---

---

Walking casually through the dusty former road, knowing he wasn't mistaken in hearing what sounded like voices of others miles away. Wesa was hoping that these people could possibly provide what he needed so he could continue on his way to find more civilization.

Most of the people in his bunker had died and those left had disbanded because of the decisions of an incompetent commander. It had been a day and a half since he left.

If his nose wasn't deceiving him, Wesa could've sworn that the approaching area he was coming up on, smelled like smoke. Either the fire just being put out or the lingering smell basically fuming it's way into his nostrils. It was...much, causing him to cough some even though he still had to be maybe 2 to 3,000 feet from the populus.

A few minutes passed as he made his way up to the group, using a walking stick. Quietly getting closer, he made his presence known Hello... he simply said to whoever would pay him the attention, looking around at the individuals in the area.

Casey caught sight of the newcomer walking up and she didn't recognize this guy as one of theirs. She immediately assumed that he was one of the enemy. Not really having any fighting skills she did the only thing she could do. Stepping away from Ben she smiled and nodded at the new guy so Ben would turn around.

Casey took in the new guy's appearance. He was wearing jeans, a t shirt with a hoodie and a beanie. He was obviously, like Ben, native american. For a moment she wondered if they were related. Shaking that stupid thought out of her head she asked him, "Who are you and where did you come from?"

Ben blinked and turned about at that point. He was just about to let Casey know that was alright. Well...he might have told her a bit about the way the Commander seemed to be treating him, just to let it off his chest. But in all honesty, he'd been disliked before for weird reasons. Most of the people who used common sense didn't seem to mind him, mainly because he always tried to be polite. But oh well.

"Hey dude," Ben said, getting between Casey and the newcomer. You could never tell who was a raider and who wasn't these days. "You from the bunker?" He'd not seen him before, but he could have missed him.

The moment the two people closest to him turned, Wesa watched their actions and paid attention to their attitudes towards him getting a sense they've ran into trouble with maybe a person outside of their group or he could be the first person they've seen that's not part of them?

He didn't know for sure, but he didn't want to cause a rise in suspicion and hostility, not that he had a way to make them already think that. He spoke to the two Please, do not be alarmed. I'm a simple traveler seeking a little refuge. My name is Wesa...Wesa Freecloud. I came from the Lubbock bunker that's south of here. It's disbanded, which is why I've traveled this way. Wes told them.

Casey a little nervous with all that was going on jumped a little as a smaller explosion happened to go off nearby and there were others in the area still fighting. In the distance she thought she heard Kwan but she wasn't sure. She looked from Ben to this new guy and she stayed her ground not wanting to look scared although she was.

"Why is it disbanded?" She stepped one step closer to Ben. She didn't want it to look obvious but how could she just trust that he was who he said he was when they were under attack. "How did you get here without getting caught up in the fight?"

Ben looked at this new guy incredulously. "Freecloud?" he asked aloud. Moments later it hit him. He was native american, like Ben. More so, actually. Ben got his from his dad's side, but his mom was the stereotypical 'I'm 1/32nd Cherokee' kind of white person. He smiled at that, but decided to ask Wesa. "What's your tribe?"

Wes raised an eyebrow to what Ben said. He answered Casey first We disbanded because of our incompetent commander and the fact that many others wanted to be leaders instead of followers. Many died after exposing themselves to the air after we opened the bunker for the first time in a year. So, because of all of that and not wanting to follow those who's ego were just too big for my liking, I left and went my own way. He explained.

For how I got here without an encounter with the fighting...well...this may sound a little silly, but...I used my senses. What I mean is, I changed a little. It happened after I was exposed to the air. I felt sick but once I was better, it seemed that my senses were all heightened. So basically, I can hear, see, smell, taste, and touch at a higher level than an average human and I detected the fighting with my hearing. I don't know my maximum reach in hearing frequency is but I had enough breathing room to avoid any confrontation. I try not to fight when it's not necessary. he explained on that part.

Turning to Ben, he finally responded to him I'm of the Cherokee nation here in Oklahoma. He said being as honest as possible.

Casey listened but stayed where she was. She was looking around as some of the smoke was bellowing out of the bunker again and she turned so that it would not be in her face. She started coughing not long afterwards. She looked up as Harley and Grayson were in her line of sight. Harley looked up and frowned at the smoke and before Casey could do or say anything a large cloud of water fell over the area and suddenly Casey clenched her teeth as she was soaked to the bone like everyone else.

"I'm going to kill Harley!" Casey started to wring her clothes out as were so many of the others. Harley grinned as the smoke was filtered out and had fallen to the ground. The water had cleaned the air but drenched those in the way. Casey looked like a drowned ratt. Now embarrassed as well as unnerved she grabbed a jacket that was nearby that had missed getting soaked.

She stood there and listened to the men talking and she receded into her own thoughts on the reservations and was wondering how many of the survivors were left out of the original native american population. She brought her attention to the conversation at hand once more as Wes was explaining his power.

"So you can pretty much tell anything just by focusing on it?" She said while squeezing out her hair.

Ben nodded, thinking Wesa's answers checked out. He should have known that he was Cherokee, since there were a few reservations out this way. Or, there had been before the world went to hell. He didn't have time to voice it though until he was soaked, shuddering a bit from the sudden cold of the water.

He was going to offer Casey help, but he realized he didn't exactly have something on him that wasn't soaked. He shook himself like a dog, doing his best to get dry as the two spoke to one another. "Well, glad you're here," Ben told Wesa. "Other than our bunker getting pretty smoked out, the more the merrier I'd say." He gave a shrug, and a lopsided smile to Casey to see if she agreed.

Casey grinned at Ben's smile and nodded. "Sounds good to me. As long as the commander has no problem. He is in the bunker working on maintenance right now."

