*short, boring chapter*

"So, you're really wanting to stay in Jackson?"

Maeve unscrewed the water bottle Maria gave her, looking at Jordon. Not that she had a problem with him staying in Jackson while they continued their journey to find the Fireflies. Since Pittsburgh, all he talked about was joining the Fireflies, and finally being able to be one.

After popping a raisin into his mouth, the dark-skinned boy nodded in consideration. "I've given it a lot of thought...and I just think I'd be safer here than with the Fireflies. The whole wanting-to-be-a-Firefly, that was all Henry. I've only ever wanted to be safe. I know, I know, that's selfish of me to say that."

"Not at all," Maria smiled from her place at the small metal table. "It's only natural for you to want to live, you're still just kids in the end."

"You said that the adults take shifts guarding the town, right? How old is old it to be an adult? I mean, I'm eighteen, so, does that mean I can take shifts?"

Maeve sipped on her water, enjoying the crisp coolness of the liquid that slid down her cotton-felt throat. Ellie didn't seem to listen to the conversation, lost in her dehydrated food and water. A laugh almost slipped out of her, she looked like a cavegirl, chowing down. Not that she was judging, Maria feeding them was nothing more than a godsend.

"If you want, the choice is all yours, of course," the blond answered. "We've got people who take care of livestock and the gardens. We've got those who hunt, not necessarily just for killing infected and defending us from bandits and looters. Like I said before, we're a community, we take care of each other."

The more she listened, the more it dawned on her. Jackson was the place her Jordan talked about. She thought about the key words he had spoken; out west, safe place, community.

A sense of blue washed over her.

No, no, no. Don't even think about crying, Maeve. She scolded herself and blinked away the heat tempering her sight. To distract herself, she finished off her own dehydrated food, picking at the jerky she was given. There she went again, thinking of him at the most inconvenient time. The Jordon in front of her gleamed at the idea of being Jackson, and she couldn't help but imagine her Jordan being in his place, happy and enthusiastically asking the questions he had thought up over the time.

She imagined Jordan giving Maria a massive headache with his questions, with his curiousness.

Sigh.

Her eyes flickered to her hands and water bottle. She clenched her fingers around the plastic, causing it to crinkle some as she lifted the nozzle to her lips. The emotion hit her a little harder than it usually would. Perhaps it was because she made it to Jackson, and he ...he will forever remain in Boston, in his tomb of that dreadful quarantine zone. Her mind trembled with rage and sadness, knowing her dead boyfriend would never have the proper burial he deserved.

It just screwed with her, knowing that he would never see the town he wanted to live in with her and Ellie. She flitted her sight over to her sister, sure she had felt the same but with Riley.

And then the more she let herself become engrossed into her thoughts, her mind track wandered to TJ and his own dilemma. Had he and Tommy reunited properly, or did it not go well? She recalled before how Tommy hadn't batted an eyelash at him, oblivious to their resemblance. It's what made her think he didn't even know about TJ. She could only imagine what the conversation could be. Probably boring, for the most part, maybe some confusion and lots and lots of questions.

"—what was that?" Maria's radio blurted out nothing but static, as if someone was trying to reach out to her.

The lights above flickered on. One of the fluorescent bulbs unable to stay on, so it continued to seizure out its bright light.

"Aha!" A laugh sprang out of the blonde woman as she looked up. "I'll be damned, they got it fixed."

"What happens now?"

"Well, now, we just have to make sure the power stays on this time."

"So, does this plant run the power for the whole town?"

"Yep."

"Then it's extremely important for people to keep up with it," Jordon finished off his raisins.

"That's the idea, kid," Maria wasn't annoyed, instead she seemed to like the curiosity he had. "The numbers here will thin some now that the power's on again, most of us will return to town to get things done."

"So, what kind of jobs do you have —"

BLAM!

A loud, deafening blast went off outside the cafeteria they feasted in. It caused the four of them to immediately throw themselves to the floor as unfamiliar voices shouting out insane profanities.

"Tommy!" Maria had her radio in hand, "Bandits, they're breaking into the building!"

She didn't mean to, honestly, but a huge and jacked man entered a part of the cafeteria with a shotgun — most likely the one that was shot out before. A scream rippled through her as he aimed the shotgun toward, firing it, creating this loud, and more deafening sound.

"Watch out!" Jordon dove for her, tackling her and Ellie to the ground, knocking over their chairs. "Maria!"

"They're here! Kids, hide!"

Somehow, they managed to barricade themselves into a small break room, locking the door. But there was this window, and it was gunned into little bits of glass. The shards flew in all directions, getting into Maeve's hair and jacket.

"Stay down, Maeve!" Ellie commanded and took out her gun, trying to get a good aim on one of the many intruders that intended to kill them.

"Yep!" She covered her head with her arms, securely wrapping around her skull, her hands overlapping on the back of her neck. She couldn't hear an end of the shooting.

She was useless in a shootout, that much was for certain.

There was a powdery explosion, disembodied struggle, and then nothing.

Silence greeted them like a warm embrace.

'Tommy?" Maria's voice called out.

"Maria!" The southern twist of Tommy spewed into the air.

"I'm alright! The kids are with me!"

"Maeve, it's over," Ellie crouched near her, "They're all dead."

"Whew," she unfolded herself and weakly smiled at her. "That was a bit intense, huh?"

"You fucking said it," Jordon grunted, standing out of his cover.

Maeve was helped up and they slowly left the room. She eyed the bodies of the intruders, not feeling a wink of sympathy for them. Tommy, Joel, and TJ were there, observing them for a brief moment. Tommy rushed for Maria; his face crinkled up with concern as he checked her over for any injuries.

How sweet.

And then her eyes flickered to TJ. She supposed she couldn't read him. His face seemed void, unfaltering under whatever had happened between them.

"You three alright?" Joel approached them, his aged face as worried as Tommy's was for Maria.

"Joel!" Ellie burst, her words coming out quickly. "Oh man...They were coming in from every direction—"

"Okay."

"—and then Maria was like "we gotta run!"—"Ellie continued, her words almost not words.

"Listen." Joel tried.

"—and so, we dove over these tables and this huge guy blasts in with a shotgun—"

"Slow down, slow down. Listen—" he attempted again.

"And then—"

Finally, Joel took Ellie by her shoulders, silencing her rambling for a moment, "Are you hurt?"

"No."

The scene would've been comical...if they hadn't been attacked...or if there weren't dead bodies strewn out around the cafeteria. Jordon leaned against the wall near them, seemingly taking a breather after all the action. TJ, on the other hand, as mentioned before, was just stoic.

She wondered...

"Did you settle your business?"

He looked at her strangely for a second, his lips pressing together, and his eyes narrowed at her as he decided on what to say. At first, he looked away from her, glancing between Joel and Tommy.

"Yeah."

"Did he take it well?" She was pressing on mighty thin ice, but inner feline just had to know.

Conflicted blue eyes met her green ones. "How'd you—?"

"It wasn't hard to see it, dude," she lightly said. "I knew the second I saw the guy. He's your old man, huh?"

"Yeah."

That, Maeve frowned at. He hadn't an ounce of joy or glee. She knew if she ever met her father, she'd probably be bouncing on her heels. Maybe it was different with guys.

"How'd it go?" She pressed.

"It didn't." He gave up.

She saw him look utterly defeated. Had Tommy rejected him? Maybe didn't understand? Either way, TJ looked like he was dealing with inner turmoil.

"So...he doesn't know he's your dad?"

"After Joel broke it to him, yeah."

"Oof," she let out. "That's, uh, rough. Sorry."

He didn't say anything more.

And she didn't pry any further.