Carefull what you wish for

Djodie still couldn't get used to the dark so soon, as she lost al sense of time. Not being able to see if it was five a'clock, or close to midnight. The clock however, send the answer for her, for it was over midnight.
It had been some time since she had still been outside at this hour. To be honest she had been able to get her mind off of the situation for a while. But she hadn't been able to let it all go.

Djodie had returned Duster to it's ball, maybe she was a bit paranoid.
It appeared she was not. As she was about to return the ball to her pocket, it was snatched from her hands. It took her a second before the realised what happened. Djodie screamed as the figure ran off, with her Pokeball, and chased after it.
No - no no. Duster was all she had now.
Without thinking, Djodie caught up with the man, and tried pushing his body to the wall. She succeeded to unbalance him, and while she caught him off guard, pushed the Pokeball so Duster was let out.
The little Rockruff looked around a for a second, before the realised the situation and grabbed the man's ankle. The man cursed, kicked at Duster and grabbed Djodie by her throat, slamming her towards the wall.
Duster yelped as he got up and charged at the man again, the man grabbing a knife from his pocket.

It happened fast. Without thinking, Djodie pushed herself from the wall, and manouvred herself between the man and her Pokémon.
The knife, supposed to hit Duster, cut Djodie, leaving a nasty cut in her arm. Djodie cried out as the man stumped his elbow on her jaw and for a moment, Djodie only saw black spots.

As her sight became clear again, the man and Duster, where gone.
Shit. Had she blacked out? Shit, shit....
For a moment she just stood there, on the verge of tears. Not a clue what she should do.
Call, she should call someone. Shakily, she opened her purse, trying to reach her phone, as something else caught her attention.
A piece of paper, with a very familiar lipstick on it.

Without straight thinking, she typed the number and called.

Djodie wasn't even thinking as she typed in the number, not even questioning if it was actually hers. Not thinking about the way they parted ways. Her brain had shut all that off for now, only letting her remember the safety she had felt while she had spend the night.
The phone rang, and Djodie tried to stop her body from trembling, while she steadied herself against the wall. Lightly she tapped her face, flinched, and watched her fingers as she pulled her hand back. Blood. The guy had caused her a nosebleed.
That was probably not all.

"Kaye?" Djodie started as the phone was picked up. Only now realising the fear and panick in her voice. Her breathing sped up and she closed her eyes, desperatly trying to calm her body before she'd start hyperventilating. "I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call..." she blurted out. "There's blood and I - I think he took Duster!" Voice no longer calm as she felt the panic finally took over her.
"Djodie?! What's wrong, are you hurt?" Kaye's voice on the other hand felt like it gripped Djodie's mind and set it back on the ground, calming her. Railing in her racing thoughts and forcing them to a stop. But her mind wasn't listening. Panic raced through her as she scanned her body for pain. Besides her jaw and nose, Djodie's right arm started pounding. She realised there was a cut in her coat, and the light, cream color had some red stains to it.
"I don't know. He took my Rockruff, he -" Her voice broke as the tears started rolling. Her Pokemon, shit. Who knee what that man would do to him? The way Duster had tried to fight him of... the kick he got from the man... "He had a knife!" Panic now in her voice.
"Where are you?" came Kaye's voice again, and Djodie looked around, her vision blurred by her tears, and as she realised nothing looked familiar, the panic grew even more. Shit. Hoe far had she ran after the man?
"I don't know" Djodie repeated her earlier answer, her breathed shallow as she tried to force in air.
"Can you get to safety? To a place where there are more people or where there is lots of light so others can see you? Try to send me your location if you can.” Djodie closed her eyes for a second, forcing her breathing down, as she carefully pushed herself away from the wall, looked around and started walking towards the nearest streetlight. Her legs where shaking, and anyone who now saw her walking, would think she was drunk. Drunk and vulnerable.
"Uh, yeah, okay." Djodie murmered as she sended out her location to the silver haired woman, while stumbling towards her goal; the faint yellow light that came from the streetlight. There was a bench nearby, but Djodie felt to fearfull to sit down. Scared that if she did, she wouldn't be able to get away fast enough if something happened.
"I'll be right there. Don't move."

