There was a curious darkness in her blood. It pooled under her brow and she knew that she was supposed to feel pain. But she couldn't let it register. She couldn't let them see her. No noise, not a breath. She had to stay perfectly still. When the first gun had fired, she'd moved. Quick – to the shadows of a thicket below. It was a sharp drop, her feet had slipped on soil and her landing had been hard, but hidden. She'd heard the screams and she'd heard the cries of pain. She was sure that she'd heard someone die. But she'd stayed quiet, her hand over her mouth, suffocating any noise despite the tears of panic that crept from the corners of her eyes. Her other hand felt the wound on her forehead – a bullet graze. Luck didn't even register; it was a miracle she was alive right now. The thorns and vines that crept round her were a thick net of camouflage and it was only when she heard the rumble of vehicles moving away that she even chanced a shot of leaving.

Minutes crawled by, complete stillness instigated cramp in her stomach and leg but still, she didn't even twitch. There was something, someone still out there. She squinted through the undergrowth and thought she saw a familiar shape, lumbering along like a wounded bear. No, two things, two creatures, one holding up the other. It was only when it came closer, closer to her hiding place that she saw it was the larger in fact carrying the smaller. The shreds of night were fading now and the dawn was beginning to creep through the tops of the trees, barely offering any real light, but enough that she could see and knew.

It was Dean.

But she had to play it safe, if there were still gunmen out there, she could well be walking into a very clear zone of friendly fire. She couldn't risk it. If one could survive to find the others, then she had to be willing to hold back. She could have stayed there. Until she saw who was sprawled across the shoulders of the battered, broken man.

'Renee!' Brie untangled herself from the brambles, hissing as they bit at her skin, scratched at her clothes and hair. Finally free, she rushed toward Dean who couldn't seem to carry the weight much longer. A quick glance over him, panting in the dirt didn't relay any major injuries, but it was hard to tell. The Shield boys were patchwork quilts of scars and blood splatter. He looked as if he'd fallen too, perhaps down the same bank she had, but without a thorny cushion to land in, he had hit something hard. His bells had been rung, that was clear. 'Dean, Dean sweetie what happened?'

'Found Renee. Think she's ok. Not sure. She won't talk to me. Did ah do somethin' wrong?'

Brie carefully moved closer and gently started to roll Renee off Dean's shoulder. Again, she seemed to have been lucky – no bullet wounds to speak of, but she looked like she'd been hit by a truck.

'No, no Dean. You did real good bringing her to me.'

Renee didn't look like she was breathing, but then that could have been the darkness playing tricks. A hand to the flat of her back told Brie that her friend was indeed alive, but struggling. 'Renee? Renee I need you to open your eyes for me. Do you think you can do that?'

There was a low mumble which brought a rush of relief. Gently, Brie started to turn her onto the ground, manoeuvring her so that she was on her side in case of vomiting. Another quick scan of the two of them and Brie was beginning to worry. Dean's head had clearly hit something – hard. She could see the dent on his forehead and the wild, flickering of his eyelids was enough to rouse panic of a major concussion. But first, she had to ensure that Renee wasn't in any terrible danger. She moved closer, close enough that she could have touched noses, but it was still difficult to see.

'Shit, not enough light,' she hissed.

'Light? I gots light. Got a star in my pocket and it shines with a click, click, click.' Dean started to fumble through his pockets, a flash of dull gold around his waist as he raised the edge of his jumper to continue the search. Finally, he pulled something out with a disjointed flourish. It looked small, made of tin. But with a click, click, click it sparked to life, conjuring a tiny flame. Brie snatched the lighter from his hands and moved it back to Renee's face. The eyes were open, but similar to Dean, it didn't really look like anyone was home.

'Renee?'

A blink – another wave of relief.

'Hey Dean, can you help me sit her up? I think she's going to be alright, she's just in shock.'

Obediently, the wobbly Shield brother, came closer, and tucked his hands under Renee's limp shoulders as Brie gathered her legs and they carefully edged her to the nearest tree. They leaned her against the trunk, Brie's hand remaining on her shoulder to steady her. A quick glance round promised hope of being alone, but it also meant that their friends were gone. The rest of the Shield, Cena…but who had fired on them? The Collective? It would make sense, but the direction that those vehicles had headed didn't. She'd been up that tree, she'd seen – Jefferson was to the north. Those jeeps had headed south. That rang alarm bells.

But thankfully, seconds later, Renee shuffled in her place and turned her head a little.

'What…what happened?'

'Someone shot at us. The others are gone – taken. They missed us.'

'I don't think they did…I feel like I've been hit by a truck.' Renee winced. She glanced to her side to find Dean drawing circles in the dirt with a finger. 'Dean?'

