Trials and Tribulations (Ethan)(COMPLETE)

Blue's internal alarm clock went off and she groaned. Rolling over in her bed she rubbed her fists over her eyes releasing them from the grit that held them hostage through the evening hours. Getting out of bed, the fire in the fireplace died down and stopped all together. She groaned, getting up, into the bathroom. She did her business, washed her face, brushed her teeth, brushed out her long curls. Going into the closet she grabbed a pair of jeans and a random tshirt and headed down the stairs fully dressed but still dazed because well... coffee had not been had yet.

The coffee machine had already brewed. It started when her internal alarm went off. She grabbed a large mug, and she grabbed the coffee pouring it into the mug before she turned and saw the lump on her couch.

Ohhhh right.

Breaking and Entering.

Held at gunpoint in her own house.

Exchanging words.

And.. a night full of torture for one John Rivers.

She remembered now turning the A/C vent above the couch onto about as cold as it could get. There was no fire place in the living room, not to mention that she remembered setting Albert to a 30 minute alarm system to chirp every thirty minutes. A slow grin spread across her lips as she sipped at her coffee and leaned against the counter watching him sleep. He probably had only really fallen asleep an hour ago. She ate a hot pocket thing for breakfast that she nuked and then she crossed into the living room picked up a throw pillow and tossed it at John's face.

It's morning. Fix my door. We have shit to do today. So we have to get started. No sleeping in for assholes that beat my door down at 3am. So lets go John-boy!

Ethan Kelly had slept in mud, the pouring rain, the driving snow, and the blistering heat. He hunkered down under enemy fire, friendly fire, mortar bombardment, and through gas attacks. Despite all of this, "John Rivers" would find that last night was easily one of the worst nights of his entire life. Slivers of ice hung from the vent above the couch where he slept, as his body involuntarily shivered, despite the suit he wore. The worst part was the infernal chirping by that stupid bird!

He could of swore she got him to do it just as he was dozing off again, which was hard considering that the heat from the AC unit itself seemed to drip frigid water on him before it froze more to the small icicles that plagued him throughout his slumber. Every chirp, a shudder; every shudder, falling cold water; every drop of water, a swift kick that the damned owl avoided. For being a mechanical pain in the ass...it was swift. If Ethan didn't hate the thing so much, he would've probably been impressed.

His internal clock just flipped over the one hour, seventeen minutes of continuous sleep when the throw pillow hit him in the face. His eyes shot open, and he grimaced. That made one hour, thirty-nine minutes of sleep last night...and it was Blue Tiran's fault entirely.

It's morning. Fix my door. We have shit to do today. So we have to get started. No sleeping in for assholes that beat my door down at 3am. So lets go John-boy!

Shifting his weight for a moment, Ethan fingered the pistol grip in his holster for just a moment. He could shoot her right now...and it could be over. Sure, the mission would be scrubbed and he would probably be dragged off to some Paladin facility to have his cybernetics ripped out while he was still awake...but, could you imagine her face when, suddenly, a hole was ripped through the center of her chest?

It would be hilarious.

The thoughts left his mind as a smile grew on his face. Yes, there was much to do today. She thought she was gonna torture "John?" Well, two could play at that game...and Ethan had actual experience with torture.

Fine, I'm getting up. He stated with a grunt as he pulled himself up from the couch, stretching his cramped muscles and popping his back. Placing his earpiece in his ear, he activated his commlink to make a call for acquisitions from her building manager.

Ray? Its John Rivers, I need you to find a front door, decor appropriate, for 17 Alabaster Terrace, Apt 4 Bravo. The door had...an accident, and needs to be replaced. Oh, and put it on a New Dawn expense account, PO number is Tango Bravo Five-One-Six-Six-Two. Yeah, I can clear from it, just tell them it was me.

It was Blue's expense account. The way Ethan saw it...she can pay for the false alarm she perpetrated. Plus, it would piss her off, which was always a plus.

Oh, and Ray? He reached to grab her coffee cup and crush it in his hand, spilling hot coffee all over the carpet. Put a carpet cleaning on there too. He disconnected the call and wiped his coffee covered hand before wrapping it in his tie. The cuts were worth it, in his opinion.

No coffee for childish bitches who can't take their security seriously. Now, get out to the car...NIARA, and make it snappy.

He got up.

She watched him move stiffly. And what had seemed funny last night, didn't seem as funny in the morning. But when you had your door broken in, and your bodyguard straddling your backside with a gun on you... you wanted revenge. At least, Blue did. She was going to say something, but then he entered his comlink to the company and soon was talking to Ray. Aquiring her a new door.. and then... he charged it to her account. Her eyes narrowed.

Okay. She could take her lumps.

This was a .. she didn't know exactly what it was, but it was something. Some sort of power of wills they were having. She didn't know who would give in first, but she was a very stubborn girl.

Then he grabbed her coffee. Squeezed. And it oozed down onto the floor. Her eyes went cold. He had stained her perfectly white carpet. And, he had charged that to her account to. And... he proceeded to look her right in the eyes as he did so.

That son of a bitch!

Blue wasn't seeing red until he used her first name. Her real name. The only her family only used. It wasn't like she was ashamed of her name. But she just felt more like Blue than she did a Niara and when the people at work had started calling her Blue she had stuck with it more than anything else. Taking it on as her name, rather than Niara which was her given name.

Her eyes were cold.

A nasty, cold, that made people fear what was in store for them.

Before she even knew what had happened. Before she even made the decision really, she punched him in the face. Now Blue was strong, she was a girl, but she also worked with heavy machinery all the time, and had to man-handle parts into submission quite often. So she was no sissy by any means. That didn't mean, that she could impress him either, because he was a well trained solider but even still.. it felt better to get something in. Her eyes were ablaze as she brushed passed him and headed outside into the warm summer morning.

She said nothing as she opened her garage, she was taking her car. It was better equiped to handle what they were doing today anyway. She opened the garage next to it and pulled out a large trailer that she could hook to the back of her car that had the power lifter/cart on it, so that she could easily maneuver around the garbage dump. Because it would weigh down as she put things on it that she could use at the lab. Pulling out the tank and hooked it up on her own to the trailer.

Blue was a solo girl.

She was used to it. Probably why her and Sol dated. They were both very busy, and she understood the hush hush nature of his work and he understood her own. They both understood that work came first. She wasn't sure how long it would last, but it wasn't as if anyone else was knocking at the door. Sol was a great guy, she was lucky.

