Risk

part one

Jackson

Winter +18 days

"Come on, 2x4, one little shot."

"No, now quit stalling and roll."

I looked up from the board, and my own little disaster in the making, to watch Shawn and my fourteen year old sister, Carrie, trying, once again, to talk Ellie into letting them into her personal alcohol stash. And Ellie was refusing them, just like she always does ... after that last time.

"It was a fluke okay, how was I supposed to know it was going to kick that hard," the pig-tail blond hair Carrie pleaded sweetly as Ellie gave her the stink eye.

"It was fifty year old whiskey, Carrie. I told you both to sip it slowly, not down it like they do in those movies you have seen in town." Ellie let out a frustrated sigh as she lean back away from the kitchen table. "Hell, even Joel and I don't try to chug that shit. That Tennessee Whiskey is not something you just slam." Then, with a nasty grin, she lovingly added, "I'm just glad I got you two outside before you blew all over my library."

"Whatever," Shawn retorted as he grabbed the pair of dice from the center of the board. "I know better now." After rolling the dice, snorting, Shawn held up his right hand at Jimmy as if to say 'HA!'. "Two Sixes, battle over, Jimmy!"

"Yeah well, I didn't want Iceland that much anyways," Jimmy said stiffly as Ellie discreetly rolled her eyes at his tone. "I still don't know why you two want to drink so much; it is nasty, foul wicked drink that steal all reason and make you wish for death in the morning. You don't see Mary-Ann or I trying to get drunk every other day."

I wisely kept quiet since he gets enough teasing from the other three about his drinking, or lack of skill of said activity, I won't give him more rope to swing himself from. Besides, Jimmy needs to learn that if you're going to take the moral high ground, make sure you haven't just climb out of the mud yourself.

"Shit! So says the boy who passed out after drinking a half a mug of beer," Shawn snickered and bumping shoulders with the giggling Carrie.

Poor Jimmy, he is never going to live that down. I bet we will all be really, really old, like Joel and Kevin age-old, and Shawn will still bring it up. And Jimmy will still get snotty about it and I will still have to pretend not to be amused; which is really hard not to be amused when you know the story. Well, maybe one day he will see the humor in it as well, not that I am going to hold my breath.

"I told you, I wasn't feeling well that day and was tired," Jimmy protest as Ellie placed her reinforcements on the board.

Her large amount of reinforcements near the one country I had left in Asia.

Poop!

"I'm just glad you did it over at the three amigo's place and not with me," Ellie said evenly. "I get enough shit from Shawn's mom as it is." She then smile sweetly at me while scoping up the three red dice in her right hand, "Ready Mary-Ann?"

I grab the white dice and 'let it rip', as they would say in those old-time movies. I might go down but I will not just roll over for her. The great thing about this game was the chance, however small, I had defeating her just by a good roll of the dice. I had five troops in Siberia and she had 12 in Ural, but if I rolled enough high numbers before she wiped me out, I could weaken her enough to make her quit the invasion. With Carrie and Jimmy having troops on either side of us, she wouldn't risk that many troops. Then again, she held Australia in a death grip and enough territories on the board to make up for the lost of her troops.

"Boy, did your mom ever rip into Brett after that," Carrie commented as I lost two troops in the first round. "Charlie, Todd and him still won't let us over there to hang out anymore."

Shoot, this is not a great start.

"Yeah, mom has got nuttier about the 'liquor is evil' rant lately." Shawn conceded reluctantly as I was able to take out two of Ellie's troops with a six and a five to her two threes. "Of course, if someone wouldn't flaunted it around her so much ..."

"Hey, don't look at me, asshole," Ellie snapped as she took one more of my troops away, down to two against her nine. "No one else say boo when I have a drink now and then."

"That is because everyone one else is afraid of you," Carrie pointed out as I lost another troop and is now force to roll only one dice. "Anyways Shawn, your mom has got nuttier on a lot more than just L's drinking."

"What do you mean?"

