crossing_lostrp | [Ami] Day 11: Tending Open Wounds (tag Mara,open)

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[Ami] Day 11: Tending Open Wounds (tag Mara,open)

OOC: Bumping from [Lucy] Day 11: Making Her Escape due to maximum comment/replies reached.

Edited 16 May 06 to add: Maximum Posting Limit of 75 has been suspended for this thread.

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Ami ducked into Mara's shelter as Tommy and Jon made their way to the cookfire area. As they departed, her stomach grumbled a bit, reminding her that she hadn't eaten yet this morning. Tommy and Jon were too far away without shouting for them, and shouting might disturb Mara and she wasn't willing to leave the young woman alone. She figured she'd suffer through for a while longer; it wasn't like she would die of starvation in a few hours time.

Kneeling by Mara's bed, she hesitantly reached out and placed her hand lightly on the woman's forehead. Dropping her shields just a bit, she focused solely on Mara, wincing again at the rents and tears in the woman's shields. Beneath that, she was disturbed, and mentally and psychically exhausted. Ami wasn't connected to Mara the way she was to Megabyte, Mara not being a Tomorrow Person, but she thought she would try to reinforce the woman's shielding a bit anyway. The worse that would happen was nothing and the best was that Mara might sleep a bit easier, even if Ami couldn't take away the horrors she'd already experienced.

It took a few minutes of concentration, and Ami felt a wee bit more tired herself when it was done, but she'd managed to connect with Mara on the very surface and reinforce her shielding – filling in some of the gaps. It wouldn't hold for long, a day at the most, but hopefully it would give the other woman some comfort.

Done with what she could do, Ami leaned against Mara's bed and waited for Tommy and Jon to return.

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OOC: sophieb, I assume Jon is going to find some reason to escape from shaman-boy. If not, I'll repost.

After they'd grabbed some fruit and bamboo shoots from the food stores, Jon had left for the cookfire. Tommy stayed for a few minutes to give Ami some space. He mechanically ate a few pieces of fruit, wondering what Ami was doing and trying not to think about Lucy. Once he finished, he headed back to Mara's shelter, taking a banana and a guava in case either of the women were hungry.

Whatever Ami had done hadn't taken long. She gave him a tired smile from where she leaned against Mara's shelter. Tommy tossed the guava in the air and caught it. "Hungry?"

"You must have read my mind," Ami joked. "Yes, quite. Seems that I was so worried about Mara that I didn't think to grab a bite for myself this morning."

"Banana or guava?" Tommy offered.

"Banana please," Ami said, "And thank you." She accepted the fruit and peeled the banana, taking a few bites to soothe her stomach. "How are you holding up in the face of all of this, Tommy?"

Tommy shrugged. "I haven't had time until now, really. I was coming back from my morning run when I found Mara. Been focused on her." He glanced into the shelter and watched the young woman sleep for a few moments. "What did you do to help her?"

"I don't know if I did, really," Ami confessed. "Not with what happened today. I couldn't take away all that misery and pain, she'll still have to deal with whatever she picked up from Lucy . . . there wasn't a lot I could do for that, other than blocking her memory temporarily, and in the long run that wouldn't have been a good thing. She would just have to deal with it later instead of sooner."

Ami took a bite and chewed and swallowed. "I did what I could to reinforce her shielding. It won't help with what's already in there, and it won't last for long, maybe a day at most, but at least she'll be able to deal a bit better with everyone else's emotions flying high."

"I think that will help a lot," Tommy assured Ami. "She said that the fact that Jon and I cared about her helped. I don't understand why or how, but whatever works."

Tommy's thoughts returned to Lucy. "Does anyone know why Lucy did it? Did she leave a note?" Suddenly he sat up straight. "Mara said that there's one or more 'perps' -- her words." That made him shudder. If Mara was right, the "perp" might drive someone else to suicide.

Ami glanced toward the inside of Mara's shelter, feeling the young woman's mental presence just inside. "I don't think that anyone's cared for Mara for a long time."

At the mention of the note, Ami looked up. "There's a note. In her shelter. On the bed." She hoped that Tommy wouldn't ask how she knew that. Ami truly didn't want to relive this morning's anxiety and desperation; and she wasn't ready yet to unlock whatever it was that she'd managed to read off of Lucy's bedding. She looked down at the banana, toying with the peel a bit.

