March 17th, 2012

A warm spring breeze blew and I shivered, climbing out of the creek, wringing my hair out. Snatching my towel off the branch, I quickly dried off and grabbed my clothes, pulling on my freshly washed clothes.

They had dried while I was washing and now smelled like fresh air. Miles and Bass made fun of me for washing when it was still so cold out, but out of the three of us, I was the only one who didn't smell like sweaty clothes and stinky feet.

Tugging my sweater on over my head I paused, half in the shirt, hearing something rustling in the bushes nearby. I quickly pulled it the rest of the way on and crouched down, reaching for my gun.

The bushes rustled again and I stood up, gripping my gun tight. Since the three of us had come together we had encountered group after group trying to take from us, trying to hurt or kill us. With the three of us working together we had been able to fight everyone off and keep each other safe.

That didn't mean that something bad couldn't happen while I was on my own though, and it had been a lesson I had learned quickly.

November 30th, 2012

I walked through the forest, scouting the area for any sign of game. Miles and Bass had shown me how to shoot more accurately with my handgun and a shotgun we had taken from the men we had killed.

The wind rushed through the empty branches, creating an eerie howling noise that sent a chill over my skin. It had been nearly two hours since I had come out here, looking for a rabbit, squirrel, anything, and so far I had seen nothing.

Miles and Bass were back at camp trying to come up with a plan on where we should go next. We had gotten into DC and the city had been flooded, burning, and stinking of death. After just a short day we hadn't been able to find anyone…only the dead.

It seemed that the millions who had lived there had abandoned the city.

Rustling in the branches nearby caught my attention and I narrowed my eyes, squinting to see if something edible was close by. The movement grew until I saw a person walking towards me, growing larger by the second.

I cursed silently, backing away as quietly as possible, wincing when sticks and leaves crunched beneath my feet. The figure turned towards me and I felt fear pluck my nerves. The man was tall, taller than Miles, and well built.

He carried a shotgun and gave me a slow, scary smile. "Hello lovely" he called out. I shook my head and backed away, gripping my gun tightly. "Where you going darlin? Bring that fine ass back here!"

I shook my head and turned, running away as fast as I could. I could hear him crashing through the woods behind me and felt terror hot on my heels. My lungs felt like bursting, but I kept running, glancing back to see the man gaining on me.

I pointed my gun over my shoulder and fired, desperate to hit him. The bullets flew wildly, missing him completely. I could hear him laughing wildly and my gut twisted in fear, spurring me to run faster.

I gasped for air, fear making my heart pound wildly.

I climbed up the hill that lay only a mile from our camp and began screaming for Miles and Bass. "Miles! Bass! Help!" I screamed.

A blast so loud it seemed to shake the trees startled me. I glanced around and saw that the trees near me had actually been blasted by a shotgun…not just my imagination. Looking over my shoulder I saw the man lowering his gun, grinning at me.

I spun in the other direction, screaming when the shotgun roared again, blasting more trees near me. I zigged, going in the other direction. My foot caught on a branch and I sprawled to the ground, all the air smashed out of my lungs.

I could hear the man climbing up the hill after me and struggled to rise.

"Don't leave now! We're just starting to have fun!"

I turned my head in time to see the butt of the shotgun coming towards my face. It connected sharply, sending me sprawling to the ground again, something hot trailing down my face.

"There you go darlin. You just stay there."

I groaned and struggled to move, trying to crawl away. His boot connected with my ribs. Crying out I curled into a ball and whimpered. My eyes slitted open and I saw my gun lying in the leaves only inches away.

I could hear the man unbuckling his belt and revulsion made my skin crawl at the thought of him touching me. He bent over me, his breath hot on the skin of my neck and I inched my fingers towards the gun, painfully slow.

He worked my pants down and I whimpered, scrambling for the gun quicker now. My fingers closed around the grip and I rolled, pointing the gun into his belly. I fired, and kept firing until the gun clicked empty.

