Arrayennem: I definitely do not want you to spoil it for yourself! :) There's another three chapters before we're back to the present and pick up with the season 5 timeline, so you'll have close to three weeks before you have to worry about spoilers. Glad you're enjoying it so far and thanks for your review!

I know there are a lot of people who have been dying to see what happens with Bailey and 10K now that they are reunited but there's still another three chapters to go before we get there. I'm sorry for those of you who wanted that sooner, but I wanted to give Bailey enough to do so that her timeline and 10K's would line up the way I wanted. Sorry again for the wait, but we will get there soon. :)

S5E02: Part 7

Still flashback

When she'd gotten to Lake Superior she found a wharf that looked good enough to stayat for the night and decided to rest for a while. She still had maybe an hour of daylight so it couldn't hurt to check the docks for supplies. She checked a few boats and collected some netting figuring she could use it to either catch fish to eat or trap an unkillable Z. If they wouldn't be killed she'd have to find ways to at least slow them down long enough for her to run. She looked at the sky one more time and decided she should decide on a boat to sleep in before the sun set. She walked from dock to dock looking for one that looked empty, several had Z's mulling about inside and she couldn't tell if they were the regular one's or this new breed so she kept walking. Eventually she walked past a small wooden shack and paused. Strung up along the wall was some netting and rope with buoys attached, the strands had been nailed to the shack to spell out DXD. . . Delta X-ray Delta? She took a closer look and saw a little fisherman statue that looked like Doc and someone had even stuffed some grass in its mouth like he was smoking Z-weed. Bailey chuckled and felt a warmth in her chest at the idea that one of her group had left this here, maybe as they made their way to Newmerica. She walked up to the shack and knocked on the door, not hearing any snarling inside she decided this little place would do well for her to get some rest in.

«»

Now being on her own Bailey quickly came to realize that she had no idea where exactly Newmerica was. The only direction she had was 'north' and honestly there was a lot of land north to cover if she didn't have any better directions. The only thing she did have were these DXD signs that someone had left continuing west from her position. She wasn't sure they led to Newmerica but they were her best bet so she kept following them. The latest one had been in the middle of a deserted road, an old little concrete building with a sign marking it 'Jim Bob's Gas Station'. On the ground a few feet from the gas pumps and abandoned cars were some mercied zombie's that had been left rotting away. Bailey noticed their bodies had been laid out in the shape of an arrow so she had continued to follow it until she came across a more main road that took her further north and she hoped she'd reach the Canadian border in another week or two at the rate she was going.

When she got to the next town she stopped to make a supply run and hoped maybe she'd find a working car. She knew main places like grocery stores and fast food restaurants would have been looted ten times over by now so she had to think of more creative places. As she walked through the parking lot of a plaza her gaze stopped at a bank. No one would have gone in there, she thought, money was useless now. But she did remember as a kid the bank teller's would always give her a lollipop when she'd stop in when her mom or dad had to cash a check and old candy was better than no food at all so she headed over. But as she got closer she heard groaning and saw a small pack of zombies come from around the corner of the building. She quickly ran hoping that if she did have to fight them they'd at least be the one-and-done type of Z's. She ran to the nearest alley and hesitated when she saw a figure at the opposite end. The figure ducked behind a dumpster while Bailey took cover behind a trashcan. The pack of Z's walked right by the alley and when they were gone Bailey was left with only one problem – the person at the other end of the alleyway.

She drew her knife not wanting a shot from her gun to draw the zombies back toward her and she crept to the next garbage can in the alley. After she ducked behind it she heard a scurrying noise and realized the other person was trying to do the same thing and sneak up on her. Her grip on her knife tightened and she pushed her loose hair from her face as she got ready to pop out and defend herself. She took a deep breath and stood from her hiding place coming face to face with the sharp tip of an ax. But instead of finishing their swing, the person froze.

"Bailey?" they asked shocked.

Bailey's tone was equally surprised, "Red?"

Both of them dropped their weapons and hugged each other.

"Red, oh my God." Bailey repeated happily. "I haven't seen you since Mercy Lab."

Red pulled away smiling, "Yeah, it's been a while."

"I can't believe you're here." Bailey said grinning, "Everyone thought you were dead."

Red's smile faltered and Bailey wasn't sure why.

"Well they don't think that anymore." She said, "I found the others in Spokane –"

"You were in Washington?"

Red nodded, "5K and I heard the Z's don't like the cold so we headed north and ran into the others. But Bailey. . . you're the one they think is dead."

"What?" she asked, confusion taking over.

"10K, he said he saw you getting eaten by Z's. Murphy showed him your body. He was so crushed."

