Chapter 2
Before they go anywhere, Harry insists on braiding Zoey’s hair.
As Sirius sets about moving the bed out of the room, Harry sits Zoey down on the couch and digs his fingers into her hair. The tightly curled locks are not as loose as Harry remembers them to be before Zoey had to cut her hair. Zoey has a small bag of accessories she managed to collect over the months, along with several thick toothed combs and a brush that’s seen better days. Harry ignores most of the implements, weaponizing one such comb to tame her sleep-crazed hair as she talks about what she wants him to see first. It’s a long list; Harry feels like she’s been carefully curating it for a while, as she mentions them, one-by-one, without a pause in between or correcting herself. Harry listens with half an ear as he begins braiding her hair, the sound of her voice and the feel of her curls calming Harry far more than Sirius’ presence in the apartment.
“What do you think?” Zoey breaks Harry out of his reverie.
Not actually having registered anything, Harry ties off the braid with a brightly coloured, sparkly elastic and replies, “Sounds good to me.”
“Did you even hear me?” Zoey asks in teasing tone.
“Sure did,” Harry lies, leaning her head back to plant a quick smooch on her forehead. “Done, how do you like it?”
Zoey hops to her feet like an overcharged bunny and flies into the bathroom, “Oooo! I love it!” Harry quirks a quick smile as he stands, Zoey zooming back into the living room in sheer excitement. She runs right into him and he just barely braces for impact as she hugs him tightly, “Thank you, Harry.”
“You’re welcome,” Harry murmurs, feeling like he got more out of that than she did.
Zoey pulls back and grabs his hand, “Come on, you’re going to love Sanctuary, Harry.”
“I sure hope so,” Lucille comments with a warm smile as she and Negan emerge from their room. “Be good, okay?”
“They’ll be fine,” Negan assures Lucille as he leans in and steals a kiss from her. “Mm, that’s good stuff. See you down there later?”
Zoey rolls her eyes at the loving scene but Harry can’t help smiling as Lucille giggles, “Of course. Go on, now and for the love of God, don’t do anything stupid.”
“I would never,” Negan purrs, Harry turning away as the man leans in towards Lucille again to murmur things into her ear. Harry and Zoey make faces at each other as Lucille giggles even more under Negan’s raucous flirting.
“Ew,” Zoey complains to herself. “Come on, already!”
Lucille snorts and laughs, “Get going you. I’ll see you later.”
“Oh yes, you will,” Negan replies in a deep voice.
“Ugh,” Harry finally gives in. Though he finds their shenanigans amusing, there are times when he really doesn’t want to be party to them.
Negan laughs, the deep baritone sounding much lighter through his amusement, “Alright, alright, let’s go.”
---
"You're going to love Sanctuary, Harry," Zoey says again, practically vibrating from excitement.
Harry doesn't really blame her. From the little he took in during the trek up when he arrived, Sanctuary was incredibly secure and clean. Harry saw no garbage laying about, there were tables arranged neatly sprouting green things and everyone looked healthy, happy. There were several guards at every fence and sprinkled generously throughout the compound. All of them seem to wear the same colours; a dark jacket, white shirt and blue jeans. Uniforms, almost, to signify guard from residents. Or Savior, possibly. Inside the building had been a slightly different story, quiet chatter from those hanging in the halls but most of the residents retired for the evening by then, so there were considerably less people about.
This morning, though, people are working at stations down below, walking around with confidence, moving things, talking, laughing. The noise generated from their conversations echo off the walls, blending together in a cacophony of indecipherable sound. On the metal catwalks, Harry watches as every resident they pass stands aside respectively, hands and arms within view. Most Negan acknowledges by name, a quick pat to the shoulder or light knuckle tap to the upper arm, gaining smiles and nods alike. It really is something to see, Negan being a charismatic leader of a group of people that feel safe enough to actually interact with. It's hard to say exactly what the girls of the Commune felt about their Leader but they didn't exactly react to the Matron like the residents of Sanctuary do to Negan. It eases something inside Harry he hadn't realized was tense.
