I've been informed by followers that Claudia absolutely can't leave Risi.

We'll see.

Read on people. Read on.

Guess what I own now? Oh yeah! Nothin'.

May 7, 2030

The page is stained with tears, the writing is illegible...

~~May 7, very early~~

Irisa stirred from her sleep, then shot up in bed.

"Momma?!" Irisa was panicked, she didn't sleep in a bed, she slept in a tent with Claudia. She whipped her head around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a hospital bed in a doctor's office. Claudia was right by the side of the bed. The human woman swept Irisa into her arms.

"Shh, shh shh. It's okay sweetie." Claudia stroked Irisa's hair gently, the little girl clinging to her shoulder.

"Where are we? What happened?" Irisa was still in a panic state, and could not for the life of her remember a thing that had happened the previous day.

"It-it's nothing you need to worry about honey. Let's go, okay?" Claudia scooped Irisa up into her arms and carried her out to their roller. She had already paid the doctors, so why stay?

Once they had left, the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. Claudia sighed. She knew she had to give Risi up, but it broke her heart.

"Hey, Risi..." Claudia started, and trailed off.

"What's up momma? Where're we going?" Irisa had calmed down quickly after they had left, and was sitting in the back of the roller, peering out the window at the town as they drove by.

"That's the thing, baby. We aren't going anywhere, not together. I-I have to-I can't-" Claudia took a deep breath. "I have to give you up. I can't take care of you." Claudia waited for the girl to wail and scream, but it didn't come. She ventured a glance in the rear-view mirror, and her already broken heart shattered anew.

Irisa wasn't screaming or making any sound at all. Her head was down and her shoulders were shaking with the tears that were no doubt cascading down her cheeks. Claudia turned her eyes back to the road, starting to cry herself.

"Why did you lie to me momma?" Irisa's words were barely audible, but they were drowned in sorrow. "You said I'd be yours until the arks rise again. You said you loved me." Irisa's voice cracked on the last word, and she started sobbing audibly.

Claudia pulled the roller over and stopped it. She got out and again pulled the Irathient girl into her arms. "I do love you, my god, you don't know how much I love you. You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time." Irisa started struggling now, shoving Claudia off of her.

"If you love me why are you trying to get rid of me?! You lie." Irisa had slipped into an angry state, snarling and shoving at Claudia, but even an angry feral Irath six-year-old was still a six year old. Claudia held her tightly. Irisa's fight died down. Claudia loosened her grip and held Irisa by the shoulders lightly.

"Why did you save me? You don't care about me, do you?" Irisa demanded.

Claudia was crying, and she couldn't respond to Irisa. She took a deep breath. "Risi. I saved you because you needed to be saved, and I love you more than anything in the world. But I'm not a parent, damnit, you were kidnapped yesterday! And I wasn't paying enough attention to stop them. I'm not... I can't protect you. You need to be safe and I can't keep you safe." Claudia was startled by a little hand covering her mouth.

"Momma..." Irisa pulled her hand away and then dove back into Claudia's arms. "Momma no one can protect me like you can. No one wants to. You love me. No one loves me."

"Risa, what if something happens again? You'd be safer in a place like this with a family who can keep you safe."

"But I won't have you, mommy. I don't want a family, I want you. And won't you miss me?"

"...yes. I'd miss you terribly, sweetie, but you'd be safe." Claudia admitted.

"And I'd miss you and then we'd both be sad." Irisa pointed out.

Claudia decided against mentioning that she had planned on making Irisa forget her using the Janus Coin, she already had given up on leaving Irisa behind. The woman gave a sigh of defeat. "I give up. You win. C'mon, let's get going before I come to my senses." Claudia hoped that the town wouldn't be too annoyed that she had filled out forms to give up a child and then never actually given the child up. Sorry city that used to be Denver, Risa's mine.

The two got settled in the roller again and drove away from the town, the sunrise shining over them as they drove off into the badlands. Irisa held her plush tight in her arms, and looked out into the world. She slowly dozed off, and Claudia hummed a serene tune to the little girl.

The song drifted into Irisa's dream...

~~End of morning~~

The tears let up here, the writing is clear.

Irisa's still with me, for better or worse. I don't think I would have managed without her anyway. But I'm going to have to be a better mother to her, or I will never forgive myself for keeping her with me.

~Claudia Donovan

Yeah I can't do much other than cute.

So I wrote cute. Oh well.

I have plans for the next chapter, you can see indications in this chapter, if you're looking.

Was this too rushed? Too forced? I dunno. Tell me in the reviews or via PM.