He hugged her tight when she relented and returned to him, his arms around her as reassuring as he could make them. "I know," he murmured. "I understand exactly how you feel. Come here, let me tell you a secret. Something I've never told anyone else in my life." He let her go and hung up his own gear, more swiftly than he'd put it on. She had come around, and he was eager to comfort his lover. Once it was all away he swept her up off her feet and carried her to the big bed, where he lay her out and then crawled up next to her. Carson sat up on his elbow next to her, his other hand taking hers and inspecting it closely as he began to speak.<br/><br/>"Every single time I leave this bunker, I'm terrified. Deep down--you wouldn't know it just looking at me. I've buried it deep, as deep as I can, because if I let that fear grip me too tightly then it might just root me in place and make me never go anywhere. It might make me call all the people I care about back here and then break the doors so we can't leave. So all that we can do is stay together, safe and happy and secluded. I'm scared that when I leave it'll be the last time I see any of my friends again. I'm scared that the next time Sunny leaves the next I'll see of her is her corpse--or worse, someone explaining to me that she died and they couldn't find her body after.<br/><br/>"Natya isn't back yet, either. Sunny said she's dealing with raiders. Nat's one of my oldest, closest friends. I want nothing more right now than to saddle up and set out and go help her, go make god damn sure that she comes back home safe and sound to her family. Because we are, Lia, me and Nat and Letto and Sunny, we're a family. Now you and the Runners are part of it." He paused and looked her in the eye, his expression serious. "I know you're worried... I guess my point is that I am, too. But we have to trust our friends and our allies to do what they know best. Runners, Striders, we're all survivors out here. We'll make it. I promise."