#fc5birthdaybash

—

Washing some of her arrows in a little stream, Elkie was humming “Oh John”. Dammit, this song was catchy !! She didn’t even pay attention to the light footsteps sounds behind her. She was thinking about Staci and how she could free him. To be honest, her coworkers were often on her mind now that she had to save them. She was young and this duty was a lot... Sometimes even too much. She was about to call Hurk Jr. or maybe Wheaty to ask them if they wanted to hang out, relax for a while, when she finally realized she wasn’t alone.

When she turned around, her jaw dropped. She felt her heart pound in her chest as she quickly tried to take an arrow out of her quiver.

“Hey, no need for that. Hands up.” ordered Jacob Seed, who was pointing his red rifle at her. Elkie obeyed, knowing he would be quicker than her and she could be dead in a second. She took a step back when she saw him move forward. “Deputy. I knew we’d meet sooner or later.” With a smirk, Jacob stopped pointing her with his gun and crouched down to collect the arrows she’d left on the ground.

After a moment of tension filled silence Elkie was too surprised to stop herself from talking. “So you’re just gonna steal my arrows ?” she yelped. Jacob didn’t answer and she watched him collect them all, inspecting them carefully.

Her ennemy stayed silent, stoic. Finally, he looked her right in the eyes and smirked. For some reason, it made her burn with rage. Elkie clenched her fists, but her cheeks turned red. She took her gaze off of Jacob Seed, her blood boiling in her veins. When she had the courage to look back at him, he was right in front of her. How had he moved so fast and quietly ? She was breathless and at a loss for words. Emotions were fighting in her busy mind and, even if she tried to, she simply couldn’t erase that little voice in the back of her head that whispered unholy thoughts about her ennemy. Elkie had always found Jacob to be quite good looking, but that didn’t stop her hatred towards him. On the other hand, now that he was right in front of her, the whisper was getting louder and it corrupted her others thoughts... Her breath got caught in her throat when she tried to say something.

Slowly, carefully, Jacob put the arrows back in the quiver attached to Elkie’s back. His hand accidentally brushed her cheek in the process, making her blush even more. She was so confused... “Thank you...?” she whispered, not sure if his action was truly a nice one.

Without any answer, Jacob took a step back, discreetly nodding his head. He cleared his throat, another smirk on his lips, and left. His eyes never left Elkie until he couldn’t see her. And she stayed right there, paralyzed. She should’ve ran after him, taken out her bow and hurt him, kill him. How many chances were she going to have to get directly at Jacob Seed without killing a hundred peggies in the process ? She should’ve called someone and arrested him right on the spot. She was a Deputy, after all, and it was her freaking job ! But she simply couldn’t, too shaken up by the impromptu meeting to even move.

——

During the next few weeks, Elkie simply couldn’t think about anything else than Jacob Seed. Their meeting, his rifle in front of her, her arrows back in her quiver and his stupid smirks. She was angry at herself and, somehow, angry at him. Why did he let her go ? Did he think she was so weak he didn’t even bother to disarm her ? Oh but she was strong... She was strong and she’d show him.

And then, one day, she got captured. The bliss arrow had pierced her legs and she quickly fainted. When she woke up, she was in a small room, on a cot. She tried to stand up but the pain and the handcuffs attached to the wall prevented her to do so. Her head was spinning when she finally noticed the silhouette in a corner of the room.

“Finally up. Took you long enough,” Jacob smirked as he got closer to her. She curled up in the corner of the room, her wrist twisting against the handcuffs.

“I have to say, Deputy.. You almost impressed me. Before our first meeting, you were full of rage, destroying my wolf beacons and taking my outposts one by one. Surprising, for someone like you.” Jacob was walking towards Elkie like a predator sizing up its prey. She felt her blood boiling in her veins.

“But then... Nothing. Three weeks without any news of my little pup, huh ? So what happened ?” He was now squatting in front of her, his hands pressed together in a prayer motion in front of his mouth. His blue eyes were piercing right through her.

“I... I don’t know.”

“You’re not going soft on me, are you ?”

And she was. After her first meeting with him, the only thing she’d been able to think about was him. And not only in a “I wanna kill him” way... Quite the opposite, actually. And, now that he was so close to her again, her heart was threatening to get out of her chest just to be closer to his.

Without even realizing it, Elkie leaned forward and tried to kiss him. Her handcuffs prevented her from actually getting close enough, and Jacob took a step backward, another stupid smirk on his lips. Elkie suddenly realized what she had tried to do, and shame came burning on her face. Oh my god, how stupid was she. A little 22 years old pinning for a man twice her age who, on top of that, was her ennemy ! Jacob’s eyes were wide and scanning her face, the smirk momentarily leaving his lips. He opened his mouth and Elkie prepared for whatever taunt or insult he had in mind... But he stayed silent. It looked like he was actually speechless. But it seemed impossible ! Jacob Seed ? Speechless ? No way. Jacob Seed always had something to say. But, against all odds, not this time.

Too lost in her thoughts to pay attention, Elkie hadn’t notice Jacob’s face getting closer to hers. When one of his hand reached around her back to grab her by the neck, she snapped back to reality. She barely had time to gasp before Jacob’s lips were on hers. He was surprisingly gentle, his kiss sweet, almost tender. But, as soon as she reciprocated, Jacob’s attitude changed completely. He prevented her to move with his grip on her neck -like the handcuffs weren’t enough- and his tongue slipped in her mouth, brushing against her own. She couldn’t help but moan when she felt Jacob’s other hand slowly moving up her thigh. It made him smile under her lips.

This was unbelievable. Totally unbelievable... But so fucking good.

Jacob tried to pull her closer to him, but she winced, the sharp edges of the handcuffs digging into her skin. She broke the kiss for just a second and Jacob’s lips almost drew back in a snarl. “I can’t fucking move,” Elkie spat, looking at her wrists and back at Jacob.

“Not into bondage, huh ?” he smirked. Elkie would’ve hit him if she could, get that fucking stupid smirk off of his face. But then, just like if he had read her mind, the smile left his lips. He looked her deep in the eyes, probably trying to decide what he was going to do next. Elkie couldn’t think straight ; her heart was beating so fast in her chest she couldn’t hear anything else.

“Come on, get those off,” she almost begged, her lips already pressed against Jacob’s. Of course he didn’t trust her, she knew that. But she was defenseless and he would definitely have the upper hand if she tried anything... And, even if she felt a bit guilty about it, Elkie wouldn’t have tried anything anyway. In this moment, the only thing she wanted was to run her hands all over Jacob’s body.

“Fuck it,” he finally said under his breath, reaching for the key in his pocket.

