Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Hey! Idiots!" Lex called out loudly, stepping out from the bushes and onto the path. She made sure to visibly move Dusty behind her back.

At once, the two people holding the girl snapped their heads in her direction. Their leader, the one nearly pressing his knife into the man's throat, pulled it back slowly. He kept it pointed out in his direction as the man looked quickly over at his daughter, her breathing rapid and shallow, her eyes unfocused.

"Alice, just breathe it's-"

"Shut it!" The man with the knife shouted, his elbow falling as he drove it into his ribs, effectively silencing him as he crumpled to the ground.

"DAD!" The girl shouted before one her attackers wrapped a hand over her mouth.

The leader whipped towards Lex, his knife now held out in her direction.

"You." He snarled. "What's behind your back?!"

Lex quickly checked to make sure the man was still breathing before looking over at the girl being currently restrained. Her panicked eyes darted between Lex and her father.

In the dull yellow light, Lex realized she looked an awful lot like herself.

She adjusted the stuffed rabbit behind her back, as if she was trying to hide him further.

"My baby sister, she just wants a doll more than anything-"

"She has a Wiggly!" One of the girl's attackers cried, dropping her hold as she lunged at Lex wildly.

As she moved to defend herself, the leader of their group quickly grabbed the woman's jacket, pulling her to the ground as she tried to dash past him.

"Idiot." He snarled, jabbing the knife in the woman's direction. "Stand up and grab the heretic. I'll take care of this one."

Scrambling to her feet the crazed woman roughly grabbed the girl before she was able to slip out from the other's grasp, wincing as her arms were now being tightly twisted behind her back.

Lex grimaced.

Their leader took another step forward, the boxcutter he was holding looking eerily familiar as Lex realized with some horror that his arms and hands were covered in angry red burns.

A flash of memory entered her head as she remembered the same knife slicing through Frank's throat-

"Step forward and kneel or face Wiggly's divine judgement!" The leader commanded Lex as her eyes flicked behind her, hoping that the commotion had drawn someone's attention.

She did as she was told, purposefully keeping her head down as her hood hid most of her features. Slowly, she got down on one knee, watching the girl carefully as she saw her try to call out and shake her head. Lex's eyes flicked to the man on the ground, his hand wrapped around his abdomen as he coughed violently. He crawled to his knees, his eyes fixed on his daughter.

Lex knew it would take him too long to get up.

"Look please, I don't want any trouble. I'm just trying to get to my sister, make sure she's ok." Lex pleaded.

The man approaching her slowly dropped the knife back to his side, reaching forward and ripping Lex's hood from her face. His eyes flashed with recognition and anger.

Lex moved quickly, dropping Dusty as she reached to grab the boxcutter from the his hand, standing up and rushing forward as she used her bodyweight to throw him off balance. A gunshot rang out through the night. Out of the corner of her eye, Lex saw crimson blood spatter against the brick path.

Successfully wrestling the weapon out of the man's hand while he was surprised, Lex quickly flicked the blade out as far as it would go, driving it deep into his shoulder. Another shot rang out, drowning the man's howl of pain as he fell to the ground. With him down, Lex turned her attention to where the gunshots had come from. Rushing down the path from the house, Tom quickly made his way over to check on Lex as Paul rushed over to Bill.

Alice was already kneeling next to her father as her former attackers lay on the ground, unmoving.

"Are you ok?" Tom called her attention back, his hand falling protectively on her back.

Wincing, Lex quickly ducked away from the contact. Her heart beat loudly in her chest as her skin burned where he had touched her. She could suddenly feel the grip of the men who had held her hostage earlier that night.

"I'm fine." She hissed stiffly, shoving the memory away as she moved to swipe up Dusty from where he had fallen.

The moment she turned her back, Lex heard one more shot fire off. Quickly whipping around, she turned to see the man she had stabbed was gone. At the edge of the property she could barely make out his form as he slipped through the gate and ran off into the night. Tom growled, lowering the general's gun as his eyes flicked around them suspiciously.

"Damn it. Paul, is your friend alright?" He called over his shoulder as he slipped the gun back into his belt and turned to face the others.

"I'm ok." The man from before called weakly, getting to his feet with the help of his daughter and friend.

