abruptly.
"No, no, it's okay, you've just got cold hands" Mel smiled.
She slipped off her t-shirt, revealing her slim, pale, and dark freckled frame, before moving to straddle Jesse and kissing him once more. As they made out, Jesse rested a hand on one of her small breasts and she once again jumped slightly.
"Why are your hands so cold?! It's summer!" she laughed, grabbing his hands and holding them to her chest.
"Shitty circulation. You sure you're okay?"
"I think so…"
"Like physically?"
"Ummm. I think everythings healed up okay. It's been five weeks"
They started making out again and she started unbuttoning his shirt, but when he moved a hand up her thigh and started unbuttoning her jeans she once again shuddered involuntarily, this time not because of his cold hands. Jesse withdrew his hands immediately as she leant back slightly.
"Sorry, I think maybe I'm not ready after all" she said quietly. Looking into Jesse's eyes she didn't find any hints that he shared her disappointment.
"You've got nothing to say sorry for. If it's not right, it's not right" he shrugged, smiling.
Mel rolled off him, but once again pulled her feet up onto the couch and lay her head in his lap. She cursed herself internally as he ran his hand through her hair.
"It's not your fault or anything"
"I didn't think it was… anyone's fault actually. You're allowed to change your mind"
"It's weird. Really wanting something, but then getting freaked out when it happens. It was the same with Fern. I really, really wanted it, and when it first happened I was super excited, but then, in Seattle, the closer I got the more freaked out I got"
"Um. I don't think that's weird. That's a huge thing. But look at you now. Mom of the year for 2038"
"Didn't feel like it today. I was angry with her for a little bit there. She doesn't deserve that. Everything is new and scary for her. I don't want her to be a nervous wreck like her mom, but I can't even get her to sleep in her cot"
"In your defence, it's hard not to be a nervous wreck these days. But you're doing good. You're always there for her and she's going to grow up in a safe place. And by the way, mom told me that I never slept in a cot as well, they never even owned one. My crippling anxiety is at the lower end of the scale. So…"
"Yeah you're alright I guess" Mel smiled, turning on to her back and looking up at Jesse "Can you stay, just for tonight"
"Sure" He replied and flicked her nose playfully.
One night wouldn't hurt, Mel thought, and in the end it didn't. Her girl ended up in bed with her again, despite Jesse having another go settling her into the cot. Maybe it was a one-time thing. Regardless, it was nice knowing he was there, albeit in the spare room across the hall. And it was only for that one night in the end, but as the week went by, Mel eased off trying to do everything herself and accepted more help from Jesse. She still felt guilty, but told herself that she'd be able to help Dina, Ellie and Jesse when their time came around. Fern was starting to calm down again as she got to grips with all the new things happening to her and experiencing her world. She was a lot more aware and always looked up at Mel quizzically, not quite understanding that Mama was an entity distinct from herself.
Mel woke bleary eyed and gradually. It was pitch black and she had no idea what the time was and why she'd woken up. Her baby was still fast asleep nestled into her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but her bladder had other ideas. She gently eased Fern off her and slowly but surely got out of bed, pulling on an oversized t-shirt and building a wall of pillows where she'd been lying to stop the kid from rolling off the bed.
She clicked her knees loudly and groaned quietly. It was like she was an old woman, but she was getting used to the awkward sleeping positions her child demanded of her. Out in the lounge she did her best to navigate through the dark, but started when a floorboard creaked behind her.
"Just me, just me" she mumbled to herself quietly.
Then something hit her and she was slammed up against the wall. A powerful arm pinned her and another pressed down on her throat cutting off her breathing. She started to panic.
"Hey Mel" a familiar feminine voice said.
Mel couldn't reply, but she still had legs, so she brought a knee up right into her attacker's crotch. They grunted in pain but didn't release her, however they eased the pressure on her arms just enough for her to break a hand free and push it into their face, finding an eye.