Once Elkie’s hands were freed, everything moved even faster. In less than a second, the paperwork on Jacob’s desk was flying in the dimly lit room and Elkie was laying on the cold surface of the metal table. Jacob’s calloused hands were tugging at her shirt, slipping under it to touch her warm and soft skin. She gasped when they reached her breast. She looked at Jacob and the way awe transformed his face moved her. The guilt she had previously felt disappeared and she cradled his cheeks, pulling him closer to kiss him again.

After this... unexpected turn of events, Jacob had let Elkie go. Just like that. Almost no words had been exchanged between the two of them. But the young woman noticed the change of behavior in Jacob : the soft and discreet smile plastered on his lips while she had gotten dressed and the gentler way his hands moved around her. She left with a unknown feeling in the pit of her stomach.

——

Over the next few weeks, they met more than once. Sometimes at the Vet Center, sometimes in the forest... And, each time, the same thing happened : they both acted all though until their bodies melted together. Elkie promised herself it was just physical. She was just looking for some good time and Jacob happened to be looking for that too, right ? But, slowly, she just couldn’t help but think that the butterflies in her belly whenever she was with Jacob meant something else.

One day, while she was getting dressed next to him, she absentmindedly asked, “Jake, what are we ?” She stiffened when she realized how serious her question actually was. For all she knew, Jacob was just going to laugh in her face before throwing her back in a cage. He had been gentler with her, almost romantic... But she still felt deeply insecure about the nature of their relationship.

He stayed silent for a long time before scratching his beard and sighing, “Dunno, pup. Why you asking ?” His voice was surprisingly sweet and soft.

“I just... I don’t know ; I guess I kinda like you.” She tried to stay as nonchalant as possible... But her heart was once again pounding in her chest.

“Yeah, me too.”

She froze. Was it really that simple ? And, if so, what did that mean ? Was Jacob her... boyfriend ? She couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What you laughin’ at ?” Jacob smiled, grabbing the back of her shirt and pulling her back to bed. His kiss was soft, softer than it had ever been. There was no sexual intentions hidden behind it and it made Elkie’s stomach turn. She looked him in the eyes, amazed at how warmly he was looking back at her.

After that day, nothing had been the same. They started seeing each other just to spend time together, hunting, going on walks... Elkie couldn’t believe that Jacob freaking Seed was being this caring... Of course, they kept their relationship secret. She was still a Deputy and he was still one of Joseph’s heralds. But, when they were together, they were just two people...

—

And that’s how she ended up in her ennemy’s bed.

—

Laying next to him, she thought back to all their time together. She rested her hand on his cheek, brushing his smile with her thumb.

“I gotta go to work,” he sighed, gently stroking her back. She nodded, inhaling his smell one more time before he had to get out of bed.

“I hate it when you have to leave,” she admitted, hiding her face so he couldn’t see how sincere she really was.

“So do I.” His voice was warm, but she could feel the tension behind it. He was just as torn as her, incapable of being entirely together, but wanting to do so anyway... He leaned down and pressed his lips on hers, hard. His kiss translated all the things he couldn’t force himself to say out loud. “Maybe we’ll just have to run away together. How does that sound ?”

She grinned. “It sounds good as long as you stop hogging the covers every night...”

He reciprocated her smirk and kissed her again, playfully, his nose softly brushing against hers. “Then you’ll have to sleep on top of me, huh ? You’ll be my blanket.”

“Jacob. You’re 6’3”... I doubt I’d be a great blanket.” She chuckled and the soft smile he gave her made her heart beat faster.

“Maybe. But you’re the only blanket I need.”

His smile turned upside down when she laughed out loud, “Oh my god, that was soooo cheesy Jake.” Jacob shook his head, pretending not to pay attention to her mockery while he put his pants on. She snickered and continued, “I mean, I know you’re sentimental and dramatic and all... but this ? You’re so cute.”

In less than a second, Jacob was on top of her. His hand was maintaining her wrists on top of her head while his legs were straddling her waist, preventing her to move completely. The coldness of Jacob’s dog tag against her bare chest made her shiver.

“I’m cute ?” he asked in a deep voice, his lips barely brushing her ear. Elkie has to bite her lip to stop herself from moaning.

“The cutest,” she insisted, a malicious grin stretching her lips. Jacob kissed her, almost violently, punishing her for her smart mouth.

“You’re lucky I gotta go to work,” he murmured when he finally let her wrists go. “But don’t you worry pup, I’ll take good care of ya when I get back.” And he kissed her again, biting her lower lip when he had to break the kiss, showing her how much he wanted to stay.

What they had wasn’t perfect. It was messy and confusing and sometimes even infuriating... But, god. Elkie wouldn’t have exchanged it against anything else in the world.

She watched Jacob leave the cabin. He gave her a wink just before passing the door and she couldn’t but smile for the rest of the day.

———

The rabbit was young and fast and clever. She had many friends in the forest.

One day the wolf caught her scent and, being hungry, began to pursue her.

The rabbit kept just out of reach, time and time again, until finally he had her cornered.

"It's nothing personal," the wolf promised calmly, teeth bared, "it's the way of life- you are prey, and I am to eat you."

The rabbit had stared up at him with wide eyes, ears pressed close to her head as she fought against the instinct to stay frozen.

The wolf pounced and the rabbit got lucky, springing forward and running again, gaining a head start that she kept, managing to get away.

Well, the wolf wasn't happy that his dinner escaped him, and he found himself hungry and irritated.

It had been a long time since prey had escaped.

When the wolf returned to his pack, he said nothing to them and instead found himself buzzing with irritation. Prey wasn't meant to outsmart predator, that wasn't how things worked. The weak were eaten to maintain the strong. That rabbit could have helped feed the pack, gone to pups who needed the nourishment. But instead she lived and served no purpose.

When he told his brothers about the rabbit, they said "find her and bring her back and we will feast."

The next day the wolf went out of his way to be quiet and watchful, tracking the rabbits scent as it darted through the woods and into the open fields and valleys- land that wasn't natural to him, but that didn't stop him. The wolf walked for a long time, growing mangy and thin in his pursuit of the rabbit.

For a long time, the rabbit didn't know. She found out by accident and luck, when the wind shifted and she caught the scent of the wolf that had tried to eat her so long ago. And so she began to run again, with the help of her friends who would scatter her scent, lay false trails, or else distract the wolf so that she had a few more minutes to run ahead.

Their game lasted into the winter and the wolf was vicious with hunger and obsession, and the rabbit numb with bone deep exhaustion. She finally collapsed in the mountains, unable to run anymore, standing there on shaking legs; if she were to die then she would die proud.

