The extra chapter this week is all thanks to EdenHirshonstahl . You asked, I gave. 😉
S5E02: Part 10
Present
They didn't cuddle like they used to when they finished. Instead 10K stayed lying against the pillows while Bailey sat up bringing her knees and the bed sheet to her chest.
"Maybe we shouldn't have done this." She said drawing his attention, "I mean, it's been two years, we're practically strangers to each other now. A lot has happened." He saw her bring a hand to her marred shoulder as she rubbed at the scarred flesh.
"Yeah. . . you're not blue." He said and she gave a chuckle, "How?"
She laid back, keeping her chest covered by the sheet and rested on her elbow with her hand cradling her cheek, "Should I be honored I made The Man's list?"
"He hunted you?" 10K asked sitting up as his expression became one of horror.
She nodded, "Zona was interested in me after I got a dose of the original cure."
"What was it like? I've heard a lot of different things."
"You know in science class way back Pre-Z when you would dissect a frog? It was like being the frog."
"Did they hurt you?" he asked with a fire in his eyes like he could actually go to Zona and beat them all for her suffering, which was sweet but also impossible.
She turned away from him, "They tested different things on me and when they got it right they used it on Murphy." She gave a humorless chuckle, "Hey at least it worked. Blue wasn't really my color." She tried to joke but 10K didn't laugh. "After I tried to escape they got rid of me, probably Murphy's idea so no one would find out he'd lied about my death, and I woke up back on the mainland. I was alone for a while, then I found Red and we came here –"
"Red's alive?" he asked cutting her off.
"Yeah, she's here, she's fine." She replied but 10K got a look of extreme worry and Bailey knew why, "Yeah, she said about a year after the 5K thing you two finally got together. What took you so long?"
He turned to her surprised, "I thought you died. I wasn't just going to rush into another relationship."
"But a year? In the apocalypse? Why'd you wait that long?"
"It. . . took me that long. . . before my heart healed." He said lying back down on the pillow.
"But Tommy, a year? I mean I'm touched but if I had really died I. . . I would have wanted you to be happy, a lot sooner than that anyway."
He shrugged not making eye contact now, "It just took me a long time before I was ready to open up like that again, and even after all the time that's passed I – I mean I care for Red, I want her to be okay, safe, but I -." He paused and turned to her, "I don't think I'll ever love anyone the way I loved you, the way I still do. Not Red, not Sarge –"
"Sarge? As in the Sergeant that came here with you? You're with her now?" she asked remembering the forms Doc had handed in at the supply building, one of them had listed Sergeant Lily and Bailey had assumed she'd been traveling with them. She wasn't jealous but rather her tone was eager like part of her was happy to finally have something to gossip about, and this was starting to unfold like a soap opera.
"Bailey, we just finished a very very strange mission – even by Delta X-ray Delta standards."
"Yeah and you just wrapped it all up with a one night stand with the ghost of your ex." She said with a smirk, still resting on her elbow as she looked at him.
They fell into an awkward silence again so she ran her finger under 10K's chin and felt the stubble he now had there.
"You need to shave Ten." She said softly and he chuckled and brought a hand to rub his cheek.
"You should have seen the beard."
She giggled as she trailed her fingers down his neck and over his chest taking in how he'd changed. His face seemed fuller, his hair longer in the back and messier on top, his shoulders were broader, almost like any part of the boy she'd met five years ago had fully vanished now leaving behind the man in her bed. She trailed her fingers across his stomach looking at the freckles she didn't remember being there before and blushed slightly before the more logical side of her kicked in and she realized the gravity of what just happened. Then she pulled her hand away and sat up again pulling the sheet with her once more to keep her decency.
"I broke my promise." He finally spoke and she looked over her scarred shoulder at him, "I promised I'd find you. That I'd come after you."
"You thought I was dead." She reminded him, "And I'm glad you moved on, that you had Red, that you weren't alone with nothing but your misery for two years."
"But still. . . " he trailed off looking at her shoulder covered in scar tissue.
"Things are different now." She said quietly, almost sadly though she tried not to let that show, "Everything's changed."
"Not everything." He said and when she looked at him she saw him looking back. "I still love you."
"Tommy, don't –" she moved to get out of bed but he sat up and grabbed her arm.
"Just. . . hear me out." He begged, "What I feel for you hasn't changed, I do still love you. If I didn't I never would have. . . " he trailed off as he stroked up and down her arm with his fingertips, "You know I'd never take advantage of you like that. I'd never use you for my pleasure. I'd never toy with you like that."
