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Nica comes to, axe gripped in her hands and chest heaving with each breath she takes. She toes the body in front of her with the tip of her boot and can’t fight the smile at the corners of her mouth. Something does bother her, as her gaze travels to the still-bleeding stump of his neck, how far away the head landed. Chucky laughs in the back of her mind, his soul filled with a glee that she had never experienced before. She leans the axe against her leg and rips the gloves off her hands, tossing them a distance from the body.
Congratu-fucking-lations kid. We just killed Andy Barclay. Her stomach turns and the world shifts on its axis in a way she didn’t imagine. The memory that solidified itself in her mind was the day they met, how he pointed a gun at her body while Chucky teased him. She keeps the axe where she left it and shakily walks over to the head. It had landed a distance from the body, illuminated by a flickering light from the nearby restaurant. She hadn’t thought it would end like that. She expected a longer fight, but she barely remembers the fight. She remembers the feeling, how glad Chucky had felt when he finally lobbed off Andy’s head. “Does he have anyone?” Her voice shakes as she tries to keep her thoughts away from the body in front of her. Nica turns on her heel as she feels Chucky laughing, and she knows he’s shaking his head. He still has his sister Kyle. Last, I heard she got caught on the wrong end of a booby trap.
She evens out her breathing through a massive effort and reaches in her pocket for the keys to Tiff’s back up car. Chucky rarely got to drive the Pontiac, but he wasn’t going to argue with driving the other car. It was as reliable as the Pontiac was, but he knows Tiff hadn’t put a lot of work into keeping that vehicle as nice as the day they bought it. Nica pushes a hand through her hair and finds tangles and knots before she rubs the back of her neck. You okay to drive, kid? I can take over if you’d rather take the passenger’s seat. She cracks her neck again and gets into the driver’s seat of the car, inputting the hotel’s address into her phone’s GPS. “No, I’m fine. I just need an energy drink or something.”
Chucky hums as she starts the car and pulls out of the nearly deserted parking lot. Her pulse thrums and she hears it echoing in her ears before she merges back onto the road. When she does get to drive, Nica maintains a cautious nature on the road. The adrenaline pulses through her body and she swears her nerves caught fire, gripping the steering wheel as she tries to maintain some control over her actions. Blue eyes flick to the rearview mirror before her focus goes back to the road, but she knows she saw Chucky in her reflection. They’d grown so close that she can’t tell them apart, even though she knows they still have their distinct differences. She sighs and shakes her head, opening up Spotify as her phone rings.
“Coming home soon, sweetface?”
Nica’s lips pull up in a smile and she gives a laugh before covering a yawn with her hand. “Just got back on the road. Optimistically, its about two hours to get back to the hotel – not sure if there’s going to be any traffic.”
There’s telling silence on the other end of the line and Nica switches the songs before catching the shifting tone in Tiffany’s voice. “Let Chucky take over if you need to rest, sweetheart. As much as he’d like to pretend otherwise, he’s not as young as he used to be.” Nica chuckles as Chucky makes a snide comment.
“There’s a gas station nearby. I’ll pick up something there, and I’ll let Chucky take over again if I don’t feel safe enough to keep driving.” Nica shifts the map a little and clicks on the gas station logo, letting the navigation take over to get her there and back on the road again.
Nica drums her fingers against the steering wheel in time with the song playing on her app, not minding the silence on the other end of the line. It’s not a bad silence, but one she’s gotten used to over the time she’s been with Tiffany. “Make sure to call me back, even if its just letting me know where you are.”
The call ends and Nica’s smile softens as she feels her soul brushing against Chucky’s. The sensation had felt so weird at first, and now its like puzzle pieces interlocking to finish the final picture. She supposes it was part of the connection that she’d wanted so desperately when she was younger. She’d spent longer than she had wanted in her thoughts, just imagining having someone who actually cared for and about her. The fact that you found that in me… shit, kid, I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better for me to just look after you myself. It’s the rare moments of something resembling humanity that make Nica realize Chucky wasn’t as bad as he tried making himself out to be. Sure, he’d killed a lot of fucking people, but there was something about him that Nica almost admired.