They talked quietly as Lex's eyes fell back on the girl. She had stumbled back, away from the adults, her eyes still as wild as they had been when she was being restrained. Her entire body shook as she crossed her arms tightly across her stomach. Her nails dug deep into the skin on her arms as she stared at the ground.

At her feet were the two people who had attacked her, their blood starting to pool into the grooves of the brick below them.

Shoving the old rabbit securely into her jacket, Lex moved towards her.

"Hey, stop looking at them." She growled sternly. The girl flinched just slightly as Lex grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face towards the house.

Her entire body was trembling.

"Listen to my voice alright? Keep your eyes on the ground. It's not going to move." Lex said a bit more gently, feeling a small bit of relief as the girl listened to her.

She made sure they walked slowly, carefully. Lex was familiar with attacks like this, having guided Hannah through several before. Anything too sudden could pull her back-

"Wait, stop! Where are you going with her?!" The girl's father called out loudly as Lex felt the girl jump, her breath hiccupping.

Lex turned around and glared at him, her arms still gently on Alice's shoulders.

"Inside? Where it's warm? And she doesn't have to get through a panic attack out here where everything just happened?" Lex hissed back as she noticed Alice staring at her with wide eyes.

"Bill, it's fine." Paul said quickly as the man looked between his friend and Lex worriedly.

Lex purposefully ignored him as she moved to quickly get them inside. Thankfully, she found that Hidgens was one of those stuffy rich people who kept a bench right inside the entryway. Guiding Alice to sit down, Lex awkwardly sat next to her, making sure to keep her arm wrapped around her back. Slowly, her full body shakes turned into small shivers.

"Thanks." She said softly, startling Lex out of her own thoughts.

"For what?" Lex asked, trying to think what she possibly did besides almost getting herself killed right along with them.

"Distracting them." Alice answered. "They were... crazy. They just kept saying something about some asshole who ruined their god's plans or whatever."

"Crazy's an understatement." Lex agreed, her stomach flipping.

She remembered the burns running along the man's arms, remembered the box cutter he had wielded. The same one that had been held to her own throat.

They were looking for a heretic.

They were looking for her.

Alice looked around them curiously, her eyes finally seeming to calm as she swallowed anxiously.

"Where are we?"

"Some weird professor's house." Lex croaked past the knot in her throat. "Emma knows him apparently."

"Who's Emma?"

"Fuck if I know." Lex answered plainly, leaning back against the wall as she felt her adrenaline finally start to wane. Taking a deep breath, she stiffly stood up. "Come on. I don't want to be here when they come back inside and try to ask how we're doing.

A short while later, Lex slid a glass of water in front of Alice as she leaned heavily against the counter.

"Your name's Lex?"

"It's what I go by." Lex shrugged, drumming her fingers on the counter. Her mind was still on the conversation she had earlier.

The one she had with Webby.

Another impossibility. Another thing she wasn't able to ignore. After all, just like with the gun earlier, Lex had the proof tucked into her jacket. Another old friend that was supposed to be gone for good.

"I swear I know you from somewhere." Alice continued, undeterred by the idea that maybe Lex wasn't in a chatty mood. "You go to Hatchetfield High, right?"

"Not anymore." Lex said quickly. She pushed herself off the island and jumped back onto a nearby countertop, crossing her legs on the marble as she stared at the other teen.

It was always fun watching people figure it out.

After a moment, Alice's eyes widened.

"Last name's Foster, right?" She asked. "Lex Foster."

"Do you want a prize or something?"

"You were in the grade above me! I think you knew my friend Ziggy, or my girlfriend Deb."

Lex's unexpected laugh caught in her throat. She looked at the girl in front of her, dressed in a tight pink sweater and her nails done in bright colors.

"Didn't take you for a stoner, princess." Lex chuckled as Alice's eyes widened. "Unless you just smoke for your anxiety."

"I don't smoke." Alice said quickly, irritation now visible on her face. "And I'm not a princess."

Lex watched her with mild amusement, her arms folding gently on her lap as she leaned forward.

"Not like I'm judging. I know it can help. Just like I know staring at 2 dead bodies doesn't." Lex shrugged. "I'd kill for a joint myself if I thought this weird professor had any."

