We played a few different games that were stored under the table. People trickled back to the cliffs. The back of Diane's lounger faced the meadow, so almost no one noticed that she was in it. Todd came over to visit and was surprised to see she was on the deck and asleep. He didn't know she had donated blood tonight. On days she did, she normally went to her room if she knew that she was that tired.

I passed him a blue token and Todd silently joined our game of snakes and ladders. He glanced at her in concern and whispered, "Why is she asleep? Is she sick?"

Ace shook his head and whispered back, "No, she donated blood again today and the aftereffects seem to stack up this close to her last donation."

Todd looked confused, "She gave blood last night, she could have waited several days. It wasn't like it was a rush."

Ace shrugged, "She was curious to see if there would be any side-effects and wanted to try it in a controlled environment."

Todd glanced at Diane as she was still sleeping, "Well, I guess she got her answer."

Ace and I both nodded. Todd glanced at her in perplexity, "I have no idea how our whispering doesn't wake her."

Ace sighed, "She was quite tired."

Todd glanced the other way and I turned to see Trish and Nathan approaching. Trish's hair was still damp from the lake. Todd held up a finger to his lips for silence before pointing to Diane's mostly hidden form. They blinked in surprise, but nodded as they came over to take the last two empty chairs.

It felt odd for the two armed fighters to approach when Diane was sleeping and clearly unaware of their presence. I kept glancing at their brown eyes before I realized what I was doing. A glance at Todd and Ace showed that both of them were watching Trish and Nathan with bright blue eyes. I sighed, Heartfire may protect Heartfire, but it was a nuisance for our other friends.

Trish tilted her head as she blinked in confusion at Diane. How she was sleeping with her arm over her eyes completely baffled me, but she was managing it. Her face was peaceful as it usually was when she slept. Even in sleep she looked exhausted.

Trish sighed quietly, "Okay, even I can't consider revenge for the dozens of pranks she has pulled on me in the past when she looks like that."

Todd looked at Trish, "She played dozens of pranks on you? When?"

Trish clarified, "Oh, not here. Back when we were in Wainwright Fort. We used to be roommates in a two room suite" Trish sighed, "I lost count of the number of times I planned to install a lock on my side of the door..."

Todd looked intrigued, "What did she do?"

Nathan was amused, "It might be safer to ask what didn't she do."

Todd put on an attentive expression and Trish grinned before she started recounting numerous innocent pranks that Diane had dreamed up. Many had occurred before I came along, so I was one of the ones who was stifling laughter to keep from waking Diane.

I heard the occasional snicker or muffled laughter from the second level deck that the Messengers favored when visiting Sanctuary. Ace was amused and Todd was at his wits end to keep from rolling off his chair as he tried to keep from laughing loudly.

The wind blew a cold breeze along the cliff. Trish shivered and ensured that no drafts bothered Cathy. We all glanced at Diane. Her light clothes were meant for the warm spring sun while working, not the cool of a spring evening. I glanced at Ace, but he was deep in thought as he looked at Diane.

Ace suddenly stood up and we watched him leave in confusion and curiosity. He went to our home and swiftly returned with a heavy quilt. Todd scratched his head, "She will undoubtedly wake the second you try to put that on her."

Ace raised an eyebrow at him, "It will be easier if you helped."

Todd wasn't buying it, "Perhaps, but perhaps I like my spleen attached. Her fighting reactions are as automatic as yours, and she is still wearing that dagger and belt knife."

I giggled lightly as I got up to tiptoe to the other side of Diane's lounger. I helped Ace carefully and slowly spread out and lower the quilt onto Diane. I didn't recognize the quilt, so it must have come from Ace's room. Diane's head stuck out, but that was about it. At least she would be warm now.

It was kind of disturbing that she didn't wake up though... Simply having us walk near her should have woken her up. There was no way that she should have been able to remain asleep as we put any sort of blanket on her. She had the Heartfire virus. It wasn't possible for us to turn off how alert and aware it made us. Although apparently donating blood managed that feat.

I exchanged a look with Ace. Diane must have been far more tired than she had let on. I heard mutters from above as the Messengers also noticed and were in complete shock and incredulity. Trish was also watching in disbelief, she knew how lightly Diane slept.

Trish yawned and Cathy stirred in her arms. Trish bent over her daughter and took a sniff before wrinkling her nose, "Well, I am going to change Cathy and head to bed. Good night."

A soft chorus of good byes followed Trish and Nathan as they left. Ace glanced at the sun as it rapidly approached the horizon before turning to me, "Can you stay here with Todd for a bit? I am going out for a fast run. I hope you don't mind running with Todd tonight."

I nodded, "That is no problem." I knew Ace didn't want Diane to be left alone on the deck despite the fact that nothing would approach unseen with a hundred blue-eyed people on or around the cliffs. It was one thing if Diane was in her room with a closed front door, but with her on the deck, it was different.

Ace got up and stretched as he glanced to the deck above us. Technically it was off to the side and not directly above us. A handful of Messengers were watching Ace. They nodded at him. They had heard his earlier words and also silently promised to stand guard as well. With a last glance at Diane, and a nod to Todd, he turned and left.

We watched his swift run as he headed for the forest. I knew he was going by himself so he could push himself to his limits and tire himself out faster. It wouldn't take nearly as much time for him to get enough exercise to last until the morning than it would have if he was traveling with me.

