Better vibes, today. Still living dangerously and posting at midnight and re-re-reading at 2.

Christine was surprised that she apparently woke up before everyone else as the sun angling through the window cast a narrow beam above the bed. She stretched languidly, all the way down to curling and relaxing her toes. The last couple of nights sure beat the few before. A real roof! Insulated walls! No gunfire!

She pushed her hair out of her face, envying Sam's shorter hair and the way Rebecca's stayed straight even at longer lengths. Sure, she'd seen Bex working out some gnarly tangles, but Chris would win that contest hands-down. Unfortunately, experiments before the apocalypse had taught her that attempts to cut her hair short would end up making her resembling a blonde pom-pom, or maybe a Q-Tip. So, she just let Patrick go ahead and think she kept it long because he liked it.

A lazy roll to her right let her press her lips to the skin on his back, then nuzzle inquisitively against his neck. He grumbled with drowsy grumpiness, so she whacked him on the shoulder and rolled away to get out of bed. She still had on the shirt of his that she'd stolen the night before, and practically swum in it. If it wasn't for Walter and Doug she might have just walked to the bathroom with the basic decency it provided, but she pulled on a pair of sweatpants so she didn't give anyone an impromptu cabaret show. The cold didn't bother her as much, and she chuckled over the mental question of how many layers Sam would have on.

A few minutes later, she poked her head out into the quiet living room. She wasn't expecting Laura to already be whipping up another maternal feast, but she wasn't above admitting she was hoping for it. Another exciting smell reached her though — coffee. Now she was really surprised Sam wasn't already on the couch with a whole pot to herself. Instead, it was just Walt, staring out the window above the sink as he nursed a steaming mug. She padded across the room, rubbing her eyes one more time and tossing her hair back behind her shoulders. "G'morning, Walt. That smells heavenly."

He looked away from the window with a raised eyebrow and quiet grunt. "Eh? Mmm. Have at it." After a gesture with his cup towards the metal pot on top of the big stone stove, he went back to staring at whatever was so fascinating outside of the same window that'd probably been there the whole time the cabin had.

That was weird, she thought they had gotten along pretty well the prior day when they were out to bag that wild turkey that had become dinner. When they weren't being stealthy, they talked a lot about times she'd been out hunting with her family, even swapping a classic tall tale or two. He'd even told her she could take one of the three guitars he had around the house when they left!

Maybe he just needs a cup or two in the morning some days? There wasn't any yesterday and he was fine, but maybe he took it easy the day before.

She quietly shrugged to herself and went around the back of the island to retrieve three mugs. She and Pat could share — one less thing to wash. Epstein might have to stay away from the caffeine if he needed another painkiller, and she had no idea if Laura liked coffee, so she figured she'd just aim for the middle. Sam definitely needed one.

She left two cups on the table corner nearest the stove, filled hers up and glanced back at Walt. No change, definitely didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation, so she just withdrew to the bedroom to wait for Patrick to wake his ass up.

If the smell of coffee didn't do it before she finished, well, maybe she wouldn't share after all.

**

Sam woke to sounds of movement in the room, wondering where she was and why hell her neck hurt so much. As she winced and tried to untangle herself from the blanket, bits and pieces of the rough night came back to her.

She'd have rather preferred a hangover.

The blanket finally let her escape, and she shoved it towards one side of the chair. Next, she got as far as lowering her feet stiffly and putting her face in her hands, elbows propped her knees. After a thoroughly expressive groan, she lifted her head and looked around. Rebecca was propped up in bed where she'd last seen Laura, who was now sitting near her feet. They both smiled as Sam ran her hands through her hair.

She was tired enough that she was surprised how soft it was under her fingers, until she remembered she'd actually gotten to wash it two nights in a row. Rebecca might have seen the passing confused frown, because her smile grew more tender as she patted the bed next to her.

Sam staggered to her feet just enough for the two steps it took to cross the gap between the chair and bed, holding the side of her neck with a grimace. Her collapse over the footboard into the bed felt much like a hogtied AT-AT taking a dive into the snow.

