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What Do You Fear? [randomname98766789 and Amaranthine]

“Trust me, you are stuck with me for a long time, Alicia. You won’t get rid of me that easily…” Bryce found a way to maneuver some humor into the moment. After all, the tension was thick and palpable. When their bodies connected, however, that tension started to fade. Bryce found himself slipping into a relaxed state. They were not even close to being alone right now, but Alicia was the only person Bryce could see right now. Nothing else mattered to him right now, his large hands resting on her waist. The female was still on top of him and Bryce did not want her to move.

“You will always get to see me again, Leeshie. You know I could never leave you.” Bryce paused again, letting his forehead rest against hers, which allowed the tips of their noses to touch again. Someone looking at them might be shocked at just how affectionate they were. It wasn’t just because they nearly lost each other they were acting like this, though, as they were often acting this way around one another, so it was nothing new to Bryce.

“Likewise… I was so worried about you. I’m sorry that I didn’t find a way to get into the helicopter with you. I should have never let us be separated like that.” Again, Bryce didn’t have a choice in the matter since Alicia and himself may have not even made it out that compound without his actions. Therefore, he just had to deal with it. He would rather spend a short time away from Alicia so they could both live instead of risking both their deaths by being stubborn and sticking right next to her. He knew that being by each other’s side each moment wasn’t realistic or doable.

“You don’t need to thank me, Alicia. I feel the same way about you. You’re all I need, too.” Bryce whispered softly, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. “I love you so much, Alicia. You mean so much to me.” Bryce whispered, his hands now slowly moving up to go through her hair. The smile was growing on his face with the touch. He looked deep into her eyes, not wanting to even take a second to look away from her. Those green orbs made him feel at home. Bryce continued smiling at her as he thought about his next move.

Reality was beginning to sink in. Bryce was still high from a flurry of positive emotions from seeing Alicia again, sure, but he was now beginning to realize he didn’t even ask her what happened. Plus, it was the elephant in the room, er, ranch, rather, but where was Travis? The last time Bryce saw Travis, he was in the helicopter with Alicia. Why would he be separated from her if he had the choice? He didn’t ask her directly, though. As much as he did like Travis, because he seemed like a nice guy and always treated Madison well from what he knew and Alicia never had any terrible complaints about him, Alicia was still his own priority.

“Babe… what happened to you? Are you hurt or anything?” On the outside, other than the usual dirt and grime that they accumulate from living the way they lived, Alicia did not appear to have any noticeable marks or bruises, which was good. He wanted to know what happened and he wanted to know if she was okay or not. That’s his next order of business.

--
Molly made it real. By that, Nick did not even consider the possibility of Anna dying until Anna’s best friend said something. No, Nick was not naïve enough to think that things would just work out okay. At the same time, Nick also did not think he would have to prepare for life after Anna. It was one thing to go through life without her because of breaking up. On the other hand, it was entirely different to think about trying to live life without Anna by his side. That shit hurt. Nick needed Anna to live.

“Yeah, you’re right. She can’t die. She won’t.” This time, unfortunately, Nick didn’t feel too confident when he said it. It became difficult to think. Partially, that was attributed to the entire situation where Anna was fighting for her life. The feelings were exasperated by the way Molly continued to chat and talk, running her mouth about morphine and Tylenol and everything else. Nick assumed the doctors tending to Anna were skilled and qualified, probably not needing her input. Nick already had a headache and she was adding to it, so he rubbed his temple with both hands. Nick didn’t know what to do.

Although Nick wanted to ask Molly to tone it down, for both his sanity and for the sanity of the doctors working with the female, Nick resisted because he did not want to deal with her wrath right now. When it came to Anna, Molly did not always act reasonably in Nick’s eyes, so he was not even going to test those waters right now. Besides, he figured the doctors could speak for themselves if she was bothering them for whatever reason. Nick just had to realize that everything was out of his control now. She was in the doctor’s hands.

The next few minutes went by rapidly. As soon as Josh entered, Nick could only see the color of red. He wanted to beat the living shit out of the soldier. Granted, it was not a good idea. Could Josh kick his ass? Probably. But, Josh wouldn’t stop a bullet or a knife if he could get his hands on one. Dramatic, maybe, but Nick was fuming. He didn’t care who this man thought he was. He still played a role in what happened to Anna. He even wondered if Josh was the one that fired the shot. Oh, if Anna didn’t make it, he was probably going to do something he would regret.

Josh would be dealt with hater. Now? Nick needed to be here for Anna. Molly decided to strike up a conversation once she calmed down, which he did not mind at all. It was a whirlwind of a story to tell when she asked whether they had been together since the beginning. “I wish, but not quite. Almost.” Wasn’t it ironic that his usage of drugs and the signs of his drug use would lead the military to think he may have shown signs of being infected, which led to him reuniting with Anna?

“We actually met up together on accident. We were both being detained in the same military outpost back near the old neighborhood just outside LA. We met up there and have stuck together since then. I’ve been so much better with her back in my life. I hope she would have the same thing to say about me, too. I just… I don’t know what I’d do without her, Molly. This is a shitty world but Anna is the only good thing here for me. I was too stupid before to realize it, but now I do. I want the chance to tell her that.”
 
"You had to do what you had to do, Bryce. You were looking out for me, everyone at least got out of there. If we had tried to stay together we might not have even made it out of there alive." The reality that their separation had been necessary in order to even see each other again didn't relieve the sting of having to part and the fear that had settled in to Alicia's bones over the last day, however. Though their noses were pressed tip to tip Alicia wanted different, and she tilted her head to press a soft kiss straight to the tip of Bryce's nose. "But seriously... Never again. We have already been parted way too much and every time it just feels like we're playing a game of chance and one of us isn't going to be there on the other side. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, babe."

Of course, then Bryce started getting worried over her and how she was. It always warned Alicia's heart whenever her beloved doted over her well being, making it explicitly clear that she was what came first in his life. She did need to give him the run down of what her life had been like since they split back at the depot, though - and as much as Alicia was physically okay, her mental wellbeing after those events wasn't quite at its peak. "I'm.... I'm okay. Rattled, for sure, and a little sore but okay. The helicopter went down, we were shot at. Travis.... He got shot. He fell out of the helicopter and I couldn't stop it because Nick's girlfriend was dying in my lap and, well, her. We were pretty damn sure that she wasn't going to make it back here. For someone who looks borderline anorexic she weighs more than you would think. But dead weight is dead weight I guess. The guy that was with us, uh Jake I think? He carried her most of the way. Thank God he was okay otherwise I wouldn't have made it back to you at all and she would be dead."

Alicia didn't even know how to properly talk about what had gone on but the main point was there - she was okay. Just being back with Bryce was helping her feel better mentally, and it was a miracle that she hadn't gotten more than a couple very minor scrapes, all from trekking through the bush on the way back here. All she knew was that there was nowhere she wanted to be except in her husband's arms, and she held on to him tight. "What about you? Are you okay? Obviously you got back here easier than I did, but did any of those people try anything?"

----

To Molly it was all a strange series of events - it was almost more plausible for the pair to have been seeing each other again before shit hit the fan. The end of the world had a way of tilting the whole world on its axis, however.

"Why do I feel like that must have been a shit show at the start?" Molly laughed quietly, slowly waving her fingers a few inches away from her cooing infant's face. Molly was quite capable of being a loud person, but for the most part her way of speaking was excited yet softspoken - a couple more years and recovery from addiction had mellowed her out a bit. It was a rhetorical question, though. She knew Anna like the back of her own hand. Molly didn't know that they'd been stuck on a boat in the beginning at that - Anna Dawson, forced in to close-quarters cohabitation with someone she definitely had never gotten over and definitely had still blamed at least a little bit for everything that had gone wrong. "Oh yeah - cause she's a fuckin' shit show. My favourite one, don't get me wrong, but one nonetheless."

"... Y'know, I can't say for sure what's going on in her head, but I do know that there was never another you." Molly almost followed up with more, but elected not to. She could tell Nick about the way she had found her best friend later on that evening, the overdose, the somehow deeper spiral that Anna had gone down - but that wouldn't do anyone good. Molly wasn't Anna and as much as she loved the younger woman to pieces, she was very very aware of... well, everything. She was especially aware of the fact that, though the circumstances of the break-up were not how things should have happened, Nick had made the right decision for at least at the time. It was only a couple early mornings before the pair split that she had told Anna she would deserve it if she lost him, which was something that Molly still did believe. Anna had deserved to lose him back then - she had taken advantage of the fact that he loved her and would put up with her shit seemingly indefinitely.

"Look.... Josh slipped me a joint when he came in. You wanna step out? We're not helping anyone in here, Anna's not going to wake up for a little while yet, and you could probably use some old fashioned stress relief."
 
Alicia might have been okay physically, but mentally seemed to be another story. A deep frown showed on his face when she admitted Travis’ face. The fact that she had to see it happen broke his heart into so many pieces. “Babe…” He whispered softly, just looking into her eyes. Maybe it was stupid, but Bryce felt like a failure. It was his responsibility to take care of her, to keep her safe from all harm, to keep her from seeing anything horrible in this cruel world. Yet, he was not there for her. Again, they established that it was okay he wasn’t there. There was no way he could have joined her on the helicopter. Somehow, he still felt awful and felt like he should have been able to protect her.

