Colton's eyes widen and I can't tell if that's a good thing or not. All of a sudden I want nothing more than to shove the words back into my mouth. "You love me?" he breathes and I nod. "Say it again," he rests his forehead against mine and I know that he needs to hear me say it again.

"I love you," I whisper and repeat it again. A smile so sincere and heartfelt tugs at his lips and I can't help my own smile fighting its way onto my face.

"I love you Rose," he says and I close my eyes, marvelling in the sound of my name on his lips.

Through all of the chaos and destruction happening around us, here we are - declaring our love for each other.

"We need to get out of here," I say and pull away. I can't bare to look at the gashes across his torso, the blood left in their wake. I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of what he had to go through. I know first hand the sickening things they are capable of.

"There's a back entrance down the hall that they used to get me in here, unnoticed, the guards there have probably fled so we can go that way," he explains and I lift his arm over my shoulders so he can lean against me if need be.

We make our way towards the cell door but Colton winces and I immediately stop. "We can go slower," I offer but he shakes his head.

"It's fine... we need to go quickly otherwise we're not getting out of here," he grits his teeth and I know the pain is eating away at him but he's trying to be strong. I wish I could take away his pain and bare it as my own, just to help him.

"Getting out of here doesn't mean anything if you're not with me... alive," the mere thought of Colton not leaving here alive makes my chest constrict, the walls to move in around me and the roof to cave. I can't even entertain the thought without it feeling like my very heart has been ripped from my chest.

"Don't think like that," he says with a softness he has only ever used in dire times. Colton is right - I shouldn't be thinking like this.

We are going to leave here, both of us.

***

We continue on and I make sure that the coast is clear before we turn right and walk further down the dark corridor. I hand Colton the gun that I had taken from one of the guards and he looks at me with his brows furrowed. "You picked it up?" he questions and I nod, unable to form words. I can't talk about it, not right now.

I unsheathe my bloodied dagger and that elicits a grin on his face, a grin that is more evil than good. "It wasn't exactly a walk in the park getting to you," I whisper and look behind us. I need to be on full alert, ready to attack at any possible moment.

Colton winces a little but still continues leaning against me as we walk. "I can see that," he says, eyeing the blade covered in a disturbing amount of crimson. I had so willingly killed that guard, all for him. "Left," he manages to say before groaning.

"How much-" I stop dead in my tracks as we are met face to face with several guards. Colton quickly places the gun behind him, concealing it from the guards.

"What's going on here then?" one questions and I don't see the others from earlier.

"New recruit... I was sent to fetch the boy, Hugo informed me of the raid and thought it would be best for me to go whilst he helped the others," I explain, using the name I had heard earlier. I see Colton's finger hover over the trigger of the gun in the corner of my vision.

"Hugo, eh?" he questions and I nod. "Well... you need any help?" he seems to believe my lie quite easily... too easily.

"No thank you," I smile and he nods his head a little but no one makes a point to move. I'm still stood with Colton's arm around me, the guards are still stood blocking the exit.

"Both hands where I can see them," another guard says and Colton discreetly tucks the gun back into my waistband before putting both hands in the air, wincing slightly. They start slowly walking towards him and I move closer to Colton out of instinct.

"I think we'll take him from here," the man smiles grimly and I shake my head. Stay calm. Breathe. I'm not letting them take him, there's no way in hell.

"I can't let you do that," I say authoritatively. "I have been given strict orders and you are only implicating the matter, so please step out of the way," my voice sounds nothing like my own. It's too stern, too... confident.

"Watch your mouth, kid," he emphasises the word and I want nothing more than to plunge my knife into his gut. I scold myself for thinking that way but I can't help it when all of the people in here are out to kill Colton.

"We don't take orders from children... so move your ass out of the way," the other guard spits and makes his way towards us. I move in front of Colton and the guard glares at me.

"I. Said. No," as soon as the words leave my mouth something in him snaps. He wraps his hand around my neck but before he can even get a word out I feel the gun being removed from my waistband and see Colton point it at the guard.

"Get your hands off of her," Colton says so calmly a shiver runs down my spine.

The guards hand only tightens.

"Or what... aren't you glad the thing has stopped talking?" the guard questions and I smile at him. I lift the knife to his neck and his grip falters.

"I suggest you let go," I can hear the smirk in Colton's voice as he brings the gun to the side of the guards head. His eyes widen in panic and the rest of the guards stand frozen to the spot. I see them exchanging looks as if questioning whether they should flee or involve themselves in the situation.

