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[cagedlamb]

The longer Elizabeth was in the city, the more she longed to make her life there as normal as possible. She filled her days with things to do, certainly, but she knew there was more to it than that. The responsibility Booker put on his shoulders for the two of them was something he shrugged off for the most part, but it wasn't lost on Elizabeth how much he carried. Never one to sit back, she decided that things were going to change.

Picking up an application at the library had been easy. Trying to navigate the town's schooling system to get information on programs was not. She at least got information on the nursing program - something she'd been interested in studying seriously, honestly - and ways to pay to get into it. All of it she would do alone - she knew she could if she planned properly, she could manage. She knew a lot of people in the city managed.

It didn't mean she wanted to go forward with it all without talking to Booker first. Armed with information all together in her bag, she unlocked the door to their apartment and stepped in.

"Booker?" she called out. From her understanding, he was supposed to be at the apartment still.

Comments

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Shit." He wasn't expecting her home so soon. "Just a moment!"

Looking down at the little cage he'd bought at the pet store, he tried to get the puppy he'd picked up at the pound to stop wriggling around so much. He was a present and Booker just wanted it to sit still long enough to tie a bow around it's neck.

He decided to try and distract her for a couple of minutes. "Hey, Elizabeth? Would you mind checking the icebox, I think it stopped running." Not his best diversion, but he just needed a minute to get the little ball of fur ready for her.

[cagedlamb]

It was a strange request, but Elizabeth didn't think twice about it as she made her way into the little kitchen area of their apartment. Putting her bags on the table, she frowned thoughtfully at the apparently broken. There were a lot of things she read while locked away, but how to fix these kinds of things wasn't really anything she studied extensively. The fact this particular type of icebox was from a future long past hers made it even less likely she'd know what to do.

"You would be better at fixing this than I would be, Booker," she called back, even as she opened it up to inspect it. Cool air rushed out at her the moment she did, causing goosebumps to form all along her arms. If it was broken before, it certainly didn't seem to be any longer. "...Oh. I think it's actually working again, anyway!"

[wipeawaythedebt]

"That's - that's great, kid. Glad to hear it." The puppy finally settles enough and he gets the bow tied. Well, mostly tied, he's a knot guy himself so the bow isn't the prettiest, but he figures it's as good as it gets. The damn mutt was a wriggly little guy. Made him glad he's a bounty man and not a dog catcher.

He picks up the happy animal, hoping it doesn't piss on him and he heads out into the living room, keeping his back to the kitchen so she wont' see the puppy until he's got it set down. "You're home a little early today, aren't you?"

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth fiddled a little with the knobs - maybe it just needed to be a little colder, if he thought there was a problem? She thought it was cold enough already, but she assumed he must've seen things showing signs of melting.

"Oh, the things I wanted to do didn't take quite as long as I thought it would," she called over her shoulder. Once she was satisfied the air blowing out was a little colder, she shut the icebox's door. She'd check later if it was still working. "I'm glad you're home, though."

It made it a lot easier to sit down and talk out what she'd been looking into with it fresh in her mind. Picking up the bag she had the papers in, she headed out into the living room, only to find herself staring at his back.

"...Is something the matter?" she asked, an eyebrow lifting curiously.

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Uh, nope, nothing's wrong." Or so he hopes, 'cause if this doesn't go well, he's got no back-up plan. He's seen that she's been restless, not really sure of what she's doing. He hopes the puppy gives her something to care for, something to do.

He takes a step back, letting the little puppy come into view. "I hope you don't mind, I remember you saying you wanted one and I know you've been worrying about things so I... uh, do you have a birthday? Or this can just be... a... something."

[For when he's older: HAPPY PITBULL IS HAPPY!]

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth was admittedly a little stunned at first. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't a dog. It'd been such an offhand comment she was surprised he even remembered, especially with what had been going on at the time.

