A/N: I know it took forever for this chapter, but the next one is going to be action packed! Then its going to heat up. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for the progression of this story I'm completely up for it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts! Enjoy! ~TGF

Chapter Eighteen: Conviction

The very next morning Elyza found herself on the lower swimming deck with Alicia. A conversation had arisen between them the night before where she had explained that she knew a lot of self-defense because of her father. Alicia insisted on being taught something and together they had woken up before the sun.

They had been at it for hours already and Elyza had discovered that Alicia was a quick study. Both of them were sweating profusely and the sun was high in the sky.

"Come on, Alicia, attack me." Elyza egged, quirking her finger at the brunette with a smirk. She was trying to teach the brunette how to break a simple grip, but the brunette was a little hesitant to be on the dealing end of the fight.

Alicia was okay with receiving the blows and providing the proper defensive maneuvers. But, whenever Elyza was throwing her to the ground, she knew she would have bruises. Her butt was already throbbing from the amount of times she had been tossed on it and there were bruises forming over her ribs and on her shins where Elyza had used her weaknesses against her.

Instead of provided a response, Alicia narrowed her eyes and brought her hands up to her face in the standard fighting position. She steeled herself for the pain she knew she was about to be dealt and hesitated.

"Come on, Princess." Elyza provoked, "Don't be afraid."

Alicia hated when the blonde called her that because butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She allowed her irritation to fuel her and lunged forward.

Her hand grasped at Elyza's front one, twisting it back so she couldn't use it. She spun the blonde around and wrapped her arms around her middle. Alicia kept her arms taunt and squeezed Elyza's arms against her body, effectively pinning them together.

Elyza let out a breath Alicia could feel in her chest and along her arms. Her next words were Alicia's only warning. "Alright, pay attention, Princess."

The blonde twisted her body and brought her leg up, slamming her heel down on Alicia's toes. They were clad in a pair of dark converse that really didn't cushion the blow much. The pain caused the brunette to grit her teeth but she didn't loosen her hold. Next, Elyza used the minimal amount of space between their bodies to elbow Alicia below the ribs, then grind the sharp bone in further.

She tried. She really did, to maintain her hold. But the pain grew so sharp that tears pricked at her eyes before she finally let go. Alicia doubled over in pain and sucked in a deep breath. "Fuck that hurt."

'That's the point," Elyza turned around and straightened her shirt. She had borrowed one of Alicia's again and it hugged at her chest a little too much for her liking. It was a red short-sleeve t-shirt with a breast pocket. She had on her army fatigues, finding them much easier to maneuver in than whatever jeans Alicia was wearing.

As she recovered and the sharp pain dulled to a throb, Alicia straightened herself. "I think you just wanted to hit me."

Elyza laughed outright and grabbed for the water bottle lying on the ground. "Sure, let's take a break."

"Gladly," Alicia swiped her damp hair from her forehead and plopped down on the ground. She spread herself out into a star and basked in the sun. She was dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a white t-shirt that hung loosely on her body. How she had managed to maintain such a fashion conscious closet in a post-apocalyptic world, Elyza would never know. But, she looked good.

The blonde pulled her shoes off and then her socks before settling on the edge of the deck and dangling her feet in the water. They were moving, but it was slow enough that it wasn't dangerous. The water was chilly and cooled Elyza's skin quickly.

After a moment, Alicia spoke up from her position on the ground, "So I have a question."

"So what's the question?" Elyza asked mimicking her tone before taking a sip from her water bottle and passing it to Alicia, who took it gratefully. They weren't facing each other, Elyza's back to Alicia, who was looking up at the blue sky and the picturesque clouds. Neither of them wanted to waste precious fresh water, so they opted to share a water bottle and drink from it sparingly.

"What's Australia like?"

Elyza glanced over her shoulder, fully expecting the question to be less mundane than that. "What's Australia like?"

"I asked you first." Alicia sat up to drink and waited for a response.

