Jack held the flare firmly in his hand while keeping his revolver aimed at the bear as it slowly closed the distance. Giving a few good swings of his flare, the bear backed away before it could do anything else.

"Back off! Don't make me use this," Jack warned, pulling back the hammer of his revolver.

Walter noticed and immediately advised, "Don't waste your bullets on it, Jack. That gun won't help but anger them. You said it yourself."

"Okay, so what can we do then?" Jack asked, feeling a little annoyed with their lack of options.

"We'll do what you did just now—use our flares to scare off the beast. Just don't stray from me and the woman, or we'll be vulnerable. Our flares only last up to five minutes, so we need to move fast and keep the flares in their faces. You ready, Jack? And you, miss?" Walter instructed.

Both of them nodded at Walter.

"Okay, let's move."

Jack led the way, determined to get the upper hand and not give the bear any chances for an attack. He swung the flare with purpose, making sure to keep the bear at bay. His movements were deliberate, each swing calculated to ward off the bear.

Yelling consistently, Jack ensured the bear understood it had no chance of overcoming the hot burning flare from Jack and Walter.

"It's working," Jack called out to Walter.

"Yeah, but we still need to get the other one and free the others," Walter said, following closely behind Jack and protecting the survivor from harm's way.

"Miss, remain at my back. Just calm down and we'll get through this," Walter said, not taking his eyes off the bear.

She nodded, too scared to speak. Even though Jack and Walter were strangers to her, she felt much safer staying with them than dealing with the bear by herself. It would have eaten her by now if they hadn't come to help in time.

Trusting them with her life on the line, she held onto Walter's arm, not wanting to be left behind as an easy target for the bear again.

Jack took big steps, leading the way straight for the cave where the others were. He made sure to maintain his distance from the bear while ensuring Walter and the survivor were following as closely as they could.

The other survivors were still holding off the second bear. Jack's only worry now was how long his flare would last.

During this daring act of bravery and foolishness, Jack felt braver now that Walter was near him. It was unclear if it was because he was no longer alone in fighting the bears, but it was encouraging to know that his partner wouldn't let him face the danger alone.

Then, as if a sign of hope, the survivors from the cave began to emerge from their barricades and launched an attack on the other bear.

Whether it was inspired by Jack and Walter's display of courage or simply that they had reached their breaking point from being cornered, the rest of the survivors joined in, driving back the second bear.
"Hey, look, the others are coming out to fight the bears," Jack exclaimed.

"Wow, I didn't think they were actually bold enough to try it themselves," Walter remarked, his tone tinged with a hint of disbelief. Even though it might have been somewhat mocking, Walter couldn't deny the newfound bravery shown by the survivors.

After all, facing bears was no small feat, especially for just Jack and Walter against such a powerful and formidable beast. Now that Walter could see the survivors, he noticed they outnumbered them, providing a significant advantage in the fight.

Carrying their own torches and using parts of the barricade as shields, the survivors formed a defensive wall and began pushing back their attacker.

With the combined efforts of the survivors and the scouts, they sent a clear message to the bears to back off. The bears, intimidated by the flares and torches, finally retreated with their tails between their legs. A final growl echoed as they left the area.

Cheers of victory erupted as the survivors reunited with their lost member, gathering around Jack and Walter, shaking their hands and hugging them in gratitude.

"We did it!"

"We're saved!"

"Wow, you two are the craziest people I've ever met."

After saving the lost expedition, Jack and Walter thought they would not be saving another group so soon, they couldn't help but feel a sense of fulfillment as they were being thanked once more.

"It's alright now. You're safe," Jack reassured, his usual optimistic self. Walter nodded in agreement, managing a small smile. As they surveyed the group of survivors, they noticed a surprising number of walking sticks, tired faces, and others hanging onto each other's shoulder for support.

"Hey, you're an American. Are you from Tesla as well? Do you know if the others that left were alright?" One of the survivors spoke in a similar accent that Walter speaks, catching his and Jack's attention.

"Wait, you guys are American? I almost didn't notice your accents until now. Wow." Jack asked in bewilderment, a mixture of shock and excitement was clear on his face. Finally getting the chance to meet someone new and not British. Jack turns to Walter to see his reaction about it.

