T/W:Mentions killing a Grund and a dead body.

****

Two more weeks passed without any arrival of militia from Cannan. Everly held on to the hopes that perhaps Rafferty was wrong and  would come for him after all. She didn’t mention her hopes to Rafferty. Every time she tried to, he’d only tell her it was only a matter of time.

'How can he be certain?' Everly thought. How could they even find him? Why did they feel the need to punish Rafferty for what happened? It could have happened to anyone. Everly felt as though Rafferty hadn’t been completely truthful with her. So, he’d taken to robbery, big deal. That was no reason to torture the guy and then lock him up to die.

Were things really that screwed up out there that the law resorted to such disgraceful behavior? It made Everly feel sick inside. As much as she hated it out here in the middle of nowhere, maybe it was blessing. If this was how the world was nowadays, she wanted no part of it.

****
Rafferty had taken to working on the old, crappy car. Everly figured he was growing restless and needed something to occupy his time. Everly let Rafferty work on the car, even though it was a fruitless task. Sometimes, Everly would go out to the old, falling down shed and just watched Rafferty work. He usually had his t-shirt off and was only wearing his faded, holey jeans. Usually Rafferty didn’t notice her presence and Everly preferred it that way.

Occasionally, Rafferty would notice Everly, but never mentioned it. Everly thought perhaps Rafferty was just shy about it. Either that or he just didn’t want to make it seem more important than it was. One day Everly had just come out and much to her surprise, the car was running.

"It started?” she exclaimed in disbelief. Rafferty grinned, looking proud of himself.

"Yep! I almost can’t believe myself.” Just then, the car sputtered and shut off. Rafferty just shrugged, a little smirk on his face. “Oh, well. It was running for a few minutes.”

"Maybe-maybe if you could get it going enough, we could leave...here.” Rafferty heard the hope in her voice. He didn’t want to encourage her too much. Even if they did manage to escape here, Rafferty would still have a bounty on his head. And he refused to live his life looking over his shoulder. And he most certainly wasn’t going to subject Everly to that life, either. She deserved better than..him.

"Yeah,” Rafferty said, looking back at the car. “Maybe.”

Everly studied him. "You don’t want to escape, do you?” she murmured.

"It’s not that,” Rafferty said. "I refuse to put you in the line of fire. If I’m going to get myself put through hell, I’m not dragging you down along with me."

Everly crossed her arms over her chest, a stubborn look settling over her facial features.

"We've already discussed this, Rafferty. I’m in your corner now. Rather you like that or not.”

"Jeez. You seriously have a death wish, don’t you?” Rafferty scowled.

"I could say the same of you.” Rafferty turned, slumping against the car, defeat written all over his face.

"Why? Why would you want to put yourself in danger intentionally?” he asked.

"Because someone I care about needs my help,” Everly replied. Rafferty looked over at her. He sighed, then nodded before pushing himself off the car.

"Suit yourself. But a word of advice: things will get ugly.”

Everly grimaced.  "I know.”

****
Rafferty convinced Everly to sit outside in old, metal folding chairs as dusk fell.

"What if a Grund comes along?” Everly asked. Rafferty just grinned.

"Then I’ll shoot it dead.”

"Then we’ll have a dead Grund body sitting out here, rotting,” Everly retorted.

"Wrong,” Rafferty said. “I’ll bury it.”

"Are you nuts?” Everly frowned at him. “You’ve seen how huge those things are! It’ll take you two days to dig a hole deep enough!”

"Are you speaking from experience?” Rafferty grinned impishly. Everly just took a long sip of her lemonade and rolled her eyes.

"No comment.” Rafferty laughed.

"We won’t stay out here long.”

"Despite the impending danger, it is rather pleasant out at the moment,” Everly said.

"It certainly is.” They both fell silent for several minutes. The wind picked up, making a mournful sound.

"Have you been terribly lonely, out here by yourself?” Rafferty asked suddenly. Everly didn’t answer right away.

"Yes,” she said softly. Rafferty reached over to tightly grasp one of Everly’s hands.

"You don’t have to be lonely anymore,” he said softly. “I’m here now.” Everly gently squeezed Rafferty’s hand back. She turned her head. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"My prayers were answered. For that, I’m grateful.”

****

The head of the local militia of Cannan stood up from behind his desk in his office. It had been nearly two months since Rafferty Greer had disappeared, along with the provisions meant to go to the capital. His men had been searching for weeks, without any clues as to where either had disappeared to.

He paced back and forth in front of his desk, trying to come up with the next course of action. There was a knock at the door and it irritated him.

"Come!” he shouted. The door opened and his commander in chief came in, a dark scowl clouding his handsome face.

"What is it?” he snapped.

"How much longer are you planning on searching for an apparition?” The commander asked.