His limp body fell onto mine, his blood spreading across my torso in a warms rush. I gagged and shoved him off, stumbling away as I rose to my feet. I turned in the direction of camp and walked, shock making me numb.

Halfway there Miles and Bass met me, guns in hand. When they saw me they came to a halt, eyes wide, fearful. Miles grabbed my arm, "What happened?"

I stared at him, frozen. "He's dead…down there…"

Miles stared at me for a moment before looking to Bass, "Take her, I'll go check it out."

Bass nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, gently guiding me up to camp.

The leaves of the bushes rustled again and I could see a large figure emerging. Raising my gun I stood and called out, "Whoever's there, get out here or I'll start shooting."

A low chuckle came from the bushes and Bass stepped out, hands raised. I exhaled hard and shook my head, glaring at him. "Christ Bass, I could have shot you!" I scolded.

He smirked, "I doubt you would."

I holstered my gun and began braiding my hair, walking past him, brushing his shoulder with mine. "One of these days I might if you keep annoying me" I called over my shoulder. I could hear him following me and glanced over my shoulder at him, "Why were you in the bushes, were you spying Bass?" I asked, lifting a brow, smirking.

He grinned, "Not at all. I was just coming to let you know that Miles and I want to move on to Chicago and try to find our family, his family."

I nodded; we had talked about it a few times this winter, but hadn't tried to attempt it without proper winter clothing or supplies. Now that it was spring we could make a real attempt to go and find Miles' family.

We had made camp outside Philly for a few months now, moving from place to place, always looking for something stable. "Well I'd suggest we make another supply run before we leave. We're running low on pretty much all kinds of medical supplies."

Bass nodded, "We'll go into the city and see what can be scrounged." He glanced over at me, something unreadable in his expression and then looked ahead. "You feeling okay?" he asked softly.

I glanced over in surprise at him, Bass rarely got emotional on me. "Uh what do you mean?" I murmured.

He shrugged, "Your ribs, they look good."

I glanced over at him, brows shooting up. "Thought you weren't spying on me?"

His neck flushed as he looked away, shaking his head. "I-I just saw when you were pulling your shirt on. Miles was worried they were broken."

I smirked softly, "Miles was worried huh? Well, I'm fine, the bruising went away months ago, and the crack in the one rib seems to have healed. No more soreness."

We crested the hills and walked through the trees to the campsite. Miles was busy organizing his pack and glanced up at us, a look of annoyance passing over his face before disappearing. I knew he thought Bass and I were sleeping together, but it just wasn't happening.

Not that I hadn't considered it.

But with the way the world was going, I didn't want to fuck up the only good thing left in my life.

I sank down on a log beside my tent and began repacking my bag, rolling up the clean clothes I had washed in addition to the outfit I had been wearing. Miles and Bass tried to get me to wash their clothes but I steadfastly refused.

I hadn't minded for Joe, Hannah and I, but for Miles and Bass, two people who I was still getting to know and trust, I certainly wasn't going to wash their boxers.

Half an hour later we had all packed and were walking on the road, finally making our way to Chicago. I was snacking on rabbit jerky while Miles and Bass reminisced about their favorite meals pre-blackout.

"Definitely pizza and beer" Bass said, shaking his head, "God what I wouldn't give for a cold beer."

Miles nodded, "I'd probably push you off a cliff for a six pack." Bass laughed and Miles joined in, their happiness making me smile softly. "Lasagna…I could eat a whole pan" Miles said wistfully.

I shook my head and walked quicker to catch up with them. "You boys think small. My favorite is steak with garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, and chocolate cake for dessert. Oh and a big glass of wine."

Miles and Bass exchanged a look before bursting out laughing, shaking their heads. Miles slapped my shoulder, "I'd take that meal any day." Bass nodded and grinned at me.

I smiled softly, "Well, find me some cow, a grill, and the rest, and I'll make it."

"You know how to grill?" Bass asked, sounding surprised.

