Work Text:
You Learn to Live With It
Booker knocks on the glass, getting Daisy's attention as she held Fink's child hostage.
"Is this it? Is this your movement, Daisy?" Booker asked. Daisy slowly turning around to face him. She did not know if this man was the impostor of Booker that helped him against the war so that the Vox would claim victory against Comstock. Or if this was a ghost to come and haunt her of her mistakes. But she knew that Booker had died to get where they are at and she couldn't accept that the man was Booker.
"This is what needs to be done! You see, the Founder's aint nothing but weeds." She shouted, Booker not moving from his spot, "Cut them down and they just grow back!" She starts to point the barrel of the gun to the boy's head, his screams of fear muffled out from her hand covering his mouth. "If you wanna get rid of the weed, you got to pull it from the roots! It's the only way to be sure--"
There was sudden pain in her back.
Her breathing hitched from the pain.
Her grip on the child loosen, making him have his chance to escape as he pushed the button to open the glass door. The lights flashed on to reveal Elizabeth, holding a blood stained scissors that was covered in Daisy's blood, a stab wound revealed upon Daisy's back. She was trembling as Daisy turned around, coughing up blood before she was no longer moving as she lets out one last breath.
"Elizabeth..." Booker called out softly.
"....I guess it runs in the family...." Elizabeth said softly, her trembling starting to worsen as she looks at her hands that are now covered in blood. Booker didn't know what to say, but he knows for a fact that a lot of emotions are going through her mind right now. And he needed to calm her down before she hurt herself with the scissors, noticing how her grip on it tightened more until her knuckles were nearly white.
He starts to slowly walk over to her, making sure that his Paddywhacker hand canon was in his holster. "Elizabeth..." He slowly reached his hand out to her. She gasped and stepped back from startle. "Whoa, whoa...easy.....easy...." Booker kept his hands out so that she could stay calm as she was still staring at her bloodied hands. "....I know a lot is going in your head right now....but you knew that there wasn't any other option....you knew what had to be done...so put the scissors down." His hand was gently on her hand that held the scissors, feeling her flinched but was helping her lower her hand. "That's it....that's it...." He whispered softly.
He saw her lower her gaze to the ground, her shoulders now visibly shaking until the scissors slowly fell out of her grip. Booker was about to ask her something, but was then caught off guard when Elizabeth suddenly ran into him, her face buried into his chest with her arms wrapped tightly around his middle. He grunts when he caught her,holding onto her shoulders as she dropped to her knees, making him kneel down with her.
He then starts to hear her sobbing.
At first, he wants to pull away from her, but he could hear a small voice in his head not to. This was Elizabeth's first kill. And one kill can change someone badly. He sighs deeply, looking down at the girl that's sobbing into his chest before he wrapped both of his arms around her. He felt her stiff, making him rub her back gently. "Easy....easy..." He whispered, letting her vent it all out as she kept sobbing into his chest.
Booker starts to hear people from the Vox closing in on them and he knows for a fact that Elizabeth won't pull away from him. He has to think an alternative.
And he does.
He had one arms wrapped around her shoulders and the other arm underneath her legs. He could feel her tense up once more before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her face now buried into his shoulder. "Easy....I got you." He said. He looks behind him as he could hear the footsteps of the Vox nearly coming. Making sure that he had a good grip on Elizabeth, he starts to run to the airship.
He pushed a button as soon as he got into the airship, the door closing behind him. As Booker catch his breath, he looks down at Elizabeth who hasn't pulled away from him. He then looks around the airship before finding another room that seemed to be a guest room for travelers. Booker starts to make his way over to the room and saw a small bed. "...I'm gonna set you down, okay?" He whispered to Elizabeth.
She doesn't respond for a moment, but then nods. "Don't worry....I'm gonna be right outside the door." He said before setting her down on the small bed. She now had her back towards him, placing his hand on her shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze before walking out of the room, the airship now pulling away from the docks, the Vox shouting at them. He goes over to the controls, about to set one destination before he stops.
He could hear the voice in his head again.
