When I get back to Abel, my shoulders are beginning to ache and I long to rip off this stupid head cam. My Pooh Bear is still clutched in my hand, whatever dirt is on my skin probably staining the red shirt he's wearing.

With the gates raised and me safely inside, I don't give the backpack to those waiting for it, instead I keep it with me, although it takes some difficulty. Thankfully Summer is one of the few who are supposed to check the bags today, so it isn't as hard as it normally would be.

I head into the medical tent where Dr. Meyers is waiting. I do the normal routine of stripping down to my underwear, which still is not something I'm all that comfortable with, but I keep a straight face as the doctor checks for any bites or injuries. She keeps on a serious face as she studies my skin, but as soon as she's done her face breaks out in a wide grin and she practically pounces on my backpack that's laying near the tent's exit.

She gasps in delight as she pull out the rule book for Darkness and Demons, and even lets out a high pitched squeak when she gets her hands on the Creotic module.

"We are so playing this tonight," She says with twinkling eyes. I suppress a giggle as I slip my less than clean clothing back on.

'I'm sure Sam will come and get me when you do,' I sign, grabbing my bag, my axe, and my bear as I leave. I barely make it two steps before Milo, Willis and Penelope are standing in front of me, practically bouncing on their heels in excitement and anticipation.

I look up and sees Caleb standing behind them. He gives me a small smile and a wave which I gladly return.

"They said you went on a entertainment run!" Penelope exclaims, and my eyes grow a bit wider than normal at seeing her be so... well, loud. Not that she's exactly screaming, but she is a bit more vocal than usual.

I nod in reply, and I don't think I've seen anyone smile that wide since the apocalypse started.

"Did you get anything cool?" Milo asks, and I grin as I reach into my backpack, shuffling through some of the paints and Sam's figurines to pull out Monopoly, Jenga, and Sorry. The look on their faces are priceless as I hand them out.

"What about that?" Caleb points at the yellow bear clutched in my hands. I shake my head and shove the animal under my arm to answer.

'No, this one's mine.'

"You got yourself a stuffed animal?" He laughs. His tone isn't mocking; It's more like surprised.

'It's what I wanted.'

"Thank you," Milo says as he clutches the Monopoly game.

"Yeah," Willis agrees. "Thanks, Mom."

Everything seems to freeze after that, the four people around me going deathly quiet, until Milo smacks his brother in the back of the head.

"What the heck, man?" He harshly whispers, although Willis pays him no mind. He's still staring at me with a complete look of horror on his face.

Caleb stands quietly in the background, looking like he's unsure whether he should laugh or not. I send him a narrow eyed glare, but that only makes him start to snicker.

Penelope is just watching with wide eyes and mouth open. I can't exactly read her expression, but before I can truly start to wonder Willis speaks up.

"I-I didn't mean it, Runner Five," He practically shouts. "I-it was an accident, I swear-"

I put up a hand and give him a raised brow and he stops talking, still looking nervous and a bit embarrassed by his words. I'm still rather shocked, because I've been called many things, but 'Mom' has never been one of them. But all the surprise and shock I feel I keep inside and off my face.

'Don't sweat it, kid,' I answer, giving a light shrug to emphasize the statement.
'Just go play with your games, and share with the other kids. Those are for them too.'

"Are you not going to come with us?" Milo questions, and I shake my head in response.

'I still have a few things to drop off.'

"Oh, okay," He says, sounding slightly disappointed. "Come on, bro. I know Lauren said she loved to play Monopoly, and I know Andrew said he was dying to play something checkers."

Willis nods and glances over at me for a quick moment before racing off with his brother, but Penelope stays here. She doesn't say a word, and I raise a brow in slight confusion. I glance up at Caleb and he merrily shrugs in reply.

'Aren't you going to go with your brothers?' I ask with a slightly forced smile. Penelope edges herself closer to me and uses her hand to beckon me closer. I lean down becoming at eye level with the six-year-old. She leans closer to whisper something in my ear, and her words make me almost choke on my own breath.

"I'd like it if you were my mom."

Then she runs off without another word.

I stand there in silence, my brain still trying to comprehend what was just said to me. I knew that the three admired me and all but this is... beyond that.

"I never thought you'd be one of those teen moms," Caleb jokes, causing me to scowl.

'Do you remember that time I accidentally punched you in the jaw?'

"Um, yes," He answers questionably.

'Keep talking I'll gladly do it again, purposely.'

He raises his hands in defense. "Okay, okay. I was only joking. I just find it funny because you're fifteen and Milo and Willis are what? Twelve? And Penelope's six?"

