Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Sabastian's eyes had been unfocused as he laid there on the muddy ground, the man desperately trying to remember what had happened. It was frustrating; no matter how hard he tried to recall the past few hours' events, his mind was simply blank. He had never been roofied, but he imagined that this was what it felt like. Everything was so unsure and disconcerting, the fear that he had done something irreversible overwhelming him and forcing him to retreat back into a numb state of mind.

However, he soon heard the sound of footsteps, the blonde's eyes slowly moving to see three pairs of legs nearby.

"Sabastian?"

He knew that voice. It belonged to the most warm, loving man he had ever met. Slowly looking up, he was shocked and relieved to see Vin, Cora, and Damien. The fact that they were all alive and safe made his eyes tear up, the salty tears spilling over to wash away a little bit of the blood on his face. He felt like how he had felt when he had seen Vin in the prison, and he couldn't have been more grateful that they hadn't become victims of the zombie he had become. He could have ripped them to pieces, and yet here they were safe and sound.

It wasn't safe though, and as Vin approached, he quickly got up and walked backwards with his shaky arms out until his back bumped against a tree. The gesture clearly said that he didn't want them to come any closer, but he didn't want there to be any doubt.

"Don't... don't come near me. It's not safe. I'm-I'm not safe." The little man looked like shit, covered in blood and now mud as well. His voice was strained, his eyes darting as though he was still anxious about changing back at any given second. The whole experience made him feel unsafe and out of control. It felt like his body had completely taken over, the man powerless to do anything about his actions.

Bowie had been left on the ground, but the snake slithered over to Cora, wrapping around her ankle and lifting his little snoot as though he was asking her to pick him up.

 

[Drobabes]

When he looked up at him, recognition lighting up his husky like eyes, Vin felt his chest ache with an overwhelming urge to cry. He didn't, but the relief was almost overwhelming and made him start to walk forward, only to quickly be stopped when Sabastian stood and backed away from them.

"Sabastian, please..."

He took another step forward, wanting so badly to simply scoop him up into his arms and hug him close to his body.

"You didn't hurt us. You're okay now."

He wasn't sure if he was lying to Sabastian, or himself.

Cora wiped the tears from her eyes before she bent down and let Bowie slither up her arms on his own. As relieved as she was to see Sabastian alive and talking to them, she didn't think it was safe to put her pistol away just yet.

When she looked back up, she saw the way that Vin was trying to approach him, and the way that Sabastian was backing away. It was like looking into a mirror for her, the little blond's fear so evident in his eyes, that he might hurt one of them. Swallowing hard, she walked forward and gripped the back of Vin's shirt, tugging on it gently until he stopped. When he looked bck at her, she gave him a sad little smile, her lip shaking a bit.

"Let's give him a minute Vin. He's here and he's talking-take that."

Once she was sure the big man wasn't just going to ignore her and scoop Sabastian up off his feet, then she looked into her friends eyes.

"What are you..."

She has to stop and swallow before she can continue, her own emotions overwhelming her for a moment. God, just the fact that he was talking to them again was more than she had dared to hope for.

"What are you feeling Sabastian? Are you thinking clearly?"

 

[Poprockz]

He was so grateful when Cora stopped Vin from coming closer. While the big man’s pleading voice tugged at his heartstrings and made him want to run into his arms, he knew he couldn’t take that chance right now. Vin was far too precious for him to be taking any chances; they all were for that matter.

Leaning against the tree for support, he digested Cora’s question before answering. “I... do feel like me, and I think I can think clearly. I don’t remember anything though. The last thing I remember is shoving Tiffany, telling you guys to run, then running into the forest. After that... my mind is completely blank until I-“ he gagged for a moment, putting his hand shakily over his mouth. Just the thought of that soft, squishy raw meat made him want to retch.

“I woke up here. I puked and there was... meat and I-I couldn’t stop until it was all out. I’ve been here since then, and then Bowie found me and stayed with me.” The little blonde looked up at then suddenly, “is Tiffany okay? I shoved her hard and I think I might have broken her arm.”

Damien looked away, not knowing what to say. How were they supposed to tell him that Tiffany was dead? Wouldn’t that just make things worse. He had a pit in his stomach, the man trying to think of some way to gently address the question as Sabastian’s eyes looked at each of their faces.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin couldn't look into his eyes when he asked about Tiffany, instead clenching his jaw and choosing to look away, the blanket falling somewhat loosely in his arms.

Cora had stopped crying, for the most part, and she tried very hard to listen to him. However, when he asked what had happened to the pink haired women, she stiffened, her eyes first going to Vin, and then Damien. Neither of them seemed to be willing to tell what had happened.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, her free hand forming into a bit of a fist. When she opened her eyes back up, she stood herself up straight and met his gaze. This was not going to be easy, but he needed to hear the truth, and know, that it wasn't completely his fault, although she had a feeling he was going to blame himself no matter what they said.

"From what Vin and Damien told me, she fell on her arm when she was pushed. The pain of it made her scream, and it alerted a horde of zombies..."

She could tell by the look on his face that he was about to connect the dots, and so she said her next sentence carefully, but didn't linger long.

"She got scared, and she tried to run back to the shop. Both Vin and Damien tried to get her to stop and come back to them, but she wouldn't listen, and...she tripped. One of them grabbed her ankle and bit into her leg. She turned soon after that, and I had to shoot her."

Cora looked deeply into his eyes, showing no hint of blame or pity, although she didn't know for sure what Sabastian would see when he looked back at her. All she knew was that, this was her friend, and come what may, she knew that he was kind, and gentle, and would never have purposefully hurt someone in such a way.