I gave Ellie an evil smile as I took out another trooper, seven to go. Ellie responds was wiggling her reddish-brown eyebrows up and down as if to egg me on. Oh, don't you worry Ellie, it is so on.

"Like the other day, she stopped me as I was heading home from school, to make sure I understood that any of these 'new and unusual urges' I might be feeling towards you are perfectly normal and it was God's way of testing me." Carrie snarled out in a really bad impression of Mrs. Albright as I took out one more troop. Yes! I might just win this round! "That I need to be strong one in our relationship and not given in to the 'Devil's handiwork', instead I should insist that we wait until we are both happily married!"

"To each other?"

"Yes, you idiot!"

"Shit, she is a couple of years too late," Shawn laughed as I held on to face Ellie's last five troops.

"I still can't believe you two," Jimmy said in a disgusted voice.

I discreetly tapped my right foot against his left, reminding him to drop it. Shawn and Carrie's … private activities … have been discussed to death between the four of us and nothing we could say will change anything.

Jimmy knows I am not happy that they … do that … stuff … nor am I happy that either of them … do that … stuff … with a couple of others in town as well. Even though her parents took me in as one of their own after my father died nine years ago, I have always loved her like a sister. And Carrie still loves me as well, even though she knows how I feel.

Like any two mature and responsible adults, Carrie and I have to come to an agreement that keeps us both happy with each other. She respects me enough to no longer not share, in very awkward details, about her exploits with Shawn and or the other males in the community and I don't harp on about her burning in hell anymore. A win-win for all.

"Whatever, Jimmy."

"She was twelve when you two did 'it'!"

"Big deal, I was fourteen the first time I did it."

Now if we could just get the boys to see reason.

"Looks like you live this round Mary-Ann," Ellie said loud enough to get the boys to be quiet. After moving in a few reinforcements from China into Ural, she hand the dice to Carrie. "Your turn, Carrie."

I am quite pleased with my defense, I was able to cut her attack down to four troops with my sole survivor. My battle harden men face the worst she could throw at them and like good men of honor, face her attack with smile of defiance and bravo not seen in hundreds of years. Surely songs will be written and sung with pride as … oh dash! "Carrie!"

"What? I need Siberia."

"But I am your sister, gosh darn it."

"I know Mary-Ann," Carrie said so sweetly it had to be fake as she leaned over to me and put her arm around my shoulders to give me a quick hug. "And I still love you dearly and believe me when I say I will still respect you in the morning." She picked up the white dice and dropped them in to my hand, "But you know, war is hell and all that shit. So get ready to be wiped out!"

I took the dice and gave her a defiant, smug look as I rolled my single dice and … "Oh heck! Dash and double dash!"

"Wow, a one; nice defense there Mary-Ann," Shawn snickered out as Carrie rolled three sixes.

"Oh hush you," I stuck my tongue out at him as the others let out a chuckle.

"Easy there Mary-Ann, remember there are children around," Ellie said with a bright smile. I tried to kick her but she was across the table from me and … dang it … she moves pretty darn quick for a little girl. My extra four inches of height is meaningless if she can move out-of-the-way.

"You know that is the real reason your sister got moved out of the stables," Shawn said while putting his arm around my little sister. "It wasn't because she would blubber uncontrollably every time we had to harvest one of the animals. Nope, it was because she made everyone so uncomfortable with that god damn gutter mouth of hers."

"I know, you should hear her at home, fucking disgusting."

"Seriously Mary-Ann, how do you eat with that shitty mouth," Ellie said with the most adorable grin.

I responded to Carrie, Ellie and Shawn in a most mature way one would expect from a well manner seventeen year old woman. I blew them all a raspberry.

"Oooo, watch out everyone, she is getting mad," Shawn said holding up his hands to protect his face.

I just shook my head in amusement as I looked over the board at my sad excuse for an Empire. Bad news is I am down to five countries but on the bright side, I had two territories in South America, Brazil and Argentina. Shawn seems content, for now, to build up his forces in Central America while concentrating on taking out Ellie. Neither Carrie nor Jimmy had more than a token forces in their respective countries. If I can take control of South America and hold it for a couple of rounds, I might be able to turn this game around … maybe.

