fatedleader

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The weeks following Judgment Day are the hardest. John and Kate have enough to occupy themselves for the first few days. They do their best to answer questions and start getting things organized. They communicate en masse to other survivors even as the dull, numb sensation of shock beats through their veins. Eventually it all falls into routine until finally there's nothing else to do but wait. Trapped in a bunker-- saved in a bunker-- staring at slate walls. They've survived the battle and it's the pregnant pause before the first salvos begin.

At first, Kate deals with it better. As best anyone can deal with the end of the world. She keeps her chin up and lets her stubbornness become her driving force. It's a far cry from John who wakes in the middle of the night still terrified that his nightmares will come true. Sometimes it's worse, he dreams Judgment Day never happens and when he wakes in the morning he knuckles unshed tears from his eyes. One day, Kate snaps and John can only wonder what took her so long. He lets her ride it out and she flings antiquated computer equipment to her heart's content until she finally collapses.

"--the world. The whole world. How could anyone do such a thing?"

He doesn't tell her that it's the machines or that it was inevitable. Instead, John gathers her in his arms and softly says, "I know."

She never asks why. Why her? Why him? Why them? Why where they chosen to witness the end of days? What made them so goddamn special?

John's secretly grateful for that. He doesn't have to point the finger at her father. He doesn't have to talk about fate and time travel. He doesn't have to admit that he really doesn't know. The inventor's daughter and her boyfriend hold the key to salvation? It seems ludicrious in the light of all this. Although John has plenty of skills, he's still questioning his natural talents. Leader of the Resistance is soon to become a title rather than a turn of phrase. He's still not sure he's ready. For the moment, he has a repreieve. The radition levels are still falling.

One night, Kate says, "If I knew about all this back in school," she pauses just long enough to tease, "I never would have kissed you."

John smiles slightly and shakes his head. He brushes a stand of hair from her face. "Trust me. You wouldn't have wanted to know."

She silent for a long moment then muses. "In a few more days it'll be clear enough to hook up with the group from San Fransisco."

"Yeah," John agrees.

That will be the start. The grassroots. It's something they both know. Kate never asked what they would do after the fall out cleared.

The answer was all to obvious. They'll fight. Not because they're supposed to, not because destiny picked them, they'll fight because they're some of the few left who can.

Is that a trick question?

Look, the people who make the laws mean well but they don't know the truth.

They don't understand what's really going on.

Great. Now, I sound like my mother.

Okay. Let's try that again. Look. I'm not an anarchist. Laws work. Usually. I mean, they're not perfect. They're made by people who are just trying to do what they think is best. It's majority rules with some morality thrown in and some politics. Okay, sometimes a lot of politics. But for the most part, they work. Society tends to get along just fine with them so it's hard to criticize them.

The thing is, laws just don't work for us. Even if you don't believe me, we have a good reason for doing the things we do. It's just really hard to explain everything. Honestly, it comes off sounding a little crazy.

So yeah, we end up breaking the law.

We end up breaking a lot of laws.

But trust me, we have a good reason for it. I promise.

"Track? It's not exactly a question I've put a lot of thought into."

( It's not really something I got into. )

There's no easy way to tell someone about Judgment Day.

( It'd be easier to stand on a street corner with a cardboard sign saying 'The End is Nigh.' )