But Walter kept a blank face and casually shook his head in return, "No, I came here with a different expedition. I moved to London before the Great Frost came. What happened back in the states when the frost hit?" Walter asked.

"A lot. Come, let's get back inside to warm up. It's freezing out here. I'll fill you two in on our situation." said the leader. At least that was what Walter believed as he was the only one that spoke out for the rest.

Returning back to the cave, the survivors filled in on Jack and Walter about how they got here and what happened that got them there in the first place. And what Jack and Walter discovered was another shocker that they didn't know, not even the captain might know about it.

"Tesla City? I wasn't aware of a city with that name. Could you explain more about it?" Walter asked.

"Of course, after we landed, we immediately set out to find our generator. It didn't take us long as it was built near the sea. But we later realized that our city was vulnerable to the frost, we didn't have proper walls to block the cold, no proper planning of how the city should be built." The leader explained his expression was happy as he reminisced on a humbler time.

"Then came a brilliant man of our generation, a scientist by the name of Nikola Tesla. He quickly gained renown for his work in electrical engineering. His inventions, such as the Tesla coil, revolutionized our technology. Allowing us to bend electricity to our will." The leader, along with the others, smiled with pride.

Stories about electricity through steam, and coal, and the wind. Tesla had been busy using whatever he had and made the best of it.

The detailed mentioning of his inventions were abundant yet sounded so fable.

Jack listened in awe, absorbing the stories that seemed almost fictional, yet carried a weight of truth in the leader's earnest tone. For Jack, these tales were not just stories—they represented hope and the resilience of humanity in the face of adversity.

Meanwhile, Walter remained focused on the present challenge. His thoughts lingered on why they were here and not in Tesla City, contemplating the practicalities and risks of their current mission.

"Nikola Tesla was a brilliant mind and helped transform our city into something great. And he was a lot more caring, back then," the leader continued, his tone turning somber.

"But as our city prospered, the challenges grew. Maintenance became increasingly difficult, and new problems arose. Tesla became consumed by his work, focused solely on keeping the city alive. He thinks too much and feels too little. Until he completely forgot about us, and our suffering and needs. Those who couldn't contribute efficiently were deemed expendable, exiled to fend for themselves in the cold wasteland," the leader explained, his voice tinged with bitterness. Looking down in shame, the rest did the same.

"Exiled? You're exiled for what?" Jack asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

The leader's expression darkened as he pulled aside his coat to reveal his badly worn, but sophisticated prosthetic limbs. A metal right arm that stopped just at his shoulder, he then tapped both of his legs that gave off a metallic sound.

Walter knew what he was implying. That symbol on his prosthetics was even more so. Bearing that company symbol read, "Tesla Manufacturing".

Walter's gaze was drawn to the advanced prosthetics, his mind piecing together the grim truth.

Jack, still perplexed, pressed on. "I don't understand. Why would you be exiled because of your prosthetics?" he asked earnestly.

Silence fell over the group as the leader remained quiet. Instead, the other survivors began to reveal their own injuries—missing limbs and weathered faces that Jack and Walter had failed to notice before. Most of them weren't given their own prosthetics after losing their limbs.

Walter's realization dawned slowly. He observed the survivors more closely now, noticing signs of illness and suffering that had been masked by their initial display of bravery. His earlier skepticism gave way to admiration for their resilience to fight even at their worst in the face of such adversity with the bears.

They must be starving as well, as Walter glanced at the lack of supplies in their possession, which just urged the more important questions in his mind. Just how long have they been in exile? Are there others like them? And where can they find this Tesla City?

Jack, now struck by what he saw, soon gets his answer. Covering his mouth in disgust and felt a wave of tears escaping his eyes to show his sympathy.

"Expendables. That was what Tesla himself called us—cogs in a machine. If one stops working, they get replaced and thrown away. I left because I no longer had faith in our city. It was better for us to leave than to stay. Even if some still wanted to work despite losing limbs and barely receiving enough medicine, we were told to leave. We were slowing Tesla down from his work."

Jack was speechless for the survivors; he had hoped that New London would never succumb to that path that Tesla City went. He couldn't bear the thought, not one bit. Walter was also thinking about how New London would end up, or if they survive long enough to get to that point.

"So, about Winterhome. Do you know that city? We've only just discovered their bridge not too far from here. Do you guys happen to know about them?" Walter asked.

