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"What?"

C.T was appalled, she sounded horrified by the information that she had just received. Esther had lost someone she loved too the ruthlessness of her people, sure it was partially the fault of Jacob Bradley for having the girl delivered there, but he had not delivered the fatal blow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Maybe that was why Esther didn't want to be alone, maybe she was trying to fill in that emptyness that she must be filling now. Could Esther fill that void for her. "I'm from a small town, not too far from the euphoric test sites. I don't remember much from my life before then, but I do remember that town. Maybe we can go there together? That gives us a destination." C.T spoke, trying to just fill the silence.

"After that it's just open pathing for us." C.T continued squeezing the girls hands softly, she really wanted to give Esther hug, but she wasn't sure if that was ok.

"You're excited? I'm actually a little terrified of the idea, if I were to be perfectly honest, I don't know what to expect." C.T said honestly. "I guess it won't be so bad, if you are there with me." C.T was surprised at how sincere her voice sounded and she wasn't sure if she should have spoken something like that so casually, and the way Esther had paused to stare at her made her a little nervous. C.T was contemplating apologizing and when Esther let go of her hands she began to speak."I...."

But her words were instantly silenced when Esther pulled her into the first hug she had in years. C.T reacted late, very very late. As her body instantly went rigid. She was afraid, she didn't know how to respond, she had wanted to hug the girl earlier, but she really hadn't thought it through, she didn't think she would feel like this. Slowly, C.T returned the movements, wrapping her arms around Esther, and pulling her against her tighter, finally melting into the embrace. She had thought she had wanted to cry earlier, it was a struggle now. She placed her face into Esther's shoulder and tightly closed her eyes gathering herself as quietly as she could as Esther whispered a quiet thanks into her ear.

She had called her Connie. Not C.T, not her code. But Connie.

C.T didn't trust her voice, she could only nod into the girls shoulder.

C.T hid her face for a moment when Esther pulled away and fell back on the bed. She had still need a few seconds longer to gather herself, and she had to take those seconds with her face hidden in her hand.

She recovered quickly, or at leash she felt that she did. "I promise this day will go by a lot faster than you think, and when it does come time for the call, you are going to wish it had taken longer." C.T said with a smile, sitting besides Esther and looking down on her with a smile.

She didn't know what was coming over her, but she was reaching for Esther's hand. She gripped it lightly, before catching what she was going and letting go, placing her hand in her lap. "I'm sorry" She didn't know why but she just felt so much better when she touched Esther, the girl had this warmth too her that C.T really liked, but these fleeting touches could not be appropriate.

"I've just never done anything like this before." C.T admitted when Esther took a hold of her hand, she had really thought that this would be something that Esther was against, but she was wrong she was so very wrong. "I really like this too. It makes me feel like everything is going to be better, somehow." C.T could feel a burning in her cheeks that let her know that she was blushing, but there was no shame in her for she looked Esther right in her eye and met her gaze on even ground. As Esther scrutinized her.

C.T took a heavy breath, when Esther's following words hit her.

"I- N-no. No one has ever told me anything like that before, I never thought myself to be very attractive." C.T spoke her confidence a little shot but she didn't know why, Esther's words had made her happy. Extremely so, but maybe she still felt that she didn't deserve this.

But still, she wanted to take a hold of these moments and these feelings and hold on for dear life, she dare not let go of this, if Esther was going to be so open, C.T couldn't back down. She wanted to tell Esther how she felt, how Esther made her feel.... "You make my chest ache." C.T said and that was as genuine as she could put it. Esther made her chest feel tight with emotion when ever she looked at her the way she was now, or when she touched C.T. It was just incredible.

C.T leaned in trying to catch everyone of Esther's words by proximity alone, but Esther paused and didn't continue.

Irrational fear ran through C.T fear that whatever meaning Esther had interpreted from the comment she had made would be rejected, and rejected harshly. Part of her knew that this line of thinking was foolish, that Esther had already expressed her feelings so opening and that she probably wouldn't be revolted by C.T's words.

That thought was confirmed when No Name placed a warm comforting hand on her face and almost melted her with her gaze. C.T was trapped in that gaze, and before she knew it. She was leaning forward, placing a hand on Esther's cheek to mirrors the girls touch. C.T was still nervous as she continued to lean forward, unsure of her movements so much so that as her lips made contact with Esther's, she nearly missed lips instead laying a very chaste kiss on the corner of Esther's lips.

It was a timid kiss, but it still felt incredibly right for her.

It was worth it. Every single risk that C.T had taken, every time she had opened herself up to this girl just setting herself up for a chance to be torn down. Letting this girl stay in her room, sleeping on the coach, everything. All of it was worth it, now that the two of them were here, in this room sharing a earth shattering kiss.

C.T was still seeking those soft lips when Esther pulled away, however she recovered quickly as Esther leaned back and patted the space beside her softly. C.T instantly obeyed the silent command, laying on her side beside Esther. Unable to keep her hands to herself she placed a hand on Esther's cheek and starring into her eyes deeply.

"You're gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous." C.T whispered "Thank you, caring for me"

C.T found herself laughing at the excuses Esther was digging up for Mag. "She's a licensed nurse, or at least she was, I don't think we will be able to pull the veil over her eyes so easily, Esther." C.T said but she wasn't completely shooting down the idea either.

As much as she hated being reminded of her weakness, just the mention of Jacob Bradley has often been enough to make C.T feel horrible, but if push comes to shove, she could easily have Esther hold Mag at bay with that simple excuse while C.T buried herself under the covers.

"I just realized... I don't actually know what your powers are."

C.T's smile did falter so much as her face just changed went a little distant, a little stoic. Her powers... Were good for nothing but killing, that's all she had used them for. She didn't want Esther to ever see them, she feared that revealing them would bring out a side of her that she wouldn't be able to control. But at the same time, she wanted Esther too see, she didn't want to hide anything, she trusted Esther, and she wanted Esther to trust her.

And Esther wouldn't trust her if she hid things.

"Don't be startled alright? I promise I won't hurt you" C.T prepped needlessly and with no context, but she felt she needed to let Esther know that she was in control, even if Esther didn't know why.

Raising her thump to her lips C.T opened her mouth slightly and let her sharp teeth graze the flesh there, cutting the skin easily and causing a drop of blood to form on the now open wound. She allowed the blood to bubble up there and drip over, before opening the wound a bit more, until there was a visibly gash on her thumb. More blood dripped down to the floor, before it all just stopped. Freezing in mid air, it's decent halted instantly, the small puddle that had formed, raised up collecting the drops that had began to fall, before raising up and collecting in her hand. She formed it into a ball, a tightly packed sphere, and floated it too Esther, stopping it in front of the girl.

"This is my power, I can control my blood. Form it too my will." The sphere held a clear reflection of Esther face on one end C.T's on the other. It's red so crimson it was almost black. "I've only ever used my ability to kill and destroy, but now. I'll only use it for you."