(make sure you watch the awesome trailer above by the incredible brookieismyname ! She's done all three trailers for this series and she's been such a trooper with my constant bugging, lol. She's an incredible story teller, too, so go check out her profile! enjoy xx

p.s. there will be a double update because it's been so long and this one is short and unedited. thank you for being so patient with me while I was sick <3)

CHAPTER EIGHT

GAVRIEL PULLS AWAY FROM Harry with a wide smile. "It's nice to see you again, Eddie."

Harry flinches at his real name, too many terrible memories that overwhelm the good ones attached to it. "It's, uh, it's Harry now," he tells Gavriel, who raises his eyebrows quizzically but doesn't comment.

Gavriel casts his eyes over to Micah. "Nice to see you again as well, Micah."

Micah gives Gavriel a mocking bow. "I'm flattered, but I can't say the feeling is mutual."

"I'd expect nothing less."

Gavriel is unbothered by Micah's dislike. Hell, Micah hadn't even liked Harry up until a few weeks ago, and sometimes Harry doubts Micah even likes him now. Tolerates him, mostly. He's not sure if they qualify for "friends."

There's suddenly running footsteps towards them, this time from inside the camp. Harry looks over Gavriel's shoulder to see Evelyn, though he knew it was her by her scent alone. It's a pleasant distraction from the stench of blood soaking into the dirt all around their feet.

Evelyn stops short, her eyebrows knitted together when she sees Gavriel. "Hey," she says uncertainly, glancing to Harry. "Is everything all right?"

He can't stop himself from chuckling. "Yeah. Yeah, everything is fine."

"Let me guess," Gavriel says, jabbing his thumb in Evelyn's direction. "Girl the doctor is pissed at because you chose her over him?"

"More or less."

"I'm Gavriel," he says, offering his hand for her to shake.

She hesitantly does so. "Eve."

"And now that the awkward introductions have been made," Micah says, "what now?"

Evelyn puts her hands on her hips. "Well, now we know where Sasha is. Is Wolf's camp close to here?"

Gavriel intervenes. "Um, why exactly would you want to go there? I thought you'd be forced there when you were captured but since you're well and free..."

"A friend," Harry tells him. "We can't let her stay there."

Gavriel doesn't look like he's a fan of the plan. "I'm not sure you want to go in there. Or anywhere close, for starters."

"I'm getting Sasha out one way or another," Evelyn says confidently. "No one is forcing anyone to tag along."

Gavriel quirks a brow to Harry who offers a sly smile and a shrug. Yes, he says mentally, she's always like this. Gavriel seems to understand and he gives a smirk of his own, folding his arms across his chest in amusement.

Of course, Evelyn thinks they're mocking her. "Is something funny?" she snaps, shooting Gavriel a lethal glare.

Before Harry can cut in, Max does. "Evie, come on. Can't you at least stay the night? We haven't gotten a real chance to talk." His eyes are pleading and hopeful yet also a bit frightened that he might lose his little sister again so soon.

Evelyn can't stifle the mirroring look though she tries. "Max... I don't know if she's okay."

"Please, just tonight. I'll come with you in the morning."

"You don't need to do that. You might get yourself hurt--"

"And you won't get hurt?" Max scoffs, bewildered. "Last time I checked, I was supposed to be protecting you."

"That was a long time ago," she remarks, though it was only mere months. "We're both different people now."

"That doesn't mean we have to be separated."

Harry can see how badly Evelyn wants to stay, but her concern for Sasha is keeping her headstrong on leaving. He decides to add a few words of reassurance, if only so she can spend more time with her brother, who he knows she was once very close with. "One night's rest could do us good," he tells her gently. "Especially the kids."

She looks to him. He can see she wishes he'd never spoken, but that doesn't stop her from finally giving in. "Okay," she murmurs. "But we leave at dawn and no later."

Max compromises, and shockingly gives Harry a nod of gratitude. A bit stunned, he returns it.

"There's a new dormitory in the back with some spare rooms," Max informs them. "You might have to double up in beds, but I think there's enough room to be comfortable since it's only for a night. We've got a washroom down this way with well water. Don't worry, it's clean."

Max continues to explain their facilities, which aren't at all as well established as some Harry has been across, but this is what he expects. Not a fancy campsite with electricity and running water, but a society of people scrounging to make that happen for everyone. This doesn't feel fake or wrong like Quincy's camp had, like Erik's, even. This feels casual and genuine. This feels like everyone cares.

Harry glances to Gavriel, who's walking slightly behind him like he always used to do despite Harry telling him they're equals. Harry knows he's saved Gavriel's life a few times, but he never thought it earned him a right to consider himself above anyone. He's saved a lot of lives a lot of times, but he does it because he wants to, not to gain any sort of notoriety. If that were the case, he'd be well above Wolf by now.

Max gives orders to Darrell to round up some men to carry the deceased experiments to the pit for burning. He doesn't look at any of the three experiments standing with him when he does so. Darrell scurries off to obey, gathering people as they start to file out of the mess hall after catching word it was all safe.

