I am sorry that it has been forever and a day since ai updated, but here I am again. This story was being typed up and there was a good deal already written but it got deleted so I had to start over. With Mauryn's help, I got back on my feet. Also somewhat of a War spoiler, in this story I decided to name Caesar's baby Cornelius. Turns out, they did that and it made me super excited! But because it got deleted I have no proof, but that's all right by me. Anyway, enjoy.

I don't remember how long I sat there, but eventually I fell asleep. The only reason I knew I'd fallen asleep was because Malcolm woke us up the next morning. He startled me so much, I jumped and fell out of Alexander's bed and onto the floor.

"Ready for departure?" he asked, not upset to find us together. Yes, we were almost like family now, but none of us were blood related except for Alex and Malcolm, so he didn't find it weird to find us together. It's not like we were sleeping together or anything. And I knew Malcolm was definitely not upset by us. I'd seen him say once that he wished Alex didn't have to see half of the things he had because it made him from up too soon. That made him afraid togged close to anyone so he was glad Ale had a friend like me that he could be a kid with again.

"Yeah, ten minutes," I signed getting up.

.. .. ..

On my way to load the jeep, a small group of people entering the compound caught my eye. They were being introduced into the compound by on of my neighbors. It was a group of three men and three women. The tallest man with a greying beard, kept a hand on the young long, blonde haired woman's elbow at all times, as if he was guiding her. Guiding her?

I looked back and realized that she was holding a walking stick. She was blind. The speed with which I rushed over and threw my arms around her surprised not only her, but Alex as well.

She was clearly being polite by not pushing me off her, but she had no idea who I was. With tears in my eyes, I quickly grabbed her hand. 'LILY' I wrote in her palm.

A tear fell from under her sunglasses as she threw her arms around me in a tight embrace.

Alex ran over to us stunned by my large sign of affection. I looked up to him and began signing quickly with my arms still wrapped around her shoulders.

"Alex, this Amanda," I told him. "She was my babysitter. She is blind. Please giver her everything she needs."

Like the true friend he was, Alex translated for me and for the man she was with. He explained how we knew each other. He also translated for Amanda.

"PLEASE COME INSIDE."

"MEET MY GROUP," Amanda sighed to me. When she turned to her friends, they easily formed themselves in a line as if this was routine for them.

I had been so excited to see her that I forgot about the people she was with. She started with the tall greying man. Amanda spoke as Alex translated for me.

"This is Chris. He found me first and saved me for everything I couldn't see."

Next Amanda led me to two boys just a couple of years older than I. One had green eyes and dirty blonde hair while the other was shorter with unkempt brown hair and brown eyes.

"Thomas and Roddy," Alex signed.

"Nice to meet you," the blonde one named Thomas said, then he signed, "HI."

"Hi," I replied.

"You never told me you knew sign language," Roddy smacked him.

Thomas seemed almost embarrassed as he turned to his friend. "There was never a reason to tell you."

From over their shoulders, I could see Alex smiling to himself.

"What funny?" I asked him.

"Wish you could hear them. They're British."

It never ceased to amaze me at how often I forgot that people had different accents.

"What did he say?" Thomas asked, looking between the two of us with his large, curious, green eyes.

This time I saw the different way his lips moved as opposed to ours when we spoke. I tapped the corner of my mouth and winked at Alex. In that gesture he knew I could see the differences now that I had been made aware of them.

"Well, I'm from London," Roddy smiled offering his hand for me to shake.

"Nice to meet you."

"England," Thomas said.

Amanda finally dragged us away from the boys and to a very pretty young girl with long brown hair.

She smiled widely at me before shaking my hand and attempting to whisper something in my ear knowing I was deaf. It confused me as to why she whispered to me knowing I couldn't hear her, but when I saw Alex pause before he translated, I knew why she said it out loud.

"She said, 'What's your friend's name? He's kind of cute,' " Alex signed.

"Poppy!" Amanda chastised her. "Leave him alone. Can't you leave him be for ten minutes?"

"Why would I want to do that?" she smiled.

Lastly I met a blonde woman who looked ike she easily could have been a mother. Her name was Tap.

"Tap has helped me the same was Chris has," Amanda told me. "The other three are more or less moral support," she teased them.

Once introductions were made, it surprised me that such a warm feeling had found its way to my heart again. It had been so long since I felt that or had seen so many people so happy before.

The chattering among them had resumed once introductions had been made so I was forced to clap my hands in order to get their attention. With one arm, I pointed to my door and signed to Alex what I was trying to say.

"Go through that door and up the stairs. Inside we will make you food."

At the mention of food, Thomas and Roddy practically fell over each other in order to reach the door. Amanda and I followed behind being the last two people inside.