Whitzz/544K-RP-Datasets huggingface dataset:
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

As soon as Emily closed the bathroom door, Blake got a small paper bag and walked over to where she had set her bottle. He slid his pinky into the orifice, then placed the bottle carefully in the bag and rolled the top down to secure it. A few minutes later he was on the phone with an old buddy. Hey, I need you to do me a favor. Can you send a runner to pick up a sample for DNA and prints? What the fuck are you doing, Bridger? Thomas gazed across the precinct office. Even at that late hour, cops were booking peoplle and filing out paperwork. Like the Emergency Room, the police department never slept. Possible missing person or runaway. Live. I'll send you a few pics from my security cam. Did someone break into your place? No, nah - nothing like up. Just someone I picked up. What? Thomas nearly spoiled his coffee. Not like that. She was going to jump into the Hemlock River. She's here now, taking a shower. Shit, Bridger. You know how to pick them. Just send a runner. It'll be outside my door. He had to laugh. Thomas was right to assume the worst about Blake's intentions. After all, he knew him through his crazy early days in the service when everyone thought they were invincible. By the time Emily was done with her shower, Blake had the table set. Seared flank steak sliced thin, garlic bok choy, quinoa with red beans, a creamer kale salad, and cheese rolls were portioned onto two plates. Glasses of iced water and a shallow pour of Merlot sat next to each plate. He had already downed his customary after run protein shake and the glass had been washed and put away. He was just finishing up the dishes and drying them to put away when she slipped out of the bathroom. The stream seeped into the rest of the apartment, making the air more intimately humid. You're welcome. He guestured towards the table, palm upwards, at her request for water. Make yourself at home while you're here. I just ask that you pick up after yourself, but you never have to ask for food or drink. He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, standing behind it. If she sat in the chair he would assist her in pushing it in, but if she sat in the cady corner chair he'd sit in the one he pulled out.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

Emily was left speechless at the meal he had prepared while she had showered. It looked and smelled amazing and she looked first at the table then at Blake in awe. At first she didn't seem to notice his gesture to sit down, but when he pulled the chair out for her, she blushed a bit and finally moved again, sitting down in the chair he had moved for her. I will pick up after myself. Promise. She swore, while looking on the plate in front of her. Wow....it looks and smells amazing Emily complimented softly and smiled over at Blake shyly. She didn't dare to start eating before he did, not wanting him to think she was taking advantage of him being nice to her. But as soon as he started eating, she drank half of her glass of water, then started eating too. I don't think I have ever ate any of this...it is really good. The more she ate, the more she realized how hungry she had been and how incredibly good this entire meal was tasting. She got herself to eat slowly, savor each bite but never once sipping from the wine. Seeing the effect it had on her parents had scarred her for life and she had vowed to never touch a drop of alcohol. It scared her, that Blake could drink. She knew what happened to men that drank alcohol. They lost control. And came after her. I...I will sleep on the couch, yes? And...you in your bedroom?...Do you lock the door? she asked hesitantly, after eating half of her plate. Maybe if he locked himself in, she wouldn't need to worry so much about him changing his mind or the alcohol making him do things to her.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

She seemed genuinely modest, or perhaps she played it well, but Blake didn't sense any deceit in her compliment of the dinner, and when she waited to eat until after he picked up his fork he assumed that meant she had been raised by polite parents. He wondered what would cause a person to leave home. As she downed half the glass of water he heard the soft steps outside his door that signaled Thomas's runner had arrived. Blake hoped that the tests and her identity would solve the mystery of his guest. He allowed her to eat without pressing her for answers to his many questions. She didn't seem picky, which lead him to assume that she either was well-traveled, and thus learned to adapt to any culinary situation she was presented, or she was regularly starved. Looking at her lean form he wasn't sure which was more likely to be accurate, but she ate with a gusto that leaned towards the latter. Her question about the bedroom caused him to widen his eyes slightly. Lock my door? Why would I do that? Unfortunately it hadn't occurred to him that her trepidation had anything to do with alcohol, so after he asked his question he raised the glass of wine to his lips and took a sip. He saw the involuntary way her expression reacted to the wine, and then assessed her body language - changed pupils, pale lips, arms held close to her body... she was scared. Of him. Well, that wasn't going to work. I am going to sleep in my bedroom, and you on the couch. He reaffirmed. There's no reason for me to close or lock my door, unless you happen to be a sleepwalking homicidal maniac. Blake smiled at her, amused at his own joke. He leaned forward and rested his left forearm on the table. Emily - you're going to have to eventually explain to me what happened to bring you to that bridge tonight. My goal isn't to hurt you. I wouldn't have saved you if it had been. I'm here to protect you, and the first person I'm protecting you from is yourself.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