"You've lost our game." The wolf challenged, circling her slowly.

"It wasn't a game, it was survival." Returned the rabbit, thinking quickly.

"No matter the name, you've lost. I will kill you and bring you to my pack and we will eat." He promised, thinking that it was only fair to tell her.

"Oh, but you can't eat me," she said calmly, as though telling the weather.

"Why not?"

"Well look at me, wolf! You've run the meat off me- I'm hardly a mouthful anymore, let alone a meal for a wolf or it's pack!" The rabbit laughed at him, and the wolf paused, settling to look at her.

"And what would you suggest?"

"Let me go and find me again in spring when I'm fat and slow!" She declared, putting on a brave face. But the wolf laughed, because he knew what she was doing.

"No- you were neither fat nor slow when our game started and you will not be this spring either. I won't let you go, but I will let you live for awhile." He decided, noting the way that the rabbit's eyes widened. He picked the rabbit up by the neck, as gingerly as he would a pup, and began the long journey home.

The rabbit was afraid, but didn't try to run again, even when the wolf brought her back to the pack and presented her to his brothers.

"She's thin." Muttered the youngest, dark haired and marred.

"She won't be forever." Returned the wolf.

"And if she tries to escape?"

"She can't run with 2 feet."

The rabbit didn't try to test his patience.

For that winter, the rabbit remained in their den, surrounded by wolves, shivering in the cold- too proud to join the pack at night to stay warm (and far too scared). The wolf brought her food, bark and twigs, what was left in the dark barrenness.

The wolf was her constant guard- protecting her and preventing her from attempting escape.

One night the rabbit struck up enough courage to talk to the wolf.

"What do you hope to prove by delaying my death?" The rabbit asked him, ears twitching.

"That you cannot run from your destiny."

"But is it my destiny to be eaten by you?"

"It is your destiny to feed the pack."

"Will it be worth the wait?"

The wolf thought about it.

"I don't know."

And that was the end of the first talk. It was enough for now.

The next time was during a snowstorm when she was forced to swallow her pride and curl close to him or risk freezing to death.

"You chased me for so long."

"I did."

"But now you need to eat more than what I was worth, and I am too thin."

"That's beside the point."

"Then what was the point?"

"That it is no use to fight an unwinnable fight."

"If a wolf from another territory that was younger than you, stronger than you, and more dangerous than you decided that he wanted to challenge you would you fight him? When fighting him meant certain death?"

The wolf said nothing, and so the rabbit drifted to sleep.

One morning the wolf made a face at her.

"What is it?"

Outside the snow had finally stopped and the weather was steady.

"You smell like pack."

The rabbit flinched.

The rabbit began to notice things about the fearsome wolf. How he made sure that the young got enough to eat, at the cost of himself, how he worked the hardest, how he did everything possible to keep his pack safe.

While wolves were the enemy, she could admire that loyalty in him. She could even respect that desire to see things through to the end, if only her life wasn't on the line.

She was running out of time.

"What if I don't want to die?"

The words were whispered in the dark when it was just the two of them again. The wolf's eyes were sad and solemn when he looked at the rabbit.

"What place do you have here?"

"I can tell you where to find prey."

And then the wolf was listening.

(Because life is about adapting. And if you cannot adapt you will die. The rabbit couldn't run and so she struck a devil's bargain)

The rabbit knew where the dens were, knew how to creep around hunters, the best times to avoid humans; the wolves, more isolated, used that knowledge. In spring the pack ate well, and the rabbit got to live.

And for a time that was her purpose.

But the wolf found himself with her more and more often, keeping an eye on her. She wasn't pack, not really, and the pack might decide to turn on their source of information. She needed someone to watch over her while she ate after all, or else they ran the risk of her trying to run. And that just wasn't acceptable.

All the same, a companionship sprung up between them, and the wolf found himself comfortable with the rabbit.

They talked about the pack, about food, about her warren, about her friends who had helped her keep away. They didn't discuss her leaving.

One evening though a small band of coyotes happened upon them.

The wolf realized that the rabbit was no longer so unappetizingly thin.

"We'll be taking the rabbit," one of the coyotes, a female, declared, sizing him up. A larger female flanked her, ready for the command.

"The rabbit is mine." The wolf snapped, lips drawn back.

The coyote seemed to smile, and then they were on him. The wolf fought, biting and snarling, but it was 5 on 1 and he was no spring chicken. From the corner of his eye, the wolf saw the rabbit run off- he saw it but could do nothing about it without risking getting his throat torn out.

The fight was ugly and close, but the wolf knew he wasn't going to win. And then there was a howl and more of his pack burst into view, the rabbit leading the charge, and suddenly the fight was so much easier.

The wolf is hurt but recovering and the rabbit doesn't leave his side through it.

"You could have run." He pointed out.

"You could have gone ahead and eaten me." The rabbit returned.

The wolf didn't say anything else, letting the rabbit burrow against him.

"Did they lived happily ever after?" A small voice asked, thick with sleep. Rook smiled and ran her fingers through her daughter's copper curls.

"Mmhm, they lived happily ever after." She promised, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to Abigail's head. "Good night, Abby." She turned off the lamp at her daughter's bedside and began to creep out.

The house was still and quiet as Rook made her way down the hall.

"A wolf and a rabbit, huh?" The sound of her husband's amusement drifted down the hall from where he leaned. Of course he was awake, she realized with a sting of guilt. He waited for her.

"She wanted a story."

"Oh, I'm sure. And you just pulled that out of your bag of tricks?" She scowled at the weak pun.

"She likes rabbits. And your judges." They should probably be more concerned about their daughter's ease with the beasts, but that was a concern for the morning.

"You watered it down." The mocking, teasing light was gone, but he wasn't irritated. Rook sighed and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'll tell her all of it when she's older. She's still 4 years old." There was a twitch, brief, easily missed and he relaxed, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Here's hoping they stay happy." He quipped, making her grin.

After the night she just had, Sam could hardly believe her good luck.

Yesterday evening, a clash with some Peggies had separated her from Sharky, and she ended up having to run since the two of them were so vastly outnumbered. They pursued her, of course, but she’d shaken them off in a forest that she soon lost her own way in. At least she’d managed to verify via radio that Sharky had made it out okay before its battery promptly died.

So for the rest of the evening, she’d trudged through snow varying from ankle-deep to thigh-deep, trying to find a house, a road, anything, huddling in her jacket and wishing her gloves were thicker. At least the trees, leafless as they were, kept the most of the wind away.

Night had nearly fallen when she finally found adequate shelter, in what looked to be an abandoned house, and the fact that its furnishings and other supplies hadn’t yet been looted only emphasized how out of the way she was.