She gave a small smile still looking at him over her shoulder, "I know." She replied and he gave a small smile but that hurt puppy look never left his green eyes. She scooted back onto the bed as he sat up more and he brought their faces closer together as his arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her back into his chest as their lips met.
"10K." she whispered trying to get his attention as he kissed her again, "Ten." She said more forcefully and put her hand to his chest stopping him.
"I know, I'm sorry." He said nestling his face in the curve of her neck and pulling her impossibly closer into him, "It's just. . . God, I never thought I'd get to hold you again." he said peppering her scarred shoulder with kisses as her hands moved to cover his arms around her middle, "Never get to feel you in my arms again."
"I get it." She said softly, "But you do realize you have to figure this out right?"
"I know." He said his head still resting on her scarred shoulder. "With everything that happened, how this world is, even when I thought I lost you I. . . It wasn't that I changed who I loved, more like. . . my heart made more room." He said then looked up at her, "Does that make any sense?"
She nodded, "It does."
". . . I'm just, not looking forward to talking to Red about it." He said looking back to her, "With you, the way you read people, I know you can tell what's going on in my head. . . maybe better than I do. You can see all the inner conflict. With Red. . . she doesn't poke around in other people's minds like you do. Red is probably going to hit me until I'm black and blue then when Sarge finds out about this." he shrugged gesturing to how cuddled up they were in bed, "She might take her gun and finish the job."
Bailey couldn't help but laugh a bit, "Well, I've never met Sarge but Red sounds pretty spot on." she said as she briefly wondered how 10K made expressions like shocked and terrified look so attractive.
Then it fell quiet again, she looked away from him as she rest her head on his collarbone, then he asked, so softly that she almost didn't hear it, "Do you still love me?"
She craned her head back to look at him and brought her hand to his chin and made him look down at her, "I'll always love you Tommy." He smiled and leaned over but she moved her hand from his chin to over his mouth stopping him, "But you need to figure this whole thing out."
He sighed and let his arms fall from around her leaving her sitting up as he leaned back on the pillows again, "I know. I just. . . don't know where to start."
"Well. . . you should probably start by putting your pants back on."
His face got red before he sat up again, "Yeah good call."
She chuckled and turned away to give him some privacy, when she heard him zip up she turned as he picked up her green and white flannel from the floor and passed it to her. She thanked him and as he was putting his shirt on she let the sheet fall and she quickly put her top on too along with her bikini underwear, which thankfully the shirt was long enough to cover.
"Any idea what you're going to say to Red?" she asked as she finished semi buttoning her shirt and picked up his black jacket as they made their way to the door.
"Not a clue." He admitted licking his lip nervously, the old habit making her smile.
"Well I hope she doesn't kick your ass too bad." She said passing him his jacket before she opened the door staying hidden behind it so no one would see her though she did notice it was dark outside now.
"Thanks." He said putting his jacket on and taking a step toward the door before he paused and turned back to her, "Listen, . . . even if things are weird between us now, with Red and Sarge and everything. . . I'm still really glad you're okay."
She smiled, "Go talk to Red then get some sleep Tommy, you'll have a long day guarding the gate tomorrow."
He smiled at her one more time before he left and she closed the door behind him. She leaned her back against it as she listened to his retreating footsteps. Part of her mind was kicking her for taking the moral high ground. If she was more selfish she could be snuggling with him in her warm bed, kissing him, falling asleep to his heartbeat. But she knew it would have been wrong. Still, none of that stopped her mind from thinking back to the night they'd first made love.
"Damn woman, what did you do to me?" Tommy asked jokingly as he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He was breathing deeply almost like he was fighting to catch his breath. His bandana was slightly askew on his head and his fists were gripping the side of the mattress tight like it was the only thing keeping him from falling over.
"I take it you liked it then?" she asked as she laid on her stomach propped up on her elbows as she watched him. He looked over his shoulder at her and gave a playful smile. She giggled as he turned away, his bare chest still heaving. She took the opportunity to count the freckles along his back, memorizing the pattern they made. She had the oddest urge to find every single one on his body and kiss each of them.
"I can't feel my feet." He said breathlessly before he got up and stumbled toward his bag.
"Having trouble walking?" she asked a bit smug, though another part of her brain noted that he was doing pretty well for just after round four of the night.
