After Night Falls

After Panic

"Guys, I'm fine," Max protested, crouching above an unfamiliar mushroom.

"It doesn't matter that you're fine," Axel growled, "what matters is that you went off alone without telling anyone and no one would know what happened to you."

Max brushed her hair out of her eyes with her wrist, careful not to let the gloves touch her face. "I'm easily within shouting distance," she argued.

"I don't care how close you are if you're not in eyesight," Axel scolded.

Max sighed, standing and removing her gloves in a quick and fluid motion. "Fine. I apologize. It won't happen again."

"Good."

"From now on I'll always take a babysitter with me." She crossed her arms and stared at him through her metal framed glasses.

"Make sure you do," he replied, "if you're going to act like a child I'll have to treat you like one."

Max huffed, but didn't argue her point any further. The time she'd spent with Axel had taught her that he would be unmovable once he'd set his mind to something.

"So, I suppose we should all get back to killer-proofing the cottage?" Jane suggested, gesturing to the small building they'd just left.

"I suppose so," Jake replied, shouldering past the group and opening the door.

"Cottage," Crystal whispered, smiling. "I like it!"

"Makes it feel more like a home, doesn't it? My family used to have one back on earth," Jane confided.

"A home?" Crystal teased, poking Jane in the side, "I'd hope so!"

"A cottage you dimwit," Jane corrected playfully, shouldering Crystal in response.

The two entered the cottage and began to gather up the cloth in the house, stripping the bed and collecting the rugs from underneath the rubble.

"What are you doing?" Brad growled as they tried to shoulder past him.

"Well," Jane explained, "if we're staying here then we should at least beat out the fabrics, although I think we should wash them. Max has allergies and we all know how loud she sneezes."

"We'd never sleep through the night," Crystal added.

Brad begrudgingly stepped aside, letting them pass. "Just beat them; we don't have time for you to stand around."

From inside, Marie smiled to herself at the exchange.

"What, Evans, is that a smile?" Jake teased, shouldering Marie lightly, adjusting the stack of boards in his arms.

"Not at all," she countered, returning her face to its usual stoic expression.

"Evans? What a boring last name," Brad called from the back, opening and emptying the cabinets there.

"Well Brad is a boring first name," she called back, "and I heard that was one you chose for yourself."

"At least mine means something," he said, lumbering into the front room and pulling a set of dog tags from underneath his shirt. "Buddy of mine covered me when no one else would," he explained. "It's how I remember him."

"Did he die?" Jake asked sensitively.

"Nah," Brad said smiling, "at least not there. Dumb bastard probably drank himself to death years ago. He was fine when I left."

Marie chuckled wryly, hoisting a stack of boards over her shoulder. "My dad was like that."

"Not my dad," Jake said laughing, "somehow managed to kill himself falling off the bed. He'd decided to try something he was clearly unable to do with the neighbor. Serves him right I guess, you know, cheating on my mom with my best friend's mom."

"Ouch," Brad said, "I guess you're right. Can't fix stupid."

"You've got that right," Jake chuckled.

From outside, Jane began beating her rug with more vigor than before, taking short pauses only to look through the window to see the three in the front room, laughing as they shared stories that she could not hear.

"Woah Jane, slow down," Crystal teased, "the longer we take with these the less work we have to do."

Janes cheeks flushed red as she set aside the rug sheepishly. "Sorry."

"What's got you in a tizzy?" Crystal asked, watching her.

"Nothing."

Inside the main room, Jake threw a crumpled piece of paper at Marie, causing her to turn away from the window to give him a look Jane could only imagine.

"Ah."

Jane turned toward Crystal, then quickly turned her gaze back to the sheets that had yet to be beaten, trying to ignore Crystals piercing stare.

"Just ignore it," Crystal advised, "look at how she completely ignored him!"

"She didn't completely ignore him," Jane argued.

"Well she certainly didn't flirt back," Crystal replied. Any normal girl would throw it right back."

"I don't really think you could call Marie a normal girl..."

Crystal shifted her gaze to the window, studying her. She watched as Marie shifter her gun holster to allow her to carry more boards, how she didn't shy away from the dead things they had to clear out of the room.

"I guess you're right..."

"You know I am," Jane pressed. "She runs around carrying the gun like she actually knows how to use it—"

"—which she does," Crystal pointed out.

"—and she doesn't get grossed out like normal people, and she actually does the same hard work that he does, she just has too much in common with him for me to compete! And she won't even consider him!"

"But she's closed off," Crystal reminded. "She's open about anything when it doesn't concern her. Ask her what her favorite color is and you can't even get that much out of her—she's too closed off to lead to a deep relationship."

Jane shook her head, beating the linens more fiercely. "Doesn't matter does it. Her not returning his affections. What do they call that? Playing hard to get? It only drives them crazier."

Crystal shrugged. "All I can say is don't give up. Men are entranced by girls playing hard to get but when it all falls out, you'll be right there by his side."

"You're terrible at giving love advice."

"You'll thank me one day," Crystal assured, "and when you do I'll definitely be sure to say I told you so."