"Sabastian," she said, forcing herself to speak clearly.

"I know that you are going to feel guilty, and I know words are cheap, but you did not kill her. You would never do such a thing. Not the real you."

 

[Poprockz]

Cora was right- with each word spoken, Sabastian’s stomach twisted in shame and guilt. He could imagine her running, terrified and vulnerable, just wanting to get back to safety after having been sent flying unexpectedly. How frightened must she have been when she fell once more and was bitten? How had Maverick taken it?

Sabastian’s shoulders slumped and he shook his head almost as though he wished she were lying to him. The tears didn’t stop. While he hadn’t liked her, Tiffany hadn’t deserved such a horrible death. He was so strong that he was surprised Tiffany hadn’t been launched across town; that could have been a very real outcome. He had so much power in his little body that any amount of time where he wasn’t fully in control was dangerous. Next time it could be one of them that he accidentally throws or hurts.

“... not the real you.”

That was the problem though, wasn’t it? Who was the “real Sabastian” now? It didn’t matter that his intention hadn’t been to kill her; the fact of the matter was that his actions had resulted in her death. He was so naive to have thought that he could have a life, a loving relationship, the love of his friends, all of that while a monster slept inside of him. He had been so selfish, wanting to have all of that and putting the people he loved at risk because of himself.

The man’s eyebrows knit as he looked into Cora’s eyes. All he saw was a friend trying to comfort him, though he was aware of the fact that she still had her pistol out and ready. In some ways, he was glad she recognized that he was still dangerous to them, but deep down it hurt to think that he had turned into something so demented that they needed to protect themselves from him. There would always be that fear in the back of their minds now that he could turn at any time, and they were right.

Sighing, he wiped some of his tears away, smearing the blood on his face a little. “You guys can go back first. I... I’ll follow after you guys.”

 

[Drobabes]

“You guys can go back first. I... I’ll follow after you guys.”

Vin hadn't wanted to look into his eyes as he was told the truth, but his suggestion made his brown eyes shoot back up to him and he shakes his head.

"No, I'm not leaving you again" he said seriously.

Cora also shook her head, a small look of pain crossing her face before she spoke.

"We're going back together."

Her sad, tearstained eyes then turned to Damien.

"Right?" she asked quietly. They wouldn't let him walk alone, cold, to trail back through the path of destruction that he had unintentionally made, would they?

 

[Poprockz]

His steely eyes met Cora’s, seeing in her eyes how badly she wanted to comfort Sabastian.

Damien was quiet for a moment, thinking about the way Sabastian seemed fearful of hurting them still, despite his apparent stability at the moment. It just went to show how traumatic the experience must have been for him. It was a shame, especially since they had been given about 5 minutes of warning when he turned, so he doubted he would change in the blink of an eye if it happened again.

“If it makes you feel better, why don’t you walk in front of us? That way we would be the first to know if something happens, and you don’t have to be alone?”

The blonde mulled the suggestion over, still not liking the idea of being anywhere near them in case he reverted once more. It felt like they didn’t understand just how quickly and easily he could rip them apart. However, if they were going to be stubborn and force him to come back with them, then being in front was probably the best option if he wanted to keep his distance. Following behind would only make them more vulnerable if he turned without them noticing.

Reluctantly, he nodded, “okay. But please stay back. I can’t have any of you close to me right now.” His voice was soft and sad, the little man slowly moving around the group to give them a wide berth before situating himself several yards in front. He looked over his shoulder, his expression nothing like how he used to playfully glance over his shoulder at Vin. His face looked as though he was exhausted and extremely on-edge at the same time. With that, he started forward, walking the path he couldn’t remember making.

 

[Drobabes]

Delvin couldn't take his eyes off of him, his own expression now lacking any fear that he had felt before. Sabastian could have turned again, his purple eye completely taking over once more, and a snarl forming on his lips and Vin wouldn't have backed away. He had meant it when he said he wasn't leaving him again.

That look over his shoulder almost made the tattooed man ignore his better judgement. He was so scared, and tired, and he looked as if he just wanted to curl back up into the ball that they had found him in. Vin didn't realize he was clutching the sleeping bag so tightly, until he called out to the little blond, asking him to wait.

"Take the blanket at least Bastian," he said, sitting it down on the ground near the rum.

"Please..."

He backed away from it, cursing that he could only provide him comfort from a piece of clothe and not his own arms. But at least...it was their blanket... He didn't know, maybe the smell of him on it would at least provide some level of comfort that he only prayed he could give him soon.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian paused mid-step, his eyes going down to the blanket with concern for a moment. He was currently drenched in blood with mud all down his side, if he took it then it was going to get extremely dirty. It wasn’t like they could just throw it in a washer to be cleaned and dried. Still... he wanted that blanket.

He was cold, and he wanted nothing more than for Vin to hold him like he had at the prison. His arms had been so warm and comforting, holding him like he wouldn’t ever let go. The blanket wasn’t Vin, but it was the next best thing. The man waited for Vin to move backward before walking over, bending and picking up the blanket before wrapping it around himself. It dwarfed him and was going to drag on the ground a bit, but he was a bit too tired to care at this point.

Contrary to what they might have expected, he turned and left the rum. He didn’t feel safe enough to drink, anxious that if he partook of the amber liquid, it might send him into another haze. Even if it didn’t, he wanted to be clear-headed after all that had happened. The idea of letting his inhibitions slip at all was scary for him since he imagined the feeling would be reminiscent of what he went through. The last thing he needed was an anxiety attack.

