Title: Tribe 3: Wonderwall
Chunk 15: Sections 71 thru 75
Fandom: The Tribe
Author: PinkTribeChick
Summary: I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me . . . Life goes on for the Mall Rats after the Chosen take over the city.
Extended Summary: Essentially, this is an Alternate Universe story for Series 3 and beyond of the Tribe. I won't say anything more than that, because I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who have never read this before
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Too many to name! But Bray-Amber, Lex-Zandra, Ryan-Salene, and Jack-Ellie, for starters. There will also be some Tribe-character with original character pairings.
Author's Notes: Again many thanks as always go to Brett The Mole, as he was the one who talked me into sharing this story with others when I first started writing it, and he was the one who kept bugging me to complete it. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you, Brett! And major thanks to Ariannya, Whit, and all the others who at various times read and proofed sections for me and gave me their invaluable feedback.
Enjoy, and please review! Feedback is much appreciated!
Disclaimer: All characters, situations, and song lyrics remain the property of their respective owners. Troy Wisneski belongs to the author Paula Boock, from her Tribe novel "Power and Chaos." Any original characters are sole property of me, PinkTribeChick.
Tribe 3: Wonderwall
Sections 71 thru 75
The next day, Dal, Tai-Ron, and Matthew sat down and began discussing the formation of a medical clinic, while Alice and Ellie started to pack their things. Zandra, Tai-San, Trudy, and Patsy helped them. Meanwhile, Jack sat in the workshop, staring absentmindedly at the security camera monitor, sulking over Ellie's looming departure.
"It's just not fair," he said to himself. "I finally realize that I want to be with her, and that I want to be with her forever, and she has to leave. Why? Is there some decree up there amongst the adults that Jack will never be happy and is doomed to walk the earth alone?" He fiddled with some meaningless gadget in his hands, turning the handle on it, making the pulleys move. He sighed in frustration, throwing the object to the floor.
"Ahem!" someone nearby cleared their throat. Jack turned around to see Ellie standing in the doorway.
"Uh . . . hi," Jack said quietly, looking down at the floor.
"Hey," she responded, not able to look at him. She squatted down and picked his gadget up off the floor, setting it on the worktable. They stood there for a moment in silence. "Look, I heard about what you said to Alice last night. I just wanted to say thank you."
"For what? It's not like it made any difference. You're still leaving," he said.
"Well, thank you for trying. I know how hard it is to stand up to Alice. And I'm glad you at least tried. It shows how much you care," she said. "I love you for trying."
"It was no problem," Jack said, shaking his head. He walked back over to his worktable and sat down in front of the monitor again. Ellie followed him, standing behind him.
"Please, don't shut me out, Jack. I only have a few days left here, and I want to spend them with you. I want them to be perfect, something for us to hold onto, until we're able to be together again," she said. "Please?" She put her hands on his shoulders. He melted with her touch, but was determined to keep up his resolve. They both had to move on, and the sooner the better.
"I can't," he said, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears. "I love you, but I can't. We have to move on, Ell. This is very real, and I doubt we're ever going to be together again."
"All the more reason to cherish the time we do have," she said.
"It's too hard. I'm sorry," he said. He felt her hands move off his shoulders, and he heard her walk out of the room. He put a hand on his forehead, leaning on the worktable. He felt so weak, so powerless.
He glanced up at the monitor and saw someone walking around outside the sewers. Suddenly, he was very alert. He got up and ran down the hallway to where Bray and the others were. They had an intruder on the way.
Bray sat at a table in the café, watching Lex and Ryan play poker as he ate, when Jack came running into the room. He was out of breath and had a look of panic on his face.
"There's - there's someone outside . . . I saw them on the security camera," Jack stuttered, gasping for breath. Lex put his cards face down on the table, as did Ryan.
"Did you get a good look at them?" Lex asked.
"No. It was just a brief glimpse, but someone is at the sewer entrance and probably on their way inside right now," Jack replied.
"Bray, get the girls and children all into one room and keep them calm. Jack, Ryan, you come with me. We're going to find out who this person is," Lex instructed.
Bray abandoned his bowl of cereal and took of down the hall, while Lex, Ryan, and Jack grabbed baseball bats from Lex's room and ventured toward the entrance to the sewers. They stood waiting, as the door creaked slowly open.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Ryan yelled at the intruder. The person emerged from the sewer, their hands up. It was a girl with short brown hair and blue eyes. Ryan recognized her and signaled to Jack and Lex that it was alright. They put their bats down. She stared shyly at them, her cheeks turning red.
"Hi, Ryan," she said quietly.
"Hey, Lysette. What are you doing here? You should be at the farm with the others," Ryan said. Lex and Jack immediately understood. She was one of Alice's farm girls.
"It's a long story," she said simply. "Todd and I split up." Ryan nodded understandingly.
"Lex, Jack, this is Lysette Powell. She works out at the farm. Lysette, this is Jack and Lex," Ryan introduced them. She nodded at the boys, waving a little.
