Something Wild

Part IV: Chapter Fourteen

Some more happy cuteness from our favorite badasses

Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen:

Val, Marvel, and I spent a couple days in the neighborhood scavenging through the houses for food and other supplies. We were able to find enough to keep moving from the area, which is good since there was a hoard heading our way; slowly, but still. There was no point staying somewhere that we're at a higher risk. After a few days of not much activity, my body was starting to come around and heal, thankfully. I was beginning to feel absolutely useless to Val. She has Marvel now. Not that I'm feeling replaced by a dog, though Val is giving her ample attention and I'm left meandering at the back of the group.

But no, not feeling replaced.

"This dog is amazing, Peaches," Val turns around grinning as we walk through the streets of yet another abandoned town. "She already knows the basic commands." Val stops and asks Marvel to sit, lay down, roll over, and play dead. "She's a Marvel, really!"

"Yes, truly a talented dog," I roll my eyes and keep walking through the town.

"Aw, don't be so grumpy, Peaches." Val smiles at me, before kissing my cheek gently. I look away trying to maintain my grumpy expression, by it melts away without hesitation. Marvel trots over to us and nudges my leg with her head. "She wants you to pet her."

"Val, come on..."

"You know you love her, Madi. Don't act so tough all the time," Val rolls her eyes playfully. Marvel nudges my leg again, eyes looking up at me expectantly. Val's expression matches Marvel's.

"Fine," I sigh and reach down scratching Marvel behind her ear. Marvel's tongue lolls out of her mouth happily as she basks in the affection that I'm giving her. An involuntary smile falls on my lips.

"I knew you liked her," Val sings as she starts to walk ahead of us again.

"I never said I didn't," I grumble as Marvel and I follow her. "We have enough to worry about without having to worry about a dog too, Val. That's all I'm saying."

"Listen, the world may have gone to shit, but that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon a helpless dog in the middle of it," Val points out. I sigh again, knowing full well that this argument is futile. She's happy having Marvel in her life now, it's the most excited I've seen her since...well, since she had to kill her family to save me. I've already made her suffer with that, I can't ask her to give up the dog too. It's not fair. It'd be another thing Val had to do because of me; another thing that would make her suffer even more. And, sure, I don't totally think that having a dog is the best call right now, in this world, but if it makes her happy, if it heals part of her heart, then who am I to take that from her? Haven't I already taken enough?

"Where are we heading?" I ask changing the subject as guilt starts to gnaw at my insides. I try to trample it down, to bury it beneath the happiness I feel when I remember our kiss from the other day. But no amount of light touches, stolen kisses, and soft smiles can bury the mountain of guilt that has built up within me.

"Wherever the road takes us," Val gestures grandly at the open road ahead of us. Ransacked cars, dead bodies, and varying degrees of trash litter the road. Marvel starts to paw at the ground in front of us. She turns her head back at us as she does so. "What is she doing?"

I shrug, "your guess is as good as mine." Marvel comes back toward us, pawing again at our feet, before turning back around and pawing again. Val and I keep walking ahead ignoring Marvel's behavior.