These thoughts swirl through her head as she pulls into the 7-Eleven parking lot, growling stomach reminding her that she didn’t exactly remember the last time she ate. She knows Chucky’s eaten, the evidence piling up in the floorboard of the car, but she wasn’t sure the last time she ate. It was something Tiffany had cooked, a hearty meal that sat heavy in her stomach for a few hours after she’d finished dinner. Nica pulls into a parking spot under a light, glancing around to take a good stock of her surroundings as she patted her back pocket. A small smirk worked up at a corner of her mouth as she felt the outline of the pocketknife Chucky insisted she always keep on her.
It’ll save your life, kid, remember that – Chucky hadn’t really given her any advice since. She can’t remember when that discussion had come up, or what had facilitated the conversation, but it was something she always kept in the back of her mind. She whistles a song as she puts her phone back in her pocket, then she hesitates for a moment before she gets out of her car. Her gaze follows a man as he walks into the convenience store and a feeling of unease crawls up the base of her spine. Their gazes lock and the smile on his face makes her stomach turn, souring the good mood that she’d felt building up after driving for a little while. Creep. Nica laughs under her breath and her sleeves rolls up, the red thread of her tattoo catching under the light.
She gives a small wave to the person at the register as she enters the store and her gaze sweeps around the store. The beeline to the cooler with the energy drinks is faster than she wants to admit to herself, but she opens the door and pulls out two cans of Java Monster. Nica catches sight of the man out of the corner of her eye again and the switch is immediate, Chucky come to the front while she settles into the passenger seat. He hums under his breath as he shuffles the cans in his grasp, smoothly pulling the pocketknife out of his back pocket. Blue eyes rove over the snack selections and he grabs a bag of jerky, setting it on top of the energy drinks as he turns the corner of the aisle.
“What’s got you out so late at night, huh?”
He looks the man up and down, doing little to hide the disgusted expression blossoming across his face. “Listen, it’s late and I’ve had a bad day. Lemme get past and we won’t have any issues.”
Chucky goes to move past him, but the man puts his arm off to the side, blocking any path past the obstacle. A devilish grin pulls up at the corners of Chucky’s mouth and he sets his stuff down on the counter near the coffee machine, taking steps closer to the man as he opens his pocketknife. Nica watches from the passenger seat, a twisted smile working across her features as Chucky smoothly stabs the man between his rips. The scent of booze rolls off in waves and Nica nearly gags as Chucky twists the knife in further, watching the blood seep out of the wound. He walks the man backward, heading toward the ice cooler as he twists the knife again. Blood seeps through the man’s parted lips and the gurgle sends a shiver of anticipation and glee through Chucky’s soul.
“You know it didn’t have to happen this way, don’t you?”
The man gurgles as his only response and he shakes his head. He helps guide the body down in front of the ice cooler, propping it up before he takes the knife out of his newest victim. He cleans the blade of the knife on the clean spots of his victim’s shirt, closing it and putting it back in his pocket. Chucky turns on his heel again and makes his way back to the counter where he’d left his drinks and his snack. The smirk at the corners of his mouth doesn’t fade as he walks over to the counter, setting down both items and looking at the teenager behind the counter.
“Nah, I ain’t makin’ you pay for shit tonight. That guy back there, he was a creep who kept escaping prison through bullshit reasons.” The teen spat on the ground and reached for something behind the counter, setting it on the counter with a glance to the cameras. “These things don’t work anyway – they’re more of a deterrent than anything else. Now I wouldn’t recommend smoking this shit while you’re driving, but this is the best high you’ll fucking get.”
Chucky nods and takes the bag full of his purchases and walks out of the store with a bounce in his step. You wanna click back in? The question disrupts her from her slight daze and she shakes her head. Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll want the driver’s seat when we get back to the hotel. He chuckles and shakes his head as he gets back in the car, pulling his phone out and sticking it back in the cradle on the dashboard. He dials Tiff’s number and then pulls out of the parking lot, letting the GPS guide him to the hotel.
“Got held up at the gas station, should be another two hours before we’re back.”
Tiff sighs. “Killin’ without me again?”
Chucky laughs. “Listen, I didn’t mean to. The guy was a creep and he threatened Nica.”
“That’s fair, I guess. I’ll let you get back to driving, then. There’s an extra key for you at the hotel front desk – just say you’re my guest.”
