"Cassandra," Leon's voice brings me out of my thoughts, and I realize we have returned to camp. "May I speak with you a moment?" 

My heart rate spikes and a sinking chill runs down my spine, but I gulp, nodding as he barks orders to a group of guards to start getting the fires out and minding the gate. He leads me back to the log cabin and into his office, closing the door as we enter, and he stands behind his desk. 

"First, I would like to thank you personally for your efforts in protecting Cottonwood," he says, sounding exhausted, though no less intimidating. "I know we put you in a difficult position, but when push came to shove, you really came through for us, and I am in your debt for that."

"Yeah," I croak, clearing my throat for a confident response. "My siblings and I weren't going to just abandon you guys. I'm glad we could help." 

Leon nods at my answer. "Secondly, I would like to extend an invitation to you and your family; Camp Cottonwood is no longer safe here, and it will only be a matter of time before the Widows attack again. No one will be safe when that happens, so we will leave and head south. You and your family are welcome to come with us, as I understand you are trying to find someplace safe." 

I watch him, noting that as he leans against the desk, his hands supporting him, his gun is still in its holster, and his hand is still near it. "That would be much appreciated," I lie. “We were thinking of heading south, towards the coast. Maybe catch a boat to an island or something." 

Leon, in turn, watches me with a blank expression like he's trying to read my mind. Seeming satisfied with my answer, he nods. "That would be a good idea. Unfortunately, however, Cottonwood is nearly two hundred strong. Getting that many people safely across a state would be impossible. However, there are a few places nearby where we could set up camp and perhaps discuss taking small groups across to an island. But that is neither here nor there. First thing tomorrow, I will need your help shoring up the front gate. We will be using the armored vehicle they destroyed our gate with to block it up for now, and I feel it will take nearly everyone we have to get it in position."

I nod. "I understand; my family and I will help with whatever we can to get you guys ready to move. But, uh, in the meantime, where are we going to be staying? I'm afraid the lovely shed you put us in earlier is nothing but charcoal by now." 

Leon smiles at that. "I believe that Josh and Danielle had requested that, should your family agree to stay, you would be welcomed in their cabin. They have a few spare beds for you and your siblings to use until we depart." 

I suppress a groan, not precisely wanting to be roommates with the people who got us involved in this mess to begin with, but if we keep up this nice act, we will have an opening to leave. "That would be great! I think we'd be much safer with people we know a little better, anyway," I lie again. 

"I'm glad to hear it," Leon replies. 

"If we're done here, I'd like to check on Dani and my siblings; Dani got hit pretty hard by the Titan the Widows brought here, and I just want to make sure she's alright," I say. 

"Very well, make sure you and your family get plenty of rest; we'll need all hands on deck to ensure the camp's defenses are up so we can leave soon." 

I nod to him and exit the office, quickly making my way out of the building. The camp is, for the most part, still intact, save for a few buildings that were severely burnt. The burnt buildings looked like smaller log cabins that people had turned into their homes, and the essential buildings seemed to have been left unscathed by the flames. I pick my way to the infirmary, a few campers giving me nods and words of congratulations for killing the Titan, and once inside, it's easy to see that the doctor has his hands full. 

Josh and Sparrow are already with Dani, who is already sitting up in the cot as an older man fusses over her. 

"I told you already, Doc, I'm fine!" Dani protests, attempting to stand but stumbling into Josh, who straightens her up. 

"Cracked ribs are nothing to laugh at, Dani," the older man - Doc, I would assume - sighs. "You're lucky you don't have a collapsed lung or internal bleeding. Hell, a hit with that much force could have stopped your heart." 

Dani rolls her eyes as I pause, concerned for her health. "There isn't any swelling," she protests, lifting her shirt just enough to show him and emphasize her point, "and no discoloration save for mild surface bruising. So, no internal bleeding." 

"You know as well as I do that the signs are not immediate," Doc returns, giving Dani the side-eye as she lowers the hem of her shirt. "Let me know right away if you start seeing any symptoms. I know you're too stubborn to stay overnight, so get outta here and make sure you rest." With a dismissive wave that could easily be mistaken as annoyance, Doc moves on to the next injured camper, shaking his head. 

Spotting me, Josh waves me over, grinning. 

"How are you feeling?" I ask her. 

"Like I was just hit by a truck," Dani grumbles, slowly standing and holding her side. She looks over at me, her expression a mixture of awe and suspicion. "You killed that thing."

I nod, wiping sweat off my head and once again coming back with blood. "Yeah, first one I've killed, actually. And my head is bleeding again." 

She gestures for me to sit next to her cot as she uses some of the medical equipment Doc left her to redo some of the stitches that popped during the fight. As she once again dabs away the blood from my face, she scoffs. "It looked to me like you knew what to do, and you called that thing a Titan." Her look of awe turns a little accusatory, and I roll my eyes.

"Before my uncle died, we came across one of those things somewhere in Shreveport. We got lucky, and it fell into a trap we made for a group of bandits. It skewered its legs, and we just shot until it stopped moving." 

Dani nods along as she restitches the gash on my forehead, wincing as she leans in such a way that favors her left side. 

"Anyway," I redirect. "Leon told me that you guys offered your cabin to my family and me while everyone prepares to move camp." 

"That's right," Josh pipes in. "I know we're not exactly friends, but I figured if you guys were going to stick around for a bit, you could stay with a couple familiar faces." 

"I appreciate it, really," I say, watching as Dani puts away the suture kit once more and standing slowly, holding her ribs. "Here, let me help." 