"Shut up." He told her jokingly as he fished out a water bottle from his bag and took a swig. Then he took another deep breath and walked back over to the bed. He held out the water bottle to her silently offering her some. She took it and had a small sip before passing it back. Tommy took it and sat back down on the edge of the mattress, he took a few more sips between his deep breathing which was starting to settle into a more relaxed regular rhythm. When he'd had enough water he screwed the cap back on and put the bottle on the night stand. His hands went back to the edge of the mattress like they still anchored him there, maybe he was still worried he'd tip over. Then he let out a long breath and a chuckle and laid back down on the bed, bringing his feet up before rolling onto his side to face her. Immediately she moved closer and snuggled into him and felt his cheek rest on the top of her head.
"I can hear your heart pounding." She told him and felt him nuzzle her hair before they both drifted off to sleep again.
Bailey smirked at the memory. That night in comparison to this night felt like nothing had changed. Completely untrue of course she thought as she ran her hand through her hair, well, not everything.
Her mind fell back into its newest memory of just ten minutes ago. She could still feel Tommy's hands on her, running up and down her bare back before they rested on her hips. How he looked with his head thrown back, his eyes closed in euphoria as the pillow messed up his hair even more. She hadn't been able to stop herself from looking at him, memorizing his chest and the soft blonde hair that hadn't been there last time she'd seen him, like the freckles across his abs. It amazed her how she could never get enough of him, could never stop looking at him or wanting to touch him; it didn't ever seem to matter whether he was wearing clothes or not. She wanted to trace every freckle, every muscle, every inch of him with the pads of her fingers. Of course before she could she looked back at Tommy and saw him looking at her from under his hooded lids, his hair sticking to his sweaty forehead and the last of her control had left her – if she even had any at that point – and she leaned forward and captured his lips in another kiss. His hands moved back up to wrap around her in a vice before he rolled them over and took the lead.
She blushed and brought her finger to her lip, still feeling the heat there. Then she sighed and walked back over to her messy bed, hoping she could get some sleep tonight.
«»
Bailey was in the mess hall for breakfast when Red came in and sat next to her with her tray of food. The two ate together in silence much like they did since they arrived in Altura but something in the air between them was a bit more tense and she knew it. 10K must have talked to Red last night like he said he was going to but Bailey wasn't sure if Red knew about the. . . um, overwhelming emotions that led to her very physical reunion with 10K.
"So. . . " Bailey began, "Did 10K come talk to you last night?"
"Yeah." Red said not looking up from her eggs.
"And is he still alive?" that got a chuckle out of Red and she looked up at her.
"For now." She said but Bailey could tell it was a joke. Then another figure joined their table and sat across from them.
"Hi Red, good to see you again." the red head greeted before turning to her, "So you must be Bailey."
"You must be Sarge." She said reaching her hand across the table and shaking her hand. It was quiet for a moment, all three not knowing what to do until Sarge slapped a hand on the table.
"Okay, long silences make me twitchy, we all know we've all had a thing for 10K at some point. We can talk about that or talk about something else but please someone talk."
Her begging tone was actually as amusing as it was cute and Bailey let out a chuckle, Red joined in and soon all three of them were laughing like old friends.
10K POV
He walked into the mess hall for breakfast with Doc and Murphy who Sun Mei had let go so he could get a meal and immediately 10K's attention went to the three girls laughing together at one of the tables. For some reason dread filled the pit in his stomach, laughing was not a reaction he had been prepared for and it made him stop in his tracks.
"Oh this is worse than a harbinger of the apocalypse." Doc said following his gaze, "This is like the universe is gonna explode."
"Wow, three stupid girls in the same room." Murphy said looking at the table where Red, Sarge and Bailey were as he put his hands in his pockets.
"They're not stupid." 10K replied.
"They dated you didn't they?" Murphy rebuked and 10K took his eyes off the girls to glare at him. They moved across the room to the line for food all while 10K kept looking over his shoulder at the trio.
"Doc why are they laughing?" he asked nervously.
"Well Kid, there's a few possible reasons." He said putting his hand on his shoulder, "And none of them are good."
Bailey POV
"So what's been happening in your whole love triangle with 10K?" Sarge asked starting to pick at her food.
"You mean love quadrilateral." Bailey corrected making Sarge look up at them.
"Yeah you're in this mess with us Sergeant." Red added.
Sarge looked thrown off for a moment as the two girls stared at her from across the table but eventually their staring got a confession and she rolled her eyes.
"We just had a casual thing. That's all." She said taking a sip of her drink but Red and Bailey continued to stare at her. She put down the cup and raised her eyebrows, "Fine. Maybe, I started to crush on him. But we both knew going into it that it wasn't ever going to be something more. It was just to forget all our misery for a little bit." She said defensively and Red and Bailey looked at each other Red giving a shrug like she was happy they got what information they got.