The leader shakes his head, "We haven't heard much from Winterhome, the last we heard from them was that they were having some sort of huge riot a while ago. That was it, after that news they went silent." he explained.
Somehow, that sends a bad feeling in Jack and Walter, "When did you last hear this news from them?" Walter asked, wanting to know more about Winterhome.

But the leader shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe a whole month now? I'm not sure. But I hope it's not as bad on their end, compared to ours." The leader explained.

Before Walter could respond, a malnourished woman approached, her body trembling from the cold. "Do you two have any food?" she asked desperately.

Jack looked at the woman with concern but kept his answer to himself, fearing it would upset Walter. He was torn, unsure if he should give up their rations to people they barely knew. The lost expedition had been a clearer choice, but this situation felt different.

Walter noticed Jack's hesitation and cast a quick glance his way. He stepped in, saying, "We only have enough for the two of us. We weren't expecting to find survivors out here."

"We understand," the leader said. "We ran out of food and supplies days ago. We're only carrying what we have left on our backs."

Walter had expected the survivors to be rowdy and desperate, willing to do anything to avoid starvation. But none of them showed those signs. They were completely exhausted, resigned to their fate, waiting for their inevitable deaths.

They had lost their home, parts of themselves they could never get back. They were scared but accepting, and that disturbed Walter deeply. He hoped Jack wasn't sharing the same grim thoughts. Jack might not take it very well.

Jack, without a thought, instinctively reached into his pack to give his rations. Walter grabbed his hand, giving him a disapproving look. Jack responded with his own annoyed expression.

"We need to talk," Walter said to the leader, and immediately dragged Jack to a more secluded spot just outside the cave.

Once they were alone, Jack wrestled free of Walter's grip and yelled, "Walter, again? You know what happened to these people. How can you be so selfish?"

Walter raised an eyebrow. "Selfish? I'm thinking about our survival, Jack. We're scouts, not a rescue team. Our food and medicine are meant for us. If we keep giving everything away, we'll die. We won't make it to Winterhome or anywhere else."

"But these folks have been through worse than us. They have children—sick, scared, and hungry children. We can't just leave them like this. Who knows when someone else will help them? Can't we just bring them to New London?" Jack countered, his voice rising with frustration.

Walter's tone remained steady, though strained. "No, the last thing the captain needs is to cater to even more people. What about food, heating and homes? Do you think we have enough resources to take care of everyone? Besides, we've already helped them with the bear problem. Giving them our supplies won't exactly benefit us much from it."

Jack's compassion was palpable. "But you heard their leader. There are more of them suffering. How many more are in danger?"

"And then what? We give them our food too. What about us? For once, Jack, you need to think about our survival!" Walter snapped.

"And you need to learn how to care about others! You don't want to feed them; you don't want to help them. You're just selfish, Walter!" Jack shot back.

Walter grabbed Jack by his coat and pulled him close. "Don't you dare talk about caring. You know nothing about me!"

Jack pushed Walter off and adjusted his coat, catching his breath. "Walter, I've put up with you since yesterday when we found our lost expedition. But what good would it do if we let these people die? Maybe they could help New London. Give them a chance to live. Isn't that what you want too?"

Walter shook his head and backed away. "No, you're not doing that to me. I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work."

Jack took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Walter, these people have skills, knowledge, and experience out here. They were here longer than us. They survived Tesla City. If we help them now, they might help us later, think about the bigger picture."

Walter hesitated, his face a mix of anger and doubt. "Might, there's no telling if they will help us in return. It would just be more mouths to feed. Do you really think they can help us?" Walter asked.

"I do," Jack said firmly, not breaking eye contact with Walter. "And even if they can't, it's the right thing to do. We can't lose our humanity, Walter. If we do, we're no better than the frost."

Walter looked away, struggling with his emotions. Jack's words had hit a nerve, and he knew it. After a long moment, he finally sighed. "Fine. But we can't give them everything. We'll share what we can, but we need to stay alive too."

Jack nodded, relief washing over him. "Thank you, Walter." He spoke.

"But mark my words, Jack. You really need to know when to help and not. Don't trust everyone we meet so willingly." Walter warns his final saying, even if Jack may be right this time.