Wesa nodded to what Casey asked Yes pretty much...if I don't strain my senses first. he answered while trying to wring himself from the water dropped on them and looked at Ben Thank you. If there's anything I can do to help, I would be glad to. If you have enemies, I can detect them. And what's your names, if you don't mind me asking?

"I'm Casey and this is Ben and ..." her voice rose significantly as she yelled and looked directly at Harley and yelled out with a wry grin. "That water witch is Harley!"

Ben gave a joking, extravagant bow to the man. "At your service," he said. "Oh, and don't let the Commander know that I vouche for you because he's a bit jealous of me at the moment for something that...is not your concern, just...letting you know. Don't want him to get the wrong impression of you already."

Casey looked at Ben for a moment knowing she would have to ask him about that later. She had sensed conflict there and wondered what it was.

Cody was exhausted as he did another check on the bunker. He hadn't gotten to see Audrey in hours. Looking at his watch he realized it was two in the morning. People were slumped against each other outside while the guards continued fighting those that came near enough to cause trouble. Cody went outside and declared the bunker habitable again.

"Okay guys, Go to bed. It's safe again. HOWEVER, the outter doors aren't locking down properly. We can close them but ...if someone is determined enough they can get in so keep your doors locked and stay alert." He turned and looked for Audrianna.

Tired from trying to help out in whatever way she can and checking if the kitchen was damaged (it was one of the most important area in the bunker after all), Audrianna sighed and sat down on one of the benches in the cafeteria. She crossed her arms on the table in front of her and laid her forehead on it, planning on just taking a short breather but ending up falling asleep.

Cody saw her asleep at the cafeteria table and he walked over to her smiling. "Come on babe it's time for bed. You can't sleep here. It's not safe." Realizing that she was out cold he lifted her into his arms and carried her gently to his room and laid her on the bed, removed her shoes and covered her up and locked the door.

Not wanting to be a presumptive ass he took his shoes off and lay on the bed next to her but he stayed on top of the covers. He wanted to keep her protected at all costs but he didn't want to scare her to death either. Cody closed his eyes and he was out cold.

---

Yesterday was quite eventful for the three. Kai had the wonderful opportunity to baby Nina until he finally pushed her out of the bunker. It's understandable that she may control plantlife but staying put because you were afraid of fire? No, she wouldn't potentially died because of her fear. After getting outside and helping the others fight and getting the okay to get back into the bunker, he walked in and looked over to Nina, who was now a little calmer and still holding on to that plant. He apologized to her for what he did but she apologized for freezing up and ended up forgiving one another as they both went into their rooms to get some rest.

Wesa was allowed to stay in the bunker but he was going to have to see Cody in the morning to formally introduce himself and basically check in with him.

Next morning

Wesa couldn't sleep all night for the fact that his ears kept picking up the sounds of snoring down the hall. This was not new since he's been through this after gaining his powers. It had to be close to or after 8 A.M. but regardless, he got up anyway. He hoped the commander was already up as he stepped out of his room to look for Cody. He remembered the man's scent, using that to locate his room so to check if he could speak with him. @Wick

Nina was already awake, needing to get with Harley to use her water for her plant but today, Nina thought about maybe venturing out to find anymore plantlife she could possibly control and maybe polish up on her skills.

Kai on the other hand seemed he was going to sleep in. He did use his abilities quite a bit, making him exhausted. The talking in his sleep and the *cough cough* "dreams" he had, he was not waking up anytime soon.

Coming from his room and following Cody's scent, Wesa went to locate the commander in order to start his check in and needing to know what Cody would like to do with him. In the other bunker, someone the ones who wanted to be leaders were fighting amongst themselves as to who Wesa could work with, using his abilities for detection. Fortunately that was no longer the case. At least in his mind, he could have a fresh start here depending on how things went with Cody.

Setting the plant to the side, Nina needed to check if Harley was awake, needing her assistance, obviously with her water and for the possibility in talking her to venture out of the bunker for a bit to find anymore plant life that could be saved and grow with their combined efforts. She first went to check in the cafeteria to see if her comrade was there.

Casey heard a door slam and she jumped and whacked her head on the shelf above her. She had fallen asleep with a bat next to her and in a sitting position so she started to get up and realized she was very sore from slumbering upright. She got up and moaned at the stiffness of her neck. Working out the kinks she grabbed her hairbrush and pulled her hair into a loose braid.

Stretching her legs and back, out she grabbed her bat and opened the door. Closing it, she felt so exposed. How would they know if there were others in the bunker or not?

"Why couldn't my power be something useful like teleportation or being impenetrable or something where I could turn into Ironman or something cool like that?" She murmured to herself as she went down the hallway.

While walking, Wesa caught Casey's scent around the corner, turning and hearing her speak to herself. That was when he spoke up Those powers would be interesting but I'm sure with whatever ability you have, it can still be useful. he responded

Sorry...I could....hear you. Kind of hard to keep secrets from me. Wesa smirked a little Good morning. I hope you slept okay. I was on my way to find Cody. How are you? he asked.

Casey was slightly startled and gave him an annoyed look. "You know that is a little creepy don't you?" Hearing the other noises that the bunker doors couldn't block out while not fully closed put her on edge.

"I hate not having the doors secured. I need to go look at what is wrong. I might be able to fix it." She hated to ask but seeing as he was a guy he could probably handle himself better than she could. "Come with me? Please? I have zero defense skills and apparently I'm a little paranoid." Casey's expression was one of pleading and she hoped he couldn't say no.

Thinking for a moment, Casey was right when she said what he did was creepy Sorry about that. And I'm guessing the noises around here don't make things any better.

