Ashes to Ashes

AMBROSE

"Hey," he said, gently. "It's alright. I'm not going to let anything hurt us."

Kelsey buried her head into his shoulder and wrapped her tiny arms around him. Amp's chin quivered dangerously as he stroked her hair, lightly. This was all too familiar. The only reason that he even felt close to this girl was because she reminded him of Maddie.

But now? No. Amp couldn't help but want to be near her to protect her. He almost felt...like a brother to her.

They reached Kyle's house without the interruption of any bugs. to Amp's great relief. His head was hurting really bad. Throbbing so painfully that it was hard to just put one foot in front of the other. Add Kelsey's weight and it was just torture.

Natalie and Kyle were rushing towards them, wide-eyed and scared looking. Natalie only took in Kelsey's rough appearance and freaked like only an older sibiling could.

"Amp! What did you do to her?" Natalie shrieked, taking Kelsey roughly from his arms.

Amp shoved his hands in his pockets. "What I had to do," he mumbled. He didn't have to explain himself to her.

"Kelsey, honey, are you alright? Why did you go after him?" She asked. "What did he do to you?"

Amp glared. He hadn't even done anything. He turned and stalked off, angrily. This time inside and not towards the woods.

Kelsey

Kelsey shook her head. "No, Natalie he saved me!"

Natalie looked her over, seeming very concerned. "You can explain later. You're bleeding!" She sat her down and looked her over for any more serious injuries, then looked up. "Does anyone have a first-aid kit?"

Cara Rose-Miller

Cara finally found the strength to get up, and she ran over to Kelsey.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see that, honey," she said sympathetically. "Are you alright?" It was ironic thing for Cara to say. She was a wreck; her chocoate brown hair with streaked with dust and ash, and the waves had lost their luster. Her face and arms were scarred and bruised, and fresh blood stained the bandages where she had been attacked by the bug.

Kelsey started crying and shrank back into Natalie's arms. Cara sighed, thinking of Amp and how he had left. She suddenly felt terrible for the way she acted. Snapping at him because Sam was dead was uncalled for. Thus, she only felt obligated to apologize. She dried her tears and sat down next to him.

She sat down next to him. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm so incredibly sorry." But she thought of Sam again, and began to burst into tears.

*** Wait? Didn't Amp just go inside? And now he's lying in ash? ***

Cassie

Kyle brought his battered first aid kit out of the shelter.

Alec followed him out, looking concerned. "What happened?"

"It was a giant bee," Kelsey sobbed.

"I'm not trying to say 'I told you so,'" Cassie said. "But don't you see now? Those bugs are everywhere. We have to get out of here. This is getting ridiculous. It's giant bees now. What's next? Giant wolves? We've gotten lucky so far, but we can't count on that to keep us alive. Obviously the shelter and the woods aren't safe."

magnusbanefan13 wrote:Wait, didn't Amp just go inside?

fix'd.

AMBROSE

Amp's eyes widened at the tears. He wasn't good with tears. Then Cara was sitting there apologizing to him! He was in shock and didn't really know what to do.

"Hey, don't cry Cara," he muttered, uncomfortable. "Really. I, uh, forgive you I guess. It's really my fault. I was mad at myself for...hurting you. So," he ground his teeth and bit back his pride. "I'm sorry."

Cara looked up at him with tear stained cheeks. "I wasn't really crying over that," she muttered.

Amp looked over at her, eyebrows knit.

"Forget it," she sighed, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. And right then, Amp knew it was something serious. He almost wanted to forget it, but he couldn't. And wouldn't. He needed to make it up to Cara.

A noise sounded outside. Amp stood up and looked out the window. There was a girl limping towards the house, in obvious pain.

"Jesus Christ," Amp muttered. "Cara I'll be right back."

He ran outside and when the girl saw him she burst into a huge grin.

"Ambrose!" She squealed. She was one of the few people who could call him that and get away with it. Amp stopped just in front of her, unable to believe it.

"Maddie?" He asked. She smiled and then grimaced.

