[b]Tyler - Outside Haywood[/b] "You've made the right decision," he said. This man was a fool, but not foolish enough for that, it seemed. "We won't meet again." Tyler then backed up, his weapon still trained on his aggressor. Neither of them trusted each other to break away first. Tyler only felt he and Katie were safe once he had rounded the corner. He then pulled his little girl into his arms and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He could finally get her away. They were free. *** He'd broken into a small single story home in order to get some rest. He placed Katie on the living room couch while he did a sweep of the building. When he felt that they were secured, he returned to his little girl's side and kneeled down in front of her. He placed his hands on her knees and gave her a weary smile. "We did it, Katie. We made it. Me and you." His breathing was ragged from running and his eyes still red from the tears. He pulled Katie into a loving embrace. "I'm so sorry. A lot of people had to get hurt so I could make it to you. That's-- It's not right. What I've been doing isn't right. He was a bad man, but I miss Brad. I miss Bex and Enrique and-and Lauren. She was good to you, but she..." He sobbed loudly. Where had everything gone? "But you're safe now. With me. That's all that matters." --- [b]Shannon - Haywood[/b] They'd watched the scene unfold outside in silence. There was plenty going on to occupy their attention, but the silence between them felt awkward somehow. She realised that even if things were going more normally, she still wouldn't have had anything to say. She'd thought he had been dead for months-- Months that felt like years, strangely longer than her life from before. Eventually, she asked Danny if he wanted to go outside and help, but he had declined. It was only after things had calmed down that he began to move. "I-I need to go talk to them," he said. He reached out, his fingers lightly touching at her arm. "Put some bandages on, okay?" He started to head downstairs, but she wasn't letting him go that easily. She grabbed a small roll out of the stash in the bathroom and hurriedly followed him out the door. She found him with hands up, trying to get the attention of the scouts. "Wait, everyone! We can't just fucking... Luke! We need to disarm the explosives!" The one apparently named Luke straightened up and nodded. "Right, I wasn't sure when to bring it up, because..." "Well, that's how it is, everybody. Thomas planned on blowing up your walls. Er, Tyler. Fuck! Whatever." He turned to Shannon and frowned. "We'll deal with this, alright? It's our damn mess." She watched as he and a few of the scouts began preparations for dealing with the explosives. She absentmindedly wrapped a bandage around her wound, trying to ignore the buzz of people around her. She let out a shaky breath and sat down on the front steps. They were going to have to bury Lauren now, and probably even more people as well. She just had to figure out what happened to her friends... "Shannon!" someone yelled. The voice came from the courtyard beyond the line of vehicles. She got up and dusted herself off, hoping that it was Daniel with Emma by his side. She jogged down to the crowd of people to find James and the other people of Haywood huddled around a sobbing girl. As Shannon stepped closer, she found a sight she had never wanted to see. Daniel was dead. If the grim looks of everyone around her didn't make that clear, his lifeless body cemented that fact. She never thought this moment would come. Never even [i]considered[/i] it. Daniel had been the strongest of them, far stronger than she had ever been. Why did it always appear to be the strong ones? Why Lexi, why Daniel? And Poly and Dr. Johnson and... "I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking into a sob. She felt James wrap his arms around her and she truly began to cry. "I tried so hard." If only they had left earlier, if [i]only[/i].