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“Wow this actually is pretty nice on the inside.” Gideon grinned as he surveyed the space. 

“Yeah I leave the outside looking like shit cause I figure it’d discourage people from bothering me. Occasionally a scabber will come through but they are quickly sent packing.” 

“I’m surprised you even get anyone out here.” 

“There are a few desert gangs but they have a wide territory so they don’t make it around here very often.” She replied remembering the few times they had encountered them since moving here, it had been a good while. “My grandfather took out a couple of their leaders so I think they avoid this place for the most part.”  

“Oh is he the one who taught  you to be such a baddass?” 

“I wouldn’t call myself that, I  just kind of live here but yes, he was a member of the Katarosi Guard before the Federation broke up.”

“Damn so you probably weren’t bluffing about the three ways to kill you thing?” 

“Actually I sort of was,” Freja felt herself blush a little at the admission, “I really don’t relish knifing people. It’s too close ya know? At least from a distance I can pretend they aren’t human.” 

“And here I thought I was about to get schooled on survival but I guess we’re not so different are we?” 

“Sorry again if the sofa is not exactly comfortable,” She said as she got him setup for bed in the great room. “I’d offer you the tower but part of a wall blew off a couple of years ago during a pretty major haboob.” 

“It’s alright just having a roof over my head will be comforting.” He replied with a weary sigh, “I’ve been sleeping in basically a tent for something like two years now. Honestly I’m realizing right now how really lucky I’ve gotten to make it this far by myself. Thanks again for your help Freja, it really does mean a lot.”

“Well is there anything else I can get you before I go lay down?” Freja felt an awkward pain in her chest as she thought of him sleeping down here alone on that ratty old couch but there really wasn’t another option. Well aside from sleeping with her which was definitely out of the question. 

They weren’t talking for too long before Gideon started to drift and before she knew it he was sound asleep with his head square in her lap. Freja didn’t want to bother him but knew he might panic and overreact if she moved without nudging him slightly awake first. 

“Hey Giddy...” She hailed but no semblance of a response seemed forthcoming, maybe it’d be okay to slip away without risk? “Hey Gideon you big troll I need to get up.” 

“Well now that you mentioned it there’s one major difference I’m not sure you’ve noticed.”

“What’s that?”

“Please don’t take this the wrong because you’re probably used to it by now but you kind of smell like really bad.”

“Oh shit you’re probably right, I’m sorry!” 

“You don’t know that for sure... I mean...he just..” 

“He’s gone Freja I know because I found he,your mother and at least one of brothers before I found you.”

“Yo-you did? Why-y didn’t you tell me? Why-y d-didn’t you let me see? Then maybe.. I don’t know, I could have say goodbye? Even if they couldn’t answer then I would feel better about leaving.”

Roughly ten years earlier. 

“Hurry it up girl, you’re getting too far behind.” 

“Your legs are longer than mine! Of course I’m not going to keep up! You’re being a jerk ya know that?” 

“I’ve been a jerk the whole time. Learn to walk faster.”

“But Tidus.... I really think we should go back, dad will worry if I’m not where he told me to be.” 

As he moved in closer Freja froze realizing how easily he had caught her off guard. Luckily he didn’t seem like much of a threat but that could have gone far differently had it been someone who actually wanted something bad enough. 

“Hey so this is going well.” The boy laughed nervously, “When I first saw you I thought you might just shoot me.” 

“Why would I waste bullets on someone who obviously doesn’t mean to hurt me?” She replied flatly with a slight snarl to her tone. 

“Well I have a weapon, it’s not like I’m unarmed..” 

“and I have four, I could kill you three different ways before you even get that piece of shit loaded.” She boasted not exactly sure how true that really was typically she tried to stay out of arms reach when dealing with hostiles so she didn’t get much direct combat with her knives.