"Maddie?" He asked alarmed.

He saw his sister start to wobble on her legs and he stretched out his arms just in time to catch her. Maddie was unconscious.

"Maddie!" He yelled. He wasn't about to lose his his sister right when he first got her back.

He pulled her close to him.

"Cassie! Natalie!" He yelled. "Help me!"

Cassie

"Help me!" Amp yelled from somewhere nearby.

"Oh, what now?" Cassie asked, exasperated. "Are there really that many mutant bugs running around the woods?"

"He doesn't sound like he's being attacked," Alec said. He took a few steps away, then glanced over his shoulder. "Coming?"

"Of course," Natalie said. She turned to Kelsey. "Go wait inside for me,"

"Guys?" Amp yelled again. "A little help would be nice!"

"This had better be good," Cassie muttered. She followed Alec and Natalie towards the sound of Amp's voice.

Natalie

Natalie hurried over to where Amp was and gaped at the girl. She didn't ask any questions and looked over her shoulder. "Someone bring over the first-aid kit, and hurry up!" this girl needed medical attention now.

AMBROSE

"We'll get you help soon Maddie," he whispered against her ear as he scooped her up ( she had lost so much weight!) and started to carry her to the warm house.

Alec instantly bent over her, looking at her anxiously. Natalie looked confused and slightly shocked but left the questions for later.

Amp closed his hand around the thin, feeble fingers. She was going to be okay. She just had to be okay. He couldn't lose her now.

"Told you I could make it on my own," she choked, eyes fluttering open.

Amp kissed her cheek. "Hang in there, girl," he smiled softly. "You're safe now."

Maddie's eyes went distant. "Amp...I'm sick. I'm just so glad I found you. Just be glad for that, mkay?"

Amp glared at the tiny girl. "Maddie don't you even talk like that. Got it?"

She smiled at him. "I love you Ambrose," she laughed, closing her eyes again.

Alec looked at her. "She's going to need a lot of rest to heal. She's right, too. She's really sick."

Amp looked at him, eyes betraying every emotion he was feeling right then. Glee, shock, terror, confusion, but most of all foolish hope. Alec looked slightly shocked.

"I'll just leave you two alone then, I guess," he replied, ducking his head.

Cara Rose-Miller

Cara began to shift uncomfortably. Why was Amp taking so long? She'd liked taking to him earlier and felt somewhat warm. In addition, she hadn't got the opportunity to apologize and explain for what happened. Also, she was curious as to why Amp had left so suddenly.

She got up and then was when Amp came in, carrying unconscious young girl with several gaping scars. Somehow, Cara knew who she was, as she remembered Amp talking about her earlier. It was his sister.

She was alive. Cara threw her hands to her mouth in disbelief. She was happy for Amp, happy that the person he cared the most about was alive and well.

"Come on," Amp whispered, "You'll make it, Maddie." He set her down on the cot that once belonged to Cara, leaving her for Alec and Natalie to tend to. Then Amp turned to Cara and sat back down.

"Amp..." Cara whispered. "Will she be okay?" She was frightened and shaking, and she clutched Amp's hand for support.

Cassie

Cassie stayed outside, watching the sky lighten as the sun slowly rose. She couldn't stand seeing the sick, hopeful look on Amp's face. After a while, the shelter door opened and Alec stepped out, looking haggard and tired. There were dark circles around his green eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?" Cassie asked, turning to look at him.

"I don't know," Alec said wearily. He absently stroked Shadow. The dog let him, tail wagging slowly. They stood in silence for a few minutes, and then he added, "Cara and Amp were holding hands when I left."

"Cara and Amp?" she repeated, surprised. She considered that for a long moment. Amp could be a total jerk, but he was kind of cute. Not as cute as Alec, though. "I doubt it will last. They'll be at each others throats again in an hour."

**ooh! I think I'll torture my character a little. xD**

AMBROSE

He was glad for the company. He didn't think he could actually take it to be left in the room...alone with Maddie. It was all he could stand to just look at her, hurting as she was.

