"Hey, mcclain," lance looked up hearing his name. 

He sat on the hood of his car as multiple vehicles circled around a fire in the middle of the freeway. It's been a week since he met more civilization, multiple ages but it seemed most of them knew each other before. A group of four college students that knew each other, but in a way one of them seemed to take leadership, as well as two other men that were a professors from said college. Wyatt and Iverson. Everyone went by last names.

"Kids asleep?" Adam Wyatt walked over.

"Yea, thanks for the Benadryl, silvios been getting a lot better since, able to eat again," lance sighed bringing his knees to his chest.

"They your siblings?" Adam asked leaning against the hood where lance sat.

"Niece and nephew," he nodded. They made camp here for the time while everyone was getting on the same page.

"Parents?" The man mumbled knowing it could be sensitive.

"No, their parents died, my brother at the beginning, he was sick too," lance shrugged a little, it's been a long time.

"Are you looking for anyone?" Adam raised a brow. Some others were awake walking around chatting as the night was late.

"No, no one worth looking for, i just need to keep the kids alive," lance sighed a little exhausted. When they found this group, their trucks tire popped and lance was in the middle of changing it when biters surrounded them on the side of the road. Adam and a boy name kinkade saved their asses.

"How old are you guys even? Sorry with traveling all week I feel like we picked y'all up and don't even know you," Adam grinned a little.

"Nadia is 5, Silvio is 9, I'm 20," lance nodded understanding, they're all strangers but they're all they had for now. There had to be some trust.

"Most of the kids around here are same age, 20's too," Adam shrugged as he crossed his arms.

"You were a professor at a college right? Were any of them your students?" Lance motioned ahead.

"Those four, Griffin, Kinkade, Rizavi and Leifsdottir, When everything happened they stayed in their dorms, college was in Oregon, Griffin was from Missouri , kinkade was from Maine , leifdottir is from Texas and Rizavi is from New York, everyone was to far from their family to get on a flight before technology went out," Adam pursed his lips watching the four in their mini van they stayed together in.

"I was going to college out in Michigan and from Wisconsin, and some how were all in Kansas now," lance chuckled softly shaking his head.

"Wanted to travel the U.S., didn't think it would be like this," he smiled at Adam.

"No shit," Adam laughed. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed one to Lance, the student took it and grabbed his own lighter.

"I do appreciate everything you're doing for us, saving my ass and helping my family, I'm sure it wouldn't be like this if I didn't have the little ones," lance inhaled the cigarette looking up.

"You might be right," Adam lit his cigarette as well. "My fiancé would've killed me if he found out I'm smoking again,"

"You quit smoking?" He raised a brow curiously.

"When I became a professor I did, but I've been a little stressed out," Adam laughed a little.

"Yea, guilty pleasures, sad that I can't smoke weed as much now, I'm guessing my dealers dead," lance laughed back.

"You interested?" Adam smirked.

Lance thought about it for a moment, shrugged and nodded.

"When's the next time I'll get to? Why not," he hoped off the truck and inhaled a deep breath of his smoke and enjoyed the moment of what would be considered normal now. Silence.

"Tio?" He heard behind him. Lance threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it as he turned around to his niece.

"Hey babes, I thought you were asleep," Lance knelt down to the five year old as Adam smoked a couple feet away avoiding eye contact.

"I got scared, I had a bad dream," Nadia rubbed her eyes as she walked to him and lance scooped her up and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's okay, everything is okay, just a bad dream, everything is safe out here," lance whispered to her gently as he stood up and rubbed her back gently.

"I'll catch up with you later Adam, thanks," he smiled back at the man as Nadia curled against her uncle not daring to look at the woods behind them.

"Is silvio still sleeping?" He asked opening the passengers door to sit with her in his lap.

"Yea, I think so," she mumbled.

"Are you better now?" Lance grabbed her bunny and set it in her lap as well.

"No, I'm scared of the dark, it's scary outside at night," Nadia covered her face with the bunny.

"Some times, but it's really pretty too, I like that we can see the stars so much easier, the city always blocked them out in a way but they're still here," lance looked up at the sky.

Nadia looked up curiously but her eyes weld up with tears.

"I miss daddy, and mommy," she hiccuped a small cry. Lances heart hurt and held her tighter.

"I know nadi, that's okay to miss them, if you want to cry you can cry, I miss my mama too," lance kissed the top of her head as he rocked a little.

"We had a big family, and now it's just the three of us, we're going to cry a lot missing them, but that's okay," he brushed her hair off her shoulder as she cried quietly into his shirt.

"I'll make sure you and your brother stay safe, I promise you that,"

"Is daddy ever coming back?" Nadia wiped her tears.

"No, I'm sorry but he's not coming back, but it's not your fault, not yours or your brothers, a lot of people aren't coming back I'm sorry," lance closed his eyes.

"I'm glad your here tio Lance, don't leave us," she gripped his shirt tighter.

"Never," he smiled gently resting his chin on the top of her head and let her fall back asleep in his arms.