Title: Tribe 3: Wonderwall

Chunk 21: Sections 101 thru 105

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 101 thru 105

Ellie sat curled up in a corner of the barn, sobbing. She unhooked the leash, sending it whizzing and snapping like a tape measure back to Todd. Its end popped Todd on the rear, grabbing his attention. He spun around.

"Ellie? Where are you?" Todd called out into the large barn. Ellie was nowhere to be seen. "Ellie?" He heard sniffling on the opposite side of the building. Trudging through the hay, he made his way over to an empty stall, searching for the source of the sound. "Ellie? Are you okay?" Todd opened the gate of the stall and found Ellie sitting there crying. He crouched down beside her.

"Just go away. Please," Ellie whispered pleadingly, her eyes puffy and red. She ran her fingers over the slowly healing wound on her arm. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I can't believe I did this to myself. I'm so stupid!"

"You're not stupid, princess. You're just hurting, that's all," he said, sitting down beside her. He put an arm around her as she sobbed into his chest. "You'll be okay. Things will get better with time, I promise."

"It's really over with me and Jack, isn't it?" she asked, though she knew the answer already.

"Well, you haven't seen him coming 'round, crawling back to you, have you?" he responded. She shook her head. "Then I think you know the answer." Ellie looked away, the tears trickling down her cheeks like perfect little rain drops.

"Will you help me get better, please?" she requested, looking him in the eye.

"I have been all along anyway, princess," he said, smiling. Then he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry a little longer.

"Alright, guys, someone has to go for water again," Bray said a couple of weeks later at breakfast. "Anyone want to volunteer?" He looked around the room at everyone. No hands went up. "Someone has to go, guys. Please?"

"I'll go," Zandra said suddenly. "Lex can look after Lexi for a little while. I don't mind. I kind of need a change of scenery for a little while, anyway."

"Well, that's one person. But Zandra can't go by herself, it's not safe. Anyone else?" Bray said. He looked around the room again, no one wanting to look him in the eye.

"I guess I'll go. Me and Zan should be able to bring enough water back just the two of us," Ryan said, sighing. "We'll just take the wheel barrow to carry all the jugs back."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Bray responded. "I suggest you head off right after breakfast, so you can get back late this afternoon, before dinner." Ryan and Zandra both nodded. "Now for other business . . ." As Bray continued to talk, Salene leaned over to her husband.

"You guys are probably going to miss lunch, so I'll make you a picnic lunch, okay?" she offered in a whisper.

"Alright. Are you sure you're going to be okay taking care of Kina and Jakob on your own today?" Ryan asked.

"I'll be fine. I've got the girls to help me if I need it. Just go. We need water pretty badly, so I think I can spare you for a few hours," she said, smiling. Ryan put an arm around her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Now, as for the clinic, it's going to be ready to open next week. Dal, TaiRon, Martin, and I have been talking, and we thought it kind of fitting to have a party to celebrate its opening. How do you all feel about this?" Bray said. Everyone chorused their agreement with the idea. "All the Mall Rats are invited, as well as Tribe Dorkus, and the kids out at the farm. And, Ebony, tell the rebels that they are more than welcome to come if they like. It will be a formal attire event, held next Friday. Well, I think that's about it for announcements for this morning, so I'll sit down, shut up, and enjoy my breakfast now." He smiled as he sat down next to Amber. Zandra finished up her breakfast and went to put Lexi down for her morning nap before she left.

"There you go, peaches. Be good for Daddy today, okay?" she said to her daughter. The little girl grinned and gurgled. Zandra tucked her in her crib with her teddy bear. She kissed Lexi on the forehead and then turned to leave the room. Ryan stood in the doorway watching her. Zandra walked over to Lexi's dresser and started to fold baby clothes. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering if you're ready to go yet," Ryan said quietly.

"Almost," Zandra replied.

"Salene's making us a picnic lunch," Ryan said.

"That's sweet of her. I'll have to thank her later," Zandra said airily.

"Zandra, don't forget that I'm still married," Ryan said.

"A fact that you've stated many times. I'm starting to wonder why," Zandra said sarcastically. "You forget that I'm married, too. And I'm not stupid." She walked past him. He caught her by the arm and pulled her back.

"I never said you were, Zan. I'm just trying to make it clear to you that nothing is going to happen today. Got it?" Ryan said, smiling. "Don't be so paranoid."

"I wasn't expecting anything to happen today, other than two good friends going to get water for the tribe," Zandra responded. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to go pack my knapsack." She pushed his hand off her arm and walked away.

Ryan stared at Zandra's back as they walked along the footpath to the reservoir. She was walking several feet in front of him, pushing the wheel barrow, and wouldn't speak to him. He sighed, looking at the map of the area that Bray had given him again. They were almost there. According to his watch, it was a little after ten a.m.

"Zan, stop!" he exclaimed. She stopped, putting the wheel barrow down, and turned to face him. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a strange look.

"What's wrong, Ryan?" she asked, obviously annoyed.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to tell you that we're almost there, and we're making good time. We'll probably make it back to the mall well before supper," he replied, smiling.

"Is that it?" she said testily, tapping her foot. He nodded. Rolling her eyes, she turned back around and started pushing the wheel barrow again. Ryan followed suit and started walking again. They made their way down to the reservoir's shore, and Zandra rested the wheel barrow in the grass nearby. She tossed a jug to Ryan, and then grabbed one of her own, walking to the water's edge. She looked at Ryan.