She winced lightly when he asked why he would lock his door. Of course, he had to be mocking her. It was a stupid question, she realized that now after asking. And it was rude. She was in his home and had asked him to lock his door. He would kick her out now. Emily was already preparing herself for getting up and walking straight to the door, when he spoke up again. Slowly she allowed her eyes to meet his as he spoke, not breathing for a moment. He was so nice. And he deserved the truth. Okay. She started after a long moment of silence. My parents hate me. And no, it is no exaggeration. They told me just that since I was two. They never wanted me in the first place but it was too late for an abortion. They are both drug addicts and either drunk or drugged up. My father....he wanted me in a way he shouldn't want his daughter. I slept with my door locked and barricaded every night. Emily spoke slowly, tried to keep the emotions out of her voice but failed as her voice was shaking and she had to clasp her hands together tightly in her lap. I don't have any friends. People tend to like to hate me or at least make fun of me. School was horrible. But I had good grades. I applied for colleges but I never got replies. Not even letters of rejection, just plain no replies. She had to hold back her tears now as talking about all of this was stirring everything back up again. If she knew that her parents had kept every letter she got from the colleges and destroyed them, she would have jumped off of that bridge sooner. And today...today was just the last straw. A customer groped me and out of shock I slapped him. My boss fired me because he believed that I had been asking for it and had slapped him out of nowhere. Emily dared to glance at Blake when she finished, shaking again. That's it. My story, I guess. She added quietly, trying to focus on something other than the pain she was feeling yet again filling up her entire being.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

Either she was on over-reacting drama queen, or she was telling the truth and her life was shit. Whatever the reason was for her story, though, Blake was one to take people at face value. If she claimed that her father had abused her, her mother had hated her, her life was crap and her boss was a fucking moron... well... who was Blake to contradict her? He knew nothing about the people in Emily's life. If she said it was fucked up, then it was fucked up. Blake took another sip of his wine and then laid his fork across the top of his plate. So... I assume, since you applied to college, that you are either close to eighteen or already eighteen. He glanced across the table at her for confirmation. So, now you are out of a job. He finished off the shallow glass of wine and set it aside. The questions are these, then One - do you want to go back home? Two - What do you want to do with your life? And three - what do we do to keep you from trying to end your life again? He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. Emily. There's a reason that we ran into each other. Your life doesn't have to end, or even continue the same way it's been. You have a choice about where you go and what you do. The only limiting factor is you.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

Emily watched him while he spoke, not moving, thinking about what he said. When he said she had a choice, he seemed to believe it, but Emily couldn't. No one wanted her. No family, no friends, no college. Not even a job. Everyone pushed her away, was better off without her. Why would it matter if she had a choice when all that was happening was Emily getting hurt one way or another. I am twenty-two actually. She finally spoke, correcting him about her age. To answer your questions, I don't have a home. The place I could go back to is a roof over my head, nothing more. And no, I don't want to go back. What I want to do with my life doesn't matter. It is not as easy as you think it is. Don't you think I tried? I did....I tried, I tried to be good, I tried to be enough. But apparently I am just a waste of space. My father was right all the time. Tears filled her eyes again and she angrily wiped over them with the back of her hand. She was exhausted and all this talking was only making it worse. I would like to lay down now. If that is okay. She murmured, looking away from Blake.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

