Niko glanced at John and took the bottle offered to him, taking a mouthful and spluttering slightly at the bitter taste that the cider had. He had expected apple juice, something he was allowed to drink every now and then. Raf noticed his reaction and laughed a little, taking the bottle back as he chowed down into a red apple.

"I guess it's just not your style of drink," Raf spoke, still laughing slightly. Niko frowned and hugged his legs, looking down at his feet.

John put an arm around Niko, rubbing his shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright, Niko." He said, pulling the young man's hair back and away from his eyes. Then he looked back up to Raf. "He's a bit mistrustful, and I can't really blame him." John did feel protective of Niko, viciously so. He was ready to fight any time someone or something tried to attack, but if anything were to turn its focus on Niko, John was sure he would take it personally. He still didn't entirely trust Raf, but paranoia would only serve to make life even harder.

Raf could sense the tension in the air and suddenly didn't feel very welcome. It seemed that John was very protective of this Niko character, and Raf could see why. Niko seemed adorably shy but also weak. He didn't seem the type to be able to wield a weapon or know how to shoot a gun. Raf wondered how the kid had survived for this long. "It's been so long since I've had the company of guys who don't want to rob me or eat me," Raf commented, trying to break the silence. "It's a good feeling, you know? That there is still some good left in the world." He took another sip of the cider and glanced towards the stairs. "But I guess I should leave."

Niko smiled weakly, looking from Raf to John. He didn't know what to do or say, and something about Raf made him feel uncomfortable. He wondered if John remembered the motorbike they saw driving away from the farm after they had heard the gunshots. Niko couldn't help but to think Raf was the one that killed the old guy. What was stopping the man from killing them in their sleep? He just wanted him to leave and never come back.

John grimaced, and shook his head. "No... Look..." He glanced at Niko, then sighed. "We've just been in a rough place. It's hard to trust anyone nowadays, as you know, obviously. Niko here's been in a rough place with guys trying to get things from him, hurt him, treat him terribly. I've been turned on and was almost killed more than I'd like to admit... But look, Raf, if you do get going, take some things to get you through." He stood, motioning to the stock. "I've just been really on edge... there was a motorbike speeding away from here when Niko and I found the place, so it's kind of deja vu to have you come up with a bike that sounds so similar." He put a hand in his back pocket, masking the motion to keep it close to his pistol in case Raf wanted to act like a fool. If he made a suspicious move, twitch, or anything somewhat worrisome, John promised himself to drop the man where he stood. But he seemed genuine. John wanted to believe he was.

Raf scowled. So they had seen him? How could he get out of this one? He looked over to Niko. The boy who had been having a rough life. He appreciated how kind and generous they had been to him, and couldn't bear the thought of lying to them more. He sighed, sitting a little way away from them. "Yes, the biker was me. I'm the one that killed Jeremy."

He saw a twitch of movement and raised his hands up in front of him. "Hey, let me explain!" Niko started slightly, flinching towards John, but holding the man's arm. He didn't want John to shoot Raf without letting the man explain himself. He had never met a murderer before, so his heart pounded in his chest and he started to shake.

"Why? Why would you kill your... friend?" Niko asked quietly, tears springing into his eyes. Raf didn't seem like the type to murder an old man. But the look on his face made Niko curious. He didn't look angry or crazy. He looked sad.

"Look, I know it sounds bad but... Jeremy... He..." Raf couldn't tell them. It hurt too much to even think about. He hugged himself, trying to think of what to say. "He hurt me... And his family... And... When I came back to ask for help he... Refused to give me food unless I... Did things for him... Even before all this he... Would only pay me if I... Did things for him..." He felt tears falling and he sniffed, rubbing his eyes. "Kill me if you want. But know something, I would never hurt you or your kid... I may be a murderer, but I know right from wrong and it would be wrong for me to kill innocents... Kind and caring folks like you..."

John's hand immediately went around his weapon, feeling his steadied rage begin to bubble up. How stupid he'd been... Trusting this man, letting him keep his gun. He growled protectively, but when Niko grabbed his arm, he relented, allowing Raf to speak. But his finger was on the trigger, his arm feeling as if it were wound so tight the slightest shift would send it up and directed at Raf. He wouldn't give the man a chance to draw a weapon on Niko. He wouldn't let anyone harm the young man, ever. His speeding heart began to slow, however, as realization tempered with caution seeped into him.

