Wildlands (rskde & BurningWillows)

[BurningWillows]

She sat down next to him, holding his hand, "Please, you really don't need to do this. We can explain..."

But he was being logical not emotional about this. And he was right. Collin would be murderous when he found out, and Dakota was coming back to all chaos.

"I can't come...tonight," she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Until Dakota comes back, someone needs to step up and I have. Nicki won't be herself for a while. I should know."

"I'll come once Dakota's back. I'm not leaving you out there, not alone."

 

[Risky]

Andrew thinks for a moment. "I'll hide out in the apartment we first found you guys in, you can meet me there." He says to her quietly. "I'll be careful.. Just please come as quick as you can, I've never been more scared in my entire life." He says, squeezing her hand before pulling her into a tight hug. "I'll see you later..." He mutters before getting up and walking out.

He walks all night, finding the apartment and settling down inside of it, putting up barricades before falling asleep on the floor, nightmares flooding his vision.

 

[BurningWillows]

Dakota got back to the surface and started looking through pockets when she noticed something. The very slight rise and fall of Collin's chest.

"Collin?" she ran to him, her knees hitting the ground, "Oh my god Collin, you are alive. Stay with me!"

She found his wound, noticing that the bullet wasn't fully imbedded. Although gross, Dakota was able to pull the bullet out, and then grabbed her lighter and cauterized the wound, knowing it would hurt but it was his best chance. After that she ripped apart her jacket for bandages, leaving her in only a white tank top.

"I found them Collin," she smiled, "I found our parents. Your mom and dad...my mom and dad. They are alive."

 

[Risky]

"D-Dakota?" He whispers, tears pouring from his eyes, the pain too much for him to handle.

In all of his years as a marine, he had never been shot, and now he fully understands why it only takes a bullet to retire somebody.

Collin groans softly when he hears her voice, he cries out when the bullet is ripped from his wound and put to a flame, his pain tolerance being thrown completely out the window by the time the bullet is free.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Stay with me," she drags him into the shack where he is safe, then finds the key. Returning to him she shows him the clip, noticing his eyes are half open, "Jail key. Collin how are you doing? You still with me?"

 

[Risky]

He groans when she comes back, coughing.. A dribble of blood making its way from his lips down his chin. "There's a light.." He mutters, staring up at the ceiling as if seeing a bright light above him. "Something's happened.. I can feel it.." He whispers.

 

[BurningWillows]

She couldn't leave him, but neither could she leave their parents downstairs, and there was only so long they could stay before reinforcements arrived. So she did the only thing she could think of to wake him. She slapped him hard in the face, then through some water from her canteen at him.

"Stay the fuck with me. I already lost Frenandez, I'm not losing you. Collin, your dad and mom are downstairs. Fight for them."

 

[Risky]

He groans, wiping his face from water before getting up ruggedly, holding his hurt shoulder. "Let's go." He says to her. "Can't be much longer until they get here." He says, the slap and water seemingly bring him back to reality, he pushes away his thought about Willow.

 

[BurningWillows]

They both go downstairs, Dakota supporting him until they step into the hall and then she is racing forward, excited to open the doors. The first two she opens is Arya and Kyle's, and the mother and father of Collin eagerly step out and towards their son, looking relieved. Next she opens the last two doors, squealing as her mother wraps her in a hug.

"Mom," she croaked, tears in her eyes, "You're okay."

 

[Risky]

Collin wraps his parents in his arms, holding them tightly. "Willow's going to be so happy to see you guys." He says to them quietly, continuing to hold them.

The only one who hasn't come from his cell is Alex, who lays in an unmoving heap on the floor, he has no pulse, and is not breathing.. His body is cold, it has obviously been a couple of days since his death.

 

[BurningWillows]

Serena and Dakota move to his cell and Dakota lets out a heart broken, "Daddy?!"

It's all too obvious he has passed on, and it breaks his young daughter, wanting nothing more than to hug him one more time. After a few minutes of grieving Arya comes in and offers to help carry him out, so they can bury him properly.

~~

The rest of the day is spent burying her father and saying her goodbyes, before the five of them make the long trek back. It will take a day, and she needs that time to process everything that just happened, wishing she had Vanessa hear to hold tightly and make the pain go away.

 

[Risky]

Collin blinks when he sees the camp.. Mavis is above the entrance like some sort of sick decoration. "What the fuck.." He says quietly, breaking away from his parents side and looking around, he spots the bodies of Willow and Felix, he runs over to his little sister, his hands trembling as he sees her.

"No.." He whispers, unable to recognize her entire face because of the bullet that has destroyed it. He rests his head against her stomach, starting to cry softly, he should've been here..

 

[BurningWillows]

She sees Mavis and her stomach drops, before seeing the sight of the dead, all lined up with white sheets over most of them, ready to be burned. The wind has blown off the sheet on a small frail one, and Dakota recognizes Willow.

"Oh god," she slaps a hand over her mouth, looking over to Mr. and Mrs. Wetsworth, to see if they had noticed yet.

Then she raced forward, terrified Andrew or Vanessa or Iris might also be under the sheets.

 

[Risky]

Collin drapes a white sheet over Willow before running into the building, finding Nicki in their room, he throws his arms around her, burying his face into her neck while crying. "What happened.." He whispers through his tears, unable to comprehend the deaths.

 

[BurningWillows]

"I'm so sorry," Dakota hears her mother say as Kyle and Arya look upon their dead daughter. Dakota feels even worse when she doesn't find any others, knowing Willow had died alone.

Just then Iris and Vanessa came out of the main building, both looking upset.

"Vanessa! Iris!" Dakota sighed in relief, running to the blonde and throwing her arms around her, uncaring if her mom or Kyle and Arya had a problem, "I'm so glad you're both safe!"

