Ashes to Ashes

AMBROSE

He was...shocked? Horrified? He wasn't quite sure how to describe the emotion. But he didn't like it. Not at all.

"Jesus," he muttered. "That's terrible-"

Amp started to say that it was wrong what had happened, because it was. He could only imagine how something like that could hurt. Loving someone, such as a boyfriend, well it was a different hurt than losing a sister. Just a powerful and painful, but still different. He'd never expeirenced that, living on the streets, and he never wanted to. He knew the pain it would cause.

And he admired Cara for going through that. It's one thing Amp wasn't brave enough to face. Though he'd never admit this to her.

And Amp remembered every time he stole. He had never killed a person, but when he needed money, he wouldn't hesitate to beat the living tar out of them. What would stop him from actually killing a person.

The very thought made him sick to his core. And yet it made him feel...less hollow from Maddie's death.

Cara understood. She was still a snooty little rich girl, but she understood. She knew things the others here couldn't hope to grasp. He could see it in her eyes. She felt...guilty about her boyfriends death just as he felt guilty over Maddie's. Whether he liked it or not, Cara understood. And Amp was almost positive that this would only spell disaster.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Amp muttered. "For once, trust me, I really am."

Amp thought, eyebrows knit together. Maybe the reason she had argued so much with him was because she needed someone to blame too. Maybe they weren't so different. But then again, maybe they were.

*Figures, the one weekend when I'm away you guys decide to go nuts! Just my luck. *

Alec

"They'll be at each others throats in an hour."

Alec laughed softly. "Yeah. Probably."

He sat down on a rock as he stroked Shadow. Cassie joined him, sitting so close he could feel the warmth from her body pressing against him. He looked over at her and smiled. She smiled back and said, "What?"

Shadow, apparently feeling safe enough with Alec around, plopped down on the ground, resting her head on his foot. He gave her one last ruffle before turning to Cassie. "Huh?"

"Nothing, it's just...you...you know..."

"What? Oh! Yeah, I know. I don't know, I was just..."

"Oh," Cassie said, clearly just as uncomfortable as Alec. She opened her mouth to say something more when the door of the shelter opened up and Cara, along with a lost-looking Amp, clambered outside. Both Cassie and Alec took the opportunity to change the subject and forget their awkward half-conversation.

"How's Maddie?" Cassie asked.

Simultaneously, Alec said "Cara, you shouldn't be walking; you look like a ghost. Come and sit down with us."

Something in Cara's expression made Alec nervous. "Are you okay? What's the matter?"

She just closed her eyes and shook her head softly, not able to talk. Her lower lip trembled as she dropped down onto the ground next to them.

Dread filled Alec. "Oh no. Is Maddie okay?"

*Oh, great. I did it again. I think it's Kyle and Natalie off by themelves, but I'm not too sure. Is there anybody who can clear that up for me?*

**I'm not really sure where Kyle is, but Natalie's probably/definitely tending to Kelsey.**

*** Yeah, I think those 3 are off on their own. ***

Cassie

"No, she's not okay," Cara said softly. She wiped at her eyes, trying to hide her tears. "She just... she just died."

"Damn it!" Alec swore. He jumped to his feet and hurried into the shelter, as though he wouldn't believe it until he saw the body with his own eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Cassie said, not knowing what else to say.

Amp turned to her, his hands curled into fists. "You didn't even know her," he said angrily. "So don't act like you give a damn. We all know you don't. You're the most selfish - "

"Would you leave her alone?" Cara asked, sniffling a little. "You don't have to be such a jerk all of the time."

For a second Cassie thought that Amp was going to hit Cara, but then the angry light faded from his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered, his shoulders slumping. He turned away and walked into the woods, looking a little lost.

"I'll go make sure he's okay," Cara said, standing. "You'd better go tell Natalie and Kyle what happened."

Cara Rose-Miller

Cara sighed and began to run after Amp into the woods. She felt bad for what she'd said to him and wanted to make it up.

Amp was sitting down and clutching a pile of ash. Cara ran towards him so she could be near, but Amp turned the other way.

"Listen, Amp, I didn't mean to call you a jerk," Cara said. "Everyone gets angry sometimes."