I nodded, "My dad taught my brother and I. Well, he taught Eddie, I most hung around and annoyed them, picking up everything when they really wanted me out of the way."

Bass smiled sadly, "I had two little sisters, and I know what it's like to have them underfoot. He probably loved that you wanted to learn from him." His expression was sorrowful as he looked away and I could tell from the way he was talking that they were no longer alive.

Miles glanced over at Bass, his expression wary, concerned.

It made me smile, the way they looked out for each other. Despite having different last names and being from totally different families, these two men considered each other brothers.

As the sun grew lower in the sky I wandered ahead, scouting for a safe place to stay. As I walked I saw a bright flash of orange in between the trees. Walking slower I saw that it was a tent, and that the belongings of whoever was staying there were strewn about on the forest floor.

A high pitched cry from further in the woods made my head snap up, my body freezing. Miles and Bass ran up, hands at their weapons.

"What is it?" Miles asked.

I shook my head, "I don't know, I don't see anything. But whoever it is, they're close."

Another cry, louder this time, echoed through the woods. I grabbed my gun out of its holster and took off running, trying to find the source. I could hear Miles and Bass cursing behind me, shouting at me, but I didn't stop.

Moments later we burst through the trees into a clearing, coming to a halt at the sight of two men beating a third man bloody. The men looked up in surprise and I raised my gun, "Get off him, now."

The men dropped him and backed away slowly as Miles and Bass caught up. I glanced down at the man and winced, he looked terrible. Miles and Bass stepped forward, guns raised.

"It's time for you men to leave." Miles's voice was low and dark, commanding.

One of the men shook his head, "Come on man, he's almost dead and there's plenty of supplies here for all of us." His smile was gregarious as he waved to the man lying on the ground, bleeding.

Miles sighed, looking annoyed and pulled the trigger rapidly, killing both men. I quickly stepped forward, holstering my gun and kneeling by the injured man. He huddled on the ground, protecting his face, wheezing gasps coming from his bloodied lips.

I touched his shoulder and he flinched. "Hey shh, it's okay, you're safe." He lowered his arms from his face and I smiled at him, "It's okay, come on, let's get you up."

Miles and Bass crouched, grabbing his arms, pulling him up. I slung my pack around and dug out a clean cloth, wiping his face off gently. "What's your name?" I asked softly, trying to assess how badly hurt he was.

He took a shaky breath and then whispered, "Jeremy Baker. Thank you for saving me."

I nodded, "People like that are growing too common. Let's get you back to your camp."

Miles and Bass led the way back to Jeremy's campsite and we helped him sit so I could stitch the large cut on his forehead. As Miles and Bass gathered his gear, Jeremy and I chatted quietly. He had tried to find his parents, but they had been lost in the fire in DC, so he had made his way north.

I sighed, "I'm sorry. Where are you headed to now?" I asked.

He shook his head and looked a little lost, "I don't know…I-I just…don't know."

Frowning I glanced over at Miles and Bass and then smiled at him softly. "Well, why don't you walk with us until you figure it out?" I offered.

I saw both men look at me sharply in my periphery and Bass called out, "Uh Becca, a word?" I smiled at Jeremy and finished cleaning his wounds before standing and walking over to the men. Raising a brow I crossed my arms defiantly, daring them to challenge me.

Miles rolled his eyes and shook his head, "You're a goddamn pain in the ass, you know that?" he grumbled.

Bass glanced between us and threw up his hands, "Come on! You're just going to give in to her without a fight?" he exclaimed.

Miles threw a hand towards Jeremy, "Bass, does he look like a threat? Any of us could kill him before he tried anything. He's grateful to us to be alive. And there's strength in numbers."

I nodded and grinned when Bass gave me a dirty look. He hated when Miles and I ganged up on him.

"God you two are going to be the death of me" Bass muttered.

I patted him on the shoulder and grinned, "That's the spirit."

