The wrap around porch of a massive wooden tree house Nico was pacing earlier to get to Xavier was just a small part of entangled tree house settlement. The housings were all interconnected by a jungle of rope bridges creating a port in a storm, up in the air for the tree house community.

The only way to get up or back down was by a removable cords or rope ladders suspended from above and pulled back up right after the climb. Such entrance granted corpse free stomping ground.

The only danger still, even in the new world order, came from other humans and therefore there were constant patrols on the furthest points of the houses and some roaming the woods at what they considered their border.

The house Xavier was staying in was build in the oldest strongest tree. It was the biggest residence of the colony and in the time of emergency could take in all the people. It was their diner, their infirmary, their armory, their town hall, their inn, all in one tree under one roof.

Sally used to live in the fort, too. Her room was still there but now that she was not alone anymore it was not big enough. They moved her and her new companion to the tree house they finished just recently. Their floating village expanded and each new tree house was called a branch, which was a joke Xavier's dad often made and it stuck.

Nico hurried through the maze floating in the air. He was aware of the people changing shifts on the porches, he heard them greet him, welcome him back as he was passing them by. So very unlike himself, he overlooked them in the search of his true north. There was only one wire he was pursuing.

He didn't have to turn around to see Xavier apologetically pressing his lips into a thin line following in his footsteps. It was no hard task for Xavier's lengthy legs to keep up with Nico, but just as they crossed the last swinging bridge and landed on the steady porch of the newest tree house, Xavier brought Nico to a halt.

"I think it would be the best if I go in first," he said, getting ahead of him.

"Yeah, forget about that, Xav." Nico made another step but Xavier stood tall like a wall. His hand grabbed Nico's shoulder, nailing him in place. His other hand was grasping a backpack filled with essential medical supplies.

"No, Nico, you don't understand. It's not just about her being ready, it's about you, too. It gives you few seconds to adjust, trust me." Xavier's voice had so many layers of saturation it always matched the person and situation. He lured people into safe waters.

Nico shifted uncomfortably, carrying his weight over to his other leg, shaking Xavier's hand off in the process.

"Okay," Nico sensed Xavier's urgency, "but tell her I'm here and then get out of the way."

"Fine," he shrugged, "ready or not..."

Xavier opened the door but proceeded very cautiously, like an animal whisperer, careful not to induce any unwanted reaction. His frame blocked the view long enough for Nico to grow impatient.

He tried to peek over Xavier's shoulder. The room was not that spacious so Xavier cast quite a broad shade on it. The double bed was in the middle of the opposite wall. The injured man laid there motionless, provisional IV was leeched onto his vein but Sally was not in his arms reach.

The starboard gray area that Xavier's body created shadowed the most important accessory in the lifeboat.

"Hey, Sally," Xavier had his gentle tone on, "I'm here to check on your bandages. I brought some company if you don't mind. I'm sure you heard the chopper... Look who's back. "

Xavier stole few seconds for Nico to battle the eye-opener, take in the atmosphere before it hit him right in the face, but nothing could prepare him for the moment when Xavier finally moved out of the way just like he asked him to.

Sally was sitting under a blanket on a loveseat sofa, folded in an odd like fashion so the wound on her hip wouldn't feel like it was being torn apart again. She swiveled to face the man in the bed. She guarded his sleep, observed his chest rising and falling.

She was not oblivious to her surroundings. She was on a constant watch but she sensed no threat in her current visitors. Their presence was natural, it drew no immediate reaction. Xavier suspected what would the big reveal of Nico bring to them but actually watching it happen was heartbreaking.

Sally turned her head just to simply look at Nico. The right half of her face was covered with a single piece of gauze. There was no peeking underneath the white flag, but the bare half sent the message just fine. Her expression concealed all emotion, her gaze was hollow like she saw right through him and then she turned right back to her solemn task at hand.

There was no beeping machine to monitor Negan so she did. The sonar would be soothing, sedating, but the silence was crushing, like breaking waves. They could even hear the creaking of strained lumber like ship at a wild sea.

Nico was thrown aback by the cold shoulder and was looking for a lead in Xavier's head-start. He signaled with his eyes, urging him to go on. They were on uncharted territory here. Nico's hastiness was gone, he moved warily.

He entered Sally's personal space and dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Long time no see, huh? It's so good to have you back." He controlled his shaky voice, keeping it low.

She glanced at him shortly again and continued monitoring Negan's life-signs.

Nico checked with Xavier again and he nodded. It was the wind filling his sail, moving him further toward Sally.

"What you've been up to? Missed all warning signs this time around? Told you to take me with you." Humor was always a way to go when it came to the two of them. Only this time...

Sally had no reaction whatsoever. The only sign she didn't come back as a corpse was the fact she didn't try to chew off his concerned face. Other than that she showed no signs of life. Xavier saw how fast the gravity of the situation was clinging to Nico's shoulders and decided to circle the air, give his comrade space to take a breather.

