When the Deputy woke up, her side ached. She just assumed she irritated it in her sleep and ignored it. Jacob was already awake, of course, and had gotten out two cans of soup, one of which was warming up in the fire. She really didn't want to accept it since it was from Jacob and she was trying not to be so comfortable around him, but she did need all the energy and protein she could get for the hike back down.

     She saw Jacob standing by the kitchen cabinets, pencilling on what looked like a map. He glanced over at the now-awake Deputy and folded the map up, shoving it in his pack. There was silence in the cabin for a while before the Deputy broke the ice.

     "I'm going down the mountain today." She said, not looking at Jacob as she shuffled to get out of the bed.

     "I knew you would want to." Jacob said and the Deputy rolled her eyes, not while facing him of course.

     When the Deputy stood up her side suddenly screamed in pain, causing her to groan and grip her side. Jacob quickly looked over saw the Deputy leaning on the couch arm while she grabbed her side where her stick wound was.

     "Are you ok?" He asked and the Deputy set her jaw and straightened up, ignoring the screaming pain in her side.

     "I'm fine." She gritted out and felt as the pain slowly turned to a smaller throbbing ache. She moved around stiffly but tried to disguise her pain as best she could out of fear that Jacob would make her stay longer if she was in pain.

     There was no doubt about it, that stick wound was now very infected. All the Deputy has to do was make it to the Wolf's Den and hope they have a doctor there that could help her. In her head she was making a game plan. She figured it would fly out the window pretty quick, still it was nice to have a plan.

     "I don't think we should tell anyone that we were here together." The Deputy said, thinking the same as Jacob for once.

     Jacob looked over at her, a hint of surprise evident on his face. "I agree." He said and walked over to the fireplace to stoke the fire. "If my men knew I was up here with you and didn't bring you back they'd be very upset."

     "I can only imagine." The Deputy replied shortly. She could see Sharky's face now if she told him, and Nick's, and Adelaide's, and probably everyone she's ever known. All plastered with the same shocked and confused expression.

     "So it's settled, neither of us speak a word of this to anyone." Jacob made eye contact with her, clearly looking for an answer.

      "That means we can't use any information we've learned here, that would instantly give us away." The Deputy's dark brown eyes bored into Jacob's blue ones, making it obvious what she meant. Jacob nodded and stared right back. They had a mini staring contest, trying to see who would look away first. Eventually the Deputy huffed and looked away, going back to packing away her broken radio and a medikit into her own pack.

     Jacob got the can of soup out of the fire and handed it to the Deputy with a spoon. She looked at him hesitantly before accepting the soup.

     "You know Dep, I'm sorry you had a panic attack." Jacob said and the Deputy didn't look at him. She was honestly waiting for a but, one that never came.

     "...it's fine, we were getting a little to comfortable for enemies anyway." The Deputy looked at Jacob, locking eyes with him again.

     It did shock her to get apologized to but she had put up her walls again and it would take more than a can of soup to knock those down. She could tell that Jacob was trying to figure out how she ticked, she could feel his eyes trying to dig into her own and exploit her core. It almost brought a grin to her face but she was still acting cold and distant so she didn't allow her face a grin.

     The Deputy that Jacob was more familiar with was back. That infuriating Deputy that showed no fear and cursed him out was standing in his cabin, no longer controlled by that scarred, insecure girl Jacob had been seeing for the past three days. Jacob was still trying to figure out how the Deputy thought. He could tell that her anger was defensive but it was hard for him to pinpoint where it came from. It was as if him locking her in that cabin set off a switch inside her that made her change her entire personality.

     Jacob was almost shaken by how alike they honestly were. They both had these hidden sides that nobody ever saw and it was frightening how fast they could hide it.

     They finished their soup and Jacob folded up the remade bed back into a couch. It didn't take them more than 20 minutes to finish putting their things in their respective packs and put out the fire. Jacob grumbled out something about how he didn't have a lock for his door anymore but the Deputy didn't engage with him.

     They put on their snow clothes quietly. When she leaned over to tighten her snow boots her side screamed in pain again. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that it would somehow help with the pain, and bit her tongue. This is going to be a fun walk down. The Deputy thought to herself and tightened her boots.

     The Deputy pulled on her hat, looking back in the cabin one final time to check and make sure she didn't leave anything behind. Satisfied she turned and opened the door, marching herself out. Jacob followed behind her and shut the door, making sure that it was closed tightly. They were quiet as they walked through the cold snow.

     The snow was no longer stuck in the tree branches, the winds had knocked most of it out. The clouds were sparse, giving them a clear view of the valley below them. As they walked the sun peaked up from behind the mountain, the first rays on sunlight tickled the very tops of the mountains around them. Warm pink light illuminated the snow, causing everything to have a rosy hue as the sun climbed higher in the sky.

