Survive Together -- Z Nation [Virginia & Traveler]

June Phillips had been curious about the gun toting young man who was part of the small group who had joined them the day before. She didn't know anything about them and hadn't done more than peer curiously out the window of the truck her father drove to check them out, but she hadn't had time to really talk to anyone yet. Now she did. A few times a day the convoy stopped to give people a chance to move about, refuel from containers kept on hand, relieve themselves, and switch drivers. It was only about half an hour or so, but that was plenty of time. And hey, if they got along, maybe one of them could ride with the other for a bit.

Wrapping a few things in a decently clean handkerchief, the eighteen year old gestured to let her father know where she was going and stepped down off of the dusty truck, running her fingers, with nails that had a few scratches of green polish left on them, through her short red hair. It only took a few minutes to walk to where the newcomers were, together and seeming as though they didn't really have any intentions of interacting with the other twenty people in the truck train. When she got to them everyone stopped talking and looked at her, which made the young woman feel a little bit uncomfortable, but she brushed it off. People weren't as terrifying as zombies, after all. "I came to let you know that there's water being passed out if anyone needs it. There's also toilet paper." One of them walked off, and she took a moment to gather herself before approaching the dark haired man -- teen? -- who looked closest to her in age. "Hi. I brought food, I thought you might like something to eat," she said, offering up the handkerchief. Neatly wrapped inside was dried apple and strawberry slices with a few dried blueberries. "It's all dried, but it's sweet." Her family had brought a lot when they'd joined the group; they'd had a pretty good stock of dried fruits and lots of pickles. They'd only used the generator to power the food dehydrator and things like that, so that it would last as long as possible.

The redhead adjusted the slightly oversized red and black plaid button up she was wearing and smiled warmly. "Do you mind if I stick around here for a few minutes? The last new people were my family, and that was months ago. Nobody too close to my age, either." Well a few people in the later half of their twenties, but that was still at least seven years older than her. Food had been the best way she could think to see if she could get his attention and have him let her hang around. Everybody liked food, and even if the fruit wasn't fresh it was still pretty good. She supposed the fact that she had only brought it to him made the fact she was most interested in him pretty clear, and the expression on the face of the white bearded man let her know they had all very much noticed.

The area around them was clear for now, but it probably wouldn't stay that way forever. The nice thing about being on the move in a vehicle was that zombies couldn't follow them, but the sound of trucks and a bus did sometimes attract attention. She didn't see anything, but she was sort of used to it happening. The knife on her belt had seen use, though she could sense that these people were... different. She wouldn't be surprised if they had seen more combat than the entire caravan together.

((I figure give them a bit of time to get to know each other and then we'll pretty much just mess up the whole caravan))

He'd been riding on top for the last leg, his rifle poised in the event that they ran into trouble, but so far luck had been on their side and the traveling had been easy. Not that he minded. Sure, he wanted to keep working towards his 10k goal, but killing zombies were just a means to an end. He was here for the ride, the people, and maybe one day, for the cure.

10k stood near Doc and the others, their voices low as they discussed their mutual concern with the recent sightings of the ultra-fast, ultra-smart Blasters. They had a feeling that they were being stalked but the leader of the caravan wanted nothing to do with their theories. The fact that the Blasters seemed to hunt in packs and new when it was strategic to run away bothered them all; it bespoke of intelligence, which made it that much harder to think of them as non-humans. Murphy was especially distraught but his issue seemed to be wrapped around the fact that he couldn’t control them. He couldn’t even affect the damned things.

When the cute redhead held out her hand and offered 10k something to eat he felt his cheeks burning, and every one of his friends watching him. He shyly took the handkerchief with his gloved hand, the fingers of his hand brushing her palm softly, and muttered something that sounded like “Uhh….thanks.” It was hard to tell though with the way he seemed to have suddenly grown uncomfortable. He peeled open the edges of the paper and saw the dried fruit inside. It was a small treasure; a gift worthy of someone more important than himself.

He glanced up at her and smiled. Then he thought of the girl with the face paint. He had smiled at her, and then a few minutes later she had been killed by the Blasters. His smile faded at the thought that he might be some kind of jinx to girls.

“Thanks,” he reiterated, taking up a slice of apple and taking a tentative bite. It was a little bit chewy but it was sweet. It had been a while since he had something that hadn’t come out of a can. “So…” he glanced back at the caravan, “who here is your family?” As she talked, he nibbled. Who knew how long their reprieve might last? The caravan leader called the ten minute mark and told them all to be on the cars in time or risk being left behind. 10k reached up to adjust the goggles on his head and then pull at his scarf where something had started to irritate the side of his neck. For a brief moment he almost could forget that they were in the apocalypse, and he just let himself pretend that he was standing in a park talking to a pretty girl.

The fact that he was blushing made June turn red as well. It wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting given how cool and collected he seemed, and it flustered her a little bit. Still, he'd accepted the offering and that probably meant he didn't mind if she hung around, at least for a few minutes. If he'd wanted her gone he could have just rejected the food. Or taken it and walked away, though that wouldn't have been a full deterrent for the redhead. When he smiled she smiled back, her own lasting longer.

"I would have brought more, but we had to merge most of our supplies with the group. I always like to have a little bit in case someone needs a snack." She pressed her fingers to her lips, eyes warm and a tiny bit amused, like it was some big secret for them to share. It wasn't really encouraged to have extra food, but often a little bit of something sweet cheered people up when they were faltering, and she liked to be able to provide that. And, probably because her family had brought a lot of food with them, they didn't seem to mind massively. Having an orchard did mean they'd brought a decent supply of dried fruit with them.

He asked about her family, and the redhead perked up slightly. That was interest, and that was good. "We're driving the big green truck. My parents and I." She gestured, and a woman with a dirty yellow bandana tied around similarly red hair waved from the distance, apparently having been observing the conversation from her spot within the truck with enough attention that she realized when she was being gestured at. "We hadn't left the farm since this started, so it's been kind of an adventure. I was starting to forget what other people sounded like." She didn't mention why they'd left a farm that was apparently lucky enough to have stayed running through the apocalypse, but it wasn't really something that needed to be talked about.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. How rude. I'm June." She offered up another bright smile, surprisingly light for someone who'd spent the last four years in what was basically Hell on Earth. "No pressure to introduce yourself, I know some people don't like to do that." She probably should have offered her hand, but somehow that just felt like more formality than was needed in the apocalypse. When she heard the ten minute call, the redhead frowned. That wasn't enough time! It was probably too early to try and invite him to ride with her, and definitely too early to invite herself to hang with him. At this rate she'd have to wait until the next break to get to talk to him again, and the thought of it bummed her out. "If you don't give me a name I'm probably gonna just gonna pick something, and you should know the last time I got to name something my family had to call a goat 'Goaty' for ten years." So he'd be lucky if she called him 'Scarf' or something.