Once she finished talking, he honestly did not know how to respond. So, he decided on keeping his arms wrapped around her waist and shoulders, hugging her against his chest. “I love you so much, Alicia.” He figured it was a good starting point, just reminding her of how much he loved her and how much she meant to him. Hopefully, he would be able to soothe her worries. “Alicia. I’m so sorry you went through this. But, now, everything will be alright. You’re safe now. I will help you get through this. I promise.”

Bryce would not have thought about himself or how he was doing if Alicia had not asked him. He had been so focused on her. “I’m okay. Nobody tried anything. I’m shocked, but everyone here so far has been pretty nice. They have these living quarters. The rooms aren’t big, there are two bunk beds in each and we were assigned one with your mother and she made sure to get one for Nick and Anna, too.” Whether Nick and Anna would use it remained to be seen. Bryce and Alicia were obviously going to share a bed.

“Why don’t we get you to our room and get you cleaned up? Some fresh clothes, too? I’ll walk with you.” Bryce whispered, still holding onto her hand tightly. He just did not want to let go of her. “But, you’re right. I will never, ever let you out of my arms again. I will never do anything where I have to take my eyes off you. Each time we are separated, it is rough and I can’t even imagine a life without you. That’s not a life I would want to live. You are my wife, you are my universe. You are my entire world. I could not imagine a life where you are not beside me. I love you so much.” Bryce whispered softly, just to remind her how much he loved her as they walked.

--

“I don’t know… I don’t think I want to leave her right now…” Nick replied at first. And now, he reached up with his index finger to rub at his eye. God, he hated crying. It made him feel so weak. After all, how did he deal with emotions before? He would usually just get high and forget about everything. That was not an option right now and he had been sober for quite some time. Now, he was feeling emotions more directly and he was terrified that Anna was not going to be okay. Even though it was a miracle that she had already survived this far, he was just worried. How could he not be? Now, he was sure Molly felt worried as well, but she seemed to be holding it together.

“I just… I can’t lose her, you know? I’ve felt what life is without her beside me. It’s shitty. It’s real shitty. Even though the world has gone to hell, she’s been by my side pretty much this entire time. Despite what’s happening around us, I’ve been happy, because of her. “Nick admitted to Molly. “God, I know you’re never going to let me hear the end of it if I break down in tears in front of you. She wouldn’t; either.”

Nick finally wiped his face one more time and decided to take her up on that offer. “You know what, let’s do it. I’m sure it won’t hurt anything to step out for a little and just relax. I could use it.” The male commented, now standing up. Before they would walk out of the infirmary tent, he would just have to look back and steal one more glance at Anna, trying to not convince himself to stay. Anyone that could see Nick right now would see how much he loved her. He might not have always been good with articulating his feelings verbally, but it was quite clear how much she meant to him because of how torn up he was about this.

Finally, he stepped out and took a deep breath of fresh air, now outside the tent. He was still nervous, but seeing her in that state had not helped. It was good to get a break. “Just a little bit… then I want to go back in there beside her.” Nick spoke, looking to Molly. “Thanks for this. I probably would have worried myself to death if all I did was sit there and watch her.”
 
Besides being reunited with her beloved, hearing that there were beds and clean clothes awaiting them was one of the best things Alicia had heard in days. "I dont think anything sounds better than cleaning up and a nice warm bed. Next you're going to tell me that they have hot showers too and if you do, I'm just going to love you so much more than I already do.... If that's even possible."

After a long day, Alicia had no problem at all walking hand in hand with her husband to their new "home". No one was sure how long they would be here, they hadn't exactly come because they wanted to after all, but even just a night of peace and quiet with Bryce was the best idea that Alicia had ever heard of. The cabin was rather plain but even that was inviting - they had been on the move since leaving the hotel, after all. Before even taking time to change she fell back on to a lower bunk, head to pillow, and smiled towards her husband.

"This is exactly what I needed," she said with a grin - Bryce's presence was obviously a vital part of it. She didn't want to sully the bed more than she had to, though, and reached towards Bryce. "Is there a shower somewhere? If so I definitely want one before getting changed. Wash my hair for me, my dear - I'll do the same for you." It wouldn't be the end of the world if she couldn't, but Alicia found so much giddiness in the little acts of physical intimacy. As it had been made clear, she would be perfectly content if they were never out of touching range ever again.

---

"Oh, she'll probably ride your ass about it a bit, but she will mean well. Me, though... I don't know what I'll do if the moment I get her back she's gone for good, so don't worry. I'm not going to mock you for having feelings while our girl's in trouble, not today at least." Molly adjusted her son in to the carrier strapped empty against her chest, and before Nick had a chance to stand up she ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to be comforting.

"You and me might be the only two people who really care about how this turns out. But the good news is, as bad as it sounds... If she was a lost cause, they would have stopped working on her by now." It was a very good thing, as shitty as it sounded. In a world like this there was no room to waste medical supplies on people who genuinely wouldn't make it. They walked out of the tent and Molly pulled a lighter out of her pocket. She angled her boy's head away from Nick before lighting the joint, being as careful with him as she could, and took a couple puffs before handing it off. "I don't particularly want to blow smoke in your face so I'm sorry if it happens, but you are a willing participant in this activity and the baby would not enjoy it. Oh yeah - this is Noah. I guess in a way he's your nephew."

"How have you been anyways? Been a couple years since I last saw you... spoke to you, anyways. Saw your face here and there once in a while but it felt a little wrong to go say hi given... well, everything. For what it's worth I didn't think any less of you for walking away, I just... It was quite the mess I walked in on that night and I wish the circumstances had been a little different. Has she been good to you this time around?" That line was a stark reversal from Molly's attitude the last time around - this was the same girl who had once threatened to castrate him if he'd hurt Anna. She also had not been blind to everything that had happened and knew that one of the pair was much better at being a nice person than the other.
 
When Alicia adorably reached out for him, Bryce did not even hesitate to reach back out, too. Their hands touched and he listened to her speak about showers. “Well, get ready to love me even more than you already do. Yes, there are showers here in this place. Running water – hot water. I knew you’d want us to share one together, so I wasn’t about to take any break or rest until I knew that you were safe. By the way, you really know how to tug at my heart strings, telling me that I could wash your hair.”

Bryce smiled at her when she said this because she was probably already fully aware of how much fun he had when he could play with her hair – from twirling it around his fingers while they cuddled before they fell asleep to washing her hair in the shower. All of it was great. “So, here’s my plan. I’ll get the water running. I’ll grab some towels for us. You can look in our bags and pick out some new clothes. Pick something for me, too.” Bryce always appreciated it when Alicia would tell him to pick something out for her. He loved doing the same for her, too!

“When you have that, come on in when you’re ready.” The shower was actually just a few feet away. The bathroom was small, not leaving a lot of room for anything. Either way, the male opened up the small door and entered inside, moving towards the lone shower stall before reaching in, turning the water on to let it run and get warm while he waited for his wife to join him.

--

Frankly, Nick was shocked when Molly took this tone with him. His eyebrow quirked a bit and he looked at the woman, waiting for the punchline or the joke, but he could read sincerity on her face. Interesting. Nobody could have blamed Nick for leaving when he did. That was obvious. “How have I been? That’s a loaded question, Mols.” Nick replied with a chuckle as he took another puff of the joint when it was handed to him, using the chance to exhale as a moment of thinking, clarity. “I have been… miserable. The day that I left Anna was only the start. Everything went downhill from there. I let myself spiral out of control. I was just in and out of rehab, making my mother and my sister hate me even more.”

Obviously, Nick did not want them to hate him. But, if quitting drugs had been as simple as just making himself stop, he would have done that before and worked on getting their trust back, earning their love. “To tell you the truth, I was a dumbass. Yeah, I get it. I walked in on her with another guy but I never gave her the time to explain. I always did say that my one unbreakable limit for a relationship is cheating. If that happened, then it was over immediately, but I should have known better. I should have known she wouldn’t have done that to me if there wasn’t a good reason.” Clearly, Nick did not quite know the full story here, but he suspected that something was not as it seemed.

“I hate myself for it. I hate myself every day for it because I think about how much happiness I could have had since we have been apart. I think about the possibility that she might have tried to move on and how fucking jealous it makes me even though it shouldn’t. I think about everything that’s going on today and in the world around us in general… it makes me realize that people you love are worth fighting for, even when things go bad. I walked away when something bad happened and I paid the price for it. I don’t mean to be all doom and gloom on you, though. That’s just the truth. I felt like a walking sack of shit the last few years.”
 
Boy did Alicia's grin grow a thousand times as soon as Bryce told here that there was in fact hot showers waiting for them. There was nothing that girl could want more than hot water, cleaning up and a few moments of peace and quiet with her beloved. It was a sweet kind of intimacy with their bodies bared to each other, vulnerable and always sweet with each other - even in the moments where that sweetness had turned sexy. "Oh, you know how much I love it when you play with my hair. You know it really well, and you also know how much I love being able to tangle my fingers in yours as well," Alicia said in return as she moved her body in to a sitting position. She scanned the room looking for their bags for a second, and as soon as she located them the young woman moved to her feet.