"Perps," Ami repeated. "Meaning someone drove her to ... do what she did. Brilliant. Sodding bloody brilliant." Ami didn't know whether to be afraid or angered by the notion. Maybe both. She didn't look up at Tommy, not wanting him to see the tears that filled her eyes.

Tommy glanced at Ami quizzically when she stated the location of Lucy's note. She was obviously upset, so he didn't ask how she knew. (Probably some psychic thing, which really sucks right about now.) He said quietly, "We'll find them and we'll deal with them. No one else will die because of them." The hard edge of his voice surprised him.

Scott was trudging back to the tree massacre when Ami's emotions veered toward anger and fear. /Everything all right?/

Ami continued to stare down at her hands. /No, not really. Tommy said that Mara said . . .she picked up from Lucy that someone *made* her kill herself, like someone literally drove her to it. What kind of sick whack job could do such a thing? How? Why?/

Wiping her tears on the back of her hand, she looked up at Tommy. "You'd think we have enough to worry about without someone playing some sort of godlike power games, wouldn't you?"

"You'd think," Tommy agreed. Ami's bitter statement had inspired an idea, though. The entire island seemed to be a power game. What if the person or people who had driven Lucy to suicide were part of it?

Ami seemed slightly more composed, so Tommy ventured, "Would you like for me to stay here a bit longer?" He would if Ami needed company, but also wanted to get Lucy's note.

Ami gave Tommy a grateful and friendly, if somewhat shakey smile. He was one of the good people on the island. She didn't know him well, but she was glad that he was the one who'd found Mara. Others might not have accepted her words, or understood her so well. "No, I'll be fine. Scott will be back soon, and Faith's coming to check on Mara. She worries about her like a mother hen."

There was a chip in the wall that held her clairvoyance and precognition at bay, put there by the experience with Lucy. Ami was both grateful and wary of the return of both abilities. Either Lucy's emotions had been strong enough to overpower whatever the island was doing, or she was adapting. Perhaps it was some combination or both, or the strengting link between her and Scott. Whatever it was, and whatever that presencience threw at her, it would be good to feel more like herself again, weak though both abilities still were.

Scott's fists clenched as anger roiled. /A sadistic bastard, that's who./ He wasn't sure where Pierson had gone, so he shouted ahead to Ripley, "Ripley, I'm going to check on Ami." Without waiting for a reply he set off in Ami's direction at a jog. /How's Mara?/ Scott asked out of concern for the young woman and to distract Ami.

Ami felt Scott's anger, but she didn't shield against it. It wasn't overwhelming, and she really just needed to feel him right now, no matter what.

/She's fine. Sleeping, still. I did what I could for her,/ Ami told him. /I'm just reluctant to leave her alone at the moment, she's a bit vulnerable. But Faith will be here in a bit./

OOC: I'm pretty sure that's not what I was going for originally going for, but it'll do.

By the time Scott arrived at Mara's shelter he was no longer winded. Jogging was easy compared to dragging logs through underbrush and sand. Tommy took one look at him and grinned. "Did you decided to take up wind sprinting this morning?"

Scott shook his head. "No. Log dragging." Tommy and Ami looked at him curiously. "For a raft." He sank down beside Ami, hoping he wouldn't have to explain what the raft was for.

Tommy nodded grimly. "I'll go see what I can do. Thanks for helping Mara." They exchanged goodbyes and the young man loped away.

Scott began kneading Ami's neck and shoulder with one hand. "How's that feel?"

"Mmmm," Ami replied, relaxing under Scott's gentle ministrations. She hadn't realized precisely how tense and taut her muscles were until he began the impromptu massage. "Wonderful. Thank you."

Ami was glad he hadn't elaborated on the need for the raft, it rather went without saying. She, for one, was grateful that she wouldn't be part of the retrieval, although she did wonder who would be. (George, maybe? Yes, she'll likely have to -)

Ami choked the thought off, it was too horrible to contemplate. Lucy had killed herself. She'd drowned in the ocean, and Ami knew exactly what she'd gone through before her seemingly lifeless body wound up on the reef. But if what George said was true, Lucy's soul was still there.