"If Harry doesn't, I think Lucille will need to rename it," Negan chortles, Zoey giggling at the apparent inside joke.
Harry's brows furrow but he isn't given a chance to ask, as they clear an open doorway and the rest of Sanctuary is laid out invitingly. Tables and shelves of dirt with green sprouts reaching out for the sun. There are several people watering the plants with what looks to be unfiltered water and more tend to the corner lot of dirt. There is a desk and board set up near the gate with a woman tending it and a line of people waiting patiently. Groups of residents stand around, talking, laughing far more quietly than those inside but nonetheless joyful. There is a large guarded shed near the opposite corner from the gardens and from what Harry can see, a steady stream of people entering and exiting the building from somewhere underneath them. The fence runs around the side of the building by a large enough margin that Harry believes there’s something else around the corner.
A hand drops on Harry's shoulder and though he flinches a little, he also relaxes. Negan's voice sounds out over his head, "Quite a sight, hey? Never gets old."
Harry didn't realize he had stopped to look. He glances up at Negan and nods, "I saw it all on the way up but it's…"
"Different from up here," Negan finishes in an understanding tone. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I just stand here and take it all in."
Zoey comes around to Harry's other side and leans onto the railing with her own smile, "I do, too. It's weird to remember how empty this place used to be, compared to what it is now."
"How long did it take to get to this?" Harry murmurs, still enraptured by the sight of so many happy, content people. No one is being subjugated, no one is being judged on their usefulness. Just seeing the stark difference between the Commune and Sanctuary is as mind boggling as it is comforting.
Negan leans onto the railing, hands clasped together, "Months. Our numbers only stabilized last month or so and the tables and field there were planted not long after. The winter was pretty hard and drew a lot of people out of the wilderness for warmth and security. Lucille and I have been initiating contact with the other communities in the area as well. We’ve actually got a few from Hilltop staying with us." Negan's grip firms a little before patting once, "Let's go. You two can explore later."
It takes Zoey gently pulling him along that Harry finally breaks his examination of the grounds to follow.
Negan leads them to a large room with a round wood table near the centre. Six people are sitting at the table, with a lot of similarly dressed men and women standing around. The walls are hidden up to a certain point by paper; maps, notes, pictures. One section, Harry sees a rather well drawn rendition of himself atop a couple of maps of Washington with plenty of red x's and lines. As he realizes what that means, a lump forms in his throat.
Even Negan had been looking for him.
"Alrighty, people!" Negan claps his hands, instantly gaining everyone's attention. Multiple eyes drop from Negan to Harry in the next second, curiosity and recognition making them light up. "Nice to see ya'll show up, I have someone to introduce to you!"
All eyes fall on Harry, then, and someone blurts out, "Holy shit, he's shorter than I thought."
Negan laughs a deep, bellyful laugh, setting his hand on Harry's shoulder just as someone else slaps the speaker upside the head, "This is Harry, though I doubt I need to tell you guys that. Harry, the ones in the smashing jeans are just some of my Saviors and these self important bozos," here, Negan winks at the ones sitting at the table, gaining eye rolls. "Are the Council. Go on, introduce yourselves."
A woman, her skin a creamy light brown with very short, blonde hair gives a lazy salute, "Hey, I'm Arat. I'm in charge of Security inside Sanctuary. Nice to finally meet the infamous 'Harry'." She’s studying him with some interest.
Harry nods to her, not getting a chance to respond as a man in a lab coat clears his throat and introduces himself, "I'm Emmett Carson, I'm the only doctor here and thus in charge of the overall health of the residents. When you've settled in, I would like to see you for a physical and general check up."
