[b]Lauren - Woods - Katie[/b]

There was really nothing for Lauren or Bull to say. They stayed with the girl as she wailed and cried, offering her a pair of shoulders to cry on. Lauren wanted to cry with her, but she managed to hold it in, Bull didn't need both of them breaking down on him. How could she have let herself get so deep into Tyler's group? When Lauren was at her worst, she had figured there had been no other choice but to fall into such a crowd, but was that really any way to live? That couldn't be it, it just couldn't.

Her heart went out to the other innocent victims back at the hideout. Hopefully most of them got away to safety.

Bull nudged her shoulder and nodded to the other side of the clearing. Lauren got up and followed him, keeping Katie within her sights. "It took her a while to calm down," she said, her voice exhausted and strained.

Bull shook his head. "It's hard losing a parent, especially at that age."

"How do you know that?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.

He shrugged. "Lost my mum when I was little," he said. "Don't remember her too well, but I do remember cryin' a ton. I remember weird little things, like how she smelled and shit."

Lauren put a hand to his shoulder. "I didn't know that." She began absently tugging at his beard. Bull grimaced. That always tickled him.

"It's gonna be like that for her, too." He looked sadly toward Katie. "That is if we can keep the lie up."

"It might not be a lie. We don't know if he-"

"We know." Bull grabbed her hand gently and pulled it away from his beard. "No way he's dead."

Lauren wasn't sure how to respond to that. She sighed. "You need a wash. We all do."

With a deep breath, Bull looked around at their surroundings. "I'll look for a place where we can camp out for the night. We'll figure out what do in the morning... Whatever you decide, Lauren." Bull then walked away into the line of trees. Lauren was thankful he added that last bit; She needed him on her side.

Lauren returned to Katie and sat next to her. She didn't say a word.