A lick and a promise... pt5

"I thought it was simple, but maybe I'm just used to this gig by now. They sent you out to kill me, or as far as you know, it was me. They'll only pay you if I'm dead... slight problem, right? Unless they don't know I'm alive and pay you anyway. There was blood there, you shot off a round, they'll probably test it out, find out what type of metal was in the blood that opened the wound - you're home free for taking something down and chasing it down, playing with it until nothing was left or whatever. Or, they decide that no body means no head for their pretty display, so they come after yours instead to put in its place. Forget the damned chip. It won't matter when they're done for feeling like you screwed them out of their prize. You want to keep your head on and get the chip out, right?"

She looked over at him as she sort of sagged against the wall, her fingers running back through her hair. "Not to burst your bubble or anything but they have never come after me before for not doing a job. What makes you think you're so special that they would now?"

"Exactly that. They haven't before, but one day they'll start and it'll be too late to say 'sorry' then. It's a scam, Tully. They just don't want to get their own hands dirty. How do you think the war started in the first place? Someone asked someone else to get their hands dirty instead and that someone, those someones happened to be people like us. People... they seem to forget that part a lot... that we're people. F*ck 'em and their state policies about people with gifts. Just let us live in peace since we earned it for you f*ckers in the first place." He wasn't talking to her now so much as talking to the window he glared at, through, even though the shade was still pulled.

"Okay so you're an angry wronged mutant.. I get that. I even understand it.. but I still don't understand this or.. well honestly a lot of things. Maybe because I don't remember so much.." She sighed, letting her head lean back against the wall. "I escaped from one of those.. facilities for mutants, you know the places where they cut and test and torture and train and you stop being a person. You showed me a scar and said the same.. I am just trying to survive out here.. four years I've been out.. four years I've been alone.. right now, this conversation.. I don't do that.. I hide, I talk to myself.. this, being here with you is very confusing for me."

"Tell me I haven't said anything you haven't said yourself, then. You're angry. You can't kill blindly without that." That wasn't true. Desperation and hunger so thick it made the bones feel hollow and ring with ache... it didn't take anger then, just determination and he and Marc had both been there. "I guess I'm just trying to convince you you're not alone, okay?"

She pushed off the wall and moved slowly to stand in front of him, her gaze intense as she studdied his face. "Fine, I'm not alone but your brother doesn't want me here.. where does that leave me? Same place I always go when the job is done and there's nobody else there." She sort of smiled and her expression softened a bit. "What's your name?"

"My brother is my problem. His name is Marcus... Marc. You can call me Biff. It's William, but I... just call me Biff. Look, he's all bark, okay? He looks out for me and he'll look out for you, but just needs to warm up some. Part of it was the blood. He got stupid, smelling it on me and on you and he ... he'll be fine."

Her head tilted to the side a little and her expression was curious. "Biff.. alright.." She got a feel for his name as she thought about everything he'd said so far and she carefully asked her next question. "Biff, when you say stay.. you don't me just for right now, do you? You.. mean stay here, with you, be part of this?"

Nodding slowly, he found it hard to look at her, like she felt it was all some ploy, a trick... he didn't want to force her. "I'm offering, that's all. I just want you to seriously think about it before you get told that to get what you want when you want it... that you're forced to ... do what you do."

"I.." She started and stopped, seeing how he had trouble looking at her now, she wondered if she'd been wrong to question him. "I will consider it.." She waved her hand around the room at the walls and covered windows. "Where I have been living is not like this.. it's.. not a house.. it's below ground. I have made it.. to my liking.. would I be able to do that here? My weapons are close at hand and things.. no rooms just the one space there.. no beds, no chairs, no tables.. " She motioned around to his things, it had been so long that she'd lived how she had, using these things was not normal for her.

"For as long as we stay," he shrugged. "We could be here a week or a month, maybe a year, before they get too close and we move again. Fix it how you want but keep it ready to pack. If that's all it takes, then go for it. Let me know when and we'll make it a clear path for you."

Tully nodded, running her hand somewhat nervously over her hips and into her pockets then back out as if she wasn't sure what to do with them for a moment. Finally one hand slowly lifted to touch his face again, and turn his gaze back to her. "After we have rested a bit.. I will take you there."

He could feel her fingers running over the whiskers that had grown out since he'd showered. By night, his beard would be thick again. "We... ? You trust me enough to sleep now?" He smiled and covered her hand with his own, taking it down gently. A softened thump of a door closing downstairs echoed up the hallway. "Rest up all you need. There's something I need to take care of."

She looked to the door with a small pout coming to her face, she looked down and then back up to him almost shyly. "Will you return.. to rest with me?" Her eyes searched his features, she wasn't sure how she felt about being in here alone, not knowing anything beyond this room and him. He may have earned a certain amount of trust but the rest still remained to be seen.

What could he say to that? "Sure. Sure, I can do that. Just... go ahead and lay down. Let me talk to him. It could be a while. He'll stay out of the room."

She eyed the door and then her gaze returned to his face. "He will.. are there any others, here?" A simple and direct question as perched just on the edge of the bed and watched Biff.

"No. Not anymore. It's just us unless he brought home 'dinner'. I'm kidding," he chuckled, though he couldn't deny that the healing he'd helped her with had left him dangerously hungry.

She didn't quite get why he told her he was kidding, it wouldn't have bothered her if he'd been serious about the dinner for him and his brother. "Very well."

His expression turned curious like hers. "Okaaaay, so... get comfy and start counting sheep or whatever you count to fall asleep. Hopefully this won't take long. The door didn't slam ... that could be a good sign he's over whatever was stuck up his a** earlier. Do you want more soup or anything?"

"I have already taken too much from you." She answered him quietly, indicating the shirt and bandages, as well as the empty soup bowl. "I will be fine waiting here for your return.

"Geezus, this is going to take time," he breathed out quietly, looking at the door then back to her. "We've got ... it's just soup. It's fine. Fine, okay, rest or whatever. I'll be back."

She gave him a small smile and nodded her head, letting him go off to take care of what he needed to.