"He hates me you know" Rodney said as we strolled down the street that used to be famous for it's beach side view. Now the ocean was poisoned and toxic, but still presented a beautiful sight. The waves crashed quietly on the bright orange beach to our left, and I couldn't help but be grateful that Brittock had designed the wall to permit such a view to exist. Brittock had said that he hoped the fish would eventually be safe to catch and consume.

"He doesn't hate you, he just doesn't trust you because you betrayed and back stabbed him... then literally stabbed me in the back" at Rodney's distressed look, I leaned over and rested my hand in his arm and my head on his shoulder, "but I have forgiven you for that! As should you forgive yourself."

"I have many regrets in life, one of which is that I did that to you. I wish you would return me to my feline state so that I can forget it all and be happy again" the last part of his statement turned into a plead.

"Rodney, you have four lives left, I will not let one be wasted so you can purr and lick yourself! You'll just have to find another way to cope with your mistakes like everyone else" I chided. Before Rodney could answer, I felt a rock peg me in the back of the head.

Whipping around I spotted Gerry and Mina walking arm in arm behind us with a very perturbed looking Brittock beside them. Making a gesture that involved pointing two index fingers at Rodney and I and separating them violently, Brittock indicated his displeasure and showed that he wanted me to separate from Rodney.

I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back around to my previous position.

With a noise that slightly reseembled a chuckle, Rodney said, "You are exactly what that man needs. And licking yourself is only one of the perks."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you can also climb trees, pee wherever you want, and you can eat uncooked meat" he explained.

"Not that!" I smacked him on the chest, "why do you say I am what he needs?"

"Because he, as long as I had known him, had always been the most stiff, unloving, un joyous pain in the ass that ever walked the planet. And you can not take anything seriously and have a... way... about you that is happily contagious."

"Oh..." I said quietly, "why do people say I have a 'way' about me?"

"Who else has told you this?" he turned to me, brow furrowed in curiosity.

"The Truth"

"Interesting... well you just have a certain fire, a certain spark to your personality that incites others to be... upbeat and happy."

"You make me sound like a ray of sunshine when in fact I am an overcast, storm cloud" I admitted blandly, "gray and mopey but if you're not watching I'll electrocute you with lightening."

"If that is your metaphor then remember that a storms bark is usually more violent than it's bite and that every living being need water to survive. Last time I checked, thunder and rain are the most prominent part of a thunderstorm" Rodney said, ruffling my hair.

After a few seconds of silence, I said "I hate you" with a smile.

We walked in relative silence for a few minutes, commenting occasionally on a mutated crustacean or odd looking sea plant, when Rodney finally said, with a stoic face, "I am leaving."

"Leaving where?" I asked, tripping slightly over the sudden statement.

"I am going outside the wall to find the men that killed my daughter" he said with finality.

"Rodney, no. You only have four lives, I say again, you can't go out and endanger yourself. And this is what got you in trouble in the first place!"

"You need to be here, helping him. I need to be out there, tracking. I enjoy you and your company and I see as I would my daughter, but you are not her. She was murdered and I need to avenge her. Being human has only reminded me of my angst and pain over this. I will not become the bad person I was before but I am not ready to end my hunt" he pressed.

"I-.... Then I'm going with you" I insisted.

"No, like I said. He needs you and you need to be-"

"No. If you leave, I leave with you. You protected me in the wild once, now I'm returning the favor. I'm going" there was no way I was letting him go out in the wastes of this world to hunt down derelict militia men.

"I know enough about you now to understand that this issue will not be settled until I lose and you win... just like that ridiculous collar you made me wear. The trouble comes for you when you attempt to tell Brock that you are leaving with me" Rodney replied with resignation.

"He'll let me go" I said, not even close to one hundred percent positive.

___________________

"No"

"Brittock, I am not letting him go out there alone!" I said sternly.

"That is very sweet of you..." Brittock said, lacking genuine emotion, "no" he reiterated.

"Brock" I said in a clipped tone, trying to warn him of the impending anger he would release within me if he persisted. Brittock arched an eyebrow at me.

"Little dove" he growled back.

I held his glare for a few seconds before sighing and sitting in his lap.

"Brittock, I AM going" I said quietly, reaching out to the clenched fist that rested on his leg. I pried his fingers apart and splayed them over my own palm.

With eyes clenched tightly shut, he exhaled loudly and the sound traveled down into his chest, rumbling in frustration.

"Katherine" he mumbled quietly, an under tone of exasperation bubbling under the surface.

I placed our hands on his face, causing him to open his eyes.

"I'm going" I pressed.

He searched my eyes for some sort of soft spot, a leeway, but found none.

"Fine" he growled, then placed me on the bed and left the room.

I played with my hands, ones that now seemed small and empty compared to how they felt thirty seconds ago, and tried to drown the awful feeling that was bubbling in my gut.