With the council deciding to reconvene in the morning, Justin actually had some time to check up on the status of the settlement, which was a relief considering that he hadn't been able to walk around the place since their attackers were shoved out. When they had stepped outside, a middle aged woman with dark skin and bright green eyes came up to them, telling Cameron she had a place to stay. 
"Glad to see you made it in one piece, Sarah." The woman smiled maternally. 
"And I'm glad to know that you're not being served up as the catch of the day at the local cannibal feast." He snorted a laugh.
"You see any meat on these bones? I'm a stick. A rail, if you will." Sarah chuckled in her deep, hearty way as she looked to Cameron.
"Come on, honey, let's get you sorted out. And you..." She pointed at Justin.
"You try to get some rest, too, scout." 
"I'll see what I can do." Justin placed a hand on Cameron's shoulder as he told her:
"I'll be around if you need me. Just ask some of the guards. They'll know where to point you to." His gaze lingered for just a brief moment, noting how the dull glow of the lanterns posted around the square seemed to illuminate Cameron's facial features at just the right angle. He had never noticed how soft her cheeks looked, how her eyes seemed to sparkle with a subdued intensity. Shaking himself internally, he turned around, blowing out an exhale as he snaked around the department store he and Mike just a few days earlier had used as cover from the armored menaces. 
"She's pretty...so what? Why would that...why would that bother me?" He muttered to himself as he walked past the old dumpster and hung a left to get back onto the main street that was flanked by the remnants of old brownstones and townhomes that had been converted into living quarters of the post-apocalypse. Missing walls had been fortified with sheet metal or tightly nailed together wood planks, doors loosely swaying in the breeze due to their not matching with the original doorway. He glanced around, spotting brief signs of activity through open windows. At least most of them were alive. That counted for something...but would they remain alive if they left the confines of their settlement? Sure, staying complacent was dangerous, but they were trying to establish themselves as a beacon of stability and hope. Would they be able to offer that if they merged with Avery and her band of former scientists and laborers? Would they compromise on their ideals? 

His reverie was interrupted by catching sight of the remnants of a small convenience store at the end of the block, Justin walking through the open doorway to find the living area was completely empty. Most of the others were probably on scavenging duty, which gave Justin some welcomed solitude. He walked past the worn out couches and chairs to the rear of the store, opening another door to reveal a makeshift bedroom with a full size bed frame and homemade mattress that, when Justin laid on it, he sunk into. 
"Home." He mumbled as he sat up and unclothed himself down to a pair of shorts that went down to mid-thigh before collapsing into bed on his back, eyes closing for just a brief second...

It was a couple of hours later when he heard Cam knock on his door and walk in, the scout rubbing his eyes as he sat up groggily. 

[i]“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep. I keep thinking about everything, and...what do you think they’re gonna do?” [/i]

"I dunno..." His upper half fell back onto the mattress, eyes half closed. 
"Sounds too good to be true." A wide yawn escaped his throat. 
"But...I mean, if this is the ticket to restoring civilization, then why not?" He turned his head to look at his companion, examining her for a moment before asking:
"Why are you still here?" He thought about the question for a moment, then added:
"I mean, here with me? You didn't have to go with me up north, you could've stayed here, helped with cleaning up. Now you're in my room talking to me in my underwear and you aren't batting an eye. It's not that I...I don't appreciate it, it's just...I don't know, with the experiences you've had, I guess I wasn't expecting you to take to me that well. I mean with the men in your village basically being scum." He shook his head.
"Is ANY of this coming out right or do I sound like I'm awkwardly hitting on you?"