beyondtheline | Tornadoes and skeletons and nacho dogs, oh my

Tornadoes and skeletons and nacho dogs, oh my

[So this is how he gets away with it, then. Cruz, a skeleton, with a skeleton horse, lives in a skeleton of a house with a skeletal barn attached - and he remains unseen, his home apparently abandoned, all the way on the outskirts of this thing that's barely a town.

Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]

Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.

[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]

On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?

[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?

That earns a laugh from Cruz.]

I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.

[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]

Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?

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[Chrissy takes out her nervous energy on the dishes. She scrubs fast and scrubs hard. And she's so bothered by the wind and what's waiting out there, that she can't even laugh at the fact Johnnie's being teased by a cute old lady.]

I like his jacket.

[She whispers, which earns a clicking of the tongue and an exasperated sound from poor Miss Toni.]

I used to have one like it too.

[Not exactly like it, just plain leather. But she doesn't need to know that. Outside, the wind dies off for a minute. In that time, Chrissy finishes washing and starts drying. She's in the middle of drying a plate when the wind picks up, stronger than ever. A roar of her name is carried on that wind, and she gasps as she drops the plate. It shatters into pieces and she just stands there trembling, hands going up over her ears as her name is drawn out in a threatening tease.

Miss Toni looks to her candles, which are flickering despite the wind being outside. She looks back toward Johnnie a moment later and nods to the door. She doesn't say anything, but Chrissy gets the distinct impression she's trying to politely ask them to go.]

Let's get out of here, okay? [Both arms wrap around him, and she presses her face against his chest.] I'm really sorry about your plate!

[She can't face Miss Toni. Not when she's so guilty about bringing this trouble to her.]

[This is truly the first day he's ever experienced being pissed off at the fucking wind like this, but he is. He holds Chrissy close and strokes her hair while he scowls at the night outside the window. He catches Miss Toni's eyes, then, and she shakes her head and goes to get a broom and dustpan to clean up the broken plate.

Johnnie decides he'll keep one part of his dumb story true, just because even if this lady has been teasing him left and right, she did take them in and feed them when she didn't have to, and tried to shelter them even though whatever is out there is starting to become too much for the restaurant and her little prayer candles. He nudges Chrissy aside just far enough to reach his wallet, and pulls out a few bills, then sidesteps to set them on the counter, weighted down by a candle.]

Dunno how else to thank you. We'll get outta your hair.

[The older woman looks at the two of them and nods.]

Que les vaya bien. Tell that wind out there to stop howling when you go. And you two keep each other safe.

[That little smile, almost humorous, somehow bolsters his courage. He gives a firm nod, then ushers Chrissy toward the door, but keeps a step in front of her.]

I'll get the bike started, then you run from here to the seat without stopping once the engine's running, you got that?

Okay. I'll wait here.

[As much as she wants to cling to him and let him shield her all the way to the bike, he's better off getting out there alone to get things started. Worrying about her will just distract him, and that's when something can sneak up and take advantage of the situation.

The second he steps outside, the wind dies down. It's eerie enough to give her a shiver, and her arms wrap around herself as she swears she can still hear someone gravelly rasping her voice.

She's grateful when she hears the bike start up, and she takes off at an all out run to hop on the back. The wind turns into a roaring gust as her feet make contact with the pavement, and she huffs as she has to really hold onto him tight. Her name sounds like a deafening scream as Johnnie peels out, trying to outrun whatever is stalking her down.

It has no interest in Johnnie at all. But it seems to love howling her name, as the wind stays like a tunnel around them. As he careens out of town and into a stretch of desert highway, it feels like the wind goes away. And she thinks that they've outrun whatever it is, that they're going to be safe.

It's about three miles outside of town that something appears in the middle of the road, large and looming and dark. As they get closer, Chrissy notices that the darkness is a black pile of sludge. And there's two glowing eyes staring right through Johnnie and at her. Its mouth opens, jagged and sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight. And out of it comes her name, shrieking and frenzied.

Whatever this is, it knows her.]

There's no way we can get around that thing! You see it too, right? It's huge!

Of course I see it!

[What kind of question is that? The thing is enormous in the darkness, blotting out the faint ambient light from the moon and stars. Even if there was room to safely get around it on the highway, which he's not convinced of, it wouldn't be hard for the thing to just move into their way and block them. So as much as he doesn't want to slow down or stop, it's either that or they go sailing head-first into that dark shape and that sounds worse.

