Harlow closes her eyes and sighs. "I think so too" she replies. The
two are silent for a bit, the scene was far too familiar for them.
There was one burning question burning in both of their heads.
Harlow was the one to ask it. "Are you going to keep it?" She asks.
"I'll support whatever decision you make... this is your choice"
Although Gateguard had his hands tucked under his head, he simply
observed Nova, not feeling all that tired. Although he had a long
day, sometimes the claws of sleep didn't snag onto ones mind,
letting the demons that crackled maliciously in his ear free to
wreck what're havoc they pleased. It was an uncomfortable feeling,
of being both present and tethered to his body but so removed from
his senses that he felt like he was watching a movie. It had been
such a long time since something like this happened at it hurt him
to think that he was falling back on old patterns. But back then he
had Myu to help him and now he had Nova. One hand hesitantly
slipped out from under his head as Gateguard shakily pushed away
some stray hairs on Nova's face, tucking them behind her ear as he
watched her peaceful face slumber in bliss
Leaf shook her head. "I don't know. A part of me wants it but the
other part doesn't. The part of me that wants it wants to raise it
along with his or her sisters and that it's not his or her falut
for being born let alone created. The part of me that doesn't is
unsure if I can handle another pregnancy so close to the first,
that and. . .I'm scared." Leaf closed her eyes trying to think.
"I'm just so confused."
Nova stirred a bit but she didn't wake up. Gateguard got to watch a
small smile of contentment creep to her face.
Chakti had started to walk around the little area he was given,
sometimes leaving a dirty shoe print up high on the strong glass
wall that made up a quarter on the enclosure. There were holes in
the glass, in case that "visitor" even came along, but he was using
them more as breathing holes than anything else. He sighed, then
delivered a hard punch to the excuse for a bed with his good hand,
allowing the thing to resonate with the force. He missed Emmie, and
he still didn't know that Leaf was alive. He beckoned what appeared
to be an employee at the area over, then asked if Harlow could be
available to chat with when day broke. He seemed sad, asking for
her.
Harlow hugs Leaf, and kisses her head. "It's okay to be scared and
confused" she whispers. "We have some time to think about this. We
don't need to make a decision just yet" she rubs her thumb along
Leaf's arm, drawing circles with her fingertip. "Let's just get
some sleep, we both need it. We can talk about this more
tomorrow... okay?" Harlow asks.
Leaf nodded and Harlow helped her up to the sink where Leaf could
wash her mouth out. Then Harlow helped Leaf to bed where the two
fell asleep.
But it didn't last long, Leaf woke up and looked at Harlow for the
longest moment before curling into Harlow likd she always did when
she was trying to sleep. Though Leaf wasn't sure how many more
times she'd be puking durring the night, she was sure that she
wanted some of Harlow's comfort.
Someone woke Emmie. She quietly left her room and roamed around the
buildings. She rose an eyebrow when she saw a room with Chakti's
name on the door. She opened the door and leaned against a wall.
"Looking for someone?" she asks quietly. A hoarse cough makes her
body shake.
His smile has a grip on me <3
Agent Fallows, signing out~
Chakti jumped at the sound of her voice and cough, sitting up, then
smiling. "Hey Emms. How are you? Aside from the cough I mean.." His
smile was weak, but his eyes still showed more joy than usual as
they landed on her. He looked like he would break the glass at the
cost of his skull if he needed to, if even just to give her a hug.
Harlow smiles and pulls Leaf in closer. She holds Leaf against her.
She rests her chin on the top of Leaf's head, "I missed you" Harlow
whispers. Her voice sounds tired, and she has yet to open her eyes.
But she was conscious enough to say that.
Leaf had been in and out of the bathroom emptying her stomach,
despite the rough night as long as Leaf was able to avoid strong
smells she'd be okay. At the moment though she'd finally fallen
asleep curled in and around Harlow.
There was a light, rapid knocking on Harlow and Leaf's door. A
young boy stood there, nervous about waking them up so early. He
was looking back and forth around the area, as if scared he might
be arrested for this.