Shawn and Ellie were both absolutely ruthless in this game, making anyone who screws up pay dearly. This was our ninth game in four months; once a week we would all gather at either the library or, since Ellie release from the clinic, her place for game night.

It had been Dana's idea at first, a safe way for the three of us to bond with Ellie, to get to know her better. Carrie tagged along at first hoping to spend some 'alone' time with Shawn but have since been drawn in by the excitement of this game.

Not that it would have been very likely the whole 'alone time' would ever happen anyways considering Shawn and Ellie tied at three games each, with Jimmy and Carrie both having one under their belts. Until one or the other admits defeat and shakes the others hands there was no way Shawn was going to quit playing until he crush her completely. And getting Ellie to admit defeat was just as unlikely.

So even though admitting defeat would allow him to pursue their … activities, he won't do it.

Which I guess says a lot … even if I have no idea what it says.

"How about you, L?" Jimmy asked out of the blue as I decided that what comes around goes around.

"I can't stand her fucking gutter mouth either," Ellie said grinning at me.

"Carrie, prepare to lose Peru."

"Oh, revenge battle;" Carrie said smugly as she picked up the one white dice to do her duty and die at the hands of my troops. "This game is bring out the meanness out of you."

"Yep!" Ah, the joy of victory! It shall be mine!

"That not what I meant L, and you know it."

I handily took over Peru and swung my attention north to Jimmy's Venezuela. Naturally, Jimmy didn't mount much of a defense, he never does with me.

"What about me, Jimmy? I already knew Mary-Ann had an evil side." Ellie said stretching her arms over her head as Shawn laid down some troops in two territories, Congo and East Africa, threating Ellie's South Africa holdings.

Neither of them had to say anything, they both picked up their respective dice and started rolling. Ellie had only 6 troops there with Shawn having an extra 3 in Congo and another 4 in East Africa, too close to call.

"Don't you think that Shawn and Carrie are being immoral and need to stop …"

This time I decide against be subtle and made him jump as I kick him in the knee.

"Hey Jimmy, leave L out of this," Shawn said rather angrily. "This had nothing to do with her."

"It doesn't? How do you figure ..."

"Jimmy," I snapped. "We agree to keep Ellie out of the argument. This is between the four of us."

"And I say she is involved. She is supposed to our friend, isn't she? Isn't what this stupid 'game night' all about? Us all being friends?"

"Silly me," I snap back. "I though these game nights were about getting together with friends and having fun."

Jimmy has been really moody ever since Ellie and Joel had shown up last Spring and it has only gotten worst since she left the clinic after fighting that bear. I've tried being a good friend, listening to him, being there for him … I mean I always figure we would end up being married one day. We have always enjoy the same activities and saw things in the same light and he was cute, even if his so-called beard was better off being shaved off once every other month or so it took to grow. Still, his wishy-washy mood swings were really getting on my nerves.

Like the drinking or the pornographic magazines we found in that motel room; he was all gun-ho at first but if we got caught or was being asked about it, he would spill his guts. Then he would get all 'holier then thou' about it and act as if it was never anything he really wanted to do in the first place. Ellie, at least, would be honest about her actions, right or wrong, and not fawn herself over the adults in Jackson.

Sometimes I wish he was a bit more like Shawn or Ellie; well, more Ellie then Shawn actually. Shawn can be a poopie head most time with his so-called macho image. Sure, Ellie scares me to death with her reckless actions but she was unapologetic about her actions, she doesn't hid who is she and so sure of herself; Jimmy could use some of the self-assurance.

"You have heard the whispers," Jimmy sputtered out, not looking me in the eye. "We have all heard the whispers that the adults say about Ellie and Shawn; how they are the leaders of tomorrow."

"Hey buddy, you on that list too you know," Shawn said. "The two of us are going to run things around here one day. As far as 2X4 is concern, we can let her out of her cage once in a while to hunt or something but you and me, we get this town."

"Thanks dick head."

"Not a problem 2x4."