As he holds the brake levers tight, the headlight from the bike gets close enough to illuminate some of that shape, too. Whatever it is, it's more than just black goo with a face - there are limbs, twisted and mangled on its surface, and the remnants of clothing merge with flesh and black ooze. And as it arcs upward to try and tower over them, darkness itself seems to spill out of a slash that runs from where its belly ought to be, up to roughly where its neck would be, if it were a human shape.

Sitting in the road here would be a very, very bad idea, he has a feeling, so Johnnie wheels the bike around to go the other way.]

I'm gonna try an' find a road that goes around. You have your gun?

[Shooting a big dark blob doesn't sound especially likely to do much, but what the hell else are they going to do here? There's a set of train tracks running parallel to the highway, and maybe if they're extraordinarily lucky a train carrying barrels of some kind of fuel will come by and give them something to work with, or maybe they can trap the thing on the tracks and have it get hit - but he's not exactly counting on a train coming by in time to save them.]

[Chrissy doesn't answer right away. She's focusing on what she can see of the monster, and has to turn to continue staring as he turns the bike around. What's left of some kind of jacket is clearly visible on one of the mangled limbs. Her eyes narrow as she thinks she recognizes what it is.]

My gun is in the bag.

[But she leans over to unzip and pull it out, clutching it tight in both hands as her thighs squeeze tight to keep her on the bike.]

Chrissyyyyyyyy....

[Her name is shouted like a taunt, and she takes aim and fires. If it actually hits it, she has no idea, because she's distracted by the way its mouth is curling upward.]

Miiiiiiiiine.

[It roars, and Chrissy shrieks as she fires again. That's when the figure moves, launching toward them in a rushing dive. It remains on what looks like all fours as it runs, making her shout in alarm as it gains ground on them. Seconds pass, and it's looming over them, making a grab for the bike with one twisted limb. While it latches on and slows down the bike, it uses another jagged part of itself to grab her and physically remove her from the bike.

The gun in her hand is dropped in the process, but even as she screams she's pulling out her knife. It takes a few seconds of darkness being all around her that she realizes this thing has shoved her inside of it, and is busy running away. Well, that just won't do. No one's taking her away from Johnnie again. So she uses that knife in her hand to slash and stab and cut.

She knows she must be hurting it, because it growls and roars in pain, and ejects her out onto the pavement. She's covered in goo, but her eyes are perfectly fine. And as she moves to pick herself up, she notices exactly what is on that tattered remains of a jacket. It's a letter jacket, green and white. With a very identifiable H patch, with a name embroidered on it.]

Jason.

[His name is whispered, and she looks up at him in terror as he stretches out tall over her. She can clearly see the very distinct gash and scarring from where Johnnie split him nearly in two back in New York. This is what Jason's turned into since then, a monster. One that's somehow tracked her down across time and distance and has found her. But she's not the same girl he remembers. Rather than completely cowering in fear, she lashes out with her knife to try and send the message that she has a bite to her now. She's not going to be his victim any longer.

What might have been a hand once upon a time comes in contact with her face, making her lip bleed as she recoils. But she doesn't stop slashing with her knife. It just seems like no matter how much she attacks, her small blade doesn't do much of any damage. All she has to do is hold her own until Johnnie gets there, and they can take care of this together.]

Chrissy!

[He shouts as she's lifted from the bike, and he wheels it around immediately. No point looking for alternative routes if she's not with him. Time to fuck this thing up and get her back, or die trying. Or whatever happens to them, now.

His gun is still tucked into the back of his pants and it's easy to reach, but the problem, he realizes, as he hears her muffled cries but can't see her, is that he doesn't exactly know where she is against that monstrous darkness. Has it engulfed her, or is she just on the other side? He can't tell and doesn't want to hit her by mistake.

There's one other option, sort of a last ditch effort that just might work. Keeping the bike headed straight with his knees, he leans back and digs in one of the bags until he finds one of their half-finished bottles of alcohol, and the first scrap of clothes he can reach - a sock, apparently. Works for him. He quickly stuffs the sock into the bottle as a wick and lights it, and just as the bike gets dangerously close to veering off the road, he throws it at the back legs, or whatever those appendages are, of the creature and then regains control of his motorcycle. The molotov explodes into a cloud of flame, sending liquid fire up the thing's leg and across the pavement.]

