Outcast Villiage

"I don't want to, uh, damage anything," Chiquita mumbled, keeping her hands clasped, but she listened closely.

---

"I think I'll be fine this time. The episodes are short and far between ever since..." Ephraim grimaced.

She nodded, letting go of his hands. "Okay..."
_____

"You won't." He told her.

"Yeah there's no easy way to bring up last servitude and torture huh?" Ephraim tried to sound joking and came across bitter.

---

"It's fine. I've had my fun for today." Chiquita kept her hands squeezed together and briefly flinched, the room heating a few degrees warmer, like a summer day, when Citlali suddenly seemed to appear in the doorway.

"You hungry Citali?" Moira asked.
___

"No, there isn't." She kissed his hands gently.

"Umm..." Citlali looked uncertain for a second, looking to Chiquita as if for help before mumbling, "Only if there's enough to go around."

---

Ephraim very briefly brushed his thumb to her cheek when she kissed his hand but quickly pulled his hand away for fear of using too much pressure.

She kept hold of his hand, this one time being stronger than him. "Don't move away."

"Theres more than enough."

Eridan let his hand go loose, refusing to hold back but letting her keep his hand.

---

"Umm..." Citlali wrung her hands together and muttered, "Everyone else should eat first. I'll...have a shower."

"Hold my hand." She told him. "Ephraim, it's okay."
_____

"If you're sure dear." Moira told her.

"Citali, can I talk to you?" Xander asked her.

"Until I can feel, it's not okay. I'm not hurting anyone again, either on purpose or by accident. I will argue this until I'm blue in the face."

---

"Ummm..." Citlali hovered nervously in the doorway. "Sure?"

Moira nodded with a soft smile.

Evelyn nodded, just as there was the sound of Arianna wanting to get out of the bath.

Citlali smiled nervously back, before leaving the room, looking over her shoulder hesitantly at Xander.

---

"You should go and sort her out. I'll be fine in a bit," Ephraim murmured.

She nodded, getting to her feet.

He followed her. "It's about Alex."

Ephraim stayed sat, just watching his faintly trembling hands.

---

Citlali waited in the hallway, wringing her hands together nervously.

Evelyn went to help her daughter, bringing her to her room so that she could help her to dress.
_______

Xander followed. "You two really need to talk." He commented.

Ephraim flexed his fingers slowly, nails briefly digging into his palms.

---

Citlali bit her lip nearly hard enough to draw blood, before murmuring, "Damaged goods. Won't want either way."

"He loved you Citali, he asked you to marry him, you were damaged before but so is he." Xander told her. "Just give it a go, you have nothing to really lose."
_____

Evelyn knocked on his door after she had put Ariadne to bed. "It's just me, may I join you?"

"This is different," Citlali said quietly. "Ranger's probably already told him already. If he asks me to do something, there's a lot of things I won't be able to say no to. Nobody wants a relationship based on that." Even quieter, she added, "we don't know how to amend the contracts any more. That was lost with the previous owner." She sighed suddenly. "We're nothing more than glorified pets and..." she looked nervous again. "Unless you know someone who can bring the dead back to life, that's all we'll be."

---

"You're always welcome," Ephraim murmured. "But if I could ask you to keep your distance, for just a moment. I don't know my own strength."

She nodded, staying on the other side of the room.
_____

"Alex is no fool, but I can bring back the dead so that we can find out."

"Not that far," Ephraim laughed, but it sounded weak. "More like, you can sit here." He pat next to him. "But just don't expect me to...reciprocate any affection just yet."

---

Citlali chewed her bottom lip nervously, nearly enough to draw blood. "Are we allowed to leave for long?"

"Don't worry, I remember what to do." She told him with a soft playful smile, sitting next to him.
____

"We have a few hours." He told her.

Ephraim tried to smile but it came out as nearly a grimace.

---

"Am I allowed to leave?"

She gently touched his hand, a silent promise that she was here and that he wasn't alone.
______

"Yeah you are."

"Sorry," Ephraim murmured quietly.

---

"Have you got a map?" Citlali asked. "I can point out where...where she was killed."

"What are you sorry for?" She asked.
_____

He shook his head.

"Being me, I suppose."

---

"Then I guess it can't be helped. I can show on a map. But Ranger knows exact where she's buried. If you want to risk asking him."