The Ones Who Remain/Issue 12

This is issue 12 of The Ones Who Remain, entitled: All Those Years Ago.

Issue 12; All Those Years Ago
Day 749 ~ 12:20 A.M.

During a cold night in southern Georgia, a lone farmhouse stood among acres and acres of property. The open fields beautiful, where a lone man walked, silohoutted in the moonlight. His hair long, head down as he walks alone, M16 by his side. It's not until the faint sound of a light voice is heard not too far away from him. It isn't until he stops and examines his surroundings that he notices a teenaged girl sitting alone. Her stomach was rather large, long brunette hair, her eyes glued to the moon. This was a much younger Emma.

"Alone again, huh?" he asked, before taking a spot next to her.

"Nicole went to bed early--Sherry is putting Mike in the crib--and Brenda is off doing whatever it is that she does." she muttered, her eyes not leaving the moon.

"You mean keeping us safe?"

"I don't understand how tiring yourself out keeps us safe. I wouldn't be surprised if one day she just fell over, and never waked up."

"C'mon, Emma...she's trying to protect us. We're not the most...formidable group. You can't blame her for taking her chances."

"I guess..." Emma quietly said, looking to the ground.

He smiled. "Y'know, you can take a break too? I haven't seen you sleep in days."

"Are you watching me you perv?" she said, light-heartedly.

"Kinda hard not to notice considering we share a room."

"Yeah, well I'm sorry, Aras."

"Don't be." Aras smiled, before hearing footsteps coming from behind the two. He quickly turned around, watching as a blonde teenager--around the same age as Emma, pale skin, wide eyes--approaching them. Her light pink short torn, and the skin right above her chest was visible, where a bandage lied. This was a much younger Cameron, or as she was known back in the day, Sherry.

"Hey, Cher." Aras said, smiling as Sherry quickly took a seat next to Emma, leaning her head on Emma's shoulder.

"For the last time--I don't know who that is." she complained, shutting her eyes, but quickly opening them again.

"You kiddies don't know anything..." he sarcastically remarked, rolling his eyes. "So, Mike's in bed?"

"Thankfully." she moaned. "That little fucker put up a tough fight--but he's sleeping."

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Emma quickly said. "You need to sleep."

"I need someone to cuddle with...and Brenda is temporarily unavailable."

Emma giggled while Aras just smiled. "Can you sing me that song?" Sherry yawned. "The Beatles one?"

Aras' smile grew. "You really like this one, don't you?" he asked.

Sherry only nodded her head. "You mind?" she asked, turning her head to Emma while Aras cleared his throat. Emma nodded her head, and with that, Sherry lied down, putting her head in Emma's lap.

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad Take a sad song and make it better"

Emma rubbed the stressed Sherry's head, her eyes still wide open, staring into Emma's eyes. This was the life Sherry wanted to live. With her new family, safe from the horrors of the real world. She just wants to be able to rest for a few weeks. That's all she asks for...a few weeks of guaranteed safety.

"Remember to let her into your heart Then you can start to make it better"

Day 749 ~ 2:48 A.M.

A teenage girl, short red hair, blue eyes that shined in the moonlight, sat on a small hand-built guard tower, looking over the fields. This was her daily life. She was constantly up on the guard tower, and taking a break was never an option. At any time she could have to defend her people. This was a much younger Brenda.

This was never her dream. She never wanted to be the girl who day in and day out is cast aside by her family. The one who is constantly walked over day after day after day by some of these people. But she has to take it. Why? She needs to protect the few who mean something to her.

"Room for one more up there?" the faint voice of Sherry called up to her.

Brenda smiled instantly hearing her voice. If there was anyone who gave her reassurance, it was Sherry. "Depends who's asking..."

Sherry, her eyes still wide, like they're glued open, smiled up at Brenda. As she started to climb the ladder, Brenda never takes her eyes off of the open fields. You can never be too sure.

As Sherry gets on the guard tower, she's quick to sit in Brenda's lap; who moaned trying to look around her back at the fields. "Babe, you gotta move." she said, her voice strained, but Sherry didn't budge. "I can't see--"

"No." she simply said, exhausted, before planting a kiss on Brenda. "You can take your mind off of everything for just a moment, ok?"

"And what happens if--"

"We'll deal with it then." she interrupted, planting another kiss on Brenda.

