Black bird

The coast was clear for their escapade into the new parched land. Xander had been driving for hours. The sun was setting and he had to make it back to the Alpha pack pretty soon. Catherine was beside him glancing out the car window.

 "I just want to take a walk on a street," she breathed into the glass. "Grab a sandwich and watch the birds on the roof of glamour stores."

 "I wish I could tell you this was temporary," Xander held the wheel tightly slowly breathing out. "I just hope as real as it gets to be the rest of your life, it will not be a fatal flaw."

 "I have been at the front end and you have been at the end… what is more to get real," she squinted. "I tried to fit into your world. And I was at the back end, and still felt like I was at the frontier of all the warfare."

Catherine looked away from the window and watched the big ball of fire receding as they approached the mountains.