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The wheels were starting to turn in ah there Like engineering and chemistry stuff"

"Exactly And we have kids with skills already We could do soet going on really setting this place up for the long terure out how toattacked and eaten"

"I’ed Peter to htly on the back "You’d ratitude It’s nice to be needed"

I pulled away, but left et him for you, Peter"

"Who?"

"Don’t play ga about"

Peter closed his eyes and shook his head When he opened theain, they were as cold as I’d ever seen them "I don’t care what he does He can stay and rot in that stinky swamp as far as I’m concerned"

I dropped my hands from his arms "Peter, don’t say that You know you don’t mean it"

"Don’t I?"

"No, you don’t You’re not that cold-blooded"

"It’s not about being cold-blooded It’s about walking ahen that’s the right thing to do He could have come with us He could have stopped me He made his choice, and noe both have to live with it That’s life out in the badlands"

I shookin a Blade Runner et so hardcore, anyway? What happened toso the ones laid out in front of him "I’ve always been this way People who can’t adapt andleft behind"

I sighed, very frustrated "Could you stop with the papers for a second?" His casual attitude was really worryinga breakdoould be all about hysterics and girly screa Noasn’t so sure that it wouldn’t be a lot of hyper organization and planning like what I was seeing here

"I’ht now Maybe we can continue this conversation later"

"No, maybe we can continue it now," I said, more firmly this tietting a little high-handed, don’t you think?"

"You haven’t even seen high-handed, yet Trustto carry you out of here and force you to talk And I’ after"

"You wouldn’t," he said, his nostrils flaring

"You sure about that?" I asked, raising an eyebroidened rab him around the middle and haul him out of there

He wilted like a newly airless balloon "Fine" He dropped his gaze to the floor "But I’ to like it"

"Come on, you don’t have to like it" I took him by the elbow and led hiate

Once ere out of everyone’s earshot, I spoke again "Listen, I know Trip was a total douchebag blowing you off like that But you have to adh it was obviously tearing hi him up? I don’t think so"

"I talked to Rob He said Trip was miserable after you left It was obvious to everyone he was very upset about you leaving"

"It wasn’t about o?"

Peter tried to keep frowning but he couldn’t totally pull it off A tiny sot bigger "No"

"Bodo?"

"Definitely not"

"Buster?"

"Maybe"

"Maybe heout on the riverbank as we drifted by for the poodle, you dork, and you know it He was glad to be rid of , but he knew he’d see theently "And you pretending that’s not the case is just stupid You’re just bringing the drama" I tickled his ribs a little "Dra but trying not to

"Dra two hands now

"Stop I’m serious!" He tried like heck to pushany of that nonsense

"Admit it!" I yelled playfully "Adood he was close to falling down

"No! Never! And you’d better watch out before I start defendinghins of his iive it your best shot"

I had expected hiht hie he’d planned so sweetly didn’t hitflashed out fro out of od!" I yelled "You just pinched my nipple!" My jaw dropped in shock