Alice huffed, looking down at the cup of water left untouched in front of her.

"Yeah, well, after tonight maybe I'll just pick up drinking or something." She said plainly, leaving it as she moved to open the fridge Lex was sitting next to. "Got any recommendations?"

"I don't drink."

Alice tilted her head around the fridge door as she stared at Lex. It wasn't anything new. Everyone always had the same reaction.

"But you smoke?"

"Grow up with an alcoholic as a mother and tell me if you can stand the smell of beer." Lex replied stiffly.

Something in what she said must've caused Alice to rethink her plan as she quietly closed the fridge door and moved back to the island. Reaching over and grabbing the water Lex had got her, she held it loosely in her hands. For a moment, Lex thought she almost looked apologetic.

"My dad says you guys were all in the mall." Alice said softly, looking down into her cup. "I think I heard him talking with Paul... they said a lot of people died."

"Not really feeling like reliving that right now." Lex warned, recognizing the question behind the words.

"Right..."

Folding her hands under her chin, Lex closed her eyes. Alice seemed calmer than she had before. Just as soon as the others came back inside she could slip away-

"Alice?!" Bill's voice shot down the hallways as Lex heard the front door open and close with a slam.

Alice winced at the noise as her father limped down the hallway and wrapped her in a tight hug. Trailing behind him was Paul, Tom and Hidgens. Lex watched them all with only one eye half open.

"Dad, get off." Alice complained as Bill backed away gently. He still had his hand clutched to his ribs as he looked her over.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked quickly, grabbing her wrists as he inspected them.

"No. I'm fine." Alice sighed. "I was just a little freaked out."

"Oh thank God." Bill breathed as Paul gently patted his back.

Hidgens moved to quickly inspect the glass Alice had been drinking out of, examining it closely before deeming it unimportant as he adjusted the shotgun he had slung over his shoulder.

Lex watched him carefully, before turning to look at Tom. Her former shop teacher's shoulders were back, the gun she had given him earlier that night still tucked away into his belt.

"I did a sweep of the perimeter. It seems like wherever that last one skedaddled off too, he's long gone from here." Hidgens shrugged. "Whatever is causing this mania doesn't seem to override the human instinct for survival."

Lex sniffed, all the eyes of the room landing on her.

"Tell that to the people who chose to burn to death in that stupid mall."

"Right." Hidgens agreed as he tapped his chin in thought. "Perhaps being so close to the object of their desire does in fact warp that instinct. So long as none of you are harboring a, Wiggly, then we should be safe to operate with standard scare tactics-"

"But those guys weren't looking for a doll. Well, not at first." Alice spoke up, thankfully drawing all attention from Lex as her heart dropped. "They were looking for a person. I think they wanted revenge."

Lex dropped her arms as she sat up, a familiar fear running down her back. It didn't take much for her to figure it out, to put the pieces together. If any of the survivors learned the truth, she wouldn't be allowed to stay.

They wouldn't be safe.

She barely heard as the conversation continued, her mind quickly jumping to try and think of where they would even go. She could grab Hannah and try and make it home, but how safe would her mother's trailer even be-

Lex felt a hand on her shoulder, stopping her thoughts from racing for just a moment as she looked over to see Alice staring at her. At some point she must've slid off the counter, finding herself now standing in the middle of the kitchen.

"Are you ok?" Alice whispered, quickly plucking her hand away as Lex glared down at it.

"Fine." Lex answered quickly.

She looked around and realized that Paul, Bill and Hidgens had all moved out of the kitchen. Tom was the only one still around, his eyes watching the girls carefully.

"Kid's room is downstairs. 4th room on the right. Professor said it's a storage room or something." Tom rumbled, his arms crossing as Alice looked between Tom and Lex hesitantly.

"Right. Thanks..." Alice said stiffly. "I'll, uh, see you down there?" She turned and asked Lex.

"Right behind you." Lex rolled her eyes, eager to make sure the girl didn't run her mouth any more than necessary.

They started to make their way out of the kitchen, before Lex heard Tom clear his throat awkwardly.

"Wait. Lex. I want to talk to you." He called out as Lex obediently stopped.

