"It's peaceful here, don't you think?"

Maeve inhaled the fresh breeze and relaxed her body as she sat on the ledge of the small cliff overlooking Jackson. She found it a miracle she came across this place without getting lost or found by Infected. Lord knew she'd have a tough time getting back to town.

The sun delayed behind some passing clouds, casting a brief shadow over the earth below. Maeve closed her eyes as another breeze washed over her. She couldn't get enough — the trees dancing in the wind, the wildlife, the nonexistent sounds of Infected or constant gunfire. The skies eased from a forget-me-not blue to brilliant pinks and oranges as the sun began to low on the horizon. The wind flushed around her once more, bringing with it the smell of bitter pine and linen streams. It was better than the stench of Boston, which was nothing more than a rotting wasteland.

This countryside — she felt at peace.

Jackson exceeded her expectations; it was everything she hoped for. Its community was like...family, in some ways. They had a home here, no questions asked. Even Ellie had settled quickly and shared a homey-upped double-car garage with Maeve. They were roommates who annoyed the ever-living hell out of one another, but they couldn't help but love each other.

Maeve wasn't one to be cliche, but she felt happy here.

Almost as happy as she felt when she was with...clench.

For the longest time, she had this hole where her heart should've been. Ellie acted like her anchor, but she still seemed lost without him. Everything had happened so quickly; she never had the chance to properly grieve.

The past few months were rough, especially with that Firefly business. She couldn't say she felt bad, which in a way, she kind of did. Marlene had her sedated to the point she was completely paralyzed. Maeve knew the woman was already on edge from having ordered Ellie into surgery, and then she had to go and flap her gums about Jordan. To his own mother — she'd been so broken by his death, her taunt only added fuel to the flames, and got her pricked with drugs.

Everything after had been nothing but a blur. The drugs were in her system for the most part of the trip, but Joel had gotten Ellie out of there before the surgeon could dissect the Cordyceps out of her head; TJ went out of his way to save her from Marlene's wrath.

The Fireflies were a little less than forthcoming about their intentions. Doing the surgery would've killed her sister. Ellie wasn't aware it would've taken her life, and the militia didn't give her the chance to decide because they were eager to put her under and slice her brain apart with a scalpel. They separated them all; her, Joel, and TJ, that is. She figured they were scared of them stopping the operation before they could complete it.

They were right.

Maeve didn't want to know what Marlene's intentions with her were, but she figured she was going to be killed, or used as another test subject. She didn't think she'd ever forget the horror in her eyes the second she let Jordan's death slip.

"You would've liked it here," Maeve murmured, her eyes becoming hot. "Jordan."

She pretended he was talking back to her. He'd say something like, "It is what it is." Or something like that. He was always the one who knew what to say, er, most of the time. He had a way with words and probably was better at speaking than Maeve could ever care to be.

"Fuck..." she leaned forward, palms flying to her face as the emotions flurried through her.

There was no way she could deny it now. Not that she denied it, just suppressed it.

She fucking missed that idiot.

Excruciatingly so.

"Can you see me, Jordan?" She allowed her tears to fall, knowing it was futile to try and wipe them away. She played with the Firefly pendant around her neck. "We finally made it."

"Who're you talking to?"

Maeve gave her whiplash as she twisted around. At first, she thought she was being crept up on by a straggler, but to her relief, it was just TJ.

"Whoa, it's just me," he chuckled, a bit startled by her reaction. His expression morphed into a concerned one. "You okay there...?"

"I'm fine," Maeve wiped her face. "What're you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing."

The auburn-haired girl readjusted herself toward the scenery and patted the ground next to her right. She heard the soft crunch of pebbles and grass under TJ's boots, and then his body lowered beside her. He dangled his legs over the edge as she did. He rested his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward a little bit.

He glanced between her and the sight of Jackson.

"So why are you out here—"

"His name was Jordan," Maeve cut him off abruptly.

"Maeve—"

"He was an idiot, and hard-headed, and so fucking optimistic," at first, she sounded annoyed, but then a sob hiccupped from her throat. "But he was mine."

"You don't have to tell me," TJ hurried to say. "Not if you don't want to."

"He talked about this place — Jackson — before he died," she gestured to the town below. "He wanted to live his life with me and Ellie. Guess some of us got here in one piece."

"How'd he die — if that's okay to ask..." TJ questioned awkwardly.

"I shot him," Maeve wiped her nose with her sleeve. "After he was bitten. He didn't want to do it himself, so he had me do it."

TJ stared at her pensively, as he didn't know what to say, least of all how to comfort her. So, he just sat there beside her, unable to console her as she confessed her tale.

