Rae knew, as soon as she'd said it, that she shouldn't have said anything about the looting trip. Elliot defended David, as she'd expected, and she nodded. “I know,” she said, looking down. “I just don't want to think about anything happening to you, you know?” She shrugged. “It's... it's a non-issue. I'm sorry for bringing it up.” Even if that worry was always sort of niggling at the back of her mind. And it probably always would. At least until this infection was taken care of. Until they started to rebuild. “You're both okay, and that's what's important,” she repeated, bringing the tiniest smile back to her face as she turned to look at him.
An elaborate story cooked itself up in Rae's mind, “I'd have won the $500,000 and you'd have seen me on TV and fallen madly in love with me, and come to find me in Attica after the show was over. And as soon as I saw you, I'd have fallen for you right back. And that, my good Steel, is how we'd have fallen in love in a world without zombies.” Punctuated with a sage nod.
“Pit of lions, naturally,” Rae said as though this was obvious. “Strap a meat necklace around their necks and toss them into the lion pit to make them fight for their lives against the angry, hungry lion. I think that's a fitting punishment for any lookie-loo's.”
She chuckled. “You totally would've been allowed if you'd tried, though. Betcha if you'd tried to kiss me on that first night we met, I'd have let you do it.” But even though a small part of her wondered how different things would be if that had happened, “I wouldn't change how close we are now for the world, though.” Not for anything.
A scoff. “I'm letting you build your confidence before she and I totally squish it at the next ultrasound, duh,” she said like it was obvious. “But if you'd rather I didn't, why don't you put your metaphorical money where your mouth is? Let's make this interesting, hm?” she pursed her lips confidently.
The second he started his story, the left side of Rae's mouth quirked into a little smirk. By the time he finished weaving the tale of donkey women and pyramids of cheese, Rae was smiling with her whole face. She was about to tell him how much she loved his creative mind and his silly stories when she felt a tiny thump underneath where she was holding Elliot's hand on her tummy. If she'd felt that... he definitely had.
She looked at him with wide, happily surprised eyes and a smile on her face. “I think Little One liked it...” she whispered, swallowing an emotional lump in her throat.