"I'd say that sounds like a good idea," I say sweetly and begin moving the blade across his throat. The guard quickly removes his hold and raises both of his hands. I can't help the smug grin that takes over my face.

"Now move out of the way," Colton says and the guard does as he is told, as do the rest of them. Cowards, I want to say but decide against it. Not so big and mighty when faced are they?

"Let's go," I say, quiet enough so only Colton can hear me. He places his hand on the small of my back as we walk past the guards. All of them looking at us with disgust.

I see the exit Colton was talking about at the end of the corridor and we make a point to speed up as we get closer, Colton wincing as we move along.

The guards we had encountered are no doubt already tattling on us so we need to be quick. We have come close to getting caught too many times and I fear that if we do again, we won't get away quite so easily, if at all.

"I hate to tell you this but... as soon as we leave this door we need to run," people are no doubt already on high alert and now we are even more of a target.

"It's fine," he says and I look into those green eyes, it's not fine and he knows it.

"Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?" I let myself glance at the gashes marked across his body and I lift my hand to them, gently tracing the outline of one that doesn't cut so deep but still making sure that I don't touch it.

He places his hand over mine and gently brushes his thumb over the top of my hand.

"Stay alive," he whispers and the words ring through my head.

I had said those words the last time we were in battle against the rebels. I had told him to stay alive before they rebels had taken me.

I smile lightly at him and he squeezes my hand. "Stay alive," I repeat the words and he smiles.

***

"You ready?" Colton says, his hand gripped firmly on the handle of the door.

"I think I should be the one asking that," I say nervously but he shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips. I love him. This man.

His eyes meet mine again and he steps closer to me. His eyes flicker to my lips and I am the one to initiate it this time. I place a gentle kiss to his lips and I hear him physically sigh in relief. The world drowns out for the small amount of time that his lips are on mine. Just him and I.

I pull away and rest my head against his bare chest. "Let's go," he says and I nod. I savour the feeling of his touch and his skin on mine before pulling away and going out of the door.

We make sure it's clear before setting off in a sprint into the night. I focus on my breathing and am wary about my footing. One twig could be the end of me. I've done this run before, I have escaped before. Yes, they were very different circumstances but I still got out and I can do it again.

My limbs feel like they are on fire and I take a quick glance back at the rebel's base through the darkness. It's then that I am aware of the gun shots that I had grown so accustomed to. Several parts of the building are now nothing but piles of rubble. Our plan seems to have worked better than we guessed it would.

"Don't look back!" Colton shouts from beside me. Pain is etched into his features and I hate seeing him this way, in any kind of pain.

The gun is still in his hand, ready to fire if need be. I see an opening in the trees, a place we could possibly stop. "We can... stop there!" I shout and point towards the opening. I can't breathe. I make a mental note to make sure that I get on top of my training, if we manage to get back to the facility without me collapsing.

"We can't stop!" Colton says but I don't think I can continue if we don't stop. At least this has brought light to how incredibly unfit I am and how desperately this needs to change. Especially when we will most likely be in another situation like this in the near future.

Colton grabs onto my arm with his free hand and tugs me to the side just as a gun shot fires and hits the ground to the left of me. Crap, crap, crap. We really can't stop. I force myself to stop thinking about the fire in my legs and the burning in my chest.

Keep going, I chant in my head and push my legs to go faster. I can't fathom how Colton must be feeling, that thought alone makes me glance over at him.

Who would have thought this is where I would be one month ago.

Another shot fires but I don't move away in time. It skims my upper arm and I have to suppress a scream. "You're okay," Colton says and tugs on my arm, toward the opening in the trees. We need to get out of their line of fire. We're too out in the open.

Blood flows down my arm and the pain is insurmountable. I'm okay. It's fine. We reach the opening and practically fling ourselves onto the floor, behind a fallen tree. We are both gasping for air as we lay on the muddy ground.

Colton moves toward me and grabs my arm so he can look at it. "Crap," he breathes and I look at it for the first time. I thought that the bullet had only skimmed me but it's set deep in my flesh.

"It's... fine," I say, still trying to catch my breath. I don't need him worrying about me right now, I'll be okay.

"It's not fine, you just got shot love," he says and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes.

He tears my shirt just above it and uses it to stop the freely flowing blood. I grit my teeth as he ties it around my arm, just above the wound. "We need to take the bullet out," I say but he frantically shakes his head.

"No," he says and brings his hand to my cheek. "It will get infected," it hurts too much to leave it in though.

This is not how I had planned for this to go.