CHAPTER 24
A SPECIAL CONNECTION

IT seemed that Michael was taking more than a few days to conduct his interviews. In fact, after a week, he hadn't even questioned half of the survivors. Most of the time, he was holed up in his suite, doing God knows what.

Coraline realized soon enough that his quarters were right across from hers. Sometimes, they would arrive at their suites at the same time and simply look at each other. Other times, she would exit her quarters when he would, and they would meet at the top of the stairs. Michael would gesture for her to walk forward, and she would oblige. Neither had said a word to each other since the interview. She questioned if he was just itching to call her, "Coraline Rose," again, because he seemed so fond of it. Coraline couldn't deny that the name caused a tickle to crawl down her spine, but maybe it was simply his voice that did that.

She wondered when he would call on her again. Despite not wanting to have another awkward interview with him, Coraline knew it was nonnegotiable. At this point, she really didn't care about getting into some Sanctuary, especially if it meant spending time with him again. For all she knew, this could be yet another elaborate plan to blow up some place and officially end mankind as they know it. He didn't hesitate years ago, so why shouldn't she assume otherwise?

The waiting was beginning to make her feel anxious. Coraline found her dreams consisting of long, blonde hair and big hands gripping her hips, but she refused to acknowledge the face they belonged to. The similarities to Michael were apparent, yet she had never actually seen the person's face in her dreams. However, she was thankful that she wasn't dreaming of the white-faced demon with black eyes anymore, or seeing it anywhere in her path.

Coraline speculated if Michael somehow knew about her dreams. Sometimes, if they saw each other in the mornings, he would give her this look, like he knew exactly what was going on in her quarters late at night. At least he didn't know that she sometimes masturbated while thinking about the anonymous person in her dreams – which wasn't Michael. Totally not him, she told herself. Definitely, not.

The anxiety from waiting soon started to make her leg shake at the most uncomfortable of times. Gallant began to notice it at dinner time, since she sat beside him, and he would constantly feel her leg vibrating against the floorboards. "Are you okay?" He finally asked one day, as everyone gathered around the table for their evening meal. "You've been worried lately – more than usual."

Coraline had looked around, realizing that it was only her, Gallant, and Coco currently sitting themselves at the table. The others seemed to be taking their time as the Greys began to dish out the gelatin servings for the day. Not even Venable or Ms. Mead were in sight, which made admitting to her anxiety so much easier, yet she didn't want to. If she told Gallant she was anxious about a second interview with the head of the Cooperative, he might question why she was even getting a second interview in the first place. She wondered if anyone else had gotten multiple interviews so far, judging from the long process Michael was taking.

Eventually, Coraline smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine," she replied quickly. "Just dandy."

"Well, can you please stop your leg from fucking shaking?" Gallant's brow rose, and he slapped his hand on Coraline's leg to stop the vibrations. "What – are you nervous about Langdon's decision process? It is taking a really long time –"

"I told you I'm not nervous –"

"Yeah, and I totally don't like dick in my mouth," he rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. Gallant's voice lowered to a whisper. "Did you even have your interview yet?"

Coraline was already slicing into her cube before the rest arrived at the table. "Well ... I –"

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Coco fumed, playing with a stray curl getting in her face. "You don't have to whisper. Are we talking about Langdon? I'm interested."

Gallant and Coraline shared a look before turning back to Coco. Coraline's leg was shaking again, making Gallant scoot his chair away. As the brunette woman opened her mouth, she was suddenly interrupted by Coco for the tenth time that week.

"Coraline, can I ask you a question?" Coco laced her fingers together as Timothy and Emily finally took their seats at the table. "What even is your deal with Langdon? Let's talk about that."

Timothy and Emily cast Coraline a narrow-eyed glance before turning back to their meals. Coraline's mouth ran dry as she opened it again, wondering how she could word her response. "I ..." She frowned. "I really don't understand why you're asking me that, Coco."

Coco raised a brow. "I just noticed him staring at you sometimes when we leave dinner. It's weird," she scoffed, "and I just wanted to make sure you didn't have an edge in this Sanctuary questioning. I know he's not going to pick you, but ... I don't know. I was just wondering because it's something I noticed."

Jeez, Coraline thought, does she ever stop talking?

The room was silent for a moment as the other survivors finally took their seats for dinner. Everyone except Evie, for some unknown reason, but Gallant somehow didn't question it. The cracking of the fireplace was the only thing that could be heard, until Coco opened her big, fat mouth again.

"So, you don't know him at all?"

"Jesus!" Coraline smashed a fist against the table, causing Dinah to jump. "Can you stop with the grill, Coco? I don't have an edge or deal with Langdon. Maybe you should be more worried about your interview with him than my life."

