The future is ours

— 🗡️ —

“It’s nothing,” Erik waved off her concern, far more worried about gathering supplies and or getting rid of any more walkers than he was about the wound in his shoulder that refused to heal up. Besides, if there were more walkers to worry about, surely now wasn’t the time to be addressing the wound. “We’ve got bigger worries, Alicia, it’s fine.” 

But it was true; there didn’t seem to be anymore walkers in their immediate vicinity. He couldn’t hear any undead searching for living flesh to chew on, no further growling or shuffling feet, so he let her fixate on it for a minute before she turned to head for the pharmacy. He breathed out a bit of a sigh at least his attention turn towards the shelves that still held sparse goods; random objects that weren’t exactly critical these days - cleaning supplies, dented cans of dog food…

He’d just picked up a can from the floor when he’d heard the noise, a group of undead pushing free from a back room as Alicia passed it. “Hey - heads up!” He called after Alicia before proceeding to bang the can against the nearest shelf to attract the attention of the walkers away from her - or at least spread them out. “Hey - shit for brains - c’mere. Over here. C’mon.” 

As they started moving in his direction he took off, running down a few aisles to put some space between them and give himself more room to work with. “C’mon assholes, come and get me,” he muttered, throwing his knife into the skull of the first that approached and grabbing a shelf rail in preparation for the next.

“It’s not nothing, you’re bleeding.” Any open wound was a dangerous thing. Infection was hard to stop when Alicia had limited ability to properly clean and dress a wound, not to mention finding antibiotics was next to impossible. If they could find one single bottle of antibiotics, expired or not, she’d consider the entire trip a win. And what if the scent of blood was enough to draw in walkers? Then they’d have a whole new set of problems on their hand.

A search through the shelves for food could come second. Medical supplies were her first goal and she was sending out a silent prayer that pharmacy wouldn’t be picked completely bare. Her attention, however, was quickly re-focused on the new undead danger at Erik’s shouted warning. Spinning around on her heels, her hunting knife was back out and ready to strike in one quick move. “Shit.” She cursed under her breathing, taking a few large leaps back to put more distance between  herself and the walkers.

One continued to follow her with the other three stumbling blindly towards the loud noises Erik was making. “Hey! Back over here!” She kicked a small display over, sending aerosol cans of sunscreen clattering to the floor. It was enough to at least temporarily capture the attention of one and have it heading back towards her, dividing the walkers in half. “Look at me!” To emphasize the yell she kicked one of the cans directly at the wall, for a loud bang.

— 🦊 —

“it’s pine,” she says. a fairly easy flavor to acquire, given their surroundings. evan hadn’t been as careful with the tea consumption as she had been the coffee – one was far easier to find than the other. “there’s a, uh… there’s a bee hive not to far off. we can… there’s honey, if we ever wanted to, uh… to get some.” it seems like such a small gesture to evan, one that doesn’t nearly make up for the act.

she looks down then, mind working through what she should say. because it is a big deal, obviously. but she has a feeling the other will always insist that it isn’t. and then they’ll be left in this cycle for the rest of… whenever. “much better,” evan nods finally. “it, uhm – yeah. i feel much better.” at least she didn’t feel like she was dying. there was ever only a slight ache when she took a breath now.

the smallest of smiles shifts across her lips, but it’s gone in a flash. evan’s hands move to pull at the hem of her shirt. it’s a nervous habit she’s developed, but one she hasn’t been overly conscious of before now. it’s an overt sign that people can pick up on and read. “i don’t, uhm… no plans. i don’t plan on doing much for, uh… for a bit. maybe just help with gathering wood and supplies.”

—

“Mmmh honey. God I miss tea with honey and coffee with sugar. We should go get some for sure.” There were so many little things from the world before they’d lost that might not have been absolutely necessary but brought a comfort Alicia ached for. Plenty of them were gone for good now but she was always happy when they found a way to bring back a few in one way or another. The idea of getting honey was one she was immediately on board with. “Maybe we can pull something together to create make-shift bee suits so we don’t end up completely covered in stings.”