"Eh, can't blame you." Bailey said, "10K has a way of worming his way into your heart. . . even when you don't want him to." She said remembering her old mantra she had to keep repeating in her head back when she'd first met the sniper. Clearly it hadn't worked and she'd fallen for him – hard.
"Mm-hmm." Red agreed peeling an orange, "I hear that." She said popping a piece into her mouth. "He came to talk to me at like 3 am, he must have been up late thinking about the whole thing." Red said after she'd swallowed and Bailey's eyes went down to her cold food - something Red didn't miss. "Or. . . he was up that late talking to you."
"10K and I did not talk until 3 am last night." She said placing her words delicately but Red saw through it.
"Oh you did not. . . " she trailed off.
"He thought I was dead and I did have that period where I thought he'd abandoned me. We kinda just," She shrugged, "got swallowed up in the moment." She admitted, "If it's any consolation, he admitted to being very afraid of talking to both of you."
"As he should be." Red said popping another piece of orange into her mouth.
"Afraid how?" Sarge asked.
"Afraid in the 'Red will beat me up and Sarge will shoot me' way." Bailey explained.
"He'll be lucky if all he gets is a beating." Red said peeling more of her orange.
"Or. . ." Sarge began, a mischievous smirk growing on her face, "We could go a non-violent route and really screw with his mind."
10K POV
He hadn't been able to take his eyes off the table the girls were sitting at, getting more nervous as the knot in his gut twisted more and more with each passing minute. Finally he had enough and took his napkin and crumpled it in his hand to make it looked like he'd used it and got up to throw it away. The walk to the trash can should get him close enough to overhear their conversation but not so close he'd get caught, after all they looked like they were having a deep conversation about something as they all leaned on the table to whisper together.
"Well did you tell him?" Sarge asked across the table.
"No, you can't tell a guy that." Red said.
"Yeah, they freak out." Bailey agreed.
"I doubt 10K'd freak out." Sarge said and his head snapped up at hearing his name as his heartbeat quickened and he moved over to the table at a quick walk.
"Hey." He said interrupting their conversation as they all turned to him while part of his mind started shouting 'What are you doing!' at him and he realized he really had no plan or any idea what to say.
"Hey." Red smiled.
Sarge replied too with a casual nod of her head, "Hey."
"What have you been talking about?" he asked stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Oh, nothing." Bailey shrugged.
"Really? Because –"
"Hey, are you doing your hair different?" Red asked noticing he wasn't wearing his bandana anymore.
"Uh. . ."
"Yeah he did didn't he?" Bailey said looking at his hair that was really just a messy nest on his head right now.
"Heh, yeah." He chuckled nervously." So what have you guys, er, girls, been talking about?"
"Oh nothing." Sarge replied smirking.
"Just girl stuff." Red said casually.
"Well I heard my name, and giggling, so . . . what were you talking about?" he asked his voice unintentionally cracking at the end.
"Ten Thousand you don't have to be so insecure." Sarge scolded playfully with a smile on her face, something about it was just too. . . kind. Like it was too innocent and that knot in his stomach twisted again.
"You know, you haven't changed one bit." Bailey said smiling too but it was the same smile Sarge had.
"Same old 10K." Red said nodding her head, there was that smile again.
"Same me." He agreed chuckling nervously again, "So. . .why were you giggling?"
But instead of an answer they all just smiled and got up and moved to the patio area outside the mess hall.
Confused he miserably sat back down with Doc and Murphy while also nervously tapping his foot on the floor and casting glances outside the window at the girls.
"Kid you really are screwed seven ways til Sunday." Doc said looking at him and seeing what a wreck he was. Like having girlfriend problems wasn't bad enough, now he had three, they were all together and they were getting along, nothing good could come out of this.
"You might want to avoid them for a few days." He advised.
"Doc, he shouldn't leave them alone together too long. Then they'll sync up and then you'll have much bigger problems." Murphy added.
"What are you two talking about?" 10K asked completely lost, "Sync what up?"
They both looked at each other before looking to him and Doc put his hand on his shoulder again. He immediately regretted asking the question as the two older men started bombarding him with horror stories of current girlfriends meeting ex-girlfriends. Oh, he was in so much trouble.
«»
When Doc and Murphy had gotten up to throw out their trash 10K glanced at the window again seeing the girls sitting at a picnic table still talking and smiling. Geez, how long can girls talk? He wondered before something slapped him in the face. The window they were sitting by was open, if he could get close he'd be able to hear what they were saying and find out if any of it was about him or if he was just being paranoid. He carefully scooted his chair over trying not to be obvious but also desperate at the same time.