She turned to Scott, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck, needing the physcial contact. He was awash with confusion and concern and she dimly realized that she hadn't yet explained to him about George.

/When Faith gets here to sit with Mara, can we get away? For just a while, please?/

Despite his confusion, Scott held Ami and smoothed her hair. /Yes, of course. Just say the word./ Nothing would please him more than to get away from everyone for a while. He had no idea why thinking of George had upset Ami so, but wasn't about to ask. His questions could wait until Ami was past the worst of the grief.

After a few minutes Ami straightened, wearing a chagrined smile. As he helped wipe her tears away he noticed the guava sitting near her. "Did you get something to eat?" he asked, and his stomach rumbled.

That prompted a tiny grin from Ami. "Yes. I don't think you have, though." She handed him the guava. "Bon appetit."

"Thanks." He sat back to peel the sweet fruit and wait for Faith.

Faith slept in. She'd spent way too much time prowling the jungle last night, sometimes with Ripley, sometimes not, letting the Slayer run free. Her internal clock told her that it was nearly three in the morning when she finally made her way back to her tent, but not before stopping to give a generous dose of flirtation and suggestion to Sayid. She wasn't at all serious about it – that particular itch had been scratched and would hold for a good day likely – but she couldn't resist ruffling the Iraqi's feathers.

As always, Faith fell asleep as quickly and as easily as she awoke, and when she awoke, she simply sat in her tent for a while, mulling over the past few days. She dressed, another pair of jeans that had been converted to shorts and a tank top. Faith came across her ruined bra and laughed, then shoved it back in her back pack, deciding to keep it for posterity. (Maybe when we get rescued, I'll mail it to Damon as a joke. Long as he hasn't found the wife by then, it might not be so funny in that case.)

When she emerged from her tent though her laughter and amusement faded completely. There was a buzz over the camp, something of a palor and she made her way cautiously to the center of activity, listening to bits and snatches of conversation.

"What's going on?" Faith finally stopped someone, a lithe brunette with freckles dusting her nose and cheeks.

"Lucy." The woman took a breath, shifted her attention to the ocean, then back to Faith. "She killed herself. Drowned in high tide."

Faith followed the woman's gaze to the ocean, wondering at first what she should be looking at. Then she saw it, gulls squawking and crying and circling down to something on the reef. The woman grimaced and refused to look that way, and though it made Faith's insides curls, she was a bit more hardened. But she hadn't known Lucy, she couldn't even put a face to the name; all Faith could feel was a pang for a tragic end and wasted life.

"Thanks," Faith said sincerely, wondering what she could do in the midst of all this.

The woman choked a sob and continued on her way.

It was the sob that got shook Faith. (Mara,) Faith thought. (Jesus H. Christ! People are crying and upset all over the place!)

With that thought, she took off at a run to where she knew Mara's shelter was. She didn't know what she would do when she got there, she sure as hell couldn't help an overly sensitive psychic, but she couldn't leave Mara to fend for herself. Faith easily dodged and avoided colliding with anyone and anything, including Vincent, as she barreled across the beach.

She'd neither broken a sweat nor had lost her breath by the time she drew to a halt in front of the shelter where Ami and Scott sat, Scott eating while Ami sat quietly beside him.

"How is she?" Faith didn't give a preamble. It was pretty clear that the couple was there for the same reason that Faith was.

"Sleeping," Ami supplied. "I didn't see her, but Tommy said she was pretty upset. But she's resting now, I did what I could – " Ami stopped, realized that Faith might or might not have realized that Ami was at least as sensitive as Mara, then realized that she didn't care if she completely outted herself to the other woman right now. "I did what I could to help her, but I don't know how well it worked.

"I just didn't want to leave her alone."

Faith nodded and sat down cross-legged near the open flap, absently petting Mutt when the little sandy and wet ball of fur crawled into the her lap and nosed at her hand. "Thanks. For checking in on her, you know. I'll stay here until she wakes up and tells me to get lost."

Scott gave Faith a small smile. "Somehow I don't think she'll tell you that." He stood, holding the guava pit and peel in one hand and offering Ami the other. She took it and rose to her feet. "Thanks, Faith. We need some down time. I'm sure Tommy will stop by later."