He turned to wave at her parents, a little bit envious that she still had both of them. His mother had died when he was a kid. His dad…well, after the apocalypse happened. Doc and the group were the closest thing to family that he had. June seemed happy to talk, and he was happy to let her. Little by little the sweet, dried morsels of food made their way to his mouth. He savored every bit of the treat and when it was gone he folded up the napkin and handed it back to her, hoping that it might return again with more of the same.

“I… yeah. No. I’m 10k,” he said as he adjusted the rifle slung on his shoulder. “That’s how many zombies I’m going to kill.” His smile was a little self-conscious. “Right now I’m on three thousand, nine hundred eighty-three.”

The men were loading up into their trucks and Doc called out “Let’s go, kid!” 10k gave her an apologetic smile. “I guess I’ll see you. Thanks for the fruit.” He hesitated as if not sure what to do, then he just nodded. “Okay,” he said, putting a hand on his shoulder strap and jogging off to the truck he was ‘assigned’ to. As he climbed up he turned to watch her, his mind swimming with questions and a little bit of sunshine where there had only been shadow.

The trucks and cars started up and in a few minutes they were back on the road, heading out to Edmund.

Accepting the handkerchief back, June tucked it away in her pocket. If she could get a little more she'd bring it, but that had been her stock for the day. She'd only be able bring water or just general cheerful personality when she came back. Because she was definitely coming back to talk to him next break.

She stared at him for a moment, big blue eyes wide. "That's amazing," the teenager said finally. "That's more than the population of the town that was nearest our farm. I bet there's at least one person alive thanks to circumstance because of you." Almost four thousand zombies that couldn't hurt anyone was very impressive. "I'm glad I've got something to work with, I was probably gonna end up calling you 'Scarf' or 'Frowny' if you didn't give me anything. Though it turns out you're not all that frowny so I guess that wouldn't have worked very well." She looked amused with herself, pleased to have a better name to call him. It occurred to her that eventually he'd get to ten thousand and then he'd probably need a new name, but she didn't ask.

The call went out and trucks started revving back up, and June looked a little disappointed. "Stay safe." It was more than anyone could really promise, but pretending worked just fine.

She glanced back one more time before heading reluctantly back to the truck. Her parents spent a few minutes good naturedly questioning her about 'that cute boy', and she answered honestly. The rest of the drive was spent staring out the window, fiddling with the radio in an attempt to find... well, anything, and trying to spot 10k from the window or mirror. She also ended up taking a little nap, which she had definitely needed. Not long before the next break they saw a stream, and June spent the last few minutes of the drive convincing her parents to let her go check it out. If the water was drinkable, they could take a car down and fill up the group's water supplies.

The moment the truck stopped she was down out of it, heading towards where 10k was. "I'm back!" She chirped brightly. "We noticed some water a ways back, and I was wondering if you'd like to come check it out? I sort of already told my parents you would, it was the only way to get them to agree to let me go instead of sending someone else. I really want to stretch my legs." Perhaps in an attempt to cut off any potential rejection before he started, the petite redhead flashed a few moments of puppy dog eyes.

He kept an eye on the green truck. It was a few vehicles behind them, and occasionally when they turned a curve he would lose sight of it. Every time they came back into view he would smile, and Doc, noticing, would smile as well. It was about time that the whipper-snapper had someone to be interested in. Maybe it would take his mind off of Cassandra.

Occasionally he'd catch a glimpse of a Blaster and he or another good shot would try to take it out. Those things were fast, though; they seemed to understand the rules of engagement as well, ducking under cover and falling back when it wasn't profitable to press on. These differences worried 10k. He knew the way that animals reacted and he knew the way that Zs reacted, and these things were acting more like people than Zs or animals. Warily he cast a glance back at the rear of the convoy as they pulled over for another break. It was nearly evening and they'd have to find a place to rest soon, or else switch drivers. It was dangerous to travel at night.

He saw the redhead spring from her truck and make it to his in less than a minute after they stopped. He tried not to smile at the attention, but it was a losing battle, and except for the one time Murphy cared to look in his direction he felt like that day was about to be his best day ever. "How, uh... how far back?" He squinted and looked to the rear of the caravan as if he could x-ray his vision through the hills. He glanced back at June and frowned at her deception. Who would let their kid go look for water with a stranger? Even pre-Z it was a bad idea. But she wanted to go, and he knew that she shouldn't go alone. "Uhm... okay. Yeah.. I guess." He nodded, his spiky black hair a mess after riding in the back of the truck for hours.

He found her gaze a little unnerving, having never had anyone look at him that way before. He frowned and adjusted his rifle. "Do you, ah...have something to put the water in?" Once they figured out what they were doing he began to walk with her, his eyes scanning for any signs of Zs or Blasters. If it wasn't for them, the scene would be considered idyllic. He saw something that looked suspicious and shouldered his rifle to look down the scope. It turned out to be a shirt snagged on a branch. He scanned the ridge and then decided it looked safe enough to continue. As far as he was concerned he was there to guard her, and if he failed then he'd have her parents to face afterwards, and he didn't want to be forced to do that.

She liked that he smiled at her. It was warming, in a pleasant sort of way. The kind of warm that wouldn't be a bother even in the worst heat. There was probably a better way to put it, but June wasn't all that poetic. She wished she were, but the fancy words had never come all that easily to her. She could talk someone's ear off, but she didn't always have the best words, she just babbled until she got her point across. It worked just fine, and some people even thought it was charming. "Not that far. Third of a mile, half at most? My parents are going to stick around if we're a few minutes late, and it's not like we won't be able to catch up. Plus if the water's clean the caravan will stick around longer so everyone can fill up everything they have." It was hard to know when they'd find clean water and be able to stop again, so it was only reasonable to go get what they needed right now as opposed to waiting and hoping. It wasn't all that far, and if they walked a little fast it wouldn't be an issue at all. Plenty of time.