"He gave me a lot of things before he died," Maeve faltered within her wracked sobs. "And I...I! I couldn't even help him! I'm such a fucking fuck up!"

"Hey, now," TJ wrapped his arms around her as she folded herself. "No one can control these things, much less getting attacked by infected."

"If I had only fought against him, he'd still be here."

He held onto the redhead in silence, her body wracking in his arms. He wasn't overly big on emotions, nor was he good at recuperating them. He certainly wasn't the best at comforting others.

"I..." his voice cracked. "My mom died." He paused as he noticed Maeve's stillness. "She got shot by a soldier trying to sneak me into the Boston QZ. I was sent to live with Joel after."

"I'm sorry."

"I know it won't make a difference, but," he released her, but kept a hand on her back. "I'm sure he'd want you to be happy."

Maeve gurgled a laugh.

"And maybe you can start by letting go of whatever guilt you're clinging to."

He was right, nonetheless. She was guilty. Even when Jordan told her not to be, more like, pleaded; she would always feel guilty, because she was alive, and he wasn't. There were not enough words to describe the sorrow she felt, or how it ate her up inside. She'd never let her feelings for Jordan go because, in reality, she still loved him with everything she had. Her insides ached every time she thought of him and his stupidly boyish grin. Everything in her lurched as if she'd just been electrocuted.

She was alive because of him.

She played with Jordan's Firefly pendant, the metal warm under her touch. Her lips pressed together, and she looked at the sunset. Taking a deep breath, she began to get up.

"I'll always love him. That'll never change." She removed the dog tag from her neck.

"What're you going to do?"

Maeve made herself a promise there on that cliff.

"I'm going to honor him," she said finally and approached a sapling that grew near the middle of the ground before the cliff. She slunk the chain around the thickest branch, the round pendant clinking about in the soft wind. "I'm not going to waste this second chance."

It was as if Jordan himself were there with her. She felt him around her in the breeze that embraced her body, like a set of arms. She never felt safer.

It was as if he were saying goodbye.

"You're right," she allowed a few tears to fall. "He'd want this."

In that moment of silence, a weight lifted off her body. She could breathe and relief filled her.

The breeze engulfed her, and the surrounding vegetation. The trees rustled, and the grass and the flowers danced their delicate dances. This cliff-side was Jordan's final resting place, and the wind whispered the song of his slumber. She hoped he was at peace now.

Her eyes closed and she let out a strained breath.

He was free.

And so was she.

"You ready to go back?" TJ's voice was soft, easy, and soothing. It almost comforted Maeve to a point, and she relaxed.

"What's for dinner tonight?" She asked and briskly turned around.

The blond chuckled and lifted himself from the ground. He patted his jeans off and approached Maeve with her backpack in his hand, which she took and slid on.

"Some type of casserole."

"Tommy's not making it, is he?" Maeve commented half-heartedly.

"I reckon Maria's banned him from the kitchen."

"Thank you," the auburn-haired paused on the path, and peered up at the blond, "It means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," he returned the gesture. "So, hey, we'd better get back or Joel might send a search party."

"Yeah."

"I'll get Lonnie."

As he left, Maeve glanced back at the sapling. Jordon's pendant dangled, reflecting the sunlight off its half-shiny surface. She knew it wouldn't ever be the same without Jordon, and that he wouldn't want her to feel sad.

Well, he always did say he wasn't worthy of Maeve, which was funny because she always thought she wasn't worthy of him. It was kind of ironic now that she thought about it. She knew he'd fight her on that too. A smile upturned her lips. The soft clomping of hooves and a high-pitched neigh broke her from her thoughts. She peered over her shoulder to see the blonde-haired horse with TJ already in the saddle, comfortably fiddling with the reigns. He looked down at her, expectantly, and he held his hand out for her.

One last time, Maeve glanced back at the cliffside. Jordan's pendant continued to dangle on the sapling. The sunlight hit the pendant just right, casting golden rays through its thin branches like a holy grail or halo.

With a deep breath, Maeve squared her shoulders and approached the light-haired steed, and took TJ's hand firmly. He hoisted her up on Lonnie's back,

"Ready?" He said from over his shoulder.

It took her a moment for the emotions within her to settle. She had to blink away the oncoming tears before she nodded. She wasn't used to letting precious memoirs go, especially when those precious memoirs once belonged to someone she loved.

Finally, she slung her arms around TJ's torso and stuffed her face into his back.

At first, the boy stiffened by her sudden action, and after a moment, he relaxed. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but maybe he was finally warming up to her. He felt warm, and she liked it.

"Ready?" He asked again.

"Yeah. Let's go back."

With that, TJ kicked Lonnie into a canter, and they began their way back to Jackson. Hopefully, for a peaceful Tuesday evening.