Let her go, you ugly fuckin' freak!

[The burst of fire is a welcome sight, and as Jason shrieks and roars in pain and fury, she gets in a final stab before running over to jump on the back of the motorcycle.]

It's Jason. He's turned into...that!

[Chrissy isn't sure if it's a monster or what he is now. A creature of the darkness, warped and focused entirely on getting her back. That's not happening, and running away is probably an option. But that means he can pop back up at any other time without warning. ]

I want to get rid of him. So he can't find me again.

[It feels wrong to use the word kill so openly. But she'd really like to set him on fire and stab him and cut off his head or something. They don't have long to decide on a plan though, because with all his rolling around and writhing in pain, the fire is mostly put out. They're going to have to act fast.]

Will you help me? Please?

[She can try to do it alone, but she knows that she needs his help with this.]

[She really didn't even need to ask him. He tried to kill this guy before, and he'll do it again. They don't need this asshole chasing them through all of space and time trying to fuck everything up for them.

There's little time to say it all aloud, so he just reaches back to squeeze her knee and starts thinking fast as he swerves the bike around the pained, monstrous creature in one brief little gap so they can pull ahead of it.]

Should be a few more bottles in those bags, let's use 'em all. Here.

[He hands back his lighter, but his eyes stay on the road, except for a glance behind to confirm that Jason, or the thing that was Jason once, is now galloping behind them, trailing smoke and sludge in its wake. He can feel the road shake even through the vibrations of the bike's engine as each heavy limb crashes downward onto the asphalt.]

Let's light that fucker up an' burn it to charcoal.

[A pair of red tail lights are visible in the far distance. A car, and they're catching up. Well, it's no train but it has a gas tank, it might still be just the thing, if they can get there before Jason gets them.]

[She's surprisingly focused and able to get things done now. Her hands may be shaking a little, but she gets the bottles out and uses socks and underwear to get things lit. His throwing arm is a lot better than hers, but she's driven by a need to be free. That desperation enables her to really toss the makeshift molotov far, and she cheers in success as it makes contact and lights Jason on fire again.

There's a few bottles left, and two of the three are lit and thrown. She's grinning as they hit and make the fire grow larger and larger. The last one she holds onto, because she definitely spots those lights on up ahead. Maybe they can use the car as a buffer to get some more distance before they throw the last one.

Her name is screamed as Jason continues to barrel his way toward them.]

Speed up! Maybe we can use that car up ahead to block him!

[He can hear those howls of rage and pain echoing in the back of his skull after each shatter of glass, and they fill him with so much pride for Chrissy. His Chrissy, his sweet baby girl who has tried so hard to un-think all the fucked up patterns of thought Jason taught her in his efforts to control her.

And she's on the same page as him, clearly, when she sees the car. So he acknowledges her by pulling hard on the throttle, no need to hold back now that she's not needing him to help keep her in throwing distance. A speed limit sign races past, suggesting 80, but he's already going well above that by the time the number registers.

So it's particularly funny and rather appropriate when he notices details of the car ahead as they approach. It's a police vehicle of some kind - unmarked, a black sedan, not like the enormous white pickups he's been spotting cops in so far in the state. But inside through the rear windshield he can see all the telltale extra equipment, the grate that separates the back seat from the driver.

What's worse than a cop car? A fucking secret, hidden cop. But hell, two birds, one stone. He races around the vehicle and pulls in front of it, then starts to slow down in order to force that car to slam on the brakes and let Jason lurch closer to it.

And okay, he can't resist holding up a middle finger for the driver, who tries to pass only for Johnnie to speed up again and keep in front of him in the other lane.]

Asshole. All right, got ourselves a little bit of a shield. We got anything back there you can throw at him to make him swerve an' block the road better?

Give me your gun. If you can hold onto this bottle, I can shoot his tires. Really!

[Maybe she's not a sharpshooter, but she hit a stationary bottle during target practice once. And she's Johnnie's girl, which means he's taught her how to be dangerous and vicious if she needs to be. They're going fast, but after a shuffle of items she's able to get that gun and take aim. She hits the headlight first, which definitely isn't a tire. But the second shot, fired right after, makes contact. The tire instantly goes down, causing the car to veer out of control.

