an every day thing (open to all)

((Just to make it less creepy, I will post it ._. I am very sorry, I shall not continue. I feel like a creep. Moo.))

She nodded and watched as Cato closed his eyes. She put a foot on the edge of the bed and stepped over to the side closer to the wall. Annette laid herself down next to him and curled up, laying her hand lightly on his chest.

"I sure hope he'll be alright. I've only just met him, but he's been so kind." she cringed as a slap of thunder could be heard. "Just because I was frightened, he let us in.."

"This day could be stranger you know. More then it is now."

(THERE! )

Cato's wounds felt soothed and the pain more bearable. He owed these two girls now, had it not been for them he would still be lying broken in the street. He was losing conciousness though, fatigue and his wounds sending him into sleep. Forcing himself awake for a few seconds longer he acknowledged their kindness.

"Thank you...India and Patch...for you...kindness. I will not forget...your kindness in my...time of need."

He vaguely registered Patch climbing into the bed with him. Once she had settled he put his arm around her as if it would protect her from the world.

She knew that Cato drifted into deep sleep quickly already, and Annette was still awake. "He will be fine, Annette. For now."

She decided to let them rest and walked over to get her bag. "I'm going to go find the other room. Just rest. You've been through a lot today, Annette." She walked over to an open window and felt the wind blow in strongly. A storm was brewing and loud claps of thunder began. She shut it quickly and walked over to where all her medical supplies were scattered. She cleaned up and packed them all in her bag. India walked over to the door and smiled at the image of the two. I wonder if he will keep his promise. If he will really protect us.

She nodded and smiled at Cato. She snuggled into him tightly. "Such a strange day it's been, you know." she laughed, knowing he couldn't speak back. "You'll never be alone again, I know that for a fact."

She tried not to move too much at the sound of thunder, so she listened tried to focus on other things. She put her hand into his and played with is palm, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "India should get some rest too!" She said, trying to be a little loud enough for her to hear.

"You know, it's funny. When you spend enough time with someone, your muscles start to memorize each other." she whispered and shut her eyes.

Cato awoke suddenly in the night, persperation running down his face. His dreams were haunted by the girl he had failed to protect when he had earned his scar. He turned his head and saw Patch sleeping next to him; his heart rate slowed as he looked at her. He rubbed his hand along her cheek and moved closer to her protectively.

"I swear I will not let you or India die. Where once I failed because I was not strong enough I will make myself stronger."

Closing his eyes once more he settled into sleep once more.

India smiled once more at them. They looked like brother and sister. Going out of they're way to protect each other. She's longed for someone to be protective of her. To make sure nothing happened to her.. India was on her own now. She knew she lost everyone she's had. She's no longer accepted as one of them. She heard Annette say she should get some rest. She giggled quietly and left the room.

She found the other room and set down her bags. She dusted off the covers of the small bed and lied down. She curled up into the bed and smiled to herself. She was extremely thankful for Cato crossing their path. With that, she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Annette shook awake in the middle of the night from thunder. She looked at Cato and pressed her forehead to his lightly, turning her head up to kiss it. She silently got up and went to go find India.

She took off her shoes and jacket, yawning while walking over to the other room where she was. She grabbed the lighter out of her jacket pocket before she left it and trotted over.

Lazily, she piled wood into the small fireplace and lit it, sitting there with her legs crossed. India's tossing and turning made it feel like she was less alone. Maybe I can stay with these people, she thought with a smile, Maybe they could be a new family.

India heard foot steps entering her room. Her mind awoke, but her eyes stayed shut. She heard the crackle of a fire and opened her eyes. In the fireplace a fire was starting, and there was a figure sitting in front of it. India sat up slowly and squinted a bit. For a second, she forgot where she was. At first she thought she was back in her room, with Gilinda and Marchae, but that couldn't be reality. Only when she woke up, she realized she was in Cato's shack.

"Annette?" She said tiredly. "What are you doing up? Do you sleepwalk or something?" She got up slowly and wrapped the blanket around her. She walked quietly to where Annette was sitting and sat down quietly, making sure not to make much noise and accidently wake Cato.

