Out Of Time

The Chopping Block

"Arthur!" Sam shouted as she chased Arthur through the tree line. "Wait!"

Arthur stopped walking, turned around and looked at Sam with a cold look in his eyes. "What?"

Sam paused. "I want to go back, yes, but at the same time...I don't want to go back."

Arthur blinked at her, then he chuckled. "Well, good luck with that," he spat sarcastically.

Sam glared at him. "Oh gee, thanks!"

"You're welcome!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Arthur, stop being so fucking difficult and listen to me for a god damn minute!"

Arthur neared her and got in her face. "I'm all ears, woman! What is it?!"

Sam growled at him. "Oh, just forget it! It probably wouldn't matter to your dumb ass anyway!"

Sam turned on her heel and Arthur grabbed her, twirling her back around aggressively. "What is it?!"

"I'm not telling you now! Not when you're fucking yelling at me!"

"Oh, the hell with you then!"

"Fine!"

Arthur watched Sam storm off and he immediately regretted his words. "God dammit, Morgan, you idiot..." he said to himself.  He started to go after her but then he stopped.  He'd done enough damage for one night.

He sat himself down and opened a bottle of bourbon from his satchel.

X===================X

Sam huffed and puffed through camp, finding another bottle of whiskey to drink.  As she popped the cap and drank, John came walking up to her.  "H-hey, what's goin' on?"

"Not much," she said a little too angrily.

"Jesus, sorry."

"No, no, I'm not mad at you.  Sorry, John."

John grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the crate.  "Well, who are you mad at?"

"Arthur," she replied before downing a bit of alcohol.

John laughed a little and nudged her with his elbow.  "Wanna talk about it?"

"I guess.  I told him I wanted to go back home, but lately I've been on the fence about it, and then he got mad at me and we started fighting."

John chuckled and drank.  "I know exactly why he got mad."

Sam gave him a puzzling look.  "You do?"

"Yeah.  Arthur doesn't want you to leave."

Sam crossed her arms and blinked.  "Well, this is news to me.  Did he actually say that?"

"Well, no, but the way he looks at you, Sam, he just...he likes you.  Romantically."

Sam scoffed.  She found it hard to believe that Arthur liked her romantically.  "Well he has a funny way of showing it."

"That he does."  John looked behind him then back at Sam.  "Do you like him?"

Sam paused with the rim of the bottle on her lips.  Yes, she absolutely did, but she wasn't about to admit that to anyone but herself.  "I hate him," she growled. 

Now, perhaps that had been a tad too dramatic, but the alcohol was having a hold on her system, so of course she would be a bit overdramatic.  And John was wise to her ruse because he shook his head with a laugh.  "You know what I think?  I think it's both," John said before drinking his whiskey.