A/N: This is a little one shot I wrote as a letter written from Kieth to Ellis. It's short and bitter sweet, but I hope you enjoy it. Please Read and Review.

Dear Ellis,

I used to be your best friend in that Southern, country town. We worked together in the old car shop, bitchin' now and then about how the roof was rusting out and the big industrial fans were never quite enough A/C. You would grin at me from across the room, taking a break with our buddy Dave. You never knew though… You never knew that every time you smiled at me, you made my heart flutter.

You were on your way out of town when the green flu hit. You were on the road to see Jimmy Gibbs Junior, while I was left back at the shop covering your shift. One minute I was fixing the transmission on an old Impala, the next I felt blood spatter across my back as Dave slammed a lug wrench into an infected bitch's head. When I turned around, the place was suddenly in chaos. Dave was dragging me out the back door as our co-workers were being bitten and ripped apart. I saw old Boss Josh though. He was one of them, beating a screaming customer to the floor.

Dave and I got on his old ass Harley. Y'know, the one with the duct-tape on the seat and the naked lady on the front. We tried to head off and find our families, but in the chaos they had fled and we had no idea where they'd gone. We armed ourselves with what we could find. Dave grabbed a 22. Rifle and a baseball bat. I snagged my crossbow from the house and one of mama's best cast iron skillets.

We began pushing towards Atlanta to try and find you, but after all the infected had swarmed the areas in between it took us way too much time. We headed towards evacuation points and kept moving, hoping and praying every time that we would find you. Dave knew that I loved you. He knew that I would always keep looking and as he had nothing left to lose, he stuck close to me.

Broken highways and river boat encounters pushed us further inland. We had no choice in the matter. We were just trying to survive. Finally we got grouped up with a nice nurse lady by the name of April and an older guy named Jack who had been a construction worker.

We carved our way up to Memphis, Tennessee. We found a retirement home full of people and helped other young survivors build up protection on the place. It was a veritable bunker. Groups of us would go out and get supplies from the city. We grew our own food on the land inside the cement walls. We defended that safe haven day and night from the infected and thanked our lucky stars that the walls held against Tank attacks.

For a while, I simply waited there and prayed… I prayed that you were okay somewhere. I vowed that when I saw you again, I would confess everything I'd ever felt for you and I would ask you to marry me.
Finally, the Calvary came. The military and other survivors poured into the city, eradicating infected and taking all of us into the safety of their numbers. This was happening all over the country by this point. I hoped that you had been safely picked up by the military too. The old were put in safe zones. The rest of us continued to travel and kill more infected.

After a while, they sent those of us who wanted to be civilians again to other safe zones as well. We were put on national rosters and we were allowed to look up our family to see if they'd survived. Dave found that his family was safe in South Carolina and went with some troops out that way to join them. My family was long dead, having been killed in the first swarm. I just pray they didn't suffer.

I poured over the pages and at long last… I found you. You were in a safe zone in New Orleans and I was going to meet you. I was determined to grab you up and tell you everything I vowed to. I climbed into the back of a military truck and I was on my way, popping zombies in the head with an AK-47 the whole way down.

I finally reached my destination and headed towards the address I'd been given. I hadn't called ahead, wanting it to be a surprise. But when I reached your house… I saw you with him. I couldn't mistake that look in your eyes… That look I'd always wanted aimed at me. You were in love with him and I wasn't going to break you up.

So I swallowed my own words of devotion and pushed back the tears that threatened to overwhelm me. I put on a big smile and ran up to you calling your name. You looked so shocked and amazed as I threw my arms around you in a big hug. "Ellis…" I whispered to you. "Good God, I missed ya." You wrapped your arms around me tightly and for a moment I was in heaven. "Jesus, Kieth! God, I missed you too! I knew I'd see ya again! Come inside! I've got loads of stories to tell you!"

You dragged me in the house and chattered on and on as you do. I listened and chattered back, telling you my own stories. The whole time though, "he" was glaring daggers at me. Nick has never seemed to like me much and I think it's 'cause he knows that I love you. Perhaps he's jealous. Maybe he's just worried I'll steal you away one day.

I don't like the way he treats you, Ellis. He's mean and picks on you all the times. He calls you names, tells you to shut up during your stories, and is just a general jerk. I guess there must be something good in him for you to stay with him… But it makes me jealous too.

If you ever leave him, I'll always be waiting right here for you… I've always been waiting for you. I know I could make you happy… If only you could see me as more than just "My buddy Kieth."

With All My Love,

Kieth

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it and I think I'm going to start trying to write more one shots and short stories than epic fanfics. :P I hope you enjoyed this one. Please, please review.