Xavier squeezed Nico's shoulder, relieving him from his duty. He stood up and took a step back.

One of the few things Sally responded to was the healing process. She let Xavier tend to her wounds, she understood the need to get better. Being imprisoned, hardly able to move around was walking the plank for her.

"Let's take a look at those bandages, shall we?" Xavier said, opening the medical kit. "I hope we can take the stitches out with a little luck."

He bent down to her and Sally's face finally changed shape, even if it was showing just discomfort. Xavier was quick to solace her torment.

"It's okay, you can still watch him," he said, clearing her line of sight. He sat down next to her.

Sally shifted to sit straight to give Xavier access to her face but to still be able to check on Negan. She was wincing in pain in the process, pressing the palm of her hand to her hip.

"Easy there," Xavier touched her forearm, trying to pry it of the wound, "don't push it too hard. Those stitches have to stay in longer, I'm sorry." Once she let go of it to his satisfaction, he could move his attention up to her face.

Sally and Xavier both held their breaths, as he pulled the gauze away slowly from her face, making sure it did not dry and stick to the skin and he didn't have to draw blood as it happened the times before. After the whole patch came off without any difficulty, they both visibly relaxed and Xavier started to talk to her.

"Your eye is looking good, Sally. The swelling is wearing off, it's not permanently damaged, you'll see just fine. The stitches on your cheek need to stay in a little longer, which unfortunately means the scars will be more visible, but the wound is still not closed properly, it still needs some time."

He could as well be talking to himself, but he knew Sally was listening carefully.

"The eye doesn't need to be covered anymore, we can let it breathe. The other wounds need to be covered though, they're still at risk of catching infection. They shouldn't be touched. Okay?"

She nodded and followed Xavier with her eyes everytime he was far enough for her to focus on him, Negan still remained in her peripheral vision, just like Sally's seamed face stayed in Xavier's.

Her wounds were deep cuts sewn tightly together. One was above her eye, scraping the end of her eyebrow, the other two were dragging from under her eye through her cheek down to her jaw. One almost copied the wrinkle that framed her mouth while smiling. Other little bruises were just scratches on surface, they would be gone with time.

Xavier changed the big gauze for two smaller ones and outlined Sally's eye adding another dimension to her sight.

"Now let's see the last one," he slid to the edge of the cushion.

Sally pushed the blanked down to her knees and pulled her way too big T-shirt they got her up, just enough for Xavier to see the injury. Other than that she had only some underwear, the shirt was long enough to cover everything like a nightgown. Wearing pants was ruled out, it irritated the wound.

Xavier got to work to change that bandage, too.

Sally held her T-shirt tightly as if to withhold her pain and finally looked up at Nico. And this time she gathered enough courage to truly see him and acknowledge his presence.

Nico's face was numb. It was sewn together more times than a Frankenstein's monster but this time only he felt like he had no control over it. He used to be a professional fighter, he could take a great deal of pain, but he couldn't take the helm this time.

Thanks to tissue damage, his left eye was squinted all the time and his brow shoot just a bit too high above the corner of his eye. The scar tissue around his mouth made it look like he was constantly smirking. His nasal bone was crooked from being broken one too many times. Sally admired his face, it was written in the way she looked at him, and oh the irony, hers was mirroring his, now.

Sally missed seeing that expression but she felt like there was no capacity left in her to show that. She blinked two times in a row quickly as her vision began to blur. Nico caught it and nodded at her.

"Here we go, all done," Xavier concluded. "Need some painkillers?"

Sally shook her head no. As she always did. "Alright, and what about Negan? Anything out of the ordinary?" He asked her, checking on Negan briefly.

She shook her head again.

"Okay, I'll stop by later. We'll leave you to..."

"Actually," Nico stepped forward, "I'll keep Sally company for a while." Once again his voice was unwavering.

"Okay, then." Xavier hovered for a while, packing his bag, casting observant glances Sally's and then Nico's way. Once he concluded it was safe to leave them, he went and after he was gone, Nico sat down next to Sally from the other side than Xav did before.

"What did you got yourself into this time?" He asked after a moment of silence.

Sally leaned to him and hung her head down low. Whatever had happened, this was their Sally for god's sake! Nico put him arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace and Sally didn't care how much it hurt. She buried the unscratched half of her face into his chest and started to cry uncontrollably, letting him understand the depth her emotional concrete submerged her in. 

___

Author's Note:

This part is two times the length of my usual updates but does it really feel that way? 🤔

The working title for this part is LIFEBOAT, you sure can see why, so if the chapters are ever getting names this is the one for this part. 🚣

I love you for reading this story, thank you a thousand times! 💜

Your thoughts and insights are always welcome. 📥

LOVE, 

🌩