Morning dew clung to the ground as the orange sun rose in the distance. The morning was cool, but it wasn't surprising for it being in the latter end of the year. November, is what the pip-boy told him.
Elias rubbed the sleep from his eyes, giving a large yawn afterwords. He looked over to see Jenny laying on her side, her back facing him. Her dark brown hair was sprawled out across the pillow her head laid on. He looked forward at the bedroom door, seeing the desk he had slid in-front of it before relaxing last night. Just a counter measure in-case anything smart enough to try a door came through.
He got around, putting his shirt back on and buttoning the black over-shirt over it. He was in the process of putting on his boots when Jenny woke up with a deep breath, turning her head and letting her eyes adjust to see Elias sitting on the desk. He looked over at her and put his one booted foot to the ground. "What time is it?" she quietly asked.
Elias raised his wrist and looked at the pip-boy, then lowered it and looked back to her. "Seven thirty. We gotta get around soon if we intend to get to the canyon before noon." He grabbed up his other black boot and slid his foot into it, sliding it on and sliding his leather pant-leg down over it. He had taken to wearing a lighter version of leather-armor over his normal clothes.
Jenny sighed and rolled over then leaned forward, sitting up on her sleeping-bag. She adjusted the loose T-shirt that was much too big for her, and stretched out her arms. Elias stood up and grabbed the brush-rifle off the side of the wall near his sleeping-bag. "I'll give your privacy." he said just before pushing the desk out of the way of the door.
She watched him leave, gently closing the door behind him, then stood up. It was always good when she was able to sleep in a more comfortable state. When they were behind a locked door, usually. It was getting colder lately, but she found it refreshing. And nothing would stop her from taking advantage of being comfortable.
She reached behind her and grabbed the back of her shirt, pulling it up and off her sixteen year old body. A body which was in the late-beginning or mid state of filling out and developing curves. She was starting to develop a waist, and her breasts had filled out into a small B -cup. She pulled her long, straight hair back across her bare back. With that over sized shirt off, she was left with only her cotton panties on.
She reached into her bag and put on a sports-bra, then slid on a pair of comfortable jeans and a grimy but intact red-flannel shirt. She buttoned it up, all but the two at the top, then strapped on her gun-belt. The 10mm pistol was still holstered in it from last night. She then put on her brown steel-toed boots, lacing them up. She topped it all off with a thick, wool lined denim jacket which suited her well. This was her normal-ware, and it suited her well.
"Done!" She called out to Elias, already beginning to roll up her bed-roll. Elias opened the door and walked in, leaning the rifle against the wall and walking over to his bed, doing the same to his bed-roll. Jenny packed hers, along with her pillow, into her back-pack. And Elias put his into a newly acquired army duffle bag.
He grabbed his thick leather trench-coat and put it on, buttoning it up then putting the strap of the duffle around his neck, and grabbing back up the brush-rifle. Jenny put on her back-pack then grabbed the Marksman-carbine off the floor next to where she was laying. She put the strap around her neck and under the underside of her opposite arm. She looked at Elias and nodded, then they both left the room and the burnt out house they had slept in.
The ground was stiff with frost, and you could faintly see your breath in the pale morning light. Jenny cradled her carbine as they trekked up a hill, Elias occasionally glancing back to see if she was alright. She always appreciated the concern, but also always felt it was unnecessary.
It had been three years since he saved her. He'd taken her under his wing, put a gun in her hand, and taught her the most important thing you could possibly know in the wastes. How to survive. It was a dangerous world, and Elias knew that better then anyone else. This wasn't a world you got by in, you didn't merely exist. You fought, every day, to assure your survival.
She'd followed him across the desert and through towns. Together they'd seen a large portion of Texas and everything surrounding it. They'd helped people in need. From finding lost family members, to helping fighting off bandits or other creatures. They'd become a inseparable duo together, and Jenny knew it. She knew that with Elias trusting in her, believing in her, that they'd be inseparable for as long as they both drew a breath. She didn't have any family left, but Elias was as much of a father as her real one.
They got to the top of the hill, Elias reaching it before her and stopping to stare off in the distance. She climbed up to his side, and was witness to a beautiful sight. A valley bellow them, with the dirt road they were seeking winding through it like a snake. The sun was rising over it, but clouds were also rolling in, keeping the air cool and the ground frozen.
She looked over at Elias, who squinted and stared down at the road. Once he was done analyzing the situation, he turned his head and looked at her, giving a smirk and a huff. His breath was visible in the air. She smiled back, pushing into his side in a congratulatory 'we did it' manner.
Her head only came up to Elias's shoulder, and he often joked around by calling her small fry or shorty, saying in all seriousness that she'd probably never grow any taller, then trying his hardest not to smile. She always giggled and pushed him or punched his arm with a smirk and a shake of her head.