Alice continued moving down the hallway, heading for the stairs in the distance as she seemingly didn't hear. Maybe she didn't care. Lex watched her go with a slight bit of jealously, her shoulders slouched back as she rolled her eyes.

It was now, officially, too many people that had wanted to talk with her today.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back around, tilting her head as she raised an eyebrow in invitation. Tom stared at her for a moment before realizing she wasn't moving any closer. From his belt he pulled the general's gun and placed it on the counter.

"We're going to have to teach you to properly hold and shoot this thing." Tom started simply, looking down at the weapon. "Hurts like a bitch if you fire it wrong and it catches your hand."

"Ok? I'll look up some lessons on the internet or whatever. If it ever comes back on." Lex shrugged. "I'm sure there are plenty of gun nuts willing to-"

"I'll be teaching you." Tom said plainly. "That's not uh, not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to ask, how you're... doing."

Lex felt a smirk grow on her face as she watched her former shop teacher struggle to find the words.

"How I'm doing?" She teased dryly.

"Come on Lex, I'm trying here." Tom sighed as he rubbed his face and leaned against the counter.

"I don't know Mr. Houston, how do you think I'm doing?" Lex shot back sarcastically, adjusting her weight as she stood there impatiently.

"I think it's really clear you've never held a gun before in your life, but you still held it against me like you were ready to use it."

Lex bit her cheek as she looked away from his intense stare.

"So I was thinking, maybe you had." Tom finished, resigning himself to pulling the information he wanted out of her.

"So? I can add murder to my resume now. Right along with arson, drug dealing, assault." Lex listed lazily. "Seems like everyone was exactly right about me." She shrugged, still unable to meet Tom's eyes.

With a sigh, he slid the gun off the counter and back into his belt loop.

"Lex, you look in a mirror lately?" He asked quickly, stepping around the counter as he approached her.

"Sure. I made sure to check my eyeliner in the mall while it was burning down around us." Lex rolled her eyes, freezing as she felt Tom put his hands on her shoulders.

Instead of moving her to face him, he spun her around to face the stainless steel of the refrigerator behind her. In its glossy reflection, Lex's eyes immediately fell to her throat.

There was nowhere else to look.

It stared back at her, an angry red with spotting of deep bruised purple. Her face didn't look much better. Her left eye was almost swollen shut by the cut and bruising on her temple. The last remaining adrenaline from the night finally left her as she stared at her reflection. The pain came in quickly after, along with a terrifying realization.

She had nearly died.

Tom gently let her shoulders go as he stepped back.

"Becky said she wants to do a check-up on you tomorrow. Something about the side effects of strangulation or something."

Lex's hand gently moved up to touch her neck, wincing as she realized how sore it was. She pulled up the collar on her shirt, burying the injury as she turned back to Tom.

"She needs to look over Hannah first." She growled, trying to forget what she had just seen. "I don't know what any of those assholes did to her while I wasn't around."

For a moment, Tom's eyes flashed with guilt. He looked away quickly before shrugging.

"If it makes you more comfortable." He agreed, still avoiding her eyes.

"Am I good to go? Or did you have another thing you wanted to 'talk' about?"

"No. I suppose that's it." Tom said stiffly as Lex immediately turned to leave.

She hadn't taken more than a few steps before she heard him speak again.

"Night, Lex." He called out gently enough to stop Lex cold.

Frowning, she turned around to see him staring at her, his eyes wide and focused. As if he was waiting for something.

"Goodnight, Mr. Houston." Lex replied awkwardly.

Tom's eyes lit up just slightly as a small smile appeared on his face. Before Lex could dig too deeply into it, she pulled up her hood and quickly turned back down the hallway.

***

Lex found herself standing outside of a closed door. Her eyes fell to the handle, her body aching slightly as she reached forward and grabbed it. For a moment she paused, hearing the soft laughter of her sister and Tim in the room beyond. Her heart thudded dully in her chest as she realized how long it had been since she had heard Hannah sound so excited.

Checking that Dusty was still safely tucked away in the side of her jacket, Lex took a deep breath.

Opening up the door the rest of the way, she got her first glimpse of where she'd be staying for the foreseeable future. The room beyond was the size of a small bedroom, almost completely barren besides several shelves that outlined the walls, stacked full of canned goods and bottled water of all sizes. On the ground there were several sleeping mats. 3 of them had already been spread out and claimed by Tim, Hannah and the newcomer, Alice. The latter stared at her with wide eyes as Hannah's face split into a toothy smile.