Harry, though wary, acknowledges the doctor anyway. It's good that Sanctuary has an actual doctor available. Though Harry has planned on healing those in need, it's better to have someone actually trained around to keep an eye on the health of the residents. Doctor Carson can certainly train other people how to determine the ails of the body far more effectively than Harry can, as the Knowledge just comes to him. He doesn't know the why or how behind certain ailments, just how he can fix them.
There is a rather large, portly man sitting next to Arat that nervously waves, "Hey, I'm Joseph. People around here call me Fat Joey," here, he gives a self-deprecating laugh. "I'm Chief Engineer. I keep all the machines going around here, so you'll see me messing with somethin’ or other. Nice to meet you."
"You, too," Harry finally manages to say. It's unfortunate that people call him that but it seems like Joseph doesn't mind it. Nonetheless, Harry does mind it and resolves to call the man by his given name.
A skinny, gaunt man with a light tan speaks up, "The name's Dennis. I'm in charge of waste removal."
Short and to the point. Harry bobs his head at Dennis.
"I'm Gavin," another man next to Dennis pipes up. He has light coloured eyes and short curly hair. "I'm in charge of all construction projects. You need something built, I'm the guy to talk to."
Harry nods with a, “Nice to meet you,” and looks at the last member of the Council. A woman, with long brown hair and kind eyes smiles and says, "I'm Sherry. Lucille recently put me in charge of Food Distribution. It's nice to meet you, Harry."
"Same," Harry replies, managing a smile back.
"The Council was formed when Sanctuary grew too big for Lulu and I to manage on our own," Negan asserts, looking at each with his own smile. He then points to a man, balding with dark eyes and a moustache. "That's Simon. He's my second in command for the Saviors."
Simon's lip curls, just shy of a sneer as he looks Harry up and down but doesn't say anything.
"Alrighty, all’a Saviors except for Simon, get back to work," Negan jerks his hand over his shoulder. The group of similarly dressed men and women file out, all nodding at Negan respectfully as they go. "Okay!" Negan claps his hands, looking around at the Council. "I brought Harry here for two reasons. Reason one is done and done, reason two is that we need to talk to you guys about something." Everyone perks up curiously. Negan settles a hand on Harry's shoulder again, "This needs to be kept between us for now, capische?"
There are a smattering of nods around the table. Zoey helpfully goes to the door and shuts it, earning a quick smile from Negan.
“Must be serious,” Sherry murmurs quietly.
"I want you to suspend your… disbelief for now," Negan warns lightly, walking past Harry to approach the table. "Because what I'm about to tell you is going to sound fucking batshit. It's imperative this stays in the room until further notice, got me?"
"Spit it out, Negan," Arat drawls in a bored tone, her eyes flicking to Harry and then back to Negan.
Negan points at her, "Watch it.” He looks at every council member as he continues. “Understand me when I say this: if I find out this got out of the room before I say so, all of you will be thrown into the Pit until further notice," he stares each of the Council members down, his voice hard and unyielding. Joseph nods rapidly, Doctor Carson, Gavin and Sherry following suit. Arat quirks an eyebrow but sighs and makes a vague shrugging motion. Dennis nods shortly and Simon shifts to the other foot, giving Negan an affirmative when the Leader's eyes narrow in on him. Negan backs off a bit and cracks his neck, "Good. We're telling you this now because of the impact it's going to have on Sanctuary and our friendly community allies. A lot of shit is going to change in a short period of time and as our representatives, you will need to do the majority of the legwork as Lucille and I will be busy managing other shit."
"What's this groundbreaking revelation, boss?" Simon asks in a bored but respectful tone.
Negan looks at Harry, who shrugs, "They aren't going to believe me."
"Believe what?" Dennis says in exasperation, clearing losing patience.
"Practical demonstration?" Negan speaks over Dennis, tilting his head.
Harry narrows his eyes at Negan, "If you hurt yourself to prove it, Lucille will hurt you."
Negan pales a little but says, "Well, shit doesn't leave this room, so she won't know. Right?"