The man scoffed. "Apparition? He's hardly that!" The boss growled.

"No?” The commander lifted one of his hands, examining his fingernails, looking bored out of his mind. This conversation was growing cold. He’d lost count how many times they’d had it. Weeks had passed. Surely the guy was dead by now.

"He’s out there! Go find him! And my shipment!”

"It’s been weeks." The commander said.  "He’s probably dead by now.”

"I have to know for certain!” The boss glowered at his commander. This guy was good at what he did. He was cold and ruthless. But he had one major flaw: he was too cocky for his own good.

"Get your sorry ass out there, Commander!  Or I’ll put you up on the chopping block instead of Greer!” The commander regarded him with a cocky smirk.

"Is that meant to frighten or arouse me?”

"Whichever gets you and your men out there looking for Rafferty Greer,” The boss growled. The commander clicked his heels together and saluted the boss, the smirk still firmly in place.

"As you request, Oh Great One!” He turned to exit the office. He stopped at the threshold and without turning around said calmly: “This is a fruitless search. You’ll never find Rafferty Greer. Not alive, that is.”

****

Rafferty felt on edge. He couldn’t explain why. Maybe he was restless. Or maybe it was like right before an earthquake. How animals could sense the impending doom approaching. Rafferty needed to go for a walk. He knew Everly would protest.

He also knew he could run into those hideous beasts that could tear him limb from limb. But he still felt the urge to go wandering for a while.

"I’m going for a walk,” Rafferty informed Everly as he filled a canteen with water and took a hold of a rifle.

"Could-I come along?” Everly asked. “Or would you like to be alone?” Rafferty frowned. He had expected her to make a scene over him wanting to wander. Yet here she was, asking to come along instead.

"I’d like the company,” Rafferty said. Everly filled a canteen as well and they set off. They walked for a good ten minutes before Rafferty spoke.

"I figured you’d be dead set against me wandering off,” he said.

"I’ll admit, the thought doesn’t thrill me” Everly confessed. “But I have a feeling that even if you did run into some sort of trouble, you’d find a way to prevail.” Rafferty grinned for a moment.

"Good to know somebody has some faith in me!” Everly chuckled.

Well, somebody should!” Rafferty chuckled as well. An odd thought hit him. It hit him right in the gut. Was the only reason Everly wanted to come along with him was so she’d know beyond a doubt that he’d...return?

"Everly?”

"Yes?”

"Was the real reason you wanted to come along was to make sure I’d...return?” Everly’s face went white. Rafferty realized he’s hit the nail on the head.

"I guess I wasn’t very subtle,” Everly said.

"I don’t blame you,” Rafferty said quickly. “I was only curious.”

"Given my circumstances, I suppose it’d only be natural for someone to feel that way.”

"You’re afraid to be alone again, aren’t you?” Everly nodded.

"Isn’t that silly?”

"No,” Rafferty disagreed. “It’s not silly.”

"I'd pretty much reconciled with the idea of being alone out here for the rest of my life,” Everly said. “ However I can’t help but think: maybe I was the reason Jackson...left and decided to never to return.”

"Hey, come on now,” Rafferty said. “You can’t go down that road. If you do, you’ll never get off of it. Trust me, I know.” Everly smiled faintly.

"At least you understand. Not many people would.”

"I’m not so sure as they wouldn't understand,” Rafferty said. “As more like they didn't want to understand. There’s a difference.”

"I guess,” Everly said. “I suppose you felt that way after your ex-wife took your son away.”

"Are you kidding?” Rafferty blew his breath out. “I practically went out of my skull trying to figure out what I did wrong.”

"I know this is probably a dumb question, but do you miss them much?” Everly asked.

"All the time,” Rafferty replied without missing a beat. “How about you? Do you miss-your husband?”

"It's funny,"  Everly said. “But truthfully, I’m not sure I do.” Rafferty was surprised.
“I wasn’t expecting you to say that.” Everly shrugged.

"I suppose that makes me sound callous.”

"Kind of,” Rafferty agreed. “But considering what he did to you, especially since if he is still alive, he deserves it.”

"Wow..I wasn't expecting you to say that." Everly remarked, giving Rafferty a sideways glance.

"I’m chock full of surprises,” Rafferty said dryly. He suddenly stopped. He thought he heard an engine in the distance. A very large engine, belonging to a truck. He shaded his eyes, straining to see anything.

"What is it?” Everly asked, her heart skipping a beat.

"I could have sworn I’d heard an engine,” Rafferty replied. Then he saw it. It wasn’t just one truck, but...three. Big ones. Coming straight for them. Rafferty slung the canteen over his neck, grabbed Everly’s hand and turned in the direction of the house.

"We need to move! NOW!" Rafferty shouted.

"Is-is it-them?” Everly asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes,” Rafferty replied grimly. “It is.”