Like Minds III - Asylum (American Horror Story crossover)

Chapter 25 - Close to a place called a home

 Alex:

A cold winter storm seemed to pass them. The trees - which covered the stolen car - made graceful moves and the snow that had laid on the branches scattered over them. Grace lightly shut her eyes, slowly letting Nigel go as he crouched in front of the door after trying to open it. She smiled relieved as she noticed Nigel getting out his knife. Almost forgotten.

'You're right. They would've been dead in this cold already. It's unbearable.'

She softly rushed her hand through Nigel his hair, trying to get the snow from his head and pursed her lips thoughtfully as he tried to open the lock. Her heart made several jumps out of happiness and relieve when the door swung open - slowly, with lots of cracky sounds. Her eyes dropped in the house, and she gasped by seeing the furniture after Nigel had switched on the lights. It wasn't much, maybe, but hell- Grace was so lucky and happy to have this. Even though it would just be for a little while.

'Thank goodness-' she whispered breathlessly as she allowed Nigel to get in at first. She rubbed her hands over her cold arms and inhaled as she entered the cottage. It smelled like an old and dusty carped, but somehow she liked it. It was sort of the smell of a home.

She glanced at Nigel and closed the door behind her without looking back - dropping her back against it afterwards - and a little smile crept over her lips.

'We made it...' she sighed as she brought her hands toward her face to rub her eyes. She softly stroked her hair back and shook her head again.

'My god- thank you...'

Nigel:

Nigel stopped once he was and exhaled deeply, as if he only realized now that he had been holding his breath during the entire escape. He turned around to face Grace when she spoke and appeared to look quite mesmerized, like he couldn't quite believe they actually made it.. Like he wanted to be alert still, cold, running, even though they didn't have to.

"We made it.." he repeated after a long pause and his shoulders dropped. He didn't answer to her when she thanked him. They'd done it together. Also he couldn't feel happy yet. Couldn't feel relieved for some reason. He just couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"..right fire.. "

He stumbled to the kitchen but stopped at the table where he found a newspaper. Carefully he picked up a newspaper and studied the date. ... end 2012.

"Impossible.."

He hadn't been locked up for about three years. It had been nine years.

Alex:

Grace dropped the back of her head against the door and breathed relieved, just like Nigel did. Her hand rubbed over her forehead now and she shut her eyes for just a moment, listening to Nigel his voice as he repeated her sentence. A little brief smile crept over her lips and she nodded.

As Nigel began over the fire, she pressed herself up from the door as she stuck out her hand - not that she could reach his shoulder, but still.

'Wait, let me make a fire. You should- check this place out... And go upstairs to get yourself some clothes if there are.'

On slow pass she followed him - her eyes pointing towards the ceiling as she scanned the room. She wetted her lips, trying to find recognitions from her farm to this, and she could find a lot.

As Grace passed Nigel through the kitchen, she frowned lightly as she heard him mumbling something.

'What is impossible?' she smiled as she leaned against the kitchen table - still in her uniform. She pursed her lips and looked at the chimney and the logs which were already installed for using.