Bailey thought back to when she'd seen Murphy in Zona, when he told her 10K had been devastated when he thought she'd abandoned him. The liar, she thought, 10K hadn't thought she'd left him, he thought she'd been killed. That's why she never saw him, he didn't give up on her, he didn't break his promise, he just thought she wasn't alive to find anymore.

"Damn it Murphy." She muttered under her breath angrily, like 10K hadn't been suffering enough already? She wished she hadn't been strapped down to that operating table back on Zona so she could have strangled him.

"So. . . how'd you get out here?" she asked knowing she couldn't change the past and it was better to focus on the future. Red took a deep breath and Bailey felt like she was in for a long story.

«»

"They killed 10K?" she asked when Red got to that part of the story just after they'd found a place to bunk for the night. They'd secured an apartment in a huge complex but it looked like any zombies that had been there had left a long time ago in search for more food.

"To save him." Red explained, "He'd had so many different experimental vaccines in his system, Murphy's bite, Merch's booster, Sun Mei's vaccine, then the infection from a gunshot wound. His immune system was crashing, there wasn't another way."

"And that worked?"

"Mm-hmm." Red nodded taking a bite of their small dinner, old chips and jerky.

"And is 5K with him?" Bailey asked noticing the lack of the cawing child and knowing Red would never let him out of her sight – unless he was safe with 10K. But Red looked away and Bailey knew the answer and felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Oh. . . I'm so sorry."

"It's. . . whatever." She shrugged and Bailey got the impression she didn't want to talk about it.

"So. . . how did you get separated from the others?" she asked changing the subject.

Red looked up from her lap and took another deep breath, "There was this ship. . .like something from the future. It was supposed to pick up Lucy and The Man and bring them to Zona but Addy had already pushed him over the mountain and Lucy had followed her then 5K. . . " she trailed off then shook her head getting back on track. "The ship had some sort of gun and it shot this wave of energy at us and destroyed the base. I was helping 10K stand so he was still right beside me and we just ran for cover. When the dust cleared and we got out and saw daylight we couldn't find anyone else. We scaled down the cliff and found 5K. . . what was left. . .after that we just gave up and started moving. We knew a blast like that would attract the Z's and we had to get out of there, 10K was in no shape to fight. There wasn't any more time to search for the others. . . Crazy huh?"

"So it was just the two of you?" Bailey asked and Red nodded taking another bite of jerky, "For how long?"

"Two years, I think."

Bailey nodded and looked down at her lap while she ate, two years, she thought, two years of 10K thinking she was dead, two years of him living alone with Red.

"So were you two. . . " she trailed off still not looking at Red, instead keeping her eyes on a piece of jerky she was tearing apart.

"Not at first." Red told her and she looked back up at her and saw her looking so sad. "He was so broken after everything that had happened. He barely ever talked, it took a few months before he'd say more than a few sentences at a time, but the nightmares still hadn't stopped."

"He had nightmares?" she asked feeling her heart break.

Red nodded, "Nearly every night for maybe six months. He'd wake up panting and covered in sweat. He'd go off saying he needed to be alone – he'd never go too far, just in case – he thought I couldn't hear him, but I did. He'd sit behind a tree or a bush and I'd hear him cry, sometimes he'd cry in his sleep."

Red stopped, letting her take that information in. Bailey had never seen 10K cry, even when he'd mercied Cassandra he'd just become quiet and closed off, but he'd cried for her. He'd been tortured for months mourning her because of Murphy's lie.

"I could kill Murphy." She said and Red chuckled once.

"Yeah me too." She agreed, "If he's even still alive."

"He is." Bailey said and the certainty in her voice caught Red's attention. Bailey looked up and saw the way she was looking at her and knew she'd want more information, "He's on Zona."

"So Zona is real?" she asked and Bailey nodded, "Well that sucks. I was hoping he had died in that blast. He took a bullet to the stomach from the Man and I figured wounded like that maybe he hadn't gotten out."

"Of course he got out." Bailey said miserably, "He's like a rash that just keeps coming back."

Their conversation paused for a moment as they continued to eat in silence, the only sound was the crunching of the stale chips and the occasional ruffling of plastic as they reached in the open bag for more jerky. Finally Red spoke up again.

"Bailey what happened to you?" she asked and Bailey sighed. She knew this question was coming. If she hadn't been dead and Murphy was lying then why hadn't she come back? Why hadn't anyone run into her in two years?

"Did 10K ever mention what Murphy did to me before I 'died'?" she asked and Red shook her head. Bailey sighed again knowing this was going to be a longer night then she'd thought.

«»

The next day she and Red left the apartment complex. Bailey had spent the rest of the night filling Red in on everything from when she'd snuck out of Murphytown up til losing Sherry's group who had first told her of this safe haven up north. When morning came they decided they had both been heading to Newmerica anyway so why not travel together the rest of the trip?

