"I understand that. I really do." It had taken him years to stop missing his mother when she'd passed, after all. Losing a loved one left a hole that was not quick to fill. If Carson was truly honest with himself, that hole hadn't begun to fill until he'd met the other Striders. Natya, Sunny, and Letto had given him a camaraderie he desperately needed. And Malia... Malia had filled all the spaces left. All the holes in his heart and soul were full of her, her essence, her love, with the stolen moments they had shared so far and the passion he felt for her.<br/><br/>He lay with her when prompted, shifting so he could lay on his side and face her, his arm draped over her belly. "I think once we've trained some fighters, once we learn how to do battle with the Vanguard... yes. Yes, I think we can win. Especially if we can find out what's driving them, who their leaders are. My mother had just begun to do so when the siege began." He looked her in the eye as she took his hand, and smiled softly down at her. "Of course we will. Somewhere far from here. We'll go south and west, to the ocean. We can find a quiet river to settle near, live off the land."<br/><br/>He tilted his head and slipped his hand from hers to smooth her shirt down over her stomach. One fingertip traced a curvy line down the middle. "The river will be here... and our house will be here. I'll plant an orchard here, so that in a few years we'll always have fresh fruit to eat. Then we can farm the lands along the river, here and here." As he spoke he pointed out a new spot on his makeshift map, gently caressing her belly with each move. "And when evening comes we can sit outside and watch the stars turn and the sun set and know we've lived good full lives, and that we will always have one another."