"No, it is going to be you and Ellie. You know it, she knows it; everyone knows it. And I want to know what she thinks of your immoral behavior! I want to know if our so-called leaders are going to stand for something other than being drunken slushes or perverts ..."

"You want to know what I think, Jimmy? Fine, I'll tell you; I don't care," Ellie said sharply leaning forward and staring down Jimmy.

"You have to care ..." Jimmy said, flinching under her glare.

"No I don't. Why should I?" Ellie said simply after losing to Shawn's double punch but not before causing him to lose almost his entire attack force. Tapping the board to indicate to Jimmy it was his turn, she went on. "First of all Jimmy, I respect that Mary-Ann and you decide to wait until you guys get married, whether it is too each other or not. That is fine and works for you guys. I wouldn't dream of forcing you two to do anything you would regret or not ready for. Now despite Carrie's horrible taste in boys ..."

"Bite me."

"Don't tempt me, asshole; anyways Carrie and Shawn have decided that, for reasons the three of us don't really understand, they really enjoy having a roll under the covers."

"You'll understand one day when you get boobies … hey!" Shawn jumped as both Carrie and Ellie kicked him in the legs. "No fair! No double teaming!"

"As I was saying," Ellie said as they both glare at Shawn. "It works for them. Fine; their choice; they have to deal with it."

"What about the message they are sending ..."

"What message? They ain't fucking in the middle of the school yard during your lunch break! They are fairly discreet about it, you know." Ellie let out a bitter laugh as she got up to refill her water-glass. "You're lucky, they don't do it around you. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to be woken up in the middle of the night because few of your roommates decide to have a go at it on the bunk directly beneath you?"

"Wait, a minute? I though you grew up in a military boarding school?" Carrie asked with an odd look on her face. An equally confuse Ellie nodded which just seem to confuse Carrie more, "So boys and girls shared rooms?"

"No, boys were on one floor and we were on another. We did have to sleep in rooms with twelve to sixteen bunks per room, crowded as hell but everyone in our room tried to give everyone their own space. Well, we tried to, sometimes, even if some of the other girls could be serious bitches about some pointless, minor things. Still, we would all pretended what was going on wasn't happening as long as they didn't throw it in our face."

"So boys would sneak in?" Carrie ask befuddle as Ellie walked around filling everyone's glasses.

"Not likely, they pretty much locked us down tight after lights out but you know there was always free time during the day when they would sneak off to do it."

"Then how did ..."

"I think we should focus on the main point," I said quickly to derail this particular line of inquire. Carrie seems to have no idea what Ellie was talking about and it is probably best to leave it like that. "The main point is that Ellie is re-enforcing what Carrie and I had already agree on. What they do is their business, not ours."

"And if they get caught?"

"Then they deal with the punishment," Ellie shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever Maria decides it would be as well as their parents."

"See, even the queen virgin has no worries about it, why should you?"

"Hang on there, Shawn, I'm not saying I have no worries about it," Ellie said shaking her head quickly. "I do worry about you fucking up, getting caught by the wrong person and then having to pull your stupid, naked ass out of the fire. I have seen enough fights back in Boston between guys who caught other guys doing their 'woman'. One kid got stabbed over it and there are always bad blood between everyone for weeks. If you guys want to do it like a bunch fucking bunnies, fine; knock yourself out. No seriously Carrie, knock him out and then run far, far away. Just remember, as Maria and Joel keep harping on about all the time, this is a small town. And next to sex, yakking on about everybody and what everyone is doing is the number one sport around here. You two will get caught, sooner or later, bed hopping through town, and then everyone will know about it, forever."

"By your own admission even the military knew how dangerous it was to allow people to run around all wily nill and engage in reckless sex!"

Dang it, Jimmy won't let this go, will he?

"The military had lots of stupid rules, Jimmy," Ellie sat back down and let out a sigh while giving me a quick glance. Ellie and Shawn mix as well as a starving wolf and a bear with a toothache but they did have some respect for each other. Neither of them would ever admit it, but it was there, somewhere. However, she had some issues with Jimmy's attitudes, and I could tell that tonight wasn't doing him any good in her eyes. "Now are you going to attack or pass?"