"So. . . 10K?" he heard Red ask.
"Oh for sure." Sarge said agreeing to something.
"Without a doubt." Bailey chimed in which was followed by more giggling.
Then it all got really quiet until he heard, "Can we help you?" and he nearly fell out of his chair as he turned and saw them all looking at him.
"Heeyyy." He said nervously before clearing his throat and trying to think of something to say. He racked his brain for something Doc and Murphy had mentioned during breakfast. "So, uh. . . Murphy's like, totally afraid of doctors now." He said crossing his arms on the windowsill.
"Really?" Bailey asked though it sounded sarcastic.
"Uh huh and Doc he's uh. . . still looking for a way to smuggle Z-weed in."
"Is that so?" Red asked in the same unsurprised tone Bailey had used.
"Yeah I . . . Oh come on, just tell me what you're giggling about!" he shouted as Sarge stood up and shut the window in his face.
«»
When the kitchen staff started cleaning up the mess hall and prepping for lunch he'd finally had enough. He went out the doors to the patio and stood right at the table where the trio were.
"Okay, you've got to just tell me what it is you're talking about!" he demanded though it came off more desperate then mean.
"We told you, girl stuff." Red said calmly.
"Oh come on, don't be vague." Bailey said, "He's suffered enough."
"Thank you Bailey." He replied gratefully.
"We were just comparing notes on how good you are in bed." She said shrugging nonchalantly while his eyes went wide and his breathing started coming in shorter pants. Thankfully the panic attack didn't have time to fully settle in before Bailey laughed and said, "I'm kidding." And he breathed a sigh of relief, "Mostly." She added and his head shot back up again.
"We were actually talking about guys we've dated and who we thought were good kissers and we all agreed you're the best." Red said bringing one leg to cross over her knee.
"I don't think that's a reason to be gig – Wait, really?" he asked his mind slow to process what she'd told him.
"Mm-hmm." Bailey nodded.
"Got serious talent." Sarge piped up.
"It's true." Red agreed.
"Huh. . . wow." He said surprised and a little proud.
"So now that we've told you. . ." Sarge began getting up as she spoke and the others did the same thing.
"Yeah?" he asked not being able to keep the small smirk off his face.
"Which one of us is the best?" Red asked and his smile vanished.
"What?" he asked nervous again.
"Come on." Red pushed.
"It's only fair." Bailey added stepping closer.
"Well. . . " he began as he started backing up but they kept getting closer until the back of his knees hit another table. "I mean, you really want my opinion? I – I don't really see how it mat –zombies!" he pointed over their shoulders as they all turned around and when they fell for it he bolted back through the doors.
Bailey POV
Red started laughing as 10K took off and disappeared through the doors into the mess hall again, "You were right Sarge, that was a lot more fun than kicking his ass."
After they'd had their fun with 10K Bailey went to start her shift at work while Sarge went to her post and Red went to help Sun Mei in her lab. She'd been learning a lot about medicine and Sun relied on her a lot these days ever since she'd started experimenting with Talkers which left Red to lead the infirmary most days. Luckily there were never too many wounded, it was usually new citizens who had old wounds from days in the apocalypse or people who were severely dehydrated but nothing ever too major.
That afternoon however everyone was allowed leave from their duties to go to the community center to vote on the Newmerican Citizenship Law, it would decide if Talkers could become full citizens of the new world they were trying to build. As it was now they had pretty equal rights but they did have to report to quarantine for daily check ups to make sure they were getting enough bizkits to keep them from turning. It was something that would no longer be needed once they had real equal rights. Bailey hurried over to the building when she finished all her work hoping the line to vote wouldn't be too long, she cast her yes vote and they stamped her thumb with ink and took her thumbprint to show she'd voted. Afterward she went to the Tavern to wait and hear the results. From what she'd heard around Altura for the past few weeks though she was sure the yes vote would win.
Third Person POV
"It's been a long journey getting here and we'll get to the results in just a moment but I want to thank one person in particular who has worked tirelessly to get us to this point." Roman Estes said making his speech at the podium in the conference hall after all the votes had been counted, "And if anyone, has earned the right to announce the final results of the vote, it's her. So George? Let's get her up here! George!" Roman started and the room chanted with him. It took her a minute, they could see her in the back pacing nervously about her speech. Roman went off to get her and passed her the results envelope with a smile.
She took a deep breath and turned to Warren, "Wish me luck."
Then the wall behind the podium exploded.
AN: I tried to stretch out the afternoon from the show into a day or two to give us more time with Sarge and see how she'd interact with the other girls. What'd you think?