His elbow hit her arm, causing her to look at him. He nudged his head down to the road and spoke up. "Look down there with your scope, tell me what you see." As she did so, he took a seat on a nearby rock. She moved the rifle down the road until finally stopping and getting down on one knee.
Elias' brow flattened. He hadn't expected her to find anything. "What is it?" he whispered to her, not taking his eyes off the road where she was looking.
"People." She quickly and quietly replied. "Six or seven, gathered around and in a small cave in the side of the valley. It's near the road."
Elias nodded and grabbed his rifle up off the rock, then stood. "Then that's them." He proclaimed as he stared down at her. "So, how do ya wanna do this?"
She lowered her rifle and looked up at him, into his deep dark brown eyes. They held a youth and a warmth in them that betrayed his demeanor and one or two grey hairs. She'd seen those eyes turn a cold and bitter black before, though. During fights when he let himself lose control. More recently a bar-fight, when some drunken asshole tried hitting on her. Elias hadn't said a word, he just jumped up and beat the man so bad he was unrecognizable.
"I doubt there's another way into a cave." She said, causing him to shrug and nod at the same time. "I could position myself on the edge of the valley, I'll have a clear shot down at them. But that'll only work until they run into the cave."
"Maybe." he replied, looking down at the road. "I could always...refine my acting skills." He smirked as he looked down at her. She had hesitation written across her face, and even gave a nervous chuckle, shaking her head and looking back down at the road. "You set up on the valley and I'll come in from the road, pretend to be a traveler. When they come out of their little coward hole, we'll clear them out. Simple stuff, ya know?"
She scoffed and stood up, gripping her rifle. "There's nothing simple about you getting shot at, dad."
He smirked, then laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, seeing that look in his eyes. He was asking her to trust him. He'd given her that look so many times, she found herself shocked she hadn't built up an immunity to it. "Fine." She sighed, gripping her rifle tighter and beginning her march down the hill towards the edge of the valley. Elias grabbed up his brush-rifle and also started his descent, but much farther to the right of Jenny.
Elias took his bag off, laying it beside a large rock near the entrance of the valley. He didn't need the extra weight slowing him down. He took a few deep breathes, putting on his best poker face and thinking about what he'd say. He just needed them distracted enough so that she could line up and take a shot.
He unbuttoned his leather trench-coat, giving him access to the silver .357's on his hips. The coat covered them just enough to where you couldn't exactly see them, but Elias could easily reach them. After preparing, he rounded the corner and began walking into the valley. The shadow's of which rolled over him and everything else within it, making it feel even colder. What a horrible place to die.
These bandits had been killing and stealing from those who went through the valley for weeks. Elias and Jenny had been contracted by a town to route them out and deal with the threat. They'd tracked to the outskirts of a small, deserted community, and rested there. But now they had their target's in sight, and nothing was going to stop them from delivering justice. And easing the minds of the locals.
The ground crunched under Elias' boots as he marched forward, acting as inconspicuous as possible. The further he got into the valley, the more anxious he got. He was ready for the ambush, for yelling and then gunfire. It would happen any minuet now.
And right on Que, as soon as he reached a large bolder near the side of the road, a man in leather armor came out of a small cave with his .10mm pistol raised. A slew of others followed him, all in different clothing and carrying different weapons. Elias put his hands up and acted surprised by their 'sudden' appearance. But deep inside, he was trying not to smile.
"Bad day to be out and traveling, mister." The man in leather said, causing a few of the others to chuckle.
"Easy now!" Elias said, still trying his best to be surprised and tense. "Easy...I-I don't want any trouble, I'm just trying to get my brothers house."
"Well," the man in leather stepped forward, raising the gun and aiming it at Elias' head. "If you don't hand over every fuckin' thing you got on your person, your brother won't even be seeing your corpse. I'll drop you right here and leave you for the buzzards."
Elias swallowed hard, glancing at the other shifty gang members behind him. "Okay...Okay, I got around two hundred caps in a small pouch in my pocket...I'm going to get it. Please, don't shoot."
"Hurry up." The man demanded, smiling as Elias' hand slowly went down. "Can't tell you how many poor fuckers I've killed right where you're standing. Nice to know there's still some waster's with some brain between their ears."
"Yeah?" Elias asked, keeping his eye on the man as his hand reached his pocket. The leader chuckled and quickly glanced back to his men. "Damn shame you're not one of them." His hand quickly slid under his coat and pulled the revolver, catching the leader off guard. His head turned back around and smile quickly faded as he realized the situation. He fired the 10mm first, but the bullet flew right past Elias' head.
But when Elias fired, his bullet didn't miss the leader's head. The men behind him got showered in blood and brain as they watched their leader fall to the ground in a plume of dust.