In the car she leaned back and closed her eyes. The garage's closed as she shifted her mind to the lab and into her computer where she shifted some things around. And checked her messages while she waited for Ethan to finish getting his pansy ass out to the car. Grabbing a napkin from some fastfood place or another and she began to draw out some schematics and things that she was working out in her mind. Though she could create whole sets of blueprints in her mind, she sometimes liked to see them out in front of her.

The morning was slowly getting better. That being said, as he charged the door....and carpet to her personal work account, her look was absolutely priceless. It took nearly all his frayed nerve and maniacal lack of sleep to keep from doubling over and laughing at her. Her eyes grew cold and narrow, the type of pissed that she had used the day before when he tried to get her boyfriend's name. Last time, he had run for cover. But this time, he didn't give a damn about her feelings.

Then...she slugged him across the face.

She had shown all the signs of taking a swing, and Ethan was so tired he missed nearly all of them. Her chest muscles tensed as she leaned back quickly in a swaying motion that leveled her small iron fist square on his cheekbone. Normally, Ethan could have countered and put Blue on the floor for being so obvious...but he was so damn tired.

Stifling a curse, fire shot up his tongue where his teeth had lanced the muscle, causing a small amount of blood to pool in his mouth. She bumped him as she passed, rage ever present in her eyes. He quietly wiped his mouth, wiping the blood on his jacket. It was going to be dry-cleaned anyway. With one slight moment of hesitation, he spit his mouth full of blood on to the carpet near the coffee stain.

They'll get it when they clean...hope it costs more. Ethan smiled at the thought as he followed the metaphorical burned footprints Blue left in her wake. He didn't worry about the security of the apartment, some of those idiots from CheckMate would be here soon to watch it.

By the time Ethan had gotten to the parking area, he saw the large trailer hooked up to the vehicle Blue typically drove. Fuming, she sat impatiently in the driver's seat...doodling, or something. Ethan spared a longingly hopeful look at his own vehicle, with its weaponry caches, armor plating, and most importantly, comfortable leather seats. With a resigned sigh, he opened the passenger door to blue's car and sat down.

I don't assume we are taking a peaceful, pothole free drive to the office today are we?

Blue didn't speak.

When he got in the car she put the napkin and her marker down. Then she fired up the car. It sounded great. Which of course, it should, as it was Blue's personal car and it would probably have the best work done on it herself. She began to head off to the dump, she didn't feel like talking.

Her name.. Her real one. It was not something she let be used casually. There was something about her name that stripped her down raw. Something that made her feel as though her entire soul was bared for everyone to see at once. She didn't like that feeling. Niara was the girl she had left behind at home when she curled up into herself as a young pre-teen and began to find her own way in the world through machines and parts. Niara was the girl from a family, Blue.. Blue stood on her own. Blue was a different woman all together, Blue was the woman that knew everything there was to know about parents, machines, and blue prints and how to make them. Niara, Niara was a girl who had lost all her family on a single day.

They drove. She drove with one hand on the wheel and the other arm was cocked on the window sill of the open window beside her. No music played. She didn't feel very musical at the moment, but if he touched the radio that was fine. She was just not in the mood to talk about anything at the moment. Calling her Niara, had been a low blow. Not that he could have known that, but still it pissed her off that he had gotten to her, and so easily.

They continued driving.

She said nothing.

They got to the dump. There was a large metalic gate that blocked the entrance. Blue didn't even blink, or slow down, the gate opened just enough to let their vehicle and trailer in before it closed behind them. She parked the car just to the right, there was no room for them to drive the car in further. She said nothing as she bailed out of the car and slid the gate down from the trailer so that she could take the power cart off of it. It was controlled by her mind and her touch. It swiveled out in front of her and she began to push it towards the back of the dump.

The smell was horrendous, of course.

But she was used to it. She had worn the right clothes for getting dirty and she fully intended to make John-boy work for it.

Lets go. We have work to do. Today is salvaging day. she looked over her shoulder at him. Hope you brought your dirty clothes.

She turned back around and continued walking. When she got to the sector of the dump she wanted to start at she parked the lift cart to the side and it rose to the height of the red dumpster walls. Without waiting for John, she hoisted herself up and over and into the dumpster itself. Landing amid all the various parts, crap, food, and what not that people in Librium had thrown away.

Don't think you can just stay down there either, get up here. I'm going to need your help.

The ride was quiet, and the wind from the drive was quite soothing on Ethan's face. He did his best to nod off for a bit, but Librium's streets were not the most well-maintained, either that or Blue was intentionally hitting potholes. He could be angry, she should be angry, but he was just too damn tired. He had spent nearly the last seventy-two hours preparing to meet and protect Blue Tiran...and she had made the last twenty-four a living hell.

So much for appreciation for doing a difficult job.

The ride was quiet, and Blue didn't even look at him, and Ethan could honestly not care one bit. He had no idea where they were going, which was something Ethan should have honestly been concerned about...especially because the site wasn't secured by any short stretch of the imagination. The mild delirium that encased his head just shuffled those facts away as they approached the dump.

It was the smell that hit him first.

That was the last thing Ethan needed this morning. A sudden wave of nausea struck him and he nearly lost the contents of his stomach. A metal door flew open as Blue drove them in. When the car stopped, Ethan looked around, finding no one in sight, before rubbing his eyes and staggering over to Blue.

Where are we? Please don't say "the Librium Dump."

She walked away, looking over her shoulder as she spoke, saying it was "salvaging day." He really hated the way she sounded so happy about that. It just ground at his soul, his tired, dirty, sleep-deprived soul. Hope you brought your dirty clothes.

Did she just smirk at me? If she did...I'll punch her back. I don't give...ugh. Forget it.

He followed her through the stinking piles of refuse and the gods-knew-what. She parked the red lift thing she pulled around and climbed in. Rising herself to a specific level, Blue climbed over the top and took a small leap to a stacked red dumpster. Her head peaked over the lip of said dumpster, pieces of debris already in her hair.

Don't think you can just stay down there either, get up here. I'm going to need your help.

You've got to be kidding me.

Ethan had no idea how to put the lift down, and the dumpsters were easily twenty feet in the air. With a shrug and sigh, Ethan reached for his tie...only to find it missing. Of course, he had taken it off before falling asleep the third time on her couch. That left few assists to climbing with dumpsters of minimal foot and hand holds. Improvisation the thought, he removed his belt and looped it, creating a catch as he ascended the dumpsters.

The climb wasn't as bad as he first anticipated, the dumpsters actually made the climb easy, and he got some extra practice on his free-form climbing, which he hadn't done in a long time. It was when he hurled himself over the edge of the dumpster when things got...wet. The back of his left knee was soaked with....something, and the left side of his jacket had some sort of rotten foodstuff on it. Thoughts of strangling the woman in front of him crept in to his mind again.