The cop inside is faced with no other choice but to swerve to a stop. As soon as he does, she tugs at Johnnie's jacket.]

Turn around! We need to light that thing up while we still have time.

[Maybe the police officer will have time to get out and run away. Just in case, she gives both the cop and Jason the middle finger. And since there's still more bullets in the gun, she shoots at the car to try and hit whatever she can.

Jason's fully on fire now, and all of his rage and charging toward them is wearing him out. He trips on limbs that are aflame and goes sliding across the road right toward the now stopped cop car.]

[The gun is just stuffed into the back of his jeans, but he sweeps his jacket aside so she can see it and grab it. Once she's hit the car, he wheels the bike around as requested, a mad grin starting to spread across his face. They're actually fucking doing this, they're in a high-speed chase in the desert fucking up an undercover cop and her horrifying monstrous ex at the same time and they're winning.

He lets out a joyous Whoop! with a fist in the air as Jason slides right toward that car. Maybe a little early to declare victory, but all he's declaring is his excitement. He keeps the bike moving just so they're not sitting targets in case Jason gets up or the asshole cop starts shooting back, and they snake toward the car in a zig-zag, slower now than before.

The cop, seeing Jason, shouts audibly through his cracked windows and decides to take his chances with the lesser of his two bad options and crawls toward the passenger door, then opens it, rolls out onto the roadway and cowers, hands toward Johnnie and Chrissy in a plea for mercy.]

C'mon babe, now, before that motherfucker gets back up!

[He's more worried about Jason, and pulls the bike parallel to the car in a broad u-turn to line Chrissy up for a throw. The cop, seeing this, scampers for the ditch to take cover, and Johnnie notes the direction he's gone. Definitely not his main concern, but it's best to keep track of pests so they don't take you by surprise later on, he figures.]

[This is the shot that counts, and she focuses as best as she can through all that adrenaline that's pumping through her.]

Here goes nothing!

[She shouts, sounding almost giddy as she lights the bottle and throws it as hard as she can toward the car. It goes through the passenger door and catches flame immediately, the entire car going up in big flames in seconds. Her hand presses against Johnnie's back as they watch it burn, and as soon as the fire reaches the gasoline, it's all over. The explosion is loud and rattles the entire area, but Chrissy watches with a sense of satisfaction as Jason screams in agonizing pain.

Watching him burn and flail is so satisfying that her smile is manic, almost sadistic in the pleasure she gets from knowing she's done this to him. It doesn't take any longer than a few minutes before he goes still.]

Can you get me in close? I want to make sure he's dead.

[From in her peripheral vision, the cop starts to make his way out from where he was hiding, and is shouting at them. Chrissy barely spares a glance in his direction before firing off the last round in the gun. It grazes his knee and makes him drop down with a shout, and she's wearing that unhinged smile on her face again. ]

[He's having the time of his goddamn life right now, manning the bike to get Chrissy in position, watching her take down first the creature that once was Jason, and then second, the cop. Neither are fully confirmed out for the count, but that just means now is time to follow up and she's clearly eager for it.

Still, it's a victory howl he looses into the night as Jason screams, and he puts his hands up in the air in front of the flames, again just driving with his knees for a second or two until he laughs and takes control of the handlebars again so he can bring them in closer, around the flaming wreckage of the car and the enormous black mass smoldering on the road. Smoke and embers scatter in the wake of the bike as he circles around to get them on the other side of Jason, away from the gas tank in case somehow the car has more exploding to do.]

Let's make sure he's done for good this time. I don't want this asshole comin' back again. More ammo in the bags somewhere if you need it, but otherwise I'm thinkin', if he doesn't move, let's grab some of those bushes past the fence there an' pile it all up, make sure this thing burns for days.

[And as eager as he is to get back to California, they can spare an hour or so here to have themselves a little bonfire. A dance, a smoke in front of the flames, a celebration of the banishment of this shadow from Chrissy's life, once it's finally done. How fitting that they, who belong to the darkness, have brought this black ooze monster down by lighting it up with fire.

As he stops the bike and watches the thing burn, a cruel, satisfied smirk grows on his face.]

Y'know, Miss Toni back there said there's things out here darker than us. But I'm thinkin', give it time. Maybe someday she'll be wrong.