"Come on! Let's get this done so we can go home!" she said. He walked over, and they knelt down beside the water and started to fill the jugs.

Lysette was making the bed in hers and Jack's room when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She stopped and stood up straight, putting her hands on her belly. The same pain ripped through her lower body again, and she nearly doubled over.

"Jack!" she screamed. "Jack!" Jack and Amber both came running into the room.

"What is it, Lys?" Jack asked, seeing the panicked look on her face.

"S-something's wrong with the b-baby!" she stuttered. By then, her face was red, and sweat was rolling down her cheeks. Amber noticed the puddle forming on the floor where Lysette was standing and the water trickling down her legs. Her waters had broken.

"My god, she's in labor!" Amber gasped. Jack looked at her incredulously as she thought quickly. "Alright, don't panic. Put her in the bed. I'm going to send someone to fetch Dal and TaiRon. I'll be back in a minute!" She ran out of the room. Jack helped Lysette to the bed. She held on tightly to his hand, crying.

"You'll be fine, and so will the baby," Jack said soothingly, brushing her hair off her face with his other hand.

"I'm so scared, Jack," she whispered. He kissed her on the forehead. She had another contraction and cried out in pain. Amber came back into the room with Trudy and Martin.

"I sent Charlie to get Dal and TaiRon. Martin's going to help until they get here, since he's a doctor, too," she said. Lysette and Jack both nodded.

"Look, I've never delivered a baby before, but I know how to if I have to. I'll do the best I can," Martin said.

"Your best is better than nothing," Jack said as Lysette screamed again.

"Trudy, can you go get me water and clean towels? And a blanket?" Martin requested. Trudy scurried off. Martin grabbed a chair and sat down beside the bed. "Amber, I need soap, scissors, and a ball of twine." Amber ran out of the room again. "Alright, Lysette, I need you to breathe through your contractions, or you're going to pass out, okay?" Lysette nodded, looking over at Jack. She started to moan again as another contraction came on.

"Breathe, Lys," Jack said. She started panting.

"Good girl, Lysette. Keep breathing," Martin said as Trudy and Amber came back into the room with supplies. He got up and washed his hands.

"Jack?" Lysette said weakly, in between contractions.

"I'm right here," he said reassuringly.

"Don't ever leave me," she said.

"I won't. I'm going to stay right here with you until this baby comes, Lys," he said, smiling. He kissed her on the forehead again. "I love you so much." Lysette smiled at him briefly, and then had another contraction. Jack held her hand and breathed with her, hoping that everything would be okay.

"I think that's all of them," Ryan said, putting the last jug in the wheel barrow. He wiped his hands off on his pants, turning to face Zandra. "Hungry?"

"Yes, very," she responded. Ryan opened his knapsack and pulled out the lunch Salene had made for them. Two PB and J sandwiches, some chips, and two juice boxes. They dug in and ate.

"So . . . how's Lex?" Zandra asked jokingly.

"He's your husband, you should know," Ryan replied, chewing on a chip.

"Yeah, but you're around him more than I am. He's gotten really good at avoiding me," Zandra said quietly, looking down at her hands. She picked at the crust of her sandwich.

"Sorry, Zan," Ryan said, feeling bad for her. "If he makes you so miserable, why don't you leave him? Get a divorce?" Zandra looked up at him, smiling a little.

"I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind before. But it's always stopped by one thing - if I left him, where would I go?" she said.

"You don't have to leave the mall to leave him, Zan. Just move into another room and break it off with him," he responded.

"It's not as easy as it sounds, Ryan," she said. She took a bite out of her sandwich.

"Well, you know Sal and I would be behind you one-hundred percent if you did, and so would Amber and the others. You shouldn't have to spend the rest of your life with a guy that makes you so unhappy," Ryan said.

"As opposed to staying married and feeling miserable anyway, because no matter what, I can't be with the person I really want to be with?" she retorted. Ryan looked away, turning red. "Sorry, I'd rather take my chances with Lex. At least that way, Lexi has her father around."

"Lex would never walk away from his child, you know that," Ryan said in Lex's defense.

"But he would walk away from me," Zandra countered. "And I don't want to risk that."

"What is it with you? You're not acting at all like the Zandra I know. The Zandra I know would take the risk anyway and just look at it as another challenge. She's stronger than this," Ryan said suddenly.

"Look, I don't just have myself to think about anymore. I have to do what is best for Lexi, not for me. Anyway, that Zandra died a long time ago, back at the explosion, Ryan. Or maybe she was just a dream to start with in the first place," Zandra said. She stood up and walked off, toward the water. Ryan wadded up their trash and stuffed it in his knapsack, then walked over to where she stood. He could see that she was crying, and he put his knapsack down, wrapping his arms around her. She turned around and buried her head in his chest, sobbing.

"Shhh . . . it's alright," he said softly, holding her. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. "It'll all be fine. Don't worry, okay?" She nodded. They stared at each other. He couldn't help thinking that she had the most amazing pair of blue-green eyes he had ever seen. She blinked a couple of times, wiping her eyes. Ryan brushed a single tear off her cheek. Then he kissed her gently. Zandra lay down on the ground and pulled him down on top of her as they continued to kiss.

That's all for now, folks! 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 . . .