Her attacker cried out and recoiled backwards. As she slid down the wall, Mel lashed out again with a leg sweep, catching her assailant off balance sending them crashing to the ground. She tried to visualize in the dark where the kitchen was, the knife drawer, and made a break for it. The intruder was fast though and grabbed a leg, pulling Mel to the ground and then she was on top of her, locking Mel's arms behind her, slamming her head into the ground and pressing a knee on to the small of her back.
The lights flicked on suddenly and for a second Mel was disoriented. She looked around the room as much as she was able, trying to get her bearings. Her eyes focussed on the compact form of a bewildered looking Scar. Lev. She tried to struggle again but the one pinning her was a lot stronger than her.
"Stop fucking moving" Abby snarled at her.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Mel hissed, not wanting to scream out and draw her neighbors yet.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? We were your fucking friends. Owen's fucking dead!"
Fern, waking up without her mom lying beside her, started crying. Lev moved towards the bedroom door.
"Don't you fucking touch her! I'll rip your fucking throat out!" Mel said fiercely, working hard to keep her volume under control. Lev halted.
"Not if I snap your skinny little neck" Abby responded.
"Abby… she's your friend…" Lev said softly.
Abby pressed Mel's face further into the floor, but then growled with frustration.
"Just stop the kid from crying and don't fucking try anything fancy" she said releasing the lock on her.
Mel just about leapt to her feet and rushed over to her baby, scooping the tiny form up and sitting back on the bed cross legged. She glared at Abby as the other woman drew a sidearm from her holster and leveled it at Mel.
"You need to start talking Mel"
"Fuck you Abby. You're the one who just tried to fucking kill me. Stop pointing that thing at me"
"Oh please, if I wanted to kill you'd be fucking dead. Stop playing the fucking victim. I saw Tommy Miller. I found Owen…" Abby's voice cracked "I actually thought he'd taken you and that I'd be coming to rescue you, and then I got here and you're just walking around without a care in the fucking world. Tell me what fucking happened or I swear to god I'll put a bullet in your head right now"
Mel took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Abby had obviously been watching her.
"I didn't have a choice, Abby. I thought I was the only one left. I was pregnant. I had nowhere to go" She said, offering Fern a boob, who promptly stopped crying as she started feeding.
"Tell me what happened to Owen"
"She was looking for you…"
"She?" Abby interrupted
"The girl from the lodge, the day you killed Joel. She had a gun on us. I wanted to tell her where you'd gone… The Island… I thought if the Scars hadn't killed you already, then you had a better shot than us... and I didn't want to die" As she relived that moment, it somehow felt different with Abby there. More raw. Tears began to flow.
"Fuck you" Abby said half heartedly as tears began forming in her eyes as well.
"Owen tried to go for her gun"
"Of course he did"
"She shot him. I couldn't save him"
"Did she try and find me? On the island"
"No. I didn't tell her"
"Why didn't she kill you?"
"Probably because of her" Mel gestured at the little bundle at her chest "The others came in then anyway. Tommy Miller and another from here. Stopped her from doing anything else"
"So you just went with them?" Abby said accusingly, lowering the gun slightly.
"I told you. I didn't know what else to do"
"You should have gone back"
"To the FOB? You know what Isaac does to deserters"
"You shouldn't have even fucking been at the aquarium. You should never have left the FOB in the first place"
"Fuck off Abby, I loved him to"
"Yet here you fucking are Mel. With the people who murdered him"
Mel looked down at her baby and ran her hand through her still thick head of downy hair.
"We murdered him. He didn't even want to come to Jackson in the first place" Mel replied.
"Yeah I know" Abby said with resignation creeping into her voice
"What are you doing here?"
"I told you. I saw the brother in Seattle. He killed Manny" Mel flinched in surprise. She didn't know that, she'd assumed Ellie had killed him "I found Owen, you were gone. Came to find out what happened. What are you doing here Mel?"
"Trying to give her a better chance than we had"
"What's her name"
"Fern. It was one of the ones Owen came up with"
"Can I see her"
"No. Not while you're pointing that fucking gun at us"
Abby lowered and then holstered the gun but made no further moves. She could see Lev through the door, standing awkwardly in the lounge.
"Where's Yara?" Mel asked
Abby just shook her head.