Pushing them aside, he stood up straight, sinking a little more in the squishy, disgusting remnants of Librium. His shoes were ruined, and so was his suit...he knew it. At least his tie was spared. He pulled a candy wrapper from Blue's hair, offering it to her. Yours?

So, now that some of my good clothes are my dirty clothes...where do we begin? Is this shitpile as good as the next?

Sarcasm dripped from his words as a face of general inquiry crossed his face. While he doubted it, he was vastly curious if these shitpiles had some sort of intrinsic value.

He was in a fine mood this morning.

Blue glared at him as he came into the dump with a disgruntled look on his face. This was life. If you worked for Blue, you went digging through dumpsters, and salvaging things that no one thought were useful anymore, that or they didn't have room for. The dump was free. Because if the guys that ran the gate had any issues, they would have her help them with their cars, machines, or whatever. So she paid them, but not really. It was all free, not like the salvage yard.

She stood there, and turned to look at him as he reached up and pulled a candy wrapper from her hair and she shrugged. She was used to being dirty and covered in filth on her days here. She came here every couple weeks to look through all the new stuff, and to circulate through dumpsters that she hadn't gone through yet.

Don't knock the system, John-boy, this is where the best stuff comes from. If you want to search in a seperate dumpster go for it. I'll be here all day.

She said more for his benefit than her own because she didn't want him to have false hope that this was going to only go until she got hungry. Blue could go days without eating. She would work until her cart was packed and then they would head to the lab to categorize, unload, and shelve all of the treasures that she found today.

We're looking for metal, wire, springs, parts of anything that we can use, alter, or adjust to our purposes. Oh.. while you're out here, keep an eye out for any jewelry, mainly a necklace or bracelet would you?

Blue wasted no time. She moved to the back of the dumpster moving nimbly over the piles of crap before she got to the back and began to sift through all the things that were there. Most of what was there, was in fact, crap. But, some times you could find a few really good treasures, old metal, a toaster, all kinds of things people thought didn't work, or believed they didn't have a use for anymore. Sometimes, it was merely because there was a newer model out. Blue found use for all kinds of old things. Most of her inventions came out of the parts of things people through away.

Oh.. Jackpot she said mostly to herself but a bright smile came of her face as she set her feet in the crap and began to heave. Muscles in her arms straining for a moment, for a girl, she had some muscle especially when she used it, the thing came free. It was a carburetor for a car. Good condition, just a bit gunky. She looked over it, light coming over her face as she eagerly inspected all it's crevaces and her smile only got bigger. It was indeed going to be a great day.

Don't knock the system, John-boy, this is where the best stuff comes from. If you want to search in a separate dumpster go for it. I'll be here all day.

Ethan's eyes widened at her words about being there all day. She probably meant literally all day, and that meant Ethan's only shot at caffeine was that coffee maker in her apartment. With a resigned sigh, he rolled up his sleeves and tossed his jacket on one of the railings of the risen cart.

Alright Blue, what am I looking for then?

We're looking for metal, wire, springs, parts of anything that we can use, alter, or adjust to our purposes. Oh.. while you're out here, keep an eye out for any jewelry, mainly a necklace or bracelet would you?

The disbelief at the last sentence sent an eyebrow shooting sky-high. Garbage Jewelry? You trying to start a fashion trend?

Blue moved off deeper in to the dumpster as Ethan watched her maneuver her way through the piles. She was quite agile around the randomness that was the contents of the dumpster. It spoke to her being in this environment more than most people, and even "John" had to admit, she walked with the confidence and determination of a boat captain on her ship. He almost gained respect for her just then....and then he remembered that his shoes were filling with dumpster juice. It smelled like pee.

Deciding he better start somewhere fresh, although the thought of anything "fresher" made him shiver to the bone, he hoisted himself to the edge of the stacked dumpster and in to the adjacent one. Looking over the contents, this particular dumpster looked just like what Blue ordered. Picking up a large suspension spring for a vehicle, he looked it over as he watched her heft a nearly intact carburetor from the sludge.

Jackpot indeed. I think there's an entire car in here Blue.

Tossing the spring lightly in to the cart, Ethan reached deep in the pile and grabbed something big, solid and definitely metal. He pulled lightly; well, lightly for him, and the entire pile in his dumpster shifted. i think I found something...

Reaching his other hand deep in to the pile to get another handhold, Ethan grabbed and pulled, hard. With a grunt and a clang of metal, he lifted a large engine block up at shoulder height. ...big He panted as he looked at her. Think you can use it?

Fact was, Ethan was covered in sludge and grease, and his suit was completely ruined. But he had a smile on his face...this could be a moderately ok day.

Blue did not deign the comment about the jewerly with an answer.

John-boy moved over to the dumpster adjacent to her own and she went back to work after putting the car part on the cart. She was already excited about the day's prospects. Sometimes it took two or three dumpsters before she found anything worthwhile. So she was very happy that this happened to be one of those good days. She hadn't yet found anything when John said something about Jackpot.

She looked up as he held up a large suspension spring.

She grinned.

We may get done faster than expected, if we keep up this rate.

She heard his grunt and looked up.

He was hot. Litterally, one of the hottest things she had ever seen was him trying to pull this thing out of the dump. He was sweaty, because it was hot, and his shirt clung to him, the muscles in his arms were working to pull it out. She was impressed he didn't fall when he finally get it out.

An engine block.

Her face lit up. In seconds she had traversed her own dumpster and jumped into his. A bright smile on her face. All the tension between them this morning had gone in the moment as she ran her hand over the engine block.

Great work, if we work together we can get all these parts on the cart. Probably fill it up and then lunch is on me. she offered.

Blue was much more at ease when she was working. This was the kind of stuff that she lived for. Finding things that would have cost her a fortune to buy, and getting them for free because she didn't mind getting a little dirty. Still though, as he took it to the cart she would be digging into the dump again and coming out with a door panel. It was still intact. A very old car, it was mostly metal instead of fiberglass. That was priceless really. Who ever threw this car away was an idiot.

She passed him in the dump taking her car door to the cart and then came back to help him dig through his dumpster again.

I know, when you signed up for the job. You didn't expect the dumpster diving, but if I can get these parts for free, it enables me to spend my New Dawn funding on other things. I don't have to worry about budget as much when I can help myself out with the expensive things like metal.

"John" never expected such glee coming from the woman who had, in the last twenty-fours hours, been a flaming back of hot air. Blue seemed to take joy in the dumpster diving, grinning and lighting up every time she pulled something from the refuse container. Ethan had to admit...it was mildly entertaining, almost like a treasure hunt. A treasure hunt of the most unorthodox type, but a treasure hunt nevertheless.

