Fracking Apocalypse - a ZNation 10K/Tommy Fanfiction

S2E11

S2E11:

The van broke down after about three days of driving and from there they continued on foot for another four. When night fell on the seventh day they found a place in the forest to camp out. They tied rope, string and shoelaces from tree to tree around their makeshift campground so any Z's that got close would be tripped and give them time to mercy them. 10K was off to the side changing out of his blue hoodie and into his black tee shirt as Addy and Bailey pulled out all the sleeping bags and blankets and started setting up camp while Vasquez kept an eye on Murphy and Doc and Warren took inventory of their food supply.

"Soooo?" Addy asked dragging out the word in a sing-songy voice making Bailey look at her with a mix of confusion and dread.

"What?"

Addy kept grinning like a fool before she asked, "Was he good to you? He treat you right?"

Bailey blushed and looked down at the sleeping bag she was unrolling as if she suddenly needed to keep her eyes on her work.

"Addy I have no idea what you're talking about." She immediately denied trying to fight off the blush on her cheeks. Damn, she thought after a week she'd be in the clear. What had tipped Addy off?

"Oh come on." Addy whined still smiling, "I'm your best friend, I know these things, and, uh. . ." she trailed off and Bailey looked up at her seeing the red head tap the side of her own neck. Getting the message Bailey's eyes went wide and she pulled her hair over her shoulder to hide the hickeys 10K must have left. Addy laughed a bit at her reaction and Bailey knew she wasn't going to get out of the interrogation that was coming. Knowing Addy wouldn't let it go she gave her enough information to keep her satisfied but didn't tell her friend everything.

"Six times?" she asked her eyes going wide as Bailey avoided eye contact and crossed her arms as she leaned on a tree. Keeping her eyes down she gave a shrug as she felt her face heat up in what she was certain classified as a new shade of red. Thankfully, Addy didn't ask her anything that led to more embarrassing answers, instead her friend shook her head and went back to her work. Just like how Addy had been able to sense something had been off about Bailey, Bailey could sense something was now going on in Addy's head.

"What?" she asked making her friend look up.

"Huh?"

"You look like you're deep in thought." Bailey told her.

"I was just thinking. . . back to when I was at the Sisters of Mercy camp."

"Oh." Bailey replied as a spark of hate ignited in her chest at the thought of that awful woman Helen. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that Helen was dead, "That boy you care for. He will die. Do you really want to be there when he does?" she had told Bailey, "You'll die long before he does." She looked across their camp at 10K again as he threw his vest on over his shirt and grabbed his rifle from where he'd rested it against another tree. Bailey took another deep breath, Helen was dead, she couldn't tear anymore people apart or send anymore boys to their death, Helen was dead and 10K was alive just like Bailey had said.

She heard Addy take a deep breath before she went on, "Helen had told me that the violence in this world triggered a violent instinct in men. This desire to fight, to kill. She said that testosterone is the most toxic chemical on Earth. For a while I thought she was right, even after I came back to the group." She took another breath and looked up at Bailey, "But seeing you with 10K, and seeing him just being so. . . I can't put my finger on it."

"Gentle." Bailey said with a small smile on her lips, "That's the word you're looking for, gentle. No one's seen that in a while, not since the outbreak. The apocalypse happened and everyone in the world tried to make themselves harder, like stone. Almost like if they made themselves tough enough they'd become so strong that they could get cut and not bleed." She shook her head and glanced over to 10K before looking back at Addy, "And even with being so strong and so tough 10K is still gentle. Like when he walks up to me and brushes his fingers on my arm and his touch is so feather light. . . " she trailed off thinking about his touch, "And it's not because he thinks I'm delicate, or that I'll break; he's just being, careful. Like he's afraid he might interrupt my thoughts or pull me out of my focus, but the truth is no matter what I'm thinking about I'm never upset when he interrupts. I actually always catch myself smiling."