She did not look like twenty-two. Blake's first inclination was to disbelieve her, but he decided to wait until he had evidence of who she really was. For now he would treat her as a minor. There was no reason to risk a charge of indecent anything with her, no matter the circumstance. I have no reason to doubt that you really feel that way, Emily. Sometimes we're so close to what is going on that we can't see the rest of the world around us. He slid an index finger along the rim of his glass as he watched the emotions playing across her face. Tears filled her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away before asking to lie down. Of course, he conceded. Just...promise me that you won't do anything drastic tonight, okay? I really need a shower and some sleep. Let's both agree to let this lay until the morning, and then we can talk about what we're going to do next. He wanted to reach across the table and put his hand on hers, but he thought she might flinch or think he was being forward. Right now she was exhibiting a lot of the same signs as some of his men did when they were shell-shocked. Shell-shock. That was the old name for PTSD before they knew that such a thing existed. The good thing about being in the valley of despair was that there was only one way to go. Up. That was, if you let yourself live long enough to see that things changed. Things got better. He stood up. I'll clean up. Let me give you a blanket and pillow - don't worry about this, he indicated the table. I'll get it. He only had his two pillows, so he took one for her. His scent was on it - a mixture of Irish Spring and cologne, but he didn't have a spare pillow case. He didn't usually have a reason to have anyone sleep over, and when anyone had it had been in his bed, but it had been a long time since he'd had that kind of guest. A year or more, actually. He frowned as he considered that fact. Had he really been celibate for over a year? Thankfully he had an extra blanket for winter. He pulled it out of the linen closet and brought it over to the couch for her. Then, once he was sure that she was going to be okay, he excused himself to take a shower.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

Emily couldn't promise anything to Blake but she wanted to show him that she tried, so she gave a nod when he asked for her promise. She waited for him to return with the blanket and pillow, feeling silly that she should let him do the cleaning. But he had said he wanted to do it, so she stayed put. She didn't want him to hit her because she had gone against what he had said. Thank you. She said softly as she took the pillow and blanket from him and went over to the couch. It looked comfortable and she knew she was going to sleep good on it. It wasn't like her 5'2 figure would be too tall to fit on it nicely. Emily waited until Blake was in the bathroom, then finally settled down. She placed the pillow and spread the blanket out over her as she curled up on the couch. Quietly she listened to the sound of the shower, pulling the blanket around her more tightly. She curled up on her side and let the sound of the flowing water sooth her and lull her into a light sleep. She never slept deeply, she always had to be careful, had to be ready to wake up at any second as soon as someone got near her. That was why she woke up again when the sound of the water stopped. She opened her eyes and stared across the room at the TV that was not on. Maybe she could sneak out. Maybe when Blake fell asleep she could quietly leave and go back to the bridge. He thought he could help her but Emily doubted it. She felt so broken, no one could help her. Emily tried her hardest to push all thoughts away, listen to the sounds of the apartment and Blake and fall back asleep. It took her a while, but finally she fell back into a light sleep. Filled with nightmares. In the middle of the night, Emily woke up with a short, soft cry. She sat up, breathing heavily, starting to cry again. Immediately she pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them, hiding her face against her knees. The nightmare had been about her childhood, relieving a day that she never wanted to think about ever again. But her nightmares kept remembering her. She sobbed into her knees, knowing that now it would be impossible for her to fall back asleep.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

The water was warm, and as he ran his soapy hands over his body he tried not to think about the fact that the young woman in his living room had been standing here herself a short while ago, her body bare and wet under the same stream of water. He strained to hear any sounds of her leaving but there was none, and soon he had no other reason to be in the shower other than to post-pone going back out into the apartment. He ran the still-damp towel over the hard lines of his body, drying off the damp crevices and stripping his dark brown, short hair of the majority of the water. It was only once he was dry that he realized he had forgotten to bring anything to change into. He normally didn't have to worry about such things in his apartment, but he had a guest, and not 'that' kind of guest. Blake wrapped the towel around his waist. It would have to do. He could tell from the stiffness in her spine that Emily was still awake. He padded by the couch and into his room, where he pulled on shorts and a t-shirt behind closed doors. He draped the damp towel over his foot board and then went back to small dining room kitchen to clear their dishes from dinner. There was something soothing about the simple act of cleaning. He liked the soap and the hot water, and seeing the shine in the dish once he was finished. There was satisfaction in drying and putting away the tools he had used. Once he was done, the kitchen looked as if no one had used it. Emily was asleep by the time he was done. He sighed, thankfully. A sleeping suicidal girl was safe. For the moment. The sound of soft sobbing woke him from his sleep. He could hear her, and at first he thought that she was just talking in her sleep, but the sounds continued. Blake laid there for a moment wondering if he should interfere. Her sadness broke through his indecision and he sat up in bed. He swung his legs over the edge and stood, the quietly walked out to the living room. The sight of her curled up, her knees tucked against her chest, made him think of her as a child. She looked vulnerable, and he wanted to protect her. Emily? He walked out, not thinking about how she might interpret his presence in the middle of the night. Hey... he said, sitting down on the end of the couch. He placed a hand on her ankle. It was just a dream, Emily. I'm here now.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