[One of her softer, more sweet and awestruck smiles takes over her face after hearing him say that. She wants more than anything to one day be that strong. With him, she feels invincible. They can take on anything. She leans forward to kiss at the back of his neck, even as she digs bullets out and reloads the gun.

They can build their fire. But she fully plans on shooting Jason until she feels like he's paid for all the pain and misery he put her through.]

Someday soon, maybe.

[The bike is at a standstill now, and she hops off so she can move in a little closer. Just enough to shoot at where Jason's head might be. It doesn't really matter where she hits, she fires until she's out. Tears stream from her eyes as she does, but her glare is icy and cruel. She's not sad, she's furious. And finally she's able to help herself. There's no more running, just revenge.

So she tosses the empty gun back to Johnnie before nodding over toward the side of the road. There's brush and bushes they can drag over to add to the fire. And she definitely wants to do that.]

Can you believe it? He's never going to find me again.

[She's giggly as she says it, absolutely ecstatic for getting rid of Jason once and for all.]

[It must feel so good, what she's doing. He's enjoying it, but for her it represents more than a victory over a monster, it's her own victory over her personal nightmare. Every shot hits with pure satisfaction, with so much love and pride for her and the future she's making for herself by ridding her of this particular demon.

He catches the gun, now clearly out of ammo, and hops off the bike. He sees that nod, knows she's thinking along similar lines, but before going for the brush or going to find that cop and throw him on the fucking pile of destruction they're about to create, he first slips one arm around Chrissy's waist and cups the back of her head with his other hand, and pulls her snug against him for an intensely passionate kiss. He's left breathless, panting with victory and exhilaration and absolute lust for that fire in her eyes at what she's just accomplished.]

I believe it, babe. You made damn sure of it. He can't touch you ever again.

[Another kiss, and then he pulls away, hands lingering for just another ounce of touch before he separates from her. Bonfire, first, then there will be plenty of celebrating after.

Now, where did that cop go? His fingers curl around his sheathed knife as he starts toward the ditch, looking for fuel and listening for the crackle of brush in case the guy thinks running is the thing to do right now.]

[There's a strange duality within her. He leaves her blushing and smiling, even as she's filled with a wrathful rage and a desire to watch what's left of Jason burn. That kiss he gave her was all-consuming, one of those heat in the moment kind of things that will stick with her for a long time to come.

She watches him head off, likely to find the cop, and her smile only grows as she observes. He's so protective of her, but he really helped her be able to stand on her own and get this done tonight. And she feels so free because of it. The right thing to do is let him have his fun while she focuses on keeping this fire going.

A few steps are taken before the sound of something dragging through the dirt and onto the pavement catches her eye. It's the cop she shot, trying to drag himself back toward his car like he can call for help there or something.]

Hey babe, look over here! [She sighs, so disappointed that this guy chose to not stay hiding. He's really in for it now.] I don't think he got the message that he needs to stay down until we leave.

[To the cop, she scrunches up her nose and steps in close so she can press the toe of her shoe against him to push him back down.]

You're not going to get in the way of the fire, are you? Because that would be really rude. I worked really hard to make this!

[The way the cop looks at her, mouth agape and eyes filled with horror, reflecting the flames all around them, implies that perhaps what he's seeing is not a young woman but something very different.]

P-please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone what happened here, just let me go...

[The pathetic begging makes Johnnie laugh as he swaggers over, knife in one hand, an armful of dry brush under the other. He looks at the guy on the ground, not even pinned under Chrissy's foot, really - it's more a suggestion than a requirement by force, but he's taken it, apparently.]

He's a fuckin' coward, babe. Typical cop, all asshole on the outside an' creampuff as soon as shit gets real. You ain't used to bein' under someone else's boot, are you?

[He tosses the flammable things on the fire and admires the sparks that fly as the flames lick fresh fuel, then turns his gaze once again to the guy on the ground.]

We'll let you go. But you gotta be the one to lick her boots, fuckin' pig.

[Metaphorical boots, anyway. Details. He spins his knife around in his hand idly, like he's just looking for an excuse to use it.]

[Chrissy sees the way the cop looks at her, and it makes her go quiet as she tries to figure out if he sees her the same way she sees Jason. If he sees her the same way all those people did when she was lost on the side of the road for a long time.