If June found out the look worked, he'd have a problem on his hands, because she would not be afraid to take advantage of it to get him to do things with her. For now she just beamed when he agreed to go with her, looking delighted. "Thanks!" As for what to put the water in, she glanced back the direction she'd come from. "I'm gonna grab my bag from the truck when we go past it. I didn't want to get all my things if you didn't agree." It made sense. She didn't make him come too close, just darted to the truck she sort of called her home base when they got near, coming back with a small messenger bag. "Got a bottle, and I'm sort of hoping we'll find something I can gather for everyone to eat. Never a bad thing to have more food." With water sometimes came cattails. "I haven't had nearly as much zombie killing experience, but I'm pretty good at survival stuff. I mean... I know a lot about plants. I kinda wanted to be a botanist." She admitted it like someone would admit something ridiculous, because now it was. College and degrees had pretty much no meaning.

When he lifted the gun the redhead stopped completely, silent for a few moments until he lowered it back down. She didn't want to distract him, and if there was something there, better not to draw attention to themselves. June was decent with her knife, but she'd prefer not to have to fight. It wasn't her preference. Tactically avoiding the problem had worked for her okay until this point, until she did have to stab something in the face. And she did seem to have some skill just in her movements; the teen was very aware of her surroundings and most of the sounds that came when she walked were on purpose, because she wanted to talk to him, albeit more softly than she had been before. "This is the first time I've been alone with someone my age since I was..." she tilted her head slightly, counting backwards, "fourteen. I promised my dad I'd stab you -- just a little -- if you tried to get fresh." Apparently she was willing to just trust him, at least for the moment. "So don't do that. I think I'd like to be friends and I don't know if friendships survive stabbing." The redhead grinned at him, and then took a moment to sweep her hair off of her slender neck and twist it up into a tight bun. That was going to be less grab-able if they ran into any kind of trouble.

Just bluntly expressing an interest in getting to know him seemed like the right idea. It wasn't like they knew how long things would go without catastrophe, it made sense to make the best of things while they were good.

“A botanist?” He turned to look at her, wondering what kind of dreams where shattered for her when the outbreak happened. For him not a lot had changed; he and his dad had been living primitively for a long time, since his mom died, at least, and the first time he’d been in a hotel had been after the outbreak. Heck, he could drive a stick shift but he didn’t know how to operate a computer, not that computers mattered any longer. “So you were smart,” he said it as if it was a done deal. Anyone who thought of going to college had to be smart. Or rich. He never considered himself either.

As they walked he kept his eyes on the terrain. His ear was bent to her, but it wasn’t until she told him that she’d stab him if he tried to get fresh with her. That drew an embarrassed grin. “Oh… I wouldn’t know how – I ah… no. No need to worry.” He turned his face away to hide the spreading blush across his face and neck. Once he was able to swallow the lump that filled his throat he nodded. “Friends is good.” He had no idea what to say to her. On one hand, talking attracted Zs. On the other, she as cute and they were alone, where prying ears couldn’t tease him mercilessly about anything that was or wasn’t said, but he had no clue how boys talked to girls who they wanted to be ‘friends’ with.

“I don’t think I want to be stabbed,” he said quietly as they neared the water. It looked like the stream was safe… relatively. He didn’t see any signs of Zs or smell the stench of rotted flesh. They were always worried about drinking natural water that might have been washing over the decaying corpse of a Z, animal or otherwise. There was also the ‘normal’ concerns that came with dirty water. After a long look up and down the shore line he nodded to her. “I think it’s okay to get water,” he said, turning to watch their back. “We should hurry.”

"I was smart? Excuse you, I'm still at least as smart as I was at fourteen, if not more." June sounded indignant, but she was smiling and her expression didn't at all look like she'd taken offense to what he said. "Though admittedly I am much, much less prepared for college than I used to imagine I'd be at this age. What about you?" He'd had goals, right? Everyone did.

He was stammering, and while it made June feel a little awkward, she also thought it was cute. "I personally might not mind too much, but I gotta do what dad says." She paused and then, realizing what she'd actually said, turned a dark pink and stumbled over her words for a moment to get out an apology. "Oh my god that totally wasn't what I meant, oh jeez it just kind of popped out, I promise I'm not creepy." That was more flirt than she wanted and felt entirely too much like 'yeah I'd totally do you in the trees' for June's comfort. "sorry. I should stop teasing you. Its just really surprising you're not super intense and hard to talk to. You kinda give off that air from a distance. But like, you're just a normal person and that is a huge relief because I don't think I'd get along with super intense. I just... don't really know how to talk to people who aren't forty anymore."

Also she maybe had sort of meant it? She wasn't sure. He was incredibly attractive and seemed very nice, and June was at a loss on how to handle this. She was definitely wondering what it would be like if she got to lean against him. Being a teenager in the apocalypse super sucked. "I'm not totally sure what getting fresh with someone entails, actually."

When he mentioned the water, the redhead nodded. Picking up a rock the teen tossed it in, pausing for a moment. Nothing came crawling out of the few cattails growing on the edge of the lazy water and she stepped forward, pulling her bottle out of her bag and filling it about halfway up. Shaking it, she held it up to the light and squinted at it for a moment. "This should be fine. We have a few filters, so as long as there's nothing seriously wrong with it, we'll be fine. I want to go across and cut the cattails, though. I'd say they're worth their weight in gold food-wise, but gold isn't really worth anything now. Still." He'd get the idea.

Without really waiting, the young woman hopped across the stream, feet splashing quietly in the water as she went.

((I figure they run into trouble on the walk back. Victory followed by trouble followed by quiet moment and then everything goes to shit. Though if you want them to return without supplies that works too. Just repeatedly kick them down.

Also it is super fun to write June basically word-vomiting in order to keep a conversation and try to make 10k like her. Awkward flirting is the best flirting. ))

She was really sounding like she liked him, which wasn’t something that 10k was used to. He’d spent a great deal of time with just his dad. Interacting with others was still a strange thing, despite the over four years since the SHTF. He watched her throw the rock into the cat tails and thought about how he used to swim without a worry in the pond near his home, all those years ago. Nowadays he didn’t feel safe anywhere that he couldn’t see the bottom of the water. It had been a long, long time since he’d waded into dark water.

When she practically jumped in he didn’t know what to do. She was kind of crazy, he figured. Who would do that? Then he steeled himself and waded in with her, his rifle held high. Every tendril of stream weed, every minnow, was a Z’s hand reaching to grab him. He couldn’t stand the feeling of stepping into a heap of ‘bad day’. He waded across the water to where she was standing with the cat tails. “These things make me itch,” he shared as he looked at the strange hot-dog plants suspiciously. “I never thought to eat them.” He felt something brush his leg and it made him flinch, but then a silver fish streaked away and he let out a breath of relief. The water spooked him.

