UnCompromised

1 - Connor

"There are places we can go," Risa tells him. "And the two of us stand a decent chance at surviving now that most of America's on our side."

Connor stares right into Risa's eyes, melting away the apprehension swelling inside him. She doesn't know how much of a nostalgia shock she just gave him in those few encouraging words. His unhealed brain aches with the uncanny blast to the past as they rest in his past self's favorite hiding spot above the highway. He rubs his forehead, which shoots pain into the seams on Roland's arm. No, his arm. The shark tattoo that used to mock him now reminds him of the two years he spent evading his own unwinding, protecting other AWOLs from theirs, and returning to Sonia's antique shop, which held the secrets to eradicating unwinding as a whole.

The thought of everything he experienced in such a short time of his life nearly splits the seams in his brain.

Risa gently rubs his real arm, minding the pain it causes him. "Did I say something wrong?" she asks.

"No, not at all." He lowers his right arm and clenches the bar below him. The rumbling beneath them rattles his insides, reminding him of the hundreds of times he hid atop the highway in his years before the unwind order signed his damnation. "I just had a bit of déjà vu is all. When I said we should come up here for awhile, I didn't mention that this used to be my favorite place to hang out before . . . everything."

He catches her glance, and they exchange a quick smile. Risa leans over and gives him a quick peck on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, now it can be our favorite spot."

A comforting silence befalls them, one that neither dares to break. Connor observes the endless sea of cars below them. The semi-trucks bring back the memory of his first night kicking-AWOL, when he met the trucker with the grafted hand that performed incredible card tricks. The thought immediately reminds him of Starkey; he then realizes how the events from the past two years of his life form a full circle.

"You're too deep in thought again," Risa warns, lifting her head and shifting a bit closer to him. She grins, but the concern in her eyes overrides her masquerade. "I wish you would relax for awhile, especially now that the Juvies aren't hunting us down anymore. Sure, there's much we still have to fight—and I doubt we'll ever truly have peace—but you should rest for now. Especially with those scars of yours."

He nods. "You being with me has been an incredible benefit. I've just been finding myself reflecting on everything that's brought us to this moment. If you ask me, I think it's important to remember the history that shaped you."

"True, but don't obsess yourself over it. We can only look forward now."

"Such a wise woman to a feeble man."

"Save your compliments for the media. Those vultures will eat up anything we give them now." Risa leans over and kisses him again, this time longer than the first. That finally shuts him up.

Connor dwells on her words and decides that maybe it is time to take a step back and let the world's worries melt away, even if it's just for one night. He glances down at the shark tattoo once again, feeling its eyes no longer boring into him like a predator, but understanding the connection that he and Roland have built together since it was grafted on. Their exhilarating day at the Capitol in front of thousands—or millions—of people has taken its mighty toll on his strength. He smiles, a genuine emotion that washes over him and comforts him for the rest of his evening with Risa.

Early dawn light cracks through his bedroom window several weeks later. With November nearing its end and December swiftly approaching, most of America would be making Christmas preparations. The Lassiters, on the other hand, take a different approach. As his parents have now accepted him and Risa back into their home, their presence has planted a ticking time bomb. Planning too far ahead for a life of normalcy in one of the world's most infamous locations could be detrimental. Per usual, Connor and the others play it by ear.