"Lexi!" She exclaimed as Tim gave her a small and nervous wave.

"This the party room then?" Lex shrugged, bending down to swipe up the last unclaimed roll on the floor. "World's gone to shit so we aren't listening to a bed time anymore?"

Tim looked between Hannah and Lex with concern.

"Relax, I won't tell your dad." Lex shot him a quick smile as she watched his shoulders visibly relax. Seeing the kids eyes on her, she smirked, turning to face Alice. "You, on the other hand, are going to be in massive trouble when I tell your dad you were up, past 10 p.m on a school night."

Successfully earning a chuckle from her audience, Lex raised her eyebrow at Alice, hoping the other would get the hint to play along.

"It's Thanksgiving Break." Alice said dryly, her eyes flicking over to check the younger kid's reactions as they both snickered to each other. "And a Saturday."

"Excuses. How do you possibly expect to be a successful drop-out with an attitude like that?" Lex shot back dryly, throwing out her sleeping bag next to Hannah's as she flopped down on the floor and pulled her sister into a tight side-hug.

Hannah was getting to the age that normally any sort of public physical affection had her fighting back. Tonight however, she almost happily melted into Lex's arms.

"My dad says that kids who joke about dropping out aren't nearly as cool as they pretend to be." Tim spoke up confidently.

"Ethan was." Hannah pointed out quietly.

Lex felt like the air had been punched from her lungs.

Remembering the hat she had stolen back earlier that night, Lex reached into her jacket pocket, feeling Dusty shift slightly as she pulled out Ethan's 'magic' hat.

"The coolest." Lex agreed quietly, looking down at the worn piece of shit her boyfriend had probably snatched from the lost and found that morning.

Painfully swallowing down the knot in her throat, she gently placed the hat back on Hannah's head, quickly pulling the bill down below her sister's eyes as she reached up to swipe at her own, fixing her face the best she could.

"And a cool dude like Ethan would be telling you all to get some sleep." Lex continued with a more believable smile, looking over her sister's head at Tim.

He nodded politely, smiling quickly at Hannah as if they had shared some sort of joke before flopping onto his back. Lex hid her smile behind her hand as Hannah smiled widely back, flicking the hat's bill up and back.

Before she got comfortable on her own roll, Lex gently tapped Hannah on the top of her head, pulling her sister's attention.

"Hey, got a surprise for you." Lex whispered, knowing that both Alice and Tim would hear her regardless.

That wasn't part of the fun though.

Hannah stared at her blankly as Lex slowly reached into her jacket, making sure to keep the stuffed animal hidden.

"I was out on the back porch when a certain someone stopped by to drop off something." Lex explained, pulling the rabbit out and dropping him in Hannah's lap.

"Dusty!" She exclaimed, her genuine smile and excitement filling something hollow that had been growing inside of Lex's chest.

"I figured I owed you a stuffed toy that didn't try and take over the world tonight." Lex said gently, watching Hannah squeeze the rabbit tightly before she held him out to examine him.

As Hannah inspected Dusty in the same way she had earlier, Lex looked over and caught Alice watching them both curiously. Her eyes widened before she quickly looked away, busying herself with her phone.

The one Lex knew had no service.

After a moment, Lex turned back. Hannah was holding Dusty out to her.

"You should keep him tonight." Hannah whispered gently.

Smiling, Lex pushed the rabbit back into her sisters chest.

"Nah, my arms will be too full to hold him." Lex shrugged, enjoying the way her sister's brow furrowed.

"With what?"

"With... this." She smirked, reaching over and bringing Hannah into her lap. She wrapped her arms around the girl's chest, feeling her giggle as she squeezed tight.

Resting her chin on Hannah's head, Lex closed her eyes, letting go of the tension she had held in her shoulders and back.

Almost as if finally given permission, her whole body began to ache as she opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of the bruises now forming on her wrists. Gently shifting so her sleeves fell back to cover them, she loosened her grip just enough to let Hannah get comfortable.

As Hannah's eyes began to close under the bill of Ethan's hat, Lex was sure to check on the other kid in the room.