'I don't find it funny at all,' I say with a frown.

It's already bad enough I have them look up to me like they do. I don't deserve that.

I can't have them seeing me as anything else-anything more.

I sling on my backpack onto my shoulders, determined to drop the subject completely. 'I need to go give a few things to Sam. It's a wonder he's not here to get them already.'

Caleb gives a half shrug in reply. "Probably has another run to direct."

I nod, putting my axe over my back and still clutching my bear. 'Either way, I'm sure he's absolutely dying to get his hands on his... paints.'

"He made you get him paints? Huh, never saw him as the artistic type."

'Paints and other things,' I state, 'which I should bring to him now. I'll talk to you later.'

"Sure thing, Mom." He smirks when I glare sharply, turning and stomping off towards the coms shack.

I don't deserve to be seen as anything more than a runner. I don't particularly want to be seen as anything more either. I mean, it's flattering I guess, in some sorts, but I'm not a good person. I... I don't deserve to be seen in a good light.

I sigh, closing my eyes as I reach the coms hub. I try my best to push the thoughts away for now and force the best smile I can before entering. I slip inside the shack, raising a hand in greeting but stopping halfway when I see Sam, or rather his back half sticking out underneath his desk.

What the hell is he doing?

I cautiously make my way over to him, as he mumbles to himself while throwing out crumpled papers and... candy wrappers?

I tilt my head slightly as if doing so will give me any answers. It doesn't, of course. I curl my hand into a fist and knock against the desk, causing Sam to jump up and hit his head against the underside of the coms desk. My eyes go wide as he lets out a small groan of pain, pulling back and rubbing his head. He sends a glare at me as I send him an apologetic look.

'Sorry,' I say with shoulders scrunched up to my ears.

"I know you can't talk but I'm sure there was a better way to get my attention than scaring me half to death," He mutters, but an excited light appears in his eyes as I take off my axe with backpack following.

'What were you doing exactly?' I ask after handing him the bag.

"I was searching for my stash of curly wurlys, but I had to dig through a mountain of papers that I've never bothered to look at." He places each paint out and then the figurines, smiling like a child at each and every one of them.

'I could help,' I volunteer with a closed lip smile. 'It's not like I have much better to do.'

You mean besides taking a shower? My inner voice reminds me, and I roll my eyes in response knowing half the people in this Township only bathe twice a week. So my inner voice can shut the hell up.

"Nah, I'll search for 'em later, but you can help me paint these figurines."

Both of my eyebrows raise quickly. 'Now?'

"Sure, why not?"

'But I don't know what colors they're supposed to be.'

"Well, I can tell you which colors to use," He says, but then quickly stutters, "unless... unless you-you don't want to, that is."

I shake my head at that, almost missing the way Sam's lips twitch as he resists the urge to smile.

'No, I'd love to paint your little figurines of characters I know nothing about,' I sign with the slightest bit of sarcasm, 'but I don't know how well it will look.'

"I thought you mentioned something about an art teacher on your run."

'Just because I had a teacher doesn't mean I was good at the subject.'

"Good point," He hums.

I was always better at the crafts anyway, like making wallets out of duct tape and decorating lamp shades with ribbon.

"Well, have you ever painted on something that's not a piece of paper?"

There was one time I painted a Shrek piggy bank when I was five...

'No.'

"So there's a first time for everything. I'll go get some brushes. I'll be right back." He starts to jog towards the door and I do a quick once over of the room.

'You want to paint these in here with all these papers?'

"It's not like I'm actually going to read them," He replies, "and we can put them under the paints just incase any spills. You start opening up the paints; I'll go get the brushes. Remember to shake them really well."

Then he opens the door and rushes out, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. I look down at the paints and sigh before grabbing each one and giving it a good shake and unscrewing off the little cap.

Setting each one down under Sam's scattered papers, I nod as I see it's about as organized as it's going to be. I place my axe and stuffed bear on the other side of the room, since I'd rather not get either dirty, especially Winnie the Pooh.

The door opens with a creak as Sam strides in carrying many paintbrushes all of different sizes. I silently take the ones he gives me and dip one of the broader brushes in a lighter shade of red.

"That color is the color of the warlock's cape." He hands me a figurine I'm guessing is the warlock, and I'm thankful he didn't bother telling me its name. "Be sure to go over it evenly so there isn't some spots that are darker than the others."

I nod, slowly stroking my brush over the little warlock's cape. I find it a bit too hard to paint sitting down, so I lay on my stomach to paint, with my tongue in between my teeth and slightly poking through my lips as I concentrate.

