Cora had to admit that she was worried when by the next morning no one had come to them. They couldn't all be dead. She refused to believe that. The pack bonds told her that there had to be someone left. Lucas had made it out of the house, so someone else had to have gotten out as well. She couldn't be alone… Almost alone. Cora remembered the morning before when she had gotten into a fight with her mother and stormed off. The last thing she had said to her was that she hated her and now she wouldn't see her again. What was she going to do? She couldn't take care of Lucas… Hell, she was barely two years older than him. The most she had ever done was take care of her younger siblings and her cousins when everyone else was busy but this was something completely different. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside. She was about to rush out to check who it was when hushed voices reached her ears. Voices that definitely didn't belong to anyone from the Pack "Are you sure this is where they're hiding?" a man's voice hissed quietly.

"If anyone survived, they'd be here. She said so," another guy responded "Now be quiet. Do you want them to hear us?"

"Lucas," Cora breathed, hurrying to her unconscious cousin's side. His breathing had gotten worse over the past few hours and he was a little warm but so far it was nothing that Cora worried about too badly. His heartbeat was still as strong as it had always been "Come on. You have to wake up, Luc."

Lucas let out a pained groan, his eyes snapping open when a hand pressed over his mouth "Hmpf."

"Quiet," Cora whispered, her eyes darting around the room as she was getting more and more nervous. Her wolf was demanding that she do something "There's someone outside. We have to leave. Can you get up?"

"I don't…" Lucas whimpered.

His hand reached to touch his side with a grimace before Cora caught it "Don't. That'll just make it worse. Come on, get up."

"Cora… Where is everyone?" he asked, eyes welling up.

Cora swallowed, turning her eyes to the darkened window across from them "I don't know. Maybe something happened and they weren't able to come yet."

Lucas sniffled "Do you really believe that?"

"No," she mumbled, her hate for those surviving growing "But for both of our sake we should. Here."

Lucas took a couple of deep breaths against the pain, letting Cora pull him up. He really tried not to make any sound but the pain was unbearable. His whole upper body felt like it was burning like he was trapped in the fire again "Cora… I – I can't."

Cora steadied him when he was about to fall over his own feet "Yes, you can. We have to, Luc. Now, hush. I'm trying to listen." She tilted her head "How did they find out about this house? Only family knows… Do you think maybe… No, it's impossible." There was no way anyone told the Hunters. Pack doesn't betray each other. Especially not her family. No matter how mad they got at each other.

As soon as she determined that everything was clear, the two Hale children hurried out of the safe house and into the forest. Not a moment too late as the whole house went up in flames. Lucas stared at the flames, his mind flashing back to the night before. The screams were echoing in his mind and he couldn't forget their expressions as they realised that they were trapped in that basement. His father had gone back inside… Did he burn to death with them? He had to be gone, otherwise, he would have come for Lucas. That much the nine-year-old was sure about. His father wouldn't have just abandoned him. But the way Cora was acting… His chest hurt a little as he thought of the fire and a part of him was glad that he didn't have to be dealing with the full strength of the bonds breaking. He had only heard about it from Peter when one of their great-grandparents died.

By the time the sun was at its peak, Cora and Lucas had managed to make their way to San Francisco. Cora had been there before and at least had a little idea of what to do. She had planned on making her way north to Seattle if they even got that far. There was a pack that was very close to their family. Maybe they could stay with them for some time until Lucas had recovered enough for them to move on.

There had been some money in the safe house. Enough for something to eat and the bus tickets to Seattle "How are you, Luc?" Cora whispered, letting her cousin lean against her heavily.

"Tired," he slurred "Want Dad."

Cora kissed his temple "I know. I want Uncle Peter too. He would know what to do…"

By the time they drove out of San Francisco, Lucas had fallen into a fitful sleep and Cora's eyes were dropping. They had curled up together in one row with Cora absentmindedly scenting Lucas and the younger boy curled into her chest. The bus driver had been suspicious to see two small kids travelling together but since they had managed to buy tickets, he believed that they were going to visit family… For now.

Hours later, Cora yawned, rubbing at her eyes. Her stomach was rumbling and the smell of the sandwiches she had bought was making her mouth water. She quickly ate the food and gulped down a little of the water bottle before pulling out another sandwich "Lucas," she called quietly, not really caring for any of the people around them. They hadn't even looked at the two kids for more than a second, so she doubted they would do anything. She was still hyper-vigilant of everything around her but tried to focus on her cousin for now "Luc?"