"How about you pick mine out too? It's a special occasion, we're back together once again. You and me, the unbreakable pair. I'm sure there's bound to be something pretty in there that you'd appreciate. I think I picked up some cute sandals before we left the hotel too, and there's no better time for comfy toes than when we're not going to have to be on the run. Might be a sun dress in there too. I'm looking forward to being able to dress up a bit for once instead of having to be practical." As she spoke she rifled through Bryce's belongings, eventually settling on her favourite pair of jeans and a well-fitting t-shirt that suited his body perfectly.

Pleased with her choice, Alicia stripped down by the beds and made her way towards the shower, slipping in behind her beloved to sneak her arms around her waist and pull herself close to him. For a second she was unable to move, simply breathing in her husband's scent as she waited in anticipation for the water to heat up. "I love you so fucking much, Bryce. You don't even know, there aren't words for it."

----

"You can't hate yourself for working with what's right in front of you, Nick. You're not a bad man at all, you had the patience of a saint. But yes... It would have been nice if you'd let her get a few words out. Answered one of her calls - answered one of mine when I started calling you a few days later... something? But I'm guessing that by now you've heard her out at least a little bit, can't see you just suddenly not seeing her as a cheater without hearing at least a bit of what went on. I honestly think, between everything that day, it tops the list of traumatizing days of her life up with the day that she fou-" Molly cut herself off, catching her voice in the moment she was about to get way too person about Anna's life. Obviously Anna had gotten a few words in to this boy somewhere along the way, but Molly knew better than to think this kid knew even half of the story in its entirety. "- the day she moved in with me. But yeah. You were working with what you had to work with. What do you know anyways? That day, before, the crazy hell spiral I've been trying to save her from since? I know last time she left you with jack shit like... ever.. or else you might have realized something was up but no, she always went to me so you never saw catatonic 'I crave the sweet release of death' spiral Anna."

And then, just like that, typical Molly was there - acting like they were good buddies the way that she always had. The main problem with that? Molly could talk anyone's ear off - especially when she had started to get a buzz on. She was just naturally a friendly, chatty person who probably would have hugged Nick right then and there as he got out his shame spiral had she not had a joint in one hand and a child in the other. "Oh - nice touch, though, getting with that Gloria girl that Anna had a hate-on for after. Yeah, I saw you two around together a few times. Did she ever find out about that? Cause I promise you, I never told her that part. There was no fucking way I was telling her that, she was bad enough without needing more I hate the world fuel."

It was at that moment that Molly looked out towards the main area of the little compound and saw a familiar face walking over that she'd caught sight of during the crazy earlier. With the free-er hand (the one with the joint) she pointed out towards the blonde. "On the topic of hate-ons. Does your mom still have one for Anna? If so that has to have been awkward as fuck. But I should probably dip out 'cause it looks like she's coming over here. I'm gonna go check on my girl, if anything changes at all I will be right out for you. Promise. Pink swear even, if you want it."
 
Considering the opportunity presented before Bryce, there was no way in hell he was going to pass the bags, first. Before entering the bathroom, Bryce would grab the bag of clothes that Alicia would carry with her. He reached down and searched for a sundress, just like she mentioned. He found one that was a nice, pink color. Bryce always loved the way Alicia looked in the color (honestly, though, she looked good in any color). After the dress was neatly placed onto the bed, he found a pair of sandals for her to wear as well. He would thank her later for letting him choose her clothes for her. It was not something he took lightly. The amount of love she had to have for him in order to grant him that privilege was not something he would just ignore.

Finally, he walked into the bathroom and started the process of undressing while awaiting the shower to run warm. He heard Alicia enter, feeling her arms wrapping around his waist, next. This brought him great joy and comfort, as it always did. “I love you, too. My sweet, sweet Princess.” Bryce whispered, placing one hand on top of both of hers, using the other hand as he bent his arm backwards to reach out and gently thread through her hair. “It has been quite some time since we have been able to really just kick back like this. It feels like we have been running forever. I am going to take advantage of this opportunity.” Bryce could not stop smiling. The love he felt for her grew in that moment, if that were even possible.

Before stepping in, he suddenly turned around in her arms as the water neared the perfect temperature. “Every day, I wonder how the cutest, sexiest girl I have ever met in my entire life decided that I was enough. I’m so thankful she did, though.” Bryce let his head drop down gently against hers, just breathing in her scent one more time. “I will make sure that we are inseparable, moving forward. We won’t let anything come between us again. We are safer together, too. I was more worried that I wasn’t there to protect you than I was worried about myself.” Bryce finished by pressing one final kiss against her lips before stepping back from her grip to pull her alongside him into the shower.

--

Molly liked to talk… a lot. Even though Nick was often on the receiving end of her spill about the things she would do to him if he ever hurt Anna, she was a sweet girl. In fact, Nick thought Molly was the kind of friend that everyone needed. If someone did not have a Molly in their life, their life was probably not all that great, compared to what it could be. The male just lisltened to her speak, thinking about what his response was going to be. There was a lot to dig into, even the topic of Gloria. So much had happened since Nick and Anna reunited. Did Gloria even come up? Nick wanted to say that they did discuss her.

Of course, he figured that mattered little since Gloria was long dead now. Honestly, Molly even mentioning her name made Nick grip onto the side of the house just a little bit tighter. Hearing her say that name brought back the horrific memories of that fateful day for him, the day that started everything. Nick was not sure if that had ever come up because so much had happened so quickly. They talked about a lot, but it always seemed like there was more to say. “Let’s just say… she wasn’t happy to see Anna again.” Nick left it at that when Molly excused herself, just in time for Madison to walk up.

“Hey, how’s she doing?” Whereas Nick was quite talkative to Molly since he considered her a friend (whether she considered him one, he wasn’t sure), Nick was less talkative to his mother for many different reasons. “Oh… she’s hanging in. She’s a fighter.” Nick spoke, aimlessly dragging his foot along in the dirt.

“I’m sorry this happened, Nick.” Madison did try to express genuine empathy and sympathy for what he was going through. She was just dealing with the news that Travis was dead and that was not easy on her, so Nick thought he would repay the favor.

“Yeah, thanks… sorry about Travis.” Honestly, Nick was not around Travis too much. He seemed like a nice guy, but it wasn’t like Nick was broken-hearted over this. He felt sad, but he was not exactly going to break down into tears over it. Now, if something happened to Anna… oh boy. That would be ugly, especially for the people of this place who took part in hurting her. Nick already wanted to kill them, but he was more worried about Anna being healthy, rather than some vendetta.

Madison tried to compose herself, and she did. She just took a few seconds to ponder what she said next, but made sure that Nick was looking at her.

“Anna… you know I don’t approve. I know you don’t care. It seems like I have no choice but to consider her part of the family, now. Just be smart, okay?”

Nick was shocked to hear this from her. He wished she might have elaborated a little more on it, but that was all he got, so he just nodded to his mother, who stood another couple of seconds before making her way somewhere else after having the brief conversation with Nick.
 
Alicia was in utter bliss standing next to the stream of water with her beloved, eyes closed and the corners of her lips turned up in perfect serenity. Careful, caring fingers caressed through her long locks, grazing gently against her scalp just enough to send a shiver down her spine. She hadnt even touched soap or shampoo yet and she already felt cleaner and more at home, like her husband's touch had cleansed her from the troubles of the day. A soft hum escaped her lips as she looked towards her husband with a look on her face that could only be described as peaceful, and she returned the sweet favor without hesitation, first tracing her much daintier fingers along Bryce's jawline before plunging in to his thick curls from just above his ear.

"We are better together," she mused out loud, though she was simply stating a fact. "I worry about you when you're fighting for me rather than with me," she admitted. "I worry that you're going to be so focused on me that you won't be looking out for yourself when I'm not there to be able to. You're one of the strongest men that I know, mentally and physically, but I get so worried that you're going to forget to care about you... and that you won't be there waiting for me on the other side of things because of it."

Alicia didn't hesitate to step alongside Bryce as he urged her in to the shower with him. He hadn't even lifted half of his foot from the ground when she was already moving gracefully alongside him, like their bodies were in sync with each other. At first the young woman gasped as the water hit her, the warmth unexpected even though she knew it was coming, but surprise was quickly replaced with comfort. "That is... even better than I thought it would be," she sighed as she leaned in to Bryce's body. Left skin to skin, nothing but the gentle streams of water separated them from each other. "I'm so glad that I have you with me, my love. I don't know how I ever thought that one day I would be able to move on from loving you, you've always been my inevitability. "

---

There was a logic to Madison's madness, as strange as it seemed. She had just lost Travis, the second man to die on her in the last few years. Nick had already walked away from her with this girl once, not counting all of the times he had walked away from home to choose her before the world ended. She couldn't lose her son too, and the easiest way to keep him from walking away from her again was to not put him in a spot where he had to choose. As much as Madison couldn't stand the girl that Nick had chosen, things hadn't always been that way. Once upon a time she'd actually thought Anna was pretty sweet, if not a bit hard to talk to - but then came out finding that Anna had her son using again, and the downward spiral that had followed them splitting. It had been very hard for Madison to swallow her pride and accept that whatever was going to happen was going to happen whether she approved or not.