A monster.

If Johnnie sees her like that, he doesn't give any indication. Instead, he tries to empower her a little more. And she laughs at his suggestion, until it really sinks in what he's asking the pleading cop to do.]

You want him to lick my feet?

[The cop's face is filled with something close to hope, like maybe he's thinking Chrissy will be the one to talk some reason into the situation.]

You don't have to do that. Just kiss it.

[Her smile is more amused than cruel, but she points to her foot like it's not exactly a suggestion.]

He'll cut you if you don't do it.

[All that hope goes out as they're looked at like they're the devil himself. And in that moment, Chrissy feels so powerful she almost wants to cackle. So when she brings her foot up so it roughly bumps against the cop's chin, she doesn't feel anything but like she's on top of the world.]

You want to be let go, don't you?

[The cop spits at her and she gasps, jumping in surprise. Doesn't this guy know how gross that is?]

Fuck you, bitch. [Wait, is he talking to her or Johnnie?

What happened to the begging just a minute ago? She misses that. Chrissy knows how to get leverage over that. This newfound desperate anger he's showing, she has no idea how to respond.]

[All he feels right now is pride for Chrissy. Well, pride and love. Tonight is her night, and even if it started off a little rocky just outside the restaurant, she's making up for it in spades.

He circles the cop slowly just to make him more nervous, and when he's about to go check out what's in his car instead, Mr. fucking cop decides to spit at his girl, which draws him immediately over to stomp on one of his hands. There's a crunch of bone or knuckle - something in that hand popped or broke. He doesn't really care which. The guy's shrieking in pain now as he tries to scramble away, but he's slow with his injured leg and can't get to his feet quickly at all, so Johnnie comes over and kicks him in the ribs to knock him back down.]

You think you're funny, asshole? Or are you tryin' to be a big man now, suddenly? Don't like bein' called a coward, huh?

[He leans down to grab the guy's jacket, then has to dodge out of the way of a swing of his arm that almost connects with his nose. Undeterred, Johnnie grabs him by the wrist and pats around until he finds the guy's badge in his breast pocket, and pulls that out, stepping away as he reads it.]

Detective Aaron Burke. Culberson County Sheriff's Department. Well, nice to meet you, Aaron.

[The guy shouts, interrupting him.]

Fine! Fine, whatever creepy shit you ask for, I'll do it. Keep the badge, I'll kiss her feet, fine!

[Sounds like he's wavering between anger and fear, those two compelling forces. Johnnie folds up the badge and pockets it with a shrug, then looks at Chrissy. He might even be convinced to actually let the guy go, maybe, but he wants to search that car for goodies first.]

Well, now I don't want you to kiss my feet!

[Chrissy huffs, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks away.]

You're really rude and you hurt my feelings. You'll have to beg me to let you kiss my shoe.

[Her smile is definitely wicked, and she's so touched by how Johnnie stepped in and messed this guy up for being terrible to her that she moves in closer to him for a quick kiss. Gosh, she loves him so much.

Poor Aaron's face contorts in fear and disgust, but the fight seems to be out of him now.]

Fine! Please, just don't hurt me! Let me live, and I'll kiss your feet.

[Chrissy glances back over toward him and fakes a yawn.]

I'm begging you, please! Please let me kiss your feet. It would mean so much to me if you...oh fuck, please just let me do this so he'll let me go.

[Hearing the fear in her voice makes her shiver with a feeling she can't describe. It makes her feel powerful. Invincible. She slowly extends her foot toward his face, and grins as he actually kisses her shoe. Twice. She thanks him by kicking him in the mouth and looking over at Johnnie for approval.]

I think he learned his lesson. Don't you?

[The true test will come with what happens when he goes over to the car. Because she knows that he's itching to get in there and see what he can find.]

[A grin spreads across his face as the guy starts actually begging, at Chrissy's request. Goddamn he loves his baby girl, making this guy actually go through with it. Fuck cops, fuck them absolutely and completely. This asshole probably deserves so much worse, but fuck it, he'll let him go now that he's satisfied with the outcome. See, he's not actually a complete monster or anything.

He gives Chrissy another kiss, and laughs a little as he pulls away.]