"I - oh," she let out a little surprised gasp of air when the puppy suddenly ran over to greet her, the animal's little tail wagging furiously. She couldn't help but laugh, gently letting her bag down on the floor beside her so she could kneel down and greet the animal properly. Within moments, he was licking at her fingers.

"He's adorable," she gushed, watching the dog flop onto his back to get her to pet his stomach. She immediately gave in, watching him squirm under her touch happily. She looked up at Booker, her smile evident on her face. "Booker, where did you find him?"

[wipeawaythedebt]

Seeing her laugh and smile, well, that makes all his anxiety disappear in a wave of relief that's almost too much to bear. He doesn't get it, why her happiness means so much to him. He figures it's because he's going soft in his old age, if only because think about anything else makes his head hurt something fierce.

Hunkering down, he gives the puppy a scratch behind the ears. Might as well since it'll be living with him, too. "They've got a place, takes in strays and they give them out. This one's mama was part of a fighting ring, she... she didn't make it. Guess I felt sorry for the little guy, figured you might, too."

[cagedlamb]

"You poor thing," Elizabeth said with a frown, though from the looks of it, he was saved before he could be treated too badly. She wondered if he was locked away and alone for as long as he remembered, too. Even if she hadn't wanted a dog, the story and that thought alone would've been enough to convince her.

Good thing she didn't need much convincing to begin with.

"Well, you're home now," she said to the dog, her smile slowly returning as the dog licked at her hand. Without looking up again, she asked, "Does he have a name?"

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Nope. He's your dog, you get to name him." The more she bonds with him, the less he'll have to deal with the thing. That works fine by him, this whole thing is to give her something to occupy her time, keep her happy and settled. "Got any ideas, 'cause I'm not really a naming kinda guy."

[cagedlamb]

It was funny. She'd recently taken out a book from the very place she was thinking of applying to work at that had a name that seemed appropriate for a dog like this one. She could've kept trying to think of something else, but it felt like maybe there was a reason she just happened to be reading something that worked.

"How about Oliver?" Elizabeth asked outloud, more to the puppy than Booker. She wasn't expecting an answer, and the dog didn't seem to care either way. Looking up at Booker, she smiled again. "I think that's what I'll call him."

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Oliver, huh? I think I can live with that. How about you, Oliver?" He's happy that she's taking to this so well. He can't get her to Paris, or to any other place, but he can make sure she's safe and she has company when he's working. He hears this kind of dog is good for protection, so there's that, too.

"He's gonna need walking and feeding, and trips to the vet. I've got the directions back in my room, the folks at the place I go him, they gave me all kinds of instructions."

[cagedlamb]

"That's fine," Elizabeth said. It would be something else she needed to juggle now, but she was willing to do it. Keeping busy was so much better than the alternative. She had a feeling being idle so much was part of the problem. "Did you get any supplies yet? I can take a trip to the pet store later."

She'd passed by more than once, though never stopped in for the very reason she was faced with right now - she could never say no to such a beautiful creature, and seeing them caged would've made her want to take them all home.

[wipeawaythedebt]

"They gave me a... starter kit of some kind. There's some food and I picked up some things yesterday before I picked him up. It's all stashed in my bedroom." Running his hand through his hair he realizes he probably looks like a kid that got caught sneaking a look at his presents. "I was kinda hoping to have it all set up out here before you got back, but you surprised me."

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth was always aware of this side of Booker, but it was nice to see it in action. There was a kindness underneath the gruff exterior he usually put forward. Even how he regarded the dog right now showed it.

"I actually came home early to make sure I caught you," she said, idly petting behind the dog's ears. She'd have to see what toys he had gotten the dog to give to him soon to expend some of the energy he clearly had pent up, and walk him after she talked to Booker. "If you have a little time to talk before you have to go out. It's nothing bad, I promise."

[wipeawaythedebt]

That's always a great sign. He remembers those kinds of conversations back when he was married and his wife would have this smile, kinda like the one Elizabeth has now...

Wincing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering where this headache is coming from.