He still didn't release the weapon. "Ah..." John shook his head. "On... other grounds... under other circumstances... I don't think I would have believed you... But..." His hand went to his side, and he closed his eyes, pulling Niko close. "I can't really believe I'm trusting you, but I don't think you'd be shitty enough to make something like that up to save your ass." Still, he felt stiff. "Why the hell didn't you just tell me before? Rather than acting like you haven't been back here since running off? Don't forget who you're talking to..." He reached back again, ready for his gun. He worried more for Niko than himself, and that surprised him still. His protective instinct was flared, his desire to keep the young man safe the first thing on his mind. If Raf came at him, or drew on him, at least Niko wouldn't be in the path of that aggression.

"I was... ashamed." Raf couldn't stop crying and he covered his face, feeling like a criminal. If he had told John about it when they first met, the man probably would have shot him on sight. "You have no idea how it feels... To think you love someone and then for it to turn out that you were simply being used..." He sniffed loudly, realising how pathetic he must have looked.

Niko's heart ached for the poor man. Looking to John, he approached Raf, placing an arm around the man's shoulders. "I... I understand... I really do... I know what it's like to be used..." He wrapped his other arm around the man, hugging him tightly. Raf hugged him back, burying his face in Niko's chest. Niko glanced at John, sighing and stroking Raf's dredlocked hair.

"How can you know? You're just a kid..." Raf sniffed again and looked up at Niko, not believing the boy. He was surprised to see Niko look mad at his words.

"I am not just a kid. I am nearly a man! Besides... Something similar happened to me... Before all this happened... I... Killed the person responsible..." he sighed, looking over to John. "I don't want to talk about it."

John shook his head, dropping both hands to his sides. He still had a knife in his pocket, however, so he didn't feel totally vulnerable for either himself or for Niko. "Don't talk about it." He growled to both of them. "None of us need to go back to the shitstorm we left no matter how recent it was." He sighed, forcing himself forward and pulling Niko away from Raf so he could speak to the man more specifically. "Look, whatever happened... I can't say anyone deserved it. I didn't know him, and I don't know you that well right now. But... look... Stay here for a while. Or at least take some things to get by until you find something better."

Stepping back, he indicated the area. "I think this place is safer than upstairs for the most part, as it is. I was about to offer to Niko that we bring some mattresses down here so we'll be more contained and it'll be easier to defend ourselves or hide when we need to. If you're sticking around, you might as well help." He shook himself, looking at Niko. "And I think working on something might take your mind off the hard time the guy gave you." He closed his eyes, having a hard time believing that kind, agony-twisted face could belong to a body that did harm. "Think you can do it, or you wanna take off?" John thought he sounded harsh, but the only person he really wanted to coddle---and not that much as it were---was Niko. And even then he was careful not to get too protective of him, hoping he could handle things a bit easier as they came to be.

Raf didn't want to feel like a burden or a threat, but Niko seemed to trust him and because he did, John had lowered his tone. Even though he didn't want to be in this place, the house that had caused him so much misery, he thought that it would be nice to have some company, even if it were for just a little while. He sniffed and nodded, picking up the bottle of cider and drinking the rest of it. "I'll stick around for a bit, if you'll let me."

Niko smiled softly. He wasn't so wary of Raf now he understood what had happened to the man. They had a lot in common, though Niko didn't want to talk about what had happened to him. John was right, there was no point thinking about the past when they needed to focus on their future, their survival. "We are going to bring all the mattresses down here? But we can't see outside down here... How would we know if someone was sneaking up on the house? We only knew Raf was here because we heard his bike."

John nodded, then turned to Niko, and looked above him to the machines. "These need ventilation." He said simply. He went to the wall and pulled his gun, checking the safety then wedging it up and under a flap in the boards, pulling a bit until a several inch gap showed the outside. "Windows. Jeremy must have boarded them up some time ago." He looked out. "But I only see Raf's bike. Nothing's going on. No one's near." He looked around again. "This'll be safer because we can pile into the hidden area if someone comes by. And if we don't see anyone approach we'll hear them for the busting in they'll be doing trying to open doors and windows."

He looked around. "I don't know what you two are thinking but personally, that's the best idea I see. We stay down here where the best hiding place is, keep our stuff safe in case bandits come sniffing around, it'll be easy to defend the place because we'll see them first." When had he taken on the role of leader? He hadn't asked for it, that was for sure. But he was still a bit wary of Raf and feeling more and more protective of Niko as time wore on. "Look, I grew up in a world that was similar to this. Streets, alleys, I had to steal food and scavenge and hide my belongings because others wanted what I had. I got very protective, but watchful too. I make sure I think of every situation and develop the best idea of what to do." He shook his head. "If you think I'm not good at it, I'd love to give you the reins." He nodded to Raf.