Todd and I played a board game as we awaited Ace's return. Todd groaned as I won the snakes and ladders game again. We glanced over to see Ace running easily across the meadow on his return trip. He slowed as he neared the end of the meadow and climbed the ladder.

He glanced at Diane as he took a seat in his chair again. Todd answered his unspoken question, "She didn't so much as stir."

A couple of the Messengers came down from the deck above. Ace tilted his head in a silent question. Trevor was one of the ones who came down. A few others were still above watching and listening. Trevor nodded a greeting at Ace, "We have to head out for our run soon. You will be alright here?"

Ace nodded. Trevor glanced at Diane, "It is too bad we couldn't manage to get that lounger of hers inside."

Another Messenger shrugged, "It would fit through the door, but I doubt we could move it without her waking up. If she woke suddenly, she would probably react without thinking. She is a fighting trainer and I doubt that blanket would give us much time to get out of reach without dropping her."

Ace shook his head, "I will stay with her until she wakes. Just ask the sentries to refrain from napping tonight."

Trevor chuckled, "If we caught any of them asleep at their post, they would swiftly regret it. We will let them know that not everyone is sleeping inside tonight and they will keep their eyes peeled."

Ace nodded, "Thanks."

The Messengers turned to leave and Trevor paused as he glanced at Todd and me, "Feel like running with us tonight?"

I knew the Messengers often pushed themselves as they competed to see who was in better shape for both immediate speed and long term stamina. I flushed a bit, "I wouldn't be able to keep up."

Trevor smiled kindly at me, "We would travel at your speed. It is occasionally nice to go more slowly and enjoy the sights. With you along, I have a reason to do so instead of trying to keep these people in line."

Todd glanced at me in inquiry, and I nodded as I stood up. I looked at Diane one last time and I really didn't want to leave her, but I knew Ace was here and there were dozens of people who would come at a call if trouble showed up. Trouble also had a huge meadow to cross before it could even consider how to climb up to the ridge.

I went down the ledge until I came to a slide and slid to the ground below. Most adults seemed to use the slides over the ladders to get down and the Messengers were no exception as they threw themselves down the slide with enough speed to get airborne at the bottom. They landed lightly on their feet with grins as they jogged with Todd and me.

It was different running with the Messengers. The dozen men and women were bundles of energy and accustomed to almost non-stop running all day long. They jogged, skipped, jumped, and did other acrobatics like cartwheels while playfully bantering with each other and overall just having a good time.

They told lots of jokes as well. Some weren't that funny, but most were. Some regarded things from the world before the Collapse and I didn't remember much of it, so many of those jokes went over my head. Especially the computer or vehicle related ones. I wasn't sure what a Ford or a Chev was, but at this point, I knew that they really didn't get along.

Todd rolled his eyes at Mike, "Honest Mike, you are not related to a computer, give it up."

Apparently Mike had practically lived on the computer before the power went out. We still weren't sure how he managed to survive. Mike placed his hand over his heart in mock hurt, "Ah, but I clearly remember the similarities!"

Todd waved his hand regally in the air and attempted a British accent, "Then please do tell us the little your dim mind vaguely remembers..."

Mike somehow managed to bow deeply while jogging without falling over, "My pleasure. In the days when our electronic friends were a daily presence, it was obvious how similar they were to us. My mind was often just like my internet browser. I had 19 tabs open, 7 were not responding, popups kept magically appearing, and where on earth was that music coming from?!"

A couple of his friends howled in laughter as they clearly recalled exactly what he was talking about. Apparently I had not used a computer enough. I didn't even know what a tab was.

One of the other guys piped up, "I got another one. A man watches a lady walk away in an irate huff and leans over to whisper to his confused co-worker, 'You may be a seismologist, but the correct term is crow's feet, not fault lines.'"

His wife whacked him while others snickered and ensured they weren't within cuffing distance of the grinning lady. Jokes kept coming as we ran for several hours. I understood roughly about half of them and giggled or laughed.

We eventually returned to Sanctuary. I could just make out Ace in the distance and I knew that Diane was still sleeping on the lounger. I heard muttering as the Messengers started laying out bets as to when Diane would wake up.

In my opinion, most of them didn't understand just how tired Diane had been. She normally woke around 4:30, even on average days after she had donated blood, and many were guessing in the 5-6 range, but I had a sneaking suspicion that she was going to sleep longer unless someone woke her up.

No one in their sane mind would wake her since they would be dealing with quite a few upset people, including Todd, Ace, Kerry, the Messengers, and most of the fired people in Sanctuary. If Roland or Amber got wind of it, that person would also get quite an earful and they knew almost anything that occurred in Sanctuary.

I wasn't sure if Ace or Kerry would be the scarier person if they got mad. Ace was an unparalleled fighter, but Kerry was a stern nurse with a hidden, but fierce temper. I didn't want to get either of them mad and thankfully both were almost always in a good mood and smiled far more often than they frowned.

Todd headed off for his own home. I climbed the ladder and went over to Ace. Diane hadn't moved since I left and the tiny wrinkles in certain spots of the quilt proved it. I yawned and Ace spoke kindly, "You can go to bed. I will remain out here."

I nodded, "Okay. Do you want me to bring you a blanket too?"

Ace shook his head, "Thanks, but my jacket will be sufficient. It beats that hammock any day of the week."

I giggled quietly as I headed to our home. I opened the door and took one last glance at Diane before going inside and getting ready for bed.