"Tim, do you mind the lights being off?" She asked quietly, her question hanging in the air as only the light sound of snoring answered.

"He doesn't mind." Hannah mumbled sleepily into Dusty's head.

Lex looked over to Alice once more, not surprised to see her watching them. This time, her eyes quickly flicked to the door and the light switch by it. Alice got up quietly and hovered near the switch, looking down at Hannah kindly

"Hannah, you ready?" Alice asked gently, not knowing how quiet Hannah normally got around strangers.

To her surprise, Lex heard Hannah comfortably answer as the light switched off with her permission.

She heard more than saw Alice walk back to her roll on the floor, gently sitting up against the wall similarly to Lex. Neither girl spoke, both understanding the need for silence as Hannah started to drift off.

In the quiet of the night, Lex stared at the door she had closed behind her. Her mind whirled as her arms tightened gently around her sister. It didn't matter that her muscles still ached from where she had been bound by the cult, or that her throat still felt like something was restricting her airflow.

She had come very close to losing her sister last night.

And that thought alone was nearly enough to stop her heart.

"Who's Ethan?"

Lex scowled as she became aware that her mind wasn't the only one still racing. Unwelcome emotions rushed forward in her chest as she bit the inside of her cheek to try and keep them back.

She couldn't think about that.

Not now.

"Really?" Lex whispered harshly, turning to meet Alice's eyes in the darkness.

"What do you mean, really?" Alice hissed back quickly. "It seems like he's pretty close with you and your sister."

Lex bit down harder, beginning to taste blood as her stomach twisted. She knew Alice's curiosity wouldn't be sated until she answered.

"He was." Lex replied stiffly.

There was a moment of blissful silence before Alice opened her mouth again.

"I'm sorry, I uh, I didn't know..."

Lex could tell it was genuine. Somehow the pity made it even worse.

"Do you normally make a habit about asking about people's dead boyfriends?" Lex rumbled, looking down to check that Hannah was still asleep. "Just asking for future reference."

The sharp inhale across the room put Lex at ease as she could feel almost physically feel Alice's regret.

The room grew quiet once again as Lex's eyes felt heavy. She chose to focus on the fuzzy feeling of sleep, of the feeling of her sister's steady breaths. Her blinks grew slower. Her eyes closed, finally able to trust in the darkness that nothing else would happen. She was just beginning to drift off when the softest sound demanded her attention, a call for the defenses she had almost let down. Lex heard the soft click of a door opening as her eyes peeled back open.

The first thing she checked was that her sister was still in her arms.

As the door to the room fully opened, a dull light from the hall outside illuminated the culprit as she slipped out and gently shut the door behind her.

Lex tried to ignore it.

Alice was probably only a year younger than her. If that. Plenty capable of making her own decisions. If the other girl wanted to sneak out into the town that still had crazed cult members prowling around...

Sighing, Lex gently nudged her sister off her lap, missing her warmth almost immediately. Shrugging off her jacket, she gently laid it over her sister's shoulders, leaving it behind so that Hannah would know that she would be back. Glancing over at the other side of the room, Lex checked on Tim. The kid was snoring heavily as she ran a rough hand through her hair.

After taking a moment to try and reconsider, Lex quietly and begrudgingly slipped out after Alice.

Lex had never been inside a house as large as Professor Hidgen's before, but it was quickly apparent that she didn't need to know where she was going. The sound of Alice's footsteps echoed through the empty halls loud enough for her to follow. The adults must have all settled upstairs somewhere as the main floor was eerily silent. Lex was sure to trail just behind Alice, not exactly trying to stay hidden but still curious to see where this was leading. Unlike her, Lex was trying to be quiet, knowing the last thing they needed was to wake the whole house.

Alice carefully picked her way through the hallway and up the stairs, the area looking more and more familiar as Lex realized they were moving back towards the same kitchen they had been in earlier.

Smiling, Lex felt confident in picking up her pace, now recognizing Alice's escape route. Not only was slipping out the back door was a classic move, but it was also probably the safest bet considering just how fortified the rest of the professor's house had been.

"Not sleepy?" Lex spoke up eventually, closing the gap between her and the other girl as she smiled.