He found himself standing really close to her. The few plants that separated them were not much barrier at all, and he could practically feel Doc’s voice encouraging him. Go for it, kid! You only live once.

He licked his lips. “I, uhm, I don’t know exactly what it means to get fresh either. I haven’t even kissed a girl, other than my mother. But not in that way.” He quickly added as clarification. She was impossibly close to him. It would just take a little bit of something, but he wasn’t sure what. Why was it that people like Murphy, of all people, found people like that Pie Girl and hooked up without a second thought, but 10k felt all thumbs around girls?

Her hair was brilliant in the sunlight. He found his eyes trailing from her hair to her nose, her lips… his eyes caught a glimpse of something moving behind her. Had he not been staring at her he would have missed it. “Frack.” He unslung his rifle. “Get up that bank. Hurry!”

It wasn't that deep, and June was trying her best to stick to rocks. Really, knee deep in the worst places, so she wasn't super concerned. There was still the chance of getting grabbed, but most anything that was going to be able to take a bite out of her would have tried to get up when she'd tossed the rock. If anything, the water felt good. It was cool, and everything had been so dry and dusty with the trucks, that it was a relief to feel the cold. Which she definitely wouldn't still have felt if it were a few months later, but winter hadn't come yet so she wasn't thinking about it too much except for food and making sure she had the clothes.

"You might be allergic to the pollen. I don't know if a lot of people know that it's edible. A book I once read said that if you found cattails, you'd have three of the four things needed for survival. Water, because they always grow near water, food because you can eat them and fish like to swim near them, and shelter because the reeds can be woven for roofing. All you're missing is companionship. Anyway, they've got vitamins A, B, and C, and more starch than potatoes." She cut a few carefully, investigating for a moment, before setting to work trying to get as much as she could. When he flinched, she glanced back up at him. "You don't have to stand in the water with me. I'm sure you can keep just as good an eye on me from the bank, it's barely a foot away." But it did make her feel safer to have him right there.

He hadn't kissed a girl before? Really? "That's sort of surprising," June said after a moment. "I'd sort of expect you'd get all sorts of attention." Then again, not a whole lot people, so there was that. "I mean I--" she just sort of trailed off and focused on the reeds in front of her because she wasn't going to tell him she thought he was really good looking and would probably be totally willing to kiss him. It didn't even matter that much, because he spoke again, and his tone was very different.

"Frack? Really? It's the apocalypse, you can--" her joke about him about swearing was cut off by the most vehement utterance of "oh pinwheels!" the world had probably ever heard when she actually saw the zombies. She shoved the reeds in her hand into her bag, grip on her knife shifting to one better suited for stabbing things in the head, and scampered towards dry land.

((you always have new songs in your signature and if you're interested in finding new music, maybe try Frank Turner? I'm ridiculously obsessed))

(( He has a good sound. Is that your current favorite? Sorry this one is so short. I wanted to give June a chance to interact. ))


He put a hand on the small of her back to push her up the bank. 10k scrambled up beside her, then shouldered his rifle to take out the Blaster. It’s fast, direct movement was unmistakable, but when the thing swerved as he took aim the sharpshooter could have sworn the thing ducked. It ducked!

Another shot followed the first, and as the Blaster straightened, the bullet traveled low over the rise of the ground and took off the top of its skull. “Three thousand, nine hundred eighty-eight,” he murmured, sighting in the next Z and shooting it in the knee before taking the head shot. “Eighty-nine.”

He straightened and ran to catch up with June. The path between them and the caravan was riddled with shrubs and small clusters of scraggly trees, and they could hear a few gunshot and shouts from their friends. A few engines started up and sent a thrill of fear through 10k’s body. They were going to leave them behind! He shot at one that came up over the hill from the direction they were running, then something snagged his ankle and made him fall so hard it knocked the wind out of his lungs and the rifle out of his hands. Turning, kicking, he saw that a half-decayed Z had reached out from where it had ‘slept’ in a gnarly bush and grabbed his foot.

In literally any other situation, the touch probably would have flustered her a little. Right now, June didn't really notice it. She had much more important things to focus on, mostly not dying. For now, the redheaded teen just focused on getting back to the caravan. Without a gun she wasn't particularly well equipped for blasters, but as long as only came close she wouldn't have too much trouble. And 10k was impressive with the gun, so she was more focusing on what was within her immediate field of range and vision. If it came within she'd do what she had to, but right now running.

When she heard him hit the ground, June turned so fast she almost skidded and topped over herself. She went sprinting back towards him, foot lashing out to hit the zombie hard in the head before grabbing 10k's gun so he could just get up and taking a moment to stab the zombie in the head. If they could hear shouts and engines that meant they were close, and her parents would wait. his group might wait, too. She wasn't sure, but June knew for sure that her family wouldn't leave without her. She extended her hand to help him up, and then gave him his gun. "We're not that far away." It was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.

"My truck is closer, if things are bad there, you should just get in that one." He could lean out the window and signal to his friends or something. It was going to be better to get in the moving vehicle faster. "Was actually gonna ask if you wanted to ride with us anyway." It was the apocalypse, a girl had to know how to talk and kill at the same time. She wasn't sure if her parents would actually come out to the area she'd been heading off towards, but she hoped not. It might be possible to miss each other, and that thought stressed her out.

((I think my favorite is If Ever I Stray, but the music video for that is terrible.
Also, do we want to ruin June's family forever while 10k is in the car with them, or after he's gone back to his, so he has to run for her all dramatic-like?))

He looked at her with gratitude and admiration when she spiked the Z. She had been decisive and fearless, and surely could have left him to his fate and not been blamed by most. He leaped to his feet with her help, then grabbed his rifle. That moment of being unarmed and on his back had sent a flame of terror through his body. It was one of the worst feelings he had felt, aside from losing those he had come to care for.

A few more shots came from the caravan and the revving of the semi-truck’s engine designated that it was starting to roll. 10k could hear Doc shouting for him, and as June and he crested the hill he saw that the truck Doc was on was moving, and the hold man was hanging his head out the window and hollering for all he was worth. 10k raised his rifle in one hand in a wave as they ran towards the caravan, and Doc gave a whoop of joy at the sight of him.

