[b]Bex - The Pub - Hazel/Luke/Jerry[/b]

Luke took the silver key the girl offered. He examined it intently, rubbing at the worn key with his fingers. "Excuse me for a moment," he said. Luke then turned away and pulled out his radio. Bex moved to sit next to Jerry, who had already helped himself to a seat. "Hey, Reggie? Yeah, we need to talk about this hotel we found..."

"I'm not so sure about Haywood," Bex said, looking toward the girl. "I've heard there's not much to it. Not even worth mentioning." [i]Really[/i] not worth mentioning. Bex laced his fingers together and stared. He had thought the girl to be older when he first saw her, but he saw now that she was really just a teenager. Maybe not even that much older than that girl Emma. A sudden pang of empathy rose in Bex and he was forced to look down at the table.

"I have a request," Luke said, having finished with his conversation with Reggie. He sat down next to Bex, smiling. "Would it be all right if our group stays here for the night? It's a hotel after all. You'd be doing us a big favor."

---

[b]Shannon - Haywood/Daniel's House - Emma & Katie[/b]

Shannon listened intently. She was glad that Emma was talking. "You can still be a writer," Shannon said. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "And people can still read your stories. I bet you have a lot to tell. You can even start a journal again. It might be a big help for you, amidst all of... this."

Then, as Emma started to tear up, the little girl arrived. Shannon watched her move toward Emma automatically and almost cling to her. They were both so young, it was no wonder they'd already bonded. "It's getting late out," Shannon said to the girl, Katie. "It's probably best you stay with Emma for now." Her mind drifted toward those raiders she had arrived with. That man who... Shannon didn't want this little girl anywhere near them.

"How about we do something together? Right now..." Shannon's head spun around the room, looking for something to write on. "Let's make up a story. Maybe a scary one, I don't know."