A Second Chance (Blake/Squad Assignment)

[Blake Oleander]

"Depends on what you mean specifically."

[Bailey Oleander]

"Here." She lifted an arm enough to indicate the village, ignoring the bra strap that showed since she really couldn't do anything about it without drawing more attention to it. The motion went out briefly to the battlefield as well, though she didn't verbally point it out. She had no idea what to expect next, what her own plans should be.

"The village. This land. Besides rebuilding lost homes."

[Blake Oleander]

"Rebuilding and disposing of the dead are the first things. I've made an agreement with the Gods. They will help us rebuild our homes. From there what few artisans of ours that survive will be returning to work. We can no longer afford to remain isolated from the rest of the world."

The last battle proved that to him.

[Bailey Oleander]

"They did?" That was news to her, and good news at that. Her own interactions with the few she'd met had been brief, but from what Blake said, he'd come to an agreement of some kind with them. She rested her chin on her knees, nodding at the thought of rebuilding and tending to the dead. They were two things that couldn't wait, especially as many as there were of the latter.

She wanted to ask more, to pry future into what he intended to do about the isolation he and his people had lived in, but given he'd had two generals from foreign territories join him in this battle, it seemed he had that under control, too.

He'd come a long way.

"I'm glad."

[Blake Oleander]

"You sound surprised."

He folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm just not sure if you are surprised that I thought about trade, or that I had something to offer a God would want."

He might be a little defensive.

[Bailey Oleander]

"Neither." She shook her head, noting the shift in tone as he crossed his arms.

"I was surprised they spoke to you and reached an agreement in such short time. From what I understood, there was a family-sensitive matter going on." She gave a small shrug. "That doesn't mean things didn't change or you didn't speak to someone else. I just didn't think there would be many others around Cabal."

[Blake Oleander]

"I spoke to Hades and the other Death Gods."

During the family matter.

[Bailey Oleander]

Death Gods. As in more than one. That raised a few questions, but Bailey also knew that it wasn't really her business, and even her curiosity knew when to hold its silence. Sometimes. If the other person was lucky.

"I see."

[Blake Oleander]

He let his arms drop and his gaze returns to what was once his home.

"Construction will likely begin within a few days. From there I will call another meeting to work out where we will go from there. After I negotiate with territory 90."

He almost shuddered thinking about how much talking and preparation he would have to do for both things.

[Bailey Oleander]

"They'll be glad to hear it." It would speed up their ability to have a roof over their head and a stable foundation. The meetings, though, she could imagine how well Blake was looking forward to those.

The instinct to offer to help was overwhelming to the point she bit her cheek. These weren't her people, and Blake needed to prove himself as a leader to other territories, especially if she was going back as an ambassador for Cabal. Then again, maybe it was good she was here for now despite that.

She remained other silent otherwise, letting him speak his mind.

[Blake Oleander]

"With industry starting back up and our homes rebuilt it will give us something to trade. In the meantime we can send out hunters to hunt for the village's food."

Since there were so few of them.

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey nodded as Blake continued to speak, letting him continue without interruption and letting him know she was listening as he spoke his thoughts aloud. He had done it for her often enough; the least she could do was offer him the same thing.

[Blake Oleander]

He's silence himself and just stares her down. Why was she so quiet suddenly?

[Bailey Oleander]

Why was he staring at her like that? She didn't have to worry about something being on her face, but she still had to resist the urge to check.

"What? What's wrong?"

[Blake Oleander]

"You usually ask a million questions about everything."

It was annoying.