Harry glances at Zoey and winks, watching her slow grin and minute nod. Then he cocks his head and shrugs, "You're the Leader."
“I like how vague this revelation is turning out,” Arat drawls in a bored tone.
Negan seems troubled but gamely rolls up his sleeve and then takes out his knife. Negan studies them for a moment and then tells them, "Harry can heal people."
"What?" Sherry intones flatly. Everyone shifts in alarm, and then stands, as Negan proceeds to stab his arm with the knife, grunting harshly and hissing in pain. At the same time, Arat blurts out, "What the fuck, Negan?"
“You idiot!” Harry immediately pulls the knife out, healing the wound quickly as he continues to scold the infuriatingly stupid man, "You could have just cut yourself!"
"Not as dramatic, hey?" Negan jokes, his face smoothing out as the pain recedes and the wound heals over without a scar.
"Holy fuck," Sherry breathes incredulously.
"Impossible," Doctor Carson says flatly at the same time Arat blurts out, "Bullshit."
"Shit!" Joseph, Gavin and Dennis intones together.
Simon simply whistles in astonishment.
Negan raises his bloody arm and shows everyone the lack of injury, "Like I said, Harry can heal. He's going to be at the centre of most of the changes happening within and outside Sanctuary. You will be in charge of informing the people under your command about what will be happening when the time comes. Simon."
Simon straightens, looking at Negan but apparently unable to control the quick glances towards Harry and Negan’s healed arm.
"Sirius will be Harry's main bodyguard but I want you to make sure Harry has plenty of security when he leaves Sanctuary," here, Harry looks at Negan but he's ignored. "Arat." The blonde woman sits up, no longer bored. "I want priority security on Harry and Zoey at all times. They are not to leave Sanctuary unless I specifically say they can. Got it?"
Harry scowls, he needs to talk to Negan about that. He won’t be corralled and kept within Sanctuary. He needs the freedom to leave the walls when he feels like it... or he doesn’t see a future here. He refuses to be locked away again, even if the entirety of Sanctuary is a lot bigger than the White Room.
Arat nods seriously, "Alright. Got it, Boss."
"Don’t I get a say in this?" Harry asks curtly, his jaw clenched.
Negan looks down at Harry and answers, "No."
Harry scowls but accepts it for now. He and Negan will be speaking later.
"Is this why you spent so much of Sanctuary's resources looking for him?" Dennis asks in an even tone. Harry eyes the man, finding something off about it.
"No, you fucking idiot," Negan growls angrily, glaring Dennis down. "He's my kid-" Harry whips his head at Negan's profile, the older man too distracted by his anger to catch Harry's gaze. His kid? Shouldn’t they talk about this before Negan starts claiming stuff? "-and I'll remind you, Dennis, that your wife is unable to work for points right now because of her broken leg and health problems, so don't be bitching about spent resources to me."
Harry is still reeling a bit from that revelation. Does Lucille think the same way? Do they both actually think of Harry as a son to them? Harry doesn't know how to feel about it and shoves it away for now to look at later.
Dennis' face twists harshly, anger radiating from his very pores but seems to realize the error of his words and nods, "Sorry, Boss. Didn't mean to imply anything, I was just askin’."
Negan stares him down for another moment before backing down, "Apology accepted. Anyone else have something to say about it?"
No one says a word. Negan snorts and bobs his head, "I thought so-" Dennis' face twitches but Negan seems to ignore it. "-Simon, any updates?"
Simon shakes his head and drawls, "No, Boss. Still a mystery."
Negan's lips twist but continues anyway, "In a day or two, Lucille and I will be calling a meeting to discuss all of this. We decided to tell you now because Lucille figured you'd need time to digest. This does not leave this room."
"Yes, Boss," everyone answers respectfully.
However, "How far does your healing go?" Sherry asks, in a hopeful tone. "Is it just wounds?"
Harry glances at Negan, who is expressionless, then answers, "I haven't fully explored the breadth of my abilities quite yet."