"Sure you didn't mean it," Amp replied. Cara shook Amp and forced him to face her.

"Listen, Amp. A year ago I wouldn't have been able to mention Sam to anyone. Now I could, because I felt comfortable with you, like I knew you would understand. Cassie was only trying to help you. Just like I'm trying to help you."

Amp nodded, unconvinced. Cara cupped her face in her hands. "Listen, Amp!" She said, trying not to loose her temper. "The reason I was able to say those things, the reason I care, is because you make me feel the way I did when Sam was alive."

Amp sighed, figuring that Cara was wasting his time. He turned around and told her to go away, but she knew that he was just upset about Maddie. Without much thought, she knew what would make his day better. That was when she turned him around and kissed him.

It was interrupted, though, by a familiar voice. "What the hell is going here?"

It was Cassie.

AMBROSE

His lips still tingled with Cara's kiss. What the hell was that about? Didn't she realize how different they were? She was a snooty little rich girl and...

And he had liked the kiss. He hadn't pushed away.

"Cassie," Cara said, shocked. "What-Well what are you doing here?"

"I came out here to see if Amp was okay," Cassie replied, eyes narrowed at them. "Obviously he is."

Amp was so shocked at what was going on he didn't respond. Did he like Cara? It was impossible, but he couldn't deny there was something there. But what was up with Cassie? She had been the first person he had "befriended" out here.

Amp didn't know what to think. Everything in his mind was running on hundred miles an hour. He didn't understand anything that was going on.

Cassie

Cassie couldn't believe her eyes. That bitch had just kissed Amp!

"Well," she said, unable to keep the anger out of her voice, "don't let me interrupt your little make-out session. Try not to chew his face off, Cara."

"Cassie - " Amp said, taking a step towards her.

"Just shut up," Cassie snapped. She spun on her heel and marched back through the trees, shaking.

What's wrong with me? she wondered. Why did she care if Amp and Cara kissed? It wasn't any of her business. It wasn't like she owned Amp. In fact, she didn't even like him. He was a temperamental jerk. And his hair was weird. Cara could have him. They could kiss all they wanted to. Cassie didn't give a damn.

So why was she shaking?

She stepped over a big branch lying across the path, still lost in her thoughts. There was a small creek up ahead.

Creek? She froze, her heart pounding. There wasn't a creek by the shelter. In fact, none of this looked familiar. "Shit, shit, shit," she swore. Now she was lost in the freaking woods. This so wasn't her day.

Alec

As Alec jogged off in the direction that Cassie had gone, he looked around for any sign of Amp or Cara. He was worried for the girl. Lately she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that her insides had been torn out and shoved back in delicately, the way she was running back and forth, crying at every other step. He didn't want to deal with another death. Not now.

The sight of Maddie's cold, emaciated body had made Alec sick. He was no stranger to death, but she was his first experience with an actual dead body. He may have lost his family in a similar fashion, but there hadn't been much to see of their remains. The sight had shaken him.

After a while, he found Cara and Amp sitting on the ground off to one side, looking speculative. At the sound of his approach, they jerked up quickly, eyes wide.

"What?" Cara said defensively.

Alec laughed at her. "Um, nothing? What's the matter with you?"

Amp spoke up, his voice strangely light. "What are you talking about? We're fine. Nothing!"

Alec shook his head at their behavior. "Whatever. Keep your secrets. I just want to know where Cassie went. Did either of you see her?"

The two shared a conspiratorial look.

"She stormed off in that direction," Cara pointed, "just after she..."

"She what?"

Silence.

"Muj bože!" Alec exclaimed. "You two are up to something, I can tell."

Without another word, he stormed off in the direction that Cara had indicated. It didn't take long for him to realize that Cassie was going in the opposite direction completely.

AMBROSE

He was turning into one of those soft, rich pansies. What was wrong with him? He didn't like it, not at all.

Amp got up from where he was sitting beside Cara and ran his hand through his hair. Cara was looking just as confused and somewhat nervous. He didn't know what was wrong with him at all.

He couldn't like Cara. She was rich. Snooty. Soft. She couldn't understand him. He wouldn't admit it.

