There was no telling what she was doing, especially when it involved being asleep. The mask hid most emotions that she carried, but he still wished that maybe one day she’ll overcome this.
Truthfully he was use to sleeping in strange places. Mostly on a train with Rush, but —
back at prosperity, the judge finds a quiet corner to settle down in for the night—feeling safest with her back pressed against a wall, just like those days in the bunker.
sleep doesn't come easy and she's left observing him through big eye holes. head canted slightly.
perhaps she's just 𝘵𝘰𝘰 used to sleeping with one eye open, no matter the place or circumstance.
it's why she spends most of her nights on guard duty. always alert.
Why would he enjoy that? Perhaps he’s spoiled and enjoys not sleeping with one eye open, or having her watch over him.
It also beats him sleeping with a finger on a trigger of a gun.
what, didn't he enjoy the smell of rotting wood and chemical smoke? the collapsing roof that let the darkened sky peek through the gaps?
she doesn't mind it so much. beats being in a bunker. but don't worry, she'll get sleeping beauty back to prosperity.
They are making progress, he can still recall the time he met her. The silent enforcer to New Eden. Perhaps this is the first time she’s actually communicated something with him, besides the occasional grunts.
Yes. He’s not sleeping in an abandoned destroyed building again.
a solemn nod. it was the only thing she had left to cling onto, after everything that was lost——her mother's first gift to her. hope.
she let out a quiet grunt of acknowledgment and jerked her head towards the beat up truck. they should get moving before nightfall.
“Hope?”
The name escapes his lips like a low whisper, he didn’t know if he saw that right. “It makes me wonder how you could remember your own name. I believe in you, Hope.”
the name causes her to flinch. no, not dep .. not judge, either.
she jabbed a finger against his chest before slowly tracing out four letters. h-o-p-e. hope.
This time he’s returning the rough shrug. If only he could, he came here to rebuild this county. He’ll help her as well.
“You’re a good person, Dep, I mean Judge.”
cut off one head and another grows in its absence. the cycle of violence perpetuates.
another nudge, a little rougher this time. he shouldn't get sentimental on her——she is a lost cause. better things to focus on now.
He can only imagine. What he heard and read on notes, Eden’s Gate is just like the Highwaymen.
Here’s to hoping it happens. Changed or not, he still sees the good in her.
they have good reason not to. history has not been kind to them and neither was eden's gate, but these are new times. things have changed.
she's changed.
but old nick rye? well, she's missed him too. maybe one day they'll be friends once more .. one day.
He doesn’t know much about her history with Joseph. Many of the locals at Prosperity don’t trust him, but he’s been helpful.
Nick talks a lot about her. Think he misses her. He also hasn’t told anyone who The Judge really is.
the father taught her all about forgiveness but, truth be told, she's not the forgiving type——curiosity, however, is not inherently a sin and she can hardly blame him for it.
her friends .. how are they?