A/N: Thank you for reading. And special thanks to Indie for the prompt and Jessie for the uber quick beta.

EPILOGUE

Three hundred and sixty four days later.

"But why can't I come."

"You're too young."

"But Kate said -"

"Woah -" Kate interrupted, stepping out of the bathroom, her hands thick with the fake blood she was running through the strands of her hair, "- what did Kate say?"

"That it was so much fun!" Alexis smiles sweetly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hmm." Kate pretends to glare, before giving in and smiling widely back at the twelve year old, "Kate did say that."

"You're no help."

"Was I supposed to be helping?" She catches his eye in the mirror and winks. Still creepy when she's plastered in undead make-up. Still hot.

"You're always telling me I need to have adventures."

"She's right, you do say that." Kate cat-calls from the bathroom, laughing when Alexis becomes buoyant with back-up.

"You do say that, and that I should experience all the rarity and weirdness that life has to offer."

Rick turns and slowly points at his daughter, "You know it's not fair when you quote me to me. How am I supposed to argue with myself?"

"You're not."

They speak at the same time, his daughter at the foot of the bed and his girlfriend leaning against the bathroom door.

"You're not helping a lot tonight." He fires off at Kate and she laughs, poking out her tongue. "Do you really think she should come?"

Her cheeks pink up, the way they always do when he asks her something about his kid.

"No, and neither does she." Kate nods toward the girl and he turns to see her looking contrite and mischievous.

"Sorry daddy," she grins widely, "but Kate's right, it is funny to make you squirm."

Their eyes catch when he turns back and Kate shrugs, smirks and doesn't move. Too content to mess with him from a distance.

"You really don't want to come," he watches Alexis closely, wants to be sure.

"No, I have to finish my book report and Kate said it's your anniversary."

"Mmm, anniversary," he grins back at the zombie woman in the doorway, up on his feet and stepping into her for a kiss.

"But the anniversary of your first date is tomorrow," Alexis states suspiciously, hands dropping to her hips

"Different anniversary," Rick throws over his shoulder, hiding her face as Kate blushes and smiles up at him widely. He's been calling it their sexaversary for weeks now.

He presses his lips to her ear, "You like making me squirm?" His fingers ripple, letting her know she'll pay for that comment later.

"But what kind of anniversary?"

He strokes a strand of Kate's blood smeared hair and forces himself away. He hugs his kid, their eyes locked over the top of the girls head, "Daughter, I can't tell you that story, it's wildly inappropriate."

She waits until Alexis leaves the room, leaves the two of them alone before she meanders back to her drawer. She hasn't moved in yet but they've talked about it. Talked about a lot of things. Scary long term things that don't seem quite so daunting when they plan to face them together.

That's part of the reason she's about to do what she's about to do.

"Rick?"

"Mm?"

He mumbles but his attention is focused on the mirror, on attaching the fake lumps of ripped out guts to the new tear in his shirt.

He's not really listening and Kate watches him, thinking about how much her life has changed in less than a year. Or exactly a year, she grins, depends on who's counting.

She's nervous. She shouldn't be, but waiting for him to emerge from the bathroom is making the envelope burn under her fingertips, anticipation race in her blood.

"Kate?"

She's smiling and Rick narrows his eyes. She should be more subtle. She's breaking all the rules. But the smile blooming across her face, her fingers toying with the envelope, makes his gaze drop to her hands, giving her away.

His smile is instinctive, reactive. A little suspicious.

"We said we weren't doing gifts."

"I know." She presses the card into his hands.

"But this is a gift." He lifts the envelope, grimaces as the fake blood on his fingers spreads out across the white paper.

"I know." She smiles widely, tongue poking through her teeth, twisting on the spot in a way far too innocent for the zombie persona she's slipped back into so easily. "But it's our sexaversary."

He laughs, stunned. She's been so against that phrase and his poor little ears have paid the price. Using it against him now is just thoroughly unfair.

"And I know you got me something for tomorrow."

His mouth drops open and she laughs. She knows? What does she know? How does she know? The ring's been burning a hole in his proverbial pocket for a week now, but he's been so careful not to let anyth -

"Kate -" He chokes out her name, not sure where to go beyond that. He had a plan and this is not it.

"I'm not technically breaking the rules," she hedges, stepping into him, smoothing her hands down his blood spattered shirt. Bringing him back into the moment. "Because this gift isn't for you."

"Wait, what?" He snaps out of himself, confused.

"Well, not just for you." She grins, presses her forehead to his shoulder. He hears the breath she takes before pushing herself away. "Can you just open it?"

He nods mutely, dropping her hands and tearing into the envelope. But his eyes are up and over her face, watching her worry her lip.

"I know we met on a Zombie Walk," she starts as he pulls out the card, "and that this is kind of our thing." Her hands dance over their costumes and he smiles following her movement.

"Kate, what is -"

He stills as he reads the title on the card. Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp.

"I'm kinda looking forward to spending my life with you, Rick." She takes a step back into him now, eyes knowing. Wholly unfair when he has a plan. She's stealing his thunder, because he hasn't even asked yet and there's nothing but yes in her eyes.

"I figured the three of us deserved the best shot at living zombie free -"

Three places.

She's included his kid in this. This plan for life, whatever silly, happy version of it they'll create together.

He picks her up. Shuts her up with a kiss, pushing her back into the wall of their bedroom. Awed. Stunned.

She laughs against his lips and he can taste her relief. Hear it in her voice when she asks, "You like it?"

He's going to marry this woman.

He kisses her again, can't help it. Kisses her hard. Truth in his eyes as his fingers slip into his back pocket, reaching for the box.

As much as he loves the zombie look, she's right, life is for living. For asking a woman you've just met for coffee and believing in the magic you find together.

For forgetting about plans and seizing the moment.

He drops to one knee and holds up the ring, smiling widely when her fingers feather over her lips.

"You have no idea."