Axton turns to look at Dr. Zed in astonishment.
"what?"
" Maya is awake, groggy and sedated but awake."
Axton moves forward, brushing past Zed to see her, she blinks slowly as her eyes roll in their sockets. Shes looking for something... someone.
" Hey there how're ya-"
She interrupts him with a strange noise, a struggle of find letters, to work her mouth. She doesn't seem to notice the wide tube pressed into her throat, preventing any discernible words. Although whatever shes saying appears to be important as she keeps rambling until her her eyes roll back and her lids fall halfway shut. Axton watches as she seems to glare at whatever shes dreaming of.
The following day He refuses to watch as Dr. Zed slowly carefully removes the tube from her throat, although he finds himself listening to her incoherent mumbling. Off and away near the center of town a building is being added to, reinforced and stacked on top of. The people here move ceaselessly even with their shaking hands, ever grateful for assistance.
Lilith is quieter now, she directs people informs them of their place and generally directs the renovation of overlook. However its hard to miss the way her eyes have dulled, she won't let herself feel this. The pain of another loss.
Three days pass and the work finally slows. It has become a fortress a small and shabby fortress but effective and nearing completion. Outside the wall the greenhouses are guarded by roving soldiers and a strong electric fence built entirely of barbed razor wire.
Inside the hospice Axton tries to assist Maya into a sitting position. He can't understand what she keeps saying, whatever the words are they are garbled slurred together and repeated on continuous cycle. After some hours of listening to her he determines that it's a question that is to her, of great import.
Dr. Zed then decides she can be fed, Axton sighs at this. She's so weak right now, so helpless he can't believe it's even her. Behind his back the doctor attempts o get a liquid dinner past Mayas dry lips, she is incapable of holding up her own weight so relies on daisy to assist her.
Somewhere outside the gate the sound of a rapid firing SMG is heard in small bursts, afterward the shriek of a dying stalker rings out. It is followed moment later by a few more short bursts, a few screams and then one of the guards lumbers in carrying one of them over his shoulders. With a heavy thump he tosses it down in the center of town beside the newly built fire pit. Two other soldiers come along carrying another, tossing the heavy bodies down beside the first.
Axton, now more alert waits for the sound of more gunfire. Usually stalkers attack in much larger packs, why was this such a small gathering? They rarely run away. After awhile the sound of silence spreads, becoming thick and heavy over the place.
It is Near an hour later that Lilith comes to visit, She doesn't look at Axton when he nods a greeting at her. Dr. Zed and daisy both decide to take a brake when Lilith arrives, they exit the place glad to walk about for while.
" hey there, are you feeling any better?"
" ich bin vollig im arch..."
Mayas head lolls toward Lilith, who simply smiles at the strange language.
" thats right, you're not native to Athenas are you?"
" nien... no..."
Lilith takes up the small stool that daisy had near the door and sets it beside Mayas bed.
" where..."
Maya's question trails off as she takes a deep breath, this time without the aid of the large bulky machine.
" we where having trouble with the engines in sanctuary. So we moved over here to overlook, still got some work to do but don't be surprised when you get up and we're here instead of there okay."
"mmff"
Maya closes her eyes and shakes her head.
"whats up?"
"where is he?"
"..."
Lilith looks away as if she didn't hear the question. With great effort Maya focuses on Lilith's face.
"Where is he...where is Mordecai?"
"... you need to rest Maya. We can talk later alright."
"please...please"
Her voice cracks while her eyes suddenly flood with blurring tears that burn her face as the roll freely.
"we had a plan Maya.. he was going to make sure sanctuary would make it back to the ground. Where it started. He was just supposed to guide it... but the engines..."
Maya raises up her arms all covered in tape and tubes to press her palms over her face.
" things don't always go the way we plan, they never do. And we lose people, good people that we... really need."
Liliths voice warbles as she speaks. It is so difficult to stay composed when Maya cries like that. So freely, not bothering to hide it. Her sobbing is loud and unhindered, she screams but it doesn't help.
" This happens, its okay. We can- we need to keep going and please. Please stop that"
She reaches out and grips Mayas hands while her now silent sobbing shakes her, racking her whole body. Lilith steps off the stool to lean over, pressing her forehead down against Maya's. Her mouth opens to speak but no sound comes, instead she finds herself finally allowing tears to spill out. Like a broken dam they spill and spatter across Maya's face. When the sound of them sobbing together finally passes, Axton turns to look only to find Maya curled up and pressed against Lilith chest. Lilith now lays on the narrow cot, her narrow body wrapped around Maya like a shield. Slender fingers slide through Mayas hair, gently petting her while she sleeps.