Returning back to the survivors they lifted their heads as if to greet them back inside. Jack, now with Walter's approval, got on his knees and rummaged through his pack to grab his rations and some medicine.

Walter did the same but only gave less than what Jack offered.

Pulling out the still warm containers, Jack opens it and lets out a delicious smelling aroma, engulfing the cave. It was still warm. The survivors smelled the delicious scent, sending loud growls from their stomachs.

"Are you two…," the leader asked, only to pause as Jack handed over his rations to the survivors. He smiled as he spoke, "Here, be sure to share these amongst yourselves. There should be plenty. These medicines and bandages should help with your wounds." Jack said as he gave them to the wounded.

"You're really letting us eat your food?" One of them asked. They gaze at the box, "A warm meal. Never had one since we left the city."

"It smells so good." One of the children said.

"Share this out with the others," Jack said.

Walter had a bad feeling of giving some of his supplies to the survivors, but there is a lingering feeling of satisfaction as he watches them carefully eat their food. They fed the children first, not wasting any of it. Sharing the little medicine around to help those who were gravely ill or wounded.

Some of the survivors started crying as they ate, a painful stinging feeling hitting Jack and Walter's chests. It must have been hard for these people.

"This is so good. I haven't eaten a meal this good in months."

"This is a godsend. Thank you, both of you."

Jack smiled warmly. "We're just happy to help."

Suddenly, one of the children walked up to Jack. The child was missing an arm and a leg, evident by her prosthetics.

"Are you taking us with you?" she asked innocently, her eyes staring into Jack's. Walter watched from the side, curious to see what Jack's response would be.

"Uhm, well…," Jack hesitated, thinking about what he should say to the little girl. "No. We can't go home yet. We still have a mission to do. I'm sorry."

"Oh." The little girl said sadly as she looked at the ground.

"But, we can check with the captain if he is willing to let you all into New London," Jack quickly added, bringing some hope into the little girl's eyes. Walter knew that Jack would try something like this.

But some of the survivors seemed a little hesitant about Jack's offer. The looks on their faces spoke a thousand words. One very common expression among them was fear.

"I'm sure our captain would be fair. We trust him. But he is trying his best to keep New London growing. Just not the way Tesla had with his inventions, but we're still trying to get our footing as we just arrived here not too long ago," Walter explained. He then removed his radio and handed it over to the leader. "Maybe it would be best if you could speak with him. That way, you won't have to trust us with just our words."

The leader looked at Walter and then turned back to the rest of his group for their reactions. Many were hopeful, a few were uncertain. With a firm nod, the leader agreed.

"Okay, patch me to your captain. I'll speak with him," he said.

Walter nodded back and turned on his radio. "Scout team to New London. This is Walter, do you copy over."

The radio gave a slight pause before a voice spoke out. "New London to Walter, we read you. Benjamin here. How's your trip to Winterhome?" he asked.

"We're not there yet. We're still on our way to check out that observatory. But we had to stop. We found survivors from another city. Can you get the captain over?" Walter explained.

"More survivors already? Alright, just wait a moment," Benjamin said.

After a little while longer, another voice spoke from the radio, revealing it to be from the captain. "Jack, Walter, you two found more survivors out there? Can I talk to them?"

Walter looked at the leader and handed over his radio. "Here you go," he said. The leader took the radio from Walter's hand and answered, "This is Johnathan. I hear you, captain. My people and I are from Tesla City. I was hoping to discuss some things with you and see if my people are allowed to enter your city."

Jack and Walter listened closely, realizing they had forgotten to ask for the survivors' names.

"Yes, we have more than enough space to accommodate your people. But as of now, we are still expanding, and we need more hands to help with its construction. If you need any medical care, we have tents ready to aid anyone in need. Our engineers will do the best they can to provide any prosthetics you don't already have. If it's food, our head chef is more than happy to feed everyone," the captain said.

Johnathan was slowly drawn to the offers the captain mentioned. The others had similar expressions too. Many were already convinced of moving into New London for a fresh start. Some were even crowding around Johnathan and the radio as the captain spoke.

The conversation went on further with Johnathan slowly coming into an agreement, mainly because the captain was able to arrange a few requests from him. Jack was smiling throughout their conversation, knowing that these people might have a new home to go to.

Walter on the other hand was devoid of any emotion and kept his focus on the conversation between them.