"I've seen them before. Nice to meet you," she said, still very quiet. She looked at Ryan again. "Are Alice and Ellie here?" She held onto the sleeves of her jacket nervously with her hands, biting her lower lip.
"Yeah, they're here. I'll take you upstairs to them. Lex, go tell Bray and the others that it's alright. Alice and Ellie are still packing, I think," Ryan said. He led Lysette off towards the stairs. Jack looked over at Lex.
"Lucky break, I guess. It wasn't an intruder after all," Jack said.
"Yeah," Lex said. "Let's go tell Bray and the girls." Jack nodded, and they walked off.
"Can I come in?" Matthew asked, poking his head in the door to Trudy's room. She sat on the bed reading while Brady napped. She smiled at him and nodded, closing her book.
"How are you doing today?" she asked.
"Okay. I'm starting to remember more stuff," Matthew answered, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Which means I have lots of questions to ask."
"Ask away," she said.
"Well . . . I know I'm Bray's brother and that you were my girlfriend at one point," Matthew began.
"I still am, hopefully," she interjected.
"Yeah, you are," he said, taking her hand in his. "And I know that Brady is my daughter. What I don't understand is where that girl Ebony and her boyfriend Troy fit into my life. I remember them, but I can't quite place it."
"Well, before the virus, Troy was your best friend, and when you became Zoot, he was your right hand, and he became Jaffa, or the Guardian. You know who the Guardian is, don't you?" she responded. He nodded.
"Anyway, he led the Chosen and all that. Ebony . . . well, that's a little complicated. I wouldn't say that you two were entirely linked romantically. There was something there, but you were too hooked on me to really notice, I think, until you went into Zoot-mode. Before all that, though, she was involved with Bray, sort of. After you became Zoot, she became your other protégé. She took over after you 'died' and led the Locos, which was the tribe you started. Once that fell apart, she joined us and helped to defeat the Chosen. Basically, what that means, is that for a while, you, she, and Troy were kind of like the Three Musketeers, just doing evil instead of good."
"Is that why you ran away?" he asked. Trudy turned red, looking down at her hands.
"Partly. It also had a lot to do with the fact that I was pregnant, and I didn't think it was safe for me to be around you and the Locos. Bray found me and looked after me. He brought me here, and this is where I gave birth to Brady and found the best friends I could ever have hoped for," Trudy replied.
"And you loved Bray," he said softly.
"I did once. But I don't now. I guess I'm a bit of a cliché," she said.
"What do you mean?" he said.
"I didn't know what I had until I'd lost it. Until I lost you, that is," she responded. "I was so stupid. I didn't realize how much you loved me, or how much I loved you back until it was too late." He put a finger under her chin, lifting her head up so he could look into her eyes.
"But you have a second chance. And I remember most of who I am, especially how I feel about you. And that's not going to change," he said. He kissed her gently. "I bet you didn't know this, but before Lex chased me and I fell from the balcony, I was going to give in. Leave the Locos and be with you and Brady."
"Really?" she asked, her voice shaking. Tears filled her eyes.
"You are my world. You were then, you are now. I think you've always known that. Without you, I'm nothing. That's why I was so desperate to see you at the time. I felt lost without you, but I didn't want anyone else to know it," he said.
"I need you more than ever now. This is a lot to deal with, and it's going to take all my strength to keep from becoming the awful person I used to be. I'm going to need you to remind me everyday of why I can't be him anymore. You and Brady." Tears trickled down her cheeks as she smiled, searching his wonderful blue eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her again. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," she responded quietly. They kissed again.
"He broke up with me!" Lysette said, sobbing into Alice's shoulder. Alice sat with her arm around the girl, while Ellie continued to pack, and Amber sat in a nearby chair with her hands on her stomach.
"There, there, Lys. I'm sure he didn't really mean it. You guys have broken up before, and you've always managed to work it out and end up back together. This probably won't be any different," Alice said, stroking her hair.
"You didn't see how hateful he was about it. The look in his eyes . . . he was really serious about it this time! I was so awful to him, I'm sure he completely loathes me!" she exclaimed.
"Well, maybe so . . . but why did you leave? You know running from things is never the answer," Alice asked her.
"It just got so unbearable, being around him. I couldn't take it anymore. So, I packed my things and came here. I don't know if I'll stay here for long, but I'm certainly not going back to that farm as long as he's there," Lysette said, hiccupping. She pushed her hair behind her ears.
Alice looked at Amber, grinning a bit. Lysette was known for being a little over-dramatic at times, but Alice knew she was telling the truth. Lysette wasn't the kind of person to run from her problems, unless it was something horribly bad. For her to come running to Alice and Ellie, and the sanctuary of the mall was a sign that things weren't good at all.
"Well, you're more than welcome to stay here if you like, for the night at least. Anything beyond that, the tribe will have to vote on. Is that alright?" Amber offered. Lysette looked up at Amber and smiled, the first time she'd smiled since she had arrived.
"Thanks. But only as long as it won't be too much trouble," Lysette responded.