Raf listened to what John said, nodding with agreement. It seemed that the man did know what he was talking about. Raf would have loved to have met him earlier, because he had suffered from bandits and trusting the wrong people before. "No, no, I think you know what you are on about. You just take care of yourself and Niko, and I will follow suit, until I decide it is time to move on." Would he be sticking around? He didn't know.

Niko smiled, going over to the windows and peering out of the cracks in the boards. "I can see your bike Raf! It's so cool, you might want to hide it so no one steals it." He poked his tongue out at the other man, going to John and hugging him tightly. "You know what you are talking about, because you are smart, John. I'm glad we met each other."

John pulled his hand through Niko's hair and shook his head. "Hell, I'm not really smart... When it comes to this crazy life I might be a bit... better equipped than most people..." He shrugged a little, petting Niko and hugging him quickly. "Raf, you do whatever you got to. Stay or go, I won't stop you. Hell, I'll help you take some things for the road, but not more than you'll need for... I'd say two weeks if you stretch it. We can't go wasting things. Best thing, in my opinion, is you sticking around to near the end, then if you want to head off, you can."

John looked to Niko, hoping he wouldn't be separating the two that had so much in common. But he couldn't force Raf to stay, and would never send Niko away. Did he even want to follow Raf? Would he? John didn't want him to go---he finally felt useful, rather than a singularity scavenging, being lied to, deceived, killing those that might somehow bring humanity from the brink of the extinction it had forced itself to. He didn't want to be alone anymore, and if Niko left... or was killed... or kidnapped... He shook his head of the thought. "Wanna help me bring some mattresses down here? Enough room for a couple." He moved around a bit, feeling the area. There was enough room for two mattresses and then some room to walk and move about comfortably. Enough room in the hidden pantry to stow their bags, and themselves if necessary.

Niko grinned at the challenge, rushing upstairs without another word from John. He found one mattress and started trying to drag it off the bed. It was a lot harder than he thought and was glad to see Raf had followed him. "It's heavy," he said to the man, who laughed slightly, but seemed sad. Niko glanced at the bed and wondered what had happened on it to make the man seem so hesitant to touch it.

"The girl died in this bed... I wouldn't feel right taking it and sleeping on it..." Raf said finally, looking away and trying to forget the cries of the girl's parents. "Hey, I know he kept some spare mattresses in the closet... In the hallway. Maybe we could use them...? I'd have nightmares on any other mattress..." He shuddered to prove his point. He glanced at John, who had caught up to the two. "You agree...?"

John followed the two, making sure to check outside one more time before he abandoned the basement. Jumping up the stairs, he reached them in time to hear what had happened on the mattress and inside, his stomach clenched. How awful... He'd slept in some terrible places, but if he knew someone died there he would rather sleep on the bare street, even in the coldest of nights. "Yeah, sure I do." he nodded his reply, turning and going down the hall, pulling doors open as he did. Halfway down he found what Raf had mentioned, several twin mattresses stuffed side-by-side in the dark, musty-smelling space. He pulled one out easily, sliding it against the wall, following suit with the other two. "Okay, seems they're light. Just toss them down the stairs and they'll slide their way on." He pushed one, making way for Niko and Raf to follow suit as he let it go and hurried out of the way.

Niko carried his towards the stairs, pushing it along the wooden floorboards. The mattresses looked comfortable enough, but smelt musty and made him sneeze. He tossed it down the stairs after John's, giggling slightly as it slid down and came to a rest on top of the other. "It looks like they are sleeping together," he commented, which made Raf smile slightly. He watched Raf toss down his, and then the trio went down the stairs after the mattresses. With some help, they managed to get all three down to the basement, along with blankets and sheets Niko had discovered in the linen closet yesterday.

It took a bit of maneuvering, but they seemed to work well together. John had a feeling Raf might be an asset to them, but more numbers meant more danger. More chances to be seen. More need for clean water, edible food. But then there was the added security. The extra set of eyes. Two to keep Niko safe. Someone to relate to. The benefits almost outweighed the hinderances, almost. But it was Raf's decision in the end. Niko liked him well enough, after all, and he wouldn't deprive the younger man of someone that could relate to his past. They settled the mattresses side by side in the corner, away from the hidden pantry, and spread the bedsheets Niko had found. John went back upstairs, digging some extra pillows out of the cabinet above where Niko had found the sheets.

"We'll be able to switch watches come nighttime." John said to Raf, looking out of the window he had slightly uncovered. "It should be three-hour shifts I think, you in?" He looked Raf's way. "And you might like to hide your bike, you can take some of the ruined sheets and cover it up behind the well." He looked toward Niko, smiling a bit. He had a good reason to keep going, now, at least.