Kellen and I awoke at 5 a.m. just barely warm enough to ward off frostbite. We stayed huddled in our cocoon for the better part of an hour, till the sky began to lighten to a dull grey. It took us forever to make our way back to camp. We took turns piggybacking each other and stopped several times to huddle together against the icy air slicing like knives through our skin and into our bones. As if talking would allow the cold to suck all the warmth out of us, we barely spoke. Tears came to my eyes more times than I'd be willing to admit.

Our arrival at camp—stoic and frozen—saw us bundled with worry and blankets. Jess, like a fretful mother, tucked socks stuffed with hot rocks around us. We rested, leaning up against each other inside the mound of blankets.

As soon as we warmed up, we went about our jobs as the camp's leaders. Patrolling the length of the Nest, helping wherever it was necessary, sorting out the issues that could be solved immediately and noting the ones that couldn't.

It was early evening by the time I stopped, because of the hunger that rumbled in my stomach. After grabbing a small meal from the squad responsible for cooking, I attempted to join Jess to eat. Instead, I was stopped by Katia, before I reached her.

"So, I keep hearing things about you and my brother... What's that about?" Arms crossed she looked ready to pick a fight.

I raised an eyebrow at her; this was the second time she'd shown interest in Kellen and I, and I didn't understand. Yes, since our last couple nights at the academy, rumors about us had been steadily growing, but they were unfounded. Aside from the previous night we'd spent in the cave, which no one had witnessed, there was no reason for them.

"Listen, I know he's a big boy and he seems like he's tough, but he's not," she sighed. "Whatever you two are doing, be careful. I like you, Nicole. So, I'd hate to have to hurt you if you hurt him."

"Hurt me? That's funny. Haven't you been trying to hurt him for the past four years. What's that about? Besides, you've got nothing to worry about―we're friends at most."

"Yeah, our rivalry is stupid, but, it doesn't mean I don't care or worry about him. Nicole, you're oblivious, and there is no way that boy could be just friends with you. I'm just saying don't lead him on. You'll break him."

"How about you worry about what you do to him, and leave me alone?" I left her there, a little stunned by her words.

Was I really oblivious? Was Kellen into me? I sat heavily beside Jess, resting my head on her shoulder.

"How are you doing, Nic?"

"Good now." I sighed around a mouthful of re-hydrated mashed potatoes that had never been my favourite till that moment. I tried to take my mind off Katia's words, focusing my attention on a piece of paper people were reading and passing around.

"You haven't stopped since you got back. Kellen either..." Jess paused then grinned as she gasped. "What happened last night? It's like you guys are avoiding each other."

Not her too! She wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't intentional; we were just busy. While I helped rig booby-traps just outside the boundary of the camp, Kellen was helping to raise platforms up into the trees. While I was up in the trees, helping to secure platforms in place, Kellen was camouflaging blinds.

"Really, Jess? Nothing. We almost froze to death is what happened."

She let it drop, taking the paper as it came to her, though the smirk on her face remained.

I smiled at the handwritten hijINKS update, glad they were finding some way to keep morale up. After a few minutes of reading about the couples that had popped up now that both sides were mixing, Jess' watch beeped, making me jump.

"The last group is scheduled to arrive in half an hour," she said before I could ask about her alarm.

"So?" I set my bowl aside and picked up my clipboard again, despite feeling the same excitement she did. Eddie was in the last group, and Emma and Mark would finally be done running evacuation groups through the forest.

"So?" she squealed, attracting attention from all around. "So, Eddie!"

With a sigh, I waved the unwanted attention away and pursed my lips at her. "Jess, Eddie is like my male version of you. Do you know how many times I've called him Jess by mistake? That would be super weird. Also, two seconds ago it was Kellen, and now Eddie? What is it with you?"

She laughed at my reprimand. "You're no fun, Nic! I have Ash now, and I want you to have that too."

"Have what now?" Kellen suddenly stood over us and I silently cursed Jess for her overly loud babbling. This was not a discussion I wanted to have right now, least of all with him present.

Jackson looked down at me, his arms crossed. "So, Kemper, shirking your duties?"

"No, Kida, my rounds are done. I was trying to go through my lists, but someone else—who's probably shirking hers—keeps interrupting."