“Thank you.” He gave Vin a little forced smile before turning away again and starting to walk away. The blanket smelled like him, and he couldn’t help but breath in deeply into his nose to get as much of Vin’s scent in as he could. It was such a warm, comforting scent that he found himself feeling a bit less anxious. To think that he could have wiped away the man who this scent belonged to... it was such a awful thought.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin's own little smile matched Sabastian's, as he couldn't bring himself to truly smile. He was doing everything he could just to hold it together for the little man. After Sabastian took the blanket, Vin went ahead and grabbed the bottle-just encase he needed it later, and together, they all walked back through the path.

As they walked, Cora kept a lookout for other zombies, not trusting for one minute that no other infected wouldn't be attracted by the smell of blood, and not sure if Sabastian would still be able to sense them right now. She tried to stay calm, but much like Vin, she couldn't help but watch Sabastian as they walked. Not because they were afraid of him, but because they were worried for his state of mind, and how the sight of all the ripped apart animals was going to affect him.

 

[Poprockz]

Wrapped in his blanket, he walked in front of them through the forest. Though he had already walked that path, everything was new to his eyes. There was so much destruction, so much death. So many trees had been knocked down, and it looked as though many animals had been sacrificed to his madness. The further he got, the more firmly unease settled into him.

When they came upon the bear, he stopped, drawing the blanket tighter around himself. His eyes went to the separate limbs and then to the part of the torso that looked like it had been fed upon. Sabastian couldn't remember eating, but it was almost as though he could tell what that slimy flesh felt like in his mouth. Sabastian gagged, holding a hand to his mouth for a moment as he tried to recover, though it took him a minute or two to stop retching.

Damien watched with pursed lips, wondering if Sabastian was remembering anything or simply reacting to the sight of the bear. He wished he could offer perhaps some words of comfort, but what did you say to someone in this sort of situation.

 

[Drobabes]

It had been raining all morning, but it looked as if the clouds had finally given them a bit of a break. Jameson was standing by the window of the small house, on the outskirts of town, that he had taken a few of the survivors. All in all, there were about ten people now, including Jesse and her father, and himself, and the house was beginning to become just a bent cramped for so many people. He would have to move them to a new location soon. Still, for today, he had something in mind.

A few hours later, he had lunch served up for everyone, and once everyone was seated in the living room, he started to go over his plan for the evening.

"So, as a few of you may know, I was a soldier. I still technically am, but for the moment, the corruption in the system is too great for me to risk trying to contact any other bases, nor anyone outside of the select few contacts I have. You are all only here because you have proven yourself trustworthy, for one reason or another. Now," he said, looking around the room slowly.

"Trustworthiness is a good trait to have. Along with having a strong heart. However, neither of those things will keep you safe should you face more physical danger, and it's with this in mind that I would like to propose a training course. Every morning, should the weather not prove too difficult, I want all of you to join me so that I can teach you the basics of self defense. Many of you already have weapons, but some do not, and some have barely ever held a gun in their lives, let alone other weapons, such as knives. I also want to teach hand to hand combat."

He paused for a moment, letting his proposition sink in to the crowd as they ate, and he took a bite of his own food before continuing.

"Now, as always, you have the option to opt out. But understand that if you do, you will not be able to watch someone else's back as effectively as they can watch yours, and for this reason, when the going get's tough, you might find that no one will be there behind you when danger comes knocking. So, I highly suggest that you do not opt out, and that you will join me after we are finished eating, to pick out an appropriate gun and weapon for each person. I have plenty to go around, although it would be best if you learned with multiple weapons instead of just focusing on one."

He continued to eat then, letting his posture remain open so as to answer any questions that anyone might have.
________

Delvin watched with an ache in his heart as the little man finally saw the bear, no doubt understanding that the meat he had thrown up was from the large animal. His hand began to clench the neck of the rum hard, and without realizing it, he had started to step forward, his other hand stretched out slightly towards Sabastian. Again, he had such an overwhelming need to comfort the little man; to scoop him up into his arms and tuck his head into the crook of his neck. However, he forced himself to stop, knowing that he likely still needed just a bit of time.

Cora simply watched, trying not to cry again. This whole thing was only made so much harder by the fact that they couldn't physically comfort him. They couldn't even get close to him. How were they going to move forward from this? Even if Sabastian recovered over the next few days, was he going to trust himself to open up again, and feel comfortable around other people?

Her eyes travelled to Damien for a brief moment before looking away. She wanted to talk with him, in private, but they wouldn't be able to do that until they got back. Still, she was scared for Sabastian, and she thought to herself that they should probably hide their pistols tonight, until his state of mind was more stable.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse ate in a sullen manner, still sulking about the stunt her father and Tommy had pulled. She was still very pissed that they hadn't even consulted her before moving her like she was some fragile maiden that needed to be locked away for her own good. Presently, she had been giving her father the could shoulder, employing the silent treatment most of the time they were together.

Tommy was all on his own over there for the most part, probably only having one or two allies as he got himself into trouble that could leave him in a very bad position. Based on how serious this all was, it seemed like he could even get himself killed if he wasn't careful. It ticked her off that she wasn't there to support him, but mostly she was simply afraid for his safety. She didn't want to get word that he had died for his ideals, leaving her behind in this fucking hellscape.