It was cold, and while she could ofcourse move a little, but she felt frozen. As it was quiet now, she had only her thoughts. Her arm was pounding, and when Djodie pressed her sleeve to her nose, she noticed it was still bleeding. There was a painfull pounding in her cheek was well.
She didn't know how much time had passed, when Djodie noticed the silver haired woman. She quickly walked over to Djodie and scanned her. Tears finally broke through and Djodie whimpered as the woman asked where she'd hurt, and reached out to her cheek.
"I - cheek, arm." But she didn't pay too much attention to it. As she looked around her, in the direction the man had ran off to. "My - my Rockruff, Kaye, he kicked him. He's hurt" Ignoring the fact that she herself was bleeding. She didn't care. She cared about Duster.

Kaye was scanning their surroundings, which made Djodie tense. Were they in danger? Was Kaye scared?
But the feeling flattened out as Djodie felt Kayes hand on her cheek, her thumb sofly stroking away her tears. The girl closed her eyes and leaned in for a moment, before Kaye pulled her hand back.

Djodie followed her gaze as Kaye gently grabbed her wrist. Djodie whimpered when Kaye turned her arm a little, the blood that had dried nu being pulled by her coat. In a reflex, the tried to pull her arm back to her, but fought it with whatever she had left, knowing that Kaye only wanted to help her.
"I'll get him back," the woman reassured Djodie. The girl looked up at her with big doe eyes.
"Really?" Her voice high, soft, just above a whisper. The woman now sank through her knees, and wrapped her hands around Djodie's. "Who hurt you?" Djodie looked at her, curling her fingers around Kaye's wrists softly. Trying to retrace the image of that man back from her mind.
But it had been dark, and Djodie had payed more attention to Duster then to the man.
"I... I can't remember..." She started, pulling one hand back to stroke a piece of hair out of her eyes, visibly irritated at the fact that she couldn't remember. How stupid could he be? Her Pokémon was gone and she didn't even have a description to give someone.
"He was taller then me. But not taller then you. Dark hair, black clothes..." But she couldn't remember details that would make him stand out. God, how stupid she was. Unconciously, her hand had searched for Kaye's again.
As Kaye encouraged her to tell everything, she did.
"I was just walking home, already had Duster in his ball and that man suddenly snatched it out of my hand. I chased him down that street," she nodded in the direction. "I caught up at him, and I got Duster out of the ball. He bit the man's ankle, but the man pushed me to the wall, kicked Duster. He was just trying to protect me. Man pulled his knife and I just... I don't know, I think I jumped in between. I don't remember..."
Her voice hurried as she only now noticed that she was shaking.
"Man elbowed me to the face and I guess I blacked out... Next thing I know both man and Duster gone..." God she was terrible. Kaye would probably agree, she would tell her now what a terrible person she was for letting that happen go her Pokémon.

"It's allright, you're safe." Djodie didn't even hear the hesisation that followed in Kaye's voice. Her brain still blocked, heartbeat as if she'd ran a marathon. Images flashed before her eyes. The moonlight reflecting in the knife. Duster charging at the man's ankle. The man slamming her body to the wall by her throat. The tattoo in his neck.

The tattoo in his neck. Djodie suddenly looked up at Kaye, eyes big. "There was a - um - A tattoo in his neck. Curled a bit, I think. Maybe a snake?"
The tall woman rose up and Djodie shakily followed her onto her own feet.
"Home sounds good..." Djodie whispered, nodding at Kaye's words. Slowly looking around them to see if she'd recognise the area, but she didn't. She pulled her phone out of her purse, touched the 'home' on the navigator app and handed it over to Kaye - she couldn't even replicate the adress right now. Luckily it was saved as home on her phone.
"Thank you..." She said at the next words. A part of her wanted to stay here, look for Duster, but she also knew that she wouldn't find him here anymore. She didn't even know how much time had passed.
A shiver went over her body and she felt the pounding of her wounds again. "I'm cold..."
And surely Duster was too. Djodie couldn't help but keep staring at the abandoned street that she had lost Duster on. There was no way he had won that fight. The man had probably returnes him to his ball, and was long gone by now...