"She's got to be okay," Amp replied, nervous as Cara took his hand. Was she comforting him or was she only using him as support. He didn't like the thought that he should need comfort.

"She's...strong. Really strong to have made it this far," Cara said, obviously hoping that Maddie would be okay.

"Yeah," Amp smiled. "She'll make it through."

Maddie moaned in her sleep, trembling. "Amp," she mumbled.

"Yeah?" He asked, kneeling by her bedside.

"I don't know how much longer I can take this," she said, a few tears finding their way down her cheeks. "It hurts. More than anything I've...ever felt."

"Jesus, Maddie," Amp shivered. "Just...just sleep. Oh, I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do Maddie!"

She looked straight at him. "I can't do this Ambrose. You've got to just...let it go. You're stronger than me. You made it. I'm...not."

"Don't you dare!" Ambrose said, shaking with fear and anger.

"I don't know how long I can keep on Amp," she said, bottom lip trembling. "I can't do it. But...I love you, okay."

"Maddie," Amp choked on a sob, a few hot tears leaking out the corners of his eyes. "Maddie don't. Please don't do this. Please!"

Amp gently hugged his sister, both sobbing. He could tell when Maddie stopped, but she still let him hug her. He could feel her breathing slow as she fell asleep. And then, he felt her heart stop against his chest and her breath hitch.

Amp laid his sister back in the bed. She was still but he knew there was nothing anyone could do for her. He had accepted it. Cara sat two feet away from him in silent horror, realizing what had happened.

So Amp found comfort in the very last person he could ever imagine.

"Oh my gosh," Cara whispered as Amp sat beside her, refusing to let her see him cry but holding her hand tightly. "Amp...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Amp nodded. "Me too," me whispered.

Cara Rose-Miller

Cara didn't like it one bit. It was one thing to see a dead body, but it was another thing to see someone actually die. And she was so young, too.

She felt terrible for Amp. He'd waited so long, hoping that she would be alive. She'd just found him, and that poor little girl had made it this far only to die. She realized that Amp must have felt how she did when Sam died.

She gripped his hand tightly. "I know how you feel," she said quietly. "It will be alright. Cassie and Natalie and Kyle will help you through this. Just like my parents and friends did for me when Sam died."

AMBROSE

"You know how I feel?" He asked, gritting his teeth against his growing anger. He wanted to blame someone for this...terror. He wanted to put the blame on someone else because he knew Maddie was dead because of him.

He had failed to keep her safe. He hadn't kept his promise. After he had found others, he had stuck around where it was safe instead of looking for his sister. He was to blame.

And he needed it to be someone elses fault. He wanted to yell and scream and throw a fit like he used to when he was a kid. He wanted to tell the world that it wasn't fair to take the one thing that was of real value from him forever. He had never had money, he never had a home, his mother died when he was ten and now his sister was gone.

What next?

"You have no idea what this feels like, rich girl," he said. He tried to take the bitterness out of his voice, tried to make it a joke, but Cara didn't look fooled. She knew that he meant what he said.

Cara looked over at him, eyes turned away. Amp frowned. Cara had mentioned the name of someone who had died...maybe she did understand. And right now, Amp needed that.

"If-If this is asking too much, ignore it, but...who is Sam? How did he, well, die?" Ambrose asked, shifting his feet. "But can we go outside. I can't...I can't look at her like this right now."

Cara Rose-Miller

Cara choked back tears. A year ago she wouldn't have been able to talk about him. His name had accidentally slipped, so now Cara felt compelled.

She closed her eyes, but found she could not muster out the simple words that would answer Amp's question. His death replayed over and over in her mind. Even though she hadn't witnessed it, she played out various horrible scenarios in her mind. Finally she told herself to think of all the happy times they spent together. When they would kiss, hand out with eachother, their first date...Finally Cara opened her eyes.

"He was my boyfriend," she said slowly, "And he was shot by burglars who wanted a Wii that I got him for his birthday."