"You know how they always used to say it's backwards?" Elyza rolled her eyes at Alicia's sarcasm and wiggled her toes in the water, enjoying the cool rush.

Alicia nodded and hummed an affirmative noise.

"It really isn't. My life was one of those carefree experiences most people wish they could have. I didn't have to grow up too young and I didn't need to worry about anything except myself and school. It was practically paradise, I would give anything to go back to when it felt like it was." Elyza said, her eyes trained on the horizon as she spoke. The ocean glittered in the light and caused her to squint as she got lost in her own thoughts.

"What changed?" Alicia asked, genuinely curious to learn more about the mysterious woman before her. She didn't know what it was that drew her to Elyza, but learning more about the woman seemed the best way to figure it out.

Elyza sucked in her breath, thinking back to when she was fifteen. "My dad died. He was at work and got into an accident."

"I'm sorry," Alicia surged forward and placed a hand on Elyza's forearm. "If it makes you feel any better, I know how you feel."

"Really? You lost your dad too?"

"Yeah," Alicia tried to smile, but it felt like a grimace, "he died in a car accident."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Alicia shrugged and twisted her body so she was sitting next to Elyza. She slipped her shoes off and mimicked the older girl's position, placing her feet in the water. She leaned back on her hands to soak up the most sun. Since being out on the ocean, she'd gained a reasonable tan and enjoyed the open feeling of the water. "He was…I don't know, very tired a lot. I didn't get to see him much."

"Yeah," Elyza bumped her shoulder against Alicia's. "I got to have a lot of time with my dad. My mom on the other hand, we've never really seen eye to eye."

Alicia huffed and threw her head back, closing her eyes. Elyza watched her, entranced by the way shadows danced along her jaw and she wet her lips subconsciously. They looked soft and incredibly kissable. "So tell me more about Elyza Lex."

"Well," Elyza stared up at the sky, thinking. There wasn't much to her. She was a fairly simple person, in her opinion. "I really like nature and my favorite food is Chinese. Not like, real Chinese food, but the greasy takeout you get at University because you can't afford anything else."

"That's gross. My mom was always so busy when I was younger, we ate take out a lot. I'm not too into that anymore. I much prefer cooking for myself," Alicia stated.

"What do you like to cook?"

"I'll pretty much try everything. After my dad died, my mom got distracted with Nick so I became kind of…invisible. I would come home and make myself dinners. Mostly I'd go online and find something that looked good. It was really the only time I could contribute, I guess."

"Wow," Elyza breathed before smirking and turning to Alicia, "that is depressing."

Alicia turned to her and opened her mouth, shocked. "You, my friend, are an ass."

Elyza laughed, a bubbling warm sound that filled Alicia's ears and heart with affection and happiness. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, even if the joke had been aimed at her.

"At least I'm a hot ass."

Alicia scoffed and leaned forward, splashing chilly seawater at the blonde in reciprocation. "Then cool the hell down, Ms. Ego."

The blonde froze before shoving Alicia's shoulder lightly and brushing the salty water out of her face. She tried to blink away the sting of the water but ended up resorting to using her t-shirt instead. "I'm gonna get a cold now, thanks."

"Oh, you are not," Alicia scoffed and giggled. "Don't be so damn dramatic."

"Honestly," Elyza ran a hand through her dampened hair and feigned a sneeze, "I already feel it coming." She sniffled and rubbed at her nose, shivering.

"You're such a drama queen," Alicia shoved Elyza's shoulder and laughed harder as she noticed something green in the blonde tresses. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold still."

The brunette reached out, brushing Elyza's hair from her cheek, her fingertips brushing along the blonde's jaw. A shiver ran down Elyza's spine at the touch and she lightly pushed Alicia away. "What are you doing?"

"Sit still," Alicia smacked Elyza's hand away and scooted closer until they were pressed side by side.