When he pulled the engine out of the heap, rapture seemed to fill her face. That was, when she wasn't awkwardly gawking at his physical effort. What was with women? Did they not see a man in a button down shirt hoist a several hundred pound engine from a pile of junk every once and a while? No? Ethan decided if she wanted to gawk, she could...the sooner the cart got filled, the sooner they got back. Blue bounded over to inspect the engine and she seemed very excited.

Great work, if we work together we can get all these parts on the cart. Probably fill it up and then lunch is on me.

Lunch? Counter-proposal: I'll buy lunch, you let me sleep on the couch in your office for three hours...uninterrupted. I'll haul whatever you want me to if you can promise me some sleep.

Blue didn't respond immediately, she merely took her glee deeper in the pile, and retrieved a car door, which she plopped in the cart, and tried explaining her need to dumpster dive. Ethan chuckled, holding up his hand to make her stop explaining herself.

Listen, Blue, I don't need to know why you do what you do. I get it: you're really, really, really dedicated to your work. You got to make every success out of the least bit of general help. Trust me...I know the feeling.

Moving pieces of random crap around, Ethan stuck gold, of sorts. It was metal, and it felt like a frame. This was going to be a short trip. Then, maybe, Ethan could get some sleep.

Blue! I think I got the frame...big piece here. Start clearing the front and I'll see if i can get behind it.

He knew she didn't have the upper body strength to handle a solid metal frame, but he knew she could find weak points where he could try to break it up. First though, he needed to find the entire thing. Climbing up the pile which, thankfully, was supported by this large metal undercarriage, "John" turned to try to find a good hand-hold. Scanning the horizon as the sun finally was reaching a mid-morning angle, Ethan's heart stopped.

A black SUV with tinted windows entered the dump by the same entrance, quickly followed by a second. A large man in black exited the first SUV, and looked over Blue's vehicle, seemingly checking her VIN. Ethan silently cursed, no one checked VIN numbers...unless.

BLUE! Ethan half-yelled in a heightened whisper, Do you do this regularly? Like...if someone looked at a calendar, could they pinpoint your "salvage days?"

The look on Ethan's face was a mix of concern, worry, and the cold look of a killer. There was a very good chance lunch was going to have to wait...that, and sleep. Internally, Ethan groaned at the thought of no soon-upcoming sleep. His mind kept alert...

...company was coming.

She actually felt bad.

About making sure he didn't sleep. It hadn't been nice or fair. And he deserved more respect. Though he knew just how to push her buttons and it drove her nuts, so much so that she ended up doing things that she knew that she shouldn't. Like last night. So when he came back with his counter offer, she nodded. She would make sure that he got a lot of sleep on the office couch and nothing would bother him. She would be fine in the lab anyway. She was always safe there.

The security measures for the lab were insane. No one was going to be able to get in unless they knew where everything was. Besides that, if anyone got remotely close to the lab things started happening. It was really the safest place for her to be in the world. she could handle him taking a nap. She might even scrounge up a nice blanket for him that wasn't completely covered in filth.

Blue blushed, when he stopped her from explaining their dumpster diving. She looked over at him with those multi-hued eyes, and bit her lower lip. She was very dedicated. She couldn't help it. It was just how she was. And maybe, maybe one day she could tell him how she had turned into such a work-a-holic.

But not now.

I know, it seems like I am nuts. But it's a method.

He called her attention to what he believed was a metal car frame underneath all the junk and stuff. He asked for her help so she walked around the pile not really caring about the things that sunk into her jeans. She began to swipe things off of the top of the metal frame. Working hard to help John-boy and besides, this working together thing was starting to really turn out nicely.

His hushed but urgent whisper caught her attention and she turned her head to look at him. He asked if she did this regularly. Like... the same time every day or week or whatever.

Yeah sure, the day after trash day, every week, first thing in the morning before the sun heats up all the stuff.

But the look on his face made her worry. She suddenly, had that feeling the feeling of dread. Knowing not to call attention to herself, Albert suddenly took off from where he had been sitting quietly on the arm of the powered cart and began to circle the dump. Taking video footage. While she continued to clear the junk to pretend everything was normal until John-boy told her otherwise, she watched the footage.

It took seconds.

Seconds for him to zero in on the two SUVs and the guys walking around her precious car as if to make sure it was really her. But... why were people after her? What was so special about her? Surely, there were other technopaths. She supposed there were, just not technopaths that were insanely talented inventors as well. She wasn't sure. Her eyes shifted to Ethan.

Okay, this is your show. What do we do? I have a 9 mil with me.

Yeah sure, the day after trash day, every week, first thing in the morning before the sun heats up all the stuff.

That...was not good.

That meant Blue had a predictable schedule, even in one aspect. That, unfortunately, could be the aspect that got her killed. Worse yet, it could get Ethan killed.

That just wouldn't do.

Okay, this is your show. What do we do? I have a 9 mil with me.

His focus had been on the man from the SUVs; "John" kept wondering why they hadn't disembarked. He really wanted to see how many and who they were...knowing those type of specifics could really assist him with the operation. Blinking for a moment, his head turned to look towards his grime-encrusted compatriot.

Ok, you need to follow my every instruction...to the letter. You hear me? That's the only way I can assure your safety. Can you do that for me? Please Blue?

He got whatever agreement she would give him, well knowing she could and would go her own way should she choose. He had a plan in mind, and things would need to go perfectly to make it work.

Blue, I need you to access the internet and find a map of this place. Identify the closest exit from here, and begin moving towards it as fast as you can. Don't use the gun unless you absolutely have to...the New Dawn extraction teams know to identify themselves using the phrase "Shitty weather today?" The response is "I've seen worse." Remember it. They know who you are, but you need to confirm it through the codewords.

This could be nothing, so don't even move unless things start to go to the crapper. If things go bad, move to that exit point. You got me?

With that said, me moved towards the edge of the dumpster, grabbing his suit jacket and throwing himself over the side. The hand tensed, and he pulled himself up one more time. He tossed the panic button to Blue.

If I get in trouble...press the panic button. It could give me the edge I need to survive the odds. That, and I'll know where you are and that you're safe. See you in another life.

Ethan smiled and winked at her as he rapidly descended the dumpsters to the ground. Adjusting the jacket, he made sure he had everything he needed. Confirming he had only half of the things he would need to be comfortable walking in to this situation, Ethan sighed and walked with determination. As he rounded a pile of garbage, he got a good look at one of the big goons who surrounded the car.