The resources that Alicia had to help the others with were far fewer than what she had grown used to. A large part of her was terrified what she did wouldn’t be enough. Seeing both Erik and Evan doing well was all the reward she needed. “I know it’s going to make me sound like a broken record, but if you’re helping with the wood just be sure to take frequent breaks. I won’t go as far as saying make sure I come too.”

Alicia was aware she could become overbearing. Controlling Evan wasn’t what she wanted to do, her goal was only to make sure the other woman didn’t end up injured all over again. “If I’m being too much you can tell me to stop. It’s not that I don’t trust you can take care of yourself. I guess I’m just nervous about how little I have to help.”

— 🗡️ —

Distracting the dead was always a wise choice; it was better than potentially walking into something you were unprepared for. The problem was, Alicia’s trick only drew the attention of one, and Erik had a feeling there was more than just that dead brain crawling around in here.

He watched her closely as she stepped forward, stooped, and drove her knife into the back of it’s skull - a move that had become far too familiar over the last several months. But it was the safest way to dispose of the walking dead - guns were too loud, they’d draw attention of others in the vicinity, and they already had enough on their hands. 

He nodded as she finished the job before hearing the growl from the aisle beside him, his attention shifting towards the others that had been drawn to the commotion. Two of them had already come in close and he shoved one away into the shelves, dispatching the second with a quick strike to the temple before his attention returned to the first and took it out as well. 

The action wasn’t unfamiliar and squaring off with more than one was common enough practice - but with his shoulder still healing and the effort was enough to open the wound freshly once again. “Shit,” he mumbled, a hand pressing against the wound as blood stained his sleeve. Otherwise, the shop seemed to have fallen quiet. “Are there anymore?” He asked in a low voice, skimming his gaze over the aisle (or what was left of it, anyway) that he stood in before glancing back in Alicia’s direction. 

—

Alicia couldn’t let herself be distracted by the one walker she’d already dealt with, not when there were clearly others nearby that posed a far more serious threat. Over the months that had passed by she’d taught herself how to avoid wondering what their life had been like before they’d been infected, who they were and who they might have become in a separate timeline free from the virus. Yanking her knife free she wiped the blade on the back of the walkers dirty shirt and was back on her feet.

But Erik was faster than her, by the time she had weaved her way back around the shelves back to him both of the other walkers that had stumbled out were already dealt with. There was no missing the fresh spot of blood on his shoulder in the exact same spot as the wound she’d treated. Silently she cursed herself for not being fast enough to help before he’d hurt himself.

Immediately she reached out to move his hand away, thinking of the reopened wound before checking to make sure that they were clear. She paused for a moment to listen, not hearing any more groaning or scratching. That was enough to make her think maybe they were clear. The undead weren’t exactly known for their stealth. “No, I think we’re good for now.” She kept her voice quiet just in case, not wanting to risk talking too loud. 

—  @cosmicbursts​

evan has mulled over what to say for some time now. but whatever she manages to decide on sounds incredibly lame. after all, how do you thank someone for saving your life? especially in this new world?

she stands there for a moment, fiddling with her hands in an obvious sign of thought and distress. if there’s one thing she hates, it’s how easy it is to see when she was conflicted. perhaps that has something to do with her growing comfort around them. evan isn’t quite sure that’s a good thing or not, but it hasn’t come back to bite her in the ass. not yet, at least (she has a feeling it won’t. not with them).

“i made some tea,” she says finally, handing out the warm cup to alicia. “if you prefer, uh… if you want coffee, i can, uh… make that too.” eyes shift down after that, a force of habit. “i never… uh.” evan licks her lips, side suddenly aching. “thank you. for, uh - for patching me up.” a hand motions to her side where a small bandage hugs snug against her skin, hidden underneath her shit. it’s been some time, and the injury has healed well. she’s sure that’s almost entirely because of alicia.

— 

When the virus had first exploded out of control Alicia had felt completely and utterly useless. There was nothing she could do to help people that had been infected, there was no way for her to fight back against it. Time had allowed her to come to terms with the fact that she’d need to help in other ways. 