Elyza's heart beat harder in her chest and a flush of heat and adrenaline spread to her toes. The girl was close, closer to her than she ever had been and Elyza couldn't really understand the feelings that arose being so near. As they turned to face each other she noticed Alicia's eyes were bright green, something she hadn't paid much attention to before.

Alicia brushed the golden blonde hair away from the fair skin of Elyza's cheeks. This close, she could see the light, barely-there freckles peppering her cheeks and the birthmark just above her lips. Those lips that were normally quirked upward in a smirk were now parted and dry.

She leaned closer, forgetting about the small speck of seaweed that had tangled in Elyza's hair and focusing her attention on pink lips. Alicia didn't know what she was doing, it was on impulse that she leaned closer and when Elyza did the same, their noses brushed. She slid her hand downward, cupping the back of Elyza's neck. Her breaths came in short gasps as her heart felt like it was about to beat its way out of her chest.

A loud pop echoed over the water and assaulted the two girl's ears before the sound of shattering glass accompanied it. They jumped apart, Elyza grasping Alicia's wrist that had been in her hair. At first, neither of them recognized the sound and only stared at each other incomprehensibly.

Then it was like warning bells going off and Elyza scrambled to her feet, pulling Alicia with her. Gunshot, she thought before rushing up the steps to the lower deck, Alicia hot on her heels.

The two ran into Madison, who stared at the two of them, blue eyes wide, "Where did that come from?"

"Upstairs," Alicia pointed upward, where the wheel house was. The window had been blown out and glass was scattered all across the lower deck.

Together, the three rushed up the steps to the upper deck and then down into the wheel house through the back. Elyza was in the front with Madison then Alicia trailing behind. She stumbled to a halt when she reached the aft entrance to the wheel house.

Daniel stood there, his hands wrapped loosely around the handle of a gun and his fingers steadily hovering over the trigger. Elyza stopped, bracing her hands on either side of the door as Daniel jerked and turned the barrel of the gun on her.

"Woah, woah, Daniel. What are you doing?" She asked, straightening up to protect the two women behind her. She kept her hands on either side of the wall.

"Stay back, Elyza," His voice was calm, his expression emotionless. "This doesn't involve you, I don't want to hurt anyone."

Elyza felt her skin prickle as she stared into the dark abyss of the gun's barrel. He could pull that trigger in a second and her brain would be blown to bits. It was trained right on her too, steady and unwavering.

"Elyza," Madison growled, pushing at her back to try to move her out of the way, but the girl wouldn't budge. Across the room, Travis, Chris and Nick were piling up the stairs. Aden and Ofelia were down in bed resting; they'd probably been awoken but were unable to get upstairs. "Get out of the way."

"No," Elyza hissed back, turning her head slightly to reference the older woman.

Strand stood by his Captain's chair. The front window had been blown out and he looked pale, his hands up and breathing erratic. Honestly he looked like he had just been shot at, the whites of his eyes obvious even from the distance Elyza stood.

"Daniel, this is crazy," Travis exclaimed, "Put the gun down!"

"No," Daniel said, his words coming out in a growl as he turned and trained the gun back on Strand. "Not until he promises to find help for my daughter."

"I saved you!" Strand fired back, "If we can make it to my destination, then we can get help for Ofelia! I have contacts."

"She doesn't have time," Daniel raised his voice and shook the gun. He was unable to keep a tight hold on his emotions at this time. He had seen his daughter and how sick she was getting. She would die if he didn't do something that proved how serious he was. "I will shoot you and take over this ship, Strand."

Elyza stood back and she could feel Alicia and her mother pressing against her back, both of them trying to see what was going on. Even though she was trying to focus on the situation—Daniel was waving a gun around—she was too busy getting distracted by the feeling of Alicia balling the back of her shirt into a fist. Her breath was hot on her neck as she strained to look over her shoulder.

"Back up," She whispered, nudging the brunette backwards, "If he shoots someone I sure as hell don't want it to be you."