"So how did you and 10K get separated?" Bailey finally asked as they walked down the road and out of town.

"We ran into Doc – actually, Doc ran into 10K." she smiled a bit, "He told us about this camp where some marines were gathering survivors who wanted to go to Newmerica. Tommydidn't want to leave our tree tent but Doc eventually talked him into checking it out. Then the convoy that was supposed to come hadn't been responding to their calls." Bailey remembered the call she'd heard on the radio a few weeks ago, that must have come from Red's camp, "Tommy volunteered to go with Doc and the marines to search for the convoy since the camp would need the supplies they'd had. While they were gone. . . " Bailey noticed a terrified look enter Red's eyes and slowly reached her hand to rest on the other girl's shoulder. Red flinched like Bailey's touch had pulled her out of a terrible memory and back to the present. She cleared her throat and went on, "After the camp fell, I ran. I wasn't sure what direction I was going I just. . . had to get away. I started heading north knowing if Tommy wanted to find me that's where he'd go. A few weeks later I started seeing these signs." She turned to Bailey and gave a small smile, "I thought 10K had left them but apparently that was you."

Bailey had told Red last night about the signs she'd left for 10K, the markings of 1,093/10,000 and so on that she'd scattered along her path east after she'd left Spokane. Red had told her she thought they were clever and Bailey had told her of the DXD signs she'd found. Red had said it hadn't been her or 10K who had left them so Bailey figured it had to be someone else.

"I'm glad he had you." Bailey finally said and in all honesty she meant it, "I'm glad he wasn't alone. That he was able to be happy again."

Red seemed surprised that Bailey wasn't mad at her for her relationship with Tommy. But some dull memory surfaced in Bailey's mind the more she wondered why she wasn't jealous. Why didn't it bother her that 10K had moved on?

"What's it like to be in love?" she asked and Garnett looked back to her a bit surprised.

"Well. . . it's hard to explain. It's different each time. How it felt being with Amy is different than how it feels being with Warren."

"Don't you feel bad that you fell in love again? Like you're betraying your wife?"

"No. You know why? Because if it was reversed, if I had been the one to die, I'd want her to find someone who made her happy. I guess. . . that's what love is, wanting what's best for someone else, even if that means letting them love someone else.

She felt her chest ache a bit at the thought of Garnett but she was glad she finally understood what he meant.

«»

They'd taken a break at midday when the sun was at its peak and it just got too hot to keep moving. They'd found a broken down car and Red was sitting in the passenger's seat with her legs over the armrest letting her feet sit on the driver's seat while Bailey laid out in the back.

While they waited in the shade of the car Bailey had asked Red if she could show her how she braided her hair. Bailey had noticed she didn't wear it in the simple three plait braid anymore but had several smaller more intricate ones all weaving through her hair holding up half of it in a half up half down style. In the past Addy had always been the one to do her hair but Bailey had never cared to learn how. She'd figured she'd be with Addy through the entire apocalypse and when fate came knocking it would take them both, but thinking like that was ages ago, long before Operation Bitemark, and once that had started they'd had bigger problems then hairstyles. Red didn't seem to mind and started showing her different braids while they waited for the sun's intensity to die down outside.

After maybe an hour or two they heard snarling and looked out the windshield to see a zombie running down the road. It looked fresh which filled them both with dread knowing it would take more than a hit to the brain to mercy it. They both also knew they couldn't just stay in the car, the Z would see them or smell them and these new stronger zombies might be able to tear the car apart and get to them. They each took their weapons and got out of the car ready to fight. The Z roared and ran faster at them once they were in view and Bailey's knuckles turned white on her knife and her gun. When the Z was close enough she was sure she'd make the shot she lifted her gun and fired. Several shots went directly into its head one going through its nose and another going through its eye. Red ran at it and swung her ax taking off its arm as she ran around to the other side of it so they could attack it from both ends. Bailey now could see the zombie had a hatchet – not her old one but very similar to it – imbedded in its chest. She continued to fire until her gun ran out of ammo and she knew she wouldn't have time to reload itso she stuffed it back in its holster on her thigh and readied her knife. Red was slashing at the zombie while also trying to stay out of grabbing range from the one hand it had left. Bailey ran forward and stabbed the Z in the back of the head but it turned and got a hold on her jacket. She let go of her knife which was now stuck in its skull and used her hands to grab its greasy hair trying to push its snapping teeth away from her face. She glanced down at the hatchet in its torso again.