When the man started talking to them, she was disinterested at first until he started to talk about teaching them self-defense. At that point, she perked up and listened intently. The man looked strong and capable, and she had no doubt that he could probably teach her a thing or two about how to take care of herself. Of course she had a pistol and she was a pretty damn good shot, but she wanted to know more hand-to-hand combat.

The lunch went on, no one really having questions for the man. It would seem that they were all simply mulling over what he had said, trying to decide if they wanted to participate. Jesse knew she wasn't going to pass this up, so as soon as she was done, she quickly put her bowl in the designated area and stood to the side, waiting for him to be done as well so they could get started.

----------------------------------------------------------

Sabastian soon got control of his gagging, straightening up and swallowing hard before shuffling back along the path again. It was like walking through some sort of surreal nightmare, the type where nothing attacked, there was just that dread that seeped into one's soul and gave the impression that something ominous was on its way. To put it plainly, he would describe it as plain creepy.

Thankfully, he was able to make it out of the forest eventually, reaching the town and coming upon the place where Tiffany had been shoved. He could still smell her blood on the pavement, the blonde's eyes misting over as he hunched over a little and simply continued walking. It almost felt like his legs were on autopilot, not willing to stop or risk breaking down. Upon getting closer to the auto-shop, the smell of Tiffany's blood got stronger, his eyes going to the blood-soaked spot where he imagined she was bitten, his gaze then following the red trail to the door of the auto-shop. He was afraid to go in, to find what might be in there.

Coming to a stop, he hesitated, eyes fixed upon the door. He didn't want to see her body, didn't want to see her cobwebbed eyes or her pink hair. The blonde moved to the side, sitting down on one of the cinderblocks where they had cooked breakfast before. From there, he pulled the blanket over him completely, wanting to simply immerse himself in the smell of Vin and block out everything else.

Damien had caught her gaze earlier, knowing she was worried about the little man. He felt pretty confident that they were all worried about Sabastian's state of mind. When he killed Toby, he had been inconsolable for several months, and he didn't doubt that Sabastian had probably experienced similar trauma. Who knew how long it would be before he felt okay again? Even then, the knowledge that he was dangerous complicated things and made it so that Sabastian wouldn't be able to get any closure about this.

 

[Drobabes]

Jameson wasn't surprised to the see the little ball of fire standing by the door, seemingly the first. Ever since he had picked her and her father up, he had had a feeling that she was one of those women that, if given a normal life, would have done great in the army or gone off to become some other kind of physical bad ass. He had no doubts in his mind that she would be the easiest one to train, although her endurance was still questionable. He was going to have to push them, just as he would have with his own soldiers, but unlike soldiers, he couldn't afford to leave them exhausted until they had learned a thing or two. While he made damn sure that everyone kept their hygiene in good order, one never knew if a horde was heading their way, and, from what he had learned at that last base, anything else...

Once he was done with his food, he sat the dishes aside and then came over to the door, looking her up and down. It wasn't a look of judgement, but rather, he was calculating how to go about training her. What type of weapon he might want to start her off on, and how much she might be able to handle. After he had an idea of it in his mind, he looked around, noticing a few others had joined. Good. He hadn't wanted to push them into it, but he would have.

"Is your father going to join us?" he said, looking down at the little punk rocker.

"It would be beneficial."
_________

Once they were back at the shop, they felt a bit more at ease, although even a bit was saying a bit too much.

Cora let Bowie down, asking him to stay with the little blond for now. She both wanted him to offer comfort, and, hopefully be able to alert them all if he felt anything strange start to happen again. When Sabastian sat down on the cinderblock, though, she couldn't help but share a look with Vin.

"Sabastian?" she spoke softly.

"Do you want to come inside? We... We cleaned up. And it's warmer."

Vin stared at him, praying that he would say yes. He couldn't stand the thought of him spending the rest of the day outside in the cold, but if he had to, he would come out and stay with him. He couldn't keep him warm, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least be there for him to talk to.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse hadn't thought much of his appraising look, especially since it looked exactly like the looks army officers gave their troupes in movies, so she assumed it was innocent. However, when he questioned about her father, she narrowed her eyes at Randy before looking back at Jameson. "I don't know. I suppose that's up to him." She wasn't about to make decisions for her father, and she still wasn't talking with him more than she had to.

Sighing, Randy stood up and walked over. "Yeah, I'll be participating too. I'm not as young as I once was, but I'll be damned if I don't at least try to get back in shape." He nodded at Jameson, standing awkwardly next to Jesse. It was a shame that she was still angry at her. She had every reason to be, but he hoped she would understand one day when she was a parent herself. He hoped she would get that chance at least.

------------------------------------------------------

"Sabastian? ...Do you want to come inside? We... We cleaned up. And it's warmer."

He was still for a moment under the blanket before he brought it back a bit, his face poking out slightly. The sound of being in the warm building sounded good, though he was hesitant to go in. If something happened while they were all in an enclosed space, would he have enough time to run out of the building? A cool breeze blew past, ruffling his hair slightly and making him shiver.

"Yeah. I could come inside I guess."

Sabastian got up and shuffled closer, waiting for them to enter before he did so. Once they were all inside, he moved to the leather chair in the corner, sitting down with the blanket still wrapped around him. It smelled a bit like Tiffany's blood in there, but there was no escaping what he had done. He simply had to accept it and try to get through the day without being reduced to a crying mess.

Bowie found him over at the chairs, slithering up his leg and under the blanket to settle into the man's lap. He hadn't been expecting the snake to so quickly heed Cora's request, but he could feel concern from the little snake as he flicked his little tongue at him. The blonde felt a bit guilty that the snake likely was sharing in a lot of his feelings of anxiety, fear, and shame.