“June!” Her mother’s voice cut through the chaos. Her father honked the horn in panicked insistence that she hurry. In answer to her question 10k turned with her to run to her family’s vehicle. A Blaster ran up and flung itself on the hood of their truck, its fist banging on the glass and causing her parents to flinch and swerve. 10k ran and shouldered the gun, then popped two bullets into the top of their attacker’s skull. It slid off the hood, leaving a bloody streak across the white paint like a trophy.

He jumped into the truck with June, and it was only after they were moving and it seemed like everyone had gotten out that he allowed himself a smile. He glanced at her and then caught the look that her father and mother were exchanging.

“It looks like you know how to handle yourself with that rifle, son,” June’s dad commented. “Where you military or something?”

10k shook his head. “No sir, I was nothing.”

"I find it hard to believe you were nothing. What did you do before the Zs came?"

"It was just me and my dad." He flushed a little when June's mom turned around to smile at him. It was odd to have that much attention focused on him.

"What about your mother, honey?"

10k shook his head. "She died when I was little."

"Oh. Oh.... I'm so sorry." She put a hand out and touched his arm. "Are you all alone, then?"

"I have my friends," he said, "Roberta, Doc.... Murphy, Addy..." he almost said Cassandra but she wasn't herself any more. Cassandra was gone, and all that was left was some emerging Z that was slowly getting more and more dangerous.

June would have been positively offended at the thought that she might leave him behind. It wasn't a choice she was willing to make, and certainly not in a situation she considered so cut-and-dry. It wasn't like there had been a hoard, but even if there had her initial response would have been the same.

There wasn't a ton of space in the back as they obviously hadn't been intending to take someone in without a minute or two of reorganizing, but June didn't seem to have any issues with being wedged between supplies and 10k, and took time to shove what she could onto the floor. Water, some books, a pillow and blanket, and some mostly empty containers of things that seemed to be for truck maintenance all got shuffled around so she wasn't basically pressed up against the gun wielding survivor's side. As much as she actually didn't think she'd have a problem with that.

"Hold still." Without any other kind of warning, her mother tugged her sleeve over her hand and reached out, wiping a smudge of dirt off of 10k's face. "The apocalypse is no reason to have a dirty face." June, equal amounts amused and embarrassed, raised an eyebrow. "Mom, the apocalypse is a perfect reason not to focus on cleanliness."
"Well fine, but I won't let my baby girl get stolen away by some boy with mud on his face!" The younger of the two redheads in the truck sunk down in her seat slightly, blush rising back up on her cheeks as she let out a long and rather exasperated "mom", dragging out the 'o' like the teenager it was easy to forget she still was. In the few minutes it took for them to know things were clear for the moment, June had settled back from an independent and combat capable young woman to a member of this warm family unit.

One that seemed more than willing to extend that warmth to 10k without questions.

"Your Murphy is The Murphy, right?" Perhaps predicting a negative response, June was fast to follow up her father's question. "It's not exactly that hard to tell," she said apologetically, "he's blue. It's... it's pretty noticeable."
"We aren't looking to fight," her father said, "my family doesn't start fights with the living." But he'd end them. It was perhaps worth wondering what kinds of things the broad shouldered, tan farmer had handled by himself to keep his daughter and wife as happy as they seemed to be in the middle of the apocalypse. "We'll veto it if anyone brings it up too, I just want to know if you're bringing extra outside danger with you." He made it sound so acceptable. It wasn't 10k's fault, these things just happened and he certainly wasn't going to let the new members of their group struggle without help. That just wasn't the way the Phillips family did things.

He felt odd when June’s mother wiped off the smudge of dirt, and it brought back distant memories of when his mother did the same thing. It was a memory he hadn’t thought of for years. The memory was sweet, like oranges in the dead of winter.

He looked almost scared when her father asked if his Murphy was ‘the’ Murphy. “Well, he’s… he’s not really ‘my’ Murphy. I just… we’re trying to get him to a lab in California. His blood has the key to the cure.” He swallowed, having just realized that June’s mother had suggested that he’d steal away their daughter. What was that supposed to mean?

“No one in my group is here to cause trouble. And… if Murphy does I’ll kill him myself. I hate him.” He leaned back in the bench seat, his troubled eyes taking in the landscape. He found himself constantly scanning the horizon and looking for signs of more Zs but it seemed as if, for the hour at least, they were safe.

June’s leg next to his was extremely noticeable. He’d never been as close for as long to a girl before. He’d traveled with them, sure, but that was girls like Roberta who wasn’t really a ‘girl’. She kind of scared him at first, to be honest. When the truck hit a bump his leg nudged Junes, and he didn’t move it away. He smiled at her and leaned his head against the head rest, content to let the drive pass with minimal conversation and deciding to catch a short nap if possible. As they rode he thought about the way June’s family was; they had their obvious love for each other, their protective nature, but there was a sweet, genuine family connection for them as well, and they extended it to him as soon as he stepped into their lives. That was the amazing part – they had a treasure in each other, and they were willing to share that with him.

Her mother just did things like that. She and June were very similar in that they both seemed comfortable with people very quickly, and the gentle smiles they both had would have connected them as family even if unbrushed red hair hadn't.

"That's what we heard. Good, we'll do what we can while you're with us. If you make it everyone benefits, after all." The family probably wasn't capable of making a long trip like that while defending from both survivors and zombies, so even if they'd wanted to try to grab Murphy, it would have been a bad idea. "You've done only good since joining," June piped up, "so I wasn't going to assume you wanted to cause trouble. Plus now you've fought zombies with me and that counts for something." Even if she'd been the one who had to turn back for him, he'd been pretty obviously there to look out for her, and she appreciated it.

When his leg bumped against hers, June glanced over at him and smiled back. She didn't move away either, because she liked the contact. It was simple, but to her it meant something. She just.... didn't know exactly what. Was it weird to just watch him for a minute or two? She hoped not, because 10k looked almost relaxed. She wanted to see that. After a moment she pulled the pillow out, nudging him gently. "Do you want the pillow? We've also got a blanket." She didn't move quite back to her position after nudging him, though she had no excuse for being against him, so she did have to move away. "You should both try to rest," her mother suggested, "I'm sure it's been a long time since you've been able to get decent sleep," she was clearly talking to 10k there, "the blanket should be large enough for both of you." Her tone was exceptionally mothering, clearly concerned about the well-being of the two and the lack of sleep the apocalypse brought.