Hearing out the issue she had, Wesa was still wanting to meet with Cody but Casey was more destressed. He gave a nod to Casey Sure, I can assist any way I can. Willing to follow her to where she needed him to go.

Casey grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to the maintenance rooms one at a time looking for the right electrical box. Casey was not having much luck finding what she needed and she brightened immeasurably when she found it. "Yes!" Then she opened the box and found the wires were fried. "NO!" She pulled them all out and there wasn't any way to fix it without rewiring the entire thing and they didn't have that kind of equipment there. She was heartbroken.

Defeated Casey dropped the wires and leaned heavily against the wall. "I can't fix it. We don't have the ability to fix it at all." She closed her eyes and murmured, "We need to find out if Cody has a way to build something to hold those doors closed from the inside."

Following Casey to the electrical box, he waited to see what she was going to need him to do but because of what was discovered, that was probably going to have to wait but then again, what they were going to do next was the original objective Wesa had, going to locate Cody. If Cody can't help us with that, we could try and head to the bunker that I was once in and see if we have parts there...if there is anything left there at all... he suggested.

Casey grabbed Wes' hand and pulled him again. She was wondering why he didnt coplain or tease her or something about her holding his hand. It really wasn't necessary but it made her feel better. She was in a bigger hurry now and she made a beeline for the commander's room. It was right behind his office so it was easy to find.

Practically running she felt the effects of pulling on a person who was not running with her. "Come on, hurry up Wes!"

Casey intrigued Wesa by how comfortable she was holding his hand but it didn't bother him. Maybe it was a comfort factor or something. Boy she was a firecracker this morning. Running towards the commander's room, he quickened his pace but wondered something. Okay okay I'm coming but....one thing though. Why do you call me Wes instead of Wesa? he asked her on the way.

Casey blushed but he couldn't see it since she was still facing away from him. She tried to hide her grin. "I can't help it. It sounds like Jar Jar Binks. If I call you that I will laugh everytime I say your name." She turned around with a smile when they got to the door. "You've seen the Star Wars movie right?"

It was the first normal thing to talk about in days and she actually relaxed a fraction when she asked him that. She banged on the door. "Commander Cody!"

Wesa wondered what her reasons were. Wes just sounding cooler, she likes giving people nicknames, those were the common answers but what she said made him slightly tilt his head Jar Jar Bi-... He had the "come on, really?" look on his face and couldn't help but smile and give a small chuckle when Casey turned to him. Yeah..yeah...I know all about Star Wars. But I have to admit, that's original...the first time someone said that about my name. You can blame my grandmother for that hehe. he responded.

He couldn't even get mad at it and honestly, he kind of wanted to see if Casey would say his actual name just to witness her get tickled saying it. Waiting on the Commander to answer, Wesa thought for a moment that this was the most civilized thing he's heard in a while even if it was a tease to his name. Casey managed to do something no one else has been able to do for a while now, putting a smile on his face.

At the sound of someone banging on the door, Audrianna woke up with a start and sat up. She looked around, confusion apparent on her face. Where was she? This isn't my room... she thought as her mind struggled to remember what she was doing last night. Helping people, being so tired, falling asleep in the cafeteria... She turned her head and saw Cody on the bed beside her. Her cheeks immediately turned bright pink as she stared at him. It was obviously his room but how did she get there?

She reached out and gently tapped Cody on the arm. "Commander..." she called out softly.

Cody heard the banging and ignored it for a moment. When he heard Audrianna's voice he opened his eyes. He smiled at her. "Morning love how are you?" He raised up on one hand and brushed his hand over hers.

"I'm...okay. How did I get here?" she asked, cheeks still pink. She looked towards the door at the sound of the insistent banging. "Uh...maybe we should get the door."'

Cody sat up gave her a quick peck on the cheek and slid to the door and opened it only slightly. He was a little traditional in thinking it would not make her happy for the world to see her in his bed, regardless of the reasons why. "What?" Cody looked dishevelled and it kind of made Casey smirk.

"Um, Did you have a plan for how to fix the doors? I've looked at the wiring and it's shot. So I was thinking that-" Casey stopped at the expression on his face. "What?"

"Casey? It's..." He turned and looked at his watch which had somehow gotten turned upside down so he was trying to look at it in the funniest looking way possible until he became frustrated with it. "Is there anyone attacking us right now? Because it's way too freaking early to wake me up when I didn't get to bed til after 4:30 trying to put everything back together. I'm tired. Can we talk about this later?"

Casey immediately felt scolded and she stepped back and nodded. "Sure." Casey walked off a little ways and waited for Wes. He seemed to have wanted to speak to him as well. She didn't expect to start crying but suddenly there were tears. "Great, that's just great. Too much damned stress." She wiped her eyes as best as she could. Cody couldn't see her but Wes probably could if he looked over at her.

Cody looked at Wes. "Can I help you or can it wait?"

Wesa was anticipating to see the commander in order to speak with him. The moment the door opened and he started to speak, Wesa noticed how tired and annoyed he sounded. He obviously didn't want to be bothered unless there was a real emergency but even then, would he still do something? Seeing how he spoke to Casey and kind of shooed her off, Wesa watched Casey step away from the door.

Now Cody's attention was on Wesa and honestly, he wanted to talk but how he handled Casey, Wesa looked back at her to notice some tears, hesitant to answer Cody back. He turned his head back to Cody, nearly wanting to tell him that was a bit rude but felt this was not the right time to try and start an argument with someone running the place.

Wesa just got here but he didn't feel like having to search for another shelter so soon. With a sigh, Wesa spoke I'll get with you later... he said nearly stern and turned to head over to Casey Sorry to have awaken you... coming up to Casey Hey.....don't sweat it. Are you going to be okay? he asked her.