March 20th, 2012

Miles and Jeremy were out hunting, leaving Bass and I to guard the campsite. Instead of just sitting around however, I had asked Bass to work with me on self defense, to make sure I stayed sharp.

Bass was currently showing me how to complete a move that would allow me to get a headlock on a larger opponent and drag them to the ground. He nodded as I wrapped myself around him, yanking him to the ground, cutting off his air.

After a moment I released him and stood, offering him my hand. He stood and ran a hand through his hair, "Alright, let's move it up a notch. Don't hold back on your strikes."

I nodded and we squared off, circling each other. I threw a fast jab, testing his defenses, grinning when he danced back quickly. Bass lunged forward and threw a fast combo—jab towards my face, hook towards my ribs.

I barely got my hands up to protect my face, and my sidestep wasn't nearly fast enough to stop him from landing a blow to my ribs. I grunted and whirled, kicking at his knee, knocking him aside.

Bass laughed and nodded, recovering quickly. His foot swept out and tried to knock mine out from under me, but I stumbled back, avoiding him. He darted after me, his fists flying. I ducked and weaved, trying to avoid him.

My arm caught one of his blows and in that opening I lunged forward and slammed a hard left hook into his jaw, reeling him back. I took the opportunity and followed it up with a jab to the nose, and then a roundhouse to the torso.

Bass grunted and crumpled to the ground, clutching his ribs, blood flowing from his nose. I stood to the side, panting. He looked up at me and grinned.

"Not bad kid" he said, raising a brow as he wiped away the blood.

I reached a hand out and smiled, "You know, I really hate it when you call me kid. Especially since I just kicked your ass."

Bass grinned and grabbed my hand, yanking me off balance and onto the ground, pinning me in seconds, his arm across my throat, cutting off my air. Smirking, he murmured, "You were saying something about kicking my ass?"

He lifted his arm and shook his head, smiling at me. "You are a kid Becca. Despite what's happened to you, to all of us, you're still just a kid."

Annoyance and a desire to prove him wrong surged through me. I opened my eyes wide and nodded, "You're right, I don't have as much experience as you and Miles." Bass narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. I never gave in that easily.

With a wicked smile I wrapped my legs around him and surged against him, flipping us over, using momentum and surprise. I whipped my knife out of its holster and held it to his throat, grinning as his eyes widened.

"I might not have as much experience as you Bass, but I do have something you don't" I murmured.

He swallowed, his eyes on mine, "What's that?" he asked softly.

"The knowledge that I survived in the world before the blackout. I'm a woman Bass. I'm something you'll never be. Show me a man who can understand the fear a woman lives with everyday normally, and then everything I went through after the blackout, and I'll gratefully admit defeat. But not until then." My voice was steady, but my fingers gripped the knife tight.

Bass stared up at me, his expression solemn. After a moment his fingers wrapped around my wrist and I lifted my hand away from his throat. His blue eyes bore into mine as he spoke, "I don't doubt your will to live, or the things you've experienced. I don't even doubt that you've had to fight. I just worry that things are going to get worse and you might not be able to withstand them" he murmured.

I shook my head and stood, stepping away. I stared into the woods, listening to him stand. "Did I ever tell you what happened to my friend Joe?" I murmured.

"No."

I nodded. "We were travelling back from Atlanta where my best friend Hannah lived. There was a huge snow storm so we took refuge, trying to get out of it. We stayed in this house, and three men broke in. Joe and I made them leave, but we were sure that they were going to come back. We left that night, while it was still snowing, and walked for miles until we found a rest station."

My hands clenched at the memory of what had happened next.

"The men followed us. They held us at gunpoint and demanded that I come with them…but Joe told me to stay. He fought back and killed all of them, but not before he got shot. We cleaned out his wound and started back to Philly. By the time we made it back it was infected."

I heard Bass step close behind me and could feel his warmth behind me. I struggled not to cry.

"He-he…could have made it. But the doctor at the house got injured when they went to get the medicine he needed. By the time she made it back, he was too far gone."