Mr. Phillips grunted but didn't actually say anything about it, perhaps a little bit less than pleased at the idea of his daughter sharing a blanket with a strange man she seemed fond of, but he didn't actually say anything out it, either because his wife had already suggested it or because his daughter's happiness was more important to him than his concerns over a pretty PG thing.

The pillow, then the blanket, then the offer to sleep under the blanket with June, seemed to much to handle for him. They weren’t just inviting him into their little sanctuary – they were inviting him to be near their daughter. It made him both anxious and happy. He didn’t know exactly how to define it. Anxipy? Hapious? How could he describe the feeling of having his heart suddenly pound so hard that it almost tore through his chest?

“Thank you.” He made sure that his rifle was on ‘safe’ and leaned it against the door, then helped June to spread out the blanket over the both of them. The pillow was not very generous so it required them both to lay their heads near each other. He had the advantage of being in the corner; after a few shifts and ungraceful adjustments, he finally figured out that it would work better if she laid her head against him and they both leaned the same direction. He tucked his arm around her and found a comfortable spot, despite the awkwardness of being so close to a girl.

His dreams were strange; he was at home again with his father, but his father had a different voice. The woods were foggy and dark, but a light shined through, like that of a pair of headlights, and his dad was cursing. But his dad never cursed. His mother didn’t approve so none of them did. The house was jerking to the left and the right, there was screaming…

10k jerked awake. He heard June’s dad shouting and though it was getting dark, the shape of a Z crashing over the hood of the truck was unmistakable. The truck swerved, then swung back again. Small sharp flashes of light ahead were followed by the staccato of gunfire, as it became apparent that the entire caravan had come under attack. He looked over at June and saw that she was acting strange, her red hair seemed dirty and she seemed to be having trouble sitting up.... then she turned around and he saw that she had somehow become a Z!

"Peas and carrots!" he sat up, his eyes wide and his face pale. Mr. Phillips glanced up at the rear view mirror, squinting because the daylight was so bright, and gave their newest passenger a peculiar look.

"You okay, Son?"

10k was breathing hard. There were no Zs. It wasn't night. He looked over to where June's mother was sitting and she seemed to be fine. June was fine too. It had been a dream. He blinked, his pale face now becoming pink with embarrassment, and nodded. "Yes Sir. I had a bad dream." He pulled the blanket up over June's arm, the memories of what he had been dreaming quickly fading.

"Well, considering the circumstance, I can't say it's unexpected. It looks like the caravan is pulling over for another rest stop. We should all get out and stretch our legs. It's likely at this rate that we'll be driving through the night."

June hadn't even considered that they'd share the pillow, and there were a few half hearted attempts to argue he didn't have to share before she accepted the gesture. She seemed perfectly content to cuddle up next to him, shifting into a more comfortable position when his arm wrapped around her. This was something she liked very much.

She woke up when he did, straightening and looking concerned. When she realized there wasn't anything terrible going on, just tilted back down to where she'd been before. "Again with the not swearing." Not that she seemed to swear either. When he tucked the blanket around her, the redhead tilted her head up and smiled at him. "It's a good thing," her father said, glancing back again, "we could all benefit from staying civil." Though 'peas and carrots' was a little funny.

When everyone stopped she slid out after 10k, hesitating for a moment. "You should probably go back to your group," she said a little reluctantly. "I bet they're still concerned, and won't want you riding with someone else during the night. You didn't even really check in with them before. We'd love to have you back again though. Maybe tomorrow?" Or she could ride with them, but his friend group was a lot more menacing looking than her family. On a whim the young woman leaned in and kisses him on the cheek, but didn't seem quite brave enough to see the response because she fled promptly back to the truck, getting in the front passenger seat because it was her mother's turn to rest, and that happened best in the back seat.

The convoy drove for about five good minutes before the trucks in front stopped. Her father had to slam on the breaks to keep from rear ending the truck in front of him, and after a few moments unbuckled his seatbelt and rolled down the window cautiously, weapon in his hand. He leaned out a little bit after taking a moment to glance around to make sure the area was clear, before calling out "what's up?" What was up thudded onto the roof a moment later, and perhaps out of reflex, mr. Phillips looked up instead of rolling the window up. The zombie on the roof threw itself down, grabbing his head and ripped into his neck, pulling flesh and sinew away with it's teeth. A scream echoed from the truck, and for a few moments June thought it was her mother. But no, that had been her voice. Her first instinct should have been to fight, but as the thing in the seat that had used to be her father turned, eyes dead and mouth wide, all she could think was run, as paralyzed and confused as the first time she'd seen a zombie. Her mother struggled with the thing for a few moments but June didn't know if she was alright or not. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, tumbling out of the truck, off balance because the zombie had grabbed her. The knife she had at least thought to get out fell out of her hand, and she hit the ground, head whacking something hard. It stung, but she couldn't really think about that right now. The zombie was basically on top of her, and the young woman had her hand under its jaw to keep it from biting her.

She should have been more prepared. Stronger. But it was so different when it was family and not the shopkeeper who used to sometimes give her a donut or the neighbor they'd bought a puppy from after his farm dog had a litter. This was her father, who she'd seen every day, who'd saved her life so many times just by always seeming to know what to do or say. For a moment she just wanted to give up. What was the point? But it only lasted a moment before she snapped back. She couldn't just let go now; there were still people left. Plus, if she gave up here, that would be one more zombie that might kill the people she cared about. And her poor mother would lose everyone in one day. Reaching out, her fingers curled around a large rock and she swung it upward, knocking the zombie enough to the side she could roll out from under it. She hit her father -- no, the monster -- with the rock again, and once she'd started she didn't stop until his face was no longer recognizable, though the thing had stopped moving a bit ago. Blood was splattered splattered across her hands, red, wet, and warm. She knew she should get up and move, but it was like her mind was shouting at her from too far away to be heard clearly. The rock slipped out of her hands and she managed to pull herself to her feet, a little unsteady.

He stopped when he got out of the truck and stretched as he looked up and down the road. It seemed pretty quiet aside from their caravan. He nodded his thanks to June’s parents, watching as Mrs. Phillips climbed into the back and began to make herself a little bed where 10k and June had napped earlier. He could still feel where she had wiped at the smudge on his face, and the motherly gesture had made it’s imprint on him with a feeling of warmth that remained in his heart. June suggested that he go check on his people and he nodded, but he didn’t expect the kiss on the cheek. He put a surprised hand up to catch the kiss, as if it might fly away once she moved back.

