Tapestry of Scars

Vulnerability

A/N: Thank you all for keeping me sane in an insane world. Creating these stories and sharing them with you all keeps me going. Only a few pages left to turn. A few chapters to go. I may or may not have one more story in me after this one if you guys are down for it.

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Chapter 17:

Vulnerability

Neither one of them slept the first night at the cabin. Emily tried to burn off her energy on the treadmill in the exercise room in the basement, but it only stimulated her adrenaline more.

She obsessively checked her gun and ammo. She paced the hallways like an antsy prison guard. If they had been followed she would be ready. She wouldn't be caught off-guard again. She listened for noises. She peered around the shades. She felt like she was back in combat, waiting for an enemy to jump out at her.

She heard shuffling from the bedroom. She rushed towards the noise, terrified that someone had slipped past her and was trying to hurt Alison. She was relieved to find Alison walking towards the door. She'd gotten tired of listening to Emily pacing.

"You really need to get some rest." Alison walked over to her. All the moving around couldn't be good for her injuries.

Emily put her weapon down on the dresser.

"I'm fine. I've done twenty-four hour shifts before." She could see the 'but you were shot a few hours ago' ready to spill from Alison's mouth. "Yes, even after being shot. Army makes 'em strong, babe."

Alison started to reply, but she paused, her mouth twisting into a smirk.

"What?" Emily asked.

"You called me babe."

"I can go back to blondie if you prefer it." Emily closed the distance between them, pulling Alison in for a hug.

"I'd prefer for you to come to bed." Alison pushed her palm against Emily's hand and curled her fingers into Emily's. "It's four in the morning, Em."

"He won't sleep until he finds us."

"He won't find us here. This place is off the map." Alison smoothed some of Emily's hair down. "Besides, if he's going to kill us I'd rather be well-rested. I don't want to go to my eternal rest looking like a dime store whore in a fight with a blow dryer."

"Oh, Ali." Emily shook her head with a smile. "You're worth at least a dollar." She wrapped her arms around Alison's waist and kissed her forehead.

"Emily Fields, you can take that dollar and shove it."

"Ooh." Emily lifted her brows. "Tell me where."

Alison giggled and pulled her towards the bed. She fell backwards on to the mattress, taking Emily with her. Emily felt a jabbing pain in her side when she hit the bed. Alison saw her flinch. She reached up and stroked her cheek.

"Does it hurt?"

"Comes and goes. Nothing I can't handle."

"You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met."

"Look on the bright side." Emily mirrored Alison's actions, cupping her face. "I'm too stubborn to die."

Alison scowled at her.

"You're not a cat. You can't keep using up your lives like you've got more to fall back on."

"I never thought I had more to fall back on." She looked at the ceiling, remembering the feeling of hopelessness she'd felt back in that motel bathroom. The first time she'd tried to kill herself she'd just been pissed. But when she was alone in that bathroom all she'd felt was an overwhelming darkness. "That was the point. That's why I did what I did. I didn't think I'd survive."