"Daniel," Alicia called, completely ignoring Elyza's warning and pressing her body harder against her. "Put down the gun, what's going on?"

"Fine," Strand's voice was strong and unwavering. "Let me search for a good landing spot. We can do a supply run and hopefully find some antibiotics."

Daniel and Strand stared at each other, the weapon between them a dangerous element that could cause chaos in seconds. It was too cramped for this, Elyza realized, there were too many people in too small of a space. They needed to separate before the situation heated up too much and someone was killed.

No matter how much she didn't like Strand and despised some of his decisions, they didn't need to lose anyone. She didn't exactly know these people's stories but they were tight knit and some of them were blood family. Killing each other wasn't going to create a stronger bond between them.

"We all need to take a step back." Elyza said.

"I completely agree," Strand added. "Put down the gun, Daniel. We can look at the maps together and come up with a plan. I can have us on land within the day."

Before Daniel could think of a response, Nick lunged through Chris and Travis. He tackled Daniel against the back wall and knocked the gun from his grasp. It clattered onto the carpet and Elyza stepped forward, leaning down and picking up the weapon before anyone had a chance to think of going for it.

The altercation was over as quickly as it had started. Daniel was left weaponless and everyone else was left dumbstruck. Elyza stepped to the side, turning on the handgun's safety and shoving it into the back of her pants. She glanced to Alicia, who was staring at her with confused, wide doe eyes that Elyza was certain she could drown in if she didn't look away.

"Give me a map, Victor," Elyza's gaze met his and she stepped forward, holding her hand out.

"Hold on," Madison said, finally able to make her presence known, "What's going on? What's wrong with Ofelia?"

"Her bullet wound is infected," Nick spoke up, "Strand didn't want anyone to know about it."

"So? You just listened to him?"

"Mom—"

"No, that's not how this works. Strand isn't in charge."

"This is my boat. I saved your lives, I had a plan and chose to take you with me. I am in charge." Strand snapped, though from his current situation he was not so convincing in his disheveled clothing.

"This is not a dictatorship," Travis argued. "We make decisions as a group, that's how we survive."

"That is not how this works. I had a plan and you and your families ruined it."

After that, Elyza couldn't keep track of who was saying what. Nick and Madison began arguing. Strand, Daniel and Travis starting talking at each other rather than to each other. Chris stood in the background, staring at everyone with a withered bordering on hostile stare and Alicia rolled her eyes in the corner. The brunette didn't seem all that concerned with the arguments, almost as if she was accustomed to them and not being involved in them.

"Shut up!" Elyza shouted, waving her hands in the air to grab everyone's attention. "Just shut up, all of you. This isn't the time to talk, this is the time to take action. Focusing on Ofelia is the key right now. She's sick and it's a race to make sure the infection doesn't get into her blood before we find medication. So everyone just shut the hell up and start making a damn plan! We need to be on land within the next twenty-four hours."

Elyza's words seemed to spur everyone into motion. There was a flurry of movement and action on the yacht. The inhabitants ignored their problems and disagreements with each other and focused on developing a plan once they found somewhere to land.

Madison took Alicia down to the galley to start making supply bags for the people who would be going on land. Travis and Nick went down to inspect the life boat and prepare it for immediate departure. Chris went somewhere quiet to sulk and Daniel headed downstairs to talk to his daughter.

That left Strand and Elyza to sit about setting up a destination and beginning navigation to desired destination. They sat in the wheel house for over an hour hunched over half a dozen maps and bickering over different location. Strand wanted to go to the nearest place, clearly in a rush to get this over with. But Elyza was more focused on picking out the best candidates that would be bigger towns, but still finding a way to maintain a low profile.

"We're going to be easily spotted there," Strand pointed out as Elyza suggested another location. It was south, near the US/Mexico border and less than a day away.

Elyza nearly slammed her hands down on the table in frustration. Victor Strand had managed to find a problem with every single suggestion she had made so far. "We're on a fucking huge yacht, Strand! If there are any living there, they're going to see us from miles away. It doesn't matter."

