*Play Song*

"Aphmau, this is where you say something for yourself." Lilith states guardedly, scrutinizing her injured comrade with leery eyes.

"I-I..." Aphmau stammers, her lips moving as if in an attempt to articulate words, but no sound emits, only granting another ripple of uneasiness through the group.

"Aph?" Aaron asks, his dismal eyes settling on Aphmau's panicked ones, uncertain on how to feel.

"Y-you all...don't actually believe him...do you?" Aphmau tardily utters, blinking back the hurt of slight betrayal.

The group remains silent, exchanging anxious looks with each other as no one dared speak, only solidifying the barrier of mistrust between Aphmau and her once comrades.

Aphmau's disbelieving eyes darted across the individuals before her gaze landed on Aaron, who couldn't even muster the ability to look at her.

Aphmau's languid fingers reached for her husband's, but with only a second of hesitation, he writhes himself out of her grip. Pulling in his bottom lip as he fled the room in despair.

Thankfully, as the scene was getting progressively harder to watch, Garroth's voice echos on the overhead announcement.

They had made it back to Sanctuary, not necessarily in one piece.

****

"Chow time, Phoenix." Laurence states as he slides a rusted tray of mediocrely seasoned steak on a coffee table, served medium-rare, as he had recalled Aphmau had previously declared it the only sensible way to eat it.

"I get 2-star fine-dining in this prison as well? My, my, what I have done to elicit such luxury?" Aphmau quips with painful sarcasm, lounging with arms folded on the Crimson Raider's HQ antique settee.

Laurence merely sighs with sympathy for his friend, uncertain about what he could say or do that could draw any help to the situation. Not sure if he should even try.

"I'm sorry, Laurence. Just a little disappointed that you weren't--"

"Aaron? Yeah...I know." Laurence shuffles over to join Aphmau in her wallowing at the foot of the settee where they were the only two in the room. Aphmau had been somewhat kept "captive" in the Raider's headquarters, as Roland and Lilith were still wary of their trust for Aphmau, after Jack's speculating words.

"Is he doing okay, Laurence? Can you at least, tell me that?" Aphmau pleads despairingly. Laurence, combatting the urge to put his friend at ease, is won over by her imploring eyes. He disregarded his "moral thoughts" as she at least deserved this. At least.

"I'm not gonna lie...he's been better, Aph." Laurence informs, his gaze searching hers to find the hint of a different person. Of a traitor, but it was in vain.

"I hate seeing him like this, everyone does. He's torn, Aph, more than I've ever seen him before. He loves you so damn much it's been eating at him till he's been standing on one leg. He just managed recently to keep afloat, to smile and laugh and feel joy again...and then you came back into his life."

Laurence scoots considerably up the settee, locking an emotional gaze with the enigmatic girl, the trouble crystal in his voice, if not apparent in his eyes.

"So, Aphmau...if you are hiding something, something worth numbing his pain. You gotta let us know, cause there is nothing worse than thinking your undead wife you just spent months mourning is working with your worst enemy."

Aphmau stays mute, but her composure wavers, her optics blurring with inevitable tears. Pulling in her lower lip, as she averted her gaze, just able to utter words through growing sobs. "Laurence...I-I'm so scared."

Laurence instinctively draws the delicate brunette into an embrace, encompassing her with comfort and warmth, sighing into her hair. "I know, Aph....and this can all be settled if you just tell us what's going on."

They pull away, Laurence cupping the girl's face with his weathered down hands, wiping at her tears with his thumb gently, still sensing the hesitation in her stance. "Just tell us, Phoenix....we aren't the bad guys. We aren't Jack. We are your family, you could trust us with anything, remember? Even your steak preferences."

"Well, it's no secret. Anyone who cooks it well-done is a traitor to the meat-lover community."

A smile flits at Laurence's lips, but it isn't without a raised eyebrow, possibly at her iconic stubbornness or at her use of the word 'traitor'.

"Okay.....I'll tell you." But before Laurence could break into a celebration, Aphmau delivers her maternal 'shush', her eyes pulling Laurence's heart back to earth.

"But...you have to know. Jack's plan is so much more consequential than we ever imagined. As that may be, I think we can stop him....."

"I'm listening."

"You aren't gonna like it."

Have a nice day my crystals!