Sherry settles back in her seat, disappointment lining her shoulders. Harry focuses on her- but gets nothing. She’s perfectly healthy, with the exception of some malnourishment but everyone has that these days. Why is she asking, then? Does she have a family member she’s specifically asking about or is it just curiosity?
Negan suddenly claps, "Alrighty, get the fuck back to work."
Zoey hugs Harry's arm as everyone stands up and files out. Her grip tightens every time someone's eyes fall on Harry but their gazes are far more wary than calculating. Sherry offers them a smile before she leaves, Simon following her out. His moustache twitches but his face is blank, simply giving Negan a nod. Then, the room is cleared.
Negan pulls a cloth out of his pocket and begins to try to wipe the dried blood off his arm. The floor has little puddles of blood, splattered every which way. Negan says casually, "I think that went well."
"You stabbed yourself," Harry replies tartly, crossing his arms. "Next time you do something stupid like that, I'm not healing you."
"Ah, it's fine," Negan dismisses with a scoff, waving the cloth belligerently. "Now I'm even more bad ass to these people. Who else can say they can stab themselves without hollerin'?"
Harry rolls his eyes, catching Zoey doing the same. He nudges her a little, "Shall we go?"
Like lightning zipping up her spine, Zoey revs right back up with a megawatt grin, "Yes!"
"No leaving Sanctuary," Negan orders gruffly, giving Zoey a side-eye.
Zoey huffs in exasperation, "Why would I need to go anywhere?! Harry's here, Dad!"
Dad. That's another thing Harry needs to get used to. He had a strong inkling that that's where their relationship was heading before they left the house but it's another thing entirely to hear it. He's really happy Zoey was able to open her heart back up to adults that genuinely care for her. He had been afraid that, with what her Mom did and how her Dad died, Zoey wouldn't be able to make those connections again or would refuse to. He’s glad his fears were unfounded.
Negan waves them off, "Yeah, yeah, Thumbelina. Go on, get out of here."
Zoey squeals, immediately pulling Harry towards the door, "Let's go! Let's go!"
Harry laughs, finding her enthusiasm adorable, "Alright, I'm coming. Please don't take my arm, I kind of need it."
"No, it's mine," Zoey promptly replies with a grin. "I've got so much to show you!"
Oh, how he missed her. Day in and day out, Harry thought about Zoey. Their ritual was the only thing that kept him going in that White Room and through the many, many demeaning training sessions. It's nice to take in her real smile and her real exuberance, to braid her real hair. His memories, though nice, just didn't capture her aliveness.
Harry follows Zoey out the door. They weave through the steady stream of residents on their way up, Zoey smiling at everyone. They smile back and cast curious looks at Harry but they don't ask.
At the bottom, they step onto the pavement. At ground level, everything is much bigger and louder. The desk near the gate has a long line of people, even with how quickly residents reach the desk and leave just as fast. The tabletop gardens have at least one person tending to each, three kneel next to the only plot of dirt within the barriers of Sanctuary. There are guards walking the fences, some standing in strategic locations and watching the passersby almost lazily. The door nearest the two has sounds of lapping water and the large opening on their other side smells almost heavenly. A set of three skinny sheds are in constant use, the sight of buzzing flies a good indicator for what they are being used for.
"Come on!" Zoey pulls Harry towards the gardens first. Harry goes easily, smiling at her excitement. "The gardens are my favourite chore! Emillia and I dug up that section over there! You would not believe how hard it is to dig up even a little!"
"I'm sure it is," Harry replies, finding her enthusiasm endearing. The ground around here doesn't really seem all that suited for growing things. They step up to a table, where a girl not much older or bigger than Zoey is watering the plants. Her hair is short but frames her face nicely, blonde tones with hints of red. Her eyes are light coloured and she seems vaguely familiar.
"Hey Zoey," she greets with a small smile, setting the large watering can down on the corner of the table. "Who is this?"