"Hey, what's with the shouting?" Aden asked, coming up the stairs. He had been feeling better and decided allowing himself to be around Ofelia while her immune system was so weak was a bad idea. Now he was wandering, trying to help out in any way he could.

"Nothing, Aden." Elyza turned and watched the boy. He was limping still, but it was less pronounced than before. It had only been a couple of days since his injury, but right now it was looking really good. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Elyza," Aden gave her a pointed look. "Do we have a location yet? Daniel wanted me to ask."

"No—" Strand began.

"Yes, we do," Elyza held her hand up towards Strand, who was twisted to look at Aden but still leaning over the maps before him. "There's a naval base in Point Loma. It should have everything we need."

"It should also be full of the dead," Strand pointed out. "The likelihood of getting in or out of there without one of us dying is slim to none."

"What do you suggest, then?" Elyza bit back, turning to face the much taller man. She titled her head up and straightened her back, just about ready to punch him in the face if he didn't help provide a solution. "San Diego is a popular place. There's going to be dead everywhere we go. There's a risk in everything."

Strand shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Exactly. The naval base is our best bet and it's in the middle of nowhere."

Aden frowned, "San Diego has several naval bases. Point Loma is the most secluded. It's our best bet."

Elyza wanted to gloat right in Strand's face, she could have, but it would have been too immature to do so. Aden was just agreeing with her and being an asshole wasn't the best way to get on Strand's good side.

"Then it's settled. Point Loma it is." Elyza gestured to Aden. "Why don't you go tell the others?"

Strand threw his hands in the air, "Fine. But if anyone dies, I'm blaming you."

The decision to head to Point Loma was an easy one. The other adults agreed that there wasn't any way to be certain about anything so they went with the best choice. Strand and Elyza took the next couple of hours to navigate to their chosen location. It would take them nearly ten hours to get to Point Loma while maintaining a slow speed to conserve gas.

Once they were securely on track, the next big decision was choosing who was going.

The main living space was crowded with people once dinner rolled around. Madison and Alicia had made a dinner of fish, canned corn and some sort of dried fruit mix. They had an abundance of fish, but other nonperishable items were growing scarce. No matter what, they would have had to make a supply run sooner rather than later anyway.

Madison and Travis were discussing in quiet, harsh voices across the room. Their heads were close together and Madison's arms were waving around a little erratically. Elyza caught the end of Madison's next words.

"—kids should go."

"They're adults now, they have to make their own decisions," Travis hissed back.

"No, they're still children. Alicia and Nick can't go and that's that."

"But—"

"What if one of them gets bitten, Travis? Like Liza? Do you want to risk that?"

"That's not fair."

Elyza watched them for a couple more seconds before turning to the rest of the table. "We need to make a decision on who all is going on this run. We need people with experience."

Strand swallowed his next bite before setting down his fork and dabbing at his mouth with a cloth napkin. For a man at the end of the world, he was quite proper and well groomed. "I agree. Nick and I have had a short discussion and we think he and Elyza should lead this expedition. Elyza has experience and she's well trained. Nick knows the area better than she does and can help navigate."

"Nick," Madison spoke up, turning to her son. "Did you agree to this?"

Nick rolled his eyes, clearly expecting this line of question from his mother. "Yes, mom. I'm an adult and a survivor. This is something we have to do to make sure all of us survive."

"What? Nick, you don't have to do this. The adults can—"

"Mom! I am an adult, I can do this just as well as you or Daniel or Travis can. This world is live or die. There is no getting by. You can't shelter me anymore. I'm going and that's the end of it."

"I agree," Travis spoke up, though his eyes drifted to his girlfriend before his jaw locked firmly into place. "Elyza, Nick, I plan on going with you."

Alicia was seated next to Nick, near where Chris was still sulking. The boy was hunched over and playing with the food on his plate. Elyza was almost certain he hadn't eaten anything on his plate yet.