Inside of the medical tent, Molly had quickly gotten some updates about how things were going. The medics were done working on Anna - they said she would probably be okay but the bullet had lodged itself in her shoulder and no one could be sure how well the arm was going to be after. All they could say at this point was that she would wake up when she was ready to. Molly hadn't wanted to interrupt whatever Mrs. Clarke had to say to her son and she did want to stay with Anna, so she sat a couple minutes at the girl's side, holding Anna's hand in her own and stroking the side of Anna's hand with her thumb as she spoke softly.

Molly had just been about to head back out, she'd seen Madison walk away out of the corner of her eye, when Anna groaned from the bed, started to move around a little. "Hey babes, you gonna wake up?"

"No," came a single grumbled word.

"What do you mean, no? I've waited this long to see you and you won't even open your eyes?"

Anna smacked her lips together, shook her head just slightly in one direction. "Not real." It seemed that Anna was in.... some kind of state. She did have some heavy painkillers in her system, so that was to be expected.

"Actually I'm very real, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me."

Somehow that - of all things - got the girl to crack her eyes open. Upon realizing who was in front of her, Anna was visibly taken aback. It was very obvious that she didn't remember what had happened over the last day and that became even more obvious when she leaned over, putting pressure on her her hurt arm, and yelped in pain as it gave out under her. It was at that moment that she laid eyes on the baby strapped to Molly's chest. Her eyes went wide.

"No... what? It hasn't been that long? Isn't the kid still supposed to be marinating? The fuck's going on? What happened? Where am I? Where's Nick? Where's you... where have you been? I was looking for you."

"I'm going to hug you as best as I can, please don't let me hurt you." With that Molly did just that - awkwardly tried to hug Anna despite a baby in the way and Anna's injured side closer to her. "You're at a ranch in Texas, you got shot. The people here just finished fixing you up. Yes, unfortunately this little one decided he wanted to come really early, he should still be marinating. For another month at that - but he's alright and so am I. Josh and I were at a military base a few hours away and then here once that fell apart. Nick is outside and I can go get him - which, by the way, I got a very brief explanation but you, pretty lady, will have a lot of explaining to do once you're feeling better."

"Can I see the baby?" Anna slurred as Molly turned to walk away. All Molly could do was laugh and hold her hand. "Anna... your eyes are half closed and it looks kind of like one of your eyeballs is rolling back in to your head. You're fucked right now. I love you, but you're not touching my son. I'll be right back."

With that Molly walked off, anxious to even leave Anna's side, and grabbed the back of Nick's shirt lightly to get his attention. "First thing that dumb bitch does is try to get to me using the arm that got fucked up... Fuck I missed her." Molly was lighthearted as she spoke, shaking her head at the same time. "She's up. Doesn't seem to remember what happened and she's very obviously doped up, but she's already asking about you. Thought you might want to come in."
 
When Bryce was certain that Alicia had finished talking, he decided to grab both of her hands, holding them gently as he gazed into her eyes. “I hear you, Alicia.” Honestly, he thought many relationship issues could be less of a problem if people just said that – he wanted Alicia to know that he heard her concerns. Granted, this wasn’t a problem, really, but he did not want her worrying too much about him. “I guess protecting you and thinking about you has always been my instinct… whether it was on the playground or here in our new world. I won’t argue with you about that because you’re right. You are always the first thought in my mind, never myself. However, I realize that protecting myself is part of protecting you. I don’t want to ever cause you the pain of getting myself hurt or worse.” Bryce admitted that he thought about it, too. The idea of leaving Alicia alone in this world was too much.

It was fucked, really. If something happened to Alicia, Bryce probably would not be able to move on. He probably would lose his sanity. On the other hand, if something happened to him ,he knew that Alicia would be left behind in so much pain. Obviously, they needed to avoid both outcomes if possible! “Just know this. I know I can’t promise you that something won’t happen to me, but I will try my best to make that promise. I will not take stupid risks. I will not put myself in danger when I have other options.” Bryce was the kind of man that would help a stranger out, even before this outbreak. However, that was risky now.

Would that mean he might make some questionable decisions when it came to ensuring his safety? Maybe he would, but he had a promise to keep, so if there’s even a slight chance that he could get himself killed, he would look for another way. That wasn’t easy since they lived in a world where every corner could be your last, but Bryce thought the point was pretty clear. Just be careful, don’t take unnecessary risks – even if it means passing up that stranger on the side of the road who is begging for help. It might not be ideal, but it was the best course of action. “I love you. I love you so fucking much and I will never leave you behind. I won’t let that happen.”

--

It was not a pretty picture when Nick’s mother left him all alone. That meant Nick was left to his own devices, his own thoughts, and his mind was a dangerous place. He kept thinking about the worst-case scenario. What would happen if Anna did not wake up? How could he ever possibly move on? How could he live with himself? Now, he knew that she was not on the edge of death anymore thanks to what Molly said about these very kind people.

The male was just pacing until Molly walked back out to take his attention again. He did not register anything else she said, other than that Anna was awake. Great! Nick could rest a little bit easier now. He did not mean to tune her out like that, but once she told him that his Anna was okay and at least talking and even asking for him, nothing else even mattered to him. He was more than willing to see her. He tried to wipe the look off his face like he had been worried sick. He knew that Anna would tease him if she knew about the tears and sadness and fear he felt the last couple of days, worrying about her. Once he pushed past that, he entered the tent and slowly approached her. Hopefully they would remove the cuffs pretty soon. He did not want to see her chained to the bed like an animal. After all, if she was no longer in danger of turning and attacking on the others, why would she need to be chained anymore? She would talk with someone at some point, but now, this was as good as it got. He took a seat in the chair beside her bed and reached out to grab the hand of her good arm.

“hey there, Anna.” Nick whispered. “Molly said you’re awake now. I’m glad to hear that. I thought you were trying to get away from me for a while.” Nick’s tone was soft and gentle. He wasn’t sure if Anna was aware enough or not to pick up on the pain and terror that was underlying his teasing, because he had truly been terrified about losing her. “How are you feeling now? Do you need anything? Can I do anything for you?” Nick softly asked, reaching a hand up now to brush some hair out of her face.
 
Alicia knew and understood the grim reality that they wouldn't always be able to stay safe in the world roamed by the dead. Bryce's promise, that he wouldn't walk in to potential trouble, was really all that could be asked for. Some danger couldn't be helped. There would be times when they were in trouble and at risk of being hurt, that was a given these days. Not a day went by where Alicia didn't wish that it hadn't taken the end of the world to realize they had destiny only in themselves so that they would have been able to live that dumb, mundane life that she'd ached to bring excitement to. She wished that they could have cuddled up on the Clarke household couch to movies, gone to college together and learned how to be adults together. They would never have a first apartment with each other, or adopt a pet. Having children would be dangerous - a risk that they hadn't been paying nearly enough attention to... ever. All of those things that seemed to be a given eventual happening in modern-day relationships would never be their norm. It made moments like this all the more important - the ones where they could be vulnerable, alone, safe, able to relax a little.

"That's all that I can ask for, my love, and I promise you the same. I'm never going to put myself at risk when it's not neccesary, not going to willingly put us in a spot where you and I are in trouble. There are too many bad people on the streets nowadays, and what I need begins and ends with you in my life," Alicia said sweetly as she grabbed a bottle of shampoo from inside the shower and spurted a little on to her palm. She rubbed her hands together and then brought them to Bryce's scalp, burying her fingers within his dark curls once more. She had a way of saying that she loved him in nearly every sentence - even without those specific words she was always comforting and caring and made it crystal clear where her heart laid every single day. As Bryce's haired turned white with shampoo foam, Alicia leaned in and up to press a kiss to Bryce's forehead.

"No one in this world means more to me than you do," she whispered as she followed up the first kiss with a second to the tip of his nose, and then a third sweetly to his lips.

---

Anna had already realized she was cuffed as she tried to pull her arms towards her after Molly walked away, having previously not noticed due to her arm giving out before she'd barely even twisted her shoulder. When Molly returned side by side with Nick, she was looking towards the entrance of the medical tent with half-closed eyes and a scowl on her face. She was hazy but aware enough to notice that her favorite girl had come back accompanied by her favorite boy and she tried - she really did - to turn that scowl in to a smile.

Nick talked, but she'd be lying if she quite heard everything that he said. All she knew in that moment was his hand in hers and Molly starting to placate a cooing infant beside her and even though she was still in pain despite the medication, she felt peaceful - truly peaceful, in a way she hadn't been since the last time that she had both of her people at her side. Both had their own merits, put a smile on her face, left her feeling more fulfilled than if neither were around but this... this was home. Her and Molly had been a package deal since she was fourteen years old and Nick... the world was never the same without the only man on this planet to ever truly put a smile on her face.

"I'm home now," she murmured, unable to form more eloquent words about how she was feeling as she squeezed the hand that Nick held hers with. People might think that she was crazy, laying there with gunshot wound and somehow being happy, but fuck them. She wasn't even lucid enough to think to question what happened at the border yet. "Never been better. Swear it. Could I have a drink? No... stay.. stay. Here. Both of you. No more going."
 