When he got back to his group Murphy grinned at him and Doc smacked his arm. “Hey hey hey,” Doc said as he pulled 10k up onto the back of the flatbed. “See you made a friend.”

Murphy made a circle with his thumb and forefinger and stuck the index finger into it. “It’s about time, Mr. Never-seen-porn.”

“She’s not that kind of friend,” 10k blushed and settled in with his back to the semi cab. His gaze went over the other trucks and cars, catching a glimpse of June’s and smiling. The truck rumbled and started moving, and soon they were all back on the road heading towards the freeway. Not too long afterwards the truck he was riding on slammed into the vehicle in front of them. He heard Roberta shouting and gunshots, and stood up in time to use his slingshot to take out a Z climbing over the side. "Three thousand, nine hundred ninety.”

“Murphy, do something!” Doc had a spear like stick that he was using to shove the Z off the flatbed, but among the ‘normal’ Zs were a few Blasters. The intelligence in their eyes was terrifying.

“I can’t!” The blue man had his hands out as if he was trying to focus some magical beam at their attackers. The things didn’t flinch, though, and Murphy was being driven to his knees from the effort. 10K slung another jagged washer from his slingshot and pierced the eye of the Blaster, but the projectile must not have gone deeply enough. The thing kept moving. “Kid! Shoot it!”

“Three thousand, nine hundred ninety-one, ninety-two….” He raised his eyes over the scope once the two offenders were cleared. There, at June’s truck – a Z had grabbed her dad through the window. He heard her screaming. “No. NO!”

He leaped off of the flatbed and sprinted towards June’s family, despite the yells coming from Doc to be careful. Along the way he smashed a Z across the head with the butt of his rifle and shoved another under a rolling wheel. He was shoved back when one of the caravan members nearly pushed him to the ground in her haste to escape the attackers, but 10k couldn’t worry about them now. He got up and continued to run, but he saw June under her father, no… he was a Z now… and his heart clenched. “NO!”

Just as he was about to pull the trigger she pushed herself up and smashed and smashed with a rock, destroying the thing that used to be her father. He saw her destroy the thing, and then struggle to get up, just as her mother’s body shambled out of the truck.

Her mother… 10k stopped and stared for a moment. The woman who had smiled at him so sweetly, who had made him feel safe and loved… she was gone. He raised his rifle, and as the Z moved towards June, he eased the trigger back until he felt it release. The bullet traveled at three thousand, five hundred feet per second, and took out the brain before the Z reached its target.

“Ninety-three.” He slung his rifle and ran the rest of the way to June. He caught her as she stood up, and it seemed that for the moment, at least, they could catch their breath. Up ahead 10k’s friends had fought off some of the Zs and though the caravan had lost a great deal of members it didn’t seem like they had been defeated. “June... June… I’m so sorry.” He swallowed and looked down at the thing that had been her dad. “Are you okay?” His eyes searched her for signs of a bite. “Are you hurt?”

The sound of gunfire so close was enough to catch her attention through the fog in her mind, and June watched the body of her mother hit the ground. It hadn't even registered that she'd been turned but a moment later 10k was there, and if he'd shot her, she had to be a zombie. It was how she made the connection in the first place, because it just hasn't registered.

"No." No, she wasn't okay at all. How could she be? "I hit my head." She couldn't even check to find out how bad it was because her hands were covered in zombie blood. She held them out slightly, almost childlike in posture simply because she refused to touch anything with her bloodied hands. She couldn't even reach out for him, though she wanted to desperately, because while blood wasn't really all that big of deal, whose it was... well, that was.

Hesitantly the redhead wiped her hands on her plaid shirt, and then tugged it off, revealing a green shirt with a flower on it. She dropped the fabric in the dirt, because it was useless now. Honestly, even if she could have cleaned it before the blood stained, June wasn't sure she'd be able to wear it again. If things had actually calmed down and stayed calm, she could get a jacket from the car, or something else to cover her arms again. It felt a little weird to have her arms exposed. A decent long sleeved shirt could protect against nips, after all.

She was still managing not to cry. That was just... more energy than June had for the moment. She wasn't sure she could even if she wanted too right now.

She looked up at 10k helplessly, eyes pained. "What now?" June hated to be weak, but she just... didn't know what to do anymore. There might have been survivors from the caravan, but to her, everything was gone. Well, everything but her new friend. And June had never been alone before. Her parents had always been there.

That was why her mother had turned. Because she hadn't been strong enough to protect both of them and do what she needed to when it was time. So her mother got bit trying to protect her. And 10k had to kill her to protect June.

"10k! We gotta go!" Roberta was shouting at him from the front of the caravan. "Move it!"

He took off the brown scarf he had been wearing and unfolded it, then wrapped it around June's shoulders. "Let's get your stuff and go. That's what we have to do; we have to keep on moving." A Z came around the front of the truck and 10k took his sling and sent a metal nut through it's skull. "You can stay with me but we gotta get going." He could hear the sounds at the front of the caravan as people were moving some of the vehicles.

Doc ran back to the two of them. He was huffing and out of breath, his hair stuck out at the sides of his head like a mad scientist's. "Hey kid!" His footsteps slowed when he saw what had happened. "Oh, man... I'm sorry, kiddo." He looked over at June. "You should come with us. The first truck got taken; your leader, the guy who was taking you all to Alaska? He's gone." He arched his neck to look at the truck that June's family was in. "Looks like your tire's shredded. We got two cars up front. We gotta go."

He nodded toward the truck. "Take the water and whatever else you need, but don't take too long. It's getting dark and I'm sure that noise attracted attention."

Being given directions seemed to help because June nodded and moved quickly back to the truck. First to the front where she grabbed her bag and shoved a book, and a jacket in before tugging on another plaid button up, green this time. Yes she owned more than one, hush. It was basically standard for farms. She grabbed the water and her father's machete -- which got shoved into her belt with the sheath, to be properly attached later -- and then moved to the back doors of the truck and pulled them open with a tiny bit of struggle . She stepped in and picked up two plastic grocery bags from within without speaking, just carrying them in the hand that didn't have the jug of water. She followed the men back to the group, who didn't seem all that surprised to see her. Or if they were, it didn't last because the expression on her face was enough to let anyone know what had happened.