Damien crossed his arms and opened his mouth to ask if Sabastian was hungry. However, he soon thought better of it, turning away from him and toward Cora. What happened now? He was safe and sound, but how were they going to handle this? Reaching out, he rubbed her arms gently, trying to comfort the woman.

 

[Drobabes]

"Alright then" he said, nodding in approval. He then led the small group out to the back garage of the house, where their contact from the base had dropped off their supplies. There were some boxes of of food rations, which he made sure to go through each morning and evening, to ensure that no one was dipping in and taking more than was needed, and next to it, a few crates with weapons and ammo. Opening them up, he began to call people over, one by one, going over the various weapons and explaining the basics of how they could be used, or in the case of the guns, how much kick they would give, how loud they would be, and how accurate for both long range and short range.

Once everyone had a weapon, he lead them all outside.

"Alright, seeing as firing these guns off here could potentially, no, most likely, attract unwanted attention, I am going to be taking small groups out to a more secure location where I and my contact have cleared the area of any infected. There is still risk, or course, from other people, but the risk should be pretty low. This is also why I gave all of you a wrist watch when you first got here, as I will be having someone keep track of the time, and, in the case that we do not return within the next hour and a half, you will pack up and leave to the next location. The plan B that I explained before."

He looked at them all quite seriously then, making sure that they understood his instructions and understood that this was not to be taken lightly. When he was satisfied with that, he loaded Jesse, Randy, and another young man up into his truck, and together they left for a spot in the forest, a few miles away from the house, and definitely far enough away to where the gunshots would not be heard by any infected. Once there, let everyone get their bearings and began to show them how to properly load and hold their guns, before they began the target practice.
________

Cora looked up into his eyes, feeling his warm hand on her arm. She had felt comfortable enough to put her pistol away in the back of her pants, but now she didn't know what to do with herself either. Although, taking another look at Sabastian made her furrow her brows in concentration. Suddenly, she walked away, towards the back of the shop where there was some clean rubber tubs used for oil changes, and some of that soap that mechanics liked to use, that smelled of oranges.

"Delvin?" she said, looking back over her shoulder as she picked the tub up.

He had been standing by the door, stiff and just barely keeping himself from breaking something again, when he heard her call to him. She looked like she needed help with something, and he was more than grateful to have something to do, heading over to her quickly.

"Can you fill this water from the sinks in the bathroom? I doubt there's any hot water, but clean water and a bit of soap, to get that mud off his face," she said quietly.

"Will probably make him feel much better. I'll take Damien in the back with me, and we'll find some clean rags or something to use."

He nodded, taking the tub and quickly escaping to the bathrooms, and once he was out of the room, Cora looked over to the dirty little man, tears threatening to spill down her face again. She remembered how kind and gentle he had been with her when she had been bitten, and how doting he had been when she could barely drink or even move. If he continued to be more stable throughout the rest of the day, she was determined to ensure that he at least had something warm and comforting to put in his belly later. Certainly nothing with meat, but maybe just a bit of some broth, or some dried fruit with oatmeal.

But in any case, for right now, she looked up at Damien and beckoned him to come with her to the back rooms.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse was silent most of the ride, Randy himself not really knowing what to say to his daughter. She hopped out of the car and chose a pistol, loading it herself and carrying it over to where they were shooting targets. Aiming, she was able to make eight out of ten shots. Randy had taken her out shooting many times, so she was pretty familiar with firearms, though she did prefer pistols.

-------------------------------------------------------

Sabastian couldn't look at Vin, his heart twisting at the thought of looking at the man's face. He was sure that Vin probably wanted to comfort him or do something for him, but there was nothing to be done. Even a touch would be too much for Sabastian to handle. Only Bowie would be trusted to come close. He doubted he would hurt another zombie in that state, much less a zombie animal, so he felt comfortable holding the snake in his arms.

With one last glance at Sabastian, Damien followed Cora into the backrooms for the rags. He suspected that she needed some support since he assumed this really wasn't a two-person job. When they reached the backroom, he shut the door gently and gave her a more vulnerable look.

"I don't know what to do..." He said softly, his steely eyes betraying a bit of his own concern and fear for the blonde man.

-------------------------------------------

He glanced at them as they seemed to confer a bit quietly, each of them going off somewhere else. Once they were gone, he pulled the blanket up over himself and Bowie once more. In the dark, warm space he made, he simply leaned against the wall. Fresh tears came down his cheeks. There was no way he could stay now. Vin had said that he was fine being with him despite Sabastian's nature, but they were past a point of no return. He was no longer willing to let Vin have a say in this; the blonde would much rather break Vin's heart than see him in pieces like that bear.

What was so confusing and disturbing was that there didn't seem to be any discernable trigger. It was raining, but he had been in water several times. There was just no logical reason why he had turned at that time of all times. For that reason, there was no telling when the next time would be. He couldn't, in good conscience, put them through that.

He had to be strong for them- he had to do what they wouldn't be able to: he would leave when they were all asleep. There was no other way to keep those sweet people safe. As the decision was locked in his mind, Bowie let out a soft little hiss. It wasn't an aggressive noise, but more of a protest. Their eyes locked in the dim light of their private little space and Sabastian shook his head slightly. "Hush, Bowie..." The little snake had to know what he was planning, but he wasn't going to be convinced otherwise.