The woman placed her hand against Djodie's upperback and she let her lead towards the car. The girl still cautiously looking at every side street, every dark corner that was just out the reach of the citylights. Involuntairily leaning a bit more towards Kaye whenever the passed a dark corner. Scared of what might jump out. Her mind fooling her, creating pictures with which she had trouble to tell what was really where and what was not.
Her attention was drawn back to Kaye as the woman let her go and wrapped her own coat around Djodie. Thankfully she grabbed the front, holding the - rather large - coat to her body.
"Thank you," she absentmindedly let her fingers glide over Kaye's hand as a thank you.

Kaye gave her a pokéball, asking her to hold it, as he was groeing nervous in her pocket. Djodie wrapped a hand around it and placed the ball to her stomach, like hugging it. The ball kept still, but she didn't know if it was comfortable or confused.
"What is in it?" Having no clue what species she could think of with Kaye. She wouldn't be surprised be something large, strong.

As they drove in the street that Djodie recognised again, she pointed at a parkingspot. Kaye parked, and when they got out, Djodie carefully handed her the ball again. Without thinking, she grabbed the woman's hand as she walked in front of her to her apartment.
By the door, Djodie let go to search for her keys, and tried to open the door. Her hands kept shaking and she just couldn't manage to get the key in. Come on now.

Warm hands closed around her own small, cold shaky hands, as Kaye hold her hands still and helped her guide key into the door and opening it. As the click was heared, the woman pulled her hands back, and Djodie stepped into the appartment. As the readhead pushed the lightswitch, multiple small lights around the window lit up, as wel as a stronger light by the kitchen. Leaving her small living room in a warm and soft aesthetic.

As Djodie closed the door behind them Kaye turned to her. Asking her to sit down while she would find something to take care of Djodie's wounds. As she asked where the bathroom was, Djodie pointed to two doors in the back. "The left - no, right - I can't remember now. One of those doors." she said with an apologizing smile and carefully took off Kaye's coat, hung it over one of the chairs and carefully got herself out of her own coat.
For a moment, Djodie turned a small circle around her feet, not sure where to sit down, then finally made her way towards the couch that was covered with blankets in multiple soft colors. She sat down, pulling one of the blankets over her legs for she was still cold - and so that the blood from her arm wouldn't stain her couch if it would start to drip.

The bright blue eyes fixated on one of the pillows. That had once be bright white, but now had a brown greyish color, due to Duster laying on it all the time. Shit. Tension and fear started building up inside her again, as her leg started twitching and she was unable to keep it still. As Kaye had returned to her, the girl gazed her bright blue eyes at her.
"Why would that man take Duster..." Djodie looked at Kaye, as if expecting or hopeing for a sort of magical explaination that would make sense to her. But she knew that Kaye couldn't give her that sort of explaination. It wasn't fair to ask that of her.

Kaye sat herself down on the edge of the couch, facing the red headed girl. Djodie looked at her with big eyes as the woman answered that it would be hard to tell why the man had taken Duster. Djodie let her eyes down, still finding it difficult to process.
The woman pulled Djodie out of her toughts as she talked Djodie through her actions, and Djodie nodded. Kaye cupped her cheek while softly wiping a washcloth over her cheek with the other hand. For a moment she held in her breath as she felt the woman's warm hand against her still cold face. Unconciously leaning into her hand just a bit.

'I'll be carefull,' the words instantly brought Djodie back to that night in Kaye's apartment, as she had said those exact words, when Djodie had confessed her nerves. Just before...
Just before she had kicked her out the morning after. But here they were.

Djodie's eyes rested on Kaye's pale blue ones, as she followed her gaze. Mostly focussed on her cheek, but occassionaly looking upto hers. As Kaye let her hand down the woman asked for her injured arm. Djodie carefully pulled up the sleeve of her shirt. As she noticed it was stuck, she dipped her fingers into the bowl with water and let it drip over her arm, causing her to be able to pull the fabric from the wound softly.
A bit hesistant, she stretched her arm out to Kaye.
"Thank you," she spoke softly, not completely understanding why Kaye had even answered her call.

