"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE ANNA IS?"

Ben had asked this question maybe 8 or 9 times in the past five minutes, but because of the chaos with Karen, his question was continuously left unanswered. He knew she was here somewhere camp but the fact that he couldn't find her again was adding a lot of weight to his already high temper. All he wanted to do was see his girlfriend after being approached and attacked by Karen and make sure she was okay.

After circling the med bus more than once, he looked farther into camp and found her sitting on a picnic table, her arms resting on her legs and her feet on the bench. She hadn't changed out of her blood stained pants but she was now only wearing a tank top that showed off her wrapped shoulder. She also had an ice pack in her hand, but it wasn't on her head like it should've been. It sat useless next to her defeated self. Ben approached her and joined her on top of the table.

"You should use that ice, you know. It'll help with your concussion." Ben finally spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't want to." She replied, making Ben laugh. Only she could be too stubborn to even help herself.

"Suit yourself, babe."

His use of the word 'babe' couldn't have come at a better time as she seemed to relax from her tense state. They sat in silence, Ben contemplating on how he was going to break the news to her about Karen.

"Karen didn't make it, did she?" She finally asked, well more like stated, as if she was able to read his mind. Who knows? They both have functioning spikes now so maybe she did read his mind.

"No, I'm sorry, Anna."

She hung her head down low in defeat, releasing a large sigh from her mouth.

"I had a feeling she wouldn't make it, but I couldn't help but hold on to the idea that maybe we could bring the real Karen back to us. That's what I get for being overly passionate, I guess."

"Overly passionate? You're not overly passionate, Anna. In fact, I don't think there's such a thing. Being passionate isn't bad at all, I even think it's one of the best parts about you. I love your passion." He intertwined his fingers in his and forced her look at him. "And I love you."

He knew that would get her. He knew the effect those words had on her because only he knew how hopelessly romantic she actually was on the inside once you get past her strong exterior. It was impossible for her to hold back her smile and the deep pigment creeping onto her cheeks. She tried to hide herself into his shoulder, and even though it made him let out a laugh, he still wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. In a life like this, there is no wrong time to hold the one you love.

"Ugh, see what you do to me. Even when I'm supposed to be sad, you make me look like a hormonal and love-struck 13-year-old girl." She groaned into the skin near his neck.

"Well, I mean, you are two of those things." He teased, obviously not referring to being a 13-year-old girl. This caused her to pull away from him and playfully smack him on the arm.

"Thanks, I appreciate your kind words to describe me."

"Anytime. Now come on, let's go back to the tents, it's getting late."

He jumped off the table and onto his feet then turned to Anna to take her hand and help her do the same. With their hands still connected, they walked back to camp with small smiles on their faces.

"Ben, can you come here for a second?" Tom asked as he stepped off the med bus and approached the couple.

"Uh, yeah sure, dad." He looked over at Anna, who nodded and stepped walked a few steps away to give the son and father some privacy. "What do you need?"

"Well, I don't know what it is with you kids, but you all seem to get yourself into some kind of trouble." Tom chuckled to himself.

"And…?"

"And because of that, I want Anna to sleep in your tent tonight. It would make me feel more comfortable if you guys kept an eye on each other."

Ben almost laughed. He had wanted Anna to sleep in his tent all along, but he was too nervous to ask. Now, here he is with his father who's basically commanding him to do it. It's funny how things seem to work out.

"Okay, sounds good." Ben tried to play it off coolly as if he wasn't freaking out on the inside. Tom didn't seem to be expecting his calm demeanor, though.

"Well, um, okay. Good night." He awkwardly said, giving him a hug before turning on his heels and walking in the other direction.

Ben returned to his girlfriend who had her arm crossed and had her attention on the starry sky. She noticed him approaching her and gave him a small smile.

"What'd he say?"

Without giving her an answer, he took her hand and pulled her towards the tents.

"Ben, what are you doing?" She laughed.

"You're sleeping in my tent tonight." He finally informed her when they stopped in front of his tent. She crossed her arms again and raised an eyebrow.

"Your dad told you that I have to sleep in your tent?" She asked him in disbelief. It's pretty unusual for a father to make such a request.

"Yep, so are you gonna go in or are you gonna give me that look all night?" He teased, causing her to step in front of him and duck down to walk through the opening. He followed closely behind her and zipped it up.

As Ben laid down in the cot with Anna closely cuddled up with him, he couldn't help but be in awe of everything that this girl had been through with him. He never expected to have anyone like him in his life. Sure, he had had girls befriend him throughout the duration of the war and he liked having them around as friends, but none of them had ever really made the earth move for him. He wasn't even looking to have a girl in his life, until Anna came along and not only made the earth move, but made it violently shake. Happiness in the shape of a small, beautiful brunette had snuck through a door he didn't know he left open.

And as Anna left no space between her and Ben with her head rested comfortably on his rapidly beating heart, she knew she had to forget all the horrible things that she had endured since the aliens invaded. She had to stop grieving over her family and enjoy the new one that had quickly opened their arms for her. She had to push aside her anger that she felt for her spikes and accept that they're now a part of who she is. She had to stop thinking about the "what ifs" with Karen and instead remember that she tried. She had to stop missing what the aliens stole from her and embrace what they had in return given her. They had given her this new life and a new way of looking at it. And in a world that never seemed to feel safe, she had never felt safer than she currently felt in Ben's arms.

THE END

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." –Ralph Waldo Emerson