"Sorry… You can come sit down"
Abby did, sitting stiffly bedside Mel, looking down at the baby as she finished feeding.
"She looks like you… both of you" Abby said, stoically holding back a sob.
"I see him every time I look at her"
"I miss him"
"He loved you"
"He loved you too Mel" Abby said.
"Not in the same way, it was always you, right til the end"
"Was it quick?"
Mel nodded "I held him, so he knew he wasn't alone" Mel wiped the tears from her eyes and looked down at the little face peering up at her, all swaddled up and warm in her arms. She smiled and a lone tear dropped down on to Fern's head. She flinched as Abby gently wiped it away.
"We buried him. By the aquarium"
Mel nodded and the two former friends sat in silence for a time until Lev quietly entered the room, obviously reluctant to interrupt them.
"Sorry for saying I was gonna kill you before" Mel said to him.
"It's fine. Abby We can't stay…" he finally managed.
"How did you even get in here?" Mel asked.
"Disguised as traders" Abby replied.
"They normally take the guns…"
"Yeah well they need to get better at searching people"
"What are you planning on doing with it"
"I was thinking about popping a bullet in Tommy Miller to start with"
"This thing. The killing. It needs to stop" Mel said angrily
"It will"
"When you're dead as well? When he is?" Mel gestured at Lev.
"Abby can we please just go?" Lev asked softly "You said you just wanted to find out what happened"
"So that's it? Just forgive and forget?"
"I haven't forgotten, but I can't do it anymore. We just lose everything over and over again" Mel was growing more and more distraught "I just want her to be safe and happy and she can be here. I'm as guilty as anyone else, so yeah, I'll forgive"
"Well it's not that fucking easy for me"
"Grow up Abby"
"Fuck! You!"
"Have you asked Lev if he wants to be trapped in your fucked up, endless cycle of revenge?"
Abby looked up at Lev. The kid looked exhausted and scared. It was obvious he didn't want to be there. She pressed her head into her hands and just sat there. Lev sat down next to her and leaned his head on her shoulder. They were an odd pair and Mel had never quite understood why Abby cared so much given how dogmatically she'd fought the Seraphites for Isaac. Maybe it was something to do with that kid all those years ago, guilt for what she'd been forced to do. Whatever the reason, she cared about Lev.
"I need to finish this"
"It's never gonna finish unless you choose to stop or you die" Mel said
"She's right Abby" Lev added.
"Lev doesn't deserve any of this and you don't either. Please"
"Last time you saw me you told me I was a piece of shit"
"Yeah? I had to work myself up for hours to say that. We were friends. But I'm not fucking stupid. I saw the resentment growing from the day Owen and I were a thing. You fucking hated me by the time we got to Jackson but I came with you because I wanted him dead and because I still thought you were my friend. When you left and they hauled me in front of Isaac, I didn't tell them shit. I'd have done fucking anything for you Abby and then I got to the aquarium and there you were and there was Owen. It was pretty fucking obvious. Do you know how it feels to always be second best? The backup? Even when I was carrying his child. I was just as fucking angry with him as well if it's any consolation, but I'm a piece of shit as well Abby" Mel's face was red and tear streaked with a combination of sadness and anger.
"I loved him so much. Do you know I actually felt like I was second best when you got together? Little miss perfect. The child prodigy Doctor Jackson. Dad loved you too. You spent more time with him then I did and then it felt like you'd Owen as well. I never hated you though and I'm sorry I hurt you. He would have loved her, you know that right?"
"I know and she would have loved him"
Outside the sun was starting to rise and the birds were starting their morning chorus. It was still too early for anyone to be out and about, but it wouldn't be long. Abby put an arm around Lev and squeezed tight.
"We should go" Abby sighed.
"No detours?" Mel asked.
"No detours"
"Where? Santa Barbara?"
"That was Owen's plan, we might mix it up"
"I've got something to show you first" Mel said, leaning over and opening the top drawer of her bedside table and pulling out Leah's polaroids. Abby moved closer and they both broke into fresh tears as they remembered their friends together. "You should take this" Mel passed her the photo of Abby and Owen together.
