Abby and Jim had been walking around campus for a good while now. Ever since they had left the place in the field, they had really just been idly walking, discussing things every so often, as they walked around, looking at everything around the campus. Abby had been worried about Jim, and was hoping he would divulge some information to her. He'd nearly had a breakdown before they got up, and she wanted to be able to calm him down. Unfortunately, she just didn't know how, other than being there for him.

The location, she hoped, would calm him as well. She was holding her hands, and him, against the upper part of her chest, above her cleavage, so he'd have a stable part of her that he could rest against as they walked around. A few of her fingers were also tilted upward, in front of him, so as to block the wind that would be blowing against him with Abby's fast-paced steps. She needed him to be as comfortable as possible with all of this. At least, if she was going to get him to calm down and talk to her about what was wrong.

By the time she came to the very back of campus, there were no students or faculty around, and she came to a house, about the same as the ones in the Large district. She smiled as she saw it, recognizing it as the building where she stayed, when she wasn't out on campus, doing this and that. It was, essentially, her home. Sure, the campus was her home, but this was more along the lines of her 'house'. It's where she went to eat dinner after the school closed for the night and where she slept and bathed. She walked up onto the porch and sat down in a wooden rocking chair that sat there.

Slowly bringing herself down, she held her hands forward, letting Jim lay in one of her palms. He looked up at her, and she looked back down, giving him a smile, slipping her feet out of her sandals and slowly pushing one of her toes against the floor, pushing the rocking chair back, into a rocking motion. She did it ever-so-slightly, not wanting the movement to be too much for Jim. He seemed alright, though. He was just sitting there, staring up at her. She figured that this was as good a time as any to be able to find out what she could about what was bothering him. At least, more than she already knew.

As she looked down at him, she got a serious look on her face and spoke to him, asking her question. “Jim...earlier, you talked about being used for something. You know I'm very worried about you. It may not be the best subject in the world, but it might help to talk about it. Please, tell me.” She let one of her fingers softly rub against his head and down his side as she asked him, trying to find some way to be more persuasive towards him. She was feeling a lot of things towards him right now, a slight blushing in her cheeks as she looked down. She only hoped that he would come forward and speak about what was wrong.

Jim sighed and wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about what was bothering him. He remembered the nightmare he had, very clearly, and knew that he was clinging to Abby so much because of it and the feelings behind it. He then looked up at Abby again, seeing that warm, reddened face that looked down at him, with so much affection. He almost impulsively forced a grin onto his face as he thought about it. She was worried about him, and he knew she was. She'd done a lot, just to make him feel better. She had a right to know what was bothering him, and who was he to deprive her of that information? It was part of him.


He nodded towards her and sat up, in her hand. “Abby...yes, I'll let you know what's on my mind. We're friends, and you deserve a chance to hear this, from me. It was about the dream and about, well...Ruby. I don't think her being here was an accident. I think when she heard that I was injured in the incident with Fran, um...” He stopped to pause for a few moments, staring down at Abby's palm again. He was taking deep breaths and his face was reddening. He was clearly not able to get this out with much ease.

A finger came and pat him on the head, with Abby's voice gently coming down. “Take your time, Jim. Don't rush it. I'm just glad you're talking to me about this. I feel like we've gotten very close over the past couple days, and I want you to trust me. So, please, take all the time you need.” Jim was smiling, warmed by this honest message from Abby. After a few minutes of breathing, he was able to continue. “I...think she was just using my injury to make a jab at Larges, and at you. I...she didn't even ask me how I was doing. She, just...she said some mean things, and I'm sorry.”

Jim lowered himself back down, the emotions starting to build up in him, once again. He wrapped his arms around a finger that was in front of him and snuggled himself against it, like a pillow. He looked up at Abby, whom was wearing that gentle smile she'd always had on. She simply let him hug against her finger and spoke down with her words. “It's okay, Jim. I understand why you're bothered by this. It's not your fault. She may you, um...wife, but she is who she is. She may not like me, but that's her business. The important thing is that my little Jim is here with me, and he doesn't hate me.”

Abby let out a giggle as she spoke to him, staring down, not noticing the small footsteps of Sarah and Melinda, whom were approaching her home from the direction of the rest of campus.