She doesn't argue, but she rolls her eyes regardless as I loop an arm around her hip and pull one of hers over my shoulder to offer support while she walks. Sparrow follows as Josh and Dani lead the way toward their cabin, my siblings quickly finding me after helping with putting out the fires, and I quickly inform them that we will be staying with Josh and Dani until the camp decides to leave. 

The cabin is small and only one story, though Josh assures us that it has two bedrooms, even if the rooms are relatively tiny. Inside, it's decorated rather plainly with no personal photos or trophies hanging on the walls with the generic stuffed deer head in the living room. A fur rug sits in the middle of the living space under a large oak coffee table, with two leather couches and a loveseat - that Dani promptly collapses into - surrounding it. A kitchenette sits off to the side of the living space with a small island in the middle, three bar stools to one side, and a heavy wooden picnic table off to the other side. 

"It's pretty cozy in here," I note, taking in the chandelier made of deer horns, the taxidermied heads of various animals, and gun parts scattered on the coffee table. The place reminds me of the seasonal home Uncle Tommy used to take my family and me to when we went hunting. 

"We're not in here very often," Josh chuckles as he watches me take in my surroundings, plopping on an empty spot on the couch as Sparrow plops down across from him.

"He's right," Sparrow notes. "These two practically live in Leon's base of operations!" 

Dani rolls her eyes as she adjusts herself on the couch. "Because, unlike some people, we have jobs to do." 

Sparrow smirks. "I have a job, too; it's just not as official as Leon's little caddy position." 

Josh and Octavia laugh as Dani and I roll our eyes, poor Felix being the only one out of the loop. 

"Anyway," Sparrow drawls as I sit on the other end of the couch opposite Josh and Dani. "How'd you get to shoot a bow like that, Miss Hawkeye?" 

"Our uncle used to take my siblings and me bow hunting every year," I tell them. "He hated using guns, said that it scared off all other game in the area."

Josh laughs. "Did he make you do parkour, too, or is the fancy shooting self-taught?" 

I chuckle at that, waving him off. "No, nothing like that. I took some archery lessons back in middle school and high school and went to some competitions. When this all started, I had to teach myself how to use it in fights, considering it's my primary weapon and quieter than guns. Gymnastics helped a lot, too, before the world went to shit." 

Danielle says, "You learned how to fight like that on your own?" 

I shrug. "Four years is a long time to practice, especially if you're always fighting for your life." 

She looks impressed, breathing out, "No kidding..." before settling back in her chair, and the conversation gets quiet. 

"Sooo," Josh draws out, looking between my siblings and me. "How long are you guys planning on sticking with us?" 

My siblings and I shift on the couch, watching Dani, Josh, and Sparrow as they eye us with interest. "Not for too terribly long," I tell them. "We'll help you guys get back on your feet and find a better place to lay down roots again, but after that, we'll be going off on our own again." 

"What for?" Sparrow asks innocently. 

"No offense, but a whole camp full of people hiding from the Widows is a little too much drama for us right now," I lie. 

Sparrow laughs at that while Josh and Dani exchange unreadable glances. 

"So, where will you guys be headed?" Sparrow asks. 

"Down south, probably; we heard there was a place in Atlanta that was safe for survivors," I lie again. 

"Think they'd have room for about two hundred more?" Josh jokes. 

I laugh with him, shaking my head. "Somehow, I doubt it, but I'm sure they'd welcome a handful of you guys. Speaking of, though, how do you three know each other?" 

"Well, Dani and I are step-siblings, so we grew up together," Josh answers. "We didn't meet Sparrow until about two years ago? It was after we established Cottonwood as a refugee camp." 

"Wait, you and Dani are step-siblings?" I ask. 

Octavia adds, "But you two look so alike!" 

Dani rolls her eyes at that as Josh laughs. "Yeah, my mom married Dani's dad after my dad was killed in action a few years ago. I think we were five at the time?" 

"Four, actually," Dani corrects. 

"Right, that's it! We grew up in London for a few years on a military base before moving to the States." 

"Oh," I note. "Did you come here with your family?" 

At this point, Dani seems wholly disengaged from the conversation, pointedly ignoring the question as Josh shakes his head. 

"Nah," he says. "Once we turned 18, we booked a flight to the States, but our family stayed in London." 

"That sounds like a hell of a move," I reply. "What did you guys do before the infection hit? Dani seems to be a sort of doctor, but what about you?" 

Dani grumbles, annoyed at being pulled back into the conversation. "I'm not a doctor; I just... know things." 

I grin at that. "How's that saying go? 'I just drink and know things'?" 

That somehow manages to draw a small smile to her lips, but it disappears just as quickly. "I was a paramedic training to be an ER surgeon. That's not exactly the same as a doctor." 

"What's the difference?" Felix asks. 

"A doctor can specialize in specific fields of medicine and are typically the people who diagnose others," Dani explains. "A paramedic is just the person who stabilizes those in critical condition, typically from major accidents, long enough to get to a surgery table." 

"Wow," Felix breathes. "You had that answer prepped and ready to go, huh?" 

Dani sighs, slouching further in her chair. "You wouldn't believe the number of people who mix the two up. When people heard that I had medical training, they started coming to me for check-ups and screenings." 

Josh laughs. "It got so bad that Doc had to step in and teach her more doctor-y things to deal with it since people wouldn't listen. You know, the usual."

"So, yeah," Dani mutters. "Not a doctor; I just know things." 

Octavia all but purrs under her breath, "Helloooo, nurse."

I jab an elbow in my sister's ribs, and Octavia grunts, slapping my arm and glaring at me. Dani watches, confused. 

"Stupid joke," I lie. "Don't worry about it."