"Thank you. Not that anyone could forget that big dumb face" she grinned through tears as she got up to leave.
"Guess this is it?" Mel said, also hauling herself to her feet.
"I guess so. Sorry for beating you up"
"I thought I got you pretty good"
"No you didn't" Abby grinned embracing her once closest friend, awkwardly trying not to squash the little baby she was carrying "Have a good life… and you too sprout"
"See ya Lev. Take care of her"
He smiled and waved goodbye awkwardly.
"Love you Melon"
"Love you too Abs" Mel replied, farewelling her friend and one of the last vestiges of her previous life for the last time.
Jesse
Tommy's limp was barely noticeable these days, but his arm, or lack thereof certainly was. He'd shunned any sort of prosthetic, not that Doctor Cosgrove could offer him anything with any real functionality. Instead he tucked that sleeve of this jacket into a pocket and got one with doing everything with one hand. He'd been drilling hard and could shoot pretty well again, resting the handguard of his rifle on his stump and cycling the bolt by wedging the stock between his shoulder and chin freeing up his right arm. He wasn't the crack shot he used to be, but he was getting here. Jesse admired his sheer determination, but he didn't think Tommy going out on patrols was a good idea yet.
"I'm worried Jesse, feels like they're probing us" Tommy said. He was referring to the growing number of encounters they patrols had been having with bands of hunters. It was normal at this time of year. They'd come north in the summer, looking for fresh pickings when the snow was gone, but Tommy was right, for whatever reason, they were happening more often this year. Still, things were able to be resolved peacefully most of the time and no one had died.
"Yeah me too Tommy, but there are a lot of us, we're well fortified and we're well armed. They'd be nuts to try and hit Jackson"
"Ain't going to stop them hitting patrols though"
"And you think you're single handedly going to prevent that? Come on Tommy, we know the land and we're always on alert"
"I heard Dan MckInnon was injured last patrol"
"He fell of his horse, it wasn't a big deal"
"Still, we're down a man" Tommy whispered conspiratorially.
"We've got a roster, plenty who can cover for him. You know this"
"Jesus Christ Jesse, I'm not some fucking basket case"
"Why are you talking to me? It's Maria's call"
"Because she won't fucking listen to me"
"And you think she'd listen to me?"
Tommy paused abruptly and grabbed Jesse by the shoulder, his eyes locked ahead on the backs of two people beside their horses at the front gate. The one on the left was small, probably a kid, dressed in a nondescript and functional frontiersman type outfit and the one on the right, a powerful looking woman, was dressed in a similarly utilitarian fashion, her fair covered by a thick woolen beanie. Both wore large, heavy looking backpacks and their horses were laden with full looking saddlebags. Traders, Jesse thought.
"What?" He asked Tommy who still had his hand locked around Jesse's shoulder.
"Not sure… Need to see"
He released Jesse and started aggressively limping after them. Jesse saw his hand unclip his holster and come to rest on the grip of his sidearm.
"Hey! Hold up a minute there!" Tommy shouted out as the pair mounted their horses. If they heard him, they gave no indication. Jesse was still a few steps behind him when Tommy came to an abrupt stop as they powered away. The Woman turned her head briefly and raised her hand in a mock salute.
"Fuck" Tommy grunted angrily..
"Gonna tell me what's going on?"
"Her. From Seattle. Abby"
"Bullshit, there's no way"
"Why not? Sure fucking looked like her. Big fucking girl like that"
"I'm not calling you crazy. Just seems far-fetched. Mel's pretty sure she's dead, last she saw her she was off on a suicide mission against those crazy cultists"
"Yeah well, maybe she's wrong. I saw that girl fight"
"Okay, what do you want to do? Get a patrol after them?"
"No. If that was her, she was here for me, Ellie or to 'rescue'your friend. I'm still standing and Mel wasn't with her…"
"So we need to check on Ellie" Jesse interrupted. He was worried about Mel, but from what she'd told him, he didn't think Abby would have harmed her. Ellie and Dina on the other hand…
"If Ellie's all good, under no fucking circumstances do we tell her what I think I saw. Same reason we're not sending a patrol. You got that?"
