A/N: Aw my reviews dropped off :( Haha, it's all good—I appreciate reviews but I love you guys just the same regardless. We're jumping back into Lourdes' head for a bit, BUT we'll also go into Hal's head for a bit, too. So we get both points of view here! Now I know you aren't gonna like this but I'm already considering an endpoint for this story so I need to know now: when this does end, would you like a sequel or an entirely new series? I know that I'm going to do more with Hal and Lourdes to be certain, but do you want it to be consistent with this story or would you prefer an entirely fresh idea? I'll ask the question again at the end but I figured a preliminary poll-thingy would help me with planning out where this story goes from here. So I'd appreciate it if you either told me in a review OR you could always tweet to me (at EbiPers) and let me know. Thanks! Picking up where we left off now…

Her heart slammed into her chest as terror gripped her—terror that if she didn't do something fast she could possibly lose Hal…forever.

"It's nothing," Hal insisted, turning away so she couldn't see any more.

"It's not nothing, Hal! Obviously it isn't healing properly. If I don't stitch that gash up soon it'll either get infected or you'll bleed out first!"

"There's nothing we can do now," he insisted.

"I could…"

"No, Lourdes!" he interjected forcefully. "You're not risking it and going back to that house alone!"

"Why not?" she asked, her voice rising.

"Because! It's…it's not safe…"

"I can do it!" she insisted, feeling like a small child being told no.

Hal sighed heavily. "I know you can, Lourdes. But promise me you won't. No matter what. The 2nd Mass needs you intact." There was a charged pause at the end of the sentence, like he wanted to say more.

She thought it over. The 2nd Mass does need you…but isn't Hal part of the 2nd Mass? And he needs you more right now. "Fine. I won't go back," she said, though she had no intention of making good on that particular promise.

"Promise?"

Lourdes nodded. "Promise." So now you're lying to him? It wasn't a good feeling. She'd lied to people before: her parents, her sister, but it had been so, so long since she'd ever had cause to lie to someone. And it was doubly unsettling to her that the person she was lying to was Hal Mason, who she cared so much about. But it was justified because his health depended on it. And she knew he wouldn't let her out of his sight if she voiced her intentions to go back. So she had to lie. She had to. Because the alternative was losing him. And she couldn't bear to lose him. Especially not after what they'd been through.

Hal seemed satisfied with the promise, applying pressure to the region and grinning, though it was obvious it hurt him. "See? The bleeding's probably stopped by now anyway…"

"Yeah," she agreed half-heartedly, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. "Probably…you know we should probably rest. If the skitters find out we're here we'll…need all our energy…"

Hal nodded thoughtfully after a few moments, then rose. "Loft looks comfy," he joked. "Lots of straw…wood…"

"I…think I should stay down here," she replied. "Because of my leg," she added quickly to justify it.

"Ok…we could stay down here. I just thought that maybe you'd be more comfortable up there—I could carry you up, you know."

The thought of being in Hal Mason's arms again was very, very inviting, but Lourdes quickly reminded herself that she would need to remain on the ground in order to sneak back to the house. "It's okay…I don't want you straining yourself."

He laughed at this. "C'mon, you aren't that heavy…"

"Just…please…" she held up a hand. "I'll…I'll be fine. But if you'd be more comfortable in the loft…"

"Nope," Hal replied, sitting cross-legged beside her. "If you're staying here then so am I."

Great. It wasn't that she didn't want Hal to be near her—quite the opposite, actually—but the closer he was to her, the easier it would be for him to hear her. And stop her. But what could she do? She simply nodded mutely. "I'm going to go to sleep," she finally said, rising and quickly tripping over the night gown that was still bunching at her feet. Because she had been on the wheelbarrow and off her feet most of the day it hadn't mattered. But now it's just going to slow you down.

"Hal? Can I see your knife for a minute?"

"Uh…sure," he looked at her confusedly as he handed the blade over to her.

