Episode Six, Part 1: 
N e v e r   L o s e   Y o u // 
L o v e   I s   N o t   E n o u g h

What the hell is wrong with me? I just sat there and watched you leave. 
And I am not this ice queen; you think I don't feel a thing. 

"So we're all clear on the plan," Sol confirmed, "Noah will return to Riders so Rogue won't suspect him working with us. Some of us will follow and he'll get us to the Labs. From there, I can't promise what we'll find, but I promise to not give up until they're back home." 

Everyone was quiet, nodding in understanding as they processed in their minds what was going to happen: what they had signed up for. The fear that any one of them could lose their lives, or lose someone they loved was aching deep in their chests; still, there was no hesitation. No doubt that it was the right thing to do. 

"Alright. Everyone disperse. Dreea and I will find you in a few minutes after we've decided who's going." 

As everyone began to pick up and move, Sol called out for two people to wait behind. 

"Wynn? Bas? Can you two wait a moment?" 

The two boys shared a look with each other, knowing what it was concerning, as if to say 'I'll stay if you stay.' There was hesitation, but Bas groaned, deciding he should at least hear Lyra out, and rolled towards her slowly. 

She waited for everyone else to leave before she spoke. Now, it was just her, Bas, Wynn and Sol. Nothing awkward about that. 

"Well?" Bas threw his hands up, waiting for her to say something. 

Lyra sighed heavily, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. "I'm sorry. For everything I've done." 

"Who are you to come back?" Bas blatantly ignored her apology, as if it didn't mean anything to him, just wanting answers from her. "How could you do this, Lyra?" 

"I said I was sorry-"

"That's not what I'm talking about." He growled, anger spewing across the room. "How could you do that to Harlow? To Wynn? To me?" He choked out the last words, sorrow slowly drizzling down from his eyes as he demanded an explanation. 

"You know, he still doesn't understand why you're not around. I've been trying to tell him that you weren't coming back... And I think he was just beginning to accept it this time. Now you're back, but for how long? What am I going to tell him when you leave, and it starts all over again? I know he's a kid, Lyra, but he still feels grief." 

"I know that." 

"It's hard enough that mum and Hayzel aren't around, but you... You always come back, but you never stay." 

"I didn't know he would see me. I didn't realize everyone would be here, I thought it might've been just the two of you."

"So that's any better?" Bas asked, his arms folded as leaned against the desk. "We should be used to you leaving us by now?" 

Wynn couldn't help but look up at Sol - her eyes already on him, observing his response to what was being said. He lowered his head after a moment, biting hard on his lower lip to control the tremble, knowing she couldn't do anything this time to ease his pain. 

"I'm saying I wouldn't have let that happen if I knew." She pleaded with him, desperate for him to believe her. She couldn't bring herself to lie to him ever again. "Before I go, I'll talk to Harlow. I'll... I'll tell him that I have to leave, and I won't be able to come back. I'll mean it this time. I promise I won't come back. I can see how much I'm destroying you both." 

Bas shook his head, unable to get the words out that were pounding in his chest. He was struggling to understand how he could be so angry with her, so betrayed, yet still love her. 

"I don't think it's a good idea that you see him again." He admitted, softening by his own accord. He didn't want it to be true, he didn't want to hurt his sister, but Harlow needed him to look out for him. 

"What? No. No, you have to let me say goodbye. Please, Bas-" 

"Not everyone gets a goodbye." He murmured, wiping the back of his hand harshly under his eyes. "Mum... Hayzel... Lili, Valarie, Junius - everyone who died during the raid." 

"But we do, right?" Lyra whispered. 

Bas looked up at her, fighting his instincts to cave in. The boy that was outside the gates of Basilisk begging for her to come inside, was still there - buried somewhere dark inside his soul, but he couldn't be that person anymore. 

Without a word, Bas stood up regretfully, and made his way to the door, leaving his sister behind. 

Lyra collapsed a little bit, wanting to scream and tear her heart right out of her chest, but as long as Wynn was still there, she still had hope. 

He was yet to say something; silent the entire time Bas had been speaking, digging through his own heart for anything he had left for her. 

"Wynn?" Lyra asked. She was delicate, ready to break any moment. 

"I think you're right." He answered, standing up. 

Lyra smiled a little, not sure what he was referencing to, but relieved that he was agreeing with her. Surely that was progress. 

"I think this should be the last time you come back. You- I can't let you put me through this anymore. It's too much to try and pick myself up again with everything that's going on." He explained. 

"I saw you outside the gates when Bas returned. I know you saw me, too. Why didn't you come inside? You talk about wanting closure, but you didn't give me any. You know how I felt about you... Didn't I deserve a goodbye?" It was torture for him to recall, to get into the mindset he had in the Bunker, to express how much she meant to him. 

Sol exhaled, walking the edges of the room to reach the door, moving as quietly as she could. She understood that this was personal, and didn't want Wynn to feel pressured into saying the wrong things in an attempt to not hurt anybody. She slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. 

Lyra gulped, shame forcing her head down as she nodded lightly. 

"I loved you and you left me. Like I didn't even matter. Like we weren't enough for you to want to be with us. I fought so hard to keep everyone together and you made that impossible. You-" 

"Killed Martha. I know. And I know it would have been Ares if she didn't jump in the way. There's not a day I haven't regretted that, haven't thought about it, haven't wished I could just go back and rewrite the ending. I can't, but I can make sure the same thing doesn't happen to your sister. I know I've let you all down, and it'll never be the same again, but you guys are still my family, too. You are still my family, Wynn. My home." 

Wynn backed away, feeling like his heart was being squeezed inside his chest, draining all the life out of him. 

"I'm sorry." He uttered. "I can't hear anymore. I- I need some space." 

Six // Part One

Didn't I deserve a goodbye?