Jesse nodded sharply as they powered off in the other direction.
It was with a palpable sense of relief that they found Ellie safe and sound at home. She was out on the porch, sitting on the front steps. Behind, sitting on a bench by the front door was Dina, with little baby Fern asleep in her eyes and Mel. Jesse's surprise at that turned to concern when he saw the bruise that was starting to form on Mels left cheek.
Ellie was strumming her guitar and started softly singing a tune by Johnny Cash.
"I Hear The Train A-Comin'; It's Rollin' 'Round The Bend,
And I Ain't Seen The Sunshine Since I Don't Know When,
I'm Stuck At Folsom Prison And Time Keeps Draggin' On."
"But That Train Keeps A-Rollin'
On Down To San Antone."
"When I Was Just A Baby, My Mama Told Me. Son,
Always Be A Good Boy; Don't Ever Play With Guns."
"But I…"
She trailed off and stopped, the next line obviously striking an uncomfortable chord and realizing it probably would for someone else there. Still, it was nice to see her playing again.
"Howdy boys" Dina shouted from the porch, in a terrible impression of a southern drawl.
"Ladies" Tommy replied, taking off his cap and bowing his head dramatically.
"Hey" Ellie said puting the guitar down and standing up "What's up?"
"Just thought we'd come say hey" Jesse replied, then turning to Mel "hate to see what the other guy looks like" He said gesturing at the side of his own face, mirroring where her bruise was.
She held her hand up to face self consciously "Ran into the bathroom door last night"
"Uhuh" He replied, not convinced in the slightest. She shot him a death stare and shook her head. He took the hint and didn't press it further. Dina was enthralled by the baby and Ellie was looking the other way, but Tommy saw the exchange for what it was and furrowed his brow, but likewise stayed silent.
"Can Ellie get you guys a coffee" Dina asked, looking up from her tiny charge.
"Or a beer?" Ellie added.
"It's not even nine in the morning!" Dina replied with exasperation.
"Well I aint got anywhere to be" Tommy laughed "Maria's got me cooped up in town like an invalid"
"You are an invalid" Ellie jested.
"Well everyone else seems to agree with you" He replied, nodding towards Jesse.
"Why does everyone seem to think I have any input into this?!" Jesse responded with feigned frustration.
"Because everyone likes you" Dina interjected.
"What about you doc, you think I'm ready to be let out" Tommy asked Mel.
"Sounds like a work question Tommy and I'm not at work"
"Well I'd like to book an appointment then"
"Alright, see you in five months" She smiled cheekily. Mel's weirdness around Tommy had started to dissipate of late. She was still a lot more reserved in his presence but was at least trying.
"You want that beer Tommy?" Ellie asked.
"You joining me?"
"No. I'm not a deadbeat like you"
"I'll have a coffee then, fuck you very much" He said flipping her off with his only hand as she entered the house.
"Make that two!" Jesse added.
"I better make sure she doesn't slip anything into it" Dina said, passing the baby back to Mel and following Ellie through the door.
The two men stepped up onto the porch and Jesse took a seat next to Mel as she cradled her little girl.
"Take it you had a visitor" Tommy asked quietly after making sure that Dina had gone out back into the kitchen.
"Hmmmhm"
"You need to tell me everything"
"Are you okay?" Jesse interjected.
"I'm fine"
"What happened?" Tommy continued.
"She was pissed. Wanted to know what happened in Seattle. We talked it out and she left"
"Gonna need a little more detail than that"
"I told her what happened but I didn't tell her where anyone was if that's what you're asking. It's a big place, didn't think she'd find Ellie even if she wanted to, but I came round here as soon as I could. How'd you know she was here?"
"Saw her leaving out the front gate"
"Good. She's not coming back"
"You seemed pretty confident she was dead. Why should I believe you now?"
"I wasn't bullshitting then and I'm not bullshitting you now. She's gone and you will never see her again. And neither will I"
"Tommy, she's not lying" Jesse said defensively.