 

[Drobabes]

Seeing as she was already pretty well off with the pistol, Jameson switched off with Jesse, giving her a rifle to practice with for a while while he spent some individual time with Randy, and then the young man. After some time had been spent simply practicing with aim, he then switched them over to practicing in different positions and from different distances. After all, real life would never be like at a gun range, and while he intended to put them under pressure in the near future, for right now, he just wanted them to be comfortable shooting from kneeling, laying down flat, while walking, and from any other which way he could think of. He just needed them to be able to move while also keeping their aim steady, as zombies would be their first priority. Later, when he was teaching more self defense, he would have to get in a bit of stealth with them.
________

That look of vulnerability on his face made her lose her stubborn composure, and she quickly walked over to him and wrapped him up in a hug. It felt as if he was always trying to comfort her, but right then, she was reminded that Sabastian was just as much Damien's friend as he was hers.

"I don't know what to do either" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"There's just so much about this that we don't know..."

She took a step back so she could look up at him, but she kept her hands wrapped around his back.

"Can you remember anything at all about what might have triggered it? How was he acting? And why did he try to push her away?"
________

Jonathon had finished his inspection of the trail long before they had retrieved Sabastian, and now, he was perched up high with his rifle aimed at the little blonds head through the window. In his opinion, they were fools to let him come inside, although he wasn't about to report in just yet and ask for back up. He had enough of his men watching the place at the moment, but if Ray found out too soon, just how destructive Sabastian had been, he might order him to simply take Cora in the night, once they were all asleep.

It wouldn't be a bad move, quite honestly, but Jonathon was much more interested in the zombie man and what capabilities he possessed. How much power could they harness from that little body, if only they had the right collar fit around his neck?

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse was a decent shot with the rifles, though not as good as she had been with the pistols. Her dad had taken her to gun ranges and so she occasionally participated in competitions just for fun. For that reason, she could move and shoot a pistol with fairly good accuracy from most of not all positions. Compared to the pistol, the rifle felt clunky though, so she wasn’t as intuitive with it.

She was fine practicing with the weapons, but she was itching to try hand to hand combat. One didn’t always have their weapon, so she wanted to be prepared for that eventuality.

“When are we going to do hand-to-hand?” She asked Jameson, pointing her rifle down respectfully.

——————————-

That warm embrace of Cora’s made him sigh, the man wrapping his arms around her as well as he stopped trying to make sense of it all and simply seek comfort in her arms for the moment. He didn’t want to think of what they would do if Sabastian never regained his confidence. If he lived the rest of his life without a moment’s rest from his fear of himself, then it would slowly eat away at that sweet little man.

He thought silently at her question before answering. “I honestly have no idea what triggered it. He got splashed with water when it was raining particularly hard, but we’d been wet all day. He seemed to be a bit dizzy at first, then disoriented, then Tiffany teased him about being a baby. She put her hand on his forehead and leaned in close. Basically she invaded his personal space and it looked like he didn’t want to shove her that hard, just get her away from him. He looked panicked after he saw what he did, and from there he gripped his eye and acted like he was struggling or in pain.”

Damien paused and rubbed the stubble on his cheek. “His eye went completely purple. All of it, even the white and pupil was dyed... then he commanded us to run, the guy running off into the forest.”

———————————

It occurred to Sabastian that he had no idea where they were. If he had any hope of ensuring their safety by refusing to let them find him, then he needed to know where he was headed. Checking to make sure no one was coming, he quickly got up and carried Bowie into the office.

After searching for a few moments in the file cabinet, he was able to find a map of the are, taking it back to his chair with him and unfolding it a little before pulling the blanket up and around him once more, hiding himself and Bowie from view. His eyesight was good enough that he could read the map in the dim light, so he went to work reviewing it a little, unaware that his plans were not as secret as he may have thought.

 

[Drobabes]

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. She had definitely excelled past his expectations, although, he wondered how she would do when put under pressure.

"Tell you what," he said, taking a look at his watch.

"We have another...twenty minutes before we head back. Get your accuracy up with that rifle from the positions I showed you, and while your moving, and I'll start you on it tomorrow. Rain or shine."

Jameson could see the fire in her eyes, the want to fight. She had someone she needed or wanted to protect, and it was that fire that would ensure she kept excelling.
________

Cora watched his expressions as he spoke, sniffling occasionally or stroking his back gently. It was relieving that there had been at least some kind of warning, that he hadn't just snapped like a twig, although it was still so little to go off of. When he got to the part about his eye fully turning, she frowned.

"I'm sorry" she said softly, reaching up to wipe away a stray tear.

"That couldn't have been easy to see..."

Her arms pulled him close once more, hugging him for just a little longer before she let out a shaky breath and finally let go.

"I don't know what to do now, but...well, let's just help him get cleaned up. Whether or not there's a risk of him turning again, that's still our friend out there right now, so we need to help him. Do you think you could make him some mild broth, or some oatmeal a little later?"

She started looking around for a shirt or some spare rags, finding a small bag of clean ones stuffed in one of the small square lockers.

"I don't know if he'll eat right now, but it might still be comforting."
________

Delvin had taken the tub into the bathroom, but for a long moment, he simply stood there, not turning the water on. His hands were shaking, and occasionally he would look in the mirror.

What were they going to do now? Despite Sabastian having calmed down, how was he going to recover from this? What had just happened had been his worst fear, the very reason he had tried so hard to reject him, to push him away. Was he going to push him away again?

Finally, he turned the water on, letting it run for some time before he finally started filling the tub.