It was Rupert Exen, leader of the Novacore Mercenary Corporation.

"John" was suddenly relieved, seeing the man he had hired to pose a threat to Blue to validate his theory. But, when he hired the group, they had maybe half a dozen members and a single jalopy of a vehicle. What had happened, Ethan didn't know, but it wasn't looking great.

Excuse me, gentlemen, the two inspecting the car turned and pointed sub-machine guns at him. Ethan calmly rose his arms, meeting Exen's eyes. I bring word from Mr. Kelly, the gentleman who hired you fine Novacore men. Mr. Kelly had explicit instructions to leave Ms. Tiran alone until you were called.

The gruff bearded Exen chuckled as he approached. i don't know you boy, nor do I care about my previous employer. We received a better offer. Now, run along and let us do our job, or else. Ethan couldn't help it.

Or else what? He asked with a raised eyebrow, a cocky smile on his face.

The grizzled man got up in Ethan's face and pointed the muzzle of the sub-machine gun deep in to his chest. Or else, we find out specifically what spills out of you. The man laughed as if expecting "John" to tremble at the threat...

...he never saw it coming.

Within an instant, the ceramic knife Ethan had brought to Knightly's office found itself slammed under Exen's chin down to the hilt. Forcing the man around, Ethan grabbed the sub-machine gun and sprayed wildly at the SUVs, sending the men who exited the trucks scrambling back in, not able to return fire. Pulling the knife hard to the right, Exen's neck snapped with a sickening crunch, and with one fluid motion, the knife flew through the air, embedding itself deep in to the skull of the other man near Blue's beloved tank.

As Novacore's leader fell to the ground, his teams disembarked and began firing on Ethan. Making a quick decision to abandon the automatic weapon, he ran for the nearest trash pile, gaining cover as dirt spit up from bullet fire mere inches from his feet.

Of course they all have automatics! That's completely fair!

Scuttling quickly in to a small crevice, "John" put his commlink in his ear, and dialed the emergency frequency.

New Dawn Response, Codename Rivers, repeat! Codename: Rivers. Reporting Alert 1, Bravo Tango is compromised and in danger. One-Five plus Tangos with automatic weapons.

Priority response required, Librium dump. Confirm on the following GPS coordinates of this device. Acknowledge.

The link squelched to life in his ear.

[Copy Alert 1, Librium dump. Helo will be in flight in One-Two-Zero seconds, Trucks leaving as we speak. Eee-Tee-Aae fifteen. Good luck Rivers, we'll be there as quick as we can.

The helicopter would have medical supplies, armed personnel, and would be there in not more than eight minutes. "John" had timed it, it could get anywhere in Librium in under eight minutes...that just meant he had to hold out for ten minutes, and Blue needed to stay alive for that long.

With a deep breath and a moment of focus, Ethan "John Rivers" Kelly got out from hiding...

...it was time to do his job.

Uhhh sure.

It was easy to say. Of course, she wanted to stay alive, and of course, if she followed his directions it was more likely that he might live too. Might. He was still one guy and those were SUV's that would carry at least 4 people each if not more. Otherwise they probably would have showed up in sedans. That was just her thinking though from being the kind of person that was nosey about just about everything.

She listened, her mind connected to the internet instantly, and she was already maping out the entire dump finding the exit closest to her, that was easy. Though it was about a hundred yards down the wall it was a lot closer then trying to make it anywhere else. Especially back to the gate. He told her to stay put, and not go anywhere unless things went bad. Because for now, they weren't sure if they were good guys or not.

He jumped off the dumpster and she moved to go after him. Not to climb down but to say something, when his head popped back up and asked her to press the panic button if something went wrong to help boost him.

Keep yourself alive out there, John-boy, Or I'll haunt your ass in hell.

He was gone.

Blue sent Albert out to give her video feed of what was going on. She didn't bother with any kind of audio feed, chances were they would have some kind of jammer on for cell phones and it might effect Al as well. Still, she wanted to make sure she could keep an eye on John without having to turn around and call attention to herself. Albert landed on the top of a washingmachine that had already been gutted across from John and the crew and began to stream video to her.

At first there was talking.

And then everything went into action.

Blue listened to John completely, until bullets started firing. Then her instincts went into control and everything that he said went out the window. She moved stealthily as possible to the other side of the dumpster and got down on her stomach. She rolled off the dumpster and executed a lovely little corkscrew twist so she landed on her feet, knees bent. And no one is even here to see it!

Blue peeked around the side of the dumpster. Ethan was locked down behind a garbage pile. There were a couple men dead, several wounded, but they were certainly all out of the SUV's now. Blue hacked into the computer of the SUV that about three guys were standing behind. She contacted Al with her thoughts and the owl flew over the SUV and dropped something inside one of the open windows that John had shot out. The engine of the car turned on, the men jerked, trying to figure out what was going on. Looking at the car like it was posessed. It was!!!!

And then it exploded.

Three men down. Car bits everywhere. Blue grinned.

Wasn't a good idea to fuck with a technopath.

IT'S THAT DAMNED ELVEN BITCH!!! SHE'S HERE SOMEWHERE!! one of them cried, as Blue continued to enjoy her nice hiding spot, while she began to work on the next SUV. This time she didn't have Al drop a bomb inside, afterall, he was only equipped with one, but she could do other things, to a vehicle. It would have to be sneaky though, afterall, she couldn't use the same tactic twice.

The funny thing about battle was that, to the experienced and conditioned soldier, time seemed to slow. It gave them the edge, and the ones who were still alive could and would take advantage of it.

An explosion of one of the SUVs still seemed to shudder the ground and send men scrambling for cover. Amateurs. Ethan thought as he quickly pulled his pistol and began firing single shots at the men around the SUVs. He needed to take precision with his shots, he only had three magazines of ammunition, and he didn't know the kind of body armor these men wore. He wasn't about to waste ammunition finding out.

IT'S THAT DAMNED ELVEN BITCH!!! SHE'S HERE SOMEWHERE!!

A single shot sliced through the man's throat, adding a gurgling noise to his exclamation about Blue of which "John" did not readily approve. A shot to the ankle of a merc hiding behind cover, and a second to silence him as he fell over in pain. That was seven down, nearly as many, if not more, were still up, and Ethan found himself standing alone by the SUVs.

This isn't good. He muttered to himself as Karma itself seemed to mirror his words.

The crack of gunfire rang through the air as a bullet grazed his shoulder with searing fiery pain. Ethan cursed as he began to back track to the dumpsters, single shots ringing in far too close for comfort. That meant they had a sniper somewhere...and in a place like this, he was going to be hard, if not impossible, to find and eliminate.