Jenny fired a three shot burst into the torso of one of the lackey's, catching them off guard and startling them. She moved the gun to the left then did the same, hitting and killing another man with a quick heart-shot. The four that were left were in a panic, watching their friends fall around them.
Elias pulled his other gun and fired them both, one at a time but in rapid succession. Jenny pressed in the trigger and held it down, raining automatic hell down on the last four. With the hail of gunfire coming from two directions, the other's were quickly filled with holes and brought to the ground.
They all fell, and the gunfire ceased from both Elias and Jenny. A man let out a pained, crying scream. Jenny pointed the gun at the man who had bullet holes through the back of his leather jacket. He sobbed in pain as he tried to drag himself forward. She pulled the trigger, but the gun simply dry-fired. "Shit." she mumbled and began changing the clip. "I'm out!"
Elias looked up at her, then walked forward. He stepped on the chest of the leader and walked over him. He holstered his left revolver then pulled the hammer back on the right one, walking up to the killing grounds where the bodies laid strewn about.
The dirt was already getting wet with blood, and the man that was crawling back into the cave was trailing it through he dirt in a long streak. He was bleeding out and in immeasurable pain, crying and screaming as he pulled himself forward.
Elias put this boot on the man's back, pushing him down into the ground and stopping him. The man let out another scream, this one sounded more desperate then anything else. His hand reached out for the cave as his scream turned into a sob. Elias pointed the gun down at the back of the man's head, and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. His head slammed into the ground with a plume of dust, and his body twitched as blood quickly pooled around it.
Jenny exhaled loudly, staring down at the man Elias still had his boot on the back of. He was staring down at him, a wrinkle in his brow. She couldn't begin to guess what he was thinking, but it didn't seem to be anger. Perhaps it was bewilderment? Suddenly from inside the cave she saw movement. Nothing more then a dark figure dashing, but she knew it was a silhouette. "Elias!" she shouted.
Elias looked up into the cave, his eyes adjusting and gaze catching that of a woman with dark hair. Her eyes wee hazel, and skin well tanned. She wore a night-gown, and was trembling with fear. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she stared teary eyed at Elias.
Elias' eyes grew sympathetic, as he realized this was what the man was reaching out for. He felt a sinking feeling in his gut, even if he was a bandit. Even if this could have been a whore or a chem-addict. She just stood there, staring at him in pure terror. And Elias just stood at the entrance of the cave, staring at her with a slack jaw and a look of sympathy.
Suddenly she reached over and grabbed a .32 caliber revolver off the table next to her. Elias hadn't even noticed the table and chairs set up, probably robbed from a caravan that traveled through. Elias raised his gun and pointed it at her, causing her to freeze once more. The gun looked weighty in her hands, and it shook violently with her.
The more Elias looked at this woman, the more his heart raced. And the more it raced, the more it sunk further. What he had done was nothing more then murder to her. It would never be anything other then murder. His arm bent, and the gun lowered slowly. "Don't..." he said, nearly begging her.
She held the gun with both hands, and tried to still it from shaking. She let out a sob, tears streaming down her cheeks as her vision became hazy. "Please, don't..." Elias said again putting his other hand up in a motion that told her to stop. "Just put the gun down...and I walk away. Don't make me do this, please..."
She sobbed again, her knees buckling slightly. She looked at Elias through her hazy eyes, fear giving way to border-line depression. Seeing her husband dead on the ground next to Elias made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to throw up, to scream and cry until her eyes bled. He was everything to her. He was her hope, her heart, her love and joy and passion. He was everything, and without him, she was nothing. Without him she was alone, in a world that hated her. In a cruel world that hated everyone. There was nothing left for her. There was no hope. The sinking, sick feeling she felt in her chest now would remain until the day she died. He was the only one that took that feeling away, and now he too was gone. There was nothing left.
"Please, just..." Elias started to say one more time, his breathing fast and his voice breathy and desperate. Suddenly her hands raised quickly, and Elias raised his gun as well, preparing to move to the side and shout again. Instead her hands kept raising, until the barrel was tucked under her chin. "Wait, wait, NO!" Elias quickly shouted, only for the gunshot to drown out his final word.
The flash illuminated the cave. Illuminated the fragments of brain and tissue that flew out of the top of her head. Elias stumbled backwards, his heartbeat disappearing in a wave of dread. Her body fell back onto a green leather chair, gun falling out of her hand and leg twitching against the ground.
Elias let out a shaken breath, and looked away. His jaw was sill slack and his eyes were wide. Breathing heavier then ever. "Elias!?" Jenny shouted as she ran down the road of the valley. But her voice was muffled by the gunshot that still rang in Elias' mind.
His lower lip quivered, and stomach turned as he felt as if he was going to be sick. He quickly holstered his gun and pressed both hands to his face, placing them over his nose and covering his mouth. He closed his eyes tight and let out a deep breath that quickly turned in a near sob.