She’d notice the other come into the room, but also noted Evan’s hesitation. Instead of pressuring her to talk Alicia busied herself with updating the list of supplies she’d put together, ticking off what had been used so far that day. When Evan finally spoke up her attention shifted to the other woman, a smile spreading over her lips. “Tea is perfect, thank you so much.” Taking the glass she gently blew on the hot liquid before taking a small sip. “This is great, thank you.”

“Oh please, don’t mention it. I’m just glad that you’re feeling better.” Alicia was quick to brush off Evan’s thanks with a small wave of her hand. Helping was the right thing to do in her eyes and she’d never been good at accepting thanks for doing what she thought was right. “If anything at all starts hurting let me know, I really am happy to help. And make sure you keep taking it easy for now, don’t feel like you need to do anything strenuous. If either of the guys say anything tell them nurse’s orders.”

— 🗡️ —

“One can only hope,” Erik muttered in agreement to the hopeful wishes that the cold weather may cause the undead to move slower. They were already relatively slow for the most part - they were easy enough to evade in small groups. It was the hoards that were most concerning. But maybe with the weather going downhill there wasn’t as many traveling about. Maybe they were frozen like the rest of the wasteland they’d once called home. 

Erik was doubtful they were going to be that lucky - and besides, it wasn’t as if they walkers were at the forefront of his worries anyway. The undead idiots he could deal with. It was people he had a problem with these days. 

His head bobbed slightly to her words, falling into step with her as they made for their first destination. The convenience store should be equipped with a wide range of supplies they’d be needing - canned goods, medical supplies - hell, even a pharmacy. If it wasn’t already all taken by now.

He led the way once they approached the building, sliding up to one corner and peering around the edge before crossing towards the front door. He cupped a hand around his eyes to look in through the glass - it looked clear enough, but looks could always be deceiving. “Alright,” he murmured, glancing towards Alicia one final time before returning to the task at hand. “Now or never.” 

Pushing open the door he stepped inside, boots already crunching over broken glass and other fallen debris. His hand was raised at the ready, prepared for whatever might jump out from behind the shelves. A hissing rasp alerted him that they weren’t alone. He lifted a hand to warn Alicia of the company and to proceed with caution, continuing forward through the aisles. Clear it first - worry about the supplies after. 

Before they entered the store Alicia closed her eyes tightly and hoped against all hope that the place would still have a decent amount of supplies left for them. The woman wasn’t naïve enough to believe there was a chance they’d somehow found an untouched treasure trove, filled to the brim with everything that they needed. The odds of that happening were about the same as winning the lottery had been before. Still, it would be nice to find at least a couple of things they were in desperate need of. That would help to ease some of the anxiety she was feeling.

As quickly as the moment of quietly hoping had begun, it was over. Alicia was back to being alert, knife clutched in her hand and ready to strike if a walker was there to lung at them a second after the door opened. “Let’s do it.” She shifted her weight between her feet, following a small step behind him into the store.

Doing a fast once-over of the shelves before checking for walkers was a risk, and a stupid one at that, but Alicia couldn’t help it. Supplies were what they’d come all this way for. If there was nothing else they might as well back out and head to the next location. The undeniable sound of the undead was enough to pull her focus back to the more immediate threat to their safety.

She crouched down to grab a damaged can off the ground and gently tossed it deeper into the store over a few aisles. The clattering sound was enough to elicit a louder groaning hiss, the broken body of a walker stumbled forward from the back of the store. On its way towards the can it tripped over a fallen shelf and crumpled to the floor. Looking towards Erik she slowly started moving towards the walker that hadn’t noticed the two survivors yet. In one quick strike she drove her knife into the back of it’s head, grimacing at the noise.

→ GENERAL INFORMATION

“Be kind. Always if you have a choice, be kind.”  

Name: Alicia Rivera Vazquez

Age: 30

Occupation: Trauma Nurse Survivor

Face Claim: Adria Arjona 

→ BIOGRAPHY

Loss was part of Alicia’s life long before the world had crumbled to pieces. When she was barely more than four years old both of her parents were killed in an accident. Her mother’s sister took her in and raised her. Old photos and videos of her parents were the only reason she remembers what their voices sounded like and their faces looked like. 

Life was still happy for Alicia overall despite the deaths of her parents. Her aunt and uncle loved her like their own, they saw her as their daughter and her cousins always treated her as a sibling.