Exhausted when she woke, she still pressed on. Getting back to civilization, not to mention communication with the Resistance, was worth a couple less hours of sleep. She hated being alone.

Soon she found a river, entirely frozen over by the looks of it, and followed it eastward, figuring she’d have to hit something sooner or later.

Which brought her to now, the now which suddenly made everything worth it:

Joseph Seed, a drab brown coat buttoned up to his throat, stood just twenty feet away by her estimation, right across the river. A gun-toting Peggie accompanied him, but Sam figured the woman would be easily dealt with, so long as she couldn’t raise an alarm before Sam disposed of her.

As soon as she spotted Joseph and his companion, their backs to her, she dove behind a conveniently-placed boulder and planned her attack. She could hear their murmurs, although she couldn’t quite make out their exact words. Sam had to admit, she was almost shocked to see him dressed for the weather, and for once she was almost glad for the cold, since it clearly meant that Joseph couldn’t parade around distractingly bare-chested as he was wont to do.

If she could manage to arrest him now, and bring him somewhere secure out of Peggie influence, it could very well end this silly war. Maybe with their precious leader gone, the Peggies would finally begin to see some sense. She certainly hoped so.

For a while Joseph and the woman stopped talking, so long that Sam almost started to think they’d somehow left without making a sound, but suddenly Joseph spoke, and she strained her ears to hear him:

“You may return home, Hannah. I’ll stay here a little while longer.”

“Are you sure, Father?”

“Go, my child.”

And with that, Sam heard the retreating footfalls of boots crunching snow. Now was her perfect chance—get across the river, incapacitate and restrain him, then get to safety. She waited until the footsteps faded away entirely then counted to sixty, steeling herself for what she had to do next.

Joseph’s voice called out on the otherwise silent wintry day. “You may come out, now. We’re alone.”

She stilled. He couldn’t possibly have seen or heard her. He must be trying to gauge whether someone was here by faking them out, that was all. She only had to wait until his guard was down, and then …

“Samantha, you may come out from behind that boulder. I promise, I won’t harm you in any way.”

Shit. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but there was little use in staying out of sight now. Better to be able to see him. She stepped away from her cover, scanning the area for Peggies; at least there wasn’t any foliage for an ambush to hide behind, not that that was much of a comfort.

“I have a feeling your personal definition of the word ‘harm’ differs from the actual meaning,” she said by way of greeting.

Joseph raised his hands before him in a placating gesture. “I only wish to speak with you.”

“About what?”

“You.” He paused, probably for dramatic effect. “Your pain.”

Sam forced out a laugh. “Right about now, my only pain is you and your followers destroying this beautiful county.”

“You are not as confident as you make yourself seem.” He stepped out onto the ice, his blue eyes piercing, but she met him gaze for gaze. “I know what happened to your unit in Afghanistan, Samantha. I know your guilt.”

Her breath hitched in her throat, but she kept her face carefully composed, chin held high. He continued to make his way to her, practically gliding across the ice, and she for one welcomed his approach—the closer he got, the easier it would be to immobilize him. She was the one with the gun, after all. She surreptitiously scanned the area again, making sure they were well and truly alone.

He spread his arms in earnest entreaty; he’d made it about halfway across the river, now, and he wasn’t slowing down. “You need not feel that way. If you join my family, become one of my children, I can offer all that you—” A distinct crack cut him off, and his expression of calm confidence was quickly replaced by confused fear.

Sam would have laughed at the sight, if the ice directly beneath him hadn’t promptly shattered, plunging him completely into the frigid water.

He soon resurfaced, gasping and sputtering, but all his attempts to scramble back up on the ice only succeeded in fragmenting it more. Without thought, Sam carefully stepped out and slowly shuffled toward him. He stopped his struggling to watch her approach. When she reached as close to him as she dared to venture, she crouched and offered him her hand. “Here.”

When he took it, she nearly gasped; the freezing water that drenched his own gloves quickly seeped through hers. Still, she kept a firm grip, pulling him up with both hands clasped over his. He kicked his legs out, keeping his body as horizontal as he could so he wouldn’t put enough weight on the ice to break it.

They made slow enough progress, but finally, Sam pulled a violently shivering Joseph back onto the ice.

“The closest shelter I know of is about a mile away from here,” she said, starting for the shore. “There’s blankets, plus supplies for making a fire. Do you know of anything closer?”

“No,” he said, faintly. “Thank you for helping me.”

She didn’t answer.

It would take just under half an hour to reach the house. Her hands were numb just from her gloves being soaked, so she couldn’t even imagine how Joseph felt, being completely drenched from head to toe.

She worried for his safety, despite knowing she shouldn’t—he was her enemy, after all. Really, what she should do is leave him to fend for himself, leave him to likely die. That would be the most convenient thing to do.

Sometimes, Sam wasn’t much good at doing what she should.

By the time they reached their destination, Sam was shivering, but Joseph wasn’t. She didn’t know whether that was a good sign or not, but she guessed not.

“Sit there,” she said, pointing to the sofa in front of the fireplace. “I’ll get some blankets.” She promptly left, not bothering to see what he did. Lucky she’d stayed here the night before, so she knew where everything was. Even luckier that the Peggies, or people displaced by the Peggies, hadn’t looted the place either.

So once she gathered an armful of blankets, all of varying sizes and textures, she returned to the living room.

Joseph sat on the sofa, his eyes closed.

She frowned. “Joseph?”

He didn’t answer—didn’t even stir. Swallowing thickly, Sam approached him. “Joseph?” she repeated. Still nothing. Cautiously, she bent down to put two fingers under his chin, and discovered his pulse was faint.

Fuck. She couldn’t let herself hesitate. She removed his drenched clothing, trying very hard not to dwell on the sight of any of his exposed skin, then swathed him in blankets. As far as she could tell he didn’t have any body heat for the blankets to insulate, but the thought of what she would have to do if he couldn’t survive off his own body heat … was flustering, to say the least.

She occupied herself with getting a fire started, and thanked her lucky stars that it only took a few minutes for the kindling to catch. From experience, she knew the room would be nice and toasty in no time.

Her luck seemed to have finally run out, however, because a touch on Joseph’s shoulder beneath the blankets confirmed her worst fear: he was still as freezing as ever. In a panic she put her hand to his neck once more, feeling for his pulse, and sighed with relief when she found it—it was there, but faint. Very faint.