"That's a horrible idea." she mumbled, looking into Sherry's eyes. "How about you get some sleep? Honestly, you look like Rousseau from Lost."

"That pretty? Aw, thanks." Sherry sarcastically said, throwing her arm around Brenda. "Why don't you get Joel or Johnson to do this? You look like absolute shit."

"I ain't putting my life--or yours--into someone elses hands. Remember what happened with Will?"

Sherry winced, looking away from Brenda. "That wasn't his fault though, he had no choice."

"He could've pulled me out...he was selfish. And now, every night..." Brenda stops herself, a tear going to her eye. Sherry almost instantly pulls Brenda into a tight hug. "I couldn't save the people who needed me the most. Sully, Mike, James..."

"Stop it." Sherry quickly interrupted. "There was nothing you could've done."

"Stop trying to play the fucking peace-maker!" Brenda randomly spat out.

Sherry instantly rises to her feet. She knows where this is going. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to help."

Brenda rolled her eyes. "Go to sleep, Sherry. We both know you need it."

"Look, I'm sorry!" Sherry exclaimed. "But you need more sleep than I do. How long has it been since you slept?"

"That doesn't matter. You have a baby to take care of."

"And you've got thirteen other people to take care of." she quickly spat back.

"A pregnant bitch, a legless bitch, a fucking baby..."

"What has gotten into you?" Sherry finally spits back. "Remember when you were so cute and innocent...?"

Brenda scoffed, turning away from Sherry. "Leave."

Day 749 ~ 3:13 A.M.

Sherry walked through the dark farmhouse, the living room inhabitated by a sleeping man and woman. The man had long black hair, in his early thirties, a gun on his chest; while the woman had short brunette hair. She ignored them. She had too much shit on her mine, so she calmly walked up the stairs into the hallway, where an older man, bald hair, chubby, sat, his face in his hands.

Hearing Sherry's footsteps, he immediately looks up at her, forcing a smile as he does so. "Sherry," he greeted, to which she responded with a simple nod.

Walking to one of the doors at the end of the hallway, Sherry, as quietly as she can, twists the knob to the door. She quietly enters the room, closing the door behind her. Sherry instantly looks to a corner of the room, where a baby crib stood tall. She slowly walked over to it, and as she reached it, she quickly peeked her head over.

There, in the crib, lied a baby. It's eyes closed, mouth slightly open; Sherry only smiles. If there was any reason to keep going--it was her baby, Mike. He's all she really has left at this point. "I love you," she whispers, not taking her eyes off of the sleeping baby. She gently leaned into the crib, and gently pressed her lips on young Mike's forehead, before backing away from the crib.

Walking toward the bed, Sherry sighed as she rubbed her temples, before plopping on the bed. She was exhausted from...from, well, everything. These times have been hard, harder than the rest. Almost everyone she loves is dead and gone, and bonding isn't exactly her forte, so now she feels more alone than she's ever been.

It isn't until she gets under the covers that Mike starts to cry from the crib. In annoyance, Sherry throws the covers off of her body, and quickly rushes to the baby.

Picking up the baby, Sherry starts to bounce up and down to calm him down. "Hush little baby," she started to sing. "Hush little baby, don't say a word. Momma's gonna buy you the whole wide world..."

Day 749 ~ 9:20 A.M.

The sounds of gunshots awaken the sleeping Sherry, who almost instantly jumps out of the bed, falling to the ground. She immediately rubs her eyes, pressing her head against the floor as more gunshots are heard. She quickly looked back up at the crib, where Mike was still sound asleep.

As quickly as she could, Cameron crawled over to the baby's crib. She jumped to her feet, quickly grabbing the baby, who almost instantly starts crying in her arms, before falling back on her knees.

"SHERRY!" a yell could be heard from the hallway. Before Sherry can react, or yell back, her door flies open, and Aras comes sprinting through.

"What's happening?" Sherry quickly asked, jumping to her feet.

"Pack your shit up, we're leaving as soon as possible." he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"What's happening?"

"The farm's overrun. Brenda fell asleep on watch--Jackson was the first to notice."

"Is she oka--"

"She's fine." Aras interrupted, before going back into the hallway. "Hurry up though, I need to get the others! You got three minutes at most."

Day 749 ~ 9:38 A.M.

A limping and tired Brenda leads the group of twelve through the surrounding woods. Behind her, Sherry who held Mike, and from there, Emma, Aras, and the others. Behind them, nothing, just an empty woods.