Wanting to help people was the driving factor behind her becoming a nurse. It also very nearly got her killed on several different occasions since the outbreak began. But Alicia has held onto the compassion that so many others had let go of entirely with the world turning harsher around them. 

It was sheer luck that she survived the early days of the outbreak in the chaos of the emergency room. Too many people were brought in with bites or nearly torn apart. She’ll never forget the first time she saw a corpse reanimate. When everything started to collapse and the hospital devolved into complete anarchy she grabbed what she could and rushed back home.

She and her cousin managed to escape the city together, seeking shelter in random until a group they crossed paths with took them in. Alicia did what she could to help anyone that was injured, quickly proving that she could earn her place. 

The group tried to stay within a day's journey of a city so it would be easier for them to do runs for supplies. That choice ended up being a horrible one. A horde of walkers was drawn in by the sound of the group making dinner, laughing, and trying to get a piece of normalcy back. They were overwhelmed and forced to flee. Alicia lost track of her cousin, and tried searching for her for weeks. Luck wasn’t on her side this time. While she was able to find a few survivors from the old group, she couldn’t find her cousin.

Eventually they were approached by another group that demanded their supplies. Not knowing how greatly they were outnumbered her group refused to give up what they had, knowing there was little chance of survival without it. They were attacked for refusing. Alicia grabbed one of the injured members of her group and dragged them away from the slaughter to try and help them. She was found by members of the other group but her obvious medical skills spared her from being killed like the others.

Out of terror that she wouldn’t be able to make it away from them Alicia didn’t try to escape. She did what she could to help anytime there was an injury, never wanting to turn a person away in need. Things, however, only got worse and the group grew more dangerous and Alicia knew she needed to escape.

For a long time she didn’t think there was another person she could trust until learned she wasn’t the only one unhappy. When Erik was taken by their group and brought in injured she and Luca helped take care of him. Together the three came up with a plan to escape. 

In spite of what she went through with The Law, Alicia still wants to try and help the others that their small group comes across. There’s the lingering fear that The Law will come after them again. 

→ CONNECTIONS

Erik Navarro — Another prisoner taken by The Law and one of the two other people that Alicia escaped with. She helped take care of the still injured Erik. 

@cosmicbursts​

They were dangerously low on supplies. That much was a fact. They each had a weapon or two and they’d found themselves a shelter, but when it came to food, clothing, medical supplies - they likely could only last a couple more days, if they were lucky. While the cabin was far from the most ideal place to stay, Erik was hesitant to push the group any further. They needed to recover, for one thing, and who knew when they might find another place they could defend as easily and keep warm from the weather? 

But that didn’t change the fact that they were in desperate need of supplies. Alicia had volunteered to accompany him, hoping to gather up some more medical supplies to keep them stocked up and despite Erik’s hesitation, he knew she’d be far better equipped to grab what they needed than he would.

Fortunately, the cabin came with maps of the area and they were able to make a plan. It looked as if there was a small town due east of their location, probably about a days journey to get there and back. They’d head out at first light, check the shops and gather up any supplies they could find, camp in one of the buildings for the night (hoping it was safe and secure enough to do so, Erik wasn’t so fond of having to rough it outdoors another night if possible) and head back the following morning.

The pair was just approaching the outskirts of town without incident when Erik stopped for a moment, drawing a knife in hand. “Keep your head up - alert. I dunno what these guys like to do in the snow but if it were me I’d be finding somewhere warm to hang out.”

—

As the days passed by Alicia had been watching their dwindling medical supplies with a growing sense of worry. It wasn’t a shock to her that things were running low. After all, the world had fallen apart and anything that gave even the slimmest chance of prolonging survival had been snagged first by the panicked masses. The moment Erik had mentioned a supply run Alicia had volunteered to go. It was a risk and she knew it, she could’ve written out a list of everything that would be nice to have if it could be found but then whoever went would be wasting time reading tiny labels on small bottles and packages.

