Chapter Text
There was something about being back that saddened Woodie, a hole in his chest that made everything seem so much bigger than it was. Perhaps it was the fact that, after so long, he’d come home to a whole different world, or maybe it was something else entirely. Maybe it was absolutely nothing at all.. Either way, it didn’t really matter right now, right now he and Lucy were halfway to nowhere.
It hadn’t taken them long to decide to look for the others, it was a crazy idea, but really, what did they have to lose? The world had changed, and anything they had was gone. Woodie supposed, in a way, they had gotten what they wanted in the first place: a fresh start. Though it wasn’t exactly the clean slate he’d hoped for. It had taken quite a while to adjust, but he thought they were getting the hang of it.
Beside him, Lucy stirs, Woodie wasn’t quite sure if she was really sleeping, or faking it. In all honesty, Woodie didn’t actually know if she needed sleep at all, he’d never thought to ask before. It was odd, her here like this, having her hand resting gently in his as the shadowy silhouette of the countryside races by. They’d been traveling like this for a few weeks now, public transportation was faster than walking, even though it took a chunk out of whatever money they were able to scrounge up. Woodie hadn’t wanted to leave Gladwin behind just yet, but Lucy had been getting nervous. Neither liked staying in one place for too long, but there were some things Woodie had wanted to look into before they hit the road.
It isn’t long before the bus swings into the parking lot of a rest stop, illuminated by a single flickering streetlight. The only other vehicle in the parking lot is an old rust-touched pickup painted a less-than-pleasant shade of green. Otherwise, there isn’t much else other than dead silence and scattered trash.
Woodie shakes Lucy gently, even if she was faking it, it wouldn’t hurt to try.
“Mmmmmmmm.”
“C’mon. Our stop.” Woodie says.
Lucy groans in response.
Woodie chuckles. “Long walk tomorrow, rise and- well, not shine, eh?”
Lucy opens one eye, revealing it to be blank. It was a small reminder that, no matter how much it felt like it at times, she was, in fact, not human. Not like the same thing couldn’t be said for himself, though. He was cursed, this Woodie had accepted long ago. Lucy wasn’t human, that he had gathered the moment they met, considering the whole ‘talking axe’ thing. Speaking of which, said axe was stowed away in one of their bags, it wasn’t exactly clear who’s, as they’d been in a rush to pack after a mishap that led to them nearly missing their ride out of town. It was there though, Lucy, despite everything, was still partially bound to the axe that had held her for so long, meaning she couldn’t go too far from it without it either flying a distance and embedding itself in whatever (whoever) got in it’s way first, or Lucy tripping over the invisible force that kept the two together.
“I feel heavy.” Lucy mumbles. “Also walking is weird.”
“You’ll get used to it.” Woodie assures her.
Lucy stretches, lifting her head off Woodie’s shoulder and slowly inching herself out of the seat to let Woodie out. He grabs both of their backpacks, handing Lucy’s to her. Together they shuffle off the bus with the rest of the passengers, into the cool night air. Spring would soon give way to summer, which made Lucy slightly sad. She liked spring, even back in the Constant where it flooded half the time and rained killer frogs the other. There was something calming about spring, something she couldn’t quite place, even more so now that she was home again. Well, home-ish, it’s not like she could go back, though. Not that Lucy wanted to go back, if given the choice, she’d stay in a metaphorical heartbeat. This was home, that was home too, but here, this plane, was where she would stay. Here was a place she had resented for so long, only to come to love it.
The other passengers fan out, going about their business before they would load back onto the bus. Lucy, as well as Woodie, though, would not be joining them. This is where they’d stay for the night, resting out in the woods, out of sight, even though she didn’t figure there would be any reason for it. It was more or less habit at this point.
“Where’s the camp tonight, eh?” Woodie says quietly, gently taking Lucy’s hand in his own.
Lucy smiles, scanning the area for a good place to set up. “What about over there?”
Woodie turns his attention to where she’s pointing and nods. “Looks good.”
The spot they settle on is out of sight, hidden away by the trees and brush. It felt natural, safe even. Woodie makes himself comfortable as possible on the ground as Lucy buzzes around doing whatever she felt needed to be done. It would be a few minutes before she joined Woodie on the cold earth to rest for the remainder of the night. Right now, though, she was digging through her backpack, taking inventory, she supposed… They’d need more food soon, water was alright, they could get that in plenty of places, everything else seemed to be in order.
“How’s everything looking?” Woodie asks, attempting to make conversation.
“Fine,” Lucy says, sitting down next to him. “I think I’m gonna stay up for a little bit, though.”
“Can I, uh-”
Lucy cuts him off, “Nothing’s wrong, I just feel like it.”
“Alright...” Woodie wasn’t entirely sure he fully believed her.
“You need to sleep, though.”
“That was the plan.” Woodie yawns, rolling over onto his side.
It doesn’t take long before Woodie is out cold, leaving Lucy alone with the quiet. It was true, she’d learned to dislike the night. While fully bound it was either still and boring or so stressful it had left her wishing she had the ability to sleep. Though things had changed once they had escaped the Constant, Lucy didn’t understand why it had worked out like this, only that it had. Either way, she liked where it was going. Even if this plan was a little half-baked, it was better than nothing! If the others were out there, they’d find them! Band together again! They were-
Lucy sits up, gently untangling herself from Woodie’s embrace. She could have sworn.... Lucy stands up, stumbling over to her backpack. After a quick search, she tucks the axe under her belt, and makes her way out through the brush and onto the edges of the rest stop parking lot. The light from the parking lot partially obfuscates the scene laid out before her; but Lucy could see enough to tell that something was burning and it looked like a someone was responsible.
Whoever it was was enjoying it as well, cheering as a plume of sparks fly upward and blink out when another piece of something was thrown on the fire. That voice… it couldn’t… could it? Lucy steps out of the tall, tangled, weeds that dominated the borders of the parking lot, onto the cool, hard, asphalt. As Lucy gets closer, the individual becomes clearer, too preoccupied with the blaze to notice her approach. The face becomes clearer, sharper, it can’t be, but indeed it is!
“Willow?!”