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As much as Bryce enjoyed playing with Alicia’s hair, it felt equally as soothing for her to play with his own, to shampoo his hair. He loved it! Her words were so sweet, too. It put a smile on his face. They both promised each other to be careful, to not put themselves at any unnecessary risk. He appreciated her doing the same thing for him. There was a big smile on his face with each kiss she gave him, especially when she said that nobody meant more to her in the entire world. “I can say the same for you, Princess. I love you. I love you so much. Nobody else in this world means more to me than you do.” The male whispered quietly, now deciding to take his own turn with the shampoo. “Also, I have a surprise for you once we get out of the shower. I think you’ll like it.” One of the little known facts about Bryce was that he knew how to play the guitar. The man’s father loved it and passed it on down to him. Frankly, he was the kind of man that loved to serenade his woman with a love song, singing to her and playing a song for her.

Since they started this relationship, he had not seen a guitar, but he managed to pick one up to borrow for the evening. It was going to be cute. He had a feeling that Alicia was going to love his surprise, which would involve him singing to her and playing her a song. He did not want to spoil it, though, so he teased her with the idea of a surprise as he took the shampoo and started to run his hands through her long hair. “Thanks for letting me do this. I love playing with your hair… scrubbing it, twirling it around – whatever I can do. I always have fun with it.”

The male decided to repeat the process for her, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally, planting one more kiss to her lips. After their lips touched again, he pulled back with a happy smile, now just looking into her eyes before helping wash out the shampoo. They took the time to quickly clean each other up before getting out of the shower, drying off, and redressing in something else. He told Alicia to just sit on the bottom bunk bed and wait as he pulled up a chair and pulled out a guitar from one of the little closets. “Now, if you don’t mind…. I would love to play a little song or two for you.”

--

“Okay. I’ll stay. I’m not going anywhere.” Nick spoke to her and his words had more than just one meaning. He felt like he was talking to her in a greater capacity than just in that one moment where he would stay by her side while she was recovering. There was something more here, too. He cared for this girl and he was not going to leave her side, ever. Nick made that mistake once already. He would be damned if that happened again. Nick learned from his mistakes and took his lessons seriously, knowing that he would not get another chance with Anna. He was not going to run away or walk away. This was where he belonged.

Quickly, the young man realized she was pretty out of it still and it was better to not make any long conversations with her. Nick realized that now. At first, he had just been worried that he might not ever get the chance to talk to this sweet girl again so he had so many things he wanted to tell her since he had just believed he would never have that chance. Now that things were looking okay, he could finally calm down, relax, and just take his sweet time with holding her.

Nick noticed that the chair was the only one here and now that Molly was here with the infant, Nick stood up and slid the chair over to Molly, being a gentleman. “Hey, you can take that seat if you want.” She did have the kid after all. Now, he used his free hand to cup one side of Anna’s face before brushing through her hair. He was crouching beside her bed now, not sure of what he could do to help, but he wanted to do anything that he could. “I can’t stand the thought of you leaving me.” He whispered quietly, not even sure if she heard it, but there were a lot of emotions in his eyes now that he was relieved that Anna seemed like she was going to be alright, although the pain and sadness when that wasn’t a certainty was still etched into his expression.
 
A surprise, huh? The thought of it had Alicia giddy - Bryce's surprises were always some of the best. What did he have in mind? What was about to happen? As much as Alicia didn't want to leave the comfort of hot water and her beloved, she was now anxious to see what awaited her outside of the bathroom. She didn't know much about this place yet, only seen their bed and where their bags were, so she had no idea that Bryce had a guitar outside waiting for them to be done.

She didn't fully rush through cleaning up as she needed a good proper wash after the last couple days, but she didn't procrastinate either. She was just as excited for what was about to happen as Bryce seemed to be. The young woman, hair still partially damp and dressed in that cute pink sundress that her beloved had picked out for her, settled down on to the bottom bunk. She watched Bryce with curiosity as he went to a closet, and by the time that he spoke a grin lit up her face as she had seen the guitar in his hand.

"I would absolutely love that," Alicia said as she watched her beloved in awe. She could only imagine what he had picked out for her.

---

"I'm not going anywhere," Anna returned with a little smile on her face as her eyes closed peacefully to relish the sweet, comforting sensation of Nick's fingers running through her hair. She was starting to - slowly - become more aware of what was going on around her, but the events of everything since she was shot were a blur. She remembered the pairnof them walking towards the border accompanied by the residents of Colonia up until she hit the ground. She remembered Josh's face of worry and fear hovering over her. After that... it was questionable. They'd been somewhere, stuck in a room. There had been an attack of the dead, and a helicopter. That's... about where things end.

"You can't get rid of me that easy," she joked to him, the first attempt at a playful tease since she'd woken up. This time she forgot that her hands were restrained, and when she took her good hand to try to muss up Nick's hair she got jolted to a stop. Confused, she turned her head back towards her wrist. "I'm not dyin, get them off. I want my hands back." Little did she know she was going to have to wait until someone from the ranch was back, but someone would be coming by soon to check on her. The people here didn't want a zombie in their midst, after all.
 
“Okay… just promise not to laugh at me.” Bryce teased. The man was incredibly humble in all things. One of the main lessons he learned from his father was humility. Therefore, even though he had genuine talent on the guitar, he would never flaunt that or act cocky about it. Even though this performance had an audience of one, it was the most important one in the world. Bryce could not mess this up.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard this song before, but this is a song my father used to play a lot when I was a kid. I think it has a sweet message.” He whispered, strumming the guitar a few times. Finally, he started to play, looking over at Alicia every now and again to see her face. He truly loved being able to serenade her, but he figured that was no surprise. Was there anything that could be considered a cheesy cliché that Bryce didn’t like? He wasn’t sure that there was anything he would turn down.

But, Alicia seemed to enjoy the cheesy romantic side of him, so he felt comfortable doing this for her. The nearly two and a half minute performance of the song finally ended and he looked over to Alicia, hopeful that she liked the performance. “Well… did it not make your ears hurt, at least?”

--


“Following rules and orders were never my strong suit…” Nick made the comment before standing up. “I’ll be right back… promise.” He understood Molly was part of this community and probably knew how things work. He assumed that her being cuffed was normal. However, his girl asked for the cuffs to be off. He had a feeling Molly would not try to stop him from picking the lock. Even if she did try to stop him, it wasn’t like she could make him stop. Either way, Nick was going to make sure that Anna no longer had to worry about those damn things. It took some time, but he finally found some small pin that he could use.

Returning to her side, Nick offered Anna a smile. He imagined they might get into some hot water when a community member returned to the tent, but he did not care. “Let’s get these off you…” Nick would have to work at it, but he managed to slide the pin into the lock and search for the latch, lifting it up so the cuff would fall from her wrist.

Now, Anna was freed. “There you go…. Just don’t try to go all infected and attack me now.” Nick teased her back, standing over the bed, a hand gently resting on her arm. He imagined her other arm must have been so uncomfortable like that, and if he could make her more comfortable, he would.
 
Bryce's humility was an endearing trait to Alicia, who promised that there was no way that she would be able to think poorly of the performance that was about to come. There was nothing better than attractive, skilled man who hadn't let his ego overtake him and turned to bragging and overconfidence. Someone's attitude was more important than their abilities when it came to being seen as a good person - the kind she'd want to spend her life with. Somehow Bryce always managed to be everything that she wanted and more.

She listened to her beloved in awe, taking in every note strummed and every word sung. It only took a few words before she recognized the song from her own child, though having her husband playing it in front of her brought a meaning to it that hearing it over the radio could never possibly bring. Alicia's heart welled within her chest with joy and love and so much good, all she could think of was how much this boy meant to her, the closest thing to perfection that she would ever see.

"Bryce... My love, give yourself some credit," she responded as he asked her how she liked the song. Her voice was soft, hardly more than a whisper, and the beautiful performance had clouded her eyes with a sheen of happy tears. One slipped from the corner of one of her deep green eyes as she leaned in and rested a hand softly on Bryce's forearm. "That was so beautiful, you don't even know. I wish that I was half as musically inclined as you are, now all I wish is that I would be able to do that for you one day. Maybe you'll have to teach me how."

The last part was meant jokingly, but she wouldn't have said no to learning had the situation ever risen. One thing that Alicia was self conscious about was her singing voice, though. She would love to do something cute in turn for her husband, though, and she would be on the lookout for anything that sparked a possibility in her mind.

---

"What a good boy," Anna mumbled as Nick walked came back to her, too quiet for the man to hear yet loud enough for Molly beside her to catch - the older of the women giggled at it. Molly didn't mind at all that Nick wanted to free Anna up, and it in theory shouldn't bother anyone else either. Anna was conscious, semi-lucid and while she still looked pretty rough she was all around in a much better state than she was when her and Nick's sister had first arrived with Jake Otto. No one could say that this was a girl on the brink of death anymore, though Molly would want to personally make sure that Anna's injury healed up as well as possible without infection. While Anna wasn't at risk of bleeding out any more, infection was definitely still something to be concerned about.

"You're the best," Anna said to Nick with a little smile on her face as he freed her arm, and for the first time in what felt like forever she stretched it out really good. Now she just wanted to move, though. Getting up might not be the best idea, but she could at least sit up - and as she moved her arm away from Nick's touch she squeezed his hand.