"What have you got?" It was a lot to come carrying, and it seemed pretty natural that Addy would be curious, though not pushy -- everyone had stuff they didn't want to show to strangers. June opened up one bag to reveal vacuum sealed packets of fruit; the same kind she'd brought to 10k earlier. Sliced apples, strawberries, and blueberries, and a jar of pickles. "Oh my god." It was about all Addy could say, and it seemed about right. It was a lot of food, at least for people who had gotten used to going more than a day without. "I'm sorry, I don't know what truck the cheese was in. Is this enough?" She wasn't sure if there was a 'price of admission', but this much food and a gallon of water was good, right? "I can go back and try to find more...." There were a few shambling zombies still milling about, but she could probably make it. She'd have to go by the bodies, though. She was less sure about that. "No." Roberta was firm, "we have to go. Pick a car and get in." One bag went with the other car, and June stuck close enough to 10k that there wasn't really any question about where she wanted to be.

Once everyone was in and the car was moving, she pressed herself up against 10k. She just needed physical contact, and he hadn't seemed to mind before. "Thank you." For coming for her. For saving her. For bringing her with him. And for letting her use his scarf, which she slightly reluctantly unwound from around her and offered back, managing to get it done while still firmly glued to his side.

"Do I get to pick my nickname or does it get assigned?" Doc glanced back, one grayed eyebrow raised. "Huh?"
"I mean, 10k, Doc, The Murphy... There seems to be some nickname habit in this group, I just want to know if I get to pick or I have to wait and get assigned one." She was trying. June knew she couldn't just sit there and stare at the back of the driver's seat. So she was pulling herself together as best as she could for the moment, forcing her usual personality out. Fake it 'till you make it, right?

((First time they find a house, June is sleeping with 10k. At least literally. Even if they both have to sorta half sit on a couch))

He frowned when she asked if her food and water was 'enough', as if she had to bring some kind of dowry to the group. She had just lost her parents! He still felt the pain of shooting her mother's body to give her mercy. He was thankful when Roberta laid down the law and made everyone get in. Doc took the driver's seat this time, leaving 10k and June in the back seat. The old shrink adjusted the rear view mirror and gave 10k a thumbs up sign, then started the car and sent them careening down the road.

10k pressed his lips together. Doc was always on his side, but sometimes it felt like pressure.

He let June sit really close to him, so close that he had to put an arm around her to fit comfortably, but she didn't seem to mind. Then she unwrapped his scarf and put it around his neck, and all he could do was watch her. His eyes widened slightly when her fingers brushed his neck, sending a shiver of pleasure down into his core. What was that?
She was so pretty. Did she know how pretty she was?

He realized that he was staring and the blinked and looked away. He unconsciously licked his lips as he scanned the landscape for signs of threats. It was getting dark and they'd have to find some kind of shelter soon.

Doc chuckled at her question about nicknames. "I guess that you get to pick your nickname. 10k picked his, I am a doc, and Murphy, well... he's just Murphy. Other people call him 'the Murphy' but to us he's just Murph." He pulled a roach from above his ear and stuck one end in his mouth. He reached down and pushed in the lighter, then when it popped out he lit the joint and inhaled. "Ah... want some?" His offer was accompanied by him pinching the end and holding the lit joint out towards June.

10k was looking down at her, noting the way the setting sunlight lit up her scarlet hair. "I like 'June'. I think your name is nice." He nodded at her, and then a tiny smile crept to his lips. He looked like he was about to blush again.

"Roberta's found a place," Doc announced as the cars turned off the road and went down a long dirt driveway, towards what looked like a small farmhouse. The animals were gone and the field was overgrown; it hadn't been worked in a long time. As the car's headlights moved along the white fence line they could see some signs of movement, but whether it was Z or human was hard to tell.

10k eased himself out of the car, careful not to jab June with his gear. As he stretched by the sedan Roberta and Javier Vasquez started to direct the others. "I want Murphy and 10k to help Vasquez clear the house," she was saying, her take charge attitude comforting in the chaos of their everyday situation.

"I'm not going in there." Murphy was leaning up against the car with Cassandra on his arm. "There could be Blasters in there. They don't listen to me."

"Murph, you are our--"

Vasquez put a hand on Roberta's arm. "He's right. He's the mission; we shouldn't be risking him." He glanced over at 10k. "It's you and me."

10k nodded. He was still standing with June, but at the order he gave her a small smile of encouragement and extracted himself from her side. He and Vasquez went into the front door and soon disappeared. Roberta looked over at the newest member of their group. "You doing okay? I'm sorry about your folks back there."

If anything, the arm around her seemed to comfort the red haired teen; when she first leaned against him she was stiff and tense but she relaxed, snuggled up against him, and while she definitely didn't manage to get any rest, she could at least close her eyes and not feel... ill. That was good. June hadn't thought twice about the fact that instead of just handing the scarf back she'd actively put it on him, but it had been perhaps a bit of an odd gesture.

She didn't seem to notice the staring, probably because unless she was speaking or being spoken too, her focus appeared to be just on the back of the seat.

"I'm not so good at nicknames, so if I don't need one, I think I'm good." 10k said he liked it and she turned a tiny bit pink, entirely distracted from what had happened not long ago, at least for a few seconds. "Well, that's another strong point in favor of not attempting to invent one." When Doc offered her weed she blinked, and then shook her head. "No thank you," she said with a surprising politeness. For a moment she considered asking if it was a good idea to smoke and drive, but since 10k wasn't saying anything, she didn't.

The farmhouse seemed to distress her slightly, but it wasn't any kind of real issue. June understood reality. Just because things brought back memories didn't mean they didn't have to take advantage of them. A farm was a great place to spend the night; out of the way of main roads, plenty of things to use to blockade it if it wasn't already boarded up. She slid out of the car last, sticking close to his side. Not pressed up against him anymore, but still close.

Having 10k gone seemed to leave the young woman tense and uncomfortable again. She didn't know any of these people yet -- besides Doc, who she found a place standing closest to but not nearly as close as she'd been with 10k -- and when Roberta spoke June looked almost surprised. She supposed it made sense that these people would all be caring; 10k was, and it was reasonable that the people he was with were the same. "Better than expected but not as good as I was hoping," she answered after a moment. "I'm... still kind of..."
"It's to be expected." It would be bordering on cruel to make her spill everything even when she didn't want to, and it seemed that the redhead would, simply because she hadn't yet found herself fully comfortable with the group and didn't want to end up on her own because they ejected her.

She watched the door carefully, looking for any sign of movement from inside the house. Hopefully they'd be out soon; just not having 10k around was stressing her out, her mind was going to the worst possible outcomes.