Cody closed the door and took a deep breath and walked sleepily back to his bed and lay down next to Audrianna. "I hope you aren't mad. I brought you here. You were alseep in the cafeteria and with the doors not locking down it wasn't safe to leave you there. I made sure to keep your integrity safe. We were both fully dressed and I was on top of the covers. Your shoes are on the floor." He lay his head in her lap and closed his eyes waiting for her answer.

Audrianna smiled shyly at Cody. "Thank you. I must have been so tired that I fell asleep in the cafeteria. And I'm sorry for the trouble." She looked towards the door. "Are you sure you don't want to see what the problem is?" she asked, concerned that he might be putting off something important.

Cody vaguely heard Audrianna's soft voice. He was so exhausted that he was asleep before she got to the question. In his sleep he wrapped his arms around her waist and cuddled her in his sleep. His light snoring told her he was not up for anything else at the moment.

"Well, I guess you're too tired for that. I'm sure it can wait." Audrianna said. She reached out and brushed his hair away from his face, smiling as she did. He was terribly handsome and she couldn't quite believe that she has his attention.

Casey nodded. "Yes, I'll be fine. I just have this thing where when I get too stressed out my body has a crazy urge to make me look like a giant crybaby." Now irritated she grabbed her shirt and turned away from him and wiped her face off with it. "I'll just figure it out without him or -" She sighed. "No I won't, I have no idea what we have or how much or what we can spare. I'm just impatient."

Watching how Casey was behaving and hearing out her explanation, Wesa simply nodded to what she told him at first about how stressed out she is. I mean, this whole situation about the astroid is stressful enough along with gaining powers, dealing with enemies and now the situation about not having security, yeah, he'd be stressed too.

With her defeated expression, Wesa had to step in Case...calm yourself okay...don't make yourself more stressed out than you already are. You're not alone in all of this. You have many people here who can possibly help and I'm willing to help. Like I mentioned earlier...we could go back to the bunker I came from and see if there's anything there. It's up to you. We can get this figured out. We all survived this long, we can get through this too. trying to encourage her.

Grabbing his hand she pulled him back to the cafeteria and closed the doors behind them. She let go of his hand and turned and looked at him. "You may not have figured this out yet but I am the biggest scaredy cat in this entire place! It's an entirely different world out there. The first day we went out giant alligators were grabbing people and ate them whole! I have only gone out once since then and it was because the building was on fire and they had to come and get me! I am without a doubt the most useless person in here."

Casey was starting to look a little frazzled and she sounded nearly hysterical. She sat down and buried her face in her arms on the table. "I wish that I hadn't managed to survive that first day when the doors opened. I'm scared all the time now."

When being pulled into the cafeteria, Wesa didn't take his eyes off of her when she mentioned she was the biggest scaredy cat in the entire bunker. He couldn't doubt that she was scared. This world on it's own was scary looking. Going outside was like commiting suicide if you didn't have light and the creatures, they were grotesque and vicious.

There was probably nothing he could really do to take the fear fully away. But he wanted to try and ease her the best he could If it's that bad, would you feel more comfortable with me going back alone and you telling me all of what you need? I don't know if this will comfort you but I have the abilities that can keep you away from danger. That's how I survived and it has not failed me yet. I could hear danger from maybe a mile away or smell something that's a bit off. I can detect things that others can't until it's too late. I promise you, if we leave from here, I'll keep you protected and we will avoid the dangers. trying to reassure her.

If need be, we can have someone else accompany us..

Casey shook her head. "I'm the girl who sings and dances and is silly and has fun. I'm responsible and I can cook and do all the girly things I'm supposed to but...fighting my way through the wild kingdom is out of my skill set! I'm not letting you or anyone else go out there in my place it's over 300 miles!" She shook her head vehemently. Casey was almost at breakdown level. She started pacing the length of the table.

He could see the she was losing it and this was getting uglier by the second. He needed to seriously calm her down Casey.....Casey! Wesa had to stop her from pacing and went to gently grab her hand and nudged to get her closer to him and not knowing what else to do, he pulled her into a kiss on the lips to get her to stop thinking so much.

Was she going to be upset with him? he didn't know but he needed her to focus and not have a breakdown.

Casey was pacing and thinking and she was barely aware of anything else until she felt his hand on hers and then he pulled her into a kiss. At first she was surprised but then she kissed him back. When the kiss was over she was breathless and curious. "Wh- why did you kiss me?" She asked softly.

Pulling away a little after the kiss, he wondered what her expression was going to be but she seemed my surprised than anything. He was a little surprised to feel her kissing back and with the curious look on her face, he shrugged Couldn't think of any other way to get your attention. Figured if words weren't going to be enough, action would. Sorry for the sudden kiss but you were breaking down... he mentioned.

Casey looked like he had just slapped her. "Well...I guess that is better than hitting me." She got up and walked to the door and wrenched it open and headed back to her room angrily.

---

@King Tai@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189@FunnyGuy@kurai assassin

---

---

Harley felt something sharp in her back and she opened her eyes. She was a little surprised to be staring into Grayson's throat. Reaching behind her she removed the dog's toenail from her spine.

"Ryder, get off the bed." She murmured and shoved at the dog's feet. Closing her eyes again she snuggled into Grayson once again.

Harley's movement stirred Grayon's sleepy form awake, causing bleary eyes to open and stare at Harley's form. The warmth of their bodies caused a little discomfort, and Grayson shifted his body, attempting to let a little air under the covers of the bed.

Bed... Grayson's eyes opened fully as he realized he was in bed with Harley. He briefly checked to make sure his clothes were on before he looked down at the top of her head, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to force Harley away, but he felt uncomfortable sleeping next to her after all of the drama and stress of the past week without any real conversation of their relationship.