Reaching a large creek, Brenda near collapses on a large log in front of the small pond. Sherry, however, just stops, tightly holding onto Mike, who cried loudly.

"Shut the fucking baby up!" A man yelled, who paced back and forth, gun in hands. He was the man who slept with the gun on his chest, with the pretty brunette. His name was Joel Dewitt; and his girl, who takes a spot by the pond, is Jennifer. "They'll be on us like Christians on a gay man."

"I'm trying!" Sherry said, beginning to rock Mike back and forth. She quickly looked up at Aras, who rubbed his head, stressfully. "Aras, sing to him--please."

Aras quickly nodded, and hurriedly took Mike from Sherry's hands. He put on a fake smile, and started to lightly sing "Say When", a song by The Fray, to Mike.

A young teenager, maybe sixteen, limps over to the bald man, who instantly helps sit her down on the log next to Brenda. Her name was Nicole, and the bald man was Gerald.

"Did Marco make it?" she asked, worriedly looking from Brenda to Gerald. "He wasn't behind us--"

"Don't worry about him." Brenda quickly interrupted, before motioning to Nicole's leg, well, where Nicole's leg should be, instead, there being a stump. "Can you walk?"

"Not for much longer." she said, breathing heavily, before looking behind Brenda. "And I don't think Emma can either."

Looking behind her, Brenda just watches as Emma sits back against a tree, grasping onto her stomach, and Sherry rushing to her aid.

"Are you okay?" Sherry nearly shrieked, immediately being silenced by Emma.

"I'm--I'm fine." she muttered, closing her eyes. Sherry grasps her hand instinctively; like she's preparing for Emma to die on them or something.

"Where do we go now?" Aras asked, still rocking Mike back and forth, who starts to quiet down.

"We gotta keep moving." Joel said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We can't stop moving. More of us will die."

"He's got a point." Jennifer piped up from the background, looking straight at Brenda, who stared back.

"Oh, ye--" Brenda started, but was almost instantly cut off from the screams of a person. The group instantly looked around, and the ones who were sitting hopped to their feet, as Joel and Jennifer readied their respected weapons.

"Was that Marco?" a man asked, who held tightly onto the arm of an elderly woman--gray hair, pale skin.

"Just--be quiet." Gerald, the bald man, said, as Nicole grabs onto his shoulder.

The group of twelve just silently watched, inching closer to each other as the screams stopped, and the groans became louder. Brenda quickly clenches onto Sherry's shoulder, instinctively and protectively, pulling her closer to her. Sherry, on the other hand, looked worriedly around the group for Aras and almost instnatly spots him with Emma, who still clutched Mike, bringing the baby to his chest.

"What to we do..." Nicole asked, looking from Brenda to Joel.

"Run," Brenda almost instantly said, to which Joel scoffed.

"Fuck. That." he muttered. "Use the woods to our advantage--fight 'em off."

"Guys, they're coming!" Sherry nearly squealed, as the groans got closer and closer.

Brenda and Joel didn't give an inch though. They both had their own ideas; it's all about who acted first now.

"This is not the time for another one of your power struggles!" Emma forcefully said, stepping in front of Brenda, but to no avail. The two continued their little standoff as the first biter emerged from behind the tree line. It's skin a dark yellow, teeth tainted red, slowly limped toward the group.

Nicole, the one-legged girl is the first to notice it, and she instantly points it out to Gerald and Aras, who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

As the guys turned their attention to the biter, another one emerges from the tree line. And from there, another one, and another one, and another one...

"Oh shit..." Aras mumbled, catching the attention of the rest of the group. The group almost instantaneously turns to where Aras is staring.

"There's too many than what we can handle." Emma said, grasping one of the other survivor's shoulders, who almost instantly supports her.

Joel scoffed. "Go than! I'll hold 'em off."

Jennifer grabbed hold of his shoulders. "Are you sure?"

"Just--go. I'll be right behind ya."

"Remember where rendezvous is?" Brenda asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"Yes ma'am." he said under his breath, lifting up his assault rifle.

Brenda nodded, grabbing Sherry, who stood close by her, watching Aras. "You heard the man, go!" she nearly screamed.