"Johnathan, if you don't mind me asking. How many of you are there? It would be easier for us to organize you and your people once you get into New London much quicker." The captain asked.

"Of course, as of now, there are 35 of us left. 8 children, and 27 adults exactly." Johnathan said.

"Are there any engineers in your group?"

"Yeah, more than half of us are qualified engineers. Tesla city is mostly run by them due to all the machinery and all." Johnathan said.

"Got it, thank you, Johnathan. Do you mind letting me speak to my scouts for a moment?"

Johnathan hands the radio back over to Walter, "This is Walter, go ahead, captain." He spoke.

"Walter, I need you and Jack to bring these people back to New London. Can you two do that?" the captain asked.

Walter groaned before responding, "We can do that, but it will take us a bit more time. We need to reach the observatory first before heading to Winterhome. I just hate the travel time. If only we had a snow vehicle for faster travel, it would be great."

"We can handle ourselves. We're not entirely defenseless; we just weren't trained to fight bears," Jonathan said, showing his firearm. Almost every adult in the group was armed with their own weapons.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, still not convinced by them. But Walter was not going to question them. If they can make it all the way here from Tesla City. What's the difference with a small distance from the cave to New London?

"New London isn't that far from here, Jack. No need to worry about them. They can make the trip on their own. We just need to point the way for them." Walter said.

"We have a map of our own of course, why wouldn't anyone out here? Oh, we can show you where Tesla City is. Can you show me your map?" Johnathan pulls out his own map and walks over to Walter.

Jack watches from the side, playing with the kids as he sees both Walter and Johnathan exchange information and draw on each other's map.

"What's it like in New London? Are there any automatons over there? I had a favorite one, it was all painted in blue and works at the Generator." One of the children asked.

Jack laughs, "No, we don't. We only just got here, but we did find one on a massive bridge to Winterhome. But we never took it with us." he explained.

"Was it you that ran towards the bear all on your own?" Another child asked, looking at Jack with awe.

Jack nodded his head before scratching the back of it, "Well, I had to do something. I couldn't let that bear hurt anyone. Walter didn't want me to go, but I couldn't let that happen. I was just lucky to come out on top of it, thanks to my partners help too."

"I don't like him, he's always angry or looking very scary."

"Walter? Nah, he's not that scary, he can be sometimes. But he's not all that bad. I've only been working with him for a couple of days, but I'd say he's alright. Grumpy, but alright." Jack said.

"Jack, let's move. Johnathan and the rest are packing up and heading to New London. We should head over to check out the observatory." Walter calls out to him.

"Alright, little ones. It's time to go to your new home." Jack said.

"Thank you again, Johnathan. We'll be sure to visit Tesla City if we can. Just follow the path we took, and it should get you to New London. Find the elevator shaft and pull the lever to call it up. Benjamin is the name in charge of the elevator." Walter instructed.

Johnathan nods and shakes Walter's hand, "Got it, and thank you again for your help. You guys sure came in clutch, that's for sure. Your journey is going to be a tough one, I'll tell you that. Which does remind me," Johnathan paused and reached into his pack to give something to Walter.

"Here, take this. It's one of the weapons we took from Tesla City." Walter looks at the strange metal baton in his hand. It's heavy, but light enough to give it a few good swings.

"Thanks, uh, what is it?" Walter asked, unsure of what the wires and the switches on it were for. Maybe it was some tech designed by Tesla.

Johnathan instructs Walter to properly hold the baton on the grip and activates it, a sudden bright blue electricity began to engulf the shaft of the weapon, it was bright, and Walter had to shield his eyes from it.

"That is a shock baton. Useful when dealing with something dangerous and you need to shock them. I managed to steal it from one of the guards while leaving the city to defend ourselves out here. Go ahead, give it a few swings."

Walter swings the weapon a couple of times, getting a good feel of the weapon in his hand. Maybe just touching his target with the spark alone would be enough to send them into a shock.

"Woah, that's impressive. I wish we could have more of these." Walter commented.

"Yeah, it is. You should have seen the other weapons we have back in the city. You would be amazed by what we made before our exile." Johnathan said.

"But would you need it more than I do? I appreciate the gift, but I'm not sure having this now would be wise." Walter said, handing back the baton after shutting it off.