Gallant chuckled then, interrupting Coraline's rant and making everyone turn to him. "Coraline doesn't have an edge with Langdon." He smirked proudly towards every survivor in the room. "I do."

Coco had been staring at her reflection in a fork, but finally slid her eyes to Gallant upon hearing his statement. She set down the utensil irritably, cocking a brow upward. "What do you mean?"

"Langdon and I ..." Gallant huffed dramatically, trying to play up his recent interaction with the superior. "We have a special connection. I feel like I've always known him in my soul."

Coraline slowly turned to face the man on her right. Tilting her head to the side, she asked, "Are you telling us that you and Langdon actually had sex?"

The whole room was weirdly silent. Everyone was looking at Gallant again, and he was eating it all up with a spoon. This was even more desirable than their one meal a day. "I shouldn't say anything," Gallant grinned big, "but if the shoe fits ... wear it, baby."

The table was silent, but then Coraline cracked a snort. Gallant's eyes slid to her, as well as everyone else's. Before he could question her, she waved a hand around. "It's nothing, I swear," Coraline said. She wondered if it really was nothing to her, because the sudden intensity of her blood pressure begged to differ.

Andre hissed a laugh, which lifted the tension from the room. "You're lucky your grandma isn't around right now," he added, causing Gallant to chuckle. "Or she'd drop dead."

"Actually," Coco said, pointing her fork in Gallant's direction, "maybe she should hear this."

Coraline raised a brow in the blonde's direction. In fact, the whole table couldn't believe what Coco had suggested. Coraline was sure these people were scheming behind each other's backs to get into the Sanctuary, but none of them said it outright.

Coco didn't seem phased by it. "What?" She asked, popping a piece of gelatin into her painted lips. "Whatever eliminates the competition, right?"

•••

The more Coraline thought about it – and she ended up thinking about it a lot – the more she convinced herself that maybe Gallant had lied. The Michael she used to know would never command a room like he did now, but things changed. He grew up. She wouldn't put it past him to act provocatively around Gallant to get answers out of him for his questioning. He even tried to bewitch Coraline during her interview, but she just didn't take the bait.

At least ... she thought she didn't. Just because she might be dreaming about a person who slightly looked like him did not mean that she took any bait.

Nevertheless, Coraline knew Gallant well. If Michael hadn't been the one to make advances into Gallant's bedroom – like the hairdresser implied – she also believed that Gallant would do something reckless to get into this dumb Sanctuary bullshit. Something like fucking the head honcho in charge.

She decided to sit back and keep her opinions to herself. Another day had gone by without Michael asking for her again. She was beginning to think he forgot, which wasn't that bad of an outcome. He hadn't been outside his room at all yesterday, and his absence was just another reason why Coraline had a hard time believing Gallant's story. But – she had to stop thinking about the rumor. It was driving her insane, and she definitely didn't need Crazy Coraline coming back from the dead.

Once evening rolled in, she had her feet propped on the glass table in the library. Coraline picked the first book she saw in the stacks upon stacks around her, and it happened to be Plato's Republic. She passed Philosophy in college with a C, so she rationalized that maybe this would get her educational juices following again. God knows that they had nothing else to do after the Apocalypse.

As she cracked open the broken spine, Coraline expected a peaceful night in with no one around. But then loud voices flooded the room, and she shut the book, having to endure the presence of these arrogant survivors yet again. "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce played softly through the old speaker, causing Coraline to slap her book in her lap when she finally recognized the tune. Her mauve dress ruffled at the impact.

"I remember when this song was used on a very special Hardy Boys episode," Dinah sighed, taking a seat beside Evie on the couch. "I had the biggest crush on Shaun Cassidy."

Coco perched herself on the same couch as Coraline, making the brunette roll her eyes and scoot over more. "Hey, guys," she said, pointing a finger up, "I kinda wanted a little alone time, so if this conversation isn't that important –"

"This is important," Dinah interrupted. "We're reminiscing on ... innocent times. I'm sure you have some of your own, Coraline."

Before the brunette could reply, Coco was already fuming, "Boring times, if you ask me."

"The Hardy Boys was a very popular program."

Coraline fought the urge to roll her eyes again, and instead crossed her legs on the coffee table.

"Yeah, of course, it was," Coco ridiculed. "You only had three networks. This is exactly why this is so much harder on us youth than it is for you geriatrics. You're used to having only two or three lame things in your life, like TV networks, ways to drink coffee, sexual orientations." The blonde then turned to the woman beside her. "Back me up, Coraline."