"I want to go," was probably the first words Elyza had heard out of the young boy's mouth. A shiver ran down her spine as Chris looked up. Their eyes met and Elyza saw something in his eyes that made her uneasy. It was almost like what she saw when she looked at Daniel. A deadness that was merciless and unpredictable.

Madison and Travis stared at each other, having a silent battle of wills across the table. Travis wasn't too keen on his son knowingly putting himself into danger, but if he was going to protect him, Chris would have to learn to protect himself. Yes, Travis disagreed with Madison's idea that protecting and sheltering their children was what was best for them, he didn't want to see anyone dead.

"That's fine," Travis nodded. "Anyone else?"

"Daniel?" Nick prompted when nobody spoke up.

The older man shook his head and glanced at his daughter. "I want to stay with Ofelia."

Alicia began tapping at the edge of the table with her fork and Elyza glanced over at the noise. The brunette was biting her lip and glancing at her mother indecisively. Elyza was seated directly across from her and tried to catch her eye.

Blue met green for a brief moment as Alicia licked her lips and leaned her arms on the table. "I want to go too."

"So do I!" Aden called out, raising his arms. Elyza whipped around and smacked the boy next to her. The table broke into discussion almost immediately at the two exclamations.

"Like hell you're going." She hissed at him, missing Alicia's words completely. "You're still hurt and sick. You're staying here."

"You don't make the rules, Elyza."

"You're also, fourteen. Hell no."

"I saved your life on the Freedom, didn't I? I could easily do it again if the need arose. If I'm not there, you could die."

"Aden, there will be others there. I'm not going to die. If anything, you would. It's safer for you here. If anything, you can protect the others while I'm gone." Elyza squeezed his arm.

The younger boy frowned and seemed wholly prepared to argue with her. But they were interrupted by Madison standing up and slamming her hands on the table.

"Fine! Do what you want!" She shouted, shaking her finger at her daughter before turning on her heels and storming down the stairs to her bedroom.

Travis rose from his seat a moment later and nodded to everyone at the table, "I'll be back in a little bit to discuss a better plan." Then he turned and followed his girlfriend at a much more controlled pace. Elyza glanced around the table at the somber faces. What the hell just happened?

"I'll talk to mom, Alicia," Nick bumped his sister's shoulder. "She can't be mad at you forever."

Alicia scoffed, "She might forgive you but she's always had a problem with me." She played with the dried fruit on her plate before popping a couple into her mouth. Her eyes felt as though they were drawn to Elyza's across the table. The blonde was frowning at her, an obvious question in her eyes that Alicia didn't want to answer in that moment.

Nick shook his head and stood next, "Whatever. I'm going to go catch some sleep before tomorrow. Wake me early when we see some land."

Slowly but surely, everyone left the table. Aden kept flashing Elyza dirty looks, unhappy with her decision to leave him behind. But it was the best decision for the two of them. If he was safe, Elyza would be able to focus better. He was the only person she had that was even remotely connected to her friends from the Freedom. He was also a child and no matter how dangerous he could be with a machete, he shouldn't have to deal with this situation.

No matter how angry he was with her, he would understand her decision eventually.

Strand left for the wheelhouse again and Ofelia went downstairs with Daniel to get some rest. Aden and Chris left together, quietly discussing some videogames they used to play before the world ended. That left Alicia and Elyza alone at the table.

"So what just happened?" Elyza asked after a moment of silence between them. The sun was completely below the horizon and the only light illuminating the dining room was the one overhead. It was harsh and cast shadows all over the room, but enough to see by.

"My mom doesn't want me going to Point Loma with you," Alicia rolled her eyes and sipped at her glass of water. "She's always been so wrapped up in Nick she hadn't paid much attention to me. Now that I want to go put myself in danger, she can't stand the thought of me getting hurt. She's never worried about it before." Her voice was laced with contempt and bitterness.