I finish the cape, moving onto the rest of the clothing, the shoes, until I'm holding a small, precise brush dipped in blood red paint and staring at the figurine's eyes.

"You're seriously going to do the eyes?" Sam asks, looking up from the one he's working on. I nod, still staring at the warlock. I edge the the paintbrush closer, but stop as my fingers keep shaking.

"I can do it," He says. "I've had practice before."

I shake my head as I try again, getting a few paint drops into the iris, smearing it around in just the right places, but I pull back as my fingers start shaking again; I only got half of the iris.

"Here, let me do it." Sam starts scooting over to me. He lightly touches my arm to get my attention so I'll move back, and while I was expecting it, I still jerk up on instinct, causing a tiny drop of paint to splatter on Sam's face.

He grimaced at the feeling of the wet liquid on his face and tries to wipe it off, but instead he only smears it across his cheek. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, but he notices it right away.

"Oh, you think that's funny, Runner Five?" He asks, then proceeds to dip his finger into one of the white bottles of paint and flick it at me, getting droplets on my face and in my hair.

'Not cool. I splattered you on accident,' I say scrunching up my face.

"I know-I know. Sorry," Sam giggles. "Your face though is priceless."

I start to make a sarcastic comment, but the soft click of the door opening cuts me off before I can start. Maxine peeks into the coms shack.

"We're about to play Demons and Darkness if you two want in," She states, and a small smirk appears on her lips as she looks at the bits on paint covering my face. "What are you two doing?"

"Painting."

"The figurines or each other?"

He rolls his eyes and pushes himself up. "Where are we playing?"

"Janine's farmhouse."

I blink. 'Janine's letting you guys play there?'

Maxine smiles and chuckles. "Sarah was able to get her to let us do so. She can be very convincing."

I've noticed.

"But no matter how many times I asked Janine refused to join us."

"I don't think you could pay Janine to actually play a game. Fun isn't exactly in her vocabulary." He looks down at me with a smile. "Come on, Five. Let's go role-play."

I roll my eyes as I push myself up in standing position, following right behind Sam and the doctor as they walk to the farmhouse. I've never really looked at the farmhouse because well, it never had any interest to me. Plus it wasn't something I thought I'd ever get to see the inside of.

But once I do, I'm actually pretty impressed. It's nothing too special, if it weren't in the apocalypse, that is. The last time I was in a normal house was when the apocalypse had just begun and that was the best shelter we could find.

I'm ushered to the living room by an overexcited Maxine, and I notice the walls are painted a light blue. It's pretty.

I sit down on the floor next to Sam, joining the circle of people I somewhat recognize; Jack, Eugene, Sarah, and Jody-who looks like she most definitely does not want to be here.

"You ready, Five?" Sam asks in excitement, and I sigh through my nose, not exactly sure if I want to make a complete fool of myself just yet.

'How about I just watch for the first round or game or whatever?' I ask, cringing when his smile drops. 'So I'll understand how to play.'

He looks at me suspiciously. "Is this an excuse to get out of playing?"

'It's an excuse to get me out of playing this first time, because I don't want to look like a moron by asking tons of questions,' I respond with a pointed look.

"Hmm, alright, but you better actually pay attention." He scoots closer to me to make room for Maxine, and I bristle slightly as his arm brushes against mine.

'I'll be hanging onto your every word.' I shift around a bit.

My eyes train on Sam even though it's Maxine who is explaining the rules. I suppress a giddy grin as he practically beams in excitement, and when he moves slightly and brushes against me again, I feel a small shudder run through me.

How is it I feel so happy around him? Why is it seeing him is one of the highlights of my day, even if he can be a bit of a dork, and just a tiny bit annoying, and strange? How is it I like to hear his voice all the time, and I feel disappointed when I'm told he's not doing my missions?

My eyes go wide and my breath catches in my throat.

Oh, no.

The combination of dread and horror starts in my chest, slowly spreading out into my limbs and phalanges. The cold, icy feeling is so painful, so terrifying I can barely focus on what's going on around me.

I'm totally crushing on this British-Chinese, marmite-loving, role-playing radio operator, aren't I?

"Five, what's that face for?" The object of my terrifying thoughts asks, a confused half smile on his face. "Are you alright?"

Shit.

A/N: Took you long enough, didn't it, Five? Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please do tell me what you thought on it. I love hearing what you guys think. It means so much to me. And remember to vote too! I promise it won't hurt your fingers to do so. Anyway, I hope you all have a blessed day or night.