She had to do it: if he couldn’t survive on his own body heat, then she’d have to share hers. But worse than the necessity of it, she found there was a traitorous part of her that wasn’t at all opposed to pressing up against his naked chest and—

Quick as she could, she removed her clothing—all of it. She then lifted the blankets from Joseph and seated herself on his lap, wrapping the blankets around both their shoulders. She pressed herself as tightly against him as she could, chest-to-chest, cheek-to-cheek, bunching her fists in his armpits. He was so much bigger than her that she didn’t even know if it would work, but she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t try.

In a way it was good that he felt like little more than a corpse, because that helped to ward off any wayward thoughts she may have had about their predicament. She closed her eyes, letting her forehead fall to his shoulder.

“You stupid bastard, you can’t die on me,” she whispered hoarsely. “Idiot, walking out on thin ice like that.” Never mind that she’d considered doing the same. “I know you think you’re God’s prophet or whatever, but that doesn’t mean you can walk on water, dumbass. At least you were dressed for the weather for once, I guess—” She suddenly cut off, heat somehow finding its way to her cheeks.

Well, it wasn’t like he could hear her anyway. “It shouldn’t even be legal for a damn cult leader to be that hot. You know, for someone who rails against the sin of lust, you’re sure complacent about inciting it in others, going around shirtless like that all the time. Well, not all the time, but you know what I mean. Or not, since you’re … unconscious and all.” She knew she was rambling, but rambling was the only thing she could do to break the unbearable silence.

After a bit, her eyelids grew heavy; her fatigue was catching up with her, it seemed, calling her to sleep. The fire was starting to warm the blankets on her back and it felt so heavenly, so she just had to …

Seemingly seconds later, a rumbling groan from Joseph woke her. With a start, she realized it was warm, very warm, and no wonder, since the fire roared away behind her. Even through all the blankets, its heat was almost scorching on her back. By the golden light filtering in through the windows, it must have been evening.

Joseph groaned again, breaking her out of her daze, and she gave another start upon the realization that they were still pressed together, bodies slick with sweat. They fit so well together that she hadn’t even noticed until now, and that realization made her bolt up, stumbling away from him.

Joseph’s eyes snapped open and focused groggily on her. She wrapped the blankets ever more tightly around herself, at least until she took note of his utter nakedness and half-erect—

She hastily tossed a pair of blankets on his lap, the heat emanating from her cheeks rivaling that of the roaring fire. At least I’m not the only one who’s fucking turned on.

“Samantha?” Cognizance finally seemed to reach him, and he glanced around the room, taking everything in. “I … ah, I see. Where are we?”

She cleared her throat. “An abandoned house not far from the river.” She shifted uneasily, and her foot nudged something cold and wet. Oh, his clothes.

They were no longer on the point of being frozen, but they were still quite soggy, mostly owing to the fact that in her panic, she’d just tossed them haphazardly on the floor. She busied herself with laying them out in front of the fire.

When she turned, Joseph was standing, fortunately with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, although unfortunately, it barely reached his knees. Was it normal to find a man’s calves hot?

“You saved my life,” he said. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” she said automatically. No problem? This was nothing but a problem.

“It isn’t,” he persisted. “It would have been more conducive to your cause to let me struggle and die. So I ask you: why? Why did you save me, your greatest enemy, when you’ve had no problem thus far with killing my children?”

Her mouth twisted in a grimace. “I don’t kill your followers because I like it—I do it because I must.”

He nodded and said nothing, still staring at her. Embarrassed but unwilling to show it, Sam turned to take the poker and push at the burning logs, even though they didn’t need it. She eyed her clothes, strewn about the floor. They were a little wet from being piled with his, but she thought they were dry enough to put on and be on her way. She wouldn’t even arrest him—if she stayed with him any longer, she might do something stupid. She didn’t know how, but she just knew.

Mind-reader that he apparently was, Joseph said, “Are you thinking of leaving so soon?”

“Why not?” She glanced back at him. “Like you said, I’m your greatest enemy.”

He shook his head. “I said I was your greatest enemy, or at least that I suppose you think that of me—not that I consider you mine.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that even supposed to mean? Your people have killed mine, by your orders, just as I’ve killed yours. We’re enemies. That’s it.”

“Enemies don’t save each other’s lives,” he murmured.

He stepped closer to her, his eyes locked on hers; she glared right back up at him, too stubborn to look away. “I’ve always sensed something different about you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Perhaps that is why.” Her heart fluttered when he glanced at her lips, then back up again, an unasked question in his eyes.

Fuck it, she thought, and closed the gap between them, pulling his head down and pressing her lips against his. The blankets fell from her shoulders.

Joseph groaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer against him. Sam reached up to twist her fingers in his hair, barely suppressing her own moan.

She removed his own blanket from his shoulders, and savoured the feeling of his lean muscles against her fingertips. When she felt his cock nudging against her thigh, she reached down to grasp it in both hands, catching his gasp against her lips. She was ready, and so, it seemed, was he.

“Wait,” he said, pulling away slightly, only to gently push her back onto the sofa. He knelt down before her and set his hands on the outside of her spread thighs; she could only watch through half-lidded eyes.

Next he pressed fervent kisses along her inner thighs, the softness of his lips contrasting with the roughness of his beard. “Joseph,” she breathed, leaning back against the sofa. He reached forward to press a firm kiss against her clit, causing her thighs to twitch, and at his soft laugh against her sex, she threw her head back against the sofa, practically trembling beneath his touch. It was too much, yet at the same time, not enough.

From there, his tongue delved deftly between her folds, and try as she might, she couldn’t stop herself from grinding against his mouth. He placed his hands on her hips to still her, and when he placed his lips on her clit and sucked, she didn’t even bother to hold back her low, needy whine.

“Please, Joseph,” she moaned. “I want you to fuck me.”

He looked up at her, his pupils large and dark. “Are you sure?”

It was all Sam could manage to nod.

She shifted to lay back on the sofa, and Joseph moved to straddle atop her, his chest brushing against her breasts as he breathlessly kissed her. The taste of herself on his lips was enough to make her arch up into him; he took the hint, and slowly pushed inside of her.

Sam arched into him even more, thighs locked around his hips, arms wrapped around his back, fingers digging into his flesh. They began to move together, at first slowly, then speeding up.

Joseph buried his face in her neck, groaning as he fucked her deeply, and she echoed when he slid his hand between them and insistently rubbed his fingertips against her clit.

“Fuck,” she breathed out; the end was rapidly approaching, for her as well as Joseph, for his thrusts began to grow erratic.

“Samantha,” he moaned into the crook of her neck, and that was all it took.

They reached their shuddering, gasping release together, riding waves of pleasure until they finally ebbed. Panting, Joseph pulled out of her, and when her eyes met his, he smiled.

“You are simply divine,” he murmured, brushing the backs of his fingers against her cheek.