Harley felt Grayson move away from her and she opened her eyes and felt oddly vulnerable. She hadn't been intimate with anyone in a long time. The closest she had gotten was making out with Grayson on the roof. She felt oddly like he had a lot of power to hurt her but she also felt his discomfort. It was morning after all. She blushed and there was a smile in her voice.

"Gray? Do you....this is going to sound a little..." She sighed and closed her eyes a second then she whispered "Please, don't push me away."

The genuine tenderness in Harley's voice took Grayson by surprise. She always seemed powerful without compare, even when she was crying. To see her in a moment of true weakness was revealing.

Grayson cleared his throat a little bit and shifted so he could see her face. "Hey..."

He swallowed, trying to phrase his next sentence in the best way. "I'm not going anywhere." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere."

A moment of silence stretched across the room as Gray closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. Smoke, sweat, grease, and an odd scent that Gray could only describe as flowing water drifted into his nostrils, reminding him that they both needed showers; he would rather they stayed in bed.

Harley breathed a sigh of relief and for a moment she was content in his arms and when another set of large nails dug into her back she rolled over and shoved her large dog off the bed and gave him a stern look. "You stay off!" Turning back to Grayson she moved back into her previous spot with a little more room to breathe. She lay her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She wanted to feel his skin and she slid her hands under his shirt and up and around his back. She had forgotten how much skin to skin contact meant to a person.

"Can't we just stay here at least for a while?" She spoke into his chest and smiled. "I know the Commander is going to put us to work so I want to just be with you as long as I can. Ok?"

Grayson succesfully stifled a surprised gasp as Harley's hands slid along his skin; he wasn't sure why, but the physical intimacy Harley was apparently searching for made his heart race. Maybe it had been the fact that he hadn't really had any real friendships, much less relationships, since the asteroid. Maybe it was his desire not to screw things up with her.

Grayson nodded slowly after a moment and attempted to relax his body, snuggling back into the blankets with Harley. "Works for me."

A mental alarm went off at the poor quality of his response, but it was too late to fix it. He just wrapped his arms a little tighter around Harley and closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax.

After a few moments of her hands resting on his back and side, she started to explore his back a little without thinking about it. She softly kissed his throat. Without any resistance on his part, she lifted his shirt and began kissing his chest lightly. She sighed happily and lay her head there hoping he was going to respond to her.

Harley's physical stimulation across Grayson's torso sent tingles shooting through his body, causing an odd shift from discomfort to uncertainty. Part of him wanted so badly to return Harley's affection, but something in the pit of his stomach drove him away.

He closed his eyes and blew a small breath of air through his nose, pushing aside whatever concerns he had. He pulled his arm up across her hip, resting his hand on the small of her back before leaning his head down, gently kissing the skin under Harley's ear, taking in her different scents with a small smile on his face.

Harley took this as an affirmative sign of interest. She rose up a moment and pulled her shirt over her head. She lay back in his arms and looked into his hungry eyes and smiled. She was glad that it was her cute lacey bra. At least it was pretty enough for him to see. Harley's hands tugged at his shirt and beckoned him to remove it. She pulled it up and her hands began exploring on their own.

"Help me get this off?"

Gray smiled and reached down, pressing his hands over hers and guiding them up over his chest, pushing the shirt over his head and throwing it to the side. His heartbeat quickened as he continued on, pressing his face into Harley's neck, slowly kissing down her shoulder. His hands fondled the clasp on her jeans, tugging gently to give her the message. He was less verbal than her, using actions and feelings to indicate what he wanted.

When his hands touched her skin, Harley nearly lept out of her skin, feeling as if she had burst into flames. She helped him with her clothing and his as well. A thought ran through her head; Grayson finally kissed her first.

---

---

Interacting with :

---

That whole past day had been exhausting. After getting everyone out of the bunker Jake had spent the rest of the time making sure everyone was safe. When all the others went inside the bunker Jake stayed outside. He made a small area near the doors where he could hide and still keep watch. He had stayed their for awhile watching before finally falling asleep. A few hours later Jake woke up when a ray of sun peeked out past a cloud right in his face. He awoke slowly noticing that it was a few hours after he had fallen asleep.

Jake slowly stood up from his uncomfortable position and slowly made his way back to the bunker. He chided himself on being a bad watchman, but at least he didn't hear any noises of fighting. Jake wandered around like a zombie no where nearly fully awake. He yawned making his way towards the cafeteria because the only thing he felt right now was extreme hunger. He quietly mumbled to whatever, "Please let there be a horse. Please let there be a horse. Maybe a cow- a pig- wouldn't mind a rib eye steak with mashed potatoes and green beans." He stopped walking for a bit and looked at the wall in between him and the cafeteria then looked to the hallway that led to the doors farther away. He then looked back to the wall and said, "Screw it, just give me a horse." as he phased right through the wall ending up in the back area of the cafeteria where he laid down on one of the tables.

---

---

Casey was fuming and when she got to her room she stopped outside of it and kicked the door. "I don't want to be afraid anymore!" She dropped her head against her door and closed her eyes. Turning around she headed back to the cafeteria. She figured that it was time to get started on breakfast, she could at least help that other girl. It would give her something to do other than worry or freak out.

She walked in and went to the back of the cafeteria. Before she got to the kitchen doors she saw Jake lying on one of the benches. "Jake? Are you alright?" She said walking over to him. "Jake?" She shook his arm and waited to see if he woke up or not.

---

@King Tai@Wick@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@December@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189

---

---

---

---

Cody slowly woke up. His arms had been wrapped around Audrianna and his head was in her lap. It took him a moment to realize where he was laying. Instead of jumping up and giving her room he rolled to the side slightly and pulled her closer still. When his face was about level with her stomach he moved her shirt a little and kissed her stomach softly and sensuously. He looked up and pulled himself up to her mouth and kissed her on the lips. He repositioned himself so he could hold her in his arms.