Straightening up was the hard part... There was no ignoring the lingering deep pain in her left shoulder but she tried to use it anyways. Her face twisted in to a grimace as the arm shook beneath her weight, only to collapse quickly. It... didn't feel right. Like her fingers weren't as much under her control as they usually were, didn't want to move the way she was trying to tell them to. "Fuck," she gasped, instead deciding to use her back to straighten herself up a bit. "Got some good damage on me, don't I?"
 
Bryce smiled at Alicia after finishing. Honestly, even though he had skill with the guitar and even with singing, he suffered from a great deal of stage fright. Every year, he told himself that he was going to participate in the school’s talent show. Unfortunately, it never worked out in his favor. He never had the courage to do it. But, when it came to Alicia, he decided to just go for it and sing for her. As it turned out, he made a good choice. “Thank you for saying that, Alicia.” When he saw that tear slide down her cheek, he reached out to wipe that tear from her face. God, she was so cute.

He always hated seeing her crying, unless it meant that she was crying for a good reason, happy tears. Bryce was happy to see this, reaching out to join her on the bed now and hug her. “Well, I know other songs, too. I should dot his more often for you. I am really happy that you allowed me to sing and play for you. I certainly want to do it again at some point. I love you so much, Alicia.” Bryce whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, squeezing her against his chest before threading his fingers through her hair again.

“And I can try my best to teach you. I think that would be fun, actually.” He whispered, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. “I’m happy to give you lessons, free of charge just because you’re so awesome.” Bryce added in a teasing tone, letting one hand rest on her leg. “I just like to find ways to cover you in love and compliments… and everything. I want to shower you with these things. I love being cheesy about it. I love making you smile. You look so damn adorable all the time.” Bryce whispered, grabbing onto one of her hands now with his other hand.

--

“Well, you probably need to get your eyes checked if that’s what you think.” Nick replied to Anna with a cheeky grin when she said that he was the best. “You are the best, Anna. Truly. I’m just glad you put up with me.” Nick whispered. “But… thank you. I appreciate that.” Nick added, not wanting to just brush her compliments to the side. He wanted her to know that he was thankful, that he appreciated her saying those things about him even if he wasn’t sure how that worked out in her head.

Nick squeezed her hand right back and when he noticed that she was trying to sit up, he put another hand on her back to help sit her upright. Then, he made sure that there were pillows against her back to support her, along with pillows for her neck to support her. “If you need another pillow or two, just let me know.” Nick was not above snatching a pillow from someone else’s bed, but he was not going to do that unless it was necessary. Nick was just glad to see her moving. Not long before this, he was just praying to see a twitch from her body to show that she was alive.

“Oh, the damage only gives you better stories. That’s it.” Nick whispered softly, brushing some hair out of her face now. “Well, I am going to help you. I will be there with you every step of the way to recover. You’re going to be fine. I will make sure of it. Don’t worry about that.” Nick knew that he was going to have to deal with her being stubborn about what she can do, so he had to keep her in line so she did not hurt herself even more.
 
"I would never say no to listening to you play and sing. Even just... even if we were just sitting here in this bed, even if you didn't even know a song. I'd even love to watch you learn, if you didn't know already. And I also think that it would be really fun to have you show me... maybe sit-up big-spoon me, hold my hands in the right spot..." Alicia had always been incredibly supportive of any of Bryce's pursuits tracing all the way back to their childhoods. There was little that she loved more than seeing him dive in to something - from being his biggest fan at that day's game back when the worst that they had to worry about was another day in high school to today as he stood in front of her and beared his heart to her in song, to everything that had ever happened in between.

She really did need to find some way to pay him back for the sweet moment, though. Was there any way that someone here might have a sketchbook and be willing to share a page with her? She had no idea - book smarts weren't going to help her in this moment, and she didn't have musical talent like Bryce did or she would have already been planning what song she wanted to play in return.

"Nothing makes me happier than being able to put a smile on to your face, my love," Alicia returned, letting out a soft sigh as Bryce's nose muzzled against her cheek. She couldn't pass up an opportunity to kiss him, though, and quickly turned her head in hopes of catching her husband by surprise with a loving, deep kiss. As much as she wanted to hold his hand what she really wanted was to touch his face so she did - she took both hands to his cheeks, softly caressing the skin with her thumbs.

---

"Pfft, if that's the case then I must have already been the world's greatest storyteller," Anna scoffed in her slowed speech, seemingly just out of it enough that she was willing to make jokes related to just how shitty her life had been. There was no denying that she definitely had been wounded over the course of her life, but this was the first time that the scars of it would be visible. Any time she put a tank top on, took a shirt off... that mark was going to be there, a constant reminder of what had happened. Any time that someone else (Nick) pulled her shirt off of her... The scar left over after the wound healed would always be a reminder that these times had happened.

"I'll be fine," she said, already shrugging off the need for outside help. Nick was right - she was going to be perpetually stubborn about pushing her own limits and not wanting anyone to give her a hand... it would kill her to take a hand from someone even when she really needed it. The next little while, however, she was going to need it. Her body had gone through a lot of trauma, she'd lost quite a lot of blood, and there was no denying that infection had started to set in before anyone had finally actually looked after her. She was going to be tired and at least a little useless and she was undoubtably going to hate every second of it.

"No you won't be, not if you push your limits. You can fuck it up worse if you don't chill out for a bit." Molly, it seemed, was already seeing worst-case scenarios fly through her head - after so many years of picking Anna up from worst-cases, that wasn't unexpected. As much as she knew that she wasn't going to be able to scare Anna in to behaving, Molly could hope that Anna might understand the seriousness of what was going on and play carefully... just for a little bit.
 
Hearing Alicia say that she would never pass up the opportunity to listen to him play and sing made Bryce smile. “I think that’s wonderful, babe. I’d love to teach you. I’ll never say no to the chance to big spoon you, hold your hands. I really like the sound of that.” Bryce always appreciated that she was his biggest fan and supporter. He was the same way for her as well, from cheering her on at talent shows with her art or visiting some school art exhibition. Whatever she did, Bryce supported her. “Well, you always put a smile on my face.” Bryce pointed out.

“I never stop smiling when I’m with you. I love you so fucking much, Alicia.” Bryce whispered, not expecting her to turn her head to kiss him. When the kiss happened, he smiled brightly, just like he told her he would whenever they were together. The kiss was perfect and passionate. He cupped her face as well, holding her gently as he made out with her, sliding his tongue into her mouth to pin her tongue underneath his own. He softly sighed against the kiss, moaning against her full lips before pulling back to look into her eyes.

“Wow. That was nice. You’re such a great kisser. I think I need another one, though. Just because.” Bryce did really love that about their marriage. They never needed a reason to have a kiss. They never had to have a reason to show affection and touch each other. They could do it, just because they wanted to. The man leaned down and kissed her again, right on the lips, slowly pushing her back against the bed as he crawled on top of her. He made sure to kiss her deeply, hands reaching down to grab both of her hands, softly sighing against her lips again. “You are so beautiful, Alicia.”

--


Listening to Anna mention that she did not want any outside help only made Nick roll his eyes out of love. This was exactly what he expected her to say. Nick just sighed softly and listened to her speak, a small smile showing on his face. “Yes, you will be fine… with our help.” Between Nick, Anna, and maybe even Josh, surely they could give her enough support to keep her safe and prevent her from doing too much. It would not be an easy task, but they would manage to do it. Nick had to make sure that Anna was kept safe.

Anna would probably resist him and she would probably get angry at him a few times for his support, but he was more than willing to deal with it. He would just have to hold her down if he had to stop her! “Hey, I know you won’t be listening to me at all, but you better listen to Molly. She’ll kick your ass if you don’t listen to her.” Nick teased the woman, letting her know that she better listen to Molly and rest. Nick knew she was probably more inclined to hear Molly out and listen to what she had to say. Nick did not believe that Anna would disrespect his opinion, but she was pretty stubborn when it came to things like this.

“Either way, Anna, you know I will be there trying my best to look after you, and I won’t take it too personally if you snap at me and bite my head off while I’m doing it.” Nick chuckled softly, giving her hand another squeeze. “In all seriousness, though, please, just take it easy. I can’t go through this again, having something happen to you. I thought I was going to lose my mind waiting to see what happened.”
 
There were so many words of affection to be exchanged between the pair, yet there would never be enough time for Alicia to ever feel like the true extent of her love for Bryce had been voiced. As his lips touched hers she melted in to the touch, her hand coming to his cheek in a soft caress as she allowed him to climb on top of her. She grasped at his body and pulled him close to her as they lost themselves in the sweet moment of intimacy, and when he reached for her hands Alicia gladly let him take them. She squeezed his in return, a gentle affection that said I love you without having to use any words at all.

"Bryce, my prince... there's no one more beautiful than you." She scrunched up her nose and her lips turned in to a tight, playful smile as she released one of his hands to run it through the wispy curls of Bryce's dark hair. Though she couldn't say that she felt safe in their new residence (but hey - there was a baby here so it couldn't be that bad... right?) Alicia truly felt at home and safe any moment in which she had her beloved at her side. "I love you so much my dear, more than words could ever paint the picture of." In an ideal world, moments like this would never come to an end.