'I think he hit his head,'

'Dean? Honey?' Renee went to raise her arm to touch him but her strength seemed to fail her. 'Dean? Are you alright?'

The raggedy man didn't answer, content instead to keep drawing. Round and round he went.

'He'll be fine.'

Renee didn't look so sure.

Brie didn't have time to offer her reassurances though, they had to find a way out of the woods. She could leave them. She could scout out a route, she could try and signal for help. There were many options, but all of them involved abandoning two people who were really in no condition to be where they were, let alone left without supervision.

Cracking twigs heralded that they wouldn't be alone for long.

Her eyes narrowed and she turned her body toward the sound. She didn't have much strength, nor did she think she could defend everyone. But she was determined to try. The steps came closer, closer, closer.

'Dean, get behind me,' she whispered.

Still, he didn't seem to hear her. Round and round and round.

She had two weapons – the lighter and her razor, hidden snug in the palm of her hand. She kept herself low, tried to hide them all in the darkness. Whoever was out there, they were heading straight toward them. A direct trajectory. They knew that someone was there.

A sudden flash of torch light confirmed that someone was roaming close.

'Hello?' the voice was unfamiliar but didn't sound threatening. 'Hello? Is anyone out here? I heard gunfire. Is anyone in need of assistance?'

The light came closer, closer until it fell on Renee's exposed foot.

'Hey! Hello?' the steps rushed closer, closer until suddenly a burst of orange hair appeared. The owner of which was tall, thin, pale as the moon above the trees. He had a heavy brow and a thick beard, but there was a strange kindness in his eyes. Around his shoulders he had a knapsack, seemingly filled with resources like food and water and when he saw Brie, he near dropped his torch in shock. 'There's two of you?'

'Three. Who are you?'

'My name is Heath…I live not far from here. I have a cottage. Do…do you guys need medical help? I'm no doctor…'

'Well…Heath…we're in trouble.'

'That's no good, I don't want trouble.'

'Says the man who followed gunfire?'

'I was worried. I don't like sounds like that coming from my woods.'

'Your woods?'

'Well. Not mine per say. I live here.'

'So you said.'

'Er…your friend there ok? Ain't nothing in that dirt,' Heath gestured to where Dean was now scooping dirt in his hands, digging a small hole where he'd been creating those circles. He seemed very content with what he was doing, as if he were searching for something deep in the earth.

'He's fine.' Brie muttered. She moved closer to Heath, looked him over. 'Are you a threat to my friends, Heath?'

The pale man looked appalled at the very thought. He held out his hands defensively, 'I'm no threat to no one miss. I got kids. I don't need no trouble.'

Suddenly, Brie's expression softened, 'You're a daddy?'

'Yes ma'am. Six and counting. All girls, I'm very outnumbered.'

'I hate to interrupt,' Renee cut in, 'but our friends have been abducted, I think I might have broken something, Dean clearly needs help and Brie is bleeding. Can we please think about getting out of here?'

Heath, to his credit, didn't immediately shake his head and tell them know. He did look unsure – after all he was potentially helping people who could be a threat to his family (who, by the sounds of it, were growing by the year). Brie felt something stirring in her heart, that old, familiar pain. The memory of the child she'd once carried. The baby that would have been their pride and joy. She could remember how excited both she and Daniel were. It had felt like they were finally stepping away from all the chaos. Then the Shield came. Then it all came tumbling down and her dreams turned to dust and there was blood on the floor and walls. She wasn't a mama. Her husband might as well have still been dead.

Daniel Bryan walked the same earth, but wasn't in her eyeline. She glanced over at Dean, at Renee and knew that she'd adopted these people to be her family. She felt kinship with them. She felt like a mother protecting her cubs.

Heath, seemingly sensing her reserve, reached out a hand. 'Hey, it's alright. We'll look after you. Just hope you don't mind noise. And mess. And they'll want to plait your hair. You got Princess hair. They'll like that.' He smiled gently and flicked his gaze to Dean, 'though, will he behave? Can't have him scaring my babies.'

Dean, finally realising that people were talking about him, was now eating the dirt he'd been piling. An unfortunate worm hung, squirming from between his lips before it was sucked up, chewed and swallowed. His gaze, still unsteady, swung from Brie, to Renee, to Heath, then back through, cycling round faces, trying to recognise them all until eventually he settled on Renee.

'Ah don't bite, do ah girl?'

'Yes, yes you do,' but she said it with affection. Renee smiled and, her strength seemingly starting to return, reached out and patted him on the head. 'But he'll behave, won't you Dean?'

He shrugged and went back to digging for worms.

Heath shifted his pack up on his shoulder and glanced around them, picking up his torch from the floor. 'Well then, I guess you'd all better follow me.'