Axton is finally permitted to leave his post long enough to rest. Rest. None comes to him, for even in his dreams he sees her face all beaten and bruised. In his dreams he sees her failing to fight, being defeated and here in the hell of his sleep he watches the breathe slip from her. Watches but is helpless to do anything as her chest stops rising and falling.
Gunfire plays out beyond the gate, several times before Axton is roused from his restless slumber. When he wakes fully he looks out the window the replacement headquarters to find Zero and Salvador running for the entrance.
" shit!?"
He leaps out of bed quickly grabs his gun and runs to follow suit. Such a good thing his mild paranoia keeps him sleeping in his clothing isn't it? Something flashes past his head and stick into the wall behind him. He glances back to look at it only to find that its a large pointed bone of some sort. Axton whips around to find nothing there, a tuft of dust rises off the ground. He pops off a short wave in the direction of the dust and hears a shriek. Blood pools in the dirt where a large green stalker appears before hissing and falling dead.
What? How did- crap!
Axton runs back to medical only to find Maya limping along and firing off wave after wave of bullets over the wall.
"FREEZE!"
She raises one hand phase locking a single oversized stalker, it corrodes inside the bubble dying before she can aim at it. Axton finds himself smiling at her, she only huffs as the body dissolves over the other corpses atop the wall. Maya arcs an eyebrow and looks at her hand.
"well... that's new."
Shrieking stalkers run rampant just outside the walls where the guards fire non stop waves of shock based weaponry. Zero is out of ammo, can't seem to locate anymore so simply lops off as many of their heads as he can.
Maya turns toward Axton, he grins widely at her, only for her to look past him with horror.
"GET DOWN!"
Axton throws himself down on the ground, just in time to avoid getting phase locked and disintegrating. After a second he rolls over and sees three very large red stalkers fall to the ground dead with their bizarre mouths hanging open. He leaps to his feet and throws his turret at the torn gate, just as it unfurls ready to fire he watches as giant blue stalker clamps its mouth down on the barrel and violent thrashes its head left and right. His turret is torn apart in the air, becoming nothing but shrapnel on the ground.
This one was larger than the others, even bigger than one of those riding skags. It opens its mouth and does not shriek, it roars like a beast created in a child's nightmare. Maya fires at it as Axton moves for his gun, out of ammo. Beautiful.
The giants head raises up and its miniscule beady eyes lock on Axton who struggles to reload a shotgun. As it rears up to strike down, a small explosion goes off on the side of its head. Mayas gun, regenerates in her palms so she can fire again. The gunfire is more an irritation than a threat, it switches its focus and bolts for her.
"SHIT!"
She stumbles backward as she extends her arm, small violet bubble appearing and fizzling out before they can do any damage. It closes in and she feel its hot rancid breath before a sudden spattering of red meat and blood rains down over her.
"GOTCHA PENDEJO!"
She Couldn't hear the squealing of tires over the roar of the beast. It closed in on her right when the runner ramped over the fallen gate and as the small chunks of its corpse spatter across the ground she see's him leaping out of the driver seat. As he runs forward he pauses only to grab Axton by the front of his shirt and throw him to his feet.
" get out there cabron!"
Axton blinks bewildered when he runs out to find Brick smashing skulls with his bare hands.
Mordecai bolts forward to catch Maya before she can hit the ground, she's still injured and already beyond exhausted. For a moment he looks at her, gently pushing her hair out of her face. Underneath one eye is still a light violet color, her cheek is healing over and for some reason her lips are dry and chapped. Her eyes, ah but her eyes, are bright and wild as she grips his forearms.
" you're alive! You're okay!"
He shifts to throw one of her arms over his shoulder and fumbles, letting his sniper hang over his shoulder to grab a heavy SMG from off his belt. She leans on him allowing him to half carry her along until he finds a good spot on a rooftop where she sits with him. Maya finds herself feeling so happy she can't quite feel the way her ribs ache instead she raises her arm and pops off little bubble all over the place one after the other. Mordecai follows her line of sight through his scope, squeezing the trigger every time her little violet spheres appear. He knows they are tiring, so moves quickly. The fire continues until the only things moving are recognizable faces, riddled with exhaustion.
"puta madre.. I wasn't gone that long..."
Mordecai rubs the back of his head, then turns toward Maya.
"MAYA!?"
The small puncture wounds in her arms ooze with slowly drying blood to match the wave pouring out her mouth.
" it's... okay... I'm okay..."
" The hell you are!"
He quickly scoops her up in his arms and jumps down the side of the building to the staircase then across the grounds. Dr. Zed only rolls his eyes when he sees her being rushed back to his care.
" now I know I told you not to get out there...holy crap you're alive."
Mordecai lays her down back in the small bed and looks at at Zed somewhere between curious and irritated.
" yea whats going on-"
"YOU'RE ALIVE!"
He finds the wind knocked violently from his lungs as Lilith throws her arms around him and squeezes far to tightly.