----

"Nicholas... when has the phrase 'taken it easy' ever applied to me in any way, shape or form?" She said his full name with such a softness that there was no way to see it as her being defensive, and did air quotes with her good arm when she spoke about taking it easy. She looked him in the eyes and her lips spread in a toothy smile before her head fell to Molly's shoulder and she started to laugh. All Molly could do was rest her chin atop Anna's head and put an arm over her shoulders, shaking her head. "She's right," the latina mouthed towards Nick. The pair were going to have a hell of a time trying to keep Anna from fucking herself up worse.

Despite everything going on, Anna seemed so much... lighter. Happier, feeling like she was at home. It was hard to tell if it was because she was doped out of her brain on the morphine or because Molly was there or a combination of the two (it was undoubtably a combination of not being in reality and having her person back) - but this? Sweet, smiley, almost playful Anna? That was the girl that Nick had met.
 
“You always know how to flatter me, Alicia.” Bryce whispered, still laying on top of her, cuddling with her while his arms locked around her body. “I cannot express how much you mean to me, either. No matter how much I say or what I say, it never feels like enough. I am truly the luckiest man to ever walk this planet. Without you, I do not even know what my life would be like. I do not even want to see what a life without you looks like I want no part of it.” Bryce whispered, their eyes locking together.



“I always thought the idea of soulmates sounded silly, but as we grow older, I think I might have been wrong. Maybe that is cheesy of me to say, but I truly believe we are soulmates. We could have been born on opposite sides of the world and I believe we would have still found each other. There is nobody else I would rather spend the end of the world with. And even though this is the end, we still find a way to make each day fun and to continue our lives in our own way. We still have a future, we still have hope. You give me those things, Alicia. You help me feel like there is hope for tomorrow, that we can have better days ahead. That isn’t possible without you at my side.

--
Anna was not wrong about that. When did she ever take it easy? Nick suspected she might do more than she could actually do just to prove him and everyone else wrong. She probably just wanted to prove that she could move and act like normal. Because of that, Nick had to pay extra close attention to her throughout the next day or two. He just did not want her to get hurt worst than she already was and that might lead into an argument or two if she attempted to work too hard and he had to step in.

“Hey, I know you are right about that. I’m sorry in advance. I know that you are going to try and do too much. I will do my best to bring it up to you… in a nice way, of course. I’ll hopefully try and not make you too upset about it when I tell you to dial it back, but hopefully you will see it is for your own good.” The man commented with a soft laugh, just reaching out to give her hand another squeeze. “But seriously. I’m glad that you’re feeling better. I feel better because of it, now.”
 
How had they once avoided the fact that they were inevitable? Though it had only been short months, that felt like a lifetime ago. It may have taken the end of the world as they knew it for them to come together, but even if the world hadn't ended... Surely, they would have been fated to be at each others' side regardless. Maybe it would have taken a bit longer, maybe they would have gotten through college first - but one way or another, Alicia and Bryce were undoubtably going to be at each others' side. She brought one leg up around his hips to pull him closer, to mingle their bodies further around each others', and she swore that her heart was beating in sync with his in that moment.

"I don't think you're my soulmate," Alicia said back in a soft tone that seemed all too harsh for those words. She had more to say, however. If Bryce tried to speak during the brief pause, she brought a soft finger to his lips to silence him. "You're my twin flame, destined to meet me across this life and every other one we may live. As long as we both exist, we will always find a way to end up together. I wouldn't want it any other way." It was cheesy, beyond cheesy - Alicia wasn't even sure if she believed in other lives, but it was the kind of sentiment that suited the way that she felt about her husband. If they both died today, it would bring her peace to know that they would still find a way to come together.

----

Anna Dawson would pretend that she was not a slut for positive attention, but she would be lying if she tried to say that she didn't like having someone dote on her and get a little protective of her like this. She had a pretty good poker face about it, too - how many times had Nick said something cute to her in the past and instead of just reveling it like she should have, she rolled her eyes and just called him a cheeseball? Too many. Would that change her mind about pushing her limits and making it clear to the world that nothing was going to stop her? No - not at all. There was nothing in the world that was going to be able to stop her from being too stubborn for her own good.

Then Noah whimpered in Molly's arms, a quiet cry for something, and for the first time Anna truly looked at the kid. How fucked up was that - Molly a mom? Molly with a little baby, a little baby who looked almost like her spitting image? Anna's mind wandered away and she didn't like that very much, and it was as she looked towards Nick in hopes that a pretty face would distract her that Molly spoke up. "Well, um... as much as everyone in this room has seen my boobs before, it's about time for Noah to eat and this doesn't seem like the time or place. I'll come back later?"

She pulled away from Anna, who looked to Molly with a gaze that begged her to stay. The child began to grow a little more unruly, however, and Anna just nodded. "Do come back," she said, nodding slowly. When Molly walked away all that remained were her and Nick, alone for the first time since she had woken up. "Come cuddle me," Anna said to him, patting behind her on the bed.
 
These words put a smile on his face. “Wow. You always insisted I was the one who had a way with words.” Bryce teased, thanking Alicia for what she said by pecking her lips. “I think that is a beautiful way to put it. Thank you for saying that. I’m glad you believe it. I feel the same way about you. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’ve been there for me as long as I could remember. I cannot even imagine trying to live without you again. I wouldn’t want to. I couldn’t.” Bryce whispered the words, his hand resting on her thigh once her leg wrapped around his hips.

He was trying to keep her as close as possible, not wanting even an inch between them. “I still think about this… and I still have no clue how I got so lucky. You are my entire world. You are my rock. I love you more than I could possibly put into words. I hope that you can feel that each and every single day. I hope that you can feel that. I always feel like that I am never able to say how much I love you enough or do enough for you because I want you to be smiling and I want you to feel loved. I know we have a lot of shit going on around us but I will never let our love lose its fire. That’s for sure.” The male whispered quietly, nuzzling his nose against hers again. “I could lay like this forever, Princess.”

--

Nick understood his relationship with Anna was odd, to say the least. They both had their own problems. Collectively, they had more issues, but they cared about each other and that was the most important thing. Many of her compliments might have been seen as insults to some, but they just did not know Anna and they did not know why she struggled to show affection. Nick never pressed her too much. He knew that she was closer to Molly than she could ever be with him so there were many questions marks about Anna and different parts of her life, but that was okay. He liked to think they both still had a long time left to live. They had time to get through it all.


All Nick could do in that moment was think about Anna and the future. He should have been focused on the moment, but he was worried sick about the woman of his dreams hurting herself on accident because she did not want to follow doctor’s orders. Because of that, Nick realized what he was setting himself up to do. He had to watch her every damn second of every single day to make sure that did not happen. In a way, he was almost taking that parenting role that Molly had taken for Anna, but in a different way.

“I can do that for you.” Nick whispered once Molly moved. “I know you’re not going to break if I touch you, but I’m going to be careful.” Nick qualified this as he moved to lay down beside her, but was careful. “Just promise me that you will tell me if I cause you any pain. I want to hold you just as badly but I don’t want to cause any damage.” Nick added, gently extending an arm to wrap around her neck so she could use his arm as a pillow.
 
Dream of the future may have become starkly different than one might have expected out of necessity, but Alicia still held on to the idea of spending nothing short of the rest of her life with this man in one way or the other. If that meant that they would be fighting side by side to survive what seemed like the unthinkable just months ago rather than going to college and growing old, so be it. Nothing this world threw at them was going to be able to get in the way of their desires.

Alicia sighed softly as Bryce's hand rested against her thigh, keeping her close - she felt safe - serene - here wrapped in his touch. Though she wasn't the religious type, Alicia prayed that they had finally found their safe haven, as much as she knew not to believe in it. She'd seen the state that Anna was in because of these people, or at least those who had been soldiers back at the depot, and as much as she did not like that woman she wouldn't wish death upon her. (She was going to have to go see how Nick was at some point, though - now just was not the time. Right now both of the siblings had their own moments to be a part of.)

Alicia nuzzled her nose against her husband's in return, and now that she had a free hand she brought it to his face once again. Gently stroking his cheek, the young woman smiled to her beloved. "I've never felt more loved and cared for than when I'm with you, and I'm going to spend every day for the rest of my life making sure that you know how graetful I am for your presence, my love." It was such a blessing that they had both arrived here unharmed, something she had been afraid wouldn't happen from the moment that they had been separated. When the helicopter had gone down, the only thought going through her mind had been that she would never see Bryce again, never get to tell him how much she loved him again, never even get to say goodbye...

This was definitely the best result that they could have had.

----

Nick's words, while well-intended, meant nothing to Anna, who without a doubt was going to hold on to the facade of strength that she had until she couldn't any longer. She did her best to put all of her weight on to her good arm, but as careful as Nick was a gentle tap of his finger tips against her injured limb was enough to make her wince. "I'm fine," she mumbled as she moved, trying to get comfortable, and ended up with her cheek against her shoulder and the rest of her head resting on the crook of his arm. She was determined to be comfortable and so it would be, whether she really felt that way or not.