"Alicia, I don't think she wasn't worried before. It's just that now there are things that can actually get you killed. She just doesn't want to lose you. Or Nick. You could die, Alicia, that's more glaringly obvious now than ever before."

Alicia shook her head and scoffed, "Are you trying to convince me not to go too?"

"No," Elyza managed, though the anxiety she felt at the idea of Alicia dying hurt more than she wanted to admit. "I just don't want you to hate on your mother."

"Yeah, well. It's not up to her what I do anymore. She keeps trying to coddle me all of the sudden," Alicia crossed her arms and slouched in her chair.

"All of the sudden?"

Alicia rolled her eyes and stared at the spot Madison had been sitting at, "Nick has always been the problem child. She's always been too worried about him to really worry about me. Now…it really bothers me that she's trying to pay so much attention. She didn't care before, why should she care now?"

"Alicia, she's always cared. I know I didn't get along with my mother very well, but she always cares, no matter how much we disagree. So…just give her a chance, okay?"

The brunette rolled her eyes again and released a heavy sigh. "Fine."

"Good, now come with me," Elyza stood and straightened her clothes.

"Where are we going?" Alicia replied, rolling her eyes again and making no move to do as Elyza said.

"Outside," Elyza gestured towards the deck.

Alicia wrinkled her nose, "Its cold outside."

"It is not," Elyza huffed, trying to mask her annoyance but failing miserably, "now come on."

Alicia stood begrudgingly and mumbled something Elyza couldn't quite hear. They walked outside together and the blonde guided them down to the swimming deck. She sat down cross-legged and patted the spot next to her. When Alicia finally sat down, Elyza turned her face upward towards the sky.

The brunette watched her as she gazed at the stars. It was a crisp, mostly cloudless night and the stars shone down brightly. The chilly air caused goosebumps to rise on Alicia's arms, but she ignored them, opting to enjoy the present company. It lit up Elyza's hair, giving it an ethereal, white-blondeness that captured her attention. The woman was just so damn beautiful on her own, with the assistance of the stars she looked downright angelic.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and a rush of air escaped her at the sudden influx of feelings. They hit her like a sucker punch to the gut. She hadn't felt like this before. No matter how much she had loved Matt, this was different. This transcended all common sense. This was like drowning and loving every second of it. Or maybe, she mused, it was like finally coming up for air and breathing the freshest and deepest she ever had.

Elyza's face turned towards hers and Alicia jerked away, her eyes turning upward and seeking out patterns in the stars. She leaned back on her hands as her eyes traced over the familiar patterns in the sky.

"My dad used to tell me stories about the constellations," Alicia whispered in awe. She stretched out her legs and laid backwards on the wooden deck. It wasn't remotely comfortable and the chill seeped deeper into her bones, but she ignored it.

Elyza mimicked her and stuck her hand behind her head to prop herself up. "Mmm, tell me a story then."

Alicia scanned the sky again and her eyes fell upon the belt of Orion before tracking the entire shape of the ancient hero. "There," she pointed and Elyza leaned closer to follow her sight. "Do you see that star there?"

"Yeah, that one?" Elyza pointed.

"Sure," the brunette chuckled, "well follow that to the next bright one…those three are Orion's belt. It's kind of hard to find it without a guide but it's there. Anyway," Alicia sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "Orion was the son of Poseidon, or Neptune depending on which myth you read. His mother was an Amazonian archer and warrior and Orion was a giant of a guy. Like a huge, well accomplished warrior with an ego to match. He was capable of defeating the largest of animals in the hunt and unmatchable. At some point he falls in love with a princess and loses his sight then gets it back. Blah blah blah."

"Wait," Elyza turned and frowned at Alicia, "don't skip parts. How did he lose his eyesight?"

Alicia huffed again and frowned, trying to remember. The stories were a little dusty, she hadn't thought about them since her father had died. They were a sore spot that Alicia didn't like thinking about. But here she was, telling a beautiful girl one of the stories her father had gone through dozens of times.