"Hi Tina," Zoey replies. "This is Harry."
Tina's face lights up in recognition, "Like… that Harry? Your brother?"
“Yeah!” Zoey nods enthusiastically and turns to Harry, "Harry, this is Tina."
Tina's smile widens, "It's so great to finally meet you, Harry." She quickly wipes her dirty palms on her equally dirty jeans and offers a hand in greeting.
"Uh, same," Harry replies awkwardly, pasting on a smile and shaking her hand. Knowledge flares up as he looks at her; she's Type One Diabetic. She needs daily doses of insulin to function. He might be able to heal it. It would have to wait until everyone is informed of his status but he could try. It must suck to be reliant on medication to survive in this day and age, especially insulin as it's non-renewable right now. He hopes she's open to it; Herschel was the first to outright deny being vaccinated after its proven efficacy and had he been awake and aware, he likely would have denied being healed as well. People have strange hang ups sometimes that supersedes common sense. Harry doesn't understand being so dedicated to a religion to the point of self-harm or harm to others.
"What are you guys up to?" Tina asks curiously, picking the can back up.
"I'm showing him Sanctuary!" Zoey replies with a grin. "I thought this should be our first stop!"
Tina giggles, "Good choice! You should definitely show him the field you and Emillia started. I think the potatoes are actually sprouting."
Zoey's face lights up, "Really?! Holy shit! Harry, let's go!"
Harry waves at Tina – she brightens and waves back - and allows Zoey to pull him to the small plot of soil beyond the tables. The two people pulling weeds look up and smile but don't say anything, simply getting back to work. They do steal glances at Harry, though.
Zoey crouches near some small mounds with a single sprout of tiny leaves jutting out. She reaches out and touches the leaves, saying, "Aw! They're so cute!"
Harry couches down next to her, studying the small bud of life and audibly agrees. They are kind of cute. Beyond them are neat rows of equally adorable little sprouts, though he doubts they are all potatoes. He points at the assortment of differing sprouts and asks, "What are those?"
Zoey looks up, "Oh, those are different herbs, you know, for spicing food? I think we planted Thyme, Parsley… Oregano? And maybe Basil? Something like that. Ted grew his own herbs, so he was showing us where to place them and stuff. It was really interesting!"
It's a good idea. Spices are important for food and some could even have medicinal properties. If Sanctuary is expanded, they could potentially grow even more, though probably nothing complicated. This close to the city, the soil is probably contaminated to some degree. Maybe if they managed to find bagged soil but even then.
Zoey stands after a few moments, "Come on! Still got lots to see!"
Harry nods at the two still working and stands, allowing Zoey to take his hand to lead him somewhere else. Tina waves at them with a smile as they go, to which they both return.
The nagging thoughts of what Negan blurted out come swimming back to him, despite how hard he tried to focus on where they are going. His kid. How many people in Harry's previous life have ever said that? His relatives wanted nothing to do with him, the adults in his school years were hands off and by the time the war ended, Harry had been too old for someone to just step into those shoes. He can't remember if Sirius ever mentioned it and Harry suspects the man had not, out of deference to his deceased friends.
Harry is convinced he is still too old for anyone to step into that role for him in this life. He has never known what having parents is like, how it feels to receive that kind of attention, though he vaguely remembers some kind of motherly force in his early teen years. He's witnessed it, from other people with their own families but that's not the same.
"Hello?" Zoey's voice breaks through impatiently, Harry coming back to the present with a dirty hand waving in his face. He jerks back a bit in surprise just as Zoey says, "Apocalypse to Harry! Are you alive?"
"Y-yes," Harry stutters, blinking a few times. "Sorry, Zo. My mind was elsewhere. You were saying?"
She eyes him oddly but seems to let it go, "I'm showing you where the self-defence lessons take place."
