Where to go from here

[Wren Baker]

Wren waited for a little bit for him to continue, exhaling.

"How different?"

Randall's hesitation caused a small bit of worry to build within her, and the look on her face said as much.

She reached a hand out, laying it on his arm.

"Randall. How different?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Wren, I don't wanna sound bad sayin' this, but I need you to tell nobody. On Shirley Faye's memory, I need this to die with you, 'cause I don't know what'll happen if it ever gets out."

Randall took a long drag, his hand shaking ever-so slightly in his nervousness.

[Wren Baker]

She stared at him for a second, then nodded her head.

"Of course. You know I'd never tell a soul if you didn't want something known."

That he asked this of her spoke volumes of the gravity of the situation, and Wren tightened her grip on his arm momentarily.

"You have my word. On Shirley's memory."

[Randall Rudd]

Randall nodded. He thought about how to explain it, and decided on the simplest explanation.

"Lindy can turn coal into diamonds."

It sounded utterly absurd, but Randall was learning to take the absurd with a high degree of acceptance lately.

[Wren Baker]

For at least a minute, Wren said nothing. She simply thought about what Randall had said, and presently she released her hold on his arm Her first thought was why Randall was even considering looking for a new job up in New York when his daughter had such an ability. But of course, a split second later reality crashed down upon her.

"Randall, that's... that's amazing."

She took another drag from her smoke as the more analitycal part of her brain went to work, weighing the consequences to such a power.

"It's a little worrying, too. I mean, you're talking about - basically - a power that can render the world's economy almost worthless."

She made a face, knowing that something like that was probably not exactly what he wanted to hear right now.

[Randall Rudd]

The air felt stifling, even outside. Randall nodded an affirmative to her idle question.

"I've been scared to death 'bout this for the past week. I don't eat much, barely sleep. I can't wrap my head 'round this."

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave his shoulder a pat.

"I don't think you should worry about that too much right now. Jus' focus on gettin' your little girl to somewhere safe."

A last pull from her smoke, and she dropped it to the ground, crushing it with the toe of a black infantry boot.

"Cullen's is as safe a place as you could ever take her, make no mistake. Not to mention she'd probably be happy there."

[Randall Rudd]

There was still something else tugging on his brain about all this. He blew a breath of smoke, and broke the question.

"How you know so much about this place, Wren?"

No doubt it was something government-related and such, but it was still pretty peculiar.

[Wren Baker]

Not quite ready to tell him - or anyone really - about what exactly it was that she'd been doing after leaving Monongah, Wren looked off into the distance; past their vehicles and down the long driveway.

"Perks of working with the government. I got to hear about all sorts of things, and what with mutants startin' to show up, it makes it kinda hard to avoid hearing about places like Cullen's while in Washington."

She gave a sigh.

"World just ain't the same place we grew up in, anymore."

[Randall Rudd]

"No it ain't."

Randall mulled the thought over, discarding his cigarette and extinguishing it with a bootheel.

He looked at Wren, who herself was looking into the distance.

"Guess we're jus' passin' in the night. Me stayin', you goin'. Don't seem right, does it?"

[Wren Baker]

That comment brought her back, and Wren stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Maybe so.

"Look Randall, I came back 'cause I was tired of traveling and having to go everywhere. I wanted to be around family again, and you and Shirley were always just that. I didn't think drivin' in that Shirley would be dead, or that you had your eyes set on movin' to New York. I jus' figured that I'd roll up, set up a trailer up the hill a ways, and it'd be like old times again.

"That ain't how things turn out I guess."

Wren scowled, trying to find the best way to ask. Going to Cullen's wasn't the best of ideas, especially since Praetorian had their eyes on it, but who better to look after Randall and his baby girl than one of their own? She knew their tricks; had pulled her fair share of them out in the field.

"Let me go with you," she finally blurted out, opting to overlook any sort of tactful wording at this point.

[Randall Rudd]

"You never even needed to ask."

Randall was quick to agree, nodding profusely. He needed a good friend in this to lean on, and it was really hard for him to say it or communicate that need at all.

"Wren, it's hard for me to say, but I can't go it alone. I think you showin' up jus' made it clear in my head."

He wearily leaned against the side of the trailer, looking up at the sky.

"Lindy's gon' take some time. She ain't scared, she's jus' a lil' shy I s'pose. She's stronger than me, but she misses her mama too."

[Wren Baker]

Looking up at the night sky, Wren sniffed a little and rached up to wipe away a small bead of a tear that had formed. It was a curious mix of happiness and sadness that filled her; happiness at once more being with those she considered closest to her, and sadness at the loss of Shirley.

She wrapped an arm around Randall's middle in a casual embrace.

"We all miss her."

[Randall Rudd]

Randall didn't say anything immediately. He just shared a sympathetic moment and nodded his head in solemn agreement.

"If you want, I can carry you out to the funeral plot to have a moment."

He imagined that somewhere up there, Shirley Faye was smiling at them both.