Moral Compass

Chapter Forty-Four

Not a day later, Fallon and Seth were in Claudio's castle once again, preparing for yet another meeting of the allies. This time, for the duration of their visit, Claudio had deactivated the portal jumping barrier. The guards were no doubt tiring of the endless journeys made through the maze.

As they made their way into the heart of the war room, Seth kept his eyes trained on the Amazon. After her breakdown the night before, being with Fallon was like walking on eggshells.

She still wasn't letting him in. He knew no more about this horrifying past than what her file revealed. Yet he could see it weighing down on her. Her inability to escape the torment of her mind.

Just let me in! They could work through whatever it was together if she'd just give him a chance.

"Getting sick of seeing the pair of you here," Claudio greeted in a jovial mood.

Fallon was too busy staring at her compass to reply, so Seth did it on his and her behalf. "Good to see you Claudio."

"It's good to see you too tracker. Alive no less."

"There've been moments..." He drifted off as the Amazon walked away, heading over to Megan, that business look about her face.

Claudio frowned, following his gaze. "Everything alright with...?"

"My robot girlfriend?" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Honestly, I wish I knew. "She's been having a rough time with her past. We're working on it."

"I see. She looks like a woman on a mission."

She had that no nonsense look about her face that she'd had in Runealm. The look that said she'd bury herself in work and responsibility rather than facing what bugged her so deeply.

"Yeah, you're telling me."

Claudio clasped his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Let me know if you need any help there. Fallon can be difficult at the best of times."

Don't I know it.

He headed over to the busy Amazon after finishing up with Claudio. As she messed with her compass some more, he pressed his front up against her back, nestling his head in at her neck.

This felt normal. So very normal. And yet there was that undercurrent of something that told him it wasn't.

"How are you feeling this morning baby?"

"I'm good. Why?"

Her pitch was all types of off.

"Because I care for how you're feeling," He peppered a few kisses down her neck, anything to relieve some of that stiffness in her body. "I've not forgotten your out of character moment last night." Fallon didn't cry. At all. She didn't breakdown. She just wasn't the type. But she'd been holding everything in for so long that it all exploded. She'd fallen to sleep with her head on his chest, tears racing down the lines of his abs. "I told you you'll end up burning yourself out."

"I'm fine, tracker. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Would you quit telling me that? The more you say it the more I worry."

"I swear, I'm perfectly fine."

They had varying definitions of perfectly fine.

"You'd better be." He squeezed her hips, holding her in place. "You might not believe in these sorts of feelings, but I love you. I need your mind and body in one piece, so don't do something irrational and get yourself hurt."

"Does that sound like me at all?"

More than she could ever know.

"The tsunami ringing any bells?" Fallon's way of dealing with these things went way off course from the reactions of any normal person. "How do I put this? When you're emotional, you have this tendency to go above and beyond. You shoulder all the responsibility for yourself and drown yourself in work. I need you afloat, you understand?"