 

[Poprockz]

"Alright." Jesse nodded at him and jogged back over to the range they were using to practice some more. She wanted to start in on that training today, but if Jameson needed to rest after this, it wasn't as though she could force him. Though... on that trail of thought, maybe she could find one of the other soldiers to get her started on hand-to-hand before her session tomorrow. It wasn't like they really had anything to do in the meantime, and she was feeling very antsy and restless. Every minute wasted was a minute she could be using to get better.

Glancing over, Randy recognized that look. She had always been excessively determined when it came to accomplishing something or honing a skill. When she started drumming, she would stay up late practicing, sometimes pulling all-nighters until she mastered the particular movement or rhythm she wanted. The only reason she hadn't run herself completely ragged was because Randy had put his foot down about going to sleep and resting regularly. He would have to keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn't overextending herself again.

--------------------------------------------------------

"It's okay... It's not the eye that was difficult to watch. The panic on his face was hard to see; he just looked so frightened and confused. I wish we could have helped him in that moment." Damien said quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder until she pulled back and talked about feeding the little zombie man.

He thought about oatmeal and the texture of it, deciding against it. "I don't think he would do well with oatmeal. We'll want him to eat something with the least meaty texture as we can manage. I think we have some crackers, and I think that might be pretty easy on his stomach as well as some broth."

Damien walked over to some cabinets in the back of the room and started looking through them. There wasn't much of interest back there, but he did find some folded rags. They looked to be the type they used to wipe their oily hands on, most of them dirty with black spots. However, they smelled clean, so maybe they could use them. Grabbing two handfuls, he brought them over to Cora, holding them out.

"What about these?" His eyes flicked up to her face, "and... how are you holding up?"

--------------------------------------------------------

After having looked at the map for a minute or two, Sabastian had at least a good idea of the town's layout and where he might head next. Folding up the map again, he shoved it under the seat cushion to hide it. This wasn't going to be easy, though some might say it would be made easier due to what he was. The blonde man would be able to drift through different towns without having to worry about the undead- not the mindless undead at least. He had a feeling that the ones with full violet eyes could be extremely unpredictable and dangerous.

To be honest, it almost felt like he was normal with Margaret in terms of strength. True, she had been able to overpower him, but just barely. There had still been times where he had almost been able to wiggle out of her grasp before she would accost him. It made him wonder if he would have been able to take her on if he had any fighting experience or training, or at least be able to get away from her grasping hands.

He shuddered at the memory, not wanting to go through those images right now. The blonde started doing a mental inventory of what he had in his pack, wondering if he shouldn't just leave it behind and get an entirely new one so that they couldn't recognize it if they saw him in passing. Speaking of, he would have to disguise himself on the off-chance that they ever met again.

 

[Drobabes]

Jameson was noticing it too, and it only furthered his belief that she would have made a great little soldier if she had been given the opportunity. However, as much as he wished he could push her to those hard physical limits that he had pushed his own boys to, the world at this time was not safe. He needed to get her in the best shape possible without leaving her vulnerable. He made a mental note to have a chat with her about it later, perhaps over dinner.

As it were, he finished up their training session and got everyone loaded up, then headed back, taking the next small group out with him. Daylight was burning and he wanted to get as many of them trained, as quickly as possible.
________

"Those will work" she nodded, then looked up. With a shuddering little breath, she brought her sweatshirt sleeve up to wipe her face.

"I don't know. I'm so scared for him, Damien. And I'm scared for Vin too, but Vin can move on...Sabastian..."

She went over and took a seat on the bench.

"I mean this is exactly what he was afraid of. And even if he gets back to normal after tonight, you know he's not going to lose that fear. I just...god, I just wish there was some way to study it. Or if we could find a military officer or a scientist that we could trust wouldn't just lock him up in a cage, if we could figure out what triggered it and how to avoid it or, suppress it even."

Cora let her hands fall into her lap, her expression becoming a bit blank as she simply stared at the floor.

"I don't think," she said slowly.

"We should leave our guns out tonight. I don't trust him not to try and...well."
_________

Vin finally built up the courage to come out of the bathroom, carrying the small tub of water over to the makeshift table they had set up earlier. He didn't say anything right away, instead choosing to go over and grab the soap that Cora had pointed out earlier. Once he had it, he took it over and sat it by the tub, and then he very reluctantly sat down.

For a long moment, he just stared at the blanket that Sabastian was hiding under before he finally spoke up.

"Bastian..."

He didn't know what he could say. What words where there that would ever be able to fix this?

 

[Poprockz]

Upon arriving back at their camp, Jesse slipped away to seek out a man named Stanley. He was one of the other military men in their group, and he looked to be pretty buff in general which was perfect. Kuznet was enormous, and if she ever found herself needing to fight him, she wanted to be prepared.

"Hey, Stanley. Think you could teach me some hand-to-hand fighting?" She walked up to him, watching as he straightened up. He had been cooking, getting the evening meal ready for later. It was stew, so it would take a few hours for it to be ready for them.

The man had a buzz-cut with brown hair, his soft brown eyes looking at her as she approached. "Didn't you just get back from firearm drills?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't start on something else." She crossed her arms, determined to get his help.

He simply looked at her for a few moments, his gaze flicking down and up much like the other man's. She was small, so it was unlikely that she would ever be able to physically overpower him. Rather, she would have to use her size for speed and to use the enemy's weight against them.

"Tell you what. I'm not going to train you in hand-to-hand, but I can help you with another exercise. For the next couple days, I will attack you randomly, and enlist others' help in attacking you. Not anything to really rough you up, but enough to keep you on your toes so that your reflexes have a chance to develop. Your job is to dodge. Simple enough, right? Every time you do not successfully dodge, you'll end up in the dirt, but the fighting will be on my terms. Will you do it or not?" He stirred the stew, eyes on her expression. What she really needed was to get a better eye for her surroundings, a way to train her to be more alert.