It didn’t mean anything, Sam thought as Joseph prepared them for sleep, as night had fallen while they had been … otherwise occupied. He gathered a large blanket from the pile then lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. It was just sex. Even so, she leaned into his touch as he pressed a kiss against her forehead.

Joseph fell into peaceful sleep, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. Uneasy thoughts whirled in her mind.

She somehow managed to untangle her limbs from his without waking him, then rose to take her clothes from the floor. They were completely dry—good. She put them on, grabbed her gun, then paused at the door to watch Joseph’s sleeping form. She didn’t regret their time together; she enjoyed it immensely, and would do it again if given half a chance.

But … she needed to get away, to clear her head, and it was abundantly clear that she couldn’t do so in his presence.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

This is @veinereastath‘s FC5 Birthday Bash gift! While the Deputy isn't named in this (I figured Jacob wouldn't know it by this point), I definitely had your OC Irina in mind when I wrote this (I put in a few things like hair color, Jacob considering her his protégé for that mentor dynamic you mentioned in your tumblr posts about her, speaking a different language to the wolves, and I assumed that since she already had her own wolf, Lilith, she'd be able to train other wolves as well). Plus, I kind of felt like it set her up to become the Tyrant of the North later if she could control animals! This is far-fetched in assuming wild animals can be trained in a week, but I hope you like this, at least a little. Apologies again for this being a few days late!

       Jacob had underestimated her every step of the way, he could see that now. He had known that she was strong (although he would have never told her as much to her face), but he hadn’t really thought about all the ways she would best him in the end. The endgame was still for her to kill Eli and then himself – he was a necessary sacrifice, if Joseph was to be believed, a seal to be broken – and that plan was coming along well enough now that should wouldn’t be able to stop the it if she even understood what was coming, but there were still little ways that she always managed to surprise him, little ways that managed to delight him in a sinister way.  

        Jacob, a few of his Chosen, and a couple of his Judges had caught up with the Deputy sometime around dusk a week ago and he had laughed, oh how he had laughed, to see her strung up in the tree, foot caught in a rope trap and long, light brown hair sweeping in the dirt, with a scowl on her face that could strike a man dead.

       He cut the rope and let her fall to the ground and gave her a warning that the music box would come out and the bliss arrows would fly if she tried anything. She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t really have to anyway; she knew she was outnumbered and her weapons had already been confiscated while she was strung up in the three. She’d have to be an idiot to try to fight her way out of this one. And besides, Jacob knew she worked best when the element of surprise was on her side and she had already lost that for the time being.

        When he thinks back on it later, pouring over the details of the whole thing while the entire Center sleeps, he thinks she probably started hatching her escape scheme then and there as she followed them to the cult truck nearby. As much as her anger fueled her, she was reserved enough to plan. Jacob liked to think that about himself too; the payoff was always sweeter when the plan went to perfection.

        When they had got back to the Center, Jacob had stowed her away in a cage for the night, side by side with his Judges. He let Pratt give her a bowl of meat, pushing the bowl through the bars like he did with all the prisoners, and had watched with satisfaction as she glared at Jacob instead. “Eat up, Deputy. You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”

        The Deputy practically growled in response, but said nothing and refused to eat. Jacob didn’t bother to linger at her cage like normal, preferring instead to prepare for the Deputy’s morning training, but much later on, when everyone should have been asleep, he looked down on her in the yard from his window. The first tip off that she was up to something was the quietness of the hour; usually the wolves yipped and howled at this time of night, a white noise of misery that Jacob was fairly fond of for its consistency alone.

       He had strained to see what she was doing in the dark at first, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of light. She was standing, faced towards the wolves in the next cage over and the wolves were lined up at the bars, but they weren’t behaving like wolves at all. They were behaving like obedient dogs. She extended her arm once and they sat. She extended her arm again and they snapped in the air, catching the meat she tossed their way.

       It hadn’t occurred to him then that she was training the Judges and admittedly he did not pay much attention to her nightly training sessions for the whole week. He should have.

       The Deputy was something to behold during her training: vicious, capable, efficient. If they had been on the same side, the Resistance would have been squashed ages ago. Jacob followed her along as she made her way through the course, watching from the suspension walkway, above the rooms she traipsed through. She raised the gun he left for her on the course and rarely hesitated to shoot, killing the other nameless recruits and running down through the maze he’s created for her to run. He noticed after the third run or so that she’s most comfortable with scoped weapons, and the best with the SA-50 sniper rifle, so he leaves her that more often than not. The end sacrifice is the only one she usually has trouble doing, her finger poised over the trigger, panting from the exercise, but she took the shot. She always took the shot.  

        Around noon, Jacob calls it for the day, to the relief of everyone. She had to be hungry and she has been doing so well that if let her keep going no recruits would be left by the end of the day. He gathered her up in his entourage of Pratt, another Chosen named Isaac, and a couple of Judges to head back the Center, but they don’t get too far before the Deputy makes her move.

        She threw a hard kick into Isaac’s calf, just below his knee, and in a fluid motion on his way down, she grabs a gun from his holster. She clicks her finger once and says something in a language Jacob doesn’t completely recognize (it’s a Nordic language of some kind, that he’s sure of, but which he doesn’t know) and the Judges at Jacob’s side immediately turn on their master and snarl at Isaac on the ground. The whole thing happened quick enough that even Jacob had no time to pull a weapon from his own holster.

       This is when the horrible revelation sets in, a week too late: she had been training the Judges at night when they were in their cages. Of course.

        The Deputy unclicked the safety of the gun and held it up toward Jacob, a glint in her eye. He recognized the expression – pride. He should have been furious or embarrassed or both for her getting the upper hand on him, but he wasn’t. He feels proud too. As sure as Joseph was that the Deputy would cause the Collapse because God told him so, Jacob was sure of it now more than ever. His protégé. The way he will live on long after he is gone.  

        “Get on your knees,” she commanded, voice lower than normal, “And don’t even think about grabbing for that music box, Jacob, or so help me these wolves will tear off both you and your minion’s faces.”

        Jacob complied with her demand, but chided her, “Deputy, do you have any idea at just how much trouble you’re in?”

        She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me, old man.”

        “There’s no place you can run, that I can’t find you. You know that right?”

        She smiled wickedly, “How about Holland Valley, Jacob? Are you going to cross over into another herald’s territory to find me there?”

Diana startles and loses her balance, toppling backward onto the ground with a yelp. “Faith?” It definitely looks like Faith, though Diana doesn’t trust anything in the Henbane to be what it appears.

“Have you thought more on walking the path?” Faith asks, stepping forward to help Diana get back on her feet. She’s solid, for once, and her skin is warm to the touch. She’s real. “There is a place for you here in the Project.”

