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[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth had gotten used to the strange hours Booker kept. Still, there was never a time where he was out truly all night without him saying so. She might not have noticed his lateness if not for Oliver suddenly deciding he really needed to pee in the middle of the night. When she did see the time and that she was still alone, she got worried.

It was too late to wander the streets alone and see if she could find him. She did her best not to think of worse case scenarios (this place, unfortunately, seemed to have a lot of them) as she tried to go back to sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning, she gave up and simply parked herself on the couch to wait, Oliver curling up next to her, his head in her lap.

She was intent on staying up until he walked through the door. After another hour, she dozed off where she was sitting. It was only Oliver startling awake himself at the sound of the door to the apartment opening.

A quick glance at the clock near the couch was enough to flare up her anger. Oliver, completely oblivious of what was happening, simply went over to greet him like he normally did.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked, pointing to the clock just in case he didn't.

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[wipeawaythedebt]

He takes one last drink before putting the bottle back. He needs to keep himself at least a little clear-headed for this. Heading back to the living room he manages not to stumble as he sits in a chair, eyeing the box with disdain... and a little guilt.

"People who hired me, they gave me that. 'Give us the girl -'" he points to the picture, "'and we'll wipe away the debt.' The code, the thing with the bell, key and scroll on it, that's how I got into Columbia. Postcard - how I knew where to look for you."

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth hadn't thought about the reasons why Booker had came to find her in so long. At this point, if he still really was only in it for the money, he wouldn't have kept her around anymore.

She picked up each item - except the gun - as he talked, turning them all in her hands.

"Do you know who wanted me?" she asked, looking up at him again. She had never really asked what had happened before he came and got her out. This seemed like the time to do it.

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Didn't ask. Maybe I didn't want to know, but knowing wasn't part of the deal. All I needed to know was where you were and where I was supposed to take you." Wasn't his problem, all he was was the deliveryman. Get the goods, drop them off, go to the tavern and have a drink. Nothing worked the way it was supposed to and sometimes he's still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad one.

Dammit, his head hurts again. Heading back to the kitchen he pulls a bottle of aspirin out of the cupboard. Same one he keeps the alcohol in, makes it easier.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth lingered behind for a moment, still staring at the contents before her. It was still unsettling, honestly, that there were more than just the people who locked her away hunting her.

Finally standing, she followed him into the kitchen, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Does this mean anything?" she asked, because in the end, that was one of the more important questions, right? "Did someone come with that, or was it just the box? Are we still safe?"

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Just the box. Thought maybe the Lutece twins had left it, but no one on the beach saw them. No one say anyone." He rests his hands on the counter, leaning against it. He doesn't know about safe, but he's not going to say anything to Elizabeth. Not when she's just starting to get on her feet here.

He's kind of proud of that, of her, mostly because he knows he hasn't really done a damn thing to help it, it's all been her doing. But that's not really important at the moment. "I think we're still good, but don't go out alone. Take a friend, take Oliver, or call me and I'll keep my distance and follow if you want. At least we know that anyone from Columbia's going to have the same problems we did when we got here. It'll take them time."

[cagedlamb]

That was, at least, somewhat of a relief. Elizabeth hated how shaky things could get, and so quickly at that. It was hard enough trying to fit in when everything around her was a new experience, she didn't like the idea that one day something might come and ruin that, too.

"Hopefully you're right. I just don't want anyone getting hurt because of me again," she admitted. Maybe it was worse that they would get stuck here like they were. It could make things uglier. "But I promise, I'll be careful."

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Elizabeth, no one's ever gotten hurt because of you. You're as much a victim as everyone else. I don't want to hear you say that." It hurts him, that she thinks any of it is her fault. It's Comstock's. He's the one to blame, he's the one that did all of this. "Someone comes here, after you, that's not your fault."

But it will be his if he lets it happen.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth knew that wasn't true, but it was late and arguing in circles wouldn't get them anywhere. She simply didn't respond to his insistence, her gaze not quite meeting hers.

There was always going to be blood on her hands, but hopefully it would never be an issue again.

"I'm going to bed," she said, reaching down to rub behind Oliver's ear when the dog came up beside her. "You should sleep, too. Whatever the reason that box came - it doesn't matter. Not here. I know you aren't the person who took that job anymore, and I hope you know that too."

[wipeawaythedebt]

"You need to be ready, kid. If I'm getting these little presents you will, too." She needs to know, she needs to be prepared. If I do anything right, it's helping her be ready for these things.

I manage to get to the hallway without stumbling too much. I'm tired, still not sober and have a few fresh belts in me. "The gun's yours now. I'll teach you how to shoot it tomorrow."

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth stopped short, her body going completely still as she let that sink in. The very idea of shooting someone brought flashes to that day to her mind, the sound of the knife sliding into Daisy, the smell of blood all around her. When she turned to him, her expression was almost unreadable. Her words, however, were clear.

"You can't be serious," she breathed out, shaking her head slowly. Just the very idea made it feel like her throat was closing in on itself. "No. Absolutely not. I want no part of it, Booker."

[wipeawaythedebt]

"Elizabeth, I can't be there to protect you if something happens. You need to know how to protect yourself and guns work in just about any world they could send us to. There's a range in town, we'll go in the next day or two." He doesn't intend to entertain any dissent on this. It isn't what he planned on talking about tonight, but now that he's said it, he's convinced it's the right thing to do. There's not much you can't stop by shooting it until it drops.

[cagedlamb]

Was there some modicum in sense in what he was saying? Yes, there was. But that didn't change the fact that she couldn't. She couldn't be the reason someone was hurt again. And the fact he didn't even seem to care to give her the ability to speak for herself on whether or not she wanted to learn just made her angry.

Who did he think he was?

"You can go to the range all you want, I'm not joining you," she said, outright defiant now. "All my life, things have been forced upon me without my say, without a single thought to how I felt about it. I refuse to allow that any longer, not here. When - if ever - I want to learn to use a weapon will be my decision, not yours. Do you understand me?"

And if it meant he wished her gone, that she was too troublesome to deal with any longer, so be it. She had never asked him to protect her in the first place, nor did she ever expect him to continue doing so here.

[wipeawaythedebt]

Rolling his eyes and gritting his teeth, he tries to keep his sudden frustration in check. "God damn it, Elizabeth, you need to learn how to protect yourself. I can't just have you running around when something like those creatures could show up again. You wanna tell me you'd rather face those things again with your bare hands?"

He understands it, he does, he was there when she killed Fitzroy. Saw her face. Saw that she wasn't a killer and never would be and that's not what he wants to make her. But there's a whole world somewhere that's looking for her, hunting her, and the idea of something harming her... it makes his head ache. "I'm not gonna leave you unprotected here. I made you a promise and I aim to keep it, but until we can get out of here it's my job to keep you safe and I can't do that if you won't help me."

[cagedlamb]

She wants to counter with the fact she never asked him to protect her. She wants to, but she doesn't, because she knows it's coming from a place of anger at that point. That despite the situation, despite what brought him to find her in the first place, he had been the one to get her out of the situation. He had been the one who kept helping her, even when there was nothing in it for him.

He'd done a lot for her. She wouldn't take that away from him. That didn't mean she was just going to do whatever he said, though. Just the thought of holding the gun was making her throat tighten up. She didn't think there'd be much use in her learning unless she thought she could get over that feeling.

"This conversation is done for tonight," she replied with a tone of finality, not looking at him. She had to think about it, and he was going to have to be patient whether he liked it or not. "I'm going to sleep. I have an early shift in the morning."