     It was a beautiful sunrise. And the higher the sun got the warmer it felt. The incredible morning pinks and oranges painted every wispy cloud in the sky, it took the Deputy's breath away. Eventually the sun rays reached Jacob and the Deputy, causing them to squint as they trudged through the bright snow.

     They went down those two hills on either side of the river, down through the thick forest, avoiding the spot where the wolves attacked them last time. Eventually they reached a large shear cliff that the Deputy remembered from when she first hiked up the mountain. Her and Jacob both turned to go down opposite sides of the cliff then paused to look at each other.

     "I'm going this way." The Deputy pointed down the mountain further to where she remembered her truck was parked at least an hours hike from where she stood.

     Jacob nodded. "I'm going this way." He said and pointed in the opposite direction, a solid 100 degree turn from the Deputy's direction.

     "Ok then...thanks for the help." The Deputy said, being careful not to sound to thankful.

     Jacob nodded and hefted his pack on his shoulders. "You're welcome." He said simply and they both turned to go in their respective directions.

     The Deputy crawled down the small path that animals had made next to the cliff and when she reached flat ground saw Jacob already ducking off into the trees. That was that...now she just had to make it to her damn truck and hope it starts.

     Her side was still painful but she pushed through, thinking of the good food she was going to eat when she loitered at Nick and Kim's house. It was a pretty good motivator, food was. It kept her going through the snow and the frigid cold. The sun hadn't made its way through the trees so the forest was much colder to walk through than the clear area by the cabin. Her nose tingled familiarly from the cold but her hat and gloves were doing pretty good at keeping the cold out. This time she was going to avoid rivers like they were the damn plague.

     The further down the mountain the Deputy went, the worse of a headache she was getting. Her palms and forehead got sweaty but the rest of her body was chilly and would shiver whenever she inhaled too much cold air. She felt like a broken record when she realized how tired she was, it was like she was getting sick. While she trudged through the snow she tried to remember what happens when you get an infected wound, one indicator was obviously pain, but was a fever a part of the package?

     She felt like someone was watching her, but she always felt like that in these mountains. It was probably because of how many cameras were strung up everywhere.

     The truth was someone was watching her, it was Jacob. But this time the watching wasn't done by camera, it was done by him following her. Yes he had ducked into that forest after the cliff to trick her into thinking that he'd left. After he tricked her, Jacob circled back and followed her trail, making sure to keep far enough away so that she wouldn't be able to see him if she turned around but so that he could still see her through his binoculars.

     He knew that her wound was infected and he knew that an infection would be hard on her system when she was like this so he just decided to keep tabs on her, make sure she got back to her truck ok. Besides, if she passed out in the snow and he just so happened be hiking back down the mountain when he randomly spotted her he could take her back to the Veteran's Center with no questions from his men.

      That wasn't his first plan, but it would be a way for him to keep his eye on her and have a doctor look her over.

     After about 30 minutes of hiking and waiting, Jacob watched as the Deputy stopped. She hadn't stopped since she got into the forest so Jacob was wondering what was happening. He quickly made sure she couldn't see him and peered through his binoculars, hoping to see whatever was going on down there.

     The Deputy paused and had to adjust her pack on her shoulders. She pulled her gun off first, accidentally bumping the stock into her side where her wound was. Instantly she cried out in pain, doubling over and pressing her arm into her side. She cursed to herself and tried to pull herself together. She had dropped her gun in the snow and did the same with her pack. She took off her gloves so that she could adjust something in her pack before she put it back on again.
    
     This time she was careful while putting her gun back on her shoulder, not wanting to irritate her side even more. Jacob watched silently as she adjusted her hat on her head and rolled her shoulders, getting herself ready to keep walking.

     She started walking again, this time she was going a little quicker. Maybe her wound getting hit had stirred up a sense of urgency she just couldn't ignore. Whatever the reason was, Jacob was glad that he could go a little faster while following her.

     The hike felt short, but the Deputy was very glad that it ended. She got out of the trees and saw her truck sitting there on a little side road, still exactly where she'd left it. Jacob hung back, staying at least 100 feet away so he could look through the binoculars and see what she was doing.

     When she got to her truck she threw her stuff in the passenger seat, wasting no time trying to start it. It didn't start right away but once she gave it some time to warm up then it fired right up. She turned the heater on and took her gloves off. She just grabbed the steering wheel and rested her forehead against it. She had gotten down the mountain, and she didn't need Jacob's help and she didn't die.

