Story & characters belong to Lauren Oliver.
They shot the Scavengers and finally they were all together again.
Except, that wasn't true. They weren't all together. Not all of them.
He drew her aside as the rest poked around in the rubble for supplies.
Where is she?
Words spoken soft and low, his head bent down towards hers.
Where is she?
He didn't need to say who. She knew.
She just shook her head. He knew. He knew she was gone.
They had to keep strong, for everybody else. Stuffed their grief down deep, pushed it away and hardened themselves. No room for the past, only moving forward, in the bright sunshine alleviating the cold, under the sky they couldn't bear to look at because of it's color.
But later, in the Invalid family's yard, they made sure they were camped a distance away from the rest, and they held each other and cried softly for the baby they'd once held between them, for the quiet, clever little girl with the big eyes, that they had loved.
And still did love.