"okay okay OKAY!"
With enough wriggling he finally manages to free himself from her embrace, he lifts his goggles to look at her when he realizes shes crying.
" Lil what the hell is going on?"
" I'm sorry- it's just when sanctuary blew we thought you went with it."
"what? I set the guidance systems tried to get here but I wound up at bricks place."
" why didn't you echo me?"
" forgot my echo back on sanctuary"
"you could have used bricks"
"brick broke his a while back."
"why where you gone so long we where freaking out over here."
"I don't know- but I kept getting dizzy for a while there. Couldn't do much."
"oh. Well its good to have you back."
Mordecai laughs as he punches her shoulder.
" did you miss me?"
Lilith's face turns red as she wipes away the lingering wetness on her face.
"yea, well I wasn't the only one"
Mordecai turns around to find Maya falling in and out of consciousness. He sits down on the small Stool beside her tiny bed, reaches out and grasps her hand. Lilith strolls out Grabbing Axton by his arm and taking him with her.
" Maya"
She blinks at him, a small smile appearing when shes hears him saying her name.
" I'm sorry, I know that's not really good enough but I am. I was wondering if... you would-."
"shaddup"
Mordecai looks at her not sure what to think, so he simply listens.
" I over reacted. I don't know what I expected, it's okay if we're just friends. I'm just so happy you're alive. I just want to be near you, that's good enough."
He can see it in her face, she means it. She's absolutely elated to have him holding her hand like this. So he finds himself gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.
" I don't wanna be you're friend."
Shes still smiling at him. It must be contagious because he can feel it, the smile creeping up his face and making him feel stupid.
" you don't?"
" I'm greedy you know, I want more."
He leans down and gently brushes his lips over hers,lingering for a moment. He drops small kisses on her face and neck.
"you change your mind? Still want me?"
He looks at her with that lopsided smile that makes her feel like her stomach is flipping and squirming. Maya finds herself in love with the way he closes his eyes when she presses her palm against his face, gently leaning into the touch.
" you know, I won't let go. Not ever."
He smirks at her and says with a snort.
"no refunds"
She laughs so hard her stomach hurts, her face is red and her eyes tear up.
ONE YEAR LATER.
A ring of tall green stalks surrounds Overlook, the pollen of its fruit somehow deterring the stalkers from the area. The place is relatively clean as it is maintained by a series of rescued claptrap units that whiz about rambling and sweeping. Scooter has a new garage Moxxi no longer has a bar but of all things maintains the children with no family. They even managed to divert some of the water from a river nearby, with scooter assistance they where able to put in indoor plumbing. Clean water along with the purified air provided by the large stalks alleviated many of overlooks medical problems.
A small squad of crimson raiders roves the surrounding areas preventing stalkers from nesting in the vicinity, and bringing back the meat for food. They have managed to put every piece of hunted dinners to use, all the way down to skin, bones, teeth and claws.
There has been no reason for the raiders to leave headquarters, it provides everything they need. But last month Mordecai made a purchase of one of the small houses near the wall. He purchased the upper two floors leaving the bottom floor to the family that originally owned it. Last week he asked Maya if she would like to live with him, she had laughed and said that they'd been living together for a while already. When he handed her the key to the place he bought for them she had thrown herself at him. Wrapping her around his shoulders and peppering him with small kisses.
Today they finally managed to get away from headquarters and move in. Mordecai was surprised to see how much she enjoyed pushing furniture around just cause she was allowed to. They didn't really need a lot of things but they had money and nothing to do with it. So he watched her push furniture around until everything was exactly where she wanted it. Most amusing to him was the wall where she placed every single wanted poster of them up. At the top was Roland, beside him was Lilith, under her was brick, to the left of him was Moredecai.
Upon finding Mordecai's old wanted picture she had smiled and laughed at how expressionless it was. She then placed herself beneath his image along with Zero Salvador and Axton. There was no tv, but a radio, a tightly packed bookcase and a square table with two chairs. Across the room was a small stove over which hung a a single pot and a pan. A few stacks of ammo chests sat in the corner of the room along with a gun safe for their more prized weapons.
Upstairs they had a tall wardrobe with almost nothing it. Maya had bought for the carving in the doors, Mordecai had noticed that the strange pattern matched the one on her arm and suddenly she needed it. Their bed is oversized and takes up most of this room,as the place is owned by two connoisseurs of sleep. It is covered with various blankets sheets and random mismatched pillows. Most of which where gifts, most hand made by various people around town.
On this oversized bed the couple sleeps peacefully together, Mordecais chest pressed against her back with one hand under his pillow the other slung over her hip. She keeps one hand tossed over his, the other hand is tossed over her pillow.
On this hand glitters a bright silver ring, the inside of which reads 'never let go'