not a couple butttt “How are we going to keep our family safe?” and Ramsey 👀
okay it's 11pm and i am pulling this "plot" out of my hat so!! enjoy!!!!!
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Each bullet nestles into place smoothly, their shells gleaming up at Kristin as she loads the magazine. The sting of silver against her fingertips is almost theraputic-- she should wear gloves, like Blake does, but honestly, right now she has bigger things to worry about.
"Kris," Garrett says, his voice tired and quiet in the dusky dark of the study, "Would you settle down? We can't go anywhere without talking about this... we need a plan."
"I'm all ears," she snaps, her skin smarting as her grip on the individual bullets tightens. "Because it doesn't feel like we have much of one right now-- we could barely keep all of them from running off when we started to smell smoke."
"You said it yourself, part of that is instinct," Garrett sighs, his hand twitching against the curtain as he stares out the window. "Aaaaand part of that is, they're eighteen-- well, and eleven, counting Danny. But they're focused on sorting supplies right now-- right? You can still hear them in the cellar?"
"Mhm," she hums, pressing her lips together. "I can hear their heartbeats, too. Harlan's freaking out, Garrett. Everett keeps trying to calm them down but you know he's struggling too much himself. Blake is bouncing off the walls and taking care of Danny isn't helping, and Luna is just feeding off all of them."
"I know," Garrett grumbles, stepping away from the window and pacing over to where she stands by the desk. "I know, Kristin. But just-- one thing at a time. How are you doing?"
She slams the magazine of the gun and sets it down on the desk with a loud bang, scrubbing her hands over her face and shoving her fingers into her hair, which has been in her face all night and is really only adding to her frantic mindset. "Shit, Garrett, I smelled the smoke just when the sun started to set and honestly, I don't think I've felt a single human emotion since. I don't know why this is happening again, and really, I don't care why this time... all I can focus on is, how are we going to keep our pack-- our family-- safe?"
"By sticking together," he answers, his hands carefully circling her wrists so he can bring her arms away from her face. "We can take care of each other, not just us and the kids, but you and me, too. We can do it together, and I promise you, I know this feels scary, but it is going to be so much better with all of us together."
"Is it?" Kristin closes her eyes, shuddering at the smell of smoke in her nostrils and the memories of flames behind her eyes. Garrett is kissing her burned fingers, and she can barely look at him, her heart hammering with fear at the possibility of losing him forever, of losing her kids again. "Or is it all going to be worse?"