“Right.” Diana brushes the dirt from her clothes, more than a little confused. On the one hand, Faith is much less unnerving than her brothers, but on the other hand she’s been having a very weird few days and now Faith is visiting her in person. “Um, no thank you,” she says. She’d prefer not to kill anyone, all things considered. At least not on the orders of Joseph Seed. She’s only met the man once at the church and it definitely wasn’t a great first meeting.

Faith hums, rocking back on her heels. “You would be welcome here.”

“Sure, yeah,” Diana shrugs, swaying to the side when Boomer bumps her legs as he runs circles around her and Faith.

“Your dog has dandelions in its collar.”

“Yeah,” Diana says, “weird, right?”

Faith frowns. “You think so?”

“Yes?” Diana shrugs again, feeling a little awkward standing out in the open, having a conversation with Faith who she is only mostly sure isn’t a hallucination. “It’s sweet, I think, but I don’t know how they got there.”

Faith rolls her shoulder back, meeting her eyes. “Maybe it means something.”

“Like a threat?”

“No,” Faith sighs, “something else.”

“Oh.” Diana looks from Boomer’s collar, then to Faith, and back to the dandelions starting to come loose from the braid. “Maybe they just thought Boomer would look pretty.”

“Maybe,” Faith says, looking off to the side where a group of Resistance fighters are walking on the road, getting closer and closer to seeing them. “You will see, soon enough.” She steps back, disappearing into a cloud of Bliss, leaving Diana and Boomer staring at the empty spot where Faith used to be.

“Was that a threat?” Diana is now much less sure that she hasn’t been hallucinating the entire time.

*

After that she starts finding red rose petals around places of interest for her, specifically. They’re scattered at shrines, on walkways leading to outposts she’s yet to take, and on one memorable occasion they were filling a boat she sank accidentally. It’s possible that it’s meaningless or meant for some other purpose, but it all feels very pointed. Like someone is leaving behind rose petals just for her.

And it is a little romantic, even if she still doesn’t understand it.

“Have you noticed there are a lot of rose petals around lately?” Sharky asks, kicking a few up into the air. “That’s weird, right? I’m not just imagining things and there have been rose petals her the whole time that I just haven’t noticed?”

Diana plucks one off the ground and examines it. “No, they’re definitely new.”

“You think Faith is changing from Bliss to roses?”

Which is a fair question, given the excess of roses they’re currently wading through, but there are still Bliss fields as far as the eye can see. “Maybe they’re mutant roses,” she says, because that’s always a possibility that should be considered in the Henbane. “Some kind of hybrid flower.”

Sharky groans, stepping away from the trail of petals. “God I hope you’re wrong, I’ve had enough of drugged flowers to last me the rest of my natural life.”

“Yeah.” Diana tosses the petal into the air and watches as it flutters back to the ground.

“The roses have not been modified,” Faith says. “The Bliss is more than we need already.”

“Oh God,” Sharky says, jumping and clutching at his heart. “These hallucinations get more real every time.”

Diana frowns and narrows her eyes. “I don’t think she’s a hallucination.”

Faith smiles pleasantly, and picks up a few rose petals of her own.

Sharky takes a step back, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder. “Then I’ll uh— I’ll be over there,” he says. “Shout if you need me or an assload of fire.”

“Got it,” Diana says, waving him off before she gives her full attention to Faith. “Are you—” following me, she thinks to ask and then reconsiders when she remembers that of course the Seeds are all keeping tabs on her. “Do you want something?” And will Diana be able to avoid jumping off the damn statue again, because that was enough of heart stopping adventure the first time.

“You’ve noticed the roses?”

Diana nods. They’re everywhere how could she miss them? “Are they a problem?” If they are, will she be expected to solve it? Last she checked, she still worked for the Resistance.

Faith sighs deeply. “The petals mean something.”

“Oh.” Diana can’t even begin to guess at what kind of message someone is trying to send by leaving them all over the Henbane. She had thought it was directed at her, but now she’s starting to wonder if it’s not some message to Faith regarding her Bliss plants. “That’s… bad?” She’s just guessing here and she doesn’t have a lot to work with.

“You think it’s bad?”

“Is it good?”

“They’re red rose petals.”

Diana is more confused than she was before, but now she thinks she’s also arguing with Faith which is both amusing and deeply concerning. There are definitely rules about having casual conversations with the enemy. “Do red rose petals mean something important?”

Faith sighs again and drops the petals she’s holding. “Yes,” she says, “it means subtlety isn’t working.”

“What does…” Diana asks herself because Faith has disappeared again, leaving her alone with a cloud of Bliss and Sharky singing to himself off in the distance.

*

The next time Diana finds flowers where no flowers should be is when she’s alone in the Henbane and a rabbit runs across her path. Except the rabbit has antlers and a string of flowers woven through them. At least, she thinks that’s what she’s seeing, but she’s been spending a lot of time around the Bliss lately and there’s always the possibility that it’s all going to her head. Still, she decides to follow the strange rabbit, just in case.

“Do you know what white violets mean?” Faith asks, perched on an abandoned ATV hidden in the woods.

The rabbit stops at her feet, seemingly unafraid of this one particular human, before it hops away into the tall grass.

Diana stops walking, frowning at the spot where the rabbit hopped out of view. “That did have antlers right?”

Faith shrugs and climbs off of the ATV, walking closer to Diana. “The violets mean take a chance,” she says. “Be happy.”

“Oh.” Diana isn’t sure how to respond to that, but it occurs to her, for the first time, that Faith might be the one sending the flowers. To her. Which would explain a lot and it’s a little embarrassing that she somehow hadn’t noticed until a rabbit with antlers was brought into the mix. Who else could orchestrate that besides Faith? “Are you giving me flowers?”

“Yes,” Faith says.

“Why?”

Faith looks off to the side for a moment, like she’s considering what she wants to say, before she takes a slow, deep breath. “If I had told you that I was interested in you, how would you have reacted?”

“I don’t know,” Diana says. She still doesn’t know how to react to any of this. Sure, the flowers are nice, but they seem unnecessarily complicated. Which is pretty standard for the Seeds, actually. They are the most dramatic family in the county. “Positively?”

“I wanted you to understand that my intentions were pure.”

Diana still doesn’t know what any of the other flowers mean, and pure intentions definitely weren’t the signal she was picking up, but it is the most effort anyone has ever gone to for her attention. It’s kind of nice. “Oh, okay, well—”

“I don’t expect anything from you in return,” Faith says, stepping closer again.

