We were in the air for some time until we touched down somewhere near Harrisonburg. Well, I actually kind of crash landed. I got a couple of scratches from hitting the ground as I held Speck close to my chest. After we settled and I stretched my achy wings, she went to search the area. The forest I landed in was sparse, as I could easily see through the skinny trees. Speck came back and gave me a thumbs up signifying the all clear and I let out a deep sigh.

"Ew," Speck pulled at the syrup in her hair.

"Here," I tossed her a water bottle from my bag. "It's warm, so that should work." She began to

dunk it into her hair and comb it with her fingers. I picked out the food stuck in mine and used another water bottle to get some stains out of my pants. But all I did was smear it even more. Great.

"We might need new clothes..." I muttered. The only spare clothes I grabbed was my favorite blue shirt mom got me, and a pair of jeans.

"But I really liked this shirt," she picked at an egg splatter.

"I know, and I know it seems ridiculous to worry about it, but Erasers are wolves, they can smell us," I started to shimmy out of my top, revealing my stomach and the scar from my wounds. I adjusted my sports bra and dug in my bag for the shirt. I really didn't want to change and ruin it, because in all honesty, I just brought it as a keepsake. Mom picked it after all. I didn't notice Speck was staring until I changed into it. "What?"

"Nothing," she muttered. She went to searching for her spare clothes as well.

I raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. At least she was talking more. I hated that this happened to us, and again, the deep pit in my stomach returned and I had to hold my arm to it. I killed him.

"You okay?" her eyes widened, concerned.

"Y-Yeah, just..." I didn't want to scare her even more, but I couldn't keep it from her. "I killed him," I shakily breathed.

Her face fell and she remembered the Eraser, and his lifeless body we left behind. She hugged herself and closed her eyes, clearly trying not to think of it. "It... happened, but he would have killed me if you didn't do something."

"But kill him?" I covered my mouth with a hand. "I should've just knocked him out, or wound him, or injure him enough that he won't be able to follow us. I should've-" I caught myself, unable to say any more. Those eyes, red, lifeless, staring into me. Every time I closed my eyes they were there.

"Well," she paused, trying to find the right words to say. "They only sent one, but I don't know why. They always send at least two or three- unless..." She trailed off, her eyes darting as she connected her thoughts.

"Unless what?" my heart picked up, trying to deduce what she was saying. She wouldn't be- "Wait, are you thinking-"

"We are on the run, it makes sense."

"But kill us? What happened to capture and retrieve?"

"I, well, maybe I, uh-"

"What? What is it? Have you been keeping something from me?"

"No! I just-"

"Is this why they're after us? Because of you?"

She opened her mouth but stopped. Her eyes glanced away for a second and my heart sank. So it was true. I was right, they don't care about me, they want her. Dead or alive. She was the one who crashed the van. She was the one who bailed me out. She was the one who fought back. And she was even more of a liability since she grew up in a cage alongside me. She felt pity, something a soldier of ITex was not supposed to feel.

"Speck I- why didn't you tell me sooner?" I opened my mouth to add more but I froze up, my throat closing on me.

"I-... I didn't want to worry you..."

"Worry me? More like inform me!" I hugged myself, thinking of everything that has happened so far. Mom and Dad- they could have been killed! Those Erasers weren't there because of us, they were there because of her. I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. "They could have died."

Her face immediately turned sullen and she turned away from me. And I thought I was the problem. No, it's because I'm travelling with a renegade. A traitor. Somebody that could undermine them at ease. But she was just a little girl. No. I was mad at her. This was her decision to do this, not mine. But I did rescue her when she rescued me. What would have happened to her if I left her there? What would have happened if she didn't help me?

As much as I wanted to rip my hair out in anger, I gingerly wrapped my arms around her, startling her as I pulled her to my chest. She blinked up at me as I stared off into the distance. I knew it. There was something else. It was her. But I couldn't just throw her aside like she was nothing. I had to protect her. I had to. Nobody else will.

"Am-"

"Shh," I hushed her, leaning my face against her stringy scalp and rubbing my hand up and down her back. Holding her this close, it reminded me of her small body curled up on the cage floor, her big eyes glossed over, my hand damp after each nap she took. The more I held her to me, I began to realize she was shaking, and I felt something damp against my chest. I blinked, feeling my own tears. I wanted to blink them away, but a familiar voice came back to me.

