It didn't take long to find my flock after the Erasers left. They were sitting in the park, right where we'd gone before eating. I hadn't had the guts to fish the paper out of the bag yet, I needed someone to be with me when I did. I met eyes with Apple first as I walked towards my group, my hands still clenched and my mind reeling.

"Lillian…"the little girl said quietly, her eyes wide and tears streaking her face. Every head whipped up after that, all turning towards me. And then Ash was there, his arms around me, holding me in a hug so tight it took my breath away.

"I didn't think you were coming back," he whispered, and I could feel his tears on my cheek. Reaching up I pressed my hands to his back, trying to release the tension that had been running through me as I walked.

"Of course I came back," I said quietly. I felt Ash laugh slightly and he pulled back, looking down at me.

"Don't do that again," he said. "Ever. If we get ambushed, we fight together. Okay?" I was a bit taken aback. Ash didn't usually make demands, but I could see in his eyes that he was serious about this. So I nodded lightly.

"Okay," I told him. He gave a single nod, then took me by the hand and led me to the others. Immediately they were on me, hugging and crying and asking what had happened. But I refused to tell them tonight, it was late and they needed sleep.

"It's going to be a big day tomorrow," I told them. "You all need a good night's rest." There were complaints, but they listened and did what they were told. They always did. Pulling off my sweatshirt, I draped it over Cedar and Apple. I rubbed their backs lightly as they drifted to sleep.

"I was really afraid they'd take you," Cedar said as his eyes began fluttering shut.

"I know. I'm sorry," I told him quietly.

"It's okay, Lillian," he assured me. "It's just…after Lyric…I don't think I could have handled losing you, too." I swallowed hard, not bothering answering. I couldn't talk about Lyric right now, it had been a crazy enough day as it was. So, instead, I continued rubbing their backs until I could hear the change in their breathing and knew they were asleep.

Flint lay a little ways away, closer to Willow, the both of them curled on their sides in sleep. Standing slowly, I took a lasting look over my flock. I didn't want to think about what may have happened if the Erasers decided to take me. What would have happened to the others? Would they have been safe? Would they have gotten hurt all because of a bad decision I made?

"So…what really happened?" Ash asked, coming up beside me. I glanced up at him, then down to the flock again. I sighed lightly, then walked over to the backpack that lay on the ground. Ash followed curiously, glancing over my shoulder as I started searching through pockets.

"They said they didn't come to take us," I told him as I searched, not bothering to look at him.

"No?" he asked doubtfully. "Then what did they come for? Any chance it was to wish us a happy life and say they'd leave us alone for good?" I shot him half a smile and continued searching the bag.

"If only," I muttered. "No…" I finally stumbled upon the paper and pulled it from its pocket, the sides bent slightly. "They came to give me this." I glanced up at Ash, worried and unsure if I really wanted to see what was on the paper. Ash took it cautiously, glancing between it and me as he did so.

"What if it's a tracking device or something?" he asked.

"Doesn't seem like they really need one anyway," I told him with a sigh. "They're not having much trouble finding us." Ash handed it back warily.

"Well, they gave it to you. You should open it," he said.

"Gee, thanks," I muttered, taking it back from him. I flipped it over in my hands a few times, looking at all of its sides. It was blank, seeming as ordinary as a piece of paper could. "Alright," I whispered, "let's just get this over with." And with that, I began unfolding.

I couldn't think of anything that would be so important the Erasers would pass up an opportunity to steal us back as I unfolded. What would be more important to the School than that? Still…I could feel my insides turning cold as I got closer to the center of the page. Splitting the last two corners apart, I opened it wide to try and extinguish any worry I had inside.

Instead, that worry was filled with a deafening dread that sent me stumbling backward, the paper falling from my hands and fluttering to the ground. I tripped on my own feet, collapsing back on the ground, my hands coming up to my mouth as I felt tears coming to my eyes.

"What?" Ash demanded, coming over to me. "What is it?" I couldn't answer him, couldn't take my eyes off of that open piece of paper. I couldn't see all of it from where I sat, but that didn't matter. I knew what awful things were on that page. Ash looked over at the paper again. "Jeez, Lil, get a hold of yourself," he said, making a grab for the page. "Whatever it is, we can deal with it. We'll run away. Go someplace where they can't find us. We'll…we'll…" His voice trailed off as he held the open paper in his hands, staring at it with the same dawning horror I had. He glanced up at me, his face full of shock and terror.

"Ash…" I whispered, my voice shaking. The tears were trailing down my face now and I didn't care. That paper…

"It can't be real," he said, shaking his head. "It can't be…"

"Ash, look at it!" I screamed, pointing at the paper. I sat back again, shaking and completely terrified. "There's a date in the corner, Ash. Yesterday's date. Don't you know what that means?" Ash picked the paper up slowly again, looking at it like he couldn't believe his own eyes. Though I didn't want to see it again, I knew I had to. Not knowing if my arms could support my own weight, but knowing I had to try, I crawled over to him and looked over his shoulder. The paper was crumpled, but the picture on it was still unmistakable.

Lyric, sitting in the corner of a laboratory, with her white gown crumpled and her hair dirty, staring bleary eyed at the camera as it took her picture. Alive.