"Fine, this Princess's father didn't approve of him, even though Orion had ridden his land of all the wild beasts. This made the hunter angry so Orion tried to get her through violent means. The King ended up blinding him with magic or something, I don't remember," Alicia shut her eyes. She could feel Elyza's eyes on her and could imagine the bright blue of them boring into her skin. It was distracting.

"Orion runs away or is cast out and wanders until he finds the sun god who takes pity on him and heals his sight. Then Artemis—the virgin goddess of the hunt, meets him and favors him as a huntsman and apparently they were supposed to get married or something, the stories are a little skewed.

"Anyway, Apollo—Artemis' twin brother—was worried for his sister's chastity and created a scorpion. Orion ends up killed by it in the end." Alicia finishes and opens her eyes. Her world is enveloped by the deepest most honest blue eyes imaginable.

"That was depressing," Elyza grumbled, her tone dead.

Alicia laughed outright, turning so she was facing the blonde directly. "Most Greek myths are depressing."

"Are there any stories where the hero gets the girl?"

"Normally they get the girl and get tired of the girl, so they go and find another one. It's pretty sexist if you ask me."

Elyza rolled her eyes and smiled, enjoying the mirth and relaxed pleasure Alicia was gaining from this. Her goal had been accomplished, get Alicia's mind off of her mother. If they were to be putting their lives in danger the next day, neither of them needed to be dwelling on problems back on the Abigail. It would lead to mistakes that could lead to one, or all of them getting killed.

There was no telling what type of situation they would be walking into the next morning. With untrained survivors on hand, fear and distraction could be a deciding factor on their overall fate. So keeping Alicia calm and well rested would be a key part in their survival.

When Elyza didn't reply Alicia babbled on, "You know the scorpion was a metaphor right? Or maybe more of an irony. Orion could kill any beast, bears and wild cats…but he wasn't able to defeat a tiny scorpion. It's a lesson to never underestimate the smallest of us, because we might have something up or sleeve later."

Elyza felt it then. The deep, magnetic pull of attraction and utter devotion to this woman before her. It was irresistible and more welcomed than she cared to admit. It should have been crazy, to feel this much for one person without really knowing them.

"Don't do that." Alicia blurted before a deep pink blush painted her cheeks. She glanced down when their eyes met and her hair fell in her face.

Elyza frowned and the small smile on her lips faded. "Do what?"

"Look at me like that," Alicia rolled so she was directly facing Elyza with her head resting in her hand. She gestured vaguely in the blonde's direction.

"Like what?"

"Like," she couldn't find the words and gestured again, turning to face the sky, her hair falling into her face even more. "Like I'm the answer to the universe or something."

Elyza licked her lips and reached out to brush her fingers along Alicia's jaw. She knew these feelings weren't one sided. They had nearly kissed earlier in the day, she knew it. But now Alicia was nervous and trying to push her away. Without thinking, Elyza blurted the first words that popped into her mind, "What if you are?"

Alicia's breath hitched and she was almost certain her heart had stopped. For all of the romantic poems and art Matt had created for her, of all of the things he had said, they were nothing compared to Elyza Lex. The woman before her was a mystery, one that was slowly being unraveled as they grew closer. But Matt was still there, holding a part of her heart and inked into her skin as a reminder of how much he meant to her.

She couldn't do this. Not now. It would be a betrayal, wouldn't it?

The blonde rolled into a sitting position and turned her back to the brunette when she didn't receive any response. Her face was dark red with embarrassment and shame for seeing something that wasn't actually there, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's okay," Alicia sat up, "you didn't. Not really."

Elyza turned and their eyes met again. It was like knowing. They didn't have to speak about it, but there was still something separating them. Something Alicia didn't want to discuss yet, so Elyza would wait.

"Good." Elyza stood and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "We should probably get you inside to warm up. Don't need you getting sick too."