I hope you all like this one! It's short, but it explains Jonas' crazy idea - and, due to popular demand and my own wanting to do this, I've put in a new character :-)! Well, enjoy!

Lily's POV

"We need to go back."

For a moment, I was struck dumb, my mind failing to process anything. Suddenly, the full force hits me - Jonas wants to go home. Home, corrupted home.

"Jonas..." Asher tilts his head to the side in confusion. "Why?"

"Because..." Jonas hesitates. "I need to see them. You understand love now. These are the people who surrounded me, the people who...raised me. You know how it is now, feeling love. I love them, even if they don't know how to love me. I need to know if they're alive."

"Jonas," Asher's voice drops a few octaves. "What if we go and they're..."

Dead. I think, horrified. Or worse.

"Guys-" Jonas jumps up, getting excited. "What if they're okay, and they've coped with the memories? I can't live without knowing!" He stretches his arms outward, as if joining hands with invisible people. When Asher and I gape at him, unconvinced, he grins slyly. "Besides, Ash, I heard a little 'we' in between 'if' and 'go'. So, let's plan this out. Together."

"Asher..." I groan, leaning into his shoulder. "What happened to precise language?"

"What happened?" He laughs. "I never used it, is what happened!"

"Well, look where it got us now!" I giggle. His voice sounds so nice, comforting yet bubbly, just like his personality. And his hair, messy, a bit overgrown, and dark, is soft on my cheek as I lean into his shoulder, nudging him playfully...Wait. Why do I think like this about him? He's just my friend. For a few days, I even thought he was my brother.

"Yeah," Asher says, sounding a bit distracted, like his mind is elsewhere. I sit up and approach the door, looking at the other two expectantly before Jonas stands up and follows me a few steps.

When Asher doesn't follow, I glare at him. "You're the one who said 'we'. Besides, Asher, it's our family." Family, I think. They're my family. The word always meant a unit of people, place together by strategy. Never before has a family, to me, been a group of people who care about me. I have people who love me. A family.

Asher moans. "Lily, Jonas...what if we don't want to know? What if we see something terrible?"

"What if they're still functioning?" Jonas retorts. "I need to know. Come on, Asher."

"Fine. Don't blame me if..." Asher trails off as we run downstairs, into the living room.

Joseph and Miriam are watching television - a box with a whole tiny world inside, just like ours, which still fascinates me.

"Miriam, Joseph..." I hesitate.

Jonas takes in a deep breath. "We have to ask you a favor. Just trust us."

Asher's POV

""Are you sure you don't want us to walk the rest of the way with you?" Miriam asks, leaning her head out of the rental car window. "We already went here with you by ferry, and drove you until this point."

"I've got this," Jonas assures her. "Just a quick stop for a day or two. Then we can go...home."

"Good luck," Joseph smiles, dark eyes sparkling. We wave at him and set on our way to our first stop.

Lily and I trail closely behind Jonas through the outskirts of the town, until we reach a forest of trees that loom over our heads, standing thick as though the ground itself were covering us.

"So, Jonas, do you really know where we're going?" I ask, hopping over a fallen branch.

"I live here!" Jonas exclaims indignantly. "Of course I'd know!"

"You didn't even explain why we're here!" Lily sighs. "I hate walking!"

"Patience, guys," Jonas smiles as the trees thin out, revealing a wooden house. "Trust me."

"With a smile like that, how can I trust him?" I whisper jokingly to Lily. Lily covers her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. I love making Lily laugh. I love, really, making anyone laugh - but I mostly love seeing Lily laugh. Why is that? I ask myself, flanking Jonas as he knocks on the door. Her laugh isn't particularly unique.

A man with a full, greying beard and a strong, smoky scent answers the door with a smile. "Jonas!" He wraps my friend in a hug. "I was wondering when you'd return! And you've brought those friends along, then? The ones you went to see?"

Jonas nods, gesturing to us. "Yeah, this is my sister, Lily, and my friend, Asher."

The man smiles. "Nice to meet you two. I'm Toby."

"We've been staying with Toby," Jonas explains.

"We?" Lily asks, her voice dripping with hope.

"We." Jonas confirms, leading us into the house. The cabin is dark, but it is brightened and warmed by a crackling fire in the fireplace. "Wait here." Jonas runs into another room, returning with his arms full of a squirming, grinning toddler with curly blonde hair.

"Gabe!" Lily shrieks, rushing over to take the little boy from Jonas. I smile, watching her sit down and mutter gibberish into Gabe's ear, rubbing noses with him, making the tiniest of our quad of refugees laugh. She's good with kids, I think. It's sweet.

"Why's he coming?" I ask Jonas, chuckling at Lily and Gabe.

"Why not?" Jonas shrugs. "It's his home, too. Hey, Lily, Ash, let me show you what Gabe and I learned."

He takes the boy in his arms. "Where's your nose?" He coos. "Where's your nose?"

When Gabe stares blankly at him, Jonas changes his question. "Where's my nose?"

Gabe presses a tiny, sticky hand to Jonas' face, smiling proudly, which reveals two tiny, newly grown teeth. Jonas looks up at us, laughing. "He's a real genius."

"What do we do next?" I ask.

"Next, we pack Gabe for our trip. Then...we go home."

Thanks for reading - and I hope you guys like the new addition!