"I'm just saying that as future leaders of this town," Jimmy peevishly snapped as he set down his reinforcements in Great Brittain. "We need to hold ourselves up to a higher standard."

"You're going after Iceland, again?"

"Yes."

"Fine, waste your turn." Shawn said grabbing his dice. "You know, for so-called 'leaders' of tomorrow, you think they would at least let us have some say in our own lives. You and I have only been outside the line what, three times since we got here? Mary-Ann has been out twice and Carrie isn't even allow near the Fence. Hell, Mary-Ann sneaked out to the Fence on Christmas Day, without permission and a twenty man escort, to take a cake to Joel and Ellie as a present; you think she was trying to kill little Britteny with a spoon during church the way everyone fucking freaked."

"It … it is dangerous up there ..."

"From what? Squirrels?" Then Shawn let out a noise of disgust as Jimmy, with one man left, was able to finally wrestle Iceland away from him. "Besides Joel would protect Mary-Ann better than anyone else and she could have hidden behind 2x4 if needed."

"She wouldn't have much of a choice, I would be in front of her anyways," Ellie said softly as she look over the board. As she set down some troops in Middle East, she went on, "I still say she should be getting the same fire arm training that you two will be getting starting next week."

"Yeah, I've heard talk that you been bitching to Steven and Dana about that," Shawn said grabbing the white dice as they started their next epic battle.

"Fucking right I have," Ellie gave me a look that told me how serious she was taking my lack of training. "Carrie too. Actually, Julie and Bill should be with you guys as well. I been annoying Steven for a while now to have anyone over the age of thirteen learn how to fire a weapon."

"Really? Thanks L! I can't wait till I get to learn how to shot a gun," Carrie held up her hand and made a finger gun to point at Shawn. "Yippie Ki-yay Mother Fucker! Pew pew!"

"Oh you got me, right in the heart!" Shawn mime falling over with his hands over his heart!

We all had a good laugh, well most of us anyways. As Carrie leaned over and gave Shawn a kiss, Jimmy let out a sigh, "Do you really think she is mature enough to be responsible to carry a gun?"

"Oh dry up and blow away," Carrie said sticking out her tongue.

"Actually I do, besides it not like I am saying that she has to stand guard right away or go hunting. What I would say is that if worst comes to worst, she should be able to defend herself." Having won Egypt, and denying Shawn all of Africa bonus troops, she handed the red dice to Carrie, leaving only one troop in Egypt and sending in the maximum number of reinforcements into the Middle east from India. "Mary-Ann as well."

"I don't mind Ellie," I said as Carrie handed the white dice to Jimmy, Iceland was about to get a new owner. "I couldn't shoot another human being anyways, you know that." I mean everyone knows why they moved from the stables to the greenhouses. Every time we had to take some of the animals to … ugh, I get quezzie even just thinking about it.

"I know," she said uneasily. Ellie has never look comfortable while disagreeing with me and she understands why I feel about this like I do but … she wouldn't consider herself to be my friend if she didn't say it. "It's just … I would rather you knew how to do even if you never have to do it. Better safe then sorry, you know?"

That is Ellie, she will tell you what she thinks even if she knows it isn't what you want to her but she thinks it is what you need to hear.

"Isn't that your job?" Jimmy snapped as he lost Iceland. "Too make sure she never has to defend herself?"

"Shit happens Jimmy," Ellie was sounding more annoyed than angry but she was getting that 'look' in her eye.

It is very unsettling when Joel or Ellie give you that stare … it was like they were looking straight through you …

Wait!

It hit me as she briefly turn those sparkling green eyes my way before looking at Jimmy again, for one very brief instant I finally got it.

Joel and Ellie, they weren't trying to intimidate you with that stare, they were assessing you! Judging might be a bit harsh but really, that is what they were doing. They were trying to see how much of a danger you were to them, could they trust you or not, what kind of person were you. Neither Joel or Ellie ever gave me that look after the first time we met, if anything concern was most I ever saw. Especially Ellie, she was always worried about me.