Jesse seemed somewhat disappointed, but she was still willing to take what she could get. "Sure, that would be fine."

--------------------------------------------------

When Cora moved to the bench, he followed her and sat to her side, quietly listening.

"I don't think... We should leave our guns out tonight. I don't trust him not to try and...well."

Damien looked slightly disturbed by what she said, his lips becoming a hard line as he let the implications soak in. The truth was that he could see Sabastian doing something like that. With Vin, he had put his own needs and feelings aside for the big man in order to try to evade Vin's affections, so concerned about Vin's safety that he hadn't given himself permission to accept Vin, nor given Vin permission to stay with him despite the risks. That is, until Vin had forced the issue and convinced Sabastian that it would be okay.

It wasn't okay anymore though, so who knew what the little man would do in the name of keeping them safe. The thought of Sabastian's crystalline eyes dull and lifeless made his stomach clench, hoping that would never become a reality.

He put his arm around Cora and pulled her close to his side. "I agree. If he asks why we're keeping the guns at our sides tonight, we can simply say it's a precautionary measure to make him feel better about sleeping inside."

---------------------------------------------------

"Bastian..."

He hadn't needed to hear his voice in order to know who it was. The man's smell was strong today, likely due to all the emotional stress, sweating, and the sogginess of his clothes. Sabastian didn't want to come out from under his blanket and look at him, not knowing what he could even say. He didn't want to see the pain in the man's eyes, the pain he had put there. While part of Sabastian would never regret the fond memories he had with Vin, he couldn't help but regret letting Vin get attached to him. He had indulged himself when accepting Vin into his arms, accepting those dominant lips and lustful hands.

However, in some ways he felt he had a duty to do right by Vin in the short time they had left with each other. The blanket was opened slightly, Sabastian's tired face poking out from it and looking at Vin sitting over there. His eyes went to the tub and he thought to himself that it would take a little while for himself to get clean if that's what it was for.

"Hey." Was all he said in response, letting the silence settle between them.

 

[Drobabes]

Out with the other group, Jameson was getting a bit frustrated with the lack of willingness, and midway through training, he started to becoming more militaristic in his orders. Only two had come out with him, after he had dropped Jesse, her dad, and the young man off. Only half of the group-not good enough if he wanted them all to be ready to fight.

I'll have to move them soon, to a bigger location, and get a few more soldiers in.

"Billy! All the way down, on your stomach! I don't want to see the top of your head over that stump. If I can see it, than anyone can see it, understand?"
________

She let him pull her into his side, and she let her hand come down to his thigh, letting the comfort of his warm body ease away some of the tension. She knew she shouldn't be sitting there too long, they really needed to get back out there and be there for the little blond, but for just that moment, she couldn't bring herself to move from that spot. In answer to what he had said, she could only manage a small nod of her head.
________

His brown eyes stared at him, full of pain and worry for the man that he loved.

"Hey" he answered, just as softly.

He brought his arms forward, resting his elbows on his knees and as he leaned forward slightly.

"Do you need anything? Or, do you want me to play something for you?"

His deep voice was just a bit hopeful, trying not to betray the whirlwind of emotions that were simmering behind his eyes. Although, once he had asked the question, it seemed a bit pointless and he sighed, letting his head hang down a bit.

"I'm sorry Bastian, I just...don't know what to do. I know you don't want me to touch you, but it's about all I know how to do right..."

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse turned to leave, still a bit dissatisfied. The next thing she knew, something hard made contact with her body and she was sent falling over into the dirt. "What the fuck?!" She said angrily, turning onto her back to look up at Stanley, the strong man hovering over her.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings. You walk like you expect to be safe, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Walk as though you could be attacked at any time, but walk with purpose. To not be balanced is to give the enemy an edge." He held his arm out, offering his hand to her. She took it and allowed him to help her up onto her feet, still a bit bewildered and annoyed.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind..." She brushed herself off and gave him one last lingering look before scuttling away from him.

---------------------------------------------------

"We're going to do everything we can for him, and when we reach our destination, we're going to try to find someway to help him. He's just going to need extra support until that time." Damien rubbed the side of her arm and then looked at the door. He didn't want to go back out there to Sabastian; he felt helpless as far as easing the blonde's fear and he hated to see him so beaten down. Still, it would be even worse if the man was ever left alone.

"Let's get back." He picked up the rags again and stood up, lingering as he waited for Cora to follow him back to the main room.

-----------------------------------------------------

Had things been different, the little man might have chuckled at the way Vin said that touching him was the only thing he knew how to do. He might have even made a flirty comment about how that was just fine with him. As it was, Sabastian was far too heavy-hearted to be making jokes of that sort right now, especially since he knew that soon he was going to have to rip off the band aid for Vin. It would sting at first, but he knew that with Cora and Damien around, he would be okay and would someday find happiness with another.

His eyes went to Vin's bag where he kept his guitar and then back to Vin. "Actually... I would like to hear you sing. Anything is fine, I just want to listen. I... still don't really feel like talking much." This was the last chance he had to hear that low, honeyed voice sing softly to him, and he wasn't going to pass it up. When he thought of their last night together, he wanted to remember Vin sitting there with the guitar he gave him, strumming those talented fingers along its strings and looking at Sabastian almost like he loved him.