Watching Cody sleep made Audrianna feel sleepy too and she soon found herself nodding off. She dreamt of fire, smoke and people rushing out coughing and choking. She dreamt of a burning boy streaking through the sky, strong arms protectively around her, bullets ricocheting off an invisible dome around her and Cody's face. A mixture of emotions were on his face: anger, fear, concern, determination. He strode towards her, grabbed her by the waist and lowered his head towards her. Audrianna closed her eyes, anticipating a kiss... a kiss that she felt on her tummy.

Once again, she woke up with a start. She would have jumped off the bed had it not been for the weight that was on her lap. She looked down and found Cody actually kissing her stomach. She blinked. "What are you--" she her words were cut short when he pulled himself up and covered her mouth with his. At first she didn't know how to respond but eventually, she melted in his arms and began returning the kiss.

Cody felt her surprise and then he kissed the questions out of her with a smile. Pulling her further into his arms he laid halfway on top of her and continued kissing her and let his hands explore in anticipation of her telling him to go fuck himself. He couldn't ignore his desires and all he wanted in the entire world was her. Something in the back of his mind asked him what she wanted, and if anyone could smack the crap out of them self he would have smacked that side into oblivion right then and there.

It took a lot of effort and self control but he pulled his mouth from hers and asked her through a hoarse voice "Audrianna, I want you and I need to know you are okay with this, because if not I need to stop now or I can't promise that I will be able to if we go much further." His breathing was ragged and his eyes were glazed over with lust.

Audrianna wanted to tell him that he could continue what he had started, really, she did and nearly grabbed him to continue where the left off. But a large part of her was scared that she was just some sort of fad Cody was into at the moment or a rebound after he had lost his fiance. Her past relationships were like that. The way things were, there was also not a lot of choices available to him and she wondered if he would have ever looked her way if the world wasn't in the sorry state it was in now. Gently, she laid a hand on his chest but didn't push him away. "Why me? What am I to you?" she asked, grimacing slightly. Never mind sounding clingy. She had to ask.

Cody stopped and looked into her eyes. "You really don't know?" Cody couldn't figure out what he had done to confuse her and then it dawned on him. He had told her that he had been keeping an eye on her and watching her for most of the last year. That didn't mean that she had paid him any attention at all. "I forget that you are much more timid than I am sometimes. I've had feelings for you for a long time now. I know it sounds creepy when I say that I've been watching you but...it was kind of hard not to. Once I saw you ...that was it for me. You stole my heart."

A telltale smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "But you never talked to me the whole time we were locked in this bunker."

Cody scratched his head and looked at her. She had a point. He hadn't spoken to her too much and he had had to stay in his military Commander state of mind most of the time, til recently. "Audrey, the world is a different place and I really don't know how I'm going to date you in this world. It's extremely dangerous out there and there isn't anywhere I can safely take you outside of the bunker. If you want to we can take it slow." He dropped his head and willed his hormones to recede. "Woman you are killing me." He said as he buried his face in her neck as he held her.

Audrianna's lips finally curved up into a smile and then she laughed. "I didn't mean that you should take me out on a date out there, silly. I just had my doubts cause... well, there are a lot of better girls than me in this bunker and...and you being you... you can have anyone you want." The laughter died on her lips and she looked self conscious.

Cody heard her words and they made him so angry he stiffened. He reached over to the floor and grabbed his boots and started to put them on. "You not only put yourself down when you do that you insult my choice in you. Do you really think I would spend my time and effort on a woman that wasn't worth it? Do you think so little of me or do you just like to hear compliments continually?" He stood up to leave the room and stopped to look at her once more.

Audrianna knew that he had a good reason to be angry at her. But she couldn't help it. Her low self esteem made her doubt that she could be more than a friend to someone despite the desperate yearning for it. "I'm sorry. I-I have difficulty believing that someone would want me, would want to be more than just acquaintances or just friends." She took a deep breath. "Nobody ever did before." She looked down at her hands for a few moments before she climbed off the bed, put on her shoes and walked to the door. She kept her eyes averted as she excused herself, muttering another sorry under her breath as she kept her head down.

Cody was blocking the door so when Audrianna moved to leave she had to stop before opening the door. Cody was beyond frustrated with her low self confidence. It was entirely annoying and unnecessary but he couldn't just walk away from her. He ran his hand through his already messed up hair. Audrianna was an enigma to him and he wasn't sure how to handle her affliction.

"Audrey, I don't know how to get through to you. Quit apologizing to me first off and secondly..." He stopped to think how to word it. "If others haven't noticed your kind heart and beauty inside and out how is that my fault? I can't help the stupidity of the human race and the male side carries more than their fair share of it." He knew that was bound to crack a smile from her and he wasn't disappointed. He put his arm around her and pulled her to him and tilted her chin up to him. "Please even if you never speak to me again, Please learn your worth. You are worth a lot more than you think you are. To me you are priceless and I hardly seem worthy." He grinned at her then and chuckled. "And I know what I'm worth and I'm quite the catch." He teased her as he stood there with his hair going off to the right straight out at a funny angle while his eyes were smiling at her and looked just a little tired and haggard, needing a shower and just exhausted.

Audrianna put her arms around Cody's wait. "Thank you. I'll...try my best to be a little bit more confident about myself," she said. Deciding to live up to her word and be a little bit more courageous, she added. "You better not look at any other girl then."