"Crying is okay. It doesn't show that you're weak, it shows you've been strong for too long."

Leon.

My eyes welled and my own chest began to ache, and Speck's body heaved along with her sobbing. I buried my face into her hair, letting my tears fall.

"It's okay," I choked, her voice pitching as she clung to my shirt.

"It's okay," I rubbed her back, her body shaking.

"It's okay," I whispered, closing my eyes.

We were nowhere near the path we planned to take to get to Wisconsin due to the Eraser incident, so we had to backtrack a little bit. Speck was quiet as we walked down the side of the road. Every now and then a car would slow down, one man asked if we were okay, then sped off again. It made me anxious that they could recognize us from the newscast, so we retreated back into the thick of the woods. We maybe walked five miles until we stopped to rest. Speck cautiously ate her sandwich, avoiding eye contact with me as I took a swig of water. I wasn't going to let her be quiet though; she couldn't push me away now.

"So I'm thinking," I chewed my protein bar. "A couple more miles then we take off, fly for an hour or so, then we get some shut eye. We should be in the next state over by then."

"Okay," she mumbled, finishing her food.

I glanced her way as she brushed her hands against her pants. She stood and hiked her pack onto her shoulder and glanced at me before looking away again. I sighed.

"Don't," I joined her. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" she adjusted her straps, her attention somewhere else.

"Ignore me," I crossed my arms over my chest. "You can't do that, we're in this together. You can't just leave me out to dry."

She lightly huffed and kicked a stone, "Okay."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

We hiked another few miles in silence, every minute ticking by feeling heavier and heavier. My hands gripped my bag straps, trying to say something that would cheer her up or get her attention or get her hyped for the journey. I was going to meet Fang, and hopefully get help in finding my brother. He was part of their flock, yet now he seemed to be on his own – I wonder what he's up to? If my brother was with the flock, will he help direct me to finding them? Or is he estranged from them?

My foot crunched against a twig, and I glanced at Speck hopping over a fallen tree. Is she even willing to come along anymore? My heart sank and I stopped in my tracks. She didn't want to come, of course not, she wanted to live with mom and dad, and go to school, and I was just dragging her along my stupid quest.

"You don't have to come with me you know," I yelled.

Her head whipped around just a few yards ahead, her eyes wide. "What?"

"You can stay, make your own life here," I caught up to her, my heart racing.

"What? But what about-"

"It's clear you don't want to come," I barked back, feeling a lump rise in my throat. I wanted her to come, she was my family after all, but she was getting hurt all because of my quest – a quest I made for myself. "You can stay with mom and dad."

"And put them in even more danger?" her voice rose as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's better than being with me, obviously."

"I don't want to risk that!" her face contorted, hurt by my words.

"What, and being with me isn't a risk? You clearly want the perfect life you've never had. You clearly want to live with mom and dad, and go to school, and have friends, and live a normal life. But it's not possible when you're with me! Just-" my words caught. "Just- go!"

"N-... No!" she cried, staring up at me. "I don't-"

"Just stop it Speck, I know how you feel," I sneered.

"No you don't! I don't want to leave you!" she bawled, tears masking her sight and dribbling down her cheeks. Her legs shook and gave way, causing her to fall to her knees. "I-I d-don't... want t-... want to leave y-you..."

I eyed her shaking body, my mind just wanting to leave her right then and there. She was just extra baggage, another thing of Itex always on my heels, waiting for the right opportunity. But she was my sister, for crying out loud. Oh god, what the hell did I do? I was just going to throw her out like a bag of trash, like she was nothing to me. What's wrong with me? She was everything I had, everything that was still sane to me in this world; and I just stepped all over her. But...

She gripped my pants leg and peered up at me, her eyes pleading at me. "P-Please, I can't... I can't live without you," she blubbered, sniffing.

I stared at her for a moment then crouched down and hugged her, trying to push the thought out of my mind that she was the direct link to ITex. I had to. She was everything to me as I was to her. Sure, our parents were great, but they weren't like us. They didn't go through what we had nor did they fully understand our biology. Now it made sense why James left – they weren't his family. Those other kids were. And this kid was mine.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, rubbing the base of her neck and staring off into the distance. "I'm sorry."