"Amp," Cara said, standing up. "About that-"

"Kiss?" He asked, turning to face her. "Why did you do that? Why? I mean, I don't-"

He didn't even know what to say. Did he like the kiss? Did he even like Cara. He didn't like the sad look in her face. Amp ground his teeth together. He shouldn't care about her. About anyone!

Cara turned away from him and, groaning, Amp walked towards her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Look," he said softly, surprising even him. "I don't know what to think right now."

Cara still wasn't looking at him, but stood facing away and towards the ground. Amp touched her shoulder lightly and when she didn't jerk away, he pulled her into a hug. He knew he shouldn't do it, but he had to.

"I need time to think about it. I-I'm not sure. I've never even had a...well, I lived on the streets so my life was different. I need time to mourn and-" he paused, unable to finish.

He had been unable to not think about Maddie. When Cara had kissed him, he hadn't thought about her. What did that mean?

Amp pushed away from Cara, pulling out of the hug. It meant that he needed to stay away from her. They were different. He couldn't ever like her! He wouldn't.

"Let's get back to the house," he replied, avoiding her eyes.

Cassie

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Cassie chanted to herself. She had to be the biggest idiot in the world. She had walked off into the woods, without Shadow, without a friend... She hadn't even brought a weapon! And now she was lost, in the middle of nowhere, with no idea how to get back to the shelter.

"Damn it!" she growled, kicking at a tree trunk. A shower of leaves cascaded into her hair, and she swore again.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," a smug voice said from behind her.

She spun around. A scruffy looking man was standing a few feet away from her, watching her intently. He had dark, shoulder length hair and a scar across his cheek. His mud covered feet were bare.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out in the woods?" he asked, taking a step closer towards her. He had a predatory smile that made Cassie nervous. "You out here with some friends, princess?"

"They're right behind me," she lied. He moved closer to her, and she backed up until her back hit the tree. "Stay the hell away from me."

He suddenly had a gun in his hand. He examined it nonchalantly, as though it was the back cover of a book, and lazily pointed it at her. "I think you're lying," he said softly. "Now, I think you're going to hand over everything you have with you, and maybe I won't kill you. And you'd better have something of value, or I might get... upset." He smiled wickedly, and she shuddered. "We wouldn't want that, would we? So empty your pockets. Now."

Her breath hissed out. "It's the end of the world, and you're robbing me? Oh, hell no."

Kyle

Kyle glanced up when he saw Cara and Amp come from the trees. "Where's Cassie?"

"I don't know, Alec went to go find her," Amp replied.

Kyle looked back at Natalie holding Kelsey in her arms. Everything had gone by so fast, his whole life was changed forever within a few short hours. "Well, if they don't come back soon, then we'll have to go looking for them. It's going to be dark in about two hours, so we need to get busy gathering stuff. You know, just in case."

*sorry it's short guys, but I just wanted to get Kyle and Natalie and Kelsey back into it*

Alec

Alec swore loudly as he nearly fell for the thousandth time since he had raced off to find Cassie. The terrain was wet and slimy the deeper into the woods he went. The water mixed with the dead ash that covered everything, turning it into gray mud that felt...wrong...on his skin. He took a deep breath and continued along.

Before much longer, he heard voices. One was clearly feminine--Cassie! he thought--but the other was completely unfamiliar to him. As he neared the place where the voices had come from, something in the man's voice told Alec to draw his knives. He had learned not too long ago to trust his instincts, and this was no exception. Without losing a beat, he slipped them out of their sheathes and clutched them tightly.

Just before his own footsteps would come into hearing, Alec stopped to catch his breath. If he was about to fight someone, he needed to be prepared. After several seconds he was ready. Slowly, he made his way up the incline to where Cassie waited.

As he peered through the leaves into the clearing, chills went up Alec's spine. Just ahead and to the left of him--but thankfully not right in front of him--stood a tall, sickly looking man. A ragged overcoat hung on bird-like shoulders; long, greasy hair splayed out across it like some kind of fringe. In his left hand he held a rusty revolver, the thing pointed nonchalantly at the ground, as if it just happened to fall into his grasp. One glance at Cassie, as far away from him as she could possibly get, would have told Alec everything he needed to know even without the gun.