Alicia had already spent plenty of time looking over the maps and guides that had been left behind by whoever once owned the cabin they had made their new temporary home. Maybe in the world before it had been an AirBnB rental, no matter the reason she was thankful for the information because it allowed them to make a plan. Of course there was the chance every place she’d singled out with a red circle was already picked clean but it was her hope that something useless would be left behind or dropped in the chaos of the early days.

The hilt of her hunting knife had been clutched tightly in Alicia’s hand for half of their journey. She wasn’t even sure if she’d be able to loosen her grip it had been frozen in place for so long. Seeing the buildings brought a mixed wave of relief and worry. They could’ve come all this way for nothing. If the town had been picked clean they were about to find out. Letting out a shaky breath she looked towards Erik and gave a stiff nod.

Gideon should have known she wouldn’t come rushing in to his arms, but her words stung and he stepped back slightly, almost as if her words had actually slapped him. He could hear the anger in Cassie’s voice and he swallowed heavily. “Cass…” He sighed, letting the doorframe support his weight as he slumped into it. “There aren’t enough ways I could express how sorry I am that I wasn’t here for you. I promised to take care of you and I broke that promise.” Seeing Cassie so broken brought him back to when she’d first been turned. When Cecile had taken her magic from her and gave her a curse she’d never asked for. 

He knew being with Cassie at the peace summit probably wouldn’t have made a difference, but knowing he hadn’t been there to fight for her when he should have made him angry. Angry with Dara for sending him off into the world without a way to stay in contact, angry at the Clave for what they’d done to Cassie. Gideon was having to learn a hard lesson in keeping his temper in check, but he knew if he could rip out of the hearts of everyone involved with the Clave, he’d do it without hesitation. 

Gid watched Cassie for a moment, taking in everything about her. She was in looks the same woman he’d left behind a year ago, but he knew she was different. She’d been taken advantage of and broken over and over again and he couldn’t fix that. He couldn’t take away her pain as much as wished he could, so he waited, letting her lead, despite wanting to tuck her into his arms and never let her go. 

Sooner rather than later Cassie would feel terrible for making it seem like Gideon deserved to feel even an ounce of guilt for what she'd gone through. The Clave had done it to her and it was the Clave alone that would eventually have to pay for it. Gideon had gone to try and stop the Clave before they did more damage to the supernatural world and she'd understood that. Maybe if she hadn't been so terrified of venturing into the outside world after being turned she would've gone with him. Apparently, she'd been right all along to be afraid. Maybe the Clave would've caught her much sooner if she'd dared to go out in the world sooner. Or maybe she would've been better prepared to defend herself. There was no way to know what could've been.

She crossed her arms over her chest, a small motion done to shield herself from the world around her. Her gaze tore away from Gideon and fell to the ground. It was too hard to hold his gaze when she saw the hurt in his eyes. The hurt she’d caused. “There’s nothing that can change what happened now.” Cassie could feel tears starting to form, an occurrence that had become common, and she tried to hurriedly wipe them away before they spilled over. “They can’t kill me so I’m still alive.” Once she was sure she didn’t have any tears trailing down her face she looked up to finally meet his gaze again.

“Are you staying? Or are you just here to see how I’m doing and then you need to go again?” Cassie sure she wanted to hear his answer. Not if Gideon needed to go again. It was selfish, but he’d left once and right now, if he left again, it would hurt even more. 

Jack felt his chest tighten and he resisted the urge to immediately wrap Colton into a tight hug, giving him a moment. Seeing his closest friends face for the first time in so long had him feeling emotions he hadn’t thought he still possessed. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gave Colton a smile that held years of separation and pain behind it laced with the relief and happiness he felt at standing on his door step. 

“Hey.” He chuckled mirthlessly at his greeting before nodding. “Magic. A witch saved me and I’m gonna be honest, it’s taken me a while to come to terms with the fact I’m not dead.” He should absolutely be dead, but Jack had never been happier than he was in this moment to be alive. 

Maybe Colton should’ve questioned Jack’s sudden revival more seriously but looking at the other man he knew that it was one of his best friends standing in front of him and not a stranger wearing Jack’s face. He stepped forward to pull Jack into a tight hug. Colton still wasn’t sure it wasn’t all his imagination, not until Jack didn’t instantly vanish when Colton tried to hug him. 