And with those words, almost the entirety of the group ran off, excluding Joel and another man, who volunteered to stay behind. Brenda led the way, as normal, Sherry close behind her, along with the parade of survivors who didn't stay behind with Joel.

It didn't take long for the sound of gunshots to fill the air--but none of them looked back. They kept doing what they needed to do, and that was to run.

Day 749 ~ 9:50 A.M.

The deadly screams filled the air, as Sherry desperately clinged onto the hand of an old woman. The old woman had blood spurting from her neck, mouth, as biters ripped into her...but Sherry couldn't let go of her hand. She couldn't find it in her to let go, even with Brenda pulling back on her, yelling her name.

Finally, when the screaming stops, and the old woman's arm goes limp, Brenda is able to break Sherry's grasp free, and pull her back down the path. That's when Sherry snaps out of it, her feet finally moving.

"Where's everyone else?" she asks, in a near yell, in her state of panic. "Where's my Mike?"

"Aras--has him." Brenda said, in between breaths. "Just--follow--me."

Day 749 ~ 3:49 P.M.

Sherry lies, her back on the cold grass, her eyes barely open, her face pale. Blood slowly drops from her mouth, onto the ground before her. She can feel her whole body going numb--she doesn't know how long she's been like this, but Sherry is just waiting for that moment...the moment where she stops feeling.

''Sherry ran through the woods, following Brenda, who quickly made her way around the various stones and sticks in her way, while Sherry had a harder time. No matter what she did, rather it be trying to jump over them, go around them, they still ended up making her go slower. Sherry knew it was only a time before something went wrong...''

Sherry just wanted it to end. She wanted the pain to go away, she wanted everthing to just...stop. She, as tenderly as possible, lifter up her head, peeing down at her calf. Her calf was bloody, swollen, and right in the middle of it, a sharp stick had impaled her. The pain--the pain was unbearable, and, as her body became more and more numb, it just made her feel worse. Why couldn't it just end?

''Brenda quickly kneels down next to the impaled Sherry, who desperately grabs hold of her own calf--screaming in pain. It didn't take long for a biter to catch up to her, taking Sherry of her feet, and making her fall onto the stick--and Brenda's the only one knows. Brenda desperately throws her hand over Sherry's mouth, pushing Sherry's head to the ground, as the biters got closer and closer. Sherry squeezed her eyes shut, desperately tring to lift her leg off the stick, but no progress was being made, it just brought her more pain. As soon as Brenda takes her hand off of Sherry's hand, Sherry instantly lets the tears flow out.''

''"I love you." Sherry cried, to which Brenda didn't respond. She could only let the tears fall, as she grabbed hold of Sherry's leg--ready to pry it off. "Don't Brenda, please, please, please..." she repeated, taking as many breaths as she could in that short time limit. "Just--go, please!"''

''"I ain't gonna leave you." Brenda yelled, standing up, her arms still around Sherry's leg, ready to pull.''

''"I'm not going to survive Brenda! If you get me off--If you get me off I'm just gonna lose too much blood before we can do anything about it! Please Brenda, don't do this!" she cried.''

''"And what about Mike?" Brenda spat out, as more tears fell from her face. "Just leave him--no mother to take care of him?"''

''"I love you--and I love him--I need you to make sure he knows that, Brenda!" she continued to cry, before grabbing Brenda's arm. "Please."''

''Brenda quickly got on her knees next to Sherry, kissing her--one last time. "I love you." she silently mumbled, before hopping back to her feet. But, instead of running, Brenda just stared at the incoming biters--sizing them up. "HEY ASSHOLES," she screamed, slowly backing away. "FOLLOW ME, YOU PRICKS."''

''Sherry only watched as Brenda continously yelled, slowly backing away from the biters whom followed her. Sherry shut her eyes--hoping, just hoping Brenda would get away, and when the noises stopped, Brenda could no longer be heard--she opened them. She was alone.''

How selfish could Sherry be? How could she--how could she want to die? For all she knew Brenda just died to give her a chance to live--and her baby was still out there. She didn't want to die--she couldn't die.

But, she was so helpless. She could do nothing but lie there and hope. Hope that Brenda would lead them back to her. Hope that Joel might stumble across her, trying to get to the rendezvous point. Hope that anyone could find her--help her.

So, as she got number, as she could feel her--her life slipping away, the only thing on Sherry's mind was: Mike. How alone and scared he'd grow up in this world. How lonely he'd be--how sad he'd always be, with no one to guide him...and with that on her mind, she closer her eyes, for one final slumber...