“That’s— that’s good, I don’t really have anything for you.” Though Diana pats at her pockets to check, just in case.

“Your attention,” Faith says, “your friendship?”

There’s a strong possibility that Faith means something more than friendship, but Diana is exactly opposed to the idea. She doesn’t want to fight for Joseph Seed, however she does want to know what Faith has in mind. She wants to know what their future will be if she agrees. “Yes,” she says. “Okay.”

“Will you come with me?” Faith holds out her hand. “I want to show you what we can have, together.”

Diana hesitates for just a moment. There are a lot of reasons to be wary of the Seeds and a lot of reasons to back out now while she still can. There are also a handful of reasons and ton of flowers, given to her by Faith, that say should should keep going and see where this path will lead her.

The last night of summer was warm and humid. The Judge padded silently through the undergrowth as it followed Jacob on his way to Cedar Lake. He’d spent the last few weeks visiting the quiet basin, free from his hunters and chatter of his brothers. The lake water was clean and cool, providing some much-needed relief from the heat and soothing the rash that bloomed angrily across his skin. It was Jacob’s one sanctuary in the commotion of the last few months. 

The Veterans Center was brimming with Whitetail prisoners, new hunters, and half-trained Judges. The heavy, cloying scent of the bliss hung over it all, making Jacob's head ache by the end of the day. John's impromptu radio calls didn't help. It was more of a chore for Jacob to listen to his brother gush or alternatively whine about the Deputy's latest escapades. The woman was a nuisance, laying waste to both the Henbane and the valley; destroying outposts alongside her friends, accompanied by her huge Kodiak bear. It would save everyone a lot of heartache if they just had her killed, but Joseph hardly agreed and John was much too eager to put her through his own brand of atonement.

The Judge waited patiently by Jacob's side. She was a specimen of particular excellence. Young and fierce, Jacob had taken on the task of training her himself. It was tough at first, but now she obeyed him fully as her leader and pack master. Their bond was close, so when the Judge’s ears perked forward suddenly Jacob stopped and followed her line of sight. Eerie and full of melancholy, a Canadian Loon call echoed from the other end of the lake where the Judge had fixated. Jacob shot a glance back towards the Vet Center and his bunker. He had purposefully left his radio, not wanting to be disturbed. Though never one to be completely unprepared, his pistol and hunting knife were a comfortable weight at his hip and thigh. The Judge gave a low growl in her throat, immediately making up Jacob’s mind. He’d check out the disturbance and head straight back to the center and increase the patrols in the area. He sighed audibly, so much for his quiet little corner of the mountains.  

The sun hung at the edge of the horizon, making the shadows of the trees stretch across the forest floor. Jacob enjoyed this, enjoyed the hunt, it gave him a sweet little thrill. Like a live-wire running down his back.

Just a little ways ahead a myriad of different bird calls echoed through the trees, many of which Jacob was sure weren’t even native to the state. As he and the Judge came upon the area the calls were originating from, Jacob’s breath caught in his throat. There was the Deputy, perched at the edge of the lake, fishing, of all things.

Every few minutes or so she delivered another bird call. Jacob hadn’t gotten a good look at her in the church on his families first fateful meeting with her, so he took his time now. She was tall, dark-haired and seemed well built. Flicking her line with practiced ease she held herself steadily on the rocky shore. She was alone too, as far as Jacob could tell.

What luck.

The regret of leaving his radio back at the center stung all the more now. So fascinated with the Deputy in his sites, Jacob only just noticed that his Judge was no longer at his side. The crash and snap of bushes became a distant roar of background noise as he turned, pulling his pistol from his holster, but too late. 

Half a tonne of full-grown Grizzly bear barrelled into him, knocking Jacob off his feet and to the ground. The wind knocked from him, he cursed in a hiss, angry that he’d been caught off guard. His Judge showed up too late, a short distance away, a growling mess. 

“Stay, girl.” Jacob barely managed the strained command. The Judge howled but obeyed. His gun has been knocked from his hand, out of reach, of course. Thankfully the bear hadn’t done anything yet, except to make himself comfortable, near suffocating Jacob with his huge furry weight. He attempted to wrestle his arm free in a bid for the knife at his thigh, but a sharp command gave him pause.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Despite barely being able to move his neck, Jacob was sure the voice belonged to the Deputy, Roman. He felt the reverberations from the giant bear as he rumbled in happiness at her approach.

“Good boy Cheeseburger! At least one of us caught something.”  

There was the sound of what must be a fishing rod being dropped and the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked. Jacob could hear his Judge pacing the undergrowth close by, followed by her intermittent whines of distress. He continued to struggle underneath the mass of bear but it was no use.

“Get it over with” he growled.

A face appeared above him, and the Deputy scrunched her nose at him in disdain. “So much for my quiet corner of the mountains,” she muttered. Disappearing from his view again, Jacob could hear her soft chuckle from somewhere to the left of him.

“What? I’m not going to… I’m not going to kill you if that’s what you think, Jacob.”

At the use of his name, Jacob was startled into silence.

“And,” the Deputy paused, “judging by your surprise, I bet you were also trying to enjoy a single evening of relaxation in the middle of… this.”

Jacob pressed his mouth into a thin line, annoyed at the precision of her conjecture.

She laughed again. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He couldn’t help but be surprised by her optimism and calmness and the realization annoyed him even further. The woman appeared in his field of vision, taking her time as she gave the giant bear a good scratch behind his ears.

“And don’t you worry,” She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly pleased with herself. “I won’t tell let your brothers know, as much as I’d like to. I’m sure you’d never hear the end of it.

Jacob wouldn’t.

“Thanks.” He grunted noncommittally, from under the bear.

His Judge let out another howl as she paced around them, barely able to restrain herself.

The Deputy dropped her hand from the bears back and began packing away her fishing rod. “It was nice meeting you, Jacob Seed. I’m sure the pleasure was all yours.” She shot him a grin and once again moved out of sight. The crunch of receding footsteps signaled her exit, but the bear stayed where he was until Jacob could no longer hear the Deputy. By the time the grizzly bear lifted himself fully off of Jacob, his ribs were aching something awful. Before he could even reach his pistol in the gloom the bear has disappeared as well, the distant crash of undergrowth the only indication to where they were headed.

Briefly, the idea of following them flitted across Jacob’s mind, but he brushed it away. It was almost fully dark and he was hardly in a position to chase after them, besides he had already underestimated the Deputy once, and he would be a fool to do so a second time.

His Judge rushed to him immediately, snuffling at his boots, her body language betraying her worry. Jacob scratched her ears in a surprising show of affection. The bear could have easily killed her and he had to admit he was happy she didn’t waste her life for nothing.