Harry looks around, finding a large square drawn on pavement defining what must be the ring. There are a few people currently watching the two inside the ring who are sparring with very little skill. It looks more like street fighting, with flying fists and uncoordinated moves. He wonders if everyone here is just as bad but waves it away. Zoey wouldn't be as proficient as she is if she lacked proper sparring partners.
As if hearing his thoughts - he wasn't mumbling - Zoey helpfully supplies, "Those two are Greg and Travis. They got here a couple weeks ago."
"Hm," Harry acknowledges, watching for another moment.
One of the three on the sidelines glances over at them and perks up, standing with a, "Zoey! Come to practice today? We've missed your enthusiasm the last few days!"
The other two chuckle, waving just as Zoey replies, "Don't lie! You miss the feeling of my shoe up your ass!"
He laughs uproariously, "Sure, sure! Whatever makes you feel better about yourself! Who is this?" He studies Harry from top to bottom, his eyes curious.
"This is Harry," Zoey answers with an excited grin as she gestures to him. Surprise flickers over their faces, the other two standing as well. “Yes, that Harry.” She turns to look at Harry, happy and excited, "Harry, this is Alex, Phil and Johnny. Alex is the main instructor!"
Alex throws his arms up, stepping closer, "We've heard quite a bit about you, Harry! It's nice to finally meet you!"
Harry, feeling a bit overwhelmed but entirely too pleased, reaches out with a small smile, "Thanks. Lovely to meet you too, mate."
Alex's brows raise as he takes Harry's hand in a firm shake, "British! I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that! What are you doing in America?"
"Long boring story," Harry deflects, smiling some more. "Not especially interesting."
Alex shrugs, glancing at Johnny and Phil, "I'd beg to differ but no matter."
The fight in the ring ends abruptly when the two fall over at the same time, landing on their side and rear roughly. They are panting and their faces are red from exertion. Alex turns to say, "That was terrible. Haven't you been practising at all? Again!"
The younger groans, "I need a break! We've been at this for hours!"
Johnny laughs, "Dude, it's been half an hour at most."
"But if you're going to be a baby about it," Phil says in a leading tone, nudging Alex and motioning to Zoey. "Maybe Zoey can show you how it's done."
Alex claps once, grinning widely "Excellent idea! What do you say, Little One?"
Zoey scowls at nicknameand crosses her arms, "I'm busy, if you haven't noticed." She tilts her head in Harry’s direction.
Alex nods sagely, a grin erupting on his face, "Yes, of course but maybe you can spar with Harry, hm?” Alex considers Harry for a second before asking him, “Do you know how to fight, Harry?"
“A little,” Harry shrugs, his hand making a so-so motion.
Zoey narrows her eyes at him, obviously wondering what game he’s playing and then turns back, "Sure, I guess we got time."
Johnny and Phil help the two off the ground and then all five settle around the outside of the ring. Alex looks most interested in everything but Phil and Johnny are mumbling to each other, eyes flicking to the siblings conspiratorially. Zoey stretches her arms quickly, shaking out her hands and rotating her neck. Harry approves of the quick prep and does the same, unable to keep the grin from his face. It's one thing to play fight on the roof of the building, it's another thing entirely to spar seriously.
Harry drops into a ready position, Zoey doing the same and then-
Harry knows he's rusty from his forced inaction over the winter and he's acutely aware he's lost most of his muscle definition. Zoey, on the other hand, has only gained skill and definition, her arms wiry with muscle and her body lean from daily practice. However, even with Harry's setbacks and Zoey's gains, they are fairly evenly matched due to the fact that this world's Harry had practised for far, far longer than Zoey. Muscle memory kicks in after a few grapples and dodges, the adrenalin kicking in, allowing Harry to get into the flow of the fight. He doesn't allow Zoey to pin him, immediately throwing her with his superior repertoire of martial arts because he knows she has the advantage that way but is unable to pin her. She's fast and slippery, almost like an eel, slithering just out of the way of his strikes and grabs to gain a bit of space before sneaking back in for a jab.