"It's the end of the world, and you're robbing me? Oh, hell no."

Alec winced at her blunt reply to whatever the man had been saying. He was clearly insane, and who knew what would set him off? Still, he had gotten used to Cassie's frank comments, even grown to like them. He didn't give himself time to ponder that as the man replied with a high-pitched laugh.

"I guess you could say that, sweet-thing. Tell me, though...Are you a virgin?"

The man's horrid question did the same thing to both Cassie and Alec: the blood drained from their faces as they realized what the man was planning to do. Cassie, in a panic, began to back away, but the man raised his gun to stop her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, gorgeous. If you run, I'll shoot you, and then I'll find someone else to comfort. But if you stick around for a few minutes, we might be able to work something out."

Cassie was torn. By the look on her face, she seriously didn't know if her life would have any value if she stayed and let the man do what he wanted. Conversely, it was obvious she didn't want to risk getting shot if she made a run for it. But before she could make her decision, Alec decided for her.

He didn't know why he did what he did next. Logically, he should have gone for a killing blow, maybe to the base of the man's skull. But with his brain pumped with adrenaline and his system working at top speed, he didn't give himself time to contemplate.

With all of the strength he could muster, Alec threw a knife at the man's forearm. After weeks after countless weeks of practice, his aim was true. The blade embedded itself half in the man's forearm, half in his hand with a sickening thud. A finger bone snapped, ringing out loudly as the man cried in pain. He fell to his knees and dropped the gun.

Cassie seemed equally as shocked. As Alec ran into the clearing, though, she visibly relaxed. So fast, it seemed, that she beat Alec to the man's side. All at once, she took the rusty gun and kicked him as hard as she could in the groin--one, two, three, four times. Despite what the man had just done, Alec winced in sympathy. The man screamed shrilly, but Cassie booted him in the mouth this time to silence him.

"Don't you fucking move!" she growled. The man didn't budge.

Alec crept up cautiously and wrenched the knife out of his arm. The man wimpered, but no more. Alec wiped it on his jacket, keeping it in his hand just in case. He stood up and looked at Cassie.

"You okay?" he asked.

She didn't answer right away. Something changed in her eyes, and Alec wasn't sure what to make of it. She seemed to be looking at him differently, and it made him equally uncomfortable and curious.

"I'm okay," was her response. "Thanks for saving me."

"Of course. Let's go back, huh?"

"What about him?" she asked, pointing a feminine finger down at the man. "We can't just leave him. He might come back for m--us."

"Hell yeah, we can leave him! I don't think he'll be trying any of his tricks any time soon."

Alec hovered over the man menacingly. He lifted a mud-covered boot and ground the toe into the man's ragged wound. "'Cause he knows there are more of us! And next time I see him...I'm going to kill him."

***

As Cassie and Alec found their way back to the shelter, Alec burst through the door. Heads snapped up in surprise at the noise. Before he met any questions, Alec spoke up, trying to be as matter-of-fact as possible to get his point across.

"Cassie was almost raped. We have to get the fuck out of here."

*Wow, this was pretty long! Sorry if it was a hassle to read. *

Kyle

Kyle looked up as soon as he heard movement. He saw Alec and Cassie coming out of the trees.

"Cassie was almost raped. We have to get the fuck out of here," Kyle heard Alec say.

Kyle looked at Natalie, her eyes widening. He nodded at her and stood to his feet. "Okay, well I guess we can carry everything. We still have about an hour before it gets dark, so we'd better start moving now."

Everyone started getting up, picking up supplies and condensing things. Kyle walked over to Natalie, "Hey, I know you're pretty tired. Would you want me to carry Kelsey for awhile?"

Natalie

Natalie hesitated. She didn't really trust Kelsey with anyone except herself, but she supposed if she stayed close to Kyle...

She sighed.

"Alright, if you want."

Kelsey looked frightened. "I-I don't want to go out there."

Natalie looked down at her and sighed, crouching next to her. "I know Kelsey, but we have to."

Kelsey shook her head. "N-Natalie there's b-bugs out there! I-I don't want to go!"