He led Ami toward the stream. /Where do you want to do after I get rid of this--/ he indicated the guava peel /-- and de-sticky my hands. And yours,/ he added with a grin.

Ami followed Scott to the stream, /Anywhere. I just need to get away from all of this for a bit. It's a bit wearing on the nerves. Just taking a walk would be good./

She'd have to come back later and check on Mara, and probably River as well. But she needed some time to take care of herself first.

After Scott had tossed the remains of the guava into the jungle and washed his hands, he kicked off his sneakers. Ami gave him a bemused look. "What are you doing?"

He gave her a crooked grin. "Walking upstream, literally." After Ami had removed her shoes as well, Scott gave her a long, lingering kiss just because it felt good. Then he took her hand and waded into the shallow water at the stream bank. The water and mud/sand was cool and soft underfoot. Ami let herself be led along.

After they'd passed the public and private swimming holes, both of which were vacant, Scott gradually lowered his shields. (Nothing,) he thought with a sigh of relief.

/Nothing?/

Scott stopped walking and pulled Ami close. /I let my shields down. No caucophony of emotion. Just you./ He ran his fingers through her hair, then kissed her forehead. Tension was running off of Ami bit by bit. /C'mon,/ he said, taking her hand again.

/You're planning something,/ Ami accused good-naturedly.

Scott tossed a smile over his shoulder. /A little something./

/Tease./

/Yep./ His smug reply was followed by a yelp when she pinched his butt. It was good to hear her giggle, however briefly.

Eventually Scott found what he was looking for: another swimming hole. It wasn't as deep as the other two, but it was private without being too far into the jungle. Scott stripped while Ami frowned at him. "Your plan was skinny dipping?"

Scott stepped up to her, enjoying the ripple of ardor that carried across their link. He wasn't trying to seduce Ami -- not that he'd mind if that was the eventual outcome. "My plan was swimming. Kinda forgot bathing suits. My bad. But yeah, after my unexpected morning workout swimming is just the thing." With no further warning, Scott cannonballed into the deepest part of the water.

Ami watched her lover disappear beneath the water with a slightly bemused smile on her face. This wasn't precisely what she had in mind when she'd suggested leaving camp for a bit, but it was certainly a distraction and an escape.

As she stood there on the bank for an indecisive moment before slowly lowering her shields. Ami took a deep breath and simply allowed herself to sense the environment around her. Scott was mostly right; the cacophony of emotion from the beach was so faint that he likely hadn't sensed it and she only could if she concentrated on it.

Ami didn't concentrate on it.

With a determined mental shove, Ami pushed the morning's events and memories away from her to be dealt with later. Then trying to find her center again, she focused on Scott, on the fine lines of his body moving through the water, returning the occasional curious glance that he gave her with a warm smile and a pulse of affection.

Watching him for a while finally gave her a grounding point and Ami was able to strip out of her clothes. But she didn't just strip, simply taking her clothes and throwing them aside. She slowly peeled each layer away, taking her time and savoring the feeling of Scott's eyes on her, before finally slipping into the water to join him.

Ami was a cruel, cruel woman. She'd teased him with her impromptu striptease, but he didn't know what she intended now that she was in the water. He knew what he wanted, impropriety be damned. He wouldn't let Lucy's choice affect his life, especially now that he had Ami and the hope she gave him.

Nevertheless, Scott hung back. Ami was recovering from the horrors of the morning. He'd follow her lead.

Through their link, Ami could feel Scott's desire, but he held himself in check and didn't do anything other than swim along side her once she was in the water. That was fine for a bit; swimming and splashing and playing gave her time to reconcile herself and to not feel guilty about wanting to be with him.

About needing to be with him. Maybe it did make her something of a heartless bitch, or maybe it was simply the human need for that feeling of the reaffirmation of life and living. Whatever it was, Ami decided that she didn't care – she couldn't care.

She swam over to Scott, body pressed against his. Legs wound around his waist and she drew his head down for a tender kiss. /Make love to me, please?/

Continued down here (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/68675.html?thread=2295875#t2295875).

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[Ami] Day 11: Tending Open Wounds (tag Mara,open)

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