"Mum?" he mumbled, trying to blink his eyes open. Before Cora could even catch a glimpse of the blue she loved so much, Lucas started coughing harshly.

"Lucas!" Cora pleaded, grabbing the water to hold it to his lips "Here." He tried to take a small sip before spilling it all over himself when he started coughing again.

Lucas sniffed a little "Hurts, Cora."

"I know, kiddo," Cora told him, running her hand through Lucas' hair sweaty hair. He was getting warmer and his breathing was getting harsher by the minute, worrying the girl more than she would ever show. She knew that the burns had to be bothering him but she couldn't risk bringing him to a hospital yet. With everything that happened and the men at the safe house, they had to move as quickly as they could to get as far away from Beacon Hills as they possibly could. Somewhere no one would know who they were. Where no one would find out that they survived.

While Lucas kept drifting in and out of consciousness, Cora was staring out of the window. Even if she was dead tired, she couldn't sleep. Her wolf was demanding to be let out and mourn its loss but she had to get them to safety first.

Her thoughts drifted as she kept staring at the Sacramento River. They were heading north out of Sacramento now. There was still a long way to go and Cora hoped against hope that the time would pass quickly. She didn't know how long she could stand being on this bus with all the stinky and loud humans. Everything was getting too much and she was in way over her head but she had to be strong. If not for herself, then for Lucas.

It was no secret that most of her family had been sheltered. The most they got to be around humans was at school or the few times they went out into town. While Cora and most of the other kids had friends, they weren't allowed to spend a lot of time around them. That was what had started Cora's fight with her mother in the first place.

Flashback

"Come on," Cora whined, looking up at her mother pleadingly.

Talia shook her head "I said no, Cora. My decision is final. It's family night tonight."

"I just wanna go to the movies with my friends," Cora argued "It's going to be a few hours."

"No."

Cora glared at her mother, crossing her arms "This is unfair. Derek and Laura aren't here either. Why do I have to be?"

"I'm not going to argue with you about this anymore," Talia said sternly, barely refraining from flashing her Alpha eyes at her stubborn daughter "You can go some other time."

"But I never get to go out with my friends. Hell, they are barely my friends… Please. I just want to fit in at school."

Peter walked into the kitchen with Lucas trailing along behind him "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Talia told him firmly "This is over, Cora."

"No," Cora shouted "I hate you. Why can't you just…"

"Enough," Talia roared, making both her daughter and Lucas flinch away. She calmed down a little "Enough. Go to your room. We will be talking about this later."

Cora huffed, storming out of the room. She ignored her mother's words and instead of going to her room, she ran out of the front door and into the woods. She needed to think and the only place she would be undisturbed was at her spot deep in the preserve.

End Flashback

Cora's eyes welled up with tears. She sniffed, hiding her face in Lucas' hair. He still smelt like fire but his scent screamed pack and soothed her wolf at least a little.

They were close to Seattle when it happened. Everything happened so fast that Cora barely knew what was happening until she was standing in the waiting room of the hospital with a nurse trying to talk to her. Shock was something she heard as she stared at the doors, the Doctors had vanished through with Lucas in tow.

"Sweetie?" the nurse called out, cause Cora to turn her head in her direction slowly "There you are." The nurse smiled at her gently "Is there anyone I can call for you?"

Cora shook her head numbly "No," she rasped "There's no one."

"Your parents?" the nurse asked.

"They –" Cora broke off "They are on vacation right now."

The nurse sighed "Alright. I'm going to need some information from you. Can you tell me your brother's name?"

"He's my cousin," Cora corrected "Lucas. His name is Lucas."

"Last name?"

Cora didn't answer. If she gave their last name, the Hunters would be able to find them. She couldn't risk getting them on their trail. Not after they had finally gotten away.

The nurse let out a sigh and was about to open her mouth when her pager went off. She glanced down and cursed lowly "I'll be right back and bring you something to drink, alright?"

Cora just nodded and watched her leave. She looked at the doors to the ER again before glancing around nervously. There was no way she would be able to avoid their questions for much longer, so she did the only thing she could think of. She ran.