I own nothing

Chapter 1

Ava was so tired of walking. Her feet hurt and her calves were achy. She was worn out from crying so much as well. All she wanted to do was lie down in a nice soft bed and sleep for hours. But no, of course she couldn't sleep; Mr. Mason told her she had to keep walking, that they weren't too much farther from the camp. Ava was getting frustrated with the older man and his son, at four foot ten inches she was having a hard time keeping up with Mason men. She had practically been running to keep up with them for the past hour.

She noticed that Hal slowed down for her to catch up or maybe she just thought he slowed down. She sighed a little, her Daddy was dead, and Evan had been shot. She didn't even know about Chance and Ryan. She felt the tears well up again in her eyes. No, Ava, you are not going to cry anymore, just suck it up, she kept telling herself over and over. She was so busy telling herself off, that she didn't realize that Hal had stopped in front of her and ran right into his back.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, her voice sounded hoarse to her ears. "I guess I wasn't paying attention"

"It's okay. I have two little brothers, and you haven't complained nearly as much as they do, so I thought you might be tired since you didn't answer me when I asked you if you were." Hal was smirking at me,

"I am tired" she let a hint of whine into her voice. She really just wanted her brothers and Daddy. She couldn't stop the tears this time she quickly swiped at them, trying to make them stop flowing.

"It's okay to cry. We all do it and believe me you have every reason to cry. How about I give you a piggy back ride for a while?" Hal spoke to her with a kindness he normally only used with Ben or Matt. He noticed his dad was staring at the two of them. He knew that his dad was ready to get moving again. Hal turned his back to the small girl and stooped down so she could hop on his back. Once she did he felt her lay her head on his shoulder, and felt the wetness of her tears.

Ava continued to cry as Hal carried her on his back. She was embarrassed by all the crying she had done today.

"Thank you" she told him about twenty minutes later. In the distance she could see on old warehouse, she saw how several people came out of it as they got closer. "You can put me down now, Hal"

"It's not much farther, Kid, I don't mind" Hal continued on walking, picking up his speed when he saw Karen. As he reached Karen he let Ava get down. Ava noticed Mr. Mason disappearing from view into the building.

"I see you found her." Karen said looking at the girl, with a strange look the blonde kissed Hal on his lips. Ava felt awkward standing there, she wrapped her arms around herself, Karen spoke again "You look tired baby, "

Hal smiled at her and nodded his head, and then looking at Ava said "Ava, this is my girlfriend Karen. How about I take you to see your brother? Then we can find you something to eat and somewhere to sleep."

Ava was very eager to see Evan. She quickly nodded her head, also noticing how the blonde gave her a dirty look.

"Hal, she's too young to see her brother like that," Karen said. Karen looked at her with sad eyes.

"I'm not a baby, I want to see Evan." She practically shouted at Karen and Hal. A few people nearby turned and looked at the trio.

"Hey, no need to yell, kid, I plan on taking you to see him." Hal quickly retorted. At that he headed toward the building with Karen right next to him and Ava running to keep up. As they walked toward the warehouse, Ava saw a boy about her age, holding a gun, they locked eyes and it was like he looked into her soul. She tore he eyes away from him as Hal lead her to a secluded area in the warehouse. Ava gave a cry of "Evan!" and started running toward him.

Evan was lying on a cot of some sort. His eyes popped open as he heard Ava shout his name, he quickly opened his arms for the girl running toward him, and His arms were soon full of his tiny thirteen year old sister. He wrapped his arms around her and said "Oh God, sweetie, I'm so glad you're okay."

Ava felt him running his hand over the back of her head. She was crying again clinging to her brother. "I was so scared, Evan, It was so dark in the hole and I didn't know what was going on and you and Daddy didn't come back. I was just so scared. And then Mr. Mason and Hal came and told me you had been shot and Daddy was dead and I just wanted to see you. I don't know where Chance and Ryan are or if they are okay, Please don't leave me alone ever again, Evan, Please don't."

Evan couldn't stand the sobs coming from his sister, he pulled her closer to his chest is that was even possible, "I won't, Sweetheart, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere,"

Shifting over enough without causing a lot of pain for his injured leg, Evan pulled his sister onto the cot with him. "I'm not going anywhere, Ava, "

Ava's tears died down after Evan told her he wasn't going anywhere, that's when she became aware that Hal and Karen, along with some lady with long brown hair and olive skin , were still standing there watching the scene unfold. Embarrassed she buried her head into Evan shoulder. Thirteen year old don't cry and cling to people the way she had been. She was just so relieved to have at least one family member still alive. Slowly she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

"Thank you for getting my sister, I don't know how I will ever repay ya'll" Evan whispered carefully to Hal, to keep from waking his sister. He looked down at her sleeping form and felt a sudden surge of reality. Dad was dead and who knew if Chance and Ryan were alive. He was all the sudden solely responsible for protecting Ava at nineteen.

"It was no problem, man, I have two little brothers and I would want someone to do the same if it was them." Hal said watching Ava sleep curled up next to her brother. She reminded him of Matt when he climbed in to sleep next to him. "She's a good kid. That speech she gave you is the most she has said since we found her."

"She really is a good kid. It's usually Ryan or Chance she wants when she's scared. But I guess I will have to do since we don't know where they are."

"Maybe they will show up here. I know my dad made up flyers about the resistance."

"Yeah I hope they do, I don't know what I will do if I'm the only one responsible for her. I see how that boy over there keeps looking at her." Evan said nodding toward a kid about Ava's age. Who quickly looked away as Hal turned to look?

"That's Jimmy, he's a good kid, a fighter, his family all died in the beginning." Hal said looking a little bit sad. Anne had been quietly standing by listening to the boys talk. Tom had come up as well and noticed how Ava was asleep practically on top of her brother.

"Why don't I go see if I can't find Ava a cot to sleep on?" Tom spoke breaking the awkward silence.

"No she's fine" Evan said tightening his hold on her.

"Evan, why don't you let Tom bring in another cot for Ava, I'm worried about you busting your stitches." Anne kindly spoke.

"NO. She's fine, when she's scared she has to sleep with someone, she's been like that since our mom died."

"Okay, I'm going to find a blanket to cover her up with at least." Tome said looking at the girl like you would see him look at one of his sons. Hal got up and walked off with Tom.

"I want you to tell me if your leg gets to hurting to bad okay?" Anne said .Evan nodded his head before she turned and walked away. Evan's eyes drifted closed but opened again as someone put a blanket over Ava. Tom smiled down at the teen as he tucked the blanket around the sleeping girl. He took a seat on the ground next to the cot.

"Get some sleep. Nothing bad will happen while you sleep. I'll be here when you guys wake up."

Evan drifted to sleep knowing that he and Ava weren't alone, and that they had found a makeshift family.