"The night gown…it keeps tripping me…" she turned away modestly as she cut away a good portion of the sleeping garment, so that it now appeared much shorter than the clothes she was used to wearing. What else are you going to need to make this escape easier? "Could you hand me some of those ace bandages…and maybe a loose floorboard or something? I'd like to re-set my leg…"

Hal complied and, as he assisted her, said in a seemingly joking voice: "planning on sneaking out, are you?"

She laughed self-consciously. "No…I just…want everything to be set…just in case."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." He backed away when her leg was fully set.

"Thanks, Hal. I owe you…" And I plan to repay you pretty soon, too.

He snorted. "By the time this whole thing's over, I'm pretty sure we'll be even."

"Good night."

"Good night."

Hal watched Lourdes curl up in a corner of the barn near the door before lying down on the concrete floor nearby. Her even breathing told him that she had fallen asleep but he was still lying awake for some reason. His head hurt ridiculously and though he'd brushed it off, he knew he was still bleeding. Dammit, Hal! You can't let her risk going back there…even if it means you won't make it back to camp.

When he suggested they go up to the loft, he'd been hurt by her refusal. You really screwed things up—she doesn't even want to be near you anymore. But he had no intention of letting Lourdes go. She was the only thing that had made this whole excursion bearable and he was certain that, had it been anyone else, he likely would've felt bitter about it all. But Lourdes…she was doing as much for him as he was for her. And despite her protests, she really was quite brave. She looked out for her own. Just like Karen…And the more he considered it now, the more he realized that Lourdes and Karen really weren't that different from each other. At least not in that sense. But you'll never find out anything more now, will you? Not after telling her it was a mistake to kiss her. How could you have been so stupid as to think that an apology would just automatically fix everything?

The truth was, he'd actually enjoyed that kiss. It felt…right, comfortable, like they'd been doing it forever. And that frightened him. Because Karen was still out there somewhere, and he hurt her by kissing Lourdes. But you also hurt Lourdes by rejecting her…

Sleep couldn't come soon enough, if only to get him out of his own head. The pain was still there and every so often, even with his eyes closed, he felt like the whole room was spinning. The thought was ever-present in his mind that if he didn't find a way to make the bleeding stop, he'd probably die there. He woke with a start as the thought occurred to him in his sleep. No, Hal! You can't just give up like this. Maybe Lourdes can't go back to that house but you can! Ben and Matt need you. Dad needs you to watch out for them 'til he gets back. And maybe Lourdes doesn't need you anymore but you should at least be there to get her back to camp! He resolved to head back to the house himself, fetch whatever supplies they still needed, and make it back to the barn. If he hurried, he could probably make it back just after sunup. Lourdes was still rolled on her side, her breathing deep and even. Silently, he slid his knife into her hand, got up, and crept toward the barn door, wincing as it made a slow creak. But Lourdes didn't stir and he slipped out into the brisk night air.

Lourdes awoke with a start. How long was I asleep? There was an object clenched in her right hand and she immediately recognized it to be the handle of Hal's knife. Which meant…no! No, no, no, no, no! She rolled over quickly, panic seizing her as she saw the vacant spot where Hal had been lying.

"Hal?" Her voice echoed through the barn but there was no reply. "Hal?" She mentally cursed herself for falling asleep. He went back to get the supplies so you wouldn't have to. Good job, Lourdes. She was on her feet faster than she could process, easing the barn door open and gripping the knife in her hand as she slipped out and shut the door behind her. She had to get those supplies. But first she had to find Hal…

A/N: Short chapter, I know, but it's a transition chapter to set up the action for later. It's pretty obvious where I'm headed with this but I hope you'll stick around anyhow. Like I said, once this story comes to a close I need to know if you want a sequel or an entirely new series. I have ideas for both but I can only grant one at a time. So let me know in a review or tweet to me at EbiPers. Again, your readership is much appreciated. I'm sorry for the long delay: my grandmother had a pretty bad fall that she's recover from so we went to go see her. Plus I'm volunteering at my church's bible camp so that eats up time as well. But I'll try to be quick with the updates. There's gonna be tons of action coming up so buckle up!