Turning the corner of the dumpsters, a glint caught Ethan's eye. Peering closer, he smiled and placed a small token in his pants pocket as he jogged slowly down the pathway, shrouded in shadow of the large trash piles. His shoulder throbbed, and his pain suppression wasn't working...it must be the magnetic interference from the amount of metal in the towering heaps of rubbish. Making a slight note of that for later, he heard scuffling around the corner, only to have Blue fly past him at a full run. She was being fiercely pursued by three mercs who had seemingly found their target.

He didn't know how she had gotten in to the situation, but it didn't matter at this point. Stepping out from his hiding place, Ethan raised his pistol and fired three shots, accompanied by three loud thuds on the ground. He then turned to face her, assuming she wasn't still running.

Blue! What the hell are you doing here still?

Shit.. shit.. shit... shit ... SHIT!!!!

Blue looks back over her shoulder, three assholes on her tail and closing in. Blue is half elf, and she was agile and quick. But they were well trained and Blue spent most of her days sitting on her ass, eating twinkies, and working with her hands. Her hands were very strong and she had an elven's grace, the problem was, she wasn't really trained for running long distance. And she wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able keep them behind her.

Maybe she should have left, but thing was, she couldn't let John-boy be here on his own. That wasn't fair. And she knew that he wasn't probably due any backup support for minutes.

How had it ended up like this!?

Minutes Ago...

Blue looked around the dumpster where she was crouched down screwing the car over. She had already used her powers to make the car think it was overheating. The computer began to alert the people that had just bailed out, when the bullets hit leaving the engine running. But there was nothing they could do. Blue was about to set the engine on fire, just enough of a deterent to get them to leave the cover of the car to make it easier on John when...

Over there! I see her!

Three of them took off for her and the fire had only just started when she turned and began to take off. She had pulled herself too far out of cover. Besides, they had people there were watching every corner of the dump, she had no clue how she and John were supposed to get out of this alive. At least, she wasn't going to go down like a sniveling little girl, she was taking assholes with her!

She didn't even recognize John as she ran for her life through the dump that she knew so well.

BAM BAM BAM!!!

THUMP THUM THUMP....

Blue stopped and whirled around, hair flying as she did so to see John standing there with a pissed off look on his face. Asking her why she was even still here. Three steps took her to him, and her hand touched lightly on the shoulder where he was hurt. Worry filled her eyes.

You've been shot! God damn, John-boy I told you to stay safe!

She looked at the wound and then back up at him. She knew that he was still expecting an answer. Blue shrugged.

You were grossly out numbered, and besides, I killed three of those men when I blew up the SUV, and the other one is on fire, and I totally just led those other three into your obviously well laid trap!

She knew it hadn't been a trap but it sounded better, and maybe if she was boasting about how awesome he was, he wouldn't think about how she had totally not listened to him. She hadn't left. She had done half her job. She had located the nearest exit, she just.. hadn't used it! That was all.

Blue whirled around to face him, her face a mixture of relief and worry as she approached him and paid a moments of attention to his shoulder wound. He held back a grimace as she brushed the wound. She was gentle, but it was quite tender, and "John" wasn't about to show weakness or pain. Blue even got angry that he had gotten shot! Like he should've listened to her about being safe! That woman made him broil sometimes.

Finally, she shrugged and gave him the answer he was looking for:

You were grossly out numbered, and besides, I killed three of those men when I blew up the SUV, and the other one is on fire, and I totally just led those other three into your obviously well laid trap!

Ethan couldn't help but smile. Blue was completely and totally full of shit. She thought she knew best, and, like most women, she was going to make things more difficult. Her version of buttering him up was nice, but it gave her away...she was never nice to him.

Blue, he placed his hand softly on her cheek and looked at her directly in to her eyes. You are so full of crap. Its ok though, being a bad liar is kinda cute on you. Now, where is the nearest exit?

Once she told him where it was, he nodded and smiled. You're sure you're ok? When she gave he assent that she was fine, probably more astutely than anything else she'd said, Ethan would take her by the hand and lead her in that direction.

The extraction team should be here in no more than six minutes, but let's get you out of here now...

Why... does it tingle?

That obviously, wasn't the most common question someone might think she might be thinking at this moment. But when his hand cupped her cheek and that electric spark shimmered through the warm spot where his hand was... it was exactly what she was thinking. Then he told her how full of crap she was and her eyes rolled. Then he told her she was cute when she lied and her face lit up in a bright red blush as she shifted away from him so that his hand would drop from her cheek. though the warmth he left behind remained.

The nearest exit.

Well, it's about fifty yards that way, between the two blue dumpsters. There is a small access hatch for maintenance crews so they don't have to go in through the larger front gate that is mostly meant for the trucks.

Then he asked if she was okay.

No. She was actually freaking out quite considerably. Blue might have amazing talents and be able to roll with a lot of things. But this, getting shot at, with her life in danger.. put the whole necessity of having John around a whole lot more in perspective than before. Still, she didn't like having a babysitter, even if he had some positive qualities she would never admit out loud to his face.

Obviously, it's all in a days work. Lets go.

She took off with him. He said that there would be an extraction and assistance team here in about six minutes, which meant that they only had to stay alive that long. Which was good because Blue was good but if she didn't have anything to hack, program, or mess with technologically she was pretty useless to him.

They began to move. Doing some sort of ninja-jog inbetween piles of the trash and garbage that was everywhere.

What about my car? And the parts? The people will get them right? Because, they're important.

Yep. Always thinkin'a bout work.

Ethan was almost proud of Blue, she was handling herself pretty well, considering. Most people cowered or hid or let themselves be overcome by the obstacles they faced. The majority of those people died at the hands of those obstacles. Blue, on the other hand, put on a brave face and said she was ok, even though Ethan could see she was freaking out a bit on the inside.

Obviously, it's all in a days work. Lets go.

"John" nodded, not giving it another word, before they went off towards the maintenance entrance. fifty yards was not a long distance, but with unknown enemies swarming the area, it was a potential maelstrom of traps, ambushes, and general nasty ways to die. Ethan kept a quick pace and his head on a swivel, trying to see everything at one. Blue was right by his side, step for careful step.

They crouched behind a trash pile, and Ethan scanned their surroundings. They looked to be clear, at that moment, Blue spoke and "John" turned to face her.

What about my car? And the parts? The people will get them right? Because, they're important.

Ethan really wanted to take Blue tot ask right then, right there. What a stupid notion! They were fleeing for their lives! Who thinks about their stuff at a time like this!?! He turned to face her fully, anger slowly building on his face.