"She deserves to see what she wants to see, you know..." His mind said to him. He sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair before making a decision. "Fuck it..." He muttered before setting a destination.
As he turned, he looks to see the golden statue of Comstock. His eyes narrowed at the man that started it all. With all the strength he had in him, he drags the statue to the door, opening it and makes it fall off the ship.
Booker looks back at the door before making his way back to Elizabeth. He opens the door, then tensed when he saw Elizabeth not on the bed, but then saw her sitting at a corner. He noticed that she was in a different outfit, her old dressed tossed into a different corner. Her hair was even shorter, now up to her neck. Elizabeth was hugging her knees, her face buried into her arms.
Booker can still hear her sobbing, even though they were silent sobs.
He made his way over to her before taking a seat next to her. Booker was hesitant, but then wrapped one arm around her shoulders, allowing her to lean against his side. One of her hands clings to his vest as she sobs softly into his shirt. He allows her to, rubbing her shoulder gently with one arm, resting his head on the top of hers. Booker didn't know how long he stayed like this with Elizabeth, but he didn't care.
"...how do you do it?" Her voice took him out of his train of thought, making him glance down at Elizabeth. She just had her head resting against his chest, hearing his heart beating gently. "How do I do what?" He asked her. Elizabeth took a deep breath before glancing up at him, a tear running down her cheek.
"Forget. How do you wash away the things that you've done?"
Booker looks down at her and sighs deeply before placing his hand on her cheek, the blue cloth that Elizabeth given her awhile back for his injury when they just met soaking up the tear. "...you don't. You just...learn to live with it..." It was the only thing he could think of. Even when the Wounded Knee was behind him, he never forgot all of the kills he has done back then. Even in Columbia, he hasn't forgotten of the many people that he had killed.
Elizabeth didn't say anything until she rest her head against his chest again. She knew that she was going to go through the same thing again, but she didn't know if she was ready or not. Her eyes were starting to droop down from the action that just happened earlier. Even Booker could tell that she was starting to doze off as well. "...you better get some rest. It's gonna be awhile until we get to Paris."
Her eyes widen at what he said.
"P-Paris?"
He looks down at her, a somewhat smile on his face. "...I've thought about it long and hard and...I know you've always want to see Paris...and after all that happened, I think you deserve to go to Paris...."
"B-But your debt in New York, what about--"
"Don't worry about it. If I have to be on the run from New York, then so be it....that is....if you want me to come to Paris with you." He offered, rubbing the back of his neck a little nervously. After tricking her the first time, he thought that she would go different ways if she got to Paris until the Vox got to their ship and she left him there when he was going in and out of consciousness from being hit with a wrench to the head.
He blinked when felt small arms wrapped around his chest. "...please....I don't know anyone else. Please come with me to Paris...please..." She was starting to doze off. She could feel Booker picking her up again, which she just rest her head against his shoulder. He looks down at Elizabeth before he smiled down at her. "If you want me to come....then I will..." He whispered before placing her down on the bed.
As soon as he was about to leave, he felt her hand grab his. He looks over at her. "...I know this is much to ask but....c-can you stay?" She asked. He blinked in surprise as she was looking down, a faint blush on her face. "A-At least until I fall asleep..." She knew this was a bad idea. She shouldn't have asked him for such a silly request--
She blinked in surprise when she felt more weight on the bed. She looks up as Booker laid down on the bed beside her. "....hope you don't make a habit out of this...." He mumbled under his breath as she rest her head against his chest once more, making him wrap one arm around her. "...no promises..." She mumbled a bit, earning a small chuckle from Booker. It does not take long for her to fall asleep, breathing softly. Booker, however, remained awake for a moment.
He looks down at Elizabeth before sighing softly. He knew that they were going to be fine for now, and if the Vox or any of Comstock's lackeys come to take Elizabeth, then he was willing to fight for her if need be. With the girl sleeping in peaceful slumber, he starts to close his eyes.
With one deep sigh, he was also asleep. And they were both on their way.
On their way to Paris. And they have to learn to live with what the ordeal they went through with Columbia.
Then they will gladly take it.