Tiptoe higher

Lae

The scene that was unfolding before her was sweet. The little freak was alive (which was a relief because she would feel really guilty if a kid had died for her) and sobbing in Allani's arms.

"I want Callum, I want Callum," she kept sobbing.

Allani just held her tight and murmured things like: "I know" and "I'm sorry."

Yes, it was equally heartbreaking and adorable, and Lae was have a hard time caring because her chest hurt so frickin' much.

At least she wasn't gagging on her own blood anymore. That was something she wouldn't long forget. The pain was bad enough, as if someone had drilled a hole through her lungs and pored molten lead in afterwards. But breathing in blood instead of oxygen, choking on it, feeling it coat her throat and mouth, drowning from the inside-

She tried to pull herself back from those moments and the pain that accompanied them. It just made things worst. She was breathing okay now. The freak had seen to that. Bruise most of her torso in the process. The internal bleeding wasn't dangerous, but it was painful. And of course there was the bullet wound. She could barely see straight thanks to several Jack Daniels, but it still hurt like H-E-double toothpicks.

But she was alive. She was more relieved about this then she expected. She had never wanted to die, exactly, but she never really found living important either. Neither really matter, to her or anyone else. If she lived, she did nothing but drink, fight, and disappoint her parents. If she died, no one would care much. Her mother would probably still be disappointed and her father would probably struggle to remember her name. Her drinking buddies would order a round of drinks in her honor. Allani would be properly guilty and reflect on the horrors of the evil she was fighting against. For roughly twenty seconds.

And she would hardly care herself. She had no one and nothing to live for.

Thats why she had taken the bullet.

The freak stopped crying and began to look around. Then she started to ask questions. Where were they? (Answer: a warehouse, another one of Allani's safe houses, because the last one had worked out so well.) Was there anything to eat? (Dry Cheerios and saltines.) Was there anything sweet to eat? (Cheerios are sweet enough.) Were was her stuffies? Why did her head hurt? Was there a bathroom? Could she have some smarties? Right now? Did the realize she was going to start screaming if she didn't get some smarties now?

Lae really hated children. Especially the creepy ones. It was good to know that this howling brat was put in charge of saving her life. Really gave the warm fuzzies.

A long, painful while the little brat finally shut up and asked Allani to get her brother back. Allani explained the plan. It was, unsurprisingly, a terrible plan.

The Plan:

Step 1: kidnap Jaime

Step 2: threaten to kill him if Lia didn't give him Callum.

Step 3: assume she'll show up with Callum and everything will go like clockwork.

"Let's focus on step 1," Allani said when Lae pointed out that that was barely a plan at all. "I found out where Jaime is. He has a club he likes to go to."

Ooh, a club! Suddenly this sounded like a better plan. "You figured this out how?"

"His Facebook page," Allani replied.

"Technology will be the death of us all." Lae said.

"No kidding," Allani snorted. "The amount of drunken rants on your twitter account-"

"Anyway, we get to this club," Lae said quickly.

Allani smiled and continued. "I sneak up on him and put something in his drink. You help me take him to the car. Plan b is we wait until he's out of the club and 11 cuts off his circulation to his head. We are going to try very hard to avoid plan b, because I'm not sure if 11 is up for it-"

"Oh, I can do it." 11 said. "But I might kill him." She frowned, looking mildly worried.

Freaky kid. A 666 was showing up on that little forehead any second now.

"When are we doing this?" Lae asked Allani.

"Tomorrow night," she didn't sounded happy about it, but there was hardly another choice. "Until then, we should all rest. It's almost two o'clock in the morning."

"Rest sounds good," Actually, she was going to pass out soon.

"I want to sleep with you!" 11 said, wrapping her arms around Allani. She was very fond of her all of a sudden. It was very sweet.

To bad everything hurt so much. Lae would have almost enjoyed this. Whatever this was. Being a team thing.

Yeah, she was definitely drunk. Probably delirious with pain and exhaustion too.

She took one last sip and carefully lay down on the thin mattress, waiting for sleep to find her through the haze of drink and pain.