While Leaf had been busy vomiting, Harlow was up taking care of the
kids. She was lucky now that they were asleep, but that wouldn't
last too long. She lays by Leaf, holding her against her as she
tried to fall asleep herself. She just managed to shut her eyes
when there was a knock on the door.
"Chakti requests to see you in cell 7" the boy tells Harlow before
he leaves the room. Cell? What did Chakti do? Harlow
wonders.
"I'm sorry honey, I have to go for a few minutes" Harlow whispers
to Leaf. She moves carefully, trying to not disturb Leaf as she
untangles herself from her.
Harlow walks down to where Chakti is supposed to be, she tries to
comb her fingers through her hair on the way down. The tired girl
did not look presentable at all. "Chakti?" Harlow asks. She notices
Emmie and she waves at her. "Nice to see you Emmie"
Nova woke up with a strech and looked down at Gateguard, who'd
fallen asleep somewhere past midnight. With a smile she ruffled his
hair lightly then headed toward the shower, she wasn't looking
forward for today. She had to go to a rouge district and try to
have them join. This would mean leaving Gateguard behind.
Leaf didnt' wake up when Harlow got up but rather snuggled down
farther into the covers.
Chakti's expression turned a little sad. "Hey Harlow. Glad you
could get here... So I... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. That I
couldn't recover her, that I didn't stay after the raid to help
anything.. I'm sorry I couldn't move all the stone before they got
there, and I wish I could just go back and finish my duty." He
started at the ground, sometimes at Harlow's feet. One hand was
trembling, the other wrapped in a small cast. He drew a shaky
breath, blinking a tear back. "I'm sorry," he whispered one last
time.
The sound of running water roused Gateguard from his fitful sleep
as he slowly blinked away the last lingering hold of rest. Moving
over to greet Nova, Gateguard's voice caught in his throat as he
registered that the spot next to him was empty. Suddenly he was
back in the capital, alone in his "shared" cell and useless to do
anything but curl up. His hands tentatively touched the cooling
sheets and although some warmth could be felt from it, it wasn't
enough to being Gateguard down from his spiraling panic.
Nova quickly finished and shut the water off, her hair wrapped in a
towel and a gray robe tied around her. She noted his panic and went
over to him, sitting on the bed next to him. "Hey, hey, it's okay.
I just went to shower for today. Which I'm not looking forweard
to."
Harlow winces. Did he- did he still think that Leaf was
dead!? She races up to the window and places her hand on it.
"Chakti slow down" Harlow demands. "Leaf isn't dead" she tells
Chakti. "She was taken by the Capitol, but we brought her back. She
is safe now" tears fall down her face at the memory when she
thought Leaf was dead. Chakti was so supportive... he doesn't
deserve to hold this pain for so long. "I'm sorry" she whispers.
"I-I thought that you knew"
Chakti's eyes met hers, becoming blank. "What?" He quivered even
more now, although it was clearly more than that earlier sadness.
His good hand twitched, ever so slightly. "I.." His voice broke.
"She's alive?" He started to blink, fairly rapidly. He lifted a
weak finger, his legs now shaking. "I saw that house collapse from
the cave! How?" His voice had turned, although it was still very
shaky. "I watched it fall!" His good hand dropped back down, and he
stumbled backwards, sitting down hard on the little bed.
"I did too" Harlow reminds him softly. "And I thought the same
thing... I don't know how she survived it... but I am not going to
question it" she turns to the guard who is standing near them.
"Please let me in there, he won't hurt me" she assures him. He
hesitates, but allows her to enter the room. She walks in and gives
Chakti a hug. "I'm sorry" she tells him again.
His gaze flickered up towards Nova eyes clearly not seeing her for
a moment before her words sunk in and he began to relax. "Right....
Right I'm back. I'm here, I'm here." He breathed, slowly regaining
his wits. He sat there for a while simply shivering as he processed
what was happening. "W-where are you going?"