I turned and stared Bass in the eye. "I made the decision to end my friend's life. We gave him enough morphine so it was peaceful…but Bass, I did that. I made that decision. How much harder does it get?" I asked, my voice a whisper.

Bass shook his head, his eyes bright. I wiped at my eyes and took a shaky breath. "I left to try and find my friend in Atlanta only to find she and her whole family was dead. My father abandoned me, and my mother probably killed herself. Tell me Bass, how much harder will it get?" I demanded, my voice shaking with unshed tears.

Bass shook his head and reached out, wrapping an around my shoulders, drawing me into his embrace. He said nothing, simply holding me as I cried quietly, holding onto his shoulders to keep from falling down.

When my tears quieted I pulled away and wiped my cheeks, shaking my head, "Sorry, I didn't mean for all of that to come out."

Bass shook his head, "It's fine. Seems like you've been keeping it all up for awhile."

I nodded and turned away, embarrassed to have fallen apart like that in front of him. I pulled my hair out of its bun and fluffed it around my face, hiding. I sat down on a log by the fire and pulled out my 9mm, slowly taking it apart and cleaning it.

Bass moved to the other side of the fire and began doing the same with his, neither of us talking. After awhile he broke the silence, "Why do you think Miles agreed to let Jeremy join us?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

I glanced up and smiled faintly. "Why? Are you worried that Miles doesn't love you as much?" I teased. Bass rolled his eyes at me and I laughed softly. "I think he's trying to help people Bass. He makes the hard decisions in this group; when to kill, when to leave people, who to take with us. He doesn't want you to have to be the one to make those decisions."

Bass frowned, "Why? I can make tough decisions."

I nodded, "I know, but to Miles you're his little brother. Big brothers protect their siblings. They don't want you to do things that might hurt you. Kind of like how you protect me." I smiled at him across the fire.

He nodded thoughtfully and finished cleaning and putting his gun back together. Loading the clip back in he chambered a round and stood. He smiled faintly at me, "I'm going to check the perimeter, you stay here."

I nodded and continued to work on my gun, watching as he sauntered away. When he had disappeared from sight I set my gun aside and ran a hand over my face. I could not believe I had fallen apart like that.

If I wanted the men to continue to take me seriously I needed to keep my shit together.

Though being that close to Bass was nice…he's all sorts of muscular…and he certainly didn't move to get you off of him…

"Ugghh shut up!" I whispered to the treacherous little voice in my head.

"You know talking to yourself is a sign of madness" Miles called out sarcastically.

I glanced up and saw all three men walking through the woods, carrying a deer. I smiled, "Yea well the voices were trying to convince me to leave your smelly asses behind. So maybe you boys should take a bath in the creek after you butcher that?" I suggested.

Miles shrugged, "I don't know what you mean, I don't smell anything."

I grinned and watched as the men strung the deer up and began butchering it, preparing some of the meat to be made into jerky and the rest for dinner that night. As they finished I dug into my pack and pulled out a bar of soap and tossed it to Jeremy.

"Go bathe. You boys smell."

Miles grabbed the soap from Jeremy and pointed to me triumphantly, "I knew it! I knew you had soap."

I grinned, "I have a bottle of whiskey in here too if you boys hurry."

Jeremy snatched the soap out of Miles' hand and ran off into the woods, yelling, "First dibs!" Miles and Bass ran after him, cursing. I laughed and pulled out the bottle of whiskey I had found in an abandoned house and opened it, taking a healthy swig.

As the meat cooked I opened a can of beans and another of corn, mixing it together until it smelled delicious and my stomach was rumbling. The sun was setting and I was just beginning to worry about the men when rustling in the trees alerted me to their return.

I grabbed my gun, just in case it wasn't them and stood, alert.

All three men broke through the tree line, shirtless. I bit my lip and quickly looked away. They're your friends. Stop looking at them like you want to fuck them—they're going to notice. Part of me thought maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea—the part of me that hadn't had sex in…a year?