At the sound of his voice, Emily tensed for a moment. But she knew that Blake had saved her, had carried her safely in his arms to his home to get her away from bad things. She remembered that she had felt safe in his arms. It took quite a few minutes for her to react to him, the sobbing didn't stop but finally she moved. She unfolded her body and then moved over, more or less crawling into his lap, curling up against his chest. Her arms went around his shoulders and she hid her face against his neck, quietly crying. Please don't send me out there... she whimpered after crying for a minute on his lap. Finally she began to talk to him, mixing up present tense and what happened in her past. They are after me....five boys. They made fun of me because my clothes were old. They hit me and I ran away, ran home. She shivered and pressed against him more, seeking protection like she had when she had run home. My dad opened the door, my mom was yelling who was knocking on it so loudly, disturbing them. He....he pushed me back outside, he saw the boys, saw my red face, the cut lip, he didn't care.....he pushed me back out and closed the door. Emily cried harder again, her entire body shaking with fear from the memory and her tears. They beat me and took away my clothes....they touched me... she broke off after that, just crying into his chest. Her arms stayed tightly around Blake as she failed to calm down. Please don't send me back out there, please. They will hurt me.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

He didn't understand what she meant at first, and even when Emily began to explain to him what it was she feared, he thought she was talking about the present. Was it possible that she was still dreaming? He let her crawl into his arms, then fold herself on his lap, even as the oddity of the situation struck him. What was he doing? She was half-naked, possibly talking in her sleep, and now...crying against his chest. Though Blake had never been a father he instinctively began to stroke her hair and her back, letting her weep as much as she needed for as long as she needed. The boys aren't there anymore, he reassured her. I won't send you anywhere, Emily. You're going to be okay. You're safe. He wondered at the kind of parents who would push their daughter back out like she had claimed. Could people really be so cruel? He had been exposed to another kind of cruelty when he was overseas, where girls were property and men often raped them one day and then beat them for being 'sluts' the next, but he never thought to encounter someone in this country who would push his daughter, even a stepdaughter, out into the arms of her abusers like that. Emily, you're safe. No one is going to hurt you here. Blake wondered what his investigator friend would find. Was she truly an abused runaway? Or was she a con artist? If she was a con artist, why the suicide ruse? He didn't think that she was kidding when she threatened to kill herself - he'd seen desperation in people's eyes before, and she had been desperate. And scared. He let her hold him tight as they sat on his couch. One arm wrapped around her to keep her stable. The other hand gently stroked her head, down her shoulders and back, like one might sooth a frightened filly or a child. She was no child, though. No matter what age she turned out to be, she was certainly mature enough to be thought of as a woman, yet she had that perpetual stunted emotional state, that made her more a woman-child than anything. It was as if she had stopped growing internally at some critical juncture in her youth. He rested her head against hers, listening to her soft sobbing. Eventually the weariness of the day took over, and his eyes slowly closed, until he drifted off to sleep with her in his arms.
Thread: Give it a week (Traveler & Too Many Thoughts)

The stroking of her hair, his warmth and even breathing, all that soothed Emily and slowly lulled her into a light sleep. The tears and the sobbing stopped and she clung to Blake even more tightly as she allowed his presence to sooth her and help her relax completely. She fell asleep with him and stayed in his arms for the rest of the night. Emily had never slept this peaceful before. She felt save and warm, her head resting against Blake's shoulder, her body curled up but snuggled close. He had saved her in more ways than just getting her off of the bridge, but Emily wasn't aware of that just yet. When she woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed, if a little stiff. For a moment she kept her eyes closed, just listened to her surroundings, inhaled Blake's scent. She allowed her fingers to run over his t-shirt covered chest, just feeling the cloth of the shirt with her fingertips. She opened her eyes and looked around the room without moving from his lap. I hope you meant what you said....I hope I have another chance at life....I need help learning how to do this... she whispered, assuming he was still asleep.