The Sheriff - A Cara Dune Fanfiction

Chapter 10: A Rude Awakening

Rev is jolted back to consciousness as the speeder bike barely avoids a big boulder. She lifts her head and sees the desert of ash speeding by under the scorching sun. Her trousers are soaked in her blood, reminding her of the metal pole still stuck in her abdomen. On either side of her she recognizes Cara's arms, with bulging muscles and her iconic tattoo. Cara notices that her passenger is awake.

      "Take it easy, Rev. I got you."

She blacks out again.

      Stressful nightmares pulls Rev back to consciousness again. This time, the world around them is dark. The moon is high in the sky and even in her haze, Rev can't quite understand how they are still driving. It was early morning when the bombs went off, and Cara is still going as if nothing can make her stop this vehicle. She hears Cara start to say something, but it is cut short when she blacks out again.

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Fleeting images pass through Rev's mind. Images of endless ash deserts, speeder bikes, fighting in the ring, and Cara. Cara... Her strong body pushes her up against a wall, keeping Rev in place, and her lips only a hairsbreadth away from a kiss.

      "Cara..."

      "Rev?"

The images fade away, being replaced by blinding light. Rev carefully blinks her eyes open, slowly adjusting to the light. Cara is leaning over her, with her hand softly placed on Rev's cheek. It feels so comforting, so relaxing, so...still? Suddenly, Rev isn't on a speeder bike anymore. She's laying in a bed, and she's still alive. Memories of the explosion start coming back, and she lifts up the soft covers and sees that the metal rod is gone and her stomach is bandaged up.

      "It was touch-and-go there for a minute, so I reminded the doctor that I'll lock him away forever if you die. And you're still breathing, so I guess it worked."

      "It's a two day journey to that factory, I survived with a metal rod in my stomach for two days?"

      "Well, I actually cut that time to less than half."

      "Did you find a teleporter hidden under the ash or something?"

Cara smiles shyly, something Rev never thought she'd see Cara do.

      "No, I just kept driving until we got here. I didn't stop once"

Rev looks surprised at this huge effort by the sheriff.

      "Well the paperwork would have been a nightmare if you would have died out there on my watch."

The sheriff smiles wickedly and Rev scoffs a short laugh.

      "You've had quite the turnout here. Every criminal and lowlife in Nevarro City has come to see you these past two days, most of them I've had in a cell at the station at least once, and they were all very confused about me being here."

      "I've been passed out for two days? And you've been here this whole time?"

      "Well, since every criminal in town has been here visiting you there really hasn't been any crime to fight out there."

      "Thank you, sheriff."

      "How about from now on you just call me Cara?"

      "Deal."

Rev reaches her hand towards Cara, and she takes it.

      "Cara, I owe you my life."

Cara gives Rev's hand a squeeze before putting it back on the bed and moving to look out the window.

      "You'll probably need to rest up in here for a week or so, then you're free to go."

      "Oh...yeah. Right."

She turns back around and looks at Rev.

      "You held up your end of the bargain, now it's time for me to hold up mine."

Cara smiles at Rev, but there is a sadness behind her smile. A reluctance. As if saying those words hurts her more than she can ever admit. She tries her best to keep that sadness away from her face, the sheriff has a certain image she has to uphold, after all.

      "I hate to admit it, sheriff, but I actually had fun."

      "Me too, Rev."

They smile at eachother.

      "I'm gonna tell the doctor that you're awake, then I have to get back to work. I'll come visit you later tonight."

      "Sounds good. Go get em' sheriff."

      The sheriff leaves, and Rev is left alone. The moment she has been waiting for, being set free, has finally come. Rev should be screaming of joy, packing her bags, and planning her trip off-planet. Instead, all she wants to do is crawl in to a ball and die. The pain in her stomach is nothing against the pain in her chest. She can barely breathe. From the moment they met, Rev has been counting the seconds until she parts from the sheriff. And now? Now she wishes time could stop moving completely, now she would do anything to stay by the sheriff's side.

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