Tyga. For such a small child it seemed to be such a big name. Abby felt awkward as she held the child against her while the eyes of dozens of grounders watched her walk away. However awkward she felt, whatever the repercussions of her actions may be, they were worth it by the way the little girl was clinging to her, nails in her shirt and face buried in her neck. Things may have already gone to hell if it wasn't for the soft hand on her middle back and the strong presence walking beside her.

Marcus wasn't going to let them get to her, not on his life.

"Don't touch her!" The words had come out of her mouth so instinctively that she hadn't realized they were said until it was too late. She was just a child, caught stealing. They were going to beat her and burn her hands for needing to survive. It was barbaric.

She was pushing through the groups of people and shoving Indra away from the little girl to pull her in her arms. Marcus was at her side instantly, his face firm but unreadable as Indra stepped closer to Abby giving her the look that resembled a shark needing blood.

"She's a child!" Abby's words were firm but quiet. She was barely more than a toddler. Four years old, maybe five. Much too young to be punished for trying to survive.

"She is not your issue," Indra hissed as she pointed the hot iron against Abby's side as she took daring steps closer. She wanted Abby to relent either out of fear of pain. The long rectangular iron burned through her shirt and into her side. Clammy sweat covered her face at the feeling, but she didn't relent. "Step aside, sky woman."

Abby wouldn't. Words seemed to escape her while the pain of the iron was clouding her brain, but Marcus stepped in . "Let the child go home. It's not her fault she's hungry."

Indra seemed to scowl at this suggestion as she pulled the iron off of Abby's skin as she turned to Marcus. "Tyga has no home. Her parents were lost when your daughter burned three hundred of our people. She must learn strength, stealth, and punishment. She is weak."

This time Indra reached for Tyga and attempted to pulled her off of Abby, but neither Tyga or Abby would let go. "You are wrong. You can't treat her like this." This time Abby didn't yell or snarl, she instead looked at Indra evenly hoping that she would understand.

However, Indra understanding was about as possible as Abby finding a stock of chocolate hidden under her pillow in the morning. It would have been nice, but it wasn't possible.

Indra looked at Abby like a snake about to strike. "You lead your people, Sky Woman, and I'll lead mine."

Marcus's grip on her bicep that she hadn't noticed until it was turning into a vice grip, ready to pull her out of harm's way if Indra decided to lunge.

"If she is weak, let me take her."

Once again words were out of her mouth before she could really think about the weight of them. She could feel Marcus shift his gaze from Indra to her, but she stood strong. "You don't want the weak and this child is too young to be strong. Let me take her."

Indra stared at her for a long moment before taking a step back. "Allow the child to choose. She may live among our people or die with yours."

With a firm hand Indra turned Tyga's head to look at her, but she immediately pressed her head into the crook of Abby's neck and peered at her under Abby's chin. "Choose your fate, child."

The little lip puckered at the harsh voice as she shook in Abby's arms. The grip on Abby's shirt tightened as she held on so tightly it almost seemed that she was trying to disappear into her. Indra's expression turned to sheer disgust.

"Tyga has made her choice."

Abby expected more. Some gloomy, threatening omen about weakness or death from the woman, but Indra did nothing. For a few more moments Abby stood there, clutching the child as though someone was going to lung at her and steal the girl away until Marcus gently tugged on her arm to get her moving and slid his hand to the small of her back as they walked away.

"Dammit Abby," he muttered when they were finally out of earshot of the grounders. He barely slowed down to throw their packs over his shoulder and kept her walking.

"They were going to beat her and burn her, Marcus," Abby replied as she struggled to keep up with his long, quick strides. She was nearly jogging, making Tyga bounce enough to where her leg brushed against the open wound on her side. Her hiss of pain made Marcus slow down and look at her.

"Let me see it," he told her as she tried to find a better position for Tyga and her side. She bit her lower lip as she shifted the child on her other hip. Marcus watched her expression as his fingers gently took a hold of the bottom of her shirt and lifted it until it reveal midway up her rips. His eyes fell back on the burn that was now an angry red gash of charred away flesh surrounded by a blister. It needed to be cleaned and it was probably hurting a lot more than she was letting on.