Cody grinned and said "What other girls?" He lifted her to him and kissed her deeply. His finally under control hormones threatened to rebel so he put her down and looked at her again and murmured, "Scrumptious". Smiling he turned and opened the door. "I don't know about you love, but I need a cold shower."

---

---

---

---

---

Hearing a loud rumbling in her stomach Harley woke up. Her eyes immediately fell on Grayson's sleeping form. She had fallen asleep in his arms and she stared at his sleeping and handsome face. She was happy for the first time in quite a long time. She leaned over and kissed his lips softly so she didn't wake him. Easing out from under his leg which was draped over hers she looked around for her clothes. Her bra was on the floor along with her shirt and jeans but where the hell were her panties? She finally gave up and slid her jeans on without them.

Slipping out of the door she looked back at him and smiled. She was going to get started on checking the reservoir which would undoubtedly be empty, get some food and find out how she could help. Carrying her shoes with Ryder following her she headed towards the maintenance room to fill the reservoir. Along the way she saw the Commander and Audrianna, Casey and a few others. She was not surprised to find the reservoir totally empty and she started filling it. After it was done Harley had to sit down. Her head was killing her and she was exhausted. She used her clean clothes for a pillow and fell asleep on them.

@King Tai@poohead189@Aeternum@RumikoOhara@Spinosaurus@Kyrisse@Wick@alexfangtalon@December@Venku

---

---

Trinity headed up to the Rabbit Hole looking a lot like an astronaut running across the surface of the moon her powerful legs propelling her in long 20 foot ground eating arcs about 6 foot high at the top of each stride. Still clad in only boxers and a sports top she lands among the people outside of her home and looks over the damage done to people and structure thinking how this could have been prevented by people taking the habits of survival a bit more seriously.

{Perhaps we need to address the subject and come up with coherent solutions} she thought as she leapt atop the Concrete entrance looking at those there that might object to her presence because she wasn’t a former police officer or former soldier. She had become aware weeks ago of the caste system that was forming as people depended on their authority granted by now defunct governmental entities to be all the proof of command needed to hold their positions. She was aware that among some of those in authority she was viewed with caution; even pitied and it filled her with an unfamiliar anger.

It was her recognition of anger that made Trinity pause and take a spiritual assessment of her emotions and the world around her. She had begun to notice that she was experiencing a more callous approach to nature and the world around her take her recent culling of the Crocs and then how she’d flung that man as if her were no longer human……..as if she were no longer human.

Certainly she had begun this journey as a human but did she really fit that mold any longer? She could carry a 40 ft. container like it was a plastic single seat Kayak, leap over 40 feet straight up and swing a half ton sapling like a broom handle. Then there was the obvious change to her body evidenced by her freakish weight which depressed her and added to her anger.

There it was again “Anger” and it’s cause a mystery. Sure she had reasons to be angry but not like this; She was contemplating how she’d like to find those responsible for all this pain and see how far she could throw them and she didn’t intend it figuratively.

{Maybe its my hormone levels, I mean just how much beyond the obvious have I changed?}

So it was that she settled down and sat in lotus position in her self appointed guard post to examine herself as she had been taught by her Guide/Teacher in her particular path.

---

---

Interacting with : @Wick

---

Jake was having a good dream. Short but good. Surrounded by meat of all different kinds at a dinner with all the people he cared about. The food was a background thing. He saw his parents, his uncle, and his closest friends. All the people he cared about that he didn't know if he'd ever see again. Then he started seeing people that had died ever since they were closed up in the bunker. There weren't very many of those. Then he saw those who'd been there and were now gone from the day they opened the doors. The last to join were those still living. It was a sweet dream. He had this dream every so often.

Jake was awoken when he felt like he was being shaken. His eyes slowly opened to see Casey's face calling his name. Jake groaned as he sat up saying, "Ugh, my head hurts." He looked around trying to figure out what was going on. "What time is it?"

Ben slid over to sit by Casey, and across from Jake. "Time to wake up, motha fucka." Ben joked, his plate full of food and his glass with only the finest uncontaminated water. He gave them a roguish, open mouthed grin as a greeting. "Hope y'all slept well. I slept like a rock, as usual." That thought suddenly struck him as he bent down to scoop a mouthful of food. Man, he was glad he'd never been asleep during all of these catastrophes.

He'd got to bed at a decent hour, which wasn't usual for him. He did stay up a bit and read some of his book, a lucky find. It was Arabian Nights. It was torn, and a bit worn, but readable and he was totally into those myths. So he decided to keep it for himself and use it for the time being. After that, he got some good shut eye and was understandably hungry and thirsty enough to feed three men. After all, his ki energy did suck up a lot of energy from his body when used. He had to eat like a horse.
@Wick@alexfangtalon

After Casey rushed away, Wesa wondered to himself that he must've screwed up with his kiss towards her but it was just to get her mind off of what she was having anxieties over. He wasn't trying to get fresh with her. With a sigh, Wesa went to head outside and maybe wait for a while until the commander was free to speak. On his way out, Kai was waking up on the ceiling around, sitting up and yawning before walking down from the wall and back to the floor to come out of his room looking to see if there was any food available. More than likely, no.

Today, he was going to need to hunt something but he hoped as well that after the recent incident, they would get the doors fixed. Passing by Wesa, Kai stopped and noticed that male was new, shrugging and walking on some more. Hi... Wesa said to Kai Sup... Don't think we've met yet. I'm Wesa.... Kai raised an eyebrow Kai....what kind of name is Wesa? you sound like that Jamaican Caribbean sounding alien from starwars... Wesa gave a sigh Great....you too huh? Well it's nice to meet you Kai...I just joined yesterday. Kai nodded really wanting to get something to eat as Wes heard the slightest of intestinal juices making sounds in Kai's stomach Ah...I hear that you're hungry...I'm not sure if there are any food in the cafeteria as I didn't focus on finding out. Kai looked bewildered Oh....um...I guess I'll need to hunt today then.... He was wondering how the hell could he heard that he's hungry from where Wesa was standing?