She couldn't help but glance back towards the entrance to the medical unit here and there, watching where Molly had walked off from. It was so strange - the pregnancy itself had been one thing, it hadn't really felt real. Like... it was the idea of something, rather than something that actually existed. Fuck, the rise of the dead came before the woman hadn't even been showing - Anna had never truly had time to process that there would be an actual child around at the end of all of it.

This was nothing like what she had gone through years ago, and yet somehow - probably because Molly was the one who had been at her side through everything - it still managed to bring her back. "Molly has a /baby/," she mused out loud as she curled her face deeper against Nick, the morphine induced haze seeming to be fucking with her. "That's... I knew, but like... it was never really real..." Anna then went quiet for a moment.

"I almost had to have a baby," she mumbled, not even realizing what she was saying. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have had a choice. Liz had a baby, too. They both had the same father, that's... that's so fucked up, Nick. I was a liar and a whore and kicked out of the house 'cause... cause that dumb fucking bitch already had a new favourite child on the way." She laughed, like anything she had just said might have been funny. "Which... I didn't even know. Until the day that... you and I..."

It was about that moment that she had just gone way too deep for her own comfort. Maybe if she was really lucky she was so high that she just thought she spoke rather than actually saying anything.
 
Each word that Alicia spoke caused Bryce to feel even happier. He did not even realize it was possible to feel this happy! “Thank you for saying those things. I know you mean them, too, by the way. That makes your words even more impactful.” Bryce always knew that she was not just speaking these words for the sole purpose of wanting to flatter him or tell him what he wanted to hear. It was never like that. “I just know that I have to hold you no matter where we are. I just want to make sure that everyone knows that you are taken.”

Bryce winked at her, a playful edge going across his face right now. After all, she was the hottest girl here on the ranch! There was no doubt in his mind so he was certain everyone around their age was probably eyeing her. He already said these before but he did enjoy taking a possessive nature over her, making sure that everyone knew Alicia was taken, that she belonged to him. When they were in front of anyone, Bryce liked to make it known. That had always been the case, ever since this relationship started.

After all he was not the kind of guy that tried to make his girl feel jealous by flirting with others. Instead, he liked to flirt with Alicia and show her love to make other people jealous as he felt that was how it should be. Besides, he did not know any girl or any person for that matter who did not enjoy being doted upon and touched and loved in public. He felt the desire to kiss her everywhere, so he changed it up just a bit! Now, he dropped his head down to kiss her neck.

“I could kiss you and touch you every single second of the day. In fact, that would be my wish, if I could make it happen.” Now, he wanted to just focus all over her face and her neck, his lips attacking her cheeks first before going for her collarbone, and across her neck. He felt like a huge teddy bear right now, just wanting some cuddles! Who could blame him, though? Alicia was an amazing cuddler and it always made him happy. This situation was no exception. “I hope you don’t mind staying like this for a while. I don’t think I can let go of you anytime soon.... but if you're okay with it, I would love to take things a bit further." He whispered softly, his lips finding her neck. "It has been some time since we had the chance to make love. I'm hoping we can change that."

--

The wince that left Anna’s lips did not go unnoticed by Nick. Instead of pointing it out, Nick remained silent. Even though his intentions were positive, asking her about the pain would likely not bode well for him. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Anna, so he did not speak on it. Instead, he stayed mindful of the injuries she had and prepared to move at any moment if the pain became too much for her to bear. Granted, if she ended up speaking about the pain, it would be a huge red flag. Anna was not the type of person t complain about anything unless it was serious.

“Yeah, she has a baby.” Nick confirmed. Right now, he was not putting too much thought into any words that she spoke. With whatever medication they had her on combined with the fact that her body is naturally just not functioning at a high level, it did not shock him if she was talking without a filter. It would not shock him if she made no sense with her statements, either. Nick doubted she would recall much of what she said after she became fully cognizant again in the future, anyway.

However, it seemed like there could have been an alternate reality where Molly was not the only one with a baby right now. At first, Nick did not know what to make of what she was saying. It sort of sounded like she was rambling. When she stopped talking, he was holding her closely and just attempting to absorb what she was attempting to say to him. He realized that sometimes, it was better for him to stay silent. How exactly did he respond to this? Her admission could be classified as quite a “what the fuck” moment for Nick.

There was much about her that he still did not know and it seemed like she just revealed something to him, but Nick was not too sure exactly what she was saying. So, all he did was hold her tight, kissing the top of her head. “Hey, hey, it sounds like you’re getting worked up, Anna. Let’s just try and take a deep breath, okay?” Nick knew that telling her to relax or calm down would have ended badly, so he just tried to get her to take a deep breath. That’s what he thought might have been best. “I’m right here, okay? I don’t quite know what you’re saying, Anna… look, you're not a whore. You are the most incredible person I know.”
 
Alicia was most definitely intrigued by her husband's suggestion, having felt pulled to him from the moment that they had first cuddled up together. How could she possibly say no to his suggestion when they had bene unable to make time for themselves from the moment that they left the hotel? It had been far too long especially for them, given their inability to keep their hands off of each other.

The young woman's lips turned in to a wicked smile, one that Bryce would hopefully understand for what it was. Yes - she most definitely thought that they had time to change that. There was nothing urgent going on that required their time right now, and what better way to welcome themselves to a new home? Alicia's hand slid down from her beloved's face and chest, sinking until it could grasp at the fabric at the base of Bryce's shirt.

"I think that's the best idea I have heard all day, my love," she whispered and leaned in to kiss him once more. There was a passion to this one that their previous kisses had shared, though truly there was no such thing as a chaste or impassioned kiss between them. She had been so focused on recovering from feeling like she had lost him, and after their sweet little serenade she had simply been lost in the idea of him. "How do you want me tied today?" She quipped, a reference to the bondage that more often than not sparked their sexual encounters.

----

"I'm... I'm not saying anything." There was that piece in her brain that was still hoping that she hadn't used her words, even though the gentle manner in which Nick spoke to her made it all too clear that she actually had. The strange thing was, in that moment Anna was more worried that Molly would hate her for having any kind of reaction to being around an actual child for the first time in her life than the fact that she was bugged by it in the first place, despite the fact that there was no one in the world who could have possibly been more understanding. She curled deeper in to Nick's hold as much as she could, seeming softer and more vulnerable in that moment than he had likely ever seen her before.

"What'd I say?" A moment of silence passed, and then she was back to being more lucid. She was definitely a little worked up as Nick had noticed, and realizing what she'd done seemed to escalate that feeling further rather than quell it.

"Oh." Fuck, yeah - she had actually spoke. They had talked about working things out though so it wasn't the worst thing in the world to have said something she shouldn't have, right? But that made Nick the second person in the world to know anything about back then. She didn't realize that to her what she'd said was crystal clear, but Nick wouldn't be able to make that same assumption. "I'm sorry, you... you didn't need that. Are you going to make me talk about it later?" Anna didn't do talking about things sober, but... well, there were a lot of things that probably would have to be properly talked about sober at one point or another. Maybe she could just recruit Molly to do the talking for her...
 
“Now… what makes you think that I want you tied, Princess?” It was a teasing question. Of course, Bryce wanted her tied! His right hand slid underneath her shirt, slowly moving his hand upwards until he could caress her breasts. “Well, I guess you’re right, actually. I am going to suggest tying you up… but there’s something I want to show you, first.” It was painful pulling away from Alicia, even for a short moment. However, he reached underneath the bed, grabbing one of his bags so he could remove a small, black box.

“You know, we talked about this some before. I love the idea of seeing you in a collar. I might not be able to have you in a real collar all the time, but I could have you wearing this instead…” Removing the box was a choker necklace. “This is a choker, obviously, but a BDSM style one. Others might look at this and just see a choker necklace, but that means something else completely different to us. This is a sign of how you belong to me, of how I love you.” The male whispered quietly, still smiling at the brunette, hoping that she would like the idea.

“If you’re okay with it, how about you hold the hair out of the way so I can place the choker on your neck now. Then, we can really get into having some more fun.” Bryce whispered, pulling his hand out from her shirt, just thinking about how he wanted to bind and gag her tonight.

--

“Me? Making you do something? Oh, please, Anna. I couldn’t make you do anything, even if I wanted to. You don’t listen to my advice anyway!” Nick worried there was too much tension since Anna brought up something that was deep and personal. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel upset, so he decided to tease her and joke around with her at first, offering her a sweet smile when he spoke. Seriously, he did not think he could make her talk about anything. Anna was her own person and she knew how to tune him out when she needed! It was one of the many things he loved about her.

“On a serious note, no. I am not going to ask you to talk about anything. All I’m gonna do is tell you that I am here for you. If you WANT to talk about it later, I’m all ears, but I won’t pressure you. This is something that you cannot force out, I think. I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable or upset.” Nick showed that he was going to give her the space she needed. At the same time, he was willing to talk with her, if she desired to have a conversation. That was all he could do. There was no pressure one way or the other. The ball was in her court.

“And don’t be sorry about that. I mean it when I say I’m here for you. If you ever do want to talk about some serious shit, I’ll listen.” It was his hope that they would get to a point again where they did feel secure and safe talking with each other, but he assumed that was still slowly being worked toward.
 
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