A chill settled upon Cato and his arm moved to the spot where Patch once lay. When he did not find her there he sat upright quickly, and immediately regretted it. His head pounded with pain and it blinded him temporarily. Once the world settled down he got up from the bed. A cursory glance around the room told him that she wasn't even in the room. He paniced and a fresh streem of blood began to pour out his nose. He threw open the door to the room to see if India was still in her room. He opened the door quietly and peered in. A light emnated from the room and he opened it wider to slip in. Or at least slip in as best one could with a twisted ankle.

Annette shook her head. "I'm not sleep walking, I just wanted to sit down and relax." she smiled at India. "I was just thinking how today's gone. I hope we're all still friends after this, don' t you?" She threw a piece of wood into the fire and looked at the fire rise.

She turned around to see Cato. "Oh dear." she stood up and grabbed her cloth. Annette put her arm around him and guided him towards the fire, holding the cloth to his nose. "You're awake, so it seems." she laughed and sat back down.

India returned the smile and nodded slightly. "It has been a very very strange day." She watched the fire crackle and rise and heard the door squeak open. She turned her head to the door and watched a figure slip in.

She watched Cato stumble in, she watched Annette guide him to the fire. "Cato, why are you up? It is not healthy for you to be walking with your ankle in the condition its in." She watched as Annette and Cato sat down in front of the fire. She instinctively offered the other side of the blanket to Annette, as she has done with her sisters when they would sit by the fireplace together.

Cato chuckled, but it was rather garbled from the blood that entered his mouth.

"Yes, for better or worse I'm awake. I was afraid that I'd lost you and India before the night was even through. When you were no longer beside me I sorta panicked, and I had to make sure that India was still safe before I went looking for you."

He sat down carefully infront of the fire and took in it's warmth.

((I've got to sleep soon, so I'll let you two talk. Night guys.))

Annette yawned. "Yeah, we were fine." she laughed. She rubbed her eyes and laid down on the floor, laying her head on Cato's lap. "I wish we could do this again."

She let her eyes droop and fell asleep instantly without another word.

India watched Annette fall asleep, and looked at Cato. "Well, Cato. Seems like you've got quite a bit of a bond with Annette. I don't think I've properly introduced myself. My name is actually Ana Lucia, thought id tell ya that, I'm 15, my birthday was just a few weeks ago. And again thank you so so so so much for taking in Annette and I." She smiled at Cato.

When Patch rested her head on his lap he smiled. He knew in that instant that this was his new family, and he would do anything for them. He began to gently stroke his hand through Patch's hair as he once did for a friend now past. He turned his head gazing about the room in detail, and he knew if he was to house two new people he would have alot of work to do. He brough his other arm around India drawing her closer to him protectively.

"I'm very happy to meet you India, and it was not a hard decision to take you both in. It has been a very long time since I have felt like I had people that I care about. I always felt so alone, like no one would ever understand me, but you accepted me. For that I thank you."

((This is my last post tonight, I have an early day tomorrow.))

India smiled at Cato sleepily as he drew her closer to him. She now knew that she would have someone to protect her, and she would do all that she could in return. She felt her eyes drooping close. She yawned quietly and kissed Cato's cheek. "Thank you, for everything, Cato."

She shifted herself and rested her head on Cato's shoulder. She shut her eyes and soon drifted into a deep sleep.

((Same here, night. C: ))

Cato woke wth light streaming into window. He was unawair of when he had actually fallen asleep last night, just that he had felt he had a purpose now. India's head rested on his shoulder and Patch's head was still on his lap. He slid his hands under ttheir heads and moved to get up. Laying their heads gently on the floor he staggered toward a side room. He looked in a cracked mirror to assess the damage done. The swelling over his eye had gone down, but a fine bruise was replacing it. His nose was splayed oddly on his face twisted and broken, but little could be done about that.

He stepped away from the mirror and proceeded to a cabinet in the corner where his small food stores lay.
Opening the cabinet he took out two small loaves of bread and a sack of meat. He brought them into the main room and started up a fire to heat the bread and cook the meat.

((I believe this applies to all of you, but some of your posts are a bit short. Please remember that all RP posts must be at least 150 words! ^^))

India woke up that morning with the sun shining onto her face. She sat up and stretched and looked around. Cato was already apparently awake, Annette was still sleeping on the floor. She walked over into the room where she aided Cato's wounds from the fight with the peacekeepers and opened the window to.let fresh light stream in. She did the same in the other dark rooms.