"Sorry buddy, I'm gonna need this." She said taking a risk and letting go of its face with one hand and reaching for the weapon. She had to tug a little while Red shouted things at her about not being able to get a clean hit while she looked on worried. Finally Bailey was able to pull the hatchet free causing the zombie's guts to spill out along with it and she used the top of the hatchet to smash into its face making it stumble back and let her go. She backed up until she was next to Red again and watched the zombie recover and roar at them again, this time the sound was distorted as its jaw detached from her hard swing and dangled off its face hanging fromonly one side. Red ran forward and used her ax to cut under the zombie's knee making it fall over on only one leg. Bailey rushed forward ready with her new weapon and helped Red smash the zombie's skull to mush. When it finally stopped twitching and they were sure it was down they backed away and caught their breath.

"It must be one of the Mad Z's, the kind that won't go down." Red said looking down at the bloody pulp.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Bailey asked panting and turning to her confused.

"You haven't seen one?"

"I have." She said remembering losing Sherry and her group, "But I've never heard anyone call them that before."

Red nodded her breathing still heavy, "I first heard about them back at that marine camp, the one that was supposed to take us safely to Newmerica? That's what the marines called them, Mad Z's. They're almost unkillable because the virus mutated. Like the apocalypse wasn't hellish enough."

Oh great, Bailey thought as she looked back down at the carnage at her feet. With these 'Mad Z's' she was happier now more than ever she had Red with her.

«»

They had rested up in the car for a few more hours after killing the Mad Z. When they got back on the road north again they started talking about really the only thing they had in common besides the apocalypse and killing, which was 10K.

Bailey had been traveling with him for a couple years before Red met him and she was curious about what he'd been like back then, probably just as curious as Bailey was about the man he'd become in the two years he'd spent with Red.

"He used to smoke?" Red asked as they walked. Bailey had started from the beginning when they first met 10K and she seemed shocked when Bailey talked about how quiet and closed off he was. Sure he still didn't talk too much but he had come out of his shell more and he didn't wander from the group like he used to, vanishing into thin air until you were fighting a Z and suddenly saw him perched somewhere sniping with either his gun or his gears.

"His Pa smoked." Bailey explained, "I think it made him feel close to him back when he was alone and had nobody."

"What else about his life Pre-Z did he tell you?"

"Not much." Bailey shrugged thinking back to all her conversations with 10K. Sure they'd grown closer and they'd told each other things about their past that they kept private and didn't make common knowledge but Bailey wasn't sure how much of what he'd told her he had told Red. And they weren't Bailey's stories to tell so she shrugged it off and continued talking about the trip Operation Bitemark had been on before and after Mercy Labs to keep Red entertained and to keep her own mind off of things like hunger and exhaustion.

"Oh, and don't bring up aliens or sasquatch, you will never hear the end of it." Bailey said with a shake of her head and Red chuckled.

"He believes in aliens?"

"I think he believes in everything but we never really had a conversation about it. He said he had an uncle who was deeply involved with X Files type stuff. You know, Area 51 and all that. He said he even had a sasquatch pelt."

Red gave a short laugh again, "I'll have to ask him if he believes in a chupacabra too."

"That blood sucking dog?"

"Mm-hmm." Red nodded.

"Probably. It's not that unbelievable now that we've got dead people walking around."

«»

After a few weeks of walking they finally made it to the Canadian border and also started seeing signs for Newmerica. Bailey thought it was funny that they'd also left a sign that said 'Apocalypse' pointing in the opposite direction. As they followed the direction the sign pointed Bailey heard static coming from her rucksack and Red opened it and pulled out the handheld radio. The thing hadn't picked up a signal in a long time and when she turned up the volume they were both shocked.

"Delta X-ray Delta. Calling Delta X-ray Delta, this is Kaya in the Sky-a, Lieutenant Warren are you there? Have important information over."

"Delta X-ray Delta this is Citizen Z do you copy? Delta X-ray Delta this is Citizen Z do you copy? Doc? Murphy? Warren do you copy? This is Citizen Z. We have vital information regarding Black Rainbow. Repeat, we have vital information regarding Black Rainbow."

"What the hell is Black Rainbow?" Red asked.

"How did Warren and Murphy get off Zona?" Bailey asked.

"Or is Black Rainbow a mission Zona sent them on?" Red suggested.

"You said 10K was with Doc at that camp right?" Bailey asked and Red nodded.

"Yeah, 10K wouldn't leave Doc behind and I highly doubt Doc would abandon him either."

"He wouldn't." Bailey said remembering back at the Mississippi River, "So he and 10K have to be together with Warren and Murphy."

They both looked down at the radio as they walked hoping to hear more news but none came. Still they were happy to know one thing, 10K was still out there, he was still alive.

Bailey has her signature weapon back! And what do you guys think of her and Red so far?