"What are you doing out here all by your lonesome?," Jack asked his sister as he sat down on the steps beside her. Leigh had stepped out for a smoke earlier and had remained outside the steps of the tiny cabin they were all being crammed into and forced to share with one another. After Aaron's bombshell she needed time alone to think.
Jack pulled out a pack of Parliments and offered one to her.
"You don't smoke," she said, a question in her eyes, as she took one.
"But you do," he answered nonchalantly and produced a lighter and lit her cigarette. then he took one out and lit his own. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow in question, and he shrugged. She held his hand steady as she leaned over to light it and looked at the lighter in his hand, reading what was inscribed.
" 'Fuck Communism?' " she asked with a laugh. "You and your comic books," she looked at her brother affectionately.
"What?" Jack said a little defensively.
"Honey, this isn't Preacher," she said, becoming serious. "Our story may not have a happily ever after for all of us."
"I know that, Leigh."
They sat in silence for a moment, watching the calm, relatively flat surface of the water as she took a drag. But for the sound of the crickets, the air was still.
"You think this is crazy, don't you?" Jack finally asked.
"Yeah, I do. But 'crazy' is interesting. Normal is just plain boring. Believe me, I've spent the past few years trying to be 'normal' and blend in and its not what its cracked up to be." She grinned, but there was no humor in it. "But this is probably more dangerous than any heist I've ever been involved in."
"Why?"
"Because every other time it was only about the money. This time there's revenge and that means emotions are involved. People start thinking with their hearts instead of their heads and that's when it becomes dangerous." She turned and looked at Jack. He's the only blood I have left, she thought. She put out the remainder of her cigarette and tossed it aside and then reached out and put a hand gently under his chin. He looks so much like dad. We both do. Same red hair... The irony that she was thinking with her heart concerning her brother's safety did not escape her.
"Leigh...?" Jack asked.
"Jack, I want you to promise me something."
"What?"
"If things start to go badly, if it looks like this isn't going to work, I want ...I want you to get out."
"Leigh!" He started to say in reprimand and tried to move away, but she put a hand on either side of his face and forced him to meet her gaze. "I'm serious, Jack. Fuck the money, fuck Ramos, and fuck everything else. Even me. If you have to, leave me behind as well. This isn't like what we've all done before. It's more dangerous. Promise me - whatever it takes - you'll get out of this alive. Please...."
Jack looked at his sister sadly. "You know I can't do that, Leigh. Please don't ask me to."
"You know that each of those bastards in there wouldn't even think twice about leaving either of us behind, right?"
"It's not who I am. I gave my word I would see this through. I can't break it."
"A person is only a good as their word," Leigh said, repeating something their father had said as a mantra.
"Yeah. You remember."
Leigh sighed. "Then promise me you'll be more careful than usual."
"You're involved in this, Leigh. For that reason alone I will be. For both of us."
Leigh smiled softly and kissed her brother on the forehead.
"C'mon." She said.
"Back inside?"
"Yeah, there are couple of things that we have to discuss."
The two got up and went inside leaving the calm behind.
*******
Seth was entering the common room as Leigh and Jack walked in. Aaron was discussing something with Sam around the table adn Chris leaned up against the wall listing. Empty beer bottles littered the area.
"We're not having surgery," Leigh announced firmly.
"What?" Aaron said, immediately looking up. "I thought that we decided..."
"No you decided."
"Leigh, I think..."
"Aaron, my days of caring what you think are long gone," she said coldly. They stared at each other for a moment and then Aaron scowled.
"Viv couldn't do it anyway. She's drunk," Seth volunteered.
"There." Leigh said. "No eating or drinking can be done 12 hours before any surgery. So, that settles it."
"Too bad." Chris said. "A new set of boobs on both of you woul--"
"If you so much as finish that sentence I'll rip your fucking heart out and have it for breakfast," Leigh said looking at Chris with no trace of humor. Chris immediately became quiet.
"The surgery could be re-scheduled...," Aaron began. He was pissed. He hates when his plans aren't followed to the letter Leigh though, amused at his annoyance.
"And what? Screw up with your precious timeline? No, by the time it would be re-scheduled and we healed, Ramos would have set sail. And I'm surprised Aaron. You used to be more about stealth. Once upon a time we would hit our mark without him even knowing that anything was gone for at least 72 hours, let alone worrying about him seeing us immediately. Now you would put two of your operatives out in the open - out in danger's way - and your 'plan' to make sure they are safe and undetected is to surgicallly alter their looks?" she said with contempt. "You're losing your touch, Aaron. You used to be better than this."
The room was heavy with tension. No one said a word for a moment.
"Hell hath no fury..." Chris finally muttered. In a flash an empty beer bottle shattered next to his head. His face couldn't hide his shock.
"Jesus Christ, woman...you missed." Sam said, trying not to laugh.
"I only wanted his attention. And I can promise you, the next one won't," she said her eyes on Chris. "What did I say to you about opening your mouth?"
Chris said nothing, but glared at her silently.
Aaron hadn't taken his eyes off of Leigh. "You have a better idea about what to do with you and Vivian?" he challenged.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
The group remained quiet as she began to talk.
