Blessings (Thomas, Abby, Lavinia, Mad Dog)
No matter how much you loved someone, or how much you trusted them, having them inside your head was a bit of an imposition, even stating it mildly. Abby had always been the more logical of the two, thinking things out and weighing the pros and cons of a situation before easing herself into the murky waters of descision. Thomas was the one who threw himself, head first, into anything and everything, and that was prescisely why he was the dead one. Again. And now Abby had that will to do in her head and she wondered if it would leave when Thomas did. If her new and more Thomas-like qualities would slip away. She didn't mind being Thomas-like. It was reassuring to just know you were doing the right thing, and bugger the consequenses. Thomas may be dead, but he had always done what needed to be done. Abby had no such reassurance. Nor had she ever really experienced such simple joy in everything around her. Not that Abby was an unhappy person, but her emotions were so complex, and she never really took a deep breath and appreciated what surrounded her. Thomas was teaching her that and she was grateful. She hoped it would remain long after he was gone.
All in all, Thomas and Abby were a pretty exemplary team. If there weren't so many damn complications, Thomas would have been happy to stay. They could do a great deal together, having created a being made of absolute love and affection, but that wasn't to be. They had to make the best of it while it existed.
Abby approached their step-father slowly, as Mad Dog was asleep in his wheelchair, his head bent to one side. Lavinia came up behind them and she gazed at him fondly. "He doesn't look so hardcore like that..."
"The man sliced into himself to save my hide." Thomas said with reverence, evident even in Abby's voice. "He's as hardcore as they come." And Lavinia just patted Abby's bum fondly in response. It was still hard to speak to Thomas like this. It would be harder still when he was gone again. She was holding herself together by a thin thread which was fraying at the edges, but Lavinia hardly ever showed weakness, even when she felt it so deeply she thought she might break apart. And Lavinia now knew that no one was ever gone forever, and Thomas even less than that. She trusted him to come back and take care of things, including her. She needed that and she knew he would provide.
"The man is a hero, even if he happens to be slightly drooly." Lavinia stepped over to him and she kissed his forehead. Mad Dog grunted and awoke, wiping at his lips.
"Muh? Mmm, hello, Gorgeous."
Lavinia chuckled. "Hello, Gorgeous yourself, Hell on Wheels. There's someone...er...two someones here to see you."
Mad Dog glanced over at Abby and he frowned, his expression grief-stricken. "Abby..."
"And Thomas." She replied with a shy little smile.
"I still don't completely understand how that works." He said, spreading his hands out. "Thomas...I'm so sorry about...you know.."
Abby nodded. "He knows. He's being shy right now, but he wanted to come see you." Abby smiled and then her eyes widened. "Ha ha, Tommy."
"What?" Mad Dog looked confused and Lavinia merely shrugged and took a seat on the living room sofa nearby.
"Oh he made insinuations about my modesty." Abby grinned. "But he really did want to see you." Thomas had been avoiding Mad Dog since their incarceration, much in the same way that Deirdre had avoided Thomas. Thomas felt guilty for Mad Dog's injury, as his safety had been the cause of it. But he had to face up to it now. He was running out of time. "But he says he's very sorry."
Mad Dog shook his head. "There's no reason for him to apologise."
It was Thomas who spoke then, as Abby let him take over. "But...there is. She made you chose and this happened to you to keep me safe." Thomas indicated Mad Dog in the wheelchair. "And I...I can't apologise enough."
"Thomas, you gave up more than I ever did. And do you resent Peter for that? Do you resent Abby or any one of those people that bitch had captive?"
Thomas hesitated and then he shook his head. "Of course not."
"Then don't be daft, Son. I don't resent you either. I was glad you were alright. And I'm sure as hell upset that you're not anymore." Mad Dog frowned. "I didn't get enough time to know you."
Thomas smiled then, his expression kind and soothing. "You'll have time. Believe me." And he moved to take Mad Dog's hand. "Instead of accepting my apology...will you accept my thanks?"
Mad Dog smiled. "Now, that I can do. You're welcome, Thomas. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Thomas nodded. They were men of an accord. "So would I." He whispered.
Lavinia stood then, shaking her head. She was surrounded by heros, but here in her living room, the cost was more than evident. A son dead and a husband permanently crippled. All to save someone else from pain or death. The cost was surely great. But she wouldn't change a one of them. Not for a second.
All in all, Thomas and Abby were a pretty exemplary team. If there weren't so many damn complications, Thomas would have been happy to stay. They could do a great deal together, having created a being made of absolute love and affection, but that wasn't to be. They had to make the best of it while it existed.
Abby approached their step-father slowly, as Mad Dog was asleep in his wheelchair, his head bent to one side. Lavinia came up behind them and she gazed at him fondly. "He doesn't look so hardcore like that..."
"The man sliced into himself to save my hide." Thomas said with reverence, evident even in Abby's voice. "He's as hardcore as they come." And Lavinia just patted Abby's bum fondly in response. It was still hard to speak to Thomas like this. It would be harder still when he was gone again. She was holding herself together by a thin thread which was fraying at the edges, but Lavinia hardly ever showed weakness, even when she felt it so deeply she thought she might break apart. And Lavinia now knew that no one was ever gone forever, and Thomas even less than that. She trusted him to come back and take care of things, including her. She needed that and she knew he would provide.
"The man is a hero, even if he happens to be slightly drooly." Lavinia stepped over to him and she kissed his forehead. Mad Dog grunted and awoke, wiping at his lips.
"Muh? Mmm, hello, Gorgeous."
Lavinia chuckled. "Hello, Gorgeous yourself, Hell on Wheels. There's someone...er...two someones here to see you."
Mad Dog glanced over at Abby and he frowned, his expression grief-stricken. "Abby..."
"And Thomas." She replied with a shy little smile.
"I still don't completely understand how that works." He said, spreading his hands out. "Thomas...I'm so sorry about...you know.."
Abby nodded. "He knows. He's being shy right now, but he wanted to come see you." Abby smiled and then her eyes widened. "Ha ha, Tommy."
"What?" Mad Dog looked confused and Lavinia merely shrugged and took a seat on the living room sofa nearby.
"Oh he made insinuations about my modesty." Abby grinned. "But he really did want to see you." Thomas had been avoiding Mad Dog since their incarceration, much in the same way that Deirdre had avoided Thomas. Thomas felt guilty for Mad Dog's injury, as his safety had been the cause of it. But he had to face up to it now. He was running out of time. "But he says he's very sorry."
Mad Dog shook his head. "There's no reason for him to apologise."
It was Thomas who spoke then, as Abby let him take over. "But...there is. She made you chose and this happened to you to keep me safe." Thomas indicated Mad Dog in the wheelchair. "And I...I can't apologise enough."
"Thomas, you gave up more than I ever did. And do you resent Peter for that? Do you resent Abby or any one of those people that bitch had captive?"
Thomas hesitated and then he shook his head. "Of course not."
"Then don't be daft, Son. I don't resent you either. I was glad you were alright. And I'm sure as hell upset that you're not anymore." Mad Dog frowned. "I didn't get enough time to know you."
Thomas smiled then, his expression kind and soothing. "You'll have time. Believe me." And he moved to take Mad Dog's hand. "Instead of accepting my apology...will you accept my thanks?"
Mad Dog smiled. "Now, that I can do. You're welcome, Thomas. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Thomas nodded. They were men of an accord. "So would I." He whispered.
Lavinia stood then, shaking her head. She was surrounded by heros, but here in her living room, the cost was more than evident. A son dead and a husband permanently crippled. All to save someone else from pain or death. The cost was surely great. But she wouldn't change a one of them. Not for a second.