"Joy? Joy!"

Joy giggled as Evan walked into the cafeteria to find her eating breakfast with his beanie on.
He shook his head and walked over.

"Morning, Evan. How are you, today?" Joy greeted casually, but she had a wide grin on her face. Evan crossed his arms and stared at her expectantly.

Joy looked back at him innocently. "Hungry?" She asked, trying to contain her laughter.

"C'mon, Joy, hand it over." Evan couldn't help an amused smile, holding out his hand.

Joy shrugged. "Hand what over?"

"The beanie."

"What beanie?"

"Alright, that's it." Evan wrapped his arms around her waste and heaved her away from the table she was sitting at. She was a pretty small girl, so she was light enough for him to carry.

"Ah! Evan!" Joy screamed, caught by surprise. She tried to be mad, but laughter escaped her mouth before she could voice her anger.

"Dangit! Evan, put me down!" Joy wriggled in his arms, trying to get free.

"Only if you give me the beanie!" Evan chuckled, holding on tight to her.

"Okay, okay, okay! I yield!" Joy laughed as he put her down. She sighed as she handed him the beanie.

"It's just so comfortable." She tried to put on a pouty face, but her mischievous smile ruined it.

Evan ran his hand through his hair and put the beanie back on.

"You're unbelievable." Evan kissed her forehead. Joy blushed and turned away. Evan chuckled, grabbing her by the hand and leading her back over to the table where they are breakfast together.

~~~

"Joy? Joy!"

Maryland rushed into Joy's bedroom before Joy could pull the trigger of the gun pointed to her head. Mary snatched the gun out of her hand and tossed it across the room.

"Joy Marie Fynn Kelly! What-" She yelled, then gasped when she saw Joy's tear stained face.

"It's my- it's all my- f-fault..." Joy sobbed, staring down at her hands. "He came to save- to save me!" She buried her face in her hands.

"First my dad... And now Evan!"

Maryland felt years rolling down her cheeks and she hugged Joy close to her. "Don't take the easy way out."

Joy's eyes widened.

"Don't take the easy way out!"

"What easy way? There is no easy way, no matter what I do somebody gets hurt!"

"It's not your fault, Joy. He made his decision. To protect you."

Joy pushed Maryland away, her face red with anger.

"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! EVERYONE THINKS SO!"

"Evan didn't think so." Mary told her firmly. "Do you think he would want you to kill yourself? After he sacrificed his life for you?" She scolded her.

Joy stared at her hands, her whole body shaking from her sobs. "He thought I didn't care about him. He doubted whether I still cared about him. I left! I don't deserve-"

Mary grabbed Joy's chin and lifted her face to meet hers.

"Listen to me, butterfly," she spoke in a soft, just firm voice. "He didn't know what you had been through. None of them did. You ran away because that's what Holden wanted. He didn't know, however, that you have such close friends here." She sighed and hugged Joy again.

"I know it's going to be hard, but you deserve a chance for a normal life." Mary told her. "They all do. So are you going to get them out?"

"...yes. For Evan."

Evan belongs to Princess_Six