He scoffs and ends the call with a shake of his head. Hey, she’s just living her best life. Let her have the fun she wants, Nica reminds with an unseen smile. Chucky rolls his eyes, but Nica’s relieved when he doesn’t actually have a comment or tries to make a comeback in response. Nica settles into the passenger’s seat and lets herself get lost in the ebb and flow of their shared consciousness, the excitement of the day finally catching up to her.
Chucky’s silent as he gets back into the hotel room, treading over to the wheelchair near the bathroom. He stays close enough to the surface that Nica rarely needs the wheelchair when she’s at the front, but it takes a deal of energy from the pair. He sinks into the passenger seat as she comes back to the front, settling into her wheelchair as she unlocks the brakes on her wheels. She munches on the rest of the jerky as she takes off the boots, peeling the socks off her feet and setting them on the pile of dirty clothes. Nica rubs the back of her neck and glances over to the shower. She doesn’t feel like taking one at the moment, but knows she’ll need one. She finishes the jerky and rolls over to her chosen side of the bed. Nica locks the wheels again and transfers herself to the bed, pulling off her pants while her legs still hang over the edge of the bed.
“You coulda asked for help.”
Nica’s pulled onto her side as soon as she gets her pants off and she’s staring at the older woman. “Sorry. Chucky took over during the incident in the gas station and I only clicked back in when we got to the hotel room,” she says as she starts softly stroking the other’s cheek.
The subtle shift in touch and expression is the only chance she gets to determine the switch before Jennifer’s pushing her back onto the bed and kissing her. It’s a softer kiss than the one she gets from Tiffany, more exploring and gentler rather than aggressive and purposeful. Nica gives a little groan as she’s pushed a little deeper into the mattress, the scrape of nails against her scalp sending heat pooling in her stomach. Lips move from her own to her neck and she feels Chucky integrating with her, kicking in so she has more mobility. Her toes curl and she brings her hands up, carding her fingers through blonde hair and dragging her nails down the other’s back. She doesn’t leave marks, not in the same way Tiffany leaves deep lines along her back, but there’s the same level of passion.
“Sweetheart… as much as I’d love to continue this, you’re going to let me wash your hair.”
It’s the gentle command that sends her heart into her throat and pools heat deep in her stomach again. “So that means there might be an option when we get out of the shower?” She’s hopeful, and she’s wanting to hide the fact that she’s exhausted.
Jennifer taps her on the nose before dragging her fingers through Nica’s hair again. “No, but there might be a chance tomorrow. Right now, however, we do need to get you in the shower to get this blood out of your hair. What did you and Chucky do last night, anyway?”
She climbs out of bed and stretches, raising her arms above her head with a groan as Chucky slides into her nerves. “Killed Andy Barclay. Chucky must’ve stabbed him a few times for blood to get in my hair like that.”
Nica’s pushed against the wall and the switch is immediate as Tiffany puts a hand around her neck. Pressure builds against the apex of her thighs as Tiffany works her leg in between Nica’s. They devour each other as Chucky blends in further, nearly combining with Nica as things get more heated. She feels that she’s getting close, but Tiffany steps back and brushes her thumb across Nica’s bottom lip. She lets her thumb linger there and Nica slowly blinks as she looks at the woman in front of her. She feels like a mess, and she probably looks like one as well. Fingers curl around her wrist as she’s gently guided to the bathroom, legs unsteady even as Chucky lends his ability to walk.
It always gets like this, when she’s together with Tiffany and Jennifer. There’s a passion and fire with them, one that she can’t deny. She’s pressed against the wall of the shower after she steps inside, head tilted up a little as Tiffany reaches back to turn the shower on. Water sprays down at them as their lips meet, sluicing down the other’s back as fingers start working through Nica’s hair. “Let’s worry about having fun tomorrow, okay? I don’t think we’re going to be up much longer after we get your hair washed.”
Nica turns around and grabs the bottle of shampoo on the edge of the shower. She passes it back with a small smile. “You saying that because you know it’s going to put me to sleep, right?”
The hand at the base of her neck answers her question and her eyes start falling closed, the feeling of nails scraping against her scalp making her feel safe and protected. Nica sighs in response and leans further back, resting her head against Tiffany's shoulder as the older woman starts humming a gentle tune. "I love you, so much."
Lips press against her cheek. "I love you, too, sweetface."