"Oh, it won't be. There's an extra bed in Sienna's room. You can sleep in there," Amber said. "Alice, why don't you take her to go get something to eat? She looks famished. And introduce her to everyone." Alice nodded, and she and Lysette left the room. Amber sat up in her chair, leaning forward a bit. Ellie continued to pack, knowing what Amber was thinking, but not wanting to talk about it.
"Since I know you won't bring it up on your own . . . how are you feeling about things? Leaving the Mall . . . leaving your friends . . . leaving Jack?" Amber said hesitantly.
"I'm fine. Absolutely fine. I can't wait to go home again. I mean, I'll miss you all, but there's no place like home," Ellie said.
"Uh-oh . . . we'd better get out the ruby slippers, so you can leave Oz. Look, we may have our problems around here, and you and Jack may be having problems, but no matter where you go, there's going to be trouble. Your problems aren't just going to magically disappear because you're back at the farm and away from the cause of them, Ellie. Just like not talking about them doesn't mean they don't exist," Amber responded. "You talked to him this morning, didn't you? What did he say?"
"I really don't want to talk about this, Amber," Ellie said.
"Tough. Talking about what's bothering you always helps. And I'm here to listen, so talk," Amber said firmly. Ellie sighed loudly, sitting down on the bed, facing Amber.
"All he said was that he loved me, but it hurt too much to spend the last few days I have left here together, and that it was over, and I should move on with my life. He said that he doubted that we would ever be together again. That's it," Ellie said.
"That's it?" Amber asked. Ellie nodded, a glum expression on her face. "Well, how did it make you feel?"
"Like someone taking a 38-caliber gun to my heart and blowing it to pieces. I feel like crap, Amber. How else would something like that make me feel?" Ellie said sarcastically.
"I guess like that . . . minus the gun to the heart bit," Amber said. "Can I say something?"
"Sure. You already are anyway," Ellie said, starting to pack again.
"Look, I know Jack loves you, and deep down, he probably agrees with you that you two should spend these last few days together. But he's hurting, quite a lot in fact, and he just pushing you away, because it's easier than having to deal with the inevitable heartache and goodbye. Give him another chance. Only this time, don't give him choice about it. It's not just about what he wants, you know," Amber said, standing up. "I'm going to go eat with Lysette and Alice. Do you want anything?"
"No," Ellie said, as Amber walked to the door. "Amber?" Amber turned back around to face her.
"Yeah, Ell?" she said.
"Thanks. For listening and all. I'll never forget it," Ellie said. Amber smiled sympathetically at her.
"You're welcome. Just don't forget what I said. Give him another chance. He might just surprise you," Amber said. With that, she exited the room. Ellie turned back to her packing, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.
Amber walked toward Jack's workshop. She knew she was being nosy, but she just couldn't let things between Ellie and him end so badly. She was determined to help set them both straight. She found Jack sitting at his worktable again, staring mindlessly at the security camera monitor. She picked up a stuffed bear that was nearby and aimed, throwing it at him. It hit him squarely in the back of the head, and he still didn't budge. She wadded up several pieces of paper together to make a large, semi-heavy ball. She threw it at him. This time, he grunted.
"Hey you!" Amber said, walking into the room. Jack turned to face her.
"Oh, hey . . . was that you throwing stuff at my head?" Jack said, a little dazed.
"Yeah . . . trying to get you out of the land of 'Duh, I don't have a clue!' "Amber exclaimed. "What's wrong with you? Ellie wanted to spend the last few days she has here with you, and you say no? You're nuts, you know that!"
"What do you care? It's my fault they're leaving in the first place," Jack said, turning back to his table. He rested his chin on his arms, hunched over.
"So what? Just because Alice thinks that it's best that you two take a break from each other doesn't mean that you should give up on Ellie now! She really loves you, and you hurt her. What you said to her hurt her feelings. Not only do you owe her an apology, but you owe it to her and yourself to make these next few days the most memorable days you can. For both of you. At least that way, while you're apart, you'll have something better to remember than all your fighting," she said.
"I don't care! I'm already miserable as it is. Why should I get happy, only to know that I will suddenly be miserable again when she leaves? There's no point in it," he responded.
"Is there ever a point to being in love? I mean, it's like a roller coaster, always taking you for an up-down-and-all-around ride, but it doesn't mean that you should get off. Just when you're starting to feel sick, you should jump right back on and enjoy the ride and scream your lungs off," Amber said. "Then puke your guts out afterward." This made Jack laugh.
"That didn't make much sense, but okay," Jack said, looking at her strangely, as he turned back to face her again. "Look, thanks for the advice, but I just think it's easier to leave things the way they are, rather than open the wound and pour more salt on it. Okay?"
"Alright," Amber said, disappointed in him. "Well, it's getting late, and I need my sleep, especially in my condition. Just think about it, okay? You've still got a few days left before she leaves." Jack nodded, smiling half-heartedly. Amber walked out of the room.
That's all for now, folks! I apologize for the long wait for this update – I was just being lazy! Thanks again for reading, now please go and tell me what you thought of what you read! I love reviews – they keep me going! Toodles until later . . .