After a long minute, he pulled back to get a better look at Jack. A smile had lit up Colton’s entire face. “Holy shit – holy fucking shit.” Colton had so many different thoughts and emotions hitting him at once he didn’t know how to express them. A short string of happy curses was better than nothing. “Can I say you’re an idiot for going undercover now? I should kick your ass.”  

“There’s a museum that managed to get their hands on one of my swords.” It was an abrupt start to a conversation. There was no form of greeting whatsoever from the original vampire, only that blurted out straight away when he entered the room. Items were items. Lukas knew not to get attached to something that was temporary and would degrade with time—unlike him. This, however, was different. This was a sword that he had personally made centuries before. He recognized his own work even though it was in far worse condition than when he last held it. An image of the new museum collection had caught his attention when his gaze passed over the blade. 

No one else was allowed to profit off of something that was his. “What do you say to joining me on a trip to get it back?” It wouldn’t take both of them to compel a few of the right people and then walk right out of the building with the sword but the entire experience would be more entertaining with Tobias there. 

Send me 💡 for a starter of my character with a great idea (for Colton and Kara)  @cosmicbursts​

It was never safe to say things were quiet in town because undoubtedly the station started bustling with activity as soon as it was uttered. But Kara would be lying if she were to claim she wasn’t bored right at this moment. It wasn’t so much the job - there were things that needed to get done and plenty on her plate - but at the moment she wasn’t really feeling the detective work. She had energy she needed to burn off in something more…well, mundane but entertaining. 

She absently rolled back and forth  in her chair at her desk, pursing her lips before ripping off a piece of notebook paper and crumpling it in her hands. “Okay,” She says finally, throwing the paper ball at Colton. “Let’s play a game. First one to get 10 baskets wins? Or…I dunno, chair races. Or - both? Let’s make an obstacle course!” 

Things had been manageable. Calm enough that work from Colton had stayed solely in the office, giving him time to himself when he went home for the evening. He was re-checking the latest case file he’d worked on–or maybe he was triple checking it by this point – when Kara broke the silence in the quiet room. Colton looked up just in time to see the paper ball coming right for his face, catching it before it bounced off of him. 

He weighed the small paper ball in his hand, tossing it up and down in the air a few times. “Kara, come on.” He paused, purposefully picking a start that would make it seem like he was about to turn down the idea. “Two things isn’t an obstacle course.” Things were under control enough that it wouldn’t kill them to break up the monotony with a game. “Ten baskets, chair race to the break room, stack the coffee cups...” He paused, looking around for a fourth and final thing to add. “We could line up some desks and you have to army crawl under them back to here.”

Starter Call for Adam Haley ( @cosmicbursts )

Ade had only been back in town a few days, but as soon as Issy had called and told her they’d found Cassie, she knew it was time to come back. Maybe for good this time, but she couldn’t think about that now. She’d texted Adam after she dropped her suitcase off in her house, checking on her greenhouse while she waited for a response. Hollow Grove had felt off for so long, but she knew it was because there was so much pain the town had suffered over the last few years. And after Jack’s death and Cassie’s kidnapping, it had seemed to cement the shadow the suffocated her the more time she spent in the town. 

She bent to smell the peonies that were blooming, her ears tuned to the sounds of the approaching footsteps. Instead of moving to open the door, she continued to wander down the aisles, watering the plants with the watering can in her hands, a loose smile on her lips. “I think I’ve decided to plant some Belladonna. It’s small but deadly.”

Hollow Grove had become his home – really the only true home he’d ever experienced if Adam thought about it. Calling Morgan’s pack a home would be a gross misuse of the word and what he’d done for the thirty years after leaving was nothing more than drift. But now he had a stable job, a place to live, and Alex and Briar. While he had no interest in leaving he never questioned at all why Ade wanted to. Eventually, she’d come back for a visit or maybe even stay for a bit. When he got her text Adam went over to Ade’s place instead of just replying back. He made his way straight towards the greenhouse where he expected that she would be.

