It had been a few weeks. Blaise had gotten increasingly worse with each day that had passed. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tired looking from the tears and lack of sleep. Of course, she took care of Moose, but their walks were less enthusiastic and looking at the dog often reminded her of him. She had take the photograph from off the wall and kept it on her bedside or in her pocket when she wasn't home. She tried not to make the changes obvious to others, but they were rather apparent, especially since she isolated herself a bit more during the ordeal. Overall, she seemed hopeless.
Aisling still treated Jaz coldly, unable to forgive them for the loss of her best friend. Every day, she would take off, attempting to find him around the area, but having no luck. On this particular morning, she woke next to Dion, her arms circled around his waist and her head on his shoulder. She sat up slowly, pulling her legs to her chest as the reality of the situation caught up to her. Ellis, her first and best friend, was gone. He wasn't coming back. She took a deep breath, trying to clear the hitching in her chest. A small sob shook her and she clamped her hand to her mouth, trying to not wake up Dion.
He didn't wake, rather turning towards her and curling up, his legs brushing her as he sighed in his sleep.
She wiped away a few tears, looking down at Dion and exhaling shakily, leaning down and kissing his temple gently before slipping out of bed, standing up.
She looked down at him, sniffling slightly. "Hey, love," she said quietly, swiping at her eyes hastily. "I'm, uh... I was just going to head out."
He tilted his head slightly, standing up and kissing her cheek gently. "Take your time.. I'll be here."
She took a breath, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his shoulder, her own shoulders slumping. "I love you," she said, her voice cracking.
She pulled away after a moment, pulling her hair back and heading out. * * * She was walking through the woods, her head down as she performed her rounds. The woods around her were quiet except for the birds and wildlife. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes before she heard a snap. She whirled, pulling out her gun and aiming instantly. "Come out. Now." There was a silence before steps started towards her. * * * They entered the camp, Ellis walking beside her and talking quietly. She was watching him, looking as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Jaz was with Lucy in her workshop. He had been quieter than usual and seemed particularly stressed, especially around Aisling. Blaise was in her room, slowly taking down notes. She hardly felt a reason to try with them anymore. Neither were aware he was back.
Lucy sighed, coming over to him and kissing his cheek before rubbing his back. "I hate seeing you like this, J." * * * Ellis spoke to Aisling quietly before heading towards Blaise's house, knocking quietly on the door. Aisling departed to go find Dion.
His hands were on his knees and he looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry.." *** She frowned slightly, rubbing an eye tiredly before getting up and opening the door..
"You don't need to apologize," she maintained adamantly. "You're okay." Her hands rubbed out the knots in his back gently. * * * Ellis stood in front of her, looking a little thinner than the last time she saw him. "Hey, Blaisey. Sorry it took so long."
He leaned into her with a sigh. "I love you." *** She blinked, her eyes widening as she stared in almost disbelief. She reached out hesitantly and touched his chest, as if checking if he were real. She looked back up at him before jumping forward and hugging him fiercely.
She kissed the top of his head. "I love you too, J." * * * He grunted but hugged her back, kissing the top of her head. "Gently, baby, gently. I've been stitched up since I last saw you."
He sighed, standing up. "Can I help with your next project?" *** She looked up at him, her eyes already teary. "What happened?!"
She looked up at him thoughtfully. "You want to help?" she asked, sounding confused. * * * "I, uh... got caught up with some Plaguers," he said, brushing her hair back. "Luckily, a friendly tribe in the area intercepted them before they brought me back to the camp for consumption."
"How much of a hand do you want in it?" she asked curiously. "Do you want me to teach you?" * * * "Something pretty cool, as you might guess," he boasted, kissing her forehead. "I bled all over the place and waited for the other tribe to rescue me. Sexy, no?"