Before their forced parting, Zoey had been shaky and unpractised. Harry had hoped she would come into her own with - or without - him and it seems like it had come to pass. Pride wells up, thick and bubbly to the point that he can't keep the wide grin off his face. It must have unnerved Zoey because she finally falters for half a second too long. Harry wrestles her into a mildly painful hold, wrapping his legs around her upper body and neck to immobilize her, keeping her arms locked with his.
"You fucking cheater!" Zoey snarls, wriggling uselessly. She kicks to no effect, not able to reach high enough to hit him. "You did that on purpose!"
"What?" Harry mocks playfully, "I couldn't hear that over your yield!"
"Harry!" Zoey cries angrily, writhing some more but unable to gain traction. "You jerk!"
Harry laughs breathlessly.
Alex joins in, startling Harry out of the bubble they had been in, just the two of them. The older man claps jovially, "Take it gracefully, Zoey!"
Zoey sighs, the tension in her body seeping out, "I yield."
Harry disengages, rolling to his feet quickly. Zoey grumbles as she pushes herself up but her face is flushed and the corners of her mouth are twitching.
"That's very good, Harry!" Alex compliments genuinely, looking Harry over in a new light. "I didn't expect you to be so skilled. Where did you learn?"
"A Dojo back home," Harry replies easily. "Been practising since I was small."
"It shows," Alex nods knowingly. "Zoey is coming along well but it's hard to overcome experience."
Behind him, Johnny gives Phil a few cigarettes with a scowl. Phil smirks as he squirrels the cigarettes away.
"She's much better than the last time we properly sparred," Harry replies with a fond grin aimed at Zoey. She flushes in happiness, almost bouncing in place. He reaches out and pulls her into a one armed hug. "I'm proud of you, Zo. Good job."
Zoey's face crumples and she quickly hides into his shoulder to regain herself. Alex's eyes are fond as he watches, "She is a very eager and fast learner. She has been helping me instruct the newer additions to Sanctuary."
More pride bubbles up. Zoey has been working so hard, day in and day out, to help build this place, to learn how to defend herself, to find him. Pride is replaced by that ridiculous lump that keeps plaguing him. He missed all of it because of circumstances and suddenly finds he's actually really pissed off about it. He missed so much and while he had hoped Zoey grew stronger, he's finding himself feeling despair at missing out. So much time, wasted and gone.
Well... not anymore.
"When do you hold these sessions?" Harry asks, wanting to give Zoey a bit longer to gather herself.
"Every day, sometimes all day because people don't always come at the same time," Alex replies, shrugging nonchalantly.
"He earns points for it, so it's rather a good use of his time," Phil points out, still smirking smugly.
"Alex won't say it because he's humble," Johnny says with a sarcastic tone, glaring at Phil before looking at them. "But he was an instructor for self defence back before shit went down. Haven't seen anyone near his level of ability until Sirius came around."
Alex whistles, shaking his head, "That man has had some intense training. He wiped the floor with me. I'm actually tempted to ask him to instruct a couple times a week. I can certainly use someone of his calibre to whip these guys into shape."
Travis and Greg grimace in the background.
Harry knew Sirius was trained, as their fight in Atlanta was an eye opener. Harry just couldn't keep up. To know that even an instructor couldn't keep up tells Harry that Sirius understated his training. In only ten years… what kind of regiment did his Godfather undergo?
Zoey finally pulls away, wiping at her eyes. No one says anything about it.
"Ready to show me more?" Harry asks her, leaning a bit to look at her properly.
Zoey perks right back up, "Yeah! Come on! Later guys!”
Harry smiles and nods at the others, “It was nice to meet you guys. I’ll be sure to come back for some pointers.”
They all give him a wave as they go.
“Looking forward to it!” Alex crows enthusiastically and then barks out, “Alright, you louts! Get back to it! And put some spirit into it this time! I want to hear grunting and growling, not whining and complaining!”