Day 751 ~ 3:28 A.M.

Sherry's eyes slowly opened, after what seemed like an eternity. Her vision was blurry, her head aching--she can only make out a bright white ceiling, a bright light hanging overhead. She sits up, holding onto her head with one hand, and rubbing her eyes with the other.

It's when she re-opens her eyes, sees that she's sitting on a bed, and looks at the unfamiliar room she's in, does it strike her...she has no idea where she is. She immediately goes into panic mode, and instinctively hops to her feet. Forgetting about her injury, however, she almost immediately falls right back onto the floor, yelping--like a dog--in pain.

Her head collides with the night table, and her vision goes blurry again, and almost instantly the door to the room she's in flies open, and a man, no older than twentyfive quickly rushes over to her.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" he asked, kneeling next to her.

Sherry, however, gives no answer, clutching her aching--now bleeding--head, and only watches him. He immediately stands up, and lifts Sherry by her shoulders, placing her delicately on the bed. "Hey, it's ok." he said, kneeling on the floor next to the bed, so the two are eye-level. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Sherry didn't know what to say to this man. His long dark hair, his genuine smile, gave her a sense of trust--but she's been with people like that before. She knows what people can do in these dark situations.

Without saying anything, he got up and left the room. This was her chance to escape--while he's gone. However, he's almost instantly back with a white, wet, rag. "What's your name?" he asked, covering Sherry's head.

Sherry wasn't sure if she trusted him yet--she wasn't sure if he was trying to get into her head or what he was about, so she just said the first name that came to mind. "Cameron."

"Cameron?" he repeated, a large smile still on his face, looking into Cameron's eyes. "That's a gorgeous name."

"What about yours?" she quickly asked.

"Me?" he asked, checking the cut on her head. "Name's Brian, but my friends like to call me Johnson."

Day 751 ~ 7:21 A.M.

Cameron sat at a kitchen table with Johnson--the two charing canned peaches. She was still feeling a little woozy, her body still hurt like hell, but the worst part--the worst part was that somewhere was her baby--all alone without a mother.

"You okay?" Johnson asked, his head resting in his hand, watching her. "You look...puzzled."

"What happened out there?" she asked. "How long was I out for?"

"You were out for a day or two--time is hard to keep track of, nowadays." he said, taking another spoonful of peaches. "Out there, however, was...strange. We heard your yells--so of course, being the kind gentleman I am--ran to your rescue. Of course, you were already out when we got there, so we had to yank ya off and rush you back here."

"Did you see anyone else?" she asked, rubbing her temples. "A baby?"

"Baby?" he repeated, trying to think back. "Nah, no baby."

Cameron's heart nearly shattered. And, as the tears rushed to her face, she turned away from Johnson instinctively, who kinda just watched her, not knowing what to do. "You said 'we'." she said, trying to clear her mind. "There are more of you?"

Johnson slowly nodded. "Yeah, there's like, eight--yeah, eight more of us."

"Where are they than?" Cameron asked, wiping a tear away from her eye.

"They went out for a supply run early this morning." he said, never taking his eyes off of Cameron, before leaning in closer to her. "Listen, I'm not gonna lie--some of them ain't happy you're here. I was lucky enough to be able to get them to save you." Sherry only shrugged. "So, if you can prove your worth--one way or another--you're as good as can be."

"They sound charming..." Cameron sarcastically remarked.

"I've been with 'em since the beginning." Johnson said, smiling. "They don't know you, so, they're kinda protective."

Cameron sighed. "I guess that's justified--although not really needed. I'll be gone before you know it."

Johnson chuckled. "Where are you going than?"

"I can't stay here." she said, looking down to the ground. "I have family out there I need to find."

"Well, I ain't letting you go out there." he said, his smile never leaving his face. "You wouldn't make it a day."

"I need to. I have a son I ne--" she stops herself from continuing. She didn't want to tell him anything about herself--and there she goes, talking and talking like an idiot!

Johnson's smile slowly faded away. "You have a son?" he asked.

"Yes." she quickly responded. "So, I need to find him. I need to get out of here and find him."

Johnson sighed. "Look, Cameron, I'm sorry." he said, looking from the counter to her. "But I ain't letting you back out there, not in the condition you're in."