“Is this your way of dropping a hint to me that there’s someone you need to poison? Just blink twice if I’m right don’t say anything it won’t be lying when I tell the police I never heard anything suspicious. Or if it's your way of saying that I didn’t do a good enough job taking care of your plants can I start with saying I’m sorry before you poison me?” He grinned at Ade, walking over with his arms out to give her a big hug. 

“I’m not sure.” Issy said honestly. She had been so focused on Cassie that she hadn’t given much thought about the hybrids, but of course that would be what Cassie was worried about. “Right now we need you to get better, rest. Then we can work on finding them. I’m sure you could work with the Recover team. They have all those resources they could help you track down the ones who aren’t in safe havens or you focus on maybe going to those safe havens and helping them adjust or we could have them brought here too.” Issy rambled hoping one of her suggestions might help give Cassie some piece. 

“Six months...” She whispered again, her mind turning back to just how long she’d been held by the Clave. She pulled her legs in, curling in on herself subconsciously at just the thought of leaving town. She’d been the one to originally suggest it but now – actually picturing it – leaving Hollow Grove sounded terrifying. “Maybe...maybe I can do that.” She agreed without making it clear which one of Issy’s ideas she was considering because the longer the idea sat with her the more she knew she couldn’t commit to any of them any time soon. “Will you stay here with me? I don’t...” She didn’t want to be alone. Not now, not any time soon.

Starter Call for Cassie Cresswell ( @cosmicbursts​ )

Gideon had been gone for almost a year, bouncing around from place to place trying to help out some of the other safe havens, but he’d had multiple run ins with members of the Clave and it seemed like it would be a fight he’d never see to the end. No matter how many he took care of, more seemed to pop up. It didn’t help that Gideon was essentially on his own, cut off from the rest of his team. He was exhausted and all he wanted was to be back in Hollow Grove, but not like this. 

He’d been in some random town in Portugal when a message snuck through on his phone he’d long thought useless from Isabelle that had him telling Dara she could figure things out on her own as he was on the next flight home. Cassie had been kidnapped and though she was home, according to Issy, she was going to need as many people around as she could to help her transition back to society. He cursed under his breath as he maneuvered his way into the car Dara had waiting in the overnight parking and sped the entire way back to town, thankful no one stopped him along the way. 

His tires squealed to a halt in front of the Cresswell’s and he killed the engine and flung the door open without a second thought, not even bothering to close the car door behind him. As he made his way into the house, he listened for the sounds that would tell him where Cassie was, weaving down the hallway, stopping in the doorway as he took in the sight of her. He hesitated, unsure if she would even want him around her, but he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms.

Since she'd been rescued and brought back to town Cassie had barely left the house. Saying she barely left was even a stretch itself. The only spot outside she felt comfortable was on the waterfront with no one else around. It was safer, quieter, and far easier to deal with than the real world as she readjusted to normal life. Every day she told herself that soon she'd start going out again. And every morning she could think of a million different reasons why that particular day wasn't the right one for her to emerge. Tomorrow. Or maybe the next week. She wasn't ready to deal with the onslaught of attention that would inevitably come in several different forms.

That day Cassie had kept to herself in her room, staying hidden away after a particularly rough night. Sleep had been evading her ever since her system had managed to clear out all the wolfsbane and vervain that had been pumped into her body for months. Now that her senses were no longer dulled her body was on high alert, she could think more clearly, and with that came horrible memories and nightmares. The Clave had used her to create more hybrids and once they had enough of their own Cassie’s use shifted to teaching them what weaknesses a hybrid had without burning through the numbers they had managed to build up for the next phase of their plan.

Cassie had lost track of how long she'd been sitting by the window, staring outside without really seeing anything and lost in her own head. Gideon's car squealing tires had her fight or flight kicking in. Someone was there. Someone had come rushing into the house. Every step she took was quiet and careful as she started to make her way towards the door. But she didn't need to go far until she came face to face with Gideon. Gideon. Of course, he looked the same as when she'd last seen him what felt like a lifetime ago. Gideon was here. A wave of emotions hit her when she saw him. Happiness, relief. But he’d left. Cassie knew exactly why he’d gone and she shouldn’t have felt a flare of anger that he hadn’t been there but against all logic she did. “So you’re back now. Now but not before.”