The tanned skin of her stomach was hot to the touch and she probably didn't need to be told she was feverish. Damn she was tough, but more than that she was stubborn.

He reached for their water and pulled the bandages out of Abby's bag. "I need to clean it and cover it so it doesn't infected."

Telling her it was going to hurt, was superfluous. Adding water to an open burn was comparably worse than the original injury.

But Abby shook her head and looked at Tyga. It wasn't a good idea at the moment. Abby may have been able to stay silent while it was happening, but she was sure she wouldn't be able to do the same the second time around. Marcus took a deep breath and nodded. She didn't need to speak for him to understand.

Instead they kept walking. Marcus seemed to be touching her or nearly touching her the entire way and she couldn't help but wonder how they had come to this. She was as reliant on his touch as he was on her presence. It should have scared her, but the idea of Marcus Kane beside her was a comfort more than anything.

A few more steps and Tyga was wiggling down to walk. Abby didn't have to offer her a hand because Tyga willingly held hers as they continued forward. The child hadn't spoken a word since they had found her, but she seemed content to hold Abby's hand. She was petite. Her frame small, but fairly lean for a child. Brunette curls with a multitude of red and blonde sun highlights fell down past her shoulders while bulky clothing swallowed her. It was her eyes that seemed so unique though. They were big and wide with curiosity, but their color was a silver Abby had never seen before.

She was silent the entire walk to Camp Jaha. Every once in a while she would tug on Abby's hand and point at something. Her eyes would light up and Abby couldn't help but smile back as she enthused over whatever the little girl thought was important to share with her.

The last mile however, Tyga's little feet started to drag. The once tight hold on Abby's hand had loosened and she seemed to be almost dozing off while walking. The pain in Abby's side was only getting worse with her shirt sticking against it but she was about to pick the little girl up when Marcus stepped in.

He didn't say anything. He just stopped walking, turned around, and opened his arms up to her. Tyga didn't even hesitate. Instantly she went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground. Abby tried to hide her shock but she couldn't. Marcus Kane was good with children. Looking back she could recall his occasional interaction with Wells and Clarke as children, but this was different.

The smug smile he gave her made her glare at him before shaking her head and letting herself smile. This time it was she that walked a little too close to him since his hand wasn't on her back. It only took a few moments before Tyga rested her head against Marcus's shoulder and those big silver eyes found Abby once again. A sleepy smile greeted Abby and she instinctively took ahold of the little girl's dangling hand to press a kiss to it.

"When we arrive, I'll have Davidson set up an extra cot in your quarters."

In one sentence, the reality of what Abby had done sank in. She took a child away from her village to save her, yes, but now she was in charge of one more life. Not in charge like she was with her people but… she had just taken on a child.

The terror of the situation must have shown on her face because Marcus once again stopped walking. "Abby," he called to her, making her look at him. "You made the right decision."

That apparently wasn't what Abby wanted to hear because she looked at him dumbfound."I just decided to take a child home with me. A child! My daughter is grown and hates me most of the time. I have hundreds of people to keep safe and even more to save, and I decide to bring a baby into the mess?"

Her voice was low but panicked. What had she done? She just wanted to take the girl out of harm's way and now she was walking her into her own mess of a life.

Marcus took a step closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. "You saved her, Abby. You gave this little girl a chance and saved her. I have seen you with Clarke, with Raven, with children on the Ark. You love them and you are a great mother." He looked her in the eye, willing her to see what he saw. That there was nothing to worry about because if anyone could take on a raising a child at a time like this, it was her. "You can help her, Abby."

Abby swallowed the lump in her throat as she nodded. "But what if something happens to me?"

Marcus's hand tightened on her shoulder before he slid it down her arm to take her hand. "Nothing is going to happen to you as long as I'm here and I'll always be right here."

The thing was, Earth had been a new kind of hell and filled with more questions than answers. However, the thing she was most sure of since her feet had touched the soil was that Marcus Kane meant those words.

Their hands stayed joined for a moment longer before he released his hold and slid his hand back to its spot on her back as they walked through the clearing toward the gate of Camp Jaha. Things had changed again, but Abby was fairly sure she would appreciate this changes a bit better than the ones before.