Rebecca's hand settled on her back, then started sliding through Sam's hair in repeated strokes, prompting a sigh.

"Yes. That. Do that," Sam managed to plead.

Rebecca chuckled. "Aww, Rosie. We were just about to wake you to come to the bed if you hadn't on your own." Sam thought of responding, but lost track of what she was going to say and just mumbled incoherently into the mattress under her face. Rebecca chuckled again as she kept running her fingers over Sam's head. "Thanks for getting my mom."

"Mmrph. 's why we're here, right? I figured she had more practice."

"Good thinking." Rebecca's hand roamed across the back of Sam's skull, making it tingle pleasantly, and wandered down her neck to a sudden halt. "Mom, could you heat a few hand towels up on the stove for us?"

Sam heard Laura say something that sounded affirmative and mentioned using the oven instead as she exited, then rustling. Another mumble escaped as she felt Rebecca straddle her hips, and then to Sam's groggy delight, start kneading the muscles leading from her neck to her shoulders. Whatever she told me they were called. Brain not work good right now, especially with happy back rub yesssss...

Her breath caught, and then released in a relieved sigh as Rebecca's thumbs found a knot and worked into it. Sam heard her chuckle.

"I guess that's a good sign."

"Mm-hmm," Sam groaned weakly.

A minute later, she felt soft warmth settle on her back as Rebecca leaned forward. She brushed her hands down over Sam's shoulder and arms, nuzzled her hair, and whispered slowly in her ear. "I'm sorry you were stuck in the chair like that. Thank you. We take care of each other, right?"

Sam turned her head slightly to talk to Rebecca instead of the mattress. "I coulda slept in your mom's, but that felt weird and I wanted to be here if you needed me. Now you need to stop that if you want to still have clothes on when your mom comes back."

Rebecca chortled evilly — maybe Sam had been teasing her too much and she was learning her tricks, because she planted a kiss on her neck before sitting back and resuming her less provocative work.

Though she was initially losing herself in a pleasant haze, Sam's thoughts drifted back to the argument she'd overheard. She sighed, with despair rather than relief this time. "I want to go home." She was a little perturbed with how whiny she thought that sounded.

Rebecca didn't stop moving her hands, but Sam could tell she was caught off guard, because her rhythm changed for a few seconds. "Are you okay? I'm sorry my drama is sucking up attention yet again while you're hurting."

No. But if I say that, it gets complicated, fast, and as tired as I am I'll probably botch the conversation.

"Y'know, given. I just... miss home.

Wow. Articulate.

There was a polite knock at the door as Rebecca's mother returned with a stack of folded towels wrapped inside a larger one. Rebecca thanked her, and started laying them on Sam's back.

She couldn't resist a happy purr.

"I hope that helps." Laura's voice came from somewhere above, accompanied by a fleeting whiff of...

Oooh!

Sam lifted and turned her head. "Mrs. C., is that coffee?"

"Oh, yes. Walt made some earlier this morning—"

Oh. Never mind.

"... do you want me to bring you some?"

"No, thanks. I'm okay." She tried to conceal her exhausted dejection until her face was hidden again.

Once there was a layer of warm towels across Sam, doubled across the base of her neck, Rebecca began moving her open hand in wide slow circles for several quiet minutes. Sam felt herself drifting towards a much more comfortable sleep.

Laura said something Sam missed, and Rebecca's voice tugged her back just enough to understand the words. "You hear that, Rosie? She says we're precious. And, before you woke up, she told me she's glad I have you, that you're good for me."

"Mmm," Sam mumbled groggily. "Sh' says I'm 'zemplary. But keep doing that n' I'm yours f'rever."

"Heh. I'm inclined to agree." Rebecca spread a blanket out across Sam, muffling her voice even further than Sam's drowsiness already had. "And, good to know. You get more sleep while we figure out breakfast. Any requests?"