Cameron nodded as the door to the appartment opened. Johnson immediately rised to his feet as a group of people, around the same age as him, entered the room, all eyes on Cameron--who immediately froze up. She didn't know what to say or what to do.

A girl, long black hair, bright blue eyes, stands out most to Cameron as most intimidating. She had her gun over her shoulder, short-shorts on, and a ripped jean-jacket. "So, you gonna introduce yourself?" she asked, her western accent clear.

"Guys..." Johnson said, noticing the fear in Cameron. "I'd love for you to mee Cameron."

Day 3283 ~ 11:29 A.M.

Cameron, now eight years older, walked down the flooded streets of the recently-formed Echo, Johnson right behind her. The two both sported the green uniforms, and both looked, and Johnson felt, as can be. Behind Johnson, was the intimidating girl, and next to her, a young child, maybe seven years old. However, Cameron's always battling herself--sometimes on the outside, but mostly on the inside.

"Cam, where are we going?" Johnson asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

She looked back at him, smiling. "Well, I was hoping you'd like to come with me on a little mission?" she asked, stopping him in the middle of the street, as did the other woman and boy. "Yim said scouts spotted a new community on the rise--they wanted to go help them set up, clean out the area."

Johnson immediately rolled his eyes, crossing his arms...he knew where this was heading. "And you think you have a chance to find your son there?"

"Please?" she pleaded, grabbing onto his shoulder, to which he sighed.

"Fine," he muttered.

Cameron smiled, wrapping Johnson into a tight hug, kissing him on the cheek. "I can always count on you, can't I?" she asked, her smile big.

Day 3283 ~ 1:23 P.M.

Cameron and Johnson stand among a squad of eight--maybe nine Echo soldiers in a crowded convoy truck. One though, has Cameron's attention, a kid in his early twenties sits, his arms shaky, clearly nervous; and Cameron can only smile, as she reads his nametag, Davie. That used to be her--but not anymore, she outgrew it, and she knows that kid will to, sooner or later.

As the convoy truck stopped, and the back door opened, Cameron immediately rushed out the back, Johnson close behind. The two rush in front of the walls of the community with the other Echo soldiers, who prepare themselves in case of resistance. However, they are instantly met by a woman, red-hair, blue eyes, wearing a very formal attire. Cameron almost instantly recognized her.

"Hello," she greeted, shaking hands with a man--the leader of the given Echo squad. "you guys must be Echo. My name's Brenda Silva, we could really use some help in getting started here in Livingston."

Cameron almost drops her gun in shock--could it really be Brenda? Is it even possible?

As Cameron's mind started to race, she fails to notice the group of Echo soldiers following Brenda inside Livingston, until Johnson nudged her on her shoulder. She instantly snapped back into reality, and followed him inside of Livingston.

Day 3283 ~ 3:10 P.M.

Cameron sat on the street, her gun at her side, watching Brenda give orders to a couple of Echo soldiers. She was so impressed--so happy with how far she came--but at the same time, she couldn't stop worrying. Not once did she see a kid, an eight or nine year old kid that could tell her that her baby was alive.

Suddenly however, she is grabbed by the shoulder, and simotaneously her mouth is covered, and is pushed to the ground. Overcome with fear and sudden anxiety, she instinctively tries to scream and squirm to get away from this person, but, after being rendered helpless by the strength of this person--she just stares into their eyes.

"Sherry--you faggot." Emma said, her smile wide, overcome with happiness, before releasing her grip on Cameron, before bringing her into a tight hug. "You fucking faggot--"

Cameron only smiled, as she's engulfed in this hug by Emma--someone she missed so dearly over the past years. "I missed you." she whispered.

"Don't play that card, girl. We all missed you." she said, releasing her grip on Cameron, letting her sit up. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"It's a long story..." Cameron said, catching her breath. "What about you? Is my baby--"

"Let me cut you off right there." Emma said, interrupting Cameron. "Your kid's okay--he's actually great."

"Is he?" Cameron asked, her smile uncontainable--which made Emma's grow even more. "And what about your pregnancy? Did everything go well with that?"

"Luckily," Emma whispered. "I didn't think it was possibly--but I carried that little shit to term and now she's such a handful."

Cameron smiled. "That's nice to hear."

It grew silent between the two after that--it was so awkward, it really was. And on top of that, all Cameron wanted to do was to see her little boy--she didn't have to speak with him or anything--just, see him.

