A/N: A bit of a random chapter that I'm not really happy with. The idea is to cover a long period; imagine the entire rebuilding of the world – law and order, economy, political system, education, whatever, all of it. But clearly that's a different and much bigger story.
"We literally become what we do, not what we've done or will do. We're best defined by our actions in the moment." (Bennett Halverson, Epitaph Two)
And so they travelled, began the long work that needed doing. Adelle brought them together, united the lost race, cared for them, guided them. Ever the shepherd, as Echo had said. That voice, that word, rang in her head constantly. What did it mean, to be the shepherd? What was it her duty to do, and what was too far? Where did she draw the line between helping them and controlling them? There was no Echo, no Paul, no Topher to help her keep the balance now. She was scared - a tiny, almost unacknowledged, prick of fear inside her – that she would ruin it all. Why should she be charged with rebuilding the world, leading it out of Hell, when it was – as a voice in her head constantly reminded her – she who had helped drag them into it?
But these thoughts only came sometimes, when she was alone. Mostly, there was too much to do, too much to think about and organise, to let her mind wander like this. And besides, she knew, she knew, this was what the world needed. There had to be some degree of control, someone with the power. It was just a matter of doing the right thing with it...
And there was Michael. Her right-hand man. He wasn't like Echo and the others, he wouldn't attack her when she seemed to do something questionable. He'd support her. But all the same, he still helped her balance. His presence stopped her falling over that precipice she sometimes felt she was standing on. He helped her stay strong.