Ok this chapter is about why Joan was outside the city walls and the friend she was visiting. I wasn't going to do this flashback yet but it seemed to fit good here so here you go. Please review and tell me your thoughts.

Chapter 7

Joan stood on a back porch looking out at the beautiful trees. She had found herself missing this. Philly was nothing like this with its rutted, broken concrete streets and the hustle and bustle of people. When she had woke up that morning, she knew she needed to see the outside of the city. She sighed as she looked at the sun high in the sky. She wished that had been the only reason that she had come here. Of course it wasn't. She had received a note that there was to be a meeting at this house and she was requested to attend. She didn't normally attend, instead she would have someone relay information to and from her, but this one was important. Getting out of Philly was easy, it was getting back in that was hard. Since Bass had stepped up security a few months ago, she hadn't been able to get out of the city much. Heck she hadn't even been able to get outside the building without him insisting on a guard for her! She rolled her eyes. He was getting way to paranoid. Hearing the sound of horses approaching, she made her way through the old house and to the front door. Opening the door and stepping out she saw seven riders dismounting.

"Took you long enough." She said leaning against one of the posts on the porch. One of them looked up and smiled at her.

"Sorry Joan but your boyfriend stepped up patrols in the area." The corner of her mouth twitched, remembering the increased amount of patrols she had seen on her way here. "You should probably wait until dark before heading back." She nodded as she glanced over the rest of the group. They were all from different sections in the Republic.

"Shall we?" She said gesturing inside. As they followed her in and sat around a table, she turned to the man that had spoken outside.

"Well you called this meeting Max, so you get to lead it." She said sitting down in the chair close to the head of the table.

"Fair enough." He said nodding to her with a smile, but as he turned to address the group he became very serious. "I think you all know why I called this meeting." He received nods and grumbles in return. "The Monroe Republic has become unbearable to live in. There are high taxes being put in place, soldiers housed in our homes, and our children conscripted. A war with the Georgia Federation is inevitable!" He voice raises. "As the leaders of our districts it is up to us to rally our people against this tyrant!"

"You would have us fight the Militia? With what? Pitchforks?" Says an older, heavier set man with a chuckle. "That's suicide." Joan looked sideways at him, studying him. He was the newest to the group, from the district close to the plains nation she thought.

"We have sources that could get us guns to fight with." Replies Max coolly eying the man.

"Ok say we do go to war with the Militia. What do we do when the war clans of the plains nations attack? We would have no Militia to back us up." Yup she was right. The fool acted like they got so much protection now. Before she could voice her opinion, Max spoke up.

"I guess you would have about the same amount of protection as you have now." Joan smirked as the man grumbled.

"And where would we get these guns from?" Asked the man sitting behind her. She did know him. He was in charge of the district that Philly was in. He was also in charge of relaying her information to Max.

"We have someone working on that." Max replied looking at Joan. She nodded knowing the someone he was referring to. The man studied them carefully before asking other questions about the resistance. This back and forth went on for several hours. Joan noticed the light beginning to fail and looked at Max. He seemed to have noticed too and asked the final question, the main one he had come here to ask.

"Well gentleman and lady, do we have a resistance or don't we?" The room got quiet as they all looked at each other. Joan held her breath, this was a huge decision and she knew this would change things. Big time change things. They all nodded and there was a chorus of yes.

"Ok then. This meeting is over." Max says with a relieved look. Joan expelled the breath. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad. She sat at the table contemplating her feelings towards the decision as Max walked the leaders out, telling them he would be in touch soon.

"Joan?" He asked. She looked up at him distractedly.

"Hmm?"

"That is the decision you wanted right?" He asked

"Of course. The Republic is like a rabid dog that needs to be put down."

"And what about the man holding the leash?" She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away.

"I should go." She said getting up.

"You can't keep protecting him." He said as she brushed past him, but he caught her arm and spun her to face him.

"Joan?"

"When the time is right, I'll end it myself." She said looking him right in the eyes. She saw the muscles in his jaw working, but he let her go and stepped back. "Until then, I'll kill anyone that tries." She looked hard at him.

"Fine." He said looking back at her. She could do it, she thought, she could kill Monroe when the time came. She frowned at the thought and glanced around, clearing her throat. She did not need to think about this right now.

"So Nahla ok?" She asked, torn between wanting to change the subject and wondering where her best friend was.

"Yeah she's supposed to be back in a week. She said she found a good dealer that could get us as many guns and ammunition as we can buy." Joan nodded.

"Good. Let me know when she gets back." She started to towards the door after he nodded in reply.

"Hey Joan?" He called when she reached the door.

"Yeah?" She said turning back to him.

"Everything ok with Monroe?"

"He is getting a little more paranoid but I'm dealing with it." She said. He hesitates before asking.

"You would leave him if…if… he hurt you, wouldn't you?" He looked nervous as he said it.

"You know I would kill any man that hurt me, Max." She said frowning as he gave a slight chuckle.

"Yeah you would have to get in line behind me and Nahla." She gave a slight laugh, leaning against the door suddenly needing the extra support.

"Why would you ask that?" She was nervous. He didn't really think Bass would hurt her did he?

"Its just your… different when you're with him. Like your judgment is off." She stared at him before busting out laughing.

"Now you're the one being paranoid Max. My judgment is fine."

"Yeah maybe I am." He said laughing and running a hand frustratedly through his blond hair.

"See ya Max." She said shaking her head and closing the door behind her. As she walked into the night heading in the direction of Philly, she pondered the question Max had asked. Would she really leave Bass? Even at the thought of it she felt a pain in her heart. Why had she gotten so attached to him? She looked up at the full moon, hoping Bass would still be in the meeting he had told her about and she wouldn't have to explain to him where she was. She really hated lying to him, she thought as she hurried though the night.

Joan sat leaning against an old oak tree. She wore a mask that hid her emotions from the outside world, the sadness in her eyes and the single tear sliding down her face the only sign of emotion. Her wrist burned as she thought about that night. She gave an unhumorous laugh as she thought of Max's question to her before she had returned to Philly. She remembered thinking on the way back that Bass would never hurt her and if he did she would never let him get away with it. But he had and she had let him. She was suddenly filled with rage. Not at him but at herself. Why hadn't she fought back? She could have fought him off enough to get her gun! She could have ended everything that night. She sighed, Max had been right; her judgment was and always had been off around him. Take today for example; she had welcomed him into her home and back into her life without a second thought when she should have killed him on sight! She shook her head, why did she get so mixed up when he was around? She heard the crunch of leaves and turned quickly, a handgun pointed at the person's heart. It just happened to be the heart she wanted to rip out right now.