But Johnathan shook his head and nudged it back to Walter, "We have more of those. We'll be fine, Walter." he said.

Suddenly, the sound of a bear came from outside, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and readied themselves for another attack.

"What was that!?" One of the survivors said.

"Oh god, it's the bears! They're back!"

Out of the corner of the cave entrance, there was a large silhouette of a bear. Jack and Walter were quick to grab a burning stick from the campfire, ready to burn any bears that dared to get close to the survivors.

"Everyone, get back! Walter, got any more flares?" Jack asked.

"I don't know if I can spare another flare, Jack. We might need them for later. I'll use the shock baton." Walter said.

"It's getting closer, everyone, get ready!" Jack warned.

Everyone stood with their weapons and makeshift shields up. Standing side by side to form a defensive wall like they did before. This time, Jack and Walter were with them.

The large shadow approached ever so slowly, what came next was confusing. The shadow of the bear suddenly grew smaller and smaller within seconds. And revealing itself was just a single tiny white bear cub, innocently stumbled its way inside the cave.

Everyone stopped and stared at each other.

"It's just a bear cub." Walter said. Almost disappointed that it was not a full-grown bear. Jack on the other hand, "That is the most adorable thing I have ever seen," Jack said, behind the first to break off from the group and reach out for it.

"Jack, please don't. No." Walter begged.

"Oh, come on, Walter. It's just an adorable little bear cub. It won't hurt anybody." Jack said. But then a thought came into his mind, "Maybe those two bears were parents, and this one is their child. They were just hungry, not evil."

"Jack, we should be painting ourselves as the bad guys. Those bears were a danger to us and these people. And we didn't know that the bears were parents in the first place." Walter said.

"Yeah, and we made them leave their child behind too." Jack looks sadly at the little bear. "I mean, we can't just leave it here," Jack said. Walter immediately rolled his eyes at him and walked away.

"Walter, this little guy won't survive on its own." Jack said, gesturing towards the bear cub that is playing with the snow with its tiny paws.

Walter was not having any of it. There was no possible chance that Jack was ever thinking of taking this bear along with them. Not now, and not ever. Taking a deep breath to calm himself from bursting with frustration.

Walter did his best and calmly talked to Jack, "It can survive on its own, probably. Jack, no. We are not taking that thing along with us. We are not supposed to have pets while on the job. I really hope that you would see in your head that there is more to worry about than this furry little nightmare." Walter said, looking intensively at Jack.

A small silence was exchanged between them. And Jack only had one answer in his mind, what was more concerning for Walter was that Jack was wearing a smile on his face.

/-/

Waving goodbye to Johnathan and his group as they make their way to New London, Walter takes a deep sigh as he turns back around and finds Jack having the time of his life.

"Just look at this cute little guy. He's so cute and fluffy." Jack said as he carried the little bear in his arms. The little cub was not as aggressive as Walter had expected, surprisingly. At the very least, they probably won't die too early.

"I can't believe I have let you do this. You talked your way into this, again." Walter sighs again, "I hate this, I really do. I hate you too." He spoke.

"But look at him, Walter." Jack said as she shoves the bear close to his face. "Look at his cute little face. Can you say no to that?"

The cub made a small purr at Walter, to which he belched in disgust.

"Just kill me." Walter said.

"Hey now, don't be like that Walter. It'll be fine. Trust me." Jack said.

"Kill me now." Walter ignored Jack.

"Hm, I wonder what kind of name I should name him?" Jack wondered.

"Please." Walter cried.

/-/

A/N: Onto the chapter. I was reading up on my old draft and some wiki from the game. It turns out the exiles did come from Tesla. I guess I had missed that info and didn't get me the first time I encountered them. I skipped the scout's interaction and barely read most of them to focus back on the city.

But now that I have thoroughly read through their findings, diary and interactions with each location. It gave me a lot more insight on what is going on. Sure, it would be interesting if Nikola Tesla was still alive in the game, it would have been interesting if he was still alive for Jack and Walter to meet in person.

But I'll see where it goes and maybe do a slight change if needed.

As for Winterhome, I was having trouble if I wanted to follow A New Home's route where there is barely anyone left. For the DLC route where there may be at least a hundred left in the city to save after detonation of the generator.

Hope this chapter turns out well. Been a while, sorry.

Thank you all so much for reading.