Alice Munroe (ex_barebones985) wrote in the_colony, @ 2009-10-17 19:43:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | ^ week 00, alice munroe, jed bailey, | alice and jed |
Week 0
Characters: Alice Munroe and Jed Bailey (and Rocky)
Location: Alice's apartment, Las Vegas, NV
Summary: Jed goes to Alice's apartment to tell her what he just found. Or rather, who. It opens the way toward uncomfortable topics Alice is not ready to breach.
Rating: PG
Jed rang the doorbell three times in short succession, the signal to let Alice know it was him and he wasn't being coerced. The suggestion had seemed a bit paranoid to him, but considering the past few months, being prepared for a worst-case scenario wasn't something he'd object to.
She wasn't long, but he paced in front of the door anyway. Rocky had flopped down on the porch, tired from playing with the kid. Jack.
"Jesus," he said, shaking his head to himself. Then the door opened, making him turn sharply. Alice peered out.
"I found a kid," he blurted out.
Alice looked at him from the archway, eyebrows arched slightly. "What... you mean like a goat? Did you find the mother? Fresh milk would be awesome--"
"A human kid, a boy," he said, irritation tinting his voice even though he knew he had to right to it. He couldn't blame her for not jumping to that conclusion; he was still having trouble with it himself. "And I didn't imagine it, I talked to him, he played with Rocky. I don't think he's got anybody."
His reply only seemed to make her more surprised. Stepping to the side, she gestured for him to come in, giving a low whistle to get Rocky moving. The dog stood and trotted in at a less lively pace, something that pulled a bemused look from her. "Was this today?"
"Yeah," he said, standing just inside the door. He looked as uncertain and lost as he had the first time she'd invited him in, except this time his gaze was unfocused. "He said his dad was around but he was lyin'. Think he was scared of me."
"Well duh," Alice replied, genuinely sounding amused this time. He felt her hand find his arm, then a tug as she led him toward a chair. "First person in probably weeks, if not longer? Some big tall dude, probably totin' heat, yeah. I'd be scared too, if I was a kid."
Tension he didn't even know had been building in him eased away at her touch. He let out a breath as he sat. "To be fair, he scared the shit outta me, too," he said with a breath of a laugh. "Go around a corner expectin' Rocky tearin' through boxes and he's standin' there instead." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm meetin' him again tomorrow, at a park."
"Isn't this just deja vu for you," she mused, perching on the arm of the sofa across from him, with Rocky midway between them on the dark green carpet. "Word of advice this time, since you didn't have a coach last time: get him to talk about himself, and keep it slow. He's not gonna become your BFF overnight. You're lucky you've got yourself the perfect opener," she added, gesturing to Rocky with a nod.
"He's a kid. How'm I s'posed to talk to a kid?" After a pause, his uncertain frown deepened. "And I was really that bad with you?"
"I'm a special snowflake," she said with a wry smile. "Talk to him like a person. No such thing as age anymore. But I mean it, keep it slow. Slow like... like don't go pushing him to show you where he lives, or where you live. Or hell, where I live. Bring me up after he gets to know you a bit more and trusts you."
"But he's a kid." Maybe she hadn't hear him the first three times. "We can't juss let him be out there alone. He's like ten or somethin'; it ain't safe."
Alice looked at him with a serious, somewhat angry expression. "How long's it been since the last time you seen or heard a news broadcast?"
He blinked at her, thrown for a moment. "I--uh, months?"
"I think he can last a few days longer, if he's lasted this long."
Massaging his forehead, Jed shook his head. She was right. The unease he felt was stupid. "I really never had much experience with kids. You really think he'd be against you comin' along?" he said, unable to keep the pleaing tone from his voice. She smile faintly.
"Baby steps, Jed. You met with me four times before I even told you where I lived, and that's only because I was feeling kind. This poor kid's probably half wild at this point, especially if he's alone."
"He wasn't that bad," Jed said, leaning back in his seat. "I juss don' know what to do with him, 'cept have him play fetch with Rocky, but even that dog gets tired. Should I bring a football? He kinda looked like one of those punk kids, y'know, baggy clothes, hair almost long enough to be a girl. Though guess he ain't had a place fer a haircut lately. Do those kinda kids play football?"
Alice shrugged. "There's no harm in trying. Worst he'll say is fuck off, and I'm pretty sure you'll live."
"Well, yeah," he said, smiling slightly at her. "I could juss not go and I'd live. Juss doesn't seem like a real option." He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. "Christ, I didn't even like kids when I was one. Mean little bastards."
Alice remained silent in response, and a quick glance toward her showed her face had gone controlled and blank again. She did that sometimes, whenever it came to topics she liked to avoid. Suddenly she stood, heading a little further into the apartment and back toward the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"
He watched her go, frowning slightly. "Yeah, sure, whatever you got." After a moment, he got up to follow her, standing in the kitchen doorway. "When you told me that I should ask him about himself...that mean I should ask about you?" he said slowly.
Once again she was silent, but this time when he caught a glimpse of her face while she got glasses for them, she seemed more thoughtful. "Depends."
He still hesitated to ask outright. Their relationship was strange and tentative enough, and she could just as easy kick him out of her place as she had let him in. It would also get into real uncomfortable territory. But it was something he had to know.
"I didn't mean all kids are mean little bastards," he finally said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Juss the ones I grew up with. ...You knew one or two who weren't?"
If she concentrated on the glasses any harder, Jed thought she might make the glass blow up like those angry telekenetics did in movies. "I did."
His stomach sunk, but he wasn't really surprised. You could kind of tell by the look of the place. It felt like a home. "Husband?" he asked, moments before his eyes darted to her ringless hand. Alice remained silent, passing the now-filled glass into his hand before moving around him toward the living room again.
"I don't wanna talk about it."
He didn't say anything, taking a stiff sip before following her. She sat again, looking anything but relaxed, her gaze refusing to fall on him. He couldn't blame her. Whatever she was going through, he couldn't even imagine. He walked over slowly, his voice quiet. "I'm sorry, Alice," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. She was instantly tense, and the hairs rose on the back of his neck. Obviously he had crossed a line.
"Don't," she said firmly, sliding out from his touch lithely. "I don't wanna talk about it, I don't wanna hear about it, and I definitely don't want your sympathy. So don't."
"Alright," he said, backing up a bit. I should've known better. He stood there awkwardly a moment before settling into the armchair again, focused on his drink in the silence. Since talking about the kid probably wouldn't help things any, he was a bit lost on what to say. "Found a Costco this mornin'. In case you're interested in hoarding in bulk."
"Did you go inside?" she asked. It was as if they'd never breached the topic of her past life.
"Yeah, but a lot of the lower shelves were picked clean. Guess folks went there first. But time and a forklift might get us some good stuff. There were still boxes over the generator aisle. I'm guessin' those'll be handy," he said, following her lead. Talking was better than not talking, at least.