Tommy just stared at her, once again furrowing his brow in thought. Mel for her part stared back defiantly as if to say 'bite me'. That's not helping, Mel Jesse thought to himself, Tommy buckled first though, sighing in frustration.
"Fine"
"If it's any consolation, I was about to head over to yours to tell Maria"
"You know if she comes back, she won't be leaving and don't even think about saying a word of this to Ellie"
Mel nodded seriously.
"I'll talk to Maria"
"Talk to Maria about what?" Ellie asked as she came out of the house bearing two mugs of coffee.
"About letting me out of jail" Tommy replied artfully.
"You still can't shoot for shit"
"Even with one arm I can shoot straighter than you girl"
"Want to test that theory?"
"I don't need to test shit!"
"Alright, gramps. Keep your hair on" Ellie grinned.
Maria was surprisingly unfazed when Tommy and Jesse had told her about their visitor. They hadn't exactly put out wanted posters, so it was no surprise they'd manage to get in the gates. She couldn't vet every passing trader and she trusted the people on watch to use their discretion. It wasn't their fault, but she'd be subtly reminding those manning the gates to be thorough. There would be no one going after Abby, they couldn't spare the manpower for what would doubtless end up being a wild goose chase.
It wasn't til later that afternoon that Jesse was able to check in on Mel and Fern. They were both lying on the lounge floor, looking up at the ceiling, the baby on a spread of flattened cloth nappies. Nappy free time, or bum time as Mel called it. Apparently it was good practice to air things out every so often. Jesse thought it was a bit of a risk, he'd had the misfortune of witnessing a couple of poonamis already and it wasn't pretty. She was still quite imobile, unable to roll herself or even lift her little head really. He thought it must be hard, being so completely defenceless, totally reliant on others for even your most basic needs.
Jesse had down on the floor next to them tickled little Fern under the chin. She reacted by looking up at him, wrinkling her face up into what looked like a frown. He tried to stop himself from laughing.
"Hey! Don't laugh at my girl! She's beautiful!" Mel said with feigned outrage.
"She is! She's just like her mom. Serious business like her as well though"
"That's right baby, you have to smile more, or people will say you have 'resting bitch face' for the rest of your life"
"That's right!" He laughed.
"Remember kiddo, all men are bastards" She whispered at her now bewildered looking child.
The bruise down Mel's face had well and truly come up now.
"She got you good eh?"
"That was when she freaking body slammed me into the floor and this is when she was choking me up against the wall there" She gestured to another bruise he hadn't seen, fainter, lower around her neck.
"Jesus Christ Mel"
"It's fine. I got her in the crotch, and the eye, and I tripped her with a really cool leg sweep" she mimed the kick, still lying flat on the ground, staring into space.
"I thought you were friends?"
"We were. She thought I'd betrayed them by coming here I guess, but we talked"
"How was that?"
"I think she ended up in a better place than when she got here. Well I hope so"
"And you?"
"It was good to see her again, once we got over the fighting part"
"The kid, that was one of the Scars you mentioned?"
"Yeah, that was Lev"
"And the other one?"
"Yara. Gone. Abby didn't want to go into it… She's not coming back" Mel turned to peer up at him "Was goodbye forever"
"You okay?"
"Yeah I'm okay. It's just weird, knowing that I'll never see the person who I've known the longest ever again. All that history. I don't even have a photo of her anymore, I gave her the one of her and Owen. She was my closest friend and I'll probably forget what she even looked like"
She sat up, turned around and started folding a nappy around her little girl's bare butt. Jesse was unsure what to say, but Mel didn't seem to mind, quite content to dwell in her own little world for a while. Finally, she swaddled Fern up, picked her up and sat down between Jesse's legs, leaning back into him.
"It's fine, I'm fine, we're all fine" She said with finality "It was good to say goodbye. Like a final see ya later to my old life completely"
Jesse didn't reply, choosing instead to wrap his arms around her and hold her. They sat there, content in each other's company for quite a while as the baby drifted off into a deep sleep.
"Yeah so you didn't tell me you knew Kung-Fu"
"That's right, so you better fucking watch yourself" She grinned.