We an deal with THAT when we... He trailed off at the glint of sunlight at the top of the ridge behind her. He knew that glint...

...SNIPER! Ethan grabbed Blue's shoulders, awkwardly tackling her to the ground whilst putting himself in the line of fire. A shot rang out as the couple landed on the ground. Adrenaline pulsing through his system, "John" reached over to shake Blue lightly.

Blue! Blue! Are you awake!?!

In his haste, "John" never noticed that his hands shone wet with his own blood, or the fire that was enveloping his chest.

He was mad.

She supposed that he had every right to be. But he didn't understand how she worked. Work came first. If he hadn't, in the short while he had known her, figured that out, then he didn't really pay as close of attention as she thought he did. Because, obviously, she put her work before her health, safety, and everything that could be remotely considered fun. That was just Blue's nature. Work first. That was why she was paid so well, why she was coveted it wasn't just her talent, it was her work ethic.

Well I'm sorry but I...

Everything else was in fast motion. Not like the movies. It didn't slow down so that you could see it all very close. Very 3-D movie-esque. No isntead, it was so fast that she barely noticed anything. Until she was tossed down. She recognized the pain of something sharp digging into her back and the awkward angle that one of her legs was twirled up underneath her other leg. She was fully aware of Ethan over her, shaking her, and it took her a moment to form the words.

Stop shaking me you ass or I won't be awake you'll shake me to death!

But then horror.

Her face filled with it. Eyes seemed to stream a little, without her even knowing. Moving, with adreneline fueling her actions she twisted, pulling John with her arm around his chest to behind a trash pile that had some large metal boxes. Probably old ammo containers or something. She pulled him there and cradled him in her lap.

Oh no.. no no no.. You idiot!~ You're worried about me and you've been shot!

Blue shifted, pulling out her 9mm out of the back of her jeans. She put it to the side where she could easily grab it and pulled John into her lap, so that his head was in her lap, and her hand was putting pressure on the bleeding wound. Her free hand took up the gun, ready to take down anyone that she could find. There was an anger, deep within her, at someone shooting at John. That was not acceptable, and he was not allowed to die.

You had better hang the hell on John-boy or I swear to anyone listening that I will cross into the afterlife to find your ass to tear it up.

He kept shaking her, his vision getting watery and blurry, until she turned and snapped at him. That meant she was alive. A Blue Tiran who snapped at you was a Blue Tiran who would live another day. He saw the horror in her eyes and finally saw the blood on his hands...now the pain made sense. The pain suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks, and as Blue scrambled out from under him, "John" collapsed to the ground, dirt and his shirt grinding in to the wound in the center of his chest. Nearly blacking out from the pain, he silently cursed his nerve responders not working right. He might be able to function more if the pain wasn't so...debilitating!

Oh no.. no no no.. You idiot!~ You're worried about me and you've been shot!

Coughing as Blue flipped him over and began to drag him a bit, he spit blood out of his mouth on to the ground. That's my job, Blue. I didn't wear my vest...its my own fault.

He found himself laying on the ground, as Blue looked fervently for someone to kill. Trying to shuffle off his jacket, he grimace and groaned in pain. Help me with the jacket...we need to put pressure on it with something better than your hand.

You had better hang the hell on John-boy or I swear to anyone listening that I will cross into the afterlife to find your ass to tear it up.

I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of leaving you this early...

Ethan smiled at he instructed her in cutting the jacket in strips while he propped himself up on the metal pile behind him. Placing a large hunk of cloth deep in to the wound with a grimace, "John" tied a strip around his chest, the knot applying direct pressure to the wound. It took nearly everything he had to not scream in agony.

It shouldn't be long now...I'm sorry Blue, I got shot, and Its barely been a week.

The sounds of helicopter blades could be heard off in the distance. They were two minutes out at most, and if the sniper had a radio...Ethan's eyes widened.

Blue! You need to run! You can make it...the mercenaries will check their kill before they try to follow you. Go to the exit...the teams almost here!

Vest!

Why weren't you in a VEST?! Damn John! You should wear one! you're a bloody body guard!

Blue was pissed. Of course she was pissed, John had gotten himself shot in the chest and here she was holding him and trying to stop the bleeding as best as she could while his blood soaked into her clothing. She felt terrible. He asked for help with his jacket and she sat him up gently and helped him remove the coat. She listened as he told her how to cut up the jacket and she helped him make the strips that they tied around his chest so that the pressure of the knot was on the wound.

Her eyes glistened with the tears.

You're right. Your work ethic is shit poor. I will definatly be writing you a horrendous review when you get back to work, you will be downgraded for sure. Your lack of preparation is appalling.

She didn't mean it though.

Her voice was soft. She was scared. John was there, bleeding, and in pain and there was nothing she could do. She felt the chopper coming before they could hear it, and when they could hear it she knew it was only a few minutes away. He suddenly told her to leave, to run, that she could make it out while the mercs were still busy trying to decide if they had killed him or only wounded him. Her eyes grew wide.

They were beautiful. Even in this light. The green and blue, with the glaze of tears shimmering, she shook her head. Lifting him up a bit she slid behind him so that he could rest against her chest with his back. Her arm came around him, in her right hand held the pistol, it was obvious that she was going no where. She didn't have any sort of body armor but there was a steel hubcap not too far away and she grabbed it putting the gun down for half a second to cover John's vitals before she picked it up.

I'm not leaving you! I'm not! tears shimmered on her cheeks and slid down them creating little rivers of cleanliness among the debris and stains from the garbage and the sweat from before the mercs had shown up. She looked into his eyes and shook her head. I'm not going anywhere.... I'm staying right here. We get out together or not at all John Rivers.

Over here! They gotta be back here!

Blue raised her gun, and she waited. Slowing her breath. Blinking the tears out of her eyes as soon as they came up. She fired on the first guy that rounded the bend. The others weren't far, but not too close behind. Hopefully reinforcements would be there soon. She fired, hit the ass in the neck, by luck and he crumpled to the floor. Blue waited, trembling for the next. Her hand fisted in John's shirt as though.. if she held him tight enough.. he would survive.

Blue wedged herself behind him to support him and guard his body, while she held tight to him. That was her stubborn way of saying that she wasn't going to listen to him. Ethan nearly sighed with relief...if sighing didn't hurt so much. When she was berating him about how she was going to write horrendous reviews and how stupid he was for not wearing a vest, he could see the tears welling up in her eyes, something sitting on her face.

It was fear.

Not fear of death, or fear of being kidnapped or captured or shot. But the fear of losing "John."