He slid his hands up his face, knocking his cowboy hat off. He reached up and gripped it, yanking it off his head and gripping it tight in his hand as he crouched down, his other hand covering his mouth as tears formed in his eyes. There was nothing he could think or do to get that image out of his head, or escape that feeling boiling inside his stomach.
But he could hear Jenny's running footsteps as they got closer. "Elias!" she called out to him again, nearing the entrance to the cave. He pointed at the entrance with his hand that gripped the hat. "No!" He shouted in desperation. "No, don't come in here! I'm fine, just...just stay out of here!"
"What are you talking-."
"Jenny, stop!" he shouted again, finding his hand shaking. "Just...just please. Please stay out there. And give me a second. I'll be right there."
Jenny was compliant, even if she was curious as to what had happened. She laid down Elias' duffle bag beside her, and gripped her own rifle, waiting nervously. Elias wiped the tears from his eyes and let out a shaky breath, choking down any feelings as best as he could. He still wanted the throw up, but knew he had to get Jenny away from this.
He stood up and exhaled loudly, putting his hat back on and adjusting it correctly. He pulled his coat over his guns and walked out of the cave, into the cold and cloudy world awaiting him outside.
Jenny looked at him as he exited the cave, a disturbed look in his now much colder eyes. He wouldn't look at her. And the determination in his steps made her uneasy. "Dad? What happened?" She asked cautiously, side-stepping then walking forward with him. He grabbed his bag off the ground, and held his rifle close. "Elias?" Jenny asked again, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He looked over at her in a quick glance, then kept his eyes straight. "Nothing." he quickly and dismissively replied, causing her wrinkle her brow and frown lightly. She didn't believe it for one second, and the fact that the man who had been more open with her then anyone else wouldn't tell her something, meant that whatever it was had to have been bad.
Elias looked at her, letting out a shaky sight then reaching out and patting her back. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm fine. Just...a little shaken."
She nodded gently, keeping her eyes on him but her path a steady stroll forward. She knew she had to drop it, at-least for now. Whatever it was had disturbed Elias, and that wasn't a good sign. She hoped it wouldn't affect him for long. She didn't like seeing him in any other way then as himself. But for now, she knew it was going to be a long and quiet walk back to the town. And even though the air was cold around them, Elias seemed to be the coldest of the two. He trembled the whole way back.
"Don't make me do this...please..." the words resonated in him, stirring something in his chest and stomach as they echoed in his mind. Like a foreign voice, shouting at a distance. He could feel that cold again. And feel the sinking pit in his stomach. "Wait, wait, NO!"
When he heard the gunshot, Elias jolted up in the bed with a series of gasps. His body was covered in cold sweat, and his hands were gripping the damp sheets. His heart raced inside his chest, eyes darting around the dim room. He was in Prosperous Springs. It had all been a flash-back of a life he never wished to remember.
He still felt the cold of the air on that day, kissing at his damp skin. And he couldn't shake the sick feeling in his gut. He tore the sheets off his semi-naked body and rushed into the bathroom, falling to his knees and clinching the toilet-bowel as he heaved and retched into it. Just like he had done the night it happened. Jenny had hoped whatever he saw wouldn't affect him for long. But here he was, eight years later, still throwing up over it.
There was a quick knock at the door. "Elias?" Allison asked from outside the door. "It sounded like you fell, are you okay?"
He gripped the bowel and spat into it, a disgusted look on his face from the taste. He looked over into the bedroom, hands shaking against the bowel and eyes teary. He couldn't tell if it was from retching or if he was actually teary eyed over the flashback. "I'm fine." he said, failing to sound anything remotely close to fine. "Just give me a minuet."
There was silence from the door, and he turned back to the bowel, unsure if he was going to throw-up again or not. After a few minuets of nothingness, he let go of his vice like grip and leaned back against the wall, sitting on the ground with his legs sprawled out and arms at his side.
"I never told you..." he muttered to himself as he lie there. "I never told you what happened in that cave. You were afraid of it affecting me, but I was afraid of it changing you. I wore that guilt for the both of us, so you wouldn't have to. Her blood...it stians my hands, not yours. If you had known, if it made you felt like you had killed her...then I had failed. I'd failed you as a mentor, as a companion. As a father."
He closed his eyes and laid his head back against the wall, his breathing finally calming down from what it was. "And if you found out, and it didn't change you. If you felt nothing. Then I'd have failed all the same. But you never found out. You never asked. You just kept caring for me and thinking maybe I wouldn't be affected by it for too much longer. And now here I am..." he turned his head and opened his eyes, staring into the empty bedroom and seeing nothing. No-one. "Talking to myself in the darkness."