Page 19 of Keeping Kara

Once again, Chaos wished he had the tools to cook them something for dinner. He could probably get a fire started, even though making fire with sticks and determination was one of his least favorite things to do, especially with all the wood around them currently soaking wet. But he would’ve done it if he had anything to cook over the flames.

But Kara being the person he was learning she was, she didn’t complain about being hungry or thirsty. In fact, she hadn’t complained about anything. Not what she’d been through, not the bruises on her body, not the scrapes, and definitely not having to spend another night in the wilderness. They were both filthy from sweat, mud, and sleeping on the ground last night. But as she’d said earlier, they were alive. It was good enough for now.

“Go ahead and climb in and get comfortable. I’m going to sit out here for a while,” Chaos told her, as it got dark. He really hoped that his team had spent the daylight hours rescuing citizens, and could therefore spend the night looking for him. Working in the dark was what they did best.

But he also didn’t want to crowd Kara. Not after knowing what she’d been through at the hands of a madman. He didn’t want to bring back any bad memories for her if he could help it. And now he knew that lying next to a stranger in the dark couldn’t be comfortable for her by any stretch. No matter how much he might enjoy it, he wouldn’t subject her to anything she didn’t want.

“You aren’t going to sleep?” she asked.

“I will. Just not yet.”

She was quiet for a long moment. Then said, “It’s okay, Arrow. I know you aren’t him. You’ve had every opportunity to hurt me. To force me to do things I wouldn’t want. And you haven’t. In fact, you’ve been nothing but kind. I’m not going to freak out if you come in here and lie down next to me.”

This woman. She had a spine of steel. Chaos admired the hell out of her.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Moving slowly, Chaos scooted into the small lean-to and settled on his side. Lying on his back hurt his shoulder, and lying on his side hurt his ribs. But at the moment, his shoulder hurt more. And besides, being on his side gave Kara a bit more room.

She turned on her side to face him, copying him by resting her head on her arm. “Tell me about them? Your friends that you’re so sure are coming.”

“My copilot is Edge. He’s the oldest of our group, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he acts. He’s the fastest runner, the strongest out of all of us, and secretly I think he might be a vampire because he looks damn good for his age.”

Kara smiled at that.

“Casper’s our team leader. He’s a great man and an even better pilot. He’s engaged to our head mechanic, Laryn. And they’re pregnant. Right before we were sent to Asheville, we were all supposed to get together to find out if she’s carrying twins—because Casper’s a twin—but here we are instead.”

“Oh, twins. I bet they’re excited.”

Chaos went on to tell her about Obi-Wan and Zita, Buck and Mandy, and Pyro and Penny. He told her how each couple met, and the troubles they’d been through, careful to point out that things had turned out all right for all of them in the end, in the hopes she’d see that things could eventually work out for her, as well. He even talked about the dogs that had joined their crew. Waffles, Rain, and Jen’s search and rescue dog, Fred.

By the time he wound down, he realized he’d been yammering on for quite a while, and he immediately felt like an ass.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to go on and on. I just…they’re amazing people and friends, and I’m lucky to have them at my back and in my life,” he said.

She was quiet for a long time. Then she whispered, “Yeah, you are. Is the offer to go to Virginia still open?”

“Of course.” Chaos held his breath, hoping against hope she’d take him up on it.

“I’d like to go with you then. I promise not to be a mooch. I’ll find another accounting job.”

Elation filled him. “Shhh, it’s fine. I know you won’t be a mooch. We’ll figure it out as we go, okay?”

She nodded.

“What changed your mind?” he asked, honestly curious.

“The dogs.”

He blinked. “What?”

“The dogs. The way you talked about them. Hearing about how Mandy and Buck saved Rain while they were in South America. How Laryn wanted to adopt a dog from a shelter. Hearing how Fred saved Zita.”

Chaos burst out laughing. When he had himself under control, he said, “I’m guessing that means you want to get a dog too.”

She immediately shook her head. “No. That would be just one more thing Nolan could use against me when he finds me.”