I muffled a groan by swallowing more whiskey.

"Hey! Don't bogart the whiskey!" Miles called out. He shrugged on a shirt and walked over, snatching the bottle away from me. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Bass and Jeremy pulled their shirts on and sighed in relief…and disappointment.

As we ate dinner the whiskey bottle was passed around until everyone was slightly buzzed…me more so than the men.

As Miles cleaned the dishes I grabbed the soap and a change of clothes…and the bottle of whiskey. "I'm going to bathe" I announced softly, trying to slide away without making a fuss.

Bass frowned at me, "You shouldn't go alone at night, it's not safe."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "It's fine, I'll take my gun and knife."

Jeremy stepped forward, "I'll go with her."

Bass narrowed his eyes, "I don't think so."

I stepped forward and raised a hand, "It's fine, he can come. He'll stay in the trees and watch out for people."

Bass opened his mouth to protest and I shook my head, "I'm going. It'll be fine." I waved to Jeremy who nodded and grabbed his gun, following me. We walked through the forest in silence until we came upon the creek that I had been using for bathing.

I turned to Jeremy and pointed to the trees, "You stay here. Don't look." He nodded and turned, facing away. I quickly stripped and took a swig from the whiskey, swaying slightly. God I hadn't been drunk in ages.

Taking the soap with me I waded into the water, wincing at the cold. I shivered as I scrubbed my skin and hair, trying to be quick. Eventually the water didn't feel too bad…I glanced over at Jeremy and recalled his shirtless figure…a rush of heat went through my body.

"Jeremy" I called softly.

His head turned slightly, not enough to see me. "Yea?"

"Come here"

He hesitated and then turned. I saw his brows rise and then a smile curled his lips. I lifted a hand from the water and crooked a finger. "I don't think that's a good idea" he called.

"Why not?"

"Miles and Bass would kill me."

I sighed and shivered; now the water was getting cold. I walked forward and the cool night air hit my skin, tightening my nipples. Jeremy's eyes traveled over my body and his gaze met mine, lust burning brightly.

I walked up to him and smiled faintly, "It might be worth it." The breeze blew and I shivered, stepping closer until my body brushed against his.

Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment before muttering, "Fuck." His eyes flew open and he reached out to wrap an arm around my waist, pulling me against him roughly. His head came down, capturing my lips with his.

A soft noise of pleasure came from my throat and I wound my arms around his neck, grinding my hips against his, seeking out friction. He groaned at the sensation and reached down to grab my ass, lifting me up so I could wrap my legs around him.

Our kisses were deep and heavy, leaving me aching for more, grinding against him in a desperate bid for release. He stumbled backwards and collapsed against the grass, holding onto me tightly. I broke away from his mouth, trailing kisses to his throat, nipping at his skin, my fingers working at his belt.

I glanced up at him as I tugged his pants down, "Condom?" I asked breathlessly. He shook his head and I frowned. I had gotten the birth control implant two years earlier, so I should be protected, but it was better to be safe and double up.

Without that protection…I'd have to try and find a pharmacy and find a morning after pill. After a moment's hesitation I nodded and leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. I grasped his dick and guided him to me, sliding down slowly, moaning.

Jeremy groaned beneath me, his hips quivering as I sank down slowly. I gripped his shoulders as I began to ride him, my breath catching as he grabbed my hips and thrust up hard.

"Fuck that feels good" I whispered, gripping him harder. He reached up and palmed my breast, running a thumb over my nipple and I inhaled sharply, making a noise of pleasure. "Yea…yea" I murmured, encouraging him.

Jeremy continued to touch me, running his hands over my waist and up across my breasts, rolling my nipples between his fingers, sending sharp bolts of pleasure through me. I was breathless with pleasure, aching for release.

I rolled my hips faster, gasping, "Come on…please" I cried out softly. Jeremy held onto my waist as I moved, thrusting up harder. When he began to hit my gspot inside me I cried out loudly, bucking hard.

