If Tomorrow Never Comes

-4-

Present

The next day....

River woke up to the sound of bickering and the faintest sound of crying.

They got up and went to the living room, seeing Peter and Noe scream at each other while two little kids watch in horror as to what's happening.

They cry silently as the two teens agrue back and forth at each other, complaining about what happened.

"What's all of this about?" River asked, slightly annoyed but kept her straight face.

"Peter found these two while morning patrol and decided to bring them in! They're covered in bruises and who knows what infectious shits touched them!" Noe retorted loudly, making the said kids flinch.

"Okay so what if they were touched?! We could easily remove those infections because I know how to get things done and let them live, unlike everyone else out there who doesn't stand a chance!" Peter bit back his curses, but shouted to the angered girl in front of him.

"Okay first of all, your frightening the kids. Go talk about this in another room." River said as they shooed the angered teens into an unoccupied room. They then carefully go to the kids to make some check ups on each.

The two kids looked about the age of five. A boy and a girl. The boy had brown hair and the girl, black. Both had very similar features so River had assumed they were twins.

"Hey there," River smiled softly as she waved her hand a little. The two kids looked so frightened, it was sad to think they had to go through this at such a young age.

"What are your names?" River asked with a soothing and calm voice, which made the children relax a bit. The girl spoke up first and said, "M-my name is H-Haven" and the boy said shyly, "I-I'm Nico"

River smiled, "Hello there. You both have wonderful names. I'm River. Could you please tell me what happened?" They asked hesitantly, and to no avail as to which they had asked the wrong question as both started to cry, "Nevermind that, let's calm down first, c'mere" River hushed and comforted the children, giving them extra towels they had lying around.

When the kids calmed down enough that they weren't crying anymore, "Okay, can I see if you're hurt badly?" River asked calmly. The kids looked at each other before nodding slowly. "I'll check Haven first then, is that okay, Nico?" River asked Nico, who nodded.

River then proceeded to check Haven for any injury that might cause a problem.

And there it was, at the back of the fragile girl's body, was a big scar, three claw-like wounds going from her right shoulder to the left side of her stomach.

River audibly gasped a little as she took in the view, "Does this scar hurt?" The teen asked as they quickly got up to get a glove to examine the injury even further. River touched the skin near the scar and Haven flinched, "A..a b-bit" She whimpered as tears started forming in the corner of her eyes.

River quickly retrieved her hand and sighed, 'That's... gonna be a problem' they thought as they changed the poor girl's ripped clothing with new ones she had borrowed from Zion's old ones.

"Okay Nico it's your turn" River said as they removed the glove they had used on Haven and put on a new one.

Nico went up to River to start the check up. The teen breathed out the breath she didn't know she was holding, as she looked at Nico's back, seeing the same wound. She then asks the same question after doing the same thing she did to Haven,

"...it does..a bit" Nico flinched a bit as River helped him into a new set of clothes.

"Can you guys wait until the others get back? The two people who were fighting a while ago, I'll make them calm down first, okay?" River reassured the kids softly as they waited patiently for the kids' answers.

After receiving a quiet yes, went to the room where Noe and Peter were still arguing.

"Yeah, no. Please stop" River stressed, sighing. The two fall silent as River walked over to them,

"The kids seem fine, but they have these scars at their back which makes things a whole lot more complicated" the said girl continued, to which Noe was both pleased and, alongside Peter, horrified about.

River then suddenly turned to Peter, "Peter, I get that you care for the kids and want to help them out but you gotta ask someone for both help and guidance before bringing them in" the younger explained, as the said boy nodded apologetically.

River then turned to the girl that was still vicious and was silently-plotting-murder, Noe, "Now Noe, I get that you only want the best for the safety of others , but you gotta ease down because those were humans that Peter let in. They're still so young. Those two don't deserve to be in such a harsh world at this age." River said sharply as Noe nodded in defeat, only just now did she notice how cruel she was.

"Peter, please go do your thing" River dismissed Peter as the male teen nodded, getting his stuff and went out to heal, if possible, all injuries the two kids had.