The mercenaries were rounding a corner and Blue successfully took one out, her hands trembling. Reaching up slowly, Ethan held her hand still. Another merc ran the corner and Ethan pulled her hand towards a knee. Fire! Aimed towards the man's skull as he fell to his knees. Again! The man's head looked shocked as his body flopped over backwards at an awkward angle.

Nice shooting.

I'm not going anywhere.... I'm staying right here. We get out together or not at all John Rivers.

"John" chuckled, a painful chuckle that tore through his chest. Don't make promises I can't keep, sweetheart. By that point, with the combined blood loss and intense pain, Ethan passed out.

The world around Blue Tiran suddenly shifted. Small pieces of debris began flying through the air, dust clouding the dump, and the register of two helicopter minguns filled the air. The New Dawn extraction team finally arriving, they began cleaning up the mercs still running about the dump. Hovering over Blue and Ethan, four thick black ropes fell to the ground, and before Blue could think, two men were picking up Ethan and the other two were helping her up.

Ms. Tiran, are you alright? The man who spoke to him was clad in black, and three times as heavily armed and armored as the mercenaries. He motioned for her to follow him, where two large armored trucks slammed through the gate and the two SUVs. We have a ride here for you, get you to the medical center on campus. We will post guards to secure your belongings.

The helicopter veered off to land close to the dump, and three New Dawn Extract Team members were running with Ethan on a litter, a medic trying to tend him on the run.

Don't worry ma'am. He's coming too.

He was gone.

Passed out. She kept checking for a pulse when she had a moment. Blue had, with John's help taken down another man. She really didn't know what to think. She was so worried about him. She didn't want him to die he had to make it. He had to! Finally, the brigade arrived and she was thankful for that as they lifted John off of her. At first she was disoriented. She didn't know what to think, she looked at the men who were taking John and she wanted to go with them but she was stopped by the two men that were asking questions.

Shitty weather, isn't it?

I've seen worse.

They promised that there was a ride for her. Two large trucks worked their way into the dump and she gasped as they came to her. John was being moved to the chopper and Blue began to head that way but she was told that he was going to the same place that she was. But she knew that he needed to get there faster and so she followed the men as they loaded her into the SUV and she held onto herself.

Anxious to get back to John.

**Hospital, 3 hours later **

Blue was dressed in scrubs, they were those horrible weird green color that doctors wore. Her other clothes had been sent out to be cleaned. Blue had taken a shower, but that was all that she would let them thrust upon her while John was in surgery getting fixed up. They swore that he was all right, and as soon as he was done.. she had been allowed to go into his room in the ICU unit where he was in recovery until he woke up.

Exhaustion, worry, and tears, overcame the inventor and as she sat there holding his hand and crying, she found her eyes growing heavier. She ended up passing out with her head next to his hip, her hair down.. flowing around her. Her hand softly inside his own holding on for dear life, not hard, but she would know.. hopefully, when he woke up. Besides she had synced her mind with the machine that was working his vitals, if anything, anything at all changed she would know it and wake up in an instant.

Blue Tiran was worried, definatly worried about the man that she had come to know, resent, and care for all in the same breath. He had been shot trying to protect her, and now she had to wait to see if he was going to make it through this like the doctors promised that he would.

Location: New Dawn Medical Center
Librium Main Campus

Once the Extraction Team's helicopter landed on the roof of the Medical Center, Ethan's unconscious form was sent straight in to surgery for nearly three hours. In surgery, the physicians extracted the bullet from his metallic sternum, giving his metallic bone structure credit for saving his life. He had lost a lot of blood, yet his body only needed one or two units to make him ok...that baffled them.

His body had gone in to full recovery mode once he was stable enough to do so, hence his passing out in the Librium dump. There, his cybernetic brain took over creation of blood, repairing of wounds, and getting Ethan back in to fighting shape. Its why he improved so much during the surgery...and why they had to reapply additional anesthetic...twice.

*beep, beep, beep, beep, beep*

The steady rhythm of his heartbeat, as expressed through a vitals monitor, was the first sensory note to be cognizant for Ethan. Slowly opening his eyes, he took the first breath he could remember since passing out. Scanning the room quickly, he saw a mass of dark hair by his left hip, and felt a soft hand in his own. Smiling lightly, he knew exactly who was there.

Hey, Blue. You were right... "John" said softly, still feeling out his voice again. She didn't move, completely asleep.

You've had a pretty tough day.

Being slow and deliberate, Ethan slid his left arm under her, and sitting up slowly, reached over to grab the lower portion of her scrubs. With a slow, calm motion, he lifted Blue with ease in to bed with him, sliding over in the process to give her room.

She settled in quite comfortably, placed her head on his shoulder, and an arm across his chest. Ethan was glad she had stayed...and that she had come to visit. But, he was gonna have to have a talk with her about the tears...he didn't deserve them, and for some reason, he really didn't like being the reason behind her tears.

Get some rest, you deserve it.

Shifting just a little bit, Ethan settled in with her to go back to sleep, before softly speaking in her ear.

Thank you...you saved my life today. I owe you one.

*Three More Hours Later*

Blue shifted.

The soft resistance of the bedding beneath her, and the warmth but solid resistance that was underneath her head was what showed her she was no longer in the position that she had passed out in. Blue could go days without sleeping and eating very little. But worrying about John had really put her through her paces, not to mention that sitting there watching someone sleep after surgery had really just.. gellified her mind, and she had passed out holding his hand and hoping he would be all right.

Her mind was instantly active. Reaching out for the internet that it was almost always connected with, but instead found the monitor of John's heart. Her eyes slid open and she was so shocked to see herself in a bed with John that she almost sat up. Her head came off his shoulder as she looked at him and then slowly lay back down.

Someone must have put her in his bed.

She reached up and rubbed her eyes. Removing the grit and giving a long soft yawn before blinking her eyes to get the tears back in them. He lay there, asleep, and she was so happy that he was alive.. and okay. His heart beating steadily, and that was all that mattered.

He had made it.

So had she, of course, but he was the one that had almost lost it out there while they were running through the dump. She wondered why she was such a hot comodity all of a sudden. She needed to ask John about that. Surely, he had to know why she was suddenly the most desired woman in all of Librium. She knew no one was going to come see her. Sol was out of town, and she didn't know when she would expect him back. His schedule was like that often. And there was no reason to worry him since she hadn't been hurt.

Blue lay there curled up on his chest. Listening to the rythm of his heart underneath his chest with her fingers softly tracing patterns on his chest. She waited until he stirred and then she looked up at him and a small bit of smile crossed her lips.

How are you feeling? she asked him curiously, hoping that the answer was a good one.