"Yes! Oh fuck yes!" I cried, not caring how loud I was. I was so close…I reached down and began playing with my clit, crying out louder as I rode Jeremy wildly, my limbs on fire as I got closer to cuming.

Jeremy groaned beneath me, "Come on baby, come on. I'm close." He continued to move against me, thrusting so hard it was almost painful, still hitting deeply, until I came, still touching myself.

I cried out and felt Jeremy continuing to thrust until a few moments later he too came, groaning my name. I collapsed against him for a few moments, breathing heavily. When the breeze blew it sent a cold chill down my spine and I crawled off him.

Grabbing my soap I walked unsteadily back to the creek and washed again, scrubbing myself. I could hear Jeremy behind me, standing and zipping his pants. As I walked out of the water, shivering, he handed me a towel.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded and avoided his gaze, quickly dressing. His hand landed on my arm and I looked up. He smiled faintly, "It doesn't have to mean anything, or be more than this once. I'm fine with that."

Relief shot through me and I nodded, smiling faintly back at him, "Thank you. I-I…don't just have sex with every guy we save. I just needed an itch scratched."

Jeremy grinned and shook his head, "It's fine. That was some good itching."

I laughed and tugged on my boots and jacket, "Agreed. But we should get back before Miles and Bass come looking."

Jeremy gave me a wry smile, "I think they probably heard us."

I flushed, "You think?" God that would be embarrassing.

Jeremy nodded, "You're…enthusiastic."

I laughed and we walked back towards camp slowly. "I've never been good at staying quiet. Sorry."

He shook his head, "I take it as praise. Means I'm doing something right."

I nodded and smiled up at him. "You're not too shabby." We walked in silence for a few minutes until I glanced up and asked, "So did you have a wife or girlfriend before the power went out?"

"I was dating someone, but it wasn't serious. I tried to convince her to come with me, but she went with her family. No idea what happened to her."

I nodded. "I had an ex boyfriend. It never occurred to me to check and see what happened to him."

Jeremy shrugged, "You can't save everyone."

We broke through the trees and found Miles and Bass waiting by the fire, both of them armed. I glanced over at Jeremy and sighed, "Maybe you should let me talk to them?" I suggested. He nodded and backed away slowly, heading for his tent.

I stood across from Miles and Bass and raised a brow, "Well? What seems to be the problem?" I demanded.

Miles stared at me and then shook his head, "You know."

I nodded, "I do. But if we're going to talk about, we're damn sure not going to dance around it. So tell me like a man."

Miles glared at me. He shook his head and turned away.

"You fucked him!" Bass shouted.

I turned my gaze to him and raised a brow, momentarily stunned by his outburst. His face was flushed with anger and he was glaring at me like I had betrayed him. Miles's shoulders were tight, still turned from me.

I sighed, "First, I had sex with Jeremy. Second, it was my choice. Third, this has nothing to do with either of you. Fourth, if it happens again, it's between Jeremy and I, and we'll decide whether or not that happens. Lastly, I don't appreciate you treating this like some ordeal that you have any influence over. It's not, it won't ever be, and if you have anything to say about all of this, speak now."

Bass glared at me for a long moment before huffing and crossing his arms. "We're just worried about you Becca" he muttered.

Miles turned around and nodded, "We don't exactly know Jeremy. We just want you to be safe."

I frowned at both of them. "You realize me having sex with Jeremy is no different than if I met him at a frat or a bar and had sex with him." Miles opened his mouth to say something and I shook my head, "No, it's also no different than the stories I've heard you two tell about the women you've picked up in bars. So please, shut up."

I spun on my heel and strode angrily away to my tent, wishing for a door I could slam to emphasize my point. I lay staring up at the tent roof for hours, listening as the men talked quietly outside.

Eventually I grew tired and rolled into my sleeping bag, zipping it up around me.

"Fucking men" I whispered, closing my eyes.

AN: Hey all! I hope you are enjoying the story! Please review!