Some days are bad - Cabin in the Swamp

She sat in the back of her cage, as far from the door as she could get.  She was shaking, tears flowing down her cheeks.  Today was going to be a crazy night.

Chet crawled in next to her, and carefully wrapped an arm around the crying ghoul. "What's wrong love?"

She curled into him, still crying.

"So many. So many crying out and there's nothing I can do. Not enough time. No one to tell. So many who will die in fire."

"I'm sorry Beth" he whispered "I'm so sorry."

This was a bad night. She was sobbing uncontrollably, and then, 20 minutes later, she gave a loud cry. Likely, she had just felt whatever it was that she had seen, happen.

"Why?!"

He kissed her softly and shook his head. "World be a fucked up place girl. Seen it, caused it some even. Too easy to kill, too easy to destroy. Can't do much about it, but help those you can help."

"Why do I have to see. Why do I have to see what I can't save. I don't want this anymore! I don't want the visions. I just want to be a normal girl."

"Shhh...." he said while softly stroking her face "I'm sorry you can't be normal Bethy sweet, but we both see more than others, makes us special, advanced. "

She nodded, knowing what he said was true.

"Why do I have to see so far?"

"So you can stop some of the evil. We can't stop all of it, but we can stop some of it. Just a little, but something. And sometimes, just a little is all it takes."

She shook with reaction to what she had seen. But she was safe here. Safe in his arms.

"Won't let 'em getcha love. I promise. You and me against the world, right?"

She looked up at him with eyes brimming with tears.

"Me and you against them all."

A small hand curled up to his cheek.

He smiled, and then slit his wrist open with a small pen knife. "You and me you and me."

There was comfort in this. She took his wrist in one tiny hand and brought it to her lips. And she began to drink.

He let her drink a little while, gently holding her hand in his and nuzzling her face.

"I wish I could have got you a little more gently than a prize in a poker game love, you know that"

She finished drinking and turned be bloody face to him to nuzzle in return.

"It was as Fate foretold. It could happen no other way."

He licked the blood off her face and smiled "Ah reckon so. It was still awkward. And that Cass lady got right upset when she heard how we came together."

She curled into him, playfully biting at his chest. He'd gotten her through, and she had probably forgotten all about those people she couldn't have saved by now. Giving El distractions to pull those memories was a good thing.

"I will find her and explain. She should be mad at Scruffy, not you."

He smiled and teased at her breasts "Ah was the one who got Scruffy to bet you in the first place yano. Course I also knew I had to."

She rose up on her knees to look him in the eyes. And her eyes held nothing but the darkness of fate.

"You did what you were supposed to. He treated me like shit. That is all anyone needs to know."

It was rare that she got this...coherent. This solidly there.

He smiled "Nobody gonna treat you like shit anymore love. Not while I'm still upright"

She kissed him gently, then flowed back down into a limp puddle in his lap.

"No one ever gonna hurt you when I'm around."

He returned the kiss and held her softly "Fine pair we make, eh Bethy? Gonna have to take you shopping somewhere, get you some fancy go to meetin' clothes."

She wrinkled her nose.

"Don't want fancy. Settle for clean?"