"Fine," Emma said, rising to her feet, watching Cameron. "Follow me."

Without hesitation, Cameron hopped to her feet, and followed Emma, who started to walk down the street. "I'm assuming you wanna see your child?" she asked.

"With all my heart." Cameron said, her smile growing. "I know he doesn't remember me--I just--"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me." Emma interrupted. "I would be doing the same."

"Thank you," Cameron said, as Emma suddenly stops in front of one of the houses. Emma doesn't say anything, but points through the window.

Cameron slowly approached the window, staring through into the living room where two kids sat, a boy and a girl around the same age, nine or eight years old, blonde hair, skinny as can be, playing what appeared to be Uno, and then there was a teenager, around seventeen or eighteen years old, who watched them, smiling to herself.

Cameron however, more imparticulary, watched the boy. Just from the facial feautures she could tell it was her boy--but she just couldn't believe that he was still alive. That after all these years--he's alive, he's safe, and he's healthy. Cameron almost immediately felt her eyes filling with tears, and a lump forming in her throat.

Emma smiled, watching Cameron--there was something so relieving in watching this, and she didn't know what it was...but she loved it.

"Hey," a voice called from behind them, and both Cameon and Emma both instantly turn into that direction. There stood Brenda, who steadily approached the two woman, but her eyes glued on Cameron. "Were you ever gonna stop by and say hi?" she asked, reaching the two, and planting a kiss on Cameron--who couldn't help but smile.

"B-B-Brenda, I'm so sorry, I just--" she stuttered, almost in awe.

"No need to say sorry, Sherry." she whispered, bringing her into a hug. "I left you in the woods that day--that's something I had to live with--something I regretted so much."

"You made the right choice." Cameron said. "Look where it led you. You did everything I wanted and more--Mike's safe, you guys are safe, that's all that matters."

Brenda nodded, releasing her grip on Cameron, before turning her attention to the group inside of the house, who hasn't noticed the three. "I see you saw Mike."

"Yeah," she said, almost inaudible. "He's so--so big and healthy."

Brenda smiled. "Do you wanna talk to him?" she asked, as Cameron looked back in the window at him.

Cameron nodded her head, smiling. She would love to talk to him--hear his voice, watch him play--it's all she's been imagining for years now...but is it right? Is it something that would be beneficial to Mike? Watching him now, she's not sure if that's the case, because he already looks happy, not knowing she exists. Maybe--maybe it's just better if he continues on his life how it is now. There's no reason to change him, to throw something like this at him, when he's already doing so well.

"Sherry?" Brenda asked, still smiling, watching her. "Do you wanna?"

Cameron, not taking her eyes off of Mike, nodded her head. "I'd love to--but, I don't think I should." she said, wiping a tear away from her eye.

Brenda nodded, wrapping Cameron in another hug. "I understand," she whispered, kissing her on the cheek.

Cameron smiled, as Brenda released her again. "I'm so happy to see you." Cameron said, looking from Brenda to Emma. "Both of you."

"You need to stop by another time--" Brenda said. "You need to tell me what happened out there, Sherry. I've spent years thinking about you--hoping in the back of my mind that you were still alive. Please--one day?"

"Yeah," she said. "One day."

"Ms. Hale?" the young Echo soldier, Davie, asked, approaching the three woman. "We're starting to pack up and head back to base."

"Thank you, Davie." Cameron said, offering a smile, as he turned away, and hurried off.

"Well, that's my cue." Cameron said, turning back toward Brenda and Emma, who both smiled at her. "It was nice seeing you two again--I love you both."

"I love you, Sherry." Brenda said.

Cameron looked back toward the window where Mike played--so innocent and young. For the first time in years, Cameron actually feels...good.

Cameron quickly turned away from Brenda and Emma, and started to walk back down the street toward her squad of Echo soldiers. She quickly wiped away a few more tears from her eyes as she reached Johnson, who patiently awaited for her. "Hey," he said, smiling upon seeing her. "Did you finally get some closure?"

"Yes," she whispered.

Johnson smiled, picking Sherry up off the ground, and into his arms. "Good," he said. "I'm proud of you."

Cameron smiled, and in Johnson's arms, looking back at Brenda and Emma, she feels as if the weight of the world is lifted off of her shoulders--like she can finally move on after all those years. She can finally let go.