"'llie's bread... medium food..."

The last thing she consciously remembered was Rebecca's chuckle and floating contentedly away to her hand's slowing movements.

**

Rebecca knelt to pet Sue while Laura sat on the couch, both waiting for water to boil. She realized her mother was watching her silently, and picked Sue up to go sit next to her.

"Penny for—" Rebecca's voice trailed off into a chuckle.

Laura blinked and tilted her head. "Hmm?"

"Penny for your thoughts. Sam said it to me once or twice and now it's become one of our things."

That got a smile. "It's cute."

"I'm really glad you get along with her, Mom."

"Well, heh. I can see how that would be quite problematic for you if we didn't. You usually had pretty good taste."

Rebecca made a displeased face, like Sue had left her something gross as a present. "Eh. Except for fuckface."

A glower shadowed Laura's face, but faded like a passing squall. "We all make mistakes. Sometimes the people close to you can surprise you in the ways they disappoint." Then, she smiled and seemed to focus on happier thoughts. "But you moved on, stronger for it. You found happiness even after everything. You remember that story I used to tell you, about the two wolves?"

"Both fighting inside me, one darkness one light, the one that wins is the one I feed etcetera? Yeah." Rebecca absentmindedly gazed out the window while letting Sue play-bite and bunny kick at her hand. "I need both these days though. Some shadows up on the 'break glass in case of emergency' shelf to let out when the world doesn't play nice." Laura sighed, and Rebecca looked back at her. "Sorry. You probably don't like being reminded of that."

"Not especially, no. But like you said Ronnie told you, ignoring things doesn't make them disappear." At Rebecca's chuckle, her mother's smirk was full of teasing self-satisfaction. "You see, I was paying attention! She said good things!"

"Okay, okay."

"I guess even though I don't like hearing about it... that's another reason you need me out there."

Rebecca shrugged. "I don't want to force it, just like you don't want to impose. Sam would probably yell at us to get over the polite-off. Honestly, I was worried you'd try to get me to stay here with you."

Laura gave her a disgruntled expression that clearly implied her daughter should know better. "Family you find and choose is just as important, Rebecca."

"Speaking of family, have you talked to Walt?"

"You could say that." There was a hint of something in Laura's voice, but it was gone before Rebecca could really tune into it. "You know, we actually talked a few times over the months about what would might happen if we got in contact. I tried turning my cell phone on every week or two just in case, until the battery ran out. We used to get a few bars up here, and I'd check when we were down nearer towns too. God." Laura sniffed and wiped at one eye. "Every few minutes, I still can't believe you're right here."

Rebecca smiled wistfully and patted Laura's knee with her spare hand. "I turned mine on too, especially once we had some kind of power set up. Sam has an idea for a standalone cell site back home if we can find someone who knows enough about how they work." She paused to bop Sue on the nose when he got too rough. "Hey, I saw one of Dad's books on the shelf when Sam was browsing. What other stuff did you manage to grab on the way out?"

Laura's cheek twitched, probably at the unexpected mention of her late husband, and she saw Rebecca's apology on her face before she gave it words. "It's okay, sweetheart. His ring and belt buckle, since they lived right in my top drawer. The little box with my good jewelry. Some paperwork that's probably useless now, but I didn't know how bad things would get." She stuck her hand into the tussle with Sue for a moment. "A certain big fuzzball, my laptop for all the photos, and mostly the rest was boring necessity stuff."

"Sam really wants to get my laptop going, for a certain handful of Thailand pictures."

Laura raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked down at Rebecca's hips. "Handful, you say. Hardly anything she hasn't seen, I suppose."

"Mom!"

Her mother grinned with glee that rivaled Sam's mischievous smirks, clearly pleased to have out-scandalized her, and waved her hand like she was fanning something away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I've just missed bantering with you. I suppose there's something to be said for presentation, and she's certainly earned it."

Rebecca pretended to fume, and then laughed it off, which got Laura going too until they both sighed happily.