Eleanor stared at the man incredulously. "What did you do to me?"
Stanley looked at the girl. At one time he had wished none of his terrible deeds had never happened. It almost seemed as if his wish had come true but he knew better.
"You-you don't remember?"
Before Eleanor could reply Fred jumped in between them.
"Her memory has been an issue lately but we're trying not to rush her. It's been bad for her health."
Stanley looked in disbelief. "You're saying you don't remember what I have done. I, took you away from Gracie Holloway and-"
(POW)
Stanley flew backwards from the right hook that rippled across his face. Fred retracted his fist and pointed at the man.
"You're the bastard that took Eleanor away. I'm gonna break your skull in two."
As Stanley struggled to stand Fred ran up and picked him up by his collar and propped him up on a wall.
"I sorry for what I did please don't hurt me," pleaded Stanley.
"I don't care about that," Fred whispered. "Just don't mention a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g about her becoming a little sister."
"But why?"
Fred tightened his grip on Stanley's collar constricting his throat. He wasn't going to kill the man but he needed to make sure Eleanor didn't know until she was ready. Gracie put the girl in his protection and he was going to deliver Eleanor in one piece in body and mind.
"Let him go, let him go," Eleanor pleaded gripping Fred's arm. "He said he sorry. You're sorry right?"
Stanley franticly looked at Fred then Eleanor. "I- I'm sorry," he yelled.
Eleanor stared glaringly at Fred who likewise stared Stanley. Stanley saw not the will to kill but of determination in Fred's eyes. He slowly nodded his head and was promptly put down.
"Hmpth, lowlife's not worth my time," Fred scoffed walking to his bed and lay down. "Eleanor, I'm still tired from our run in earlier and it's your turn. Let me know if something happens."
Stanley collapsed against the wall and rubbed his neck. It seemed to him that he still had to make up for his past even if it meant… He shuddered.
"Mr. Stanley? You can rest underneath the stairs if you want. It is safer than out in the open," she said factually.
"You trust me?"
"If Fred trusts you then I trust you."
Stanley ruffled his eye brows. "He trusts me?"
"He would not have fallen asleep if he did not trust you or he thought I could handle myself. No offense Mr. Stanley but I could kick your butt… if I needed to." Eleanor walked a little ways off to check the area and left Stanley in a stupor.
Fred opened a lazy eye peering through the broad steps of the staircase. He felt content with the situation and slowly let sleep overtake him.
"They trust me," Stanley said with shock. "But they shouldn't. After all I've done I don't deserve this."
A few hours later Fred rustled from his sleep. The first thing he noticed was that it was very quiet and something was amiss: specifically Eleanor's pack as well as herself and Stanley. He growled in frustration. In a moment's notice he was dressed and packed. Fred took out his revolver and pressed the release. The cylinder popped out and he threw out the spent shells and replaced them.
Fred crept through the corridors of Arcadia. He heard foots and he rushed through the doorway. His sights aligned with a little sister sitting in front of a Rosie. The girl smiled and waved at him while she repeatedly punctured the corpse in front of her. Fred inched his trembling finger away from the trigger and breathed heavily. As Fred backed away slowly his back touched a door. The door immediately opened behind Fred causing him to fall.
"Oh it's just you."
Fred's eyes stopped spinning and he saw he had found his quarry. Stanley stood there leaning against a wall. He was wringing his hands and he looked nervous. Fred got to his feet and ran at the Stanley who crumpled to the ground with his sweaty hands protecting his head.
"Where's Eleanor," Fred seethed pointing his revolver at Stanley's head.
Stanley pointed to the stairs behind him with a shaky hand.
Fred knocked the man onto his side and shoved his head into the sparse grass. "What did you do to her?"
"I did n-nothing," he stammered.
Fred peered hard at Stanley as if trying to read his mind but Stanley just lay on the ground quivering. "Eleanor," Fred bellowed toward the staircase.
"Ah, you are awake," Eleanor yelled back. "I'll be done soon. Be up in a moment."
Stanley felt a small portion of relief when Fred let go of him and let him sit up. He felt bewildered for his mistreatment but endured it.
Fred felt apologetic. "I thought the worse when I woke up to find both of you missing. I am sorry chum. What is she doing down there anyway?"
"She's um, you see she… She's taking a bath."
As fast as you could wink Fred retrieved his revolver and aimed for Stanley's groin instead of his head. "You've got five seconds to explain peeping tom."
"She-She found a waterfall surrounded by gigantic roses and wanted to take a bath. She took me along and told me to keep watch while she… you know, bathed. She didn't want to bother you while you slept."
"And you HAVEN'T looked, at all?"
Stanley began running his finger around the grass and then ruffled the back of his hair. "Miss Lamb told me exactly what she would do to me if she thought I was 'peeping' in on her. She gets her demeanor from her mother but I can't believe her vocabulary. What about you? You walked in here looking like you had seen a ghost."
Fred felt the tension dissipate within his muscles. He took the butt of his weapon and scratched an itch in the fold of his back. He had been ignoring the itch since he had woken up to find everybody missing. He chuckled under his breath. This babysitting business was giving him gray hairs he thought.
"The ghost was almost my own," Fred replied leaning against a timber. "Nearly pissed off a big daddy by harming his little sister."
"You don't say. I actually did that once."
Fred really did not know Stanley that much but it sounded as if he was telling the truth. "And you survived?"
"Yep, The Big Daddy had me at gun point but he let me go. Saw fit to steal forty-two dollars from me though."
"Then what happened?"
"Don't know what happened to Delta but the little sister grew up and is currently taking a bath down there."
Fred looked thought about the man's actions and his redemptive actions small as they may be. He was going to have to treat the man with a little more respect now that he knew.
Stanley began picking the grass around him in boredom. "Say, why didn't you want me to tell Ms. Lamb about her… past life?"
Author's notes: The whole scuffle with Fred and Stanley left me with a bad taste. I wanted to do so much, say so much, torture so much but you can only stall for so much time. I was origonally going to have Fred give a whole "don't say stuff" speach but then realized that 30 min. ago Eleanor would have walked up and begun to nose around. So I saved it for later and it worked out so i'm happy. Hope you are too.
