I warned you updates would be when I have time. Sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter lives up to your standards. I'm quite happy with how this chapter turned out, and I believe it's a little longer than some of the other chapters of this story. So... there's that. Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Americans, and to everyone else, happy Thursday! I hope you guys enjoy, and stay awesome.

-ROC6

I was trying to keep us to small towns, where there'd likely be enough supplies to get by without as high of a chance of encountering other people with an immunity. I wanted to stay in civilization, though, because we needed to have access to food, as we could only carry so much. So naturally, when Tyson saw a forest and went all hyper asking if we could camp there, I objected. That was, until he pulled his baby seal face, the one I made the mistake of teaching him.

I checked our supplies, and made an executive decision that we could last a few days without another raid. The way his face lit up when I relented made the danger more than worth it. Which was how I ended up with a stick poking repeatedly-I winced, it poked me again-in the back. I fidgeted in the Superman sleeping bag I'd stolen from the most recent Walmart we'd raided, rolling over to watch Tyson. We'd decided to sleep in a clearing tonight, and I could see in the dim glow of the night sky that he was still wide awake, enraptured by the night sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He started when I spoke.

Growing up in the city, we'd never really gotten to see the stars. Sure, I'd had the required astronomy unit in middle school, but we'd never been able to see them clearly.

He was quiet a moment, "Can you tell me about them?"

I paused, examining the sky, then I picked out one of my favorites, "Can you see the shape of a spoon?"

He searched where I was pointing, then nodded, and I continued, censoring the story a little, "That's Callisto. She was very beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that the king god himself spent some time with her. Later, Callisto had a son, and the queen god was jealous, and assumed her husband the king god had given it to Callisto, so she turned her into a bear to make her less beautiful."

I paused, even though he was enraptured in the story, and adjusted where I was pointing, "Can you see that little spoon near it?"

He nodded, "Good. That's Arcas, Callisto's son. He was hunting one day, and he saw Callisto. She was so happy to see her son, that she rushed up to him, forgetting she was a bear. Thanks to Hera, the queen god, he'd never met his mother, and shot an arrow at her, not realizing who she was. Zeus, the king god, saw this and stopped the arrow. He then turned Arcas into a bear so he could be with his mother. Then, he placed them in the sky so they'd never have to leave each other."

Tyson was silent for awhile. I thought he'd fallen asleep when he finally asked, "We're not seeing Mom and Mr. Dad again, are we?"

My throat tightened, "No Buddy."

I could just make out the nod of his head, like I'd confirmed his suspicions, "We're not going back."

"I-" I wanted to object, but we both knew that we probably would never go back to the city, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he said softly, "I have you. You won't leave me, right brother? You'll stay with me like Callistro and Arctic, right?"

"Of course, Tyson," I promised, "You'll never have to worry. I'll be by your side."

He smiled, and his eyes drooped shut, like it had taken tremendous effort to remain awake as long as he had. It amazed me how even in the dark, when the world feels like it's ending, there are lights like Tyson to remind me of the good times. It brings a smile to my face.

"'Night, Tyson," I whispered, before sinking into the most peaceful sleep I'd had in awhile.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-

I'd been traveling with Luke and Thalia for a few days, and for as much as they tried to hide it when I was nearby, I could tell there was something deeper than just being best friends going on between them.

I watched as Thalia walked into the K-Mart, then turned to Luke, who was fiddling with the engine, "How long have you known Thalia?"

He continued fiddling with the engine, "Oh, you know… A while…"

After tightening a few thing and slapping some parts, he asked, "Can you turn the key in the ignition?"

I did as instructed, and the Jeep's engine roared to life, "So what exactly is going on between you and Thalia?"

He closes the hood of the Jeep and sighs, "It's complicated."

I sigh, but let it go. I figure that if they want me to know, they'll tell me.

We sit on the curb together and wait for Thalia to finish up. I idly pull out my journal and start sketching, and Luke leans over to look at what I'm drawing.

"Wow," He breathes, "That's really good. You wanted to be an architect?"

"Mmm," I murmur, putting it down as a faint blush creeps up my neck.

He moves a little closer, and starts leafing through my journal, and I notice the way his brow furrows slightly as he pages through it.

"I was studying to be a psychologist," Luke says, putting down the journal, "I was home on a break when the Outbreak hit."

"Oh," I mumbled, then worked up courage and confidence that's a little more in character for me, "Why?"

He scooted away, and I frowned slightly, "It's complicated. My mom- Well, I didn't want anyone to grow up how I did. Still don't, for that matter."

I thought for a moment, figuring if he wanted to say more he would. He didn't.

"My mom was an architect," I said softly, and he looked at me curiously, as it was the first time I'd spoken of my background near him, "I discovered when I was young I had a passion for it, too. Then my mom left us, and I almost gave up on it, but it's my passion, and I couldn't stay away."

I hesitated, fortifying the walls that had started to come down, "My family went through some changes, and I guess I wanted to build something permanent, and maybe a part of me thought my mom would come back, though she can't now. She probably died in the Outbreak."

I stopped, glancing wistfully down at my notebook, then I watched his expression, gauging his reaction. I didn't want his pity. To my surprise, he didn't stay anything, just stared evenly back.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. I didn't usually spill my soul to people like that, and I wasn't sure what caused it, but I was glad he seemed to understand.

We sat in silence for awhile, then he finally said, "Well, I don't know what all went on with your family, but Thalia and I didn't have the best families, either. Together, the three of us, we'll be a better family. I promise."

Thalia exited the K-Mart with a sack slung over her back like some sort of punk Santa Claus, an when she saw how close we were she came stomping down the street in her back military boots scowling as she went, "Luke, Annabeth!"

We scrambled to our feet, and I scooped up my notebook. I hadn't been with her long, but I already knew her well enough to know that I didn't want to be on the receiving end of her temper. Luke ran a hand through his hair.

"We're leaving," she announced, "Annabeth, you're in the back again."

I quickly followed her instructions, and she turned to Luke with a glare, "And you. You've got shotgun."

She slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door, and Luke groaned, and I could barely make out his mumbled comment of, "Not this again."