Columbus was just as Wichita had said. Burned to the ground. Not a soul to be seen. The young man who had once lived in the barren city looked out his window sadly before looking away.

Tallahassee gripped the steering wheel tightly and took a deep breath. "You sure about this spit fuck?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I got a nice little place in the 'burbs," Columbus muttered from the backseat.

"You wanna give me a little more than that so I can find it?" Tallahassee asked trying to be sensitive, but failing.

"Just let me drive," Columbus replied sounding more and more miserable. He and Tallahassee quickly switched places. Chicago watched as the boy drove. She could see so much pain pent up behind her eyes that she just wanted to hug him, but instead she settled for touching him on the shoulder reassuringly. He looked over and smiled weakly.

When they pulled up in front of a cast-iron black gate about fifteen minutes past the city everyone watched as Columbus got out of the truck. He went to the intercom box and pressed the button. "Mom? Dad?" he asked less than hopefully. When he wasn't answered he punched in a code on the pad. The power was off and the gated refused to open. "Fuck," he sighed and moved around grabbing the gates to push them open.

Tallahassee sighed and got out joining his young counterpart. Together they opened the gates. Tallahassee drove the truck inside and then they closed the gates again. Chicago looked down the winding driveway that disappeared into a small wooded area. "You live here?" she asked.

"I used to," Columbus replied. They followed the driveway into the woods and up to a fair sized house.

"Holy fuck, were you loaded?" Tallahassee asked looking at the house.

"We got by… Look I'll wait out here with Chicago while you clear the house. The key is under the mat," he said unbuckling. Tallahassee ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek realizing what the kid thought was inside.

"Okay," he agreed. Wichita and Little Rock went with him as they entered the house. Chicago watched as Columbus started to chew on the drawstring of his hoodie.

"Maybe they split," she said looking at the house. "You know… Came looking for you," she offered.

"No… they didn't… me and my folks were never that close. They were a couple of paranoid shut-ins like me. Doesn't matter that I was their only kid… I mean, my dad wouldn't even come get me when I got stuck in that old oak over there," he said pointing to a large tree. "I spent three hours dangling from the branches before I finally slipped fell and landed in a pile of pillows that mom had put out," he smiled a little.

"Wow… that's so sad," Chicago replied.

"I know right," he smirked a little.

"No… I mean that… that is so sad," she said with true pity ringing through her voice.

"Yep," he said biting his lip. "Then I got chiggers and had to ask the school nurse why I was so itchy down there, when my mom wouldn't answer me," he said. Chicago couldn't even respond to how awful that was. "Please don't tell the others," he said sounding ashamed.

"No problem," she shook her head already mentally locking the information away never to be thought about again.

"No one's home," Tallahassee said appearing in the doorway.

"Shall we?" Chicago asked. He took a deep breath closing his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, lets do it," he said after working up his courage. They entered the house.

"Nice digs baby," Wichita said appearing.

"Thanks," Columbus murmured. "Did you check downstairs?" he asked looking at Tallahassee.

"Yeah, and other than one big ass television I didn't find anything," the older man replied. Columbus sighed.

"Great… well, make yourselves at home," he sighed heading for the staircase.

"You going to be okay spit fuck?" Tallahassee asked. Columbus paused.

"Yeah, I guess I was just still holding onto the hope that… you know," he shrugged before dragging himself the rest of the way up the stairs. The other's all looked around at each other for a while until finally Tallahassee sighed and pointed at Wichita.

"I think that was the cue for the girlfriend to come in," he said.

"Yeah," she said softly. Chicago watched as the younger woman went up the stairs.

"You know the drill little one," Tallahassee said to Little Rock who promptly ran off to do the customary Twinkie search.

"You think he's going to be okay?" Chicago asked moving past Tallahassee into the living room.

"You're living proof that he could find worse," Tallahassee replied. She chuckled a little.

"Not really… I don't know if you've been wherever you call home since this whole thing started, but I have to say seeing that the mess has gotten to your home is bad enough in itself," she replied sitting down on the floral couch. Tallahassee leaned against the doorframe.

"Yeah?" he asked. She nodded.

"Seeing it makes you realize how real it all is. Until you do, somehow you just hold onto hope that maybe you can go home and be safe… not have the world be so fucking psychotic," she replied picking up a picture frame from the coffee table.

"I'm positive already that my whole fucking world is gone," Tallahassee said. She looked at him briefly.

"You know… it's not our fault that we couldn't protect those closest to us," she sighed. He flopped down on the couch beside her.

"Whatever you say darlin'," he replied lightening the mood. She returned her attention to the picture.

"Awww, Columbus was cute as a kid," she said looking at the shot of him at what looked like a public pool. He had the same curly mop top and was missing his front teeth. Tallahassee looked at the photo.

"Scrawny little fuck ain't he," he observed.

"You know, not everyone can be all muscular and tough as you," she said. He looked at her.

"Is that how you would describe me?" he asked.

"Well, you ain't a scrawny little fuck," she smiled.