When The Storm Comes (When We're Older alternative ending)

the fire

Mae

"Tell me something from when he was young."

Lily sighed and leaned her head back, Her bangs splitting across her forehead. She craned her neck to look up at the trees as she reminisced about her childhood, watching the light as it beamed down onto one of the few patches of green grass that surrounded the cabin.

I adjusted Meredith in my arms, bouncing her gently as she gazed up at the sky as well. It was a clear day, the clouds rolling with the slight breeze in the air.

"He had these toy trains," She started, a small smile on her face. "He used to spend hours in our house playing with them when we couldn't go outside because of the heat. I used to watch him from the corner when he played—I'd never play with him, I thought trains were too boyish for me."

"Girls can like trains too..." I added, smiling at the thought of Newt as a little boy.

Lily shrugged. "I know that now, but I was taught that little girls play with dolls, not trains.

"Anyways," She continued with her story. "His favorite train was a silver one with red wheels. Bloody hell, did he love that thing. Used to sleep with it, god, he'd take it everywhere. Newt's always found special things to love to make life seem a little more...tolerable, I guess. First, it was the train, now it's you."

My cheeks flushed red as I smiled and looked over at Newt. He was a few yards away playing with Rudy and some of the action figures he'd brought with him to the cabin. Their laughter echoed throughout the property, earning a few looks from Minho and Gally as they chopped wood to the right of them.

"I know it's selfish, but I envy him," Lily sighed again.

"Why?" I turned back to her. "You have Rudy. Don't you love him?"

"Not the way Newt loves you."

"You want something like Newt and I..." I muttered in realization.

She nodded and pulled her hair to the side, bringing her knees up to her chest. "It's not always easy, you know? Raising a child on your own at ten. Sometimes I care so much for Rudy that I forget to care for myself. I dunno...I suppose I wish that I had someone who would worry about me as Newt worries about you. Is that selfish?"

"No," I immediately shook my head. "There's nothing selfish about wanting to be loved."

Lily pushed her lips to the side in contemplation. "I'm sorry... You asked about Newt, I shouldn't have—"

"What do you mean?" I stopped her. "You can talk to me, we're...practically sisters now."

Lily smiled. "Thank you."

"Oh no! Quick! Get back to the base before they get you!"

We both turned our heads to the distant shout that came from Newt. He chased Rudy around in a circle, his animated movements causing the boy to roar with laughter as he crashed onto the ground. Newt broke out into giggles as he checked on the boy; he radiated light, even from here.

"It's not selfish to want to love," I hadn't realized I was speaking until Lily broke her gaze from Rudy to look at me. But I continued. "In a world like this, it might be the only thing that can save us."

The girl opened her mouth to respond, but a sharp whistle from behind caught our attention. We turned towards the house where Vince stood on the porch. He waved his hand, beckoning for us all to go inside.

I pursed my lips and slowly stood, careful to not jostle Mary too much in my arms. A grin pulled onto my lips as Newt waited for Lily and I as Rudy ran inside, jumping up the wooden steps. His arm snaked around my shoulders and pulled me close when I approached, his lips finding the side of my head as he placed a chaste kiss on my temple.