She tied you to a kitchen chair...

[lockpick]

[The shifting of the continents had done a number on the landscape. Paths that had been clear were prone to landslides, stable caves more likely to collapse unexpectedly. Locke knew that, and he was always careful to pick the path of least resistance when he was traveling. Unfortunately, there were never any guarantees.]

[He came to slowly. Locke couldn't remember all of it, but he didn't need to open his eyes to know what had happened. His head was killing him. Distantly, he could feel himself bleeding at the temple. Worse, it was strangely hard to move. He took a careful breath. Celes would-]

[Celes. That was enough to shock him into action. He took another breath, deeper this time and thinking more clearly, and attempted valiantly to open his eyes.]

Comments

randomly, two months later

[lockpick]

[He drops down in front of her, close and crosslegged. Hesitates a moment, then reaches up carefully to pull her blood-stiffened hair away from the wound.]

I would have helped if you didn't tie me up.

[There isn't any real heat in it, but the humor is weak as well.]