"Knight! C'mon, really? You have to take the biggest thing from my plate?" She sighed and looked down at the dog who wagged his tail with delight from the left side of her. When she got up from her spot, he almost tripped her as he circled her feet. She gave him a hard look and a scolding.

He only looked at her with that 'I'm sorry look.' light colored eyes looking into her own. Knight's eyes suddenly reminded her of someone else she once knew.


"How are supplies, lass?"

"Down," Jane frowned, "If we can't find anything, we won't be able to allow anymore into the group. We might even have to let people go."

It had almost been a year and a half now since the blackout. Still traveling around after having no luck in finding her parents, she found Ben. They met on the outskirts of New York. They've stuck together ever since, finding comfort in each other's company.

Benjamin McQueen was just a little bit older than Jane by 2 years at most. He had been on vacation from Scotland not long before the blackout occurred and sadly was not able to get back to his homeland. With great success, he became the leader of their group that eventually formed over time from people joining them. He even looked the part of a leader, fearless and made quick decisions. He was bulky but fit and as of right now, quite a bit of stubble framed his face.

"Ben, this isn't looking good, for either of us."

Ben came and sat on a stump across from Jane, leaning over his knees and placing his hands together, looking into her eyes, "A, We'll figure it out."

She loved the way his eyes showed his emotions, his grey-blue eyes an icy cold remembrance of reality, "This group is going to break at the seams. Ben, if word get out about this, people are going to panic," she answered in a hushed voice.

He grabbed her hands and placed them between his own, "Yur reminding me of me own ma," he smiled then.

Jane laughed, sometimes she understood him beneath that somewhat think Scottish accent of his. Other times she couldn't figure out his words, "Sometimes I don't know whether or not to take you comments as compliments or insults."

He laughed too then, releasing her hands and standing up, "C'mon, let's check up on the others before ye have me Blethering."


Weeks went by and luckily for them, some people decided to leave on their own accord which left the total number to 21 people, 10 men, 7 women and 3 children. They had eventually found food and water supplies in a small nearby abandoned community.

Winter eventually came and went which brought their count down to 18 due to 3 people falling sick and dying of a rapid body temperature decline. Other more common colds Jane brought upon herself to cure, they were easily avoided with herbal remedies.

They moved a little further south to be closer to a river, where clothes can be washed and water could be attained. With luck berries grew nearby.

"Maria's pregnant," Jane reported to Ben once the news reached her ears.

Ben looks down at his papers in the light of the fire, "Women," he muttered, "Ain't she the new 'ne?" Lately things have been stressful for Ben, especially since he was in a leadership role.

"Yeah."

"Bloody 'ell," he cursed, "Them fowk shuid keep thair pants on."

"She said it happened before she came here, about a month ago."

"Oh," he looked up at her, "Well s'pose that's fine then."

She approached him, sitting to his left on a stump, "She also says that she won't be around long, her husband's going to be coming to get her," she paused, "I'm not even sure if she's delusional or not."

He grimaced, "I guess 'e'll see then, won't we?"

"I guess," she answered, but noticed something wrong with him, not physically but something bothering him inside, "Something wrong?"

"Just tired," he murmured.

She pried his papers from his hands, "You need sleep, especially since I've rarely seen you go to bed. "

He chuckled at her actions, "Sleep, never 'eard of it," she saw a small hint of smile appear on his face. She took his hand in hers and pulled him after her and they walked in silence towards his tent.

With a quick motion she had the tent flap out of the way and she led Ben in, placing his papers on the floor. "Now go to sleep," she ordered but Ben had other plans, and in one swift motion she was with him side by side on his bed.

"Stay wit me," he whispered in her ear and she did, not moving once other than to move closer to his body heat.


"Git yur arse up now!"

Jane was pulled quickly to her feet by Ben who had once been laying beside her with a protective arm around her, "What's wrong?" She watched as he through a few of his things into his bag, packing hers as well in the process.

"Rebels," he murmured calmly.

"Wait what about the rest of the group?"

He pulled out a knife from his pocket and she froze, "Thay're done for. The men have already taken sum o' the women and as far as I know the men are dead," He grabbed her hand pulling her out of the tent and dragging her away from the raid. She could hear the screaming of some of the women and her heart sunk.

"Ben wait," she pulled him to a stop when they were far enough, "You were their leader, you can't desert them!"

He grabbed her shoulders looking deep into her eyes, "There's too many o' them." he grumbled and she told herself that his choices was a quick thought up plan and the rest wouldn't have made it anyways,"I wouldn't be able to live wit myself if yur dead." Ben suddenly grabbed his side in discomfort only to look down at the blood seeping through his clothes. He fell to his knees and then laid on the ground.

"Ben!" It was all so sudden, she didn't know what to do. Dropping down beside him, she ripped apart the bottom of her shirt to press against the wound, "You must have been shot when we were leaving. Someone seen us leaving. I'll help distribute your weight, we just need to get out of here."

He reached out his hand, laying it against her face, "Ye need to leave, lass."

"I can't, not without you," Tears were forming at the ridges of her eyes.

He smiled, "As much as I love t' go wi ye, I can't."

She grimaced, "I'm scared," she confessed, her own hand intertwining with that of Ben's. Voices of the raiders were approaching her.

"You'll do fine, as a' said before, We'll figure it out. Now go!" He grabbed the back of her neck harshly, kissing her for the first time. A powerful goodbye before pushing her back and forcing her to leave his side.

She ran, just like he told her too.


Jane sat quietly in her tent, Knight relaxing at her feet. It had been a cold rainy day and she hadn't left her tent much other than to eat something. She had been by herself for most of the week, Monroe had either no need of her or he was gone checking up on towns near by. Her guards never spoke to her much unless they were warning her or asking her what she wanted to eat, other than that they followed her around when she left her tent.

Irritating as it was, she ended up forgetting about them half the time. They weren't in range that invaded her space or made her uncomfortable. Far enough to make sure she wasn't going to run or sneak off. Knight on the other hand had a tendency to bug everyone or con them out of there food.

"Knight where are you going?" Knight suddenly jumped to his feet, a flash of black and white fur sliding out through the flap of her tent. He often did that, leaving for awhile, probably to stretch his own muscles and/or beg for food.

She sat there listening to the rain hit the canvas of her tent, finally closing her eyes and lying back down on the cot until she heard the pattering of something approaching.

It had been Knight, the dogs light colored eyes burrowing into that of her own brown ones and he whined, "What is it boy?"

He continued whining and so she dragged herself to her feet, pulling on a black jacket she'd been given a couple of days ago for the colder days.

With slow steps she emerged from the tent following Knight. it didn't take long before they reached their destination. He led her right to a tent where some of the higher up soldiers spent their time making up strategies. Monroe was among them, leaning over a large map and pointing out areas.

She listened close despite the inconvenience of the rain.

"What's the report on the western front?" Monroe asked, he never looked away from the map placed out in front of him, nor did he take a sip of the whiskey that lay in a glass no more than arm's length.

"30 Casualties and 3 are MIA," one of the Captain's reported.

He pinched the bridge of his nose thinking and then made a hand gesture for everyone to leave.

"Sir," they each saluted and one by one they exited the tent, but Jane stayed put in the shadows of a tree outside the tent. She watched as Monroe scribbled some words on piece of parchment and then seal it with hot wax and a stamp.

He brought the glass of whiskey to his lips, taking a needed drink.

She saw then something in the way that his shoulders slouched, something someone wouldn't noticed unless they had been paying attention. A something such as guilt.

War seemed to take a little out of everybody.


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