18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 65

The first time Rosie got into a fight, it left a deep impression on her young mind. She clung to Jasper's neck, "When I grow up, I'll protect you too." "Alright."

"I'll protect Stella too, and Cooper."

"Alright."

Next, they sold fish, with Jasper showing her the ropes.

Stella listened silently. Jasper's teaching methods were rough, but in a world where order had collapsed, maybe Rosie would have been worse off if they'd stuck to the old ways of kindness and gentleness. "Yes, what your brother taught you isn't wrong."

Curious, Stella asked Rosie, "Have you ever been hungry or been beaten up?"

Rosie lowered her head, nervously fiddling with her clothes.

"That's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"When Jasper didn't come home, I was so hungry. My cousin bullied me, and my aunt scolded me."

"Do you want to go through that again?"

"No!" Rosie shook her head vehemently, her voice tinged with a sob. "I don't want to."

"Well, remember that feeling. If anyone ever treats you like that again, you fight back. Don't be afraid. They can't beat you."

"But my aunt said the police would take me away."

"As long as you're not the one starting trouble, the police won't take you away." Stella comforted the little girl, "Today, when you fought, the police didn't come to get you, did they?"

Relieved, Rosie said, "I'll listen to Stella and Jasper. No one will bully me anymore."

Cooper growled his agreement from the side.

tugged at his ear, "Don't encourage Rosie

clenched as she declared, "Fighting

past, she always felt inadequate. She trained hard every day, but was no match for her brother. But after getting into a fight with someone else today, she realized that she wasn't weak. Jasper was just too strong. The boy who tried to steal her candy couldn't even beat

Stella asked, "Rosie, what did

"We got some tools,

wearing on

Stella, did we lose out on brother's fish? Cody and Lukas said we only

long as you think it's worth it,

anyway, Jasper wasn't short

a lighter. Angela

refused, "I have plenty. You keep

hooked. They want to go

staying home for a few days.

the

language. When Rosie finished her homework, Stella sat on the couch to continue her project. Finally, she had finished her first thermal suit for Cooper. She called him over, "Cooper, come here." The suit

was brutal, so Stella had made a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail. There was another hole at the rear end,

wanting to put diapers on Cooper,

looked like he had just come out of a coal mine with

blunt, "It

looking at Stella with innocent eye. 'I didn't mean it,

at the suit: 'Get this ugly thing off me.

is the most handsome dog

more

at

my dog is the most handsome on the

and nuzzled into her arms: 'If I'm so handsome, make me another

change in temperature now, so he didn't react to the suit. When she finished the second suit, she used the leftover fabric to make a suit for Smoky and Snowy. It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't about looking good. As long

pick up Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed him a nail gun,

"Keep it."

was a life-saving tool, and he