Dean

Carol doesn't seem to shut up. Once we're all getting along again, she's right back to being Miss Chatty. Ella was never like this. She would at least give some peace and not talk your ear off. Of course, though, she would also give those childish silent treatment, which were annoying. Ella has been extremely annoying, but I can't keep blaming her for how I treated her, I need to bear my own wrongs instead of pushing them on other people.

"The sunset is so pretty," Carol pants, and we all have to agree. Tonight is probably the prettiest sunset that we have seen this whole journey. Colors of red, orange, pink, blue, purple swirl across the sky. This planet does have it's beauty.

But directly after we admire the sunset, we walk over a small hill in the road, finding something that turns my blood cold on the other side. Craters. Craters dotting the desert in every direction I look. "What the--what is going on?" Ella remarks, and I can't help but swallow as I look across the sand and dirt. What is going on with you, Earth?

"It looks like the moon," Carol whispers, and for the second time, we have to agree. The craters are about the length of a person, probably only six fee across, but as they dot the land it makes them look larger. They're not very deep either, but it still crosses my mind as I wonder where they came from, and how we didn't feel them hit.

"What is going on with the galaxies? Space debris this small shouldn't even be able to make it through the ozone layer," Ella mutters, and as I look over at her, I can see the color has been drained from her face. "We're not safe anywhere." She sounds exhausted and sad, but her face only looks empty. I don't know if she's hanging on by a thread, or she's just not in that place where it's really hitting her hard yet. I hope it's the second, if she's only hanging on by a thread, them I'm already over the cliff.

"That doesn't matter anymore," I say as I look over at her. "Many things have been happening lately with the planet that normally wouldn't happen. When do asteroids ever hit the Earth? When do aliens make another planet their home?" I can't help but smile slightly, and she sort of returns the gestures.

"An asteroid hit the Earth a long time ago, though, and they always say history repeats itself," she points out, making somewhat of a good point.

"But like you already said," Carol speaks up, "they shouldn't have been able to make it thought the ozone layer, something definitely is not right."

"There could have been too many," I state. "Too much debris that the atmosphere couldn't hold back if it continued to hit one after the other. Or--" I say with a bit enthusiasm, maybe finally understanding this whole situation. "These little meteoroids came through the layer when the asteroid hit. It broke the surface of the atmosphere, they could have fallen behind before it closed again."

"I never even thought of that," Ella comments, and I can tell that's her way of being impressed. I'll take it, besides what happened earlier we haven't argued, and I'm glad.

"That makes sense, because normally anything of this size would combust." I don't know where Carol's sudden act of normalcy is coming from, but I hope it sticks around. I don't know how many more boyfriend stories I can handle. I just want to already tell her that I'm not interested. I can tell that Ella isn't too fond of the stories either, and I sort of want to laugh. Aren't all girls interested in hearing stories about hot guys? But then I have to remember that Ella isn't like all girls, she's different, but a good different. She's like me, as I've pointed out so many times, only now it doesn't taste like acid when I admit it.

"I only hope that there isn't any more. I'm so tired of my planet getting beat up. A meteor this small could kill someone if it fell on them, I can't handle anymore death," she dryly laughs. "God knows it, too."

"There are more survivors then we once thought," I assure her. "Way more. I once wondered if we were the last ones, but we aren't, Ell, I don't know how I'm so sure, but I just am. After finding Carol, I just have that instinct inside, and I know there's more. There may not be tons more, but there's more."

"You can't always rely on instinct," she whispers, her face full of thought, and I wonder what she's thinking.

"No, but it makes it feel right when you do." She looks up at me, her expression still sad, but her voice sounding alive and okay.

"Dean, I think there may just be a bit of human in you." Carol scoffs at Ella's words, but I don't. I once told her a deep secret of mine, that I used to want to be human, and she's never thrown it in my face. I throw everything in hers, and she still doesn't throw anything in mine. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she's thinking about the conversation we had about me wanting to become her species, and I can't help but sigh.

"Maybe there is," I whisper. "I think there may be a bit of Norovian in you as well. And I mean it." Carol doesn't scoff at my words, only stares at the two of us as Ella and I stand side by side, keeping eye contact the whole time.

"I'm pretty lucky then," she mutters.

"As am I." I almost don't want to look away. Staring into Ella's eyes, is like staring into a chasm that's filled with all the faith and hope to come by. She's so strong, she has so much faith, she's more Norovian then human in so many ways.

"Guys, the sun is almost set and I'm really tired," Carol speaks up, and Ella and I break eye contact.

"Me too," Ella replies, before taking the lead and walking down the road, maneuvering her way around a few craters that made their way onto the pavement.

"Nothing is going to be the same again," Carol whispers next to me, and I can't help but tense up. I lost North, I don't want to lose Earth. It's a good planet, despite its faults and the selfish creatures that inhabit its soil. I won't lose Earth, I refuse to lose anything else I might possibly care about.

"Yes, it will. Time heals things," I reply.

"Not all things, Dean," she sighs, and it takes my mind back to the things I've said with Ella. Will time heal? I enjoy her company when we aren't shouting and yelling and she's not punching my face. I don't know, I can only guess.

"Most things," Ella replies, before a peaceful quiet falls on us once again.

The sun has left nothing but a grey sky behind as we continue to walk. My legs and muscles hurt, and I can honestly say that I have not missed traveling. It was nice in the town just looking for supplies and resting. That break was well needed, despite the stench that was inhabiting there.

"This is good," I sigh, just ready to sleep. The night air isn't as cold tonight, and I'm glad. Maybe Carol will sleep by herself, for no matter how much she did warm me up, I still don't want her that close to me. I think she gets the wrong ideas. All I want is to survive, I don't know how she can't see that. "I don't want to walk anymore tonight."

"Thank God!" Carol dramatically mutters, before quickly sitting down on the cool pavement. Ella is next to sit, and I follow behind, leaving all three of us sitting in a widened circle.

I pull the pack off my shoulder, and set it up as my pillow, before laying down and looking up at the stars that are dotting the night sky.

I remember being up there, seeing Orion's Belt up close, admiring the Little Dipper as we flew past. My father was a genius, I wish he didn't waste his time here just helping make cars, his talent was beyond that. He should have worked with airplanes and rockets and all those other equipments. He was a smart man, I only hope that I became half as smart as he was. The stars remind me of him, not only because of how I'd admire them while we were journeying here, but because he would admire them too. He would point out which star is which, calling them entirely different things than what the humans called them. Names that his father told him that were passed down through generations of star gazing. I wish I could get those moments back.

I begin to count the stars, already on 201 when Carol nudges my arm. "Hmm?" I grunt, having enough for the night.

"I'm cold," she begins and I want to tell her she should have brought a coat, but I don't. "Can I sleep next to you?" I'm not cold, but I know I will be later.

Before I answer, I glance over at Ella, wondering if she's cold. The darkness makes it difficult to see her, but her silhouette is visible. She's fast asleep, and I breathe out a frustrated sigh.

"Sure," I whisper, and Carol wastes no time snuggling up to me. I hate this so much, but I have to do what I have to do. No matter how much it disgusts me.

Since I glanced over at Ella, I lost my place counting the stars. I don't really want to start over, so I decide to just go to sleep, and hope we find something more tomorrow, than just craters and more outstretched road.