The sun started to set even further as Nico and I walked in the forest. He woke up from his nap about half an hour ago and because of that, I couldn't be any happier right now. Since he had been sleeping, I had to carry him all the way from the pond that I climbed across to wherever we were now.

But the things is, carrying him wasn't much of a problem; it was the headache and my sprained ankle that added to my pain. I was so tired at this point but I didn't allow myself to even sit. I would be able to do that only once we reached back home.

"Momma, I'm hungry." Nico whined as he tightened his hold on my hand that he was holding onto.

"Okay, maybe I have something for you to eat." I said, taking off the backpack that I had worn before leaving the jet. It was initially Nico's bag and had a few clothes of his along with snacks that I had packed for the flight.

After rummaging thought the bag for a while, I found a granola bar and handed it to him. The happiness that I saw on his face brought a smile to mine. And yes, I'm am starving too but since the food isn't enough for the both of us, I told him that he could eat the entire bar.

Realizing that we wouldn't be able to reach any further without putting ourselves in danger, I decided to stop walking for the day. All I had was a flashlight with me and if I used it for anytime longer, I'm pretty sure that the battery would run out sooner than we wanted it to.

I spotted a large tree in front of me. It had long vines that hung from the branches all the way to the ground which would be the best place to stay in for the night.

I knew that climbing on a tree and staying there for the night would be a much better option because there were wild animals here but I, for one, knew that Nico wouldn't manage and it would be a hassle for me to hold him at such a height.

Taking Nico's hand in mine, we walked towards the tree to take shelter there for the night. Before sitting, I examined the space between the vines to check whether there were any animals or even a person in there and when I saw that it was empty, I sighed in relief and made Nico sit under them.

I sat a little outside and made sure that my body was covered with the vines too so that I wouldn't stand out. By now, Nico had finished eating so all he did was rest head on my shoulder. I thought about Rico and how he must be doing right now. Whether he found those other people or if he-

No, I will not think of that. Maybe he's just lost somewhere in this rain forest.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, I looked up at the stars which were almost hidden by the canopy of the dense trees around us. I wish I were a star right now. I could have been able to check on Rico and probably even on Adrian.

I wonder if he's alright. I feel so bad for him; he didn't deserve to have his mother taken away from him like that. I'm guessing that Lorenzo was behind all this but now that he's dead, I know that there has to be someone

"Do you think Dadda is fine?" Nico's frail voice asked me.

"I'm sure he's fine, Nico. Don't worry about your father." I smiled.

He nodded, not saying another word. It was only about twenty minutes later that I heard the crunching of leaves and heavy breathing nearing towards where we were sitting.

My heart thumped against my chest, thinking of all the possible situations that could happen right now. I became paralyzed with fear, unable to move more than an inch. I could feel the rush of adrenaline in body, the flight or flight instinct trying to act upon my body.

And I chose to fight. If they wanted to come after us and try to hurt any one of us in anyway possible, I wouldn't run. They came after my little jellybean too so there was no way that I would run away without giving them a piece of my mind. I will fight against them.

I heard the sounds become louder and louder as the person came closer. The figure of a man could soon be seen; his build lean and height being tall almost like...Rico's.

I squinted my eyes to see better but still couldn't see any better due to the lack of light around me. The man came closer, looking around in search of something. Suddenly, he stopped, staring at my direction.

"Xia?" That way too familiar voice asked, and it was only then that I became calmer because I knew him. I always felt safe with him.

"Rico..." I breathed out, getting out the flashlight.

"I'm here, babe." He replied. Without wasting another second, he came closer to me, bending down to envelop me into an embrace."I found both of you."

"Are you alright?" I asked, pulling away.

"I'm good." He peeked under the vines of the tree. "Nico, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Dadda." He beamed.

"Your heart is pounding." I stated after placing my palm on his chest.

"My heart's been pounding like that ever since I met you." He smiled. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

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