No matter how much Shawn made either of them mad; their scorn was more of a … passive scorn. He was a poopie head, for sure, but Ellie and Joel seem to think that if worst came to worst, they could count on him. Ellie and him were just as likely to get into it with each other in a fight for their lives but they wouldn't let any harm come to the other … unless it was them doing the actual harm.

Does that even make sense? I … I don't know but I think it is true.

I had to stifle a giggle as an image of those two surrounded by bad guys, arguing about who gets to kill who and then getting into a brawl with each other while the bad guys stand there dumbfounded.

I quickly sobered as another thought entered my head while laying down my reinforcement in Brazil and Venezuela.

Ellie doesn't trust Jimmy.

She likes him, hang around him most of the time with no problem …

She just doesn't trust him.

"This isn't Boston, L; we don't have people being gun down in the streets over scraps or have … other things … happen to them. We are perfectly safe here."

"There is no such thing, Jimmy. No one is 'perfectly safe' anywhere."

"Stop being paranoid."

"I'm not being paranoid, I am being honest. I'm not hiding behind some dream, granted it is safer here then anywhere else I have been but it is not perfectly safe. Just because we don't have bandits attacking us everyday doesn't mean they aren't still out there waiting to strike at us."

"Bull. We haven't seen bandits in over a year, L. Even if they are still around they know better than to attack us. Why would they anyways? We can afford to share now."

"Because we have food! Shelter! Electricity! We exist! Get your head out of your ass, Jimmy. Just because You think we all can be friends and have a great big fucking group hug under a fucking rainbow; don't assume someone else thinks that way. Some people see rainbows as a great place sit down and feast on your fat ass."

"I get what you are saying L," Shawn interjected while taking a bit out of his sandwich. "But we also can't assume that everyone is a bad guy, either. That's one of Kevin's big dreams, you know, to get people to stop killing others for no reason."

"We can hope those people we met on the Outside are friendly. Hell, I hope they are friendly more than you can know. I don't enjoy killing, neither does Joel; we do what we do to survive. Having said that, Joel and I will kill to protect Jackson. I will kill anyone who tries to hurt Joel or Mary-Ann or anyone else in Jackson without mercy and without a second thought."

"Even to protect me?" Shawn said pretending to bat his eyelashes at Ellie who just made a gagging noise.

"I will speak very sternly to them," Ellie quipped. "But in the end, I guess so. I mean I can have anyone steal my joy of killing you myself."

"Did you hear that Carrie, she does care! Oh hold me, I feel faint!"

"I know how to use the flamethrower, you know," Ellie said deadpan as Shawn and Carrie overly dramatically threw themselves into each other arms and made wild wailing noises.

"Shawn my love, did you hear that? Her love; it is burning …"

I laugh out loud at their antics as the three of them, Shawn and Carrie went over the top and Ellie played the straight woman. I looked over at Jimmy, he wasn't as amused.

"Come on Jimmy, it is funny."

"Mary-Ann … it's just … you're in no risk here. There is no need to learn how to fight, I will protect you."

"Life is a risk Jimmy," Ellie snapped hotly. "Grow up and accept it."

"Just because you do not care about her at all, doesn't mean you ..."

"Hey, fuck you asshole! I do care ..."

"... have to change her to suit ..."

"... that why I want her to get use to firing a weapon. So she can protect herself ..."

"... your twisted paranoid delusions ..."

"It is not paranoid, you fuck face! It is being prepared!" Ellie slapped her hand down on the table, making the board and the rest of us jump slightly. Letting out a breath, she snapped, "who turn is it?"

"It's yours," I said quietly while Jimmy pouted.

"Fine, I'm trading in two sets," Ellie grabbed the correct amount of reinforcements while adding some comments. "Jimmy, being prepare is not about seeing monsters around every corner, it is about having the tools available for when monsters do show up. Pick up the dice Ural to Mongolia." And with that, she started the Massacre. Ellie began picking off Jimmy's and Carrie's Asia territories one by one while never letting up on her lecture.