"Fine, fine! I'm going." She stuck her tongue out at me. "I have to get back to the Dell now anyway, Katia is probably losing her shit that I haven't left already."

I laughed as I hugged her hard, knowing I'd miss her terribly. It had been hard for me to accept, but Jess had chosen the Dell because that's where Ashley was needed. I was happy for both of them, but not having her around as much was going to be hard. I frowned at her back as Jackson dragged her away, pestering her with questions about the Dell.

With a sigh, I picked up my clipboard and began perusing my list again. All the complaints, all the things that needed to be worked on, all the supplies that would eventually need to be replenished— the ones that could be anyways.

"So, last group comes in soon, huh?"

I'd forgotten Kellen was there too, and I glared at him and the innocent way he said it. "Don't you start too."

"Start what?"

"Forget it." I muttered.

Kellen startled me by grabbing my pencil and taking my clipboard from my hands. He tugged me up from where I sat. "Let's go meet them, Cole."

"Seriously?"

Kellen waved at a passing scout and handed him the clipboard, giving him instructions to pass it off to Hadley.

-.-

The last group was late. Kellen and I both paced restlessly on our side of a narrow pass that they'd have to come through. When 20 minutes went by, my excitement was gone and my worry amplified. Something went wrong. Something happened. Something―

Kellen's hand grabbing my shoulder for the millionth time called my attention. I flushed as I realized I must have been thinking out loud. "It's fine, Cole. They're just late. That's all."

If he looked even halfway like he believed himself, I might have calmed down. Instead I returned to pacing, and that was how Jackson and Ashley found us both consumed by worry. They might have tried to calm us, but I didn't hear a word of it as the first person came through the pass.

"Hey!" Emma laughed in surprise. "A welcoming committee!"

"Glad you made it!" Kellen joked back. "What took you so long?"

"We had a couple issues." Emma squeezed my side but quickly moved on, guiding those that came after her up the steep hill, instructing them to zigzag so as not to leave a trail. I counted the people as they emerged, a side effect of having planned our escape and everything that went with it so thoroughly. 17... 18... 19... two more, Eddie, and Emma's running partner, Mark. But my heart dropped when only one person came through.

"Where's Eddie?" I asked Mark, not even bothering to say hi or welcome back. He looked at me awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Where's Eddie?! Oh my God! Was that your issue? Did something happen to him?"

"No!" Mark was quick to answer, "No, he's fine."

"So where is he?"

"Um..." His eyes darted to Emma at the top of the hill, as if looking for support. "He stayed back."

"What?!"

"He, um, here." He held out two envelopes, one marked Kellen and one Nicole. I grudgingly grabbed mine and tore it open as I watched Mark scramble up the hill with Jackson in tow, before reading it.

Hey Love,

I'm staying here. I'm going to try and hack Tannen's internet connection to see if I can get a message to the outside world. We'll all be out of this situation sooner if I can. Please stay there and keep morale up. Stay strong. Take care of Becca for me.

Eddie

"No!" I balled the letter up in my fist. "No! He can't stay there. No. I'm going to get him." I declared to no one in particular. I got as far as the entrance to the pass before Kellen stopped me.

"Cole. Don't."

"We can't leave him there." I angrily fought back tears; how could Eddie be so stupid?

"Cole!" Kellen grabbed my arm again as I broke free and tried to run.

I wasn't about to let him stop me and I dragged him into the pass with me. "Damn it, Kellen! Let me go. I am not letting him do this."

"You are, Cole. You can't leave all these people here. We need you. They need you here. Not running off on some fool's mission to rescue a princess in a tower."

A stupid, stupid princess at that. What the hell was he thinking? There was no way staying back was going to end well for him.

"But we can't leave him..." I stopped fighting.

"He made a choice, Cole, he's doing what he has to to help us all. Greater good, remember?"

"Damn it." I dropped to the ground. "Damn it Eddie!"

Kellen joined me in the dirt. "He'll be okay, Cole. He's smart."

"What if something happens, Kels? What if I never see him again?"

"Don't do that, Cole."

I started to protest again but my words died on my lips as Kellen hugged me. "Just don't, okay?"

Instead I sniffled into his shoulder as I came to terms with the letter I'd been handed and all the worry and anger swirling in my head because of it.