Djodie scootched a little closer as she felt Kaye pull her wrist, letting it rest on her lap. As Djodie had thanked her, Kaye stopped in her motions for a moment, looking at her. 'For what?' Djodie tilted her head a bit, quickly lowering her eyes as she noticed the slight discomfort on Kaye's face. Slightly smiling by the woman's next words. Deciding not to answer, not wanting to make Kaye more uncomfortable.

She felt the grip on her wrist tighten as Kaye warned her that it might sting a bit. Djodie watched her put down the washcloth and grab the bottle of desinfectant. Djodie whimpered and couldn't hold back the reflex of trying to pull her arm back. As expected though, she was no match for Kaye's strength. As she tried to relax again, feeling something boil up inside her, as the woman wrapped her arm with the bandage. As she was done, Kaye let her wrist go and put the bandages back onto the table.

A silence fell, and Djodie noticed the tension rise inside the woman in front of her. Before she could say a word, Kaye had stood up from her couch, saying that she needed to leave.
Djodie's legs stuck into her blanket prevented her from rising quickly, so she just grabbed Kaye's hand without thinking. "You don't," as she realised what she was doing, she let the woman's hand go, felt her face redden but fought the urge to look away.
"I would -." She wasn't sure what she wanted to say. "You don't have to go." She said quietly. "I want you to stay." she clenched her jaws together.

"Please."

For a moment there was silence, where Djodie felt her nervousness grow under the pale blue eyes that where fixated on her. She kept holding onto Kaye's hand, refusing to let go, scared for what answer might come.
As she was about to try and persuade her to stay, Kaye's answer mare it clear that there was no need for that.

A bit of a surprised look painted her face, as she had fully expect Kaye to reject her question and leave. Djodie smiled as the woman sat down and put her arms around a pillow.
My my, was there something soft underneath that sturdy surface? Pushing that thought away, knowing fully well that it was the middle of the night and there was no guarantee that Kaye would be here the next morning.
As a matter of fact, Djodie expected her to be gone at the time she would wake up tomorrow morning. Her doe-like eyes looked at Kaye as the woman asked if she could do anything for her. Tea, coffee - alcohol.
Djodie shortly raised an eyebrow. Alcohol, well, that turned out so great last time. With a smile in the corner of her mouth, she shook her head. "I've let the alcohol stay aside for a couple of days. But tea will do, thank you." For the moment not realising that Kaye wasn't familiar in her place, and that she should've pointed the places out, but her mind simply wasn't put of for that as of right now.

As she gazed to the clock on the wall, she noticed it was close to three in the morning. God, no wonder she was this tired. In the back of her mind, the question lingered: what now? She was still too tense to even want to sleep alone; seeing figures in the shadows of her appartment, but she knew she couldn't ask that sort of thing from Kaye.

Djodie kept focussing on the sounds of the woman in the kitchen, to keep her mind distracted, away from making figures in the dark that weren't there. She pulled the blanket up to her waist as if that would protect her. As her eyes drifted off to Duster's pillow again, her hand started plucking at the self-sticking bandage to keep occupied.

Kaye quickly returned with a mug of tea, saying she hoped she'd get the flavor right. "I'm sorry - I didn't think to ask." However, the strawberry smell rising from the mug made her smile and an approving sound followed quickly. Her mind was a mess, she hoped the woman would understand.
As she wrapped her hands around the mug and softly blew to cool it off, Djodie listened to Kayes next words. She placed the mug back onto the table and kept quiet for a moment, forming her words.
"I am not, normally I'm more of an early bird." Djodie smiled. "I just, I guess you could say I've neglected him a bit for the last week or so. Wasn't in too good of a mindspace -" Stop talking. Djodie clenched her jaw for a moment, figuring out what to say now. She didn't want to offend the woman or put her in an uncomfortable situation.
"Listen, I guess I overstepped a bit last time. I am sorry, I did not want to make you uncomfortable or worse. I am sorry if I did something wrong."