     It was a major relief but she still needed to get to the Wolf's Den so she gave the truck a small pat on the dashboard and put it in gear.

     Jacob watched as she got the truck started and let it heat up. When she pulled away he stood up from his hiding spot and watched as she drove down the road. Now that's she was well on her way to the Wolf's Den, Jacob could walk back to where he had parked. He wished he could have brought her to the Veteran's Center but it is what it is. He considered following her to the Wolf's Den but he knew he'd never be able to make it there on foot.

     It didn't take him long to get back to his truck, especially not with his snowshoes on. Funnily enough, Jacob and the Deputy has both parked on pretty much the same part of the mountain, Jacob was just closer to the highway.

    
     The Deputy's victory was short lived. She was just a few minutes drive away from the Wolf's Den when her truck sputtered and died.

     "No no no no no!" The Deputy exclaimed and rolled over to the side of the back road. Great. It was probably the battery, she'd been meaning to get it charged but it was still pretty good. The cold air must've zapped it.

     Now she'd have to get out and walk back to the Wolf's Den. It was annoying but there wasn't really anything she could do about it now. She grabbed her pack and gun and slid out of the truck. She put back on her hat and gloves and got her bearings. She knew where the Wolf's Den was and that helped her set her course.

     She walked down away from the road and crossed over the highway. When she got across the highway she went over the side rail and dropped down that hill. She knew that the Wolf's Den was unsuspecting and she had to be careful not to miss it so she kept her eyes peeled. The more she walked in the cold the more she realized she didn't like being cold. It seeped in through her clothes, through her skin, all the way to her bones. It made her fingers get stiff and her nose and cheeks wind-chapped.

     She just didn't like the cold. But now that she lived in Montana it was a more normal thing, she just couldn't wait until it was spring and summer so she could warm up again. With a shiver she looked over a small cliff edge and saw a helicopter landing pad. Thank God, it was the Wolf's Den's. She was just a few feet away from warmth and Eli and Wheaty, even Tammy would be a welcome sight to the Deputy.

     The Deputy found a way down to the helicopter pad  and shuffled her pack on her shoulders. She walked around the helicopter until she saw it, the front door to the bunker. The Deputy could have wept with joy if she wasn't so tired.

     She quickly shuffled over to the door and knocked on it, doing the Whitetail Militia's knock so that someone actually let her in.

     She waited for a minute until she heard the sweet sound of the creaking metal door opening. She steps out of the way of the door, letting it swing all the way open.

     "Deputy!" A familiar voice cried out and wrapped his arms around her. It was Wheaty.

     The Deputy wrapped her arms around him, incredibly thankful that she was hugging him. Wheaty pulled away from the hug and beckoned her inside. "Come on in, you'll freeze out here." He said and she had to chuckle.

     She gladly stepped inside the warm bunker, going down the metal steps into the heart of the bunker. Wheaty closed the door behind them and turned around. As Wheaty turned around, the Deputy missed a step and crumbled down the stairs. Her legs were just too tired they didn't even try to catch her.

      "Dep?" Wheaty called and rushed down the steps to where the Deputy was laying. "Hey I need a medic!" He shouted and grabbed her shoulder, trying to help her up. Eli appeared out of nowhere and rushed to Wheaty's side.

     "What's wrong with her?" He asked and Wheaty shrugged, still holding her shoulder. The Deputy knew she  was weak but she had no idea how fast she had gotten so tired. Her body just wanted to fall asleep now that she was safe.

     "I don't know, she just showed up at the front door then she fell down the stairs. She didn't even say anything." Wheaty explained and Eli nodded.

     They each hooked an arm under the Deputy's shoulders and lifted her to her feet. She got some footing and the guys guided her through the halls of the bunker till they reached a bed where they laid her down. They peeled off her snow clothes and someone came over and felt her head.

     "She's got a fever. Do we know where she's been?" She asked and Eli shook his head.

     "The Dep's been MIA for four days. We don't have any idea what's happened to her." Eli explained, looking over at the Deputy.

     Wheaty pulled her broken radio out of her bag. "Now I know why I couldn't reach her." He said and showed Eli. The medic pulled up her undershirt.

     "She's got an infection," she said, "she'll need antibiotics for this. Wheaty I should have some in my bag go, get it." She motioned for Wheaty to go and he went. The Deputy groaned and winced when the medic touched her wound.

     "Where have you been, Deputy?" Eli asked her.

     The Deputy couldn't really piece more than a few words together. "Camped out, on the mountain." She struggled to say and Eli nodded, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

     "Well you're here now, so you can rest." He said and the Deputy nodded. It was such a relief to her body that she was laying on a bed in the Wolf's Den, even if she was exhausted.