Yeah, I'd say so. All right, motherfucker, you get to go, but I ain't helpin' you to your car. You figure that shit out yourself, got it? After I'm done pokin' around.

[Time to investigate. He raises an eyebrow and smiles at Aaron like he's just having a grand fun time out here tonight and this is just some kind of joke, then lets himself into the car and sits in the burned wreckage of the driver's seat, mostly for temporary convenience. Man, there's so many things in here, these future cops must have all kinds of weird surveillance equipment and ooh, a fancy radio, too.

There's a sidearm that must have fallen out of the guy's hip holster, right on top of the seat, but the plastic is melted and he doesn't trust it. Hell, most of this stuff doesn't look usable anymore and it's hard to know what cool stuff might have been found if they hadn't blown the car up, but it was worth it. He does come away with a couple pairs of handcuffs and their keys, though, and that's a treat considering he hasn't seen the pair he and Chrissy had in a while. Maybe it's at the bottom of a bag somewhere, maybe it's gone, but it's fine, now there are more. Might be useful for non-sex things too some day.

The last thing he tries to do is pop the trunk, but it doesn't go - the lever works fine, but something in the latch must have broken or warped. So he gets out and forces it open with the blade of his knife, then looks inside.]

Oh, hell yeah! Here's the good shit. Bulletproof vest, some camera shit that looks pretty fucked now, damn. But, this! Hey, thanks buddy!

[He pulls out his true prize - bolt cutters. No padlock or heavy metal fencing will be stopping them any time soon.]

[Chrissy's busy gathering up more brush to put onto the fire while Johnnie looks around. She keeps her eye on Aaron, but he's busy grasping his bleeding face and trying to figure out if it's okay to move or not. She adds what she finds to the fire, and smiles over at Johnnie as he seems pleased with what he's found.]

Good haul, baby!

[She's distracted from cheering him on by Jason's lifeless husk crackling as it catches on fire all over again. The sight makes her satisfied, and she sighs in contentment as she decides to kick that body too. It feels so therapeutic, in fact, that she decides to kick him again and again and again. Over and over, until charred chunks start falling off of him.

Screaming as she does it, those tears settle in again. The gun had been nice. But this is better. It's a real physical sign of her getting rid of him once and for all. She wipes at her eyes and keeps kicking, until she can sense Johnnie approaching. No matter what's going on around her, she'll always be able to pick up when he's nearby.

Just his presence alone is enough to quell that rage, and she gives one final kick before stumbling back and turning to go toward Johnnie.]

Do you want to know something weird? I feel like a different person after tonight.

[He's just going over to the bike to tuck things away when he hears Chrissy kicking and screaming in some kind of intense emotional catharsis, and figures he'd better come check on her. As she stumbles toward him, he brings his arms up around her to hold her, warm and gentle. He closes his eyes and rubs her back.]

Yeah? In a good way, I hope. You did real good tonight. I loved bein' able to point the bike the right way to set you up to wreck this asshole.

[He chuckles, then brings a hand to her face to brush away her tears.]

Love that my sweet princess is so lethal when she wants to be. An' fuck anyone who tries to mess with you, huh?

[Aaron, who had been watching the chunks of burned monstrous body in continued shock and horror from his spot on the ground, now tries to resume dragging himself to something like safety. He reaches the car, and gasps in pain as he pulls himself into the front seat. Johnnie notices out of the corner of his eye, certainly hears him, but the guy's not any threat anymore. His attention is on Chrissy, who gets a soft and gentle, but lingering, victory kiss.]

[His touch soothes her instantly, and she's smiling by the time he kisses her. And oh, what a sweet kiss it is. It definitely feels like a turning point for her. She's capable of being soft and sweet, but absolutely vicious if she needs to be. ]

Definitely good. The best I've ever felt.

[Which isn't entirely true, because she's felt really good after sex sometimes. But this is a different kind of good, the kind that fills her heart with pride and makes her be a little more assertive as she kisses him again. The glow of the fire burns bright around them, wrapping them both up in a warm embrace.]

So I guess I can say fuck anyone that wants to mess with me. They won't know who they're messing with.

[Her nose nuzzles against his, and her arms coil around him so she can get him to sway with her a little. It's not exactly dancing in the firelight, but it's close enough that it makes her happy. Aaron doesn't even exist to her anymore.]

Did you get your new toys back on the bike?

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