Wesa nodded and turned back around to head outside as Kai was about to do the same.

@Wick@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@December@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189

---

---

Trinity had been up since before daylight and had been carrying the dump bed of a Volvo yuke she’d found wrecked on a construction site and had loaded down with cinder blocks and carried back to the bunker to aid in strengthening its defenses. She had plans for the heavy duty aluminium metal dump bed serving as a hardened observation point atop the bunker and the blocks as an outer wall before the entrance. She didn’t plan on stopping there because after defending the inner court she planned on major a earth moving project to construct outer earthworks and with about 65 sections of 75 inch drainage pipe along with 7 box culverts which she saw stacked at the site she got the dump bed from she could make some nifty tunnels inside the walls for the defenders to use.

She was an unusual sight dressed in her khaki shorts and a sleeveless flannel with a white tank top underneath and her workboots and using a bulldozer blade to scrape the top six inches of earth and undergrowth as well as level out the ground surrounding her home. She didn’t have a plan to work from but she did have her experience in earth working and a good idea of how she’d like things to turn out so she worked from there.

@Wick@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@December@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189

---

---

Casey grinned at Ben's manner of waking up Jake and chucked. She listened to them for a moment and then she remembered what she wanted to speak with Ben about. He had mentioned issues with Commander Cody. Since Cody had barked at her just a short while ago she was even more concerned.

"Um, Ben? Could I talk to you a minute, in private?"

Casey moved towards the other side of the cafeteria and motioned for him to follow her. While she waited for him to follow, she thought about the discussion with Cody that morning and it seemed like he was busy or that maybe he wasn't alone in there.

Once she had Ben's attention she asked him. "So what's with you and Commander Cody? You said he doesn't care for you much?"

---

@King Tai@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@December@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189

Ben blinked, and gave a nod. He stuffed a bit more food in his mouth, then stood up and gave a big stretch. His back popped, and he let out a satisfied sigh before he grabbed his stuff. He winked to Jake, and then headed over to Casey. The wink was meant as a joke of course. Ben was always a perfect gentlemen. He might have unkempt hair and would never dress up if he didn't have to, but he was always polite.

He sat down right in front of Casey and heard her question. He opened his mouth, unsure how to answer. "Well I uh...I picked up his crush in my arms to get her to where we were going faster, because everyone seemed to have left her in the dust. Commander Cody included." He told her. Ben shrugged. "He didn't like me touching his girl, apparently. Even if she was ok with it and I'm just her friend. Why do you ask?"
@Wick

---

---

Casey laughed a little and smiled. "He is jealous? I wonder if that is what was going on earlier." She pondered aloud. She dropped her head and stared at the bug on the floor in front of her shoe

"He snapped at me this morning and I think she was in his room. He wouldn't open the door more than a few inches." she looked up at Ben.

"I have a weird question for you." She blushed quite a bit. "If a girl was being a little crazy and wasn't listening to you would you kiss her to get her attention? I ask because that exact thing happened to me and I think I might have overreacted. I got mad and left instead but I- I kind of liked it. Any advice?"

---

@King Tai@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@December@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189

Ben looked at her, confused. Going on earlier? Why would he be jealous of Casey? Unless Aud is...oh fruit she'd bi? As he continued to ponder, Casey explained what she meant and he lifted his head in a fashion as if it dawned on him how she could mean it that way. So she's not bi...probably. Oh well, her business. He shrugged his shoulders. "That's probably it. I mean, I guess our bunker getting attacked after the world ending might have something to do with a short temper but..."

Her next question caught him off guard, and he blinked. He gave her an amused smile. Casey must be pretty kinky if she liked that. "I..uh..." he began, scratching the back of his neck. "If she was my girlfriend, maybe. Or if I liked her and I knew she liked me. But I aint going around kissing girls randomly." He chuckled. "You did right being mad. Gotta make sure he knows not to touch you unless you want him too. Plus..." He tapped his head and winked. "Playin' hard to get. too."
@Wick

After meeting Kai with a sort of non-eventful introduction to each other, Kai was left wondering what they dude was capable of after coming outside with him. Why not get an early start of the food gathering? Kai thought. Wesa on the other hand was simply going to keep a look out and be on standby for the time being until he hears Cody out and about again. He was also concerned about the response Casey had from earlier when she walked away from him. Was kissing her a little too much? He had to admit that it was actually lovely and her lips were soft and delightful.

Maybe he should've chose another way to calm her. Maybe next time he sees her, he'd apologize. Still can't get off his mind that she was the second person in his entire life that he's kissed and that she's beautiful. Casey, please forgive me...too bad I can't read minds... he thought.

@Wick

---

---

Casey left the cafeteria thinking about what Ben said. She went towards the outer door of the bunker. Peering outside she made a decision. She wasn't going to be a coward anymore. Quietly, Casey walked outside at a quick pace in case she got scared and changed her mind. When she got outside she took a deep breath and looked around.

Okay, I'm still alive. Nothing is trying to bite me or carry me off to eat later. Smiling at her own bravery and feeling silly about it at the same time. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Wesa. Still riding on her feelings of bravery Casey walked over to him. Casey stared at him face to face for a moment and she went to open her mouth to say something but no words came out. Furrowing her brow at her loss of words she took a step forwards and kissed Wes back. She had trouble pulling back because she was thoroughly enjoying herself but she did. Then Casey headed back into the bunker with a grin on her face.

---

@King Tai@RumikoOhara@Kyrisse@December@alexfangtalon@POOHEAD189