Sadie's POV

"You, UP!" Theresa ordered Aaron when she opened up the closet door, gesturing to me when he did as she said and cautiously stepped out. "Sadie, you still got the handcuff key?"

"I do, but let's hold off on that." I smirked a little, revealing the key only briefly before stuffing it back in my pocket.

"Sadie…"

I nodded toward the living room. "Just bring him back to the couch."

She turned to Aaron and shrugged before taking him by the arm to follow me.

I gestured for Gareth to take Alex to go stand on the other side of the room when Theresa and I returned to sit Aaron back down on the couch.

I shot him a look as I pointed to the couch with my knife. "SIT."

Theresa exchanged a look with me before releasing her hold on his arm so he could follow my order as I sat back in the chair across from him.

"T, you wanna go grab me a paper and pen, if you've got it?" I asked.

She nodded. "I think I saw a notepad somewhere in the kitchen."

I nodded before returning my attention to Aaron. "While she checks on that, why don't you start telling us where your camp is?"

"Ahh, well…" He chuckled nervously. "E-every time we've brought recruits back, I've been the one behind the wheel-"

"Okay, was my husband not clear earlier when he said that we're not just gonna up and all pile into your car, when we don't know you from atom, with a two year old?" I cut him off, shooting him a glare as Theresa returned with a notepad which she handed me. "Thanks T."

She nodded. "...pen was out of ink, I don't know how much good it'll do."

"You're good, I think I still have a spare one." I reassured her as I reached for the pocket on one of my boots.

"Aha!" I marveled briefly before shooting a glare back to Aaron. "You want out of those cuffs, you better start talkin again."

"Right….Uhh..No no, he was." He stuttered. "...he was, I just- "

He stopped mid sentence when he saw me still holding my glare as I waited for him to go on.

He sighed. "...Go north on Route 16."

"Good boy…" I nodded as I jotted it down, not looking back up. "...and then?"

"...and then, I'll tell you when we get there."

I looked back up to shoot him another glare.

"...Look, I'm sure you're good people." He attempted to defend. "...I'd even bet my life on it, but- "

"..but, what?" Gareth asked.

"...but, I'm just not willing to bet my friends' lives on it."

Gareth nodded, seemingly accepting this answer. "Sadie, why don't you and I go talk outside for a minute?" He asked in a gentler tone.

I nodded after taking another moment to consider. "...Theresa, take Alex back for a bit, we'll be right back." I nodded toward Aaron. "...and don't let him try anything funny."

"On it." She agreed, settling Alex back into her arms as Gareth handed him off on his way out with me.

"Alright, now that it's just us….." He sighed, once we were a good enough distance from the house. "...Sadie, tell me the truth…..how are you really feeling about what this guy's saying?"

"...the truth?" I repeated back to him, gazing back at the house.

We were far enough away that Aaron or even Theresa wouldn't be able to hear our conversation, not even if we were shouting it, though somehow we were still just close enough that I could make out Alex staring out one of the windows from Theresa's arms. I smiled at him, though I doubt he could see me from there.

"...you can tell me, you know…" He finally said, breaking my train of thought. "...no bullshit." He chuckled slightly at that last part.

I shook my head as I looked back at him. "...the truth is, I'm scared to death, Gar…..alright, I want to believe he's telling the truth, I want to believe there's something better than this, I just...I just- I don't know if I can…."

"...I know…" He replied sympathetically, letting me rest my head over his shoulder as he held me closer. "...I know, that much was obvious…"

"...I just feel like if we go there, and it does seem legit, it's gonna be like that Twilight Zone episode, you know?"

"...The Twilight Zone, huh?" He sort of chuckled.

"..you know the one I'm talking about.." I somewhat smirked as I smacked him playfully. "...it was the one where that couple is running around that neighborhood….and everything seems perfect, but come to find that it's all fake because it's all part of some giant alien kid's play set?"

"I see, so you won't let him drive us back there not for the same reason I didn't want to let him, but because you're afraid he and his boyfriend arrived here in a UFO?" He teased.

"Would you get back on track?!" I couldn't help but laugh as I smacked him again. "..This is not all about some Twilight Zone episode!"

"Ow, ow, ow!" He laughed. "Okay, I give, I give!"

"..Alright, not that part of the episode, anyway." I smacked him one more time.

"I know…" He chuckled. "...I know, I was just kidding."

"Good." I sort of chuckled back. "...didn't wanna be the one to have to tell you that this is not the time for actual conspiracy theories."

"Very funny…" He chuckled again before actually getting back on track. "...alright real talk again, then… what do you really wanna do about this whole thing? …...I mean, we don't have to go back with him, if you're really that unsure of it…we'll just tell him we changed our minds."

"...ohh, I am 1000% unsure of it…" I made very clear.

"...buuut…?"

I sighed. "...but, a part of me that's just a little bit bigger than all of that will never let me live with myself if I don't see it for myself and find out for absolute certain…."

He nodded quietly. "...so, we are going then?"

I nodded back. "...we're going…..I still make no promises once we get there and see it, but we're going…...I wanna at least try."

He smiled back at me. "That's my girl."

"Shut up." I gave him another playful smack to the shoulder before taking his hand to make our way back to the house.