Coraline raised a brow as Mallory entered the room, setting a pitcher of mineral water and glasses on the table. "I'm not backing you up on anything," the brunette refused with a shake of her head.

Coco looked to her Grey assistant. "Mallory? Help?"

"Dog breeds ..." Mallory began, taking a seat in between Coco and Coraline. The brunette woman moved over even more and sighed dramatically. (So much for a peaceful night alone.) "We have so many options for everything. Dental floss, air fresheners. We didn't just order a burger. We needed to know if we wanted turkey or veggie –"

"I think they get it –" Coraline added.

Mallory continued with a grin, "We have at least four Chris-es that could star in a movie. How many do you have?"

Evie was waving a fan in front of her face when she began to retort, but her response was interrupted by a pair of loud footsteps entering the room. Everyone turned their heads to see Gallant walking slowly towards his grandmother. His whole body was shaking. Coraline sat up, instantly noticing the fury engulfing his entire face.

Gallant picked up the pitcher and poured himself a glass of water. He usually looked so put-together, but now, his collar wasn't buttoned and his jacket had several wrinkles in it. He pursed his lips and glared at Evie. "Surprised to see me breathing, Nana?"

Evie didn't look like she had a hint of regret. For the first time, both Coco and Coraline shared a confused look.

"They usually shoot people for fucking, or ..." He sent her a dramatic grin. "Did you not remember that when you turned me in?"

Coraline's brow furrowed. Evie hadn't been at the dinner when Gallant confessed to sleeping with – whoever it was. (Coraline wasn't going to debate it internally anymore.) The only way she could've found out was if she ... Coraline's face twisted into a disgusted expression.

"No hard feelings, darling," Evie smiled. "I want to live, and the only way to achieve that is to get rid of these ... ten little idiots who stand between me –" She slapped the fan against her chest. "– And that golden ticket out of here."

"Um ..." Coco wrinkled her nose. "We're sitting right here –"

Coraline's lips curled into a frown as she dared to ask the most desired question in the room. "So, did you like ... watch –?"

"It's not my fault that you can't control your carnal urges!" Evie continued.

"Yep," Coraline nodded, tapping her hands on the book in her lap, "she did watch."

Gallant raised his hand, almost tempted to slap his grandma, but he did no such thing. Instead, he bared his teeth and screamed, "YOU HAVE LIVED! I haven't!"

"Oh, yes, you have!" Evie argued, standing up to meet her grandson's eyes. She stood under him by a foot, but it still seemed like she had the upper hand. "You have crammed ten lifetimes of failures and screw-ups in your thirty years!"

The blonde male's hands went in the air, and he turned to look at each of their conflicted stares. "Am I the only one who makes mistakes? Hmm?" He took a long sip from the mineral water in his hand.

Evie chuckled darkly. "No! But I am always the one that has to clean up after you. Let me see ... three stints in rehab on my dime ... Fancy lawyers to keep you out of prison ... When your grandfather rejected you because of your perverted lifestyle, I took you in! And what did I get back?"

Silence. Gallant's fist was flexing in and out. Coraline felt like she had to do something, but what?

"Yes," Evie sighed, "you went and you bankrupted two salons, and then you snorted the third one up your nose!" She turned to the other survivors in the room, as if trying to appeal to them after she had insulted each of them. "I deserve to live. I'm the bridge between past and future."

Only then did Coraline want to laugh. The fact that this elderly woman acted like she had more power than Coraline's dainty visions was maddening. Coraline wasn't invincible or even that powerful to begin with, but her visions surely meant more than Evie's knowledge of culture and music.

Evie finally spun back to her grandson, waving her fan again in her face. "One lifetime of me is worth fifty of yours. Humanity may be in a sorry state, but it deserves better than you."

Gallant smacked the glass of water on the coffee table, and surprisingly, it didn't smash into pieces. "The only thing I ever wanted from you was for you to love me and accept me," he replied through gritted teeth. "Why couldn't you just give me that?"

"Sorry, darling," she smirked, "it's just not in my nature."

With a soft and careful hand, Evie tapped her grandson's cheek before she left. Gallant's body still shook with rage, but he had to keep it in. His brow furrowed. His eyes screamed, murder. It almost made Coraline ... afraid of him. That took a lot of effort to do, after everything she had seen over the years.

Later that night, Coraline had a vision of Evie Gallant dying, and it was a gory sight that she hoped would never come true. But that was like wishing for a miracle.

•••

A/N: SOOOOO I'm stretching out the timeline by a lot!!!! I know that's kind of annoying but it helps the plot to not feel so rushed!

THIS WAS KIND OF A FILLER BUT WE'RE GETTING TO THE JUICY STUFF NOW SISTERS