A girl of about six runs up to Max, rambling about two "mean guys" who are fighting in the back of the camp, the winner getting the others rations for the week. Max rolls his eyes, pats the girl on the head, then turns to us.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta go deal with Chuck and Milo. Those idiots are always trying to steal and starve each other." He turns to Evelyn. "Later, can we talk?"

She nods and he smiles before jogging off, already shouting at the two buffoons in the distance.

Another person comes over, a woman this time. She's older with graying hair, but she has a kind smile on her face and shows no fear when she notices Micah, Harry, and Gavriel. She looks to Evelyn, taking one of her calloused hands in her own wrinkled ones. She speaks in Spanish, causing Evelyn to nervously widen her eyes.

Harry smirks. "She wants to wash and braid your hair," he tells her.

She frowns. "Since when did you speak Spanish?"

"Since I was also programmed to know Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, Italian--"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Then her eyes twinkle. "That's pretty awesome that you're fluent in pretty much everything."

"Not everything, just the main languages."

Evelyn turns back to the woman. "Can you tell her I'd like it very much for her to clean this nasty hair of mine?"

Harry smiles easily, translating though it's a bit awkward with his larger canines.

The woman beams and instantly tugs Evelyn away. "Guess I'll see you later," she calls, causing Harry to chuckle.

Harry then notices Micah and Killian have wandered off as well, leaving only he and Gavriel. Not that he really minds. Honestly, he's been wanting to have a moment alone with his friend to find out what he's been up to.

Gavriel must be thinking the same thing. "So, shall you go first or shall I?"

"Depends on what you want to hear," Harry says. "I don't know where I should start."

"I suppose I can," he replies, chewing his bottom lip for a moment. "After the riot when the experiments broke out and we got separated, I tagged along with Wolf for a while. I know that's a shock, but trust me, we aren't any better friends than we were before. In fact, he genuinely despises my existence. The feeling is mutual, anyways.

"When I realized he'd compromised with the doctor, I left immediately. They settled on an agreement--the doctor could make Wolf stronger if he supplied the test subjects." Gavriel cast his gaze to the ground. "It's fucked up stuff, Eddie. Really fucked."

Harry frowns and looks at the ground as well, as if it could offer up a solution to do away with all the evil circulating in the world. You couldn't completely get rid of it all, Harry supposes, or else he would have to be gone too.

"Anyways, I've spent the last six months looking for you, so you should feel quite special," he added with a smirk, making Harry chuckle. "Seriously, you've been all over the place."

Harry nods and sighs dramatically. "Yeah, it's been quite a scenic route."

"I guess I should first ask how you met her," Gavriel says, sincere curiosity etched into his creased forehead.

So Harry tells him all that he can remember from the first time he noticed Evelyn running through the woods with a little boy. How she shoved him up into a tree and intended on taking them all on by herself. How he got Delia to safety before hurrying back to save Evelyn as well, then somehow convincing them to follow him back to the barn where he had been hiding out with Nive and Sasha. He tells Gavriel about Quincy's camp. About Micah showing up. About getting recaptured. By the time he's through talking, his throat is as dry as it was when he was on his year silent streak.

Gavriel listens intently, and Harry can tell he was really listening. Not pretending to be absorbing it, but actually taking in everything he says. Harry appreciates that. A lot. It's not often you find someone who honestly cares about what happens to you.

"Some adventures you've been having," Gavriel remarks when Harry is through. "And to think you've done it all without me! I feel betrayed."

"Well, the adventures don't seem to be over yet, so you have time to catch up."

"I intend to do so."

The two start to walk towards the back where Max said the dormitories were. They're all roughly built cabins, but they're surprisingly sturdy and there's quite a few of them. Max hasn't been slacking during his time separate from Evelyn, that much is obvious. It seems he's the founder of an entire civilization. Harry admires him for it, truly.

Robbie and Caroline go running past with Poppy chasing them, barking happily as he tail rapidly wags. A couple of the kids from the camp join in, laughing along with them. Harry smiles after them just as he catches sight of a couple of men jabbing fingers at him. He purses his lips and turns away, hoping to avoid confrontations. He doesn't recognize them as soldiers, so they probably don't know that Harry and Gavriel saved their camp only moments ago.

Maxie steps out of a building with Carrie, the woman who had found Poppy. She detaches from the older woman when she sees Harry, instantly flocking to his side. She doesn't look like she's in the best mood, her lips slightly turned downwards.

"Everything all right?" he asks her, having to look down because of their drastic height difference. The top of her head is barely up to his chest.

"Yeah," she murmurs. "Sort of. I don't know."

He falls quiet and waits for her to speak, his usual tactic when he's not sure what to say.

She huddles closer to him, lowering her voice. "I've been feeling weird... things are happening to me." She taps her finger to her temple. "I've been seeing things. Like visions or something, I don't know. It used to be when I slept, so I thought they were just nightmares, but now they're happening when I'm awake. I just had one in there... Carrie thought I had a migraine so she gave this calming tea."

"What did you see?" he questions hesitantly, keeping his tone low as well.

Her face is pale when she looks him square in the eye, fear lacing her blue ones. "A lot of people... dead. There was so much blood and... you were there."

His heart stammers. Did she see him having a potential episode of his?

Then she continues. "And Eve was. She..." Maxie swallows hard, her voice cracking when she says, "Eve killed you."