Opening the last window she peeked outside and saw someone. A small, dark haired girl with light brown skin and eyes. She squinted and leaned further out the window to take a better look. Gilinda? Marchae? She thought to herself. It was definetly one of her sisters... "GILINDA?!" She yelled and smiled when the girl turned around. She squeezed through the window and jumped down. "Gilinda!!!" She yelled again. The small girl walked towards India slowly and with quiet footsteps. "I'm sorry, my sister." Said the girl. "Mother said never to speak to you again.."

"But... Gilinda!" India cried out. The small girl gave India a sad smile and ran off in the other direction. India let the tears fall from her eyes, and this time, didn't try to cover it up. She fell to her knees and cried. She saw all her other family around her suddenly, whispering. You are the disappointment! Never come back again!

She stood up slowly and shakily. She was alone now. No more family. No friends. Just herself. Herself alone. She ran and ran, faster with every step, and slipped under the wired fence. She ran until she reached the meadow. She threw herself down onto the grass, buried her face in her knees, and blocked out the rest of the world, with tears streaming down her face.

Annette lazily turned onto her back and saw everyone gone. Propping herself up on one elbow, she rubbed her eyes to adjust to the light that was now streaming in.
The smell of food kicked in her senses and she smiled to herself. "So it wasn't a dream..." she muttered.

"Gilinda!" she heard India's voice come shrieking from the window. Annette scrambled to her feet and looked after her. Her feet brought her to the window which India had jumped out of.

There India was, on her knees. Annette acted quickly and jumped out the window, coming after her.

But she stopped dead in her tracks, thinking back. Everyone left at some point. Would she want to be alone? Was she hurt? Slowly, she continued to walk and ran a hand through her hair. Looking back into the window she saw Cato who wasn't paying too much attention. She went over to India and stood next to her.
"Are you alright?"

India slowly looked up, her face stained with tears. Slowly she shook her head. She wondered why Annette was even here. She didn't think that Annette cared about her at all. She thought she was alone. No family or friends. She buried her face back in between her knees and cried even harder. Gilinda. My family. They hate me now. I don't belong to them anymore.

She thought she was saying it all to Annette, but there was no sound coming out of the poor girl's mouth. Only the sound of her continuing cries and sobs. She tried to speak again. No sound. It wasn't thy she was unable to do it, she was just.. not willing. She lifted her head and squinted to see in the distance. Gilinda was gone. All her family was gone. And she was just alone, sitting here.

((*that not thy since I cant edit posts))

Cato turned to wake the girls and have them eat something when he noticed that neither of them were present. He shook his head, this was one of those times when he wished he had full hearing. He stood up and felt an air current blowing from an open door and he noticed the window was open. Walking to the window he saw Patch and India, and from what he could see India was crying. Propping himself up he stepped out the window careful to not irritate his ankle.

He walked forward and rested his hand gently on India's shoulder. "India, what's wrong, why are you crying? Did someone do something to you?" He wasn't sure how to proceed, he in fact knew very little about either of the girls and he was afraid he might make the situation worse.

Seeing that she would not be moving of her own volition he scooped her up in his arms. With every step he could feel the pain in his ankle, but India was his main concern so he swallowed the pain. Looking to Patch he hoped she would understand that he needed her to open the front door for him.

India felt herself being scooped up by Cato and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed. She forgot that he was injured. She just wanted someone to be there to comfort her. "Cato," she whispered. "You know h-how i-it's like being a-alone?" She tried to speak. The words that came out were just stressed whispers, with sobs between each word.

She didn't lift her head to look Cato in the eyes. She kept her head buried into his chest and clinged to him. Her words were muffled, but were clear enough to be understood. "I saw them. T-they h-haunted my dreams."

Cato took on a pained expression at her words. Yes, no one knew better than him what it was like to be alone. Not seeing Patch beside him he opened the door himself. Than he moved to the one seat in his house. Without letting go of India he sat down.

"Yes India, I know the pains of being alone. I have felt alone for almost seven years now, but that is about to change. I have you and Patch now, you are my new family, and you give me a purpose, a reason to continue. As for your dreams, I wish that I could tell you they will go away, but I have been haunted by dreams since I was twelve. The only advice I can give you is that they will stay in your dreams, you and me alike must realize that they cannot hurt us unless we let them."

He rocked gently back and forth to soothe her, and hummed a song he remembered his mother used to sing.