"Sure kid, I've got a few minutes, what's on your mind?" Sinking into his chair, he tries to play off the sudden pain with a smile. Why is still happening? It's not like they're jumping through tears anymore. "I'm not meeting my new client until later."

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth had't even noticed the wince, too busy gently shooing Oliver away from her bag as she picked it up. He was eager to chew on things, it seemed, and she made a mental note to go see if there were toys among his initial things for him to play with once they were done talking. For the moment, she let him sniff around the apartment, knowing there wasn't really anything for him to get into that could be too badly damaged.

"I've been thinking about how hard you work for the two of us lately," she said as she sat down on the couch across from the seat he'd sat down in. She gently put the "I spent today deciding how I wanted to start contributing. I've been talking to someone who is in the nursing program at the school here, and she's offered to help me find out how best to pay for that."

Which sounded an awful lot like she was asking for money. Before he interjected, she wanted to make something clear.

"I'm not asking for the money from you. There's an opening in the library I was thinking of applying for. It and the aid I know this school gives to students should be enough to get me started in the fall," she continued as she took out some of the brochures for the school she'd been given when she visited and put it on the coffee table between them. "No one asks many questions here, and the ones they do I can come up with something. It's not like there's any way to check. I think this would be good for both of us."

[wipeawaythedebt]

"You really wanna go to some school?" He's never really been around women that were that... smart, but he guesses that for a kid that was practically raised in a library, it was a logical step. Not really sure how he's going to feel about her being around all those people without him to keep an eye on her.

[cagedlamb]

"I don't want to spend all my time here doing nothing," she admitted. For all the years she was locked away, she was never idle. Never idle. The second she was idle she knew it would've driven her mad. She knew it would drive her to madness here, too. "The opportunity is there for me to help and do something worthwhile I'd like to do that. It's an opportunity I don't know if I have anywhere else but here."

Maybe they were would be hunted here one day, too. But for now, everyone simply knew her as a normal girl, misplaced from her home like so many others she'd met. She didn't even know if she could've had that even if they did somehow get off Columbia in any normal way. And maybe if she could start helping the injured here, maybe one day she could feel like she made amends for what she'd done to Daisy - a guilt she knew she'd always hold, no matter how justified the action had been at the time.

"So yes, I'd like to go," she asserted, in case her answer to his question wasn't very clear by how she just answered. It'd mean a lot to her.

[wipeawaythedebt]

Running an hand through his hair, he scratches his scalp. He knows in his gut that he can't keep her locked up any more than Comstock had a right to. But at the same time, he's... reluctant to let her wander too much. He's worried about her. He can't help it. He's seen her fight, seen her kill, and he's seen her soar. He doesn't want to see her crash.

"Yeah, okay, then. And I find a way to help you pay, we'll figure it out. No sense getting into debt, that's a bad road to go down."

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth wanted to protest the idea of him putting his own money into this, but she knew it'd fall on deaf ears. She didn't know why he kept helping her, even when she really wasn't his responsibility any longer. Maybe it was the same reason she never thought twice about moving out, despite knowing there was an apartment out there just for her. It just never was an option.

"Okay. I'll put my job application in tomorrow and we'll see what happens from there," she decided. If she did it right, he wouldn't need to contribute much at all. They'd both win then. Oliver had wandered back over to them, and she grinned. "When was the last time you took him out?"

She didn't know much about puppies, but she was pretty sure they didn't last long when it came to going to the bathroom.

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Right before I brought him up here, so maybe an hour? He's got a little bed and a leash with his other things, I'll get 'em for you." Standing up, he retreats to the bedroom, letting a heavy breath escape when he's alone. That went a lot better than the thought it was going to.

Aside from the school and job thing. He doesn't know how he feels about that. Part of him's mad that he can't make enough to give her everything she wants and needs, part of him gets it. She's new in the world, she's got a right to be her own woman. Pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve the growing ache in his head, he has to fight through his own thoughts. She's not his kid, he's got no right or obligation, but here he is.