Nicki cried into his shoulder, "They made...made Andrew chose between me, W-Willow, and Felix. What is wrong with him? Why...why didn't he choose Felix? She's dead. Oh god Willow is dead."

She sobbed into his shoulder, completely broken at the acceptance that her closest friend in the world was gone.

 

[Risky]

"Andrew did it?" He whispers, his heart pounding in his chest. "That son of a bitch.." He whispers, comtinuing to sulk. "What happened to Felix, then, he's dead too.." He says to her quietly, the death of his sister continues to pang in his heart, constantly pounding at him as if telling him to foxy on the intiative.

"I'm gonna kill Andrew.. Where the fuck is he?" Collin asks angrily, his anger getting the better of him as he looks around. "Do you know baby?" He says to her quietly, his tone compeltely changing as he addresses his girlfriend.

Kyle had fallen to his knees next to his little girl, he feels as if he hadn't treated her right.. He hadn't said goodbye to her last he saw her.. When was the last time he had told her he loved her? He starts to cry, his shoulders moving as he does so. He starts to wish Dakota had never brought them here, he was safe in his cell, he felt as if his kids were alive..

 

[BurningWillows]

Nicki shrugged, just wanting to be held. His anger reflected her pain perfectly, but she was in no state to look for Andrew. She needed to grieve.

It took the parents a while to let them burn the dead and say goodbye, and by then Nicki and Collin had joined. After all of it was done, Dakota showed them up to her apartment, deciding everyone needed a drink and the full story. Hours later everyone was in tears, upset over the fallen and what happened.

"Where's Andrew Iris?" Dakota finally asked, dreading the answer. She knew he had an impossible choice, to choose to end a life he didn't want to end, but hiding from what he had done wasn't a way to accept it. And Collin was seething, as was Kyle and Arya, as they should be.

"I-I don't know," she shrugged, "He was here earlier today, but I've been so busy trying to organize..."

 

[Risky]

"I need time to think this over.. And rest." He says to Dakota quietly, not caring if Nicki came with him or not as he walks into his little apartment, laying down and curling up in his bed, silently sobbing for his sister.

 

[BurningWillows]

Nicki retired with Collin, curling up around him and letting him cry, knowing there was nothing in the world she could say or anyone could say to make them both feel better.

Iris and Dakota got all the parents settled in and everyone calm. Then Iris retired to Andrew's room, wanting to wait until everyone was in bed before sneaking out. Instead she got Dakota in the room, closing the door.

"I know he ran away," she whispered, "When we were thirteen he accidentally killed my fish and he ran away from home for two hours before sulking back. He's doing it now isn't he? Except this time he isn't coming back and my twin brother is out there alone."

Iris sighed and nodded.

"Take all the food you can hold then," Dakota sighed, "I can't convince him to return, and some space may be good. So take food, take whatever. Make sure your protected. And when you see him tell him mom's alive and well. And dad...dad found peace."

"How do you know I'm going?"

"I an tell Iris. Please, please do this for me?"

"Of course."

They hugged, and then Dakota sulked away, looking for Vanessa for comfort while Iris packed and snuck out, knowing now that the only person she had in this world that meant everything to her was Andrew. And even Dakota had seen that.

 

[Risky]

Vanessa finds Dakota, throwing her arms around her. "Andrew took the handheld radio.." She whispes before burying her face in her neck. "Welcome home.." She says quietly before moving back a bit and pressing her lips to hers, she had missed the feeling. "You promised you'd lock us away.." She mutters against her lips.

 

[BurningWillows]

​

"I did baby," Dakota sighed, the life drained out of her as she closed the door, "But...but I just found out my dad...he died."

She bursts into tears, shaking as she sits down on the bed, "First daddy, and now all this. And when I saw Willow I thought...I fear they had gotten you too. Everythings a wreck Vanessa. What do I do? What do I do?"

She drops her head in her hands, showing the soft and broken side of her heart to Vanessa, a side she rarely shows.

 

[Risky]

She sits on the bed, frowning as she sees the redhead crying. She approaches Dakota from behind, wrapping her arms around her side and shoulder, diagonally connecting her arms over her torso. "I'm here for you." She whispers, resting her head against Dakota's as the other girl vents.

"Dakota.. I love you, I want you to know that, I'm here for you but all you can do now is move on.. If we keep letting them get to us, they won't have to kill us any more, we'll off ourselves if we keep thinking this way.." She says softly, trying to comfort the girl.

 

[BurningWillows]

"My dad's dead baby. I need at least one night to grieve. I can't become cold either, or I'll lose all the love in my heart."

That night she spent in Vanessa's arms, needing to cry. The next few weeks were hell getting everything back into working order, and being without Iris or Andrew made it all the harder. Many had died, enough that the resistance packed up and moved communities within a day, only occupying two buildings now, one for all the business and one with apartments. They didn't need another surprise attack.

As for leaders, Mavis' second in command, Katie, stepped up, taking over with Dakota at her side.

 

[Risky]

Andrew hears Iris enter the room, he moves the barricade so that she can get back in before sealing the door, throwing his arms around her. "I missed you.." He whispers, on the brink of tears from his thoughts over the last day, which had been urging him to focus as he is alone with nothing else to focus on.

 

[BurningWillows]

Iris~

Stepping in she's enveloped in a hug, holding him tightly.

"I'm so glad your safe," she sighs, her heart fluttering, "Dakota knows by the way. She guessed. And she agreed with you, that some distance from Collin is safe. He's...he's angrier than I've ever seen him. And his parents are just beside themselves."

Her eyes widened as she realized she had forgotten that tidbit of information, "Andy, Dakota found them. Found Mr and Mrs. Wetsworth. And also your parents....uh, your dad. He...he passed away."