Alice froze, her hand tenatively reaching up to grip onto the kitchen island they had been around earlier.

"Lex?" Alice asked hesitantly. "What are you doing... up?"

Her eyes trailed Lex as she purposefully moved in front of Alice and made her way to the back door.

"Oh me? I was just going to step outside. You coming with?" Lex raised an eyebrow, leaning against the sliding glass door as she turned to watch Alice's reaction.

"Oh no. I don't... uh, I was just taking a walk." The girl admitted nervously, shifting uncomfortably.

"Damn. Was kinda hoping you might have some cigarettes on you." Lex lied easily, shrugging as she crossed her arms. "So, if you' re not up for a smoke break, what are you doing?"

Alice drummed her fingers on the counter, her eyes flicking upwards as both girls stopped and listened for any movement. After a moment, she answered.

"Just uh, felt like getting some air. Well, not fresh air, but stretching my legs sounded good." Alice lied.

Lex frowned. If that was her best attempt at a lie, there was no way this girl was going to survive.

"Wanna try again?" Lex sarcastically offered, raising an eyebrow as Alice visibly grew irritated.

No poker face either.

"Fine, you got me. I'm leaving." Alice sighed irritably, bristling at the humor that danced in Lex's eyes.

"This weird bunker house not doing it for you?"

"You can not be saying you actually trust that kooky professor not to shoot us all in our sleep." Alice groaned. "I heard him muttering a goodnight lullaby to his Alexa."

"I trust Mr. Houston not to let anything happen to his son." Lex replied plainly. "Where are you planning to go anyways?"

"To my girlfriend's house." She answered quickly. "She's got a car, I figured she can get us out of town. Maybe somewhere that actually still has service and power."

"Ok? So your plan is to just walk through town in the middle of the night, hope your girlfriend didn't leave or go stay anywhere else already, and then you two are going to, what, Clivesdale?"

Alice stared at her, her cheeks growing red in the low light.

"Probably not Clivesdale." She shook her head as she made a face. "Just anywhere that isn't here."

"And what if everyone went as crazy there as they did here? What then?" Lex asked.

"Why do you care? You don't even know me." Alice shot back defensively.

Lex finally stood up from her slouch meeting Alice's stare evenly.

"Maybe I don't care." Lex shrugged, not rising to the bait. "Or maybe I'm just more used to actually living in the real world then you seem to be. You go out there princess, and you'll just lead every one of those doll obsessed lunatics that didn't burn straight back here to the rest of us."

Alice stared at her with wide eyes as Lex could tell she wanted to argue still. Peeling herself off the door, she stepped closer to the other girl, her eyes narrowing.

"Look, I'm exhausted. Frank had me working 6 days in a row, 12 hour shifts this entire last week, and then that idiot went and got his throat slashed. That paycheck is probably gone right along with him." Lex shook her head, looking at the floor for a few moments before taking another step forward. "My face hurts, and my throat hurts and I've had a shitty fucking day."

She was nearly in Alice's face now.

"I'd like to think I've been doing alright at playing nice, but if one more person puts my sister's life at risk for whatever stupid, selfish reason they try and justify, it won't end pretty." Lex finished plainly.

Alice didn't say anything, stiffly meeting Lex's stare. Her eyes fought to keep the irritation she had earlier, even as they grew watery. Figuring she had scared her enough, Lex took a step back. Alice's shaky breath hitched just slightly as Lex felt her own guilt quickly catch up past the exhaustion. She rubbed her face, wincing just slightly as her hand ran over the swelling.

"I get it." She admitted quietly, turning around and resting her back on the island. "I wasn't supposed to be here either. We were leaving too. California."

"You and Ethan?" Alice asked quietly, her voice clipped.

"And Hannah." Lex added quickly before sighing. "You know what, come up with a better plan. I'll be the first one out the door with you. Until then, I guess we're both stuck here with the crazy professor."

To Lex's surprise, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. This time, Alice didn't remove it despite the glare she received. Instead she offered a small smile, the fear from before seemingly missing.

"Ok." She agreed quietly, and Lex could tell it was sincere. Eventually her eyes glinted with a mischievousness that Lex ignored, trying desperately to forget about how familiar it felt.

"But I'm not singing any lullabies."