"You don't know what being paranoid really is, Jimmy. You have never met anyone who is really fucked up in the head. Paranoid is walling yourself off in a city, by yourself, because you are afraid of being hurt, emotionally, by other survivors. To lose someone you love, his death hurts you so badly you would rather be alone then see another face." She attacked Jimmy's Kamchatka with her left over troops until she had him down to one, then switched to fresh troops in Japan to finish him off and move on to my Alaska. "Paranoid is shooting down people in the street just because they just happened to unknowingly passed near your territory."

She stopped after she took Alaska, or so I though until she turn her attention to Europe.

"What Joel and I do is survived by any mean necessary and we do that by making risk assessment, Jimmy. Every time we fight or flee, it is base on calculation of will this help us or get us killed. Some people take dangerous, foolish risk." She plowed through most of Europe before going head to head with Shawn down in Africa. Staring directly at Shawn, she added, "Some people figure they get away with something a couple of times that they always will. They get lazy, they get sloppy, they end up dead! They refuse to look at what their actions are doing, assuming that they can handle anything because they always have." Her troops in Middle East cut through his troops in Africa like a knife through warm butter. "They end up with their thing in the meat grinder and they are the ones turning the crank."

She left Madagascar and South Africa alone before turning her attention towards my South America.

"Then there are others who don't want to deal with the risk, you know what happens to them Jimmy?"

"Nothing, because we are there to protect them!"

"Wrong, Jimmy. They die."

Ellie was unmerciful in her assault, her first assault was against Brazil and my five troops I had station there. After that my other three territories were easy picking. With that, I out of the game, the first to go; again.

"They fail to plan properly, they assume that nothing is going to happen so they never plan. They depend on other to keep them safe, and there is nothing wrong with that; I have never said that she should be like me in any way. Hell, it would kill me if she ever had to go through the shit I did getting here. But when you don't take the time to at least to try to learn basic survival, when the shit hits you in the face, you will panic. You will make things worst because you are trying to plan on the fly, to do things, use things, you are unfamiliar with, while also panicking, will cause you to make mistakes that will kill you worst then the bad guys could." She let out long sigh as she leaned back against her chair. "I care a lot for you guys, Mary-Ann, you, Carrie, … even the dick head over there, you guys are my friends. In case you haven't notice, I don't have a lot of friends; so I want to keep the ones I have around. I don't want Mary-Ann or Carrie to be just like me, I like the way there are now. And I really don't want them, or even you boys, to ever go through the shit I did to get here either. And if Mary-Ann having some self-defense training and or weapons training, prevents her from ever having to deal with it?"

It was pretty quiet in the room for a few minutes as we always asses not only the board but what Ellie had said. Shawn and Carrie both seem to take what she said serious, maybe Ellie will make a bigger impact on their hound dogging then anything Jimmy or I could make. Jimmy seem to be pouting … again but he must had decided, for now, to be quiet.

As for myself? I'm just glad that Ellie was my friend, she just reminded me how lucky I am that she is.

"Did you learn how to strategist like that in Boston?" Carrie asked quietly as she place down the three reinforcements on Iceland, one of the three territories she still controlled.

"The military taught me how to fight, gave me the tools to fight," she said sheepishly. "Joel taught me how to survive, how to win."

"Whatever," Shawn snorted out. "Either way, next week we try that monopoly game instead."

The was a good nature laugh to his idea, I know I wouldn't mind a chance to play a game like that. I looked over at Ellie, she was closing up inside. She usually doesn't get that passionate in front of us, in front of anyone except Joel I assume. She was probably worried that she hurt us, hurt me, in some way by her little speech. I stretch out my legs and used both feet to grab one of her feet. It took a couple of seconds before she looked over at me, I gave her a wink to let her know I wasn't mad or anything. She gave me a sloppy grin and … mom and dad are right, redhead really blush so easily.

"So … yeah," she stuttered out as I sat up straighter and act like nothing had happen. "So tell me about this monopoly game."