Author's Note
A different pairing. I happen to love this silly little show so I wanted to write something for it.
Happy Holidays!
Tell me what you think, and I hope you enjoy!
-Page Break-
Bella tightened the strap to her boot and looked at the group that was just entering the refinery. She didn't want to get involved in their plans, she had already gotten the gas that she needed, but she couldn't help but stick around for a bit longer. She sighed and got down to hide from view of any of them. She reached for her blade and waited knowing something could occur at any moment and she didn't want to waste a second trying to get her weapon.
"Come on, Bella, just leave." She said to herself as she saw a few Z's headed towards the car. Her hands twitched when she saw the old man get out of the car. She grew impressed to see him kill a Z instantly and watched as he tried to lure the two on the hood of the car away.
Bella shook her head as she could see the man inside the car lock the older man out. She jumped from the roof and landed in a crouch. She took off running and circled in on the SUV. She began to use her sword to kill the Z's. She heard the engine start and the panicked breathing of the man inside. Using her instincts, she broke through the driver's window and took a hold of the man and pulled him out of the car. She knew the familiar signs of a panic attack something she suffered from every once and a while.
"HEY!" She shouted in his face trying to take his attention away from the Z's. "Look me in the eyes." She nodded as he did as she commanded. She grabbed a brown paper bag from her back pocket and put it to his face. "Breathe." She put a hand to his heart and breathed with him. She smiled brightly as his breathing regulated. "Really glad to see you're not about to die."
"Hey there," Doc said approaching cautiously not sure what to expect from the newcomer. "Thanks for the help."
Bella grinned, "No problem, you're the only decent group I've come across."
"I'm Doc." He said holding out his hand to her.
"Bella." She said taking his hand in greeting. "Who's the guy about to freak out?"
"His name is Murphy." Doc said with a dismissive shrug. "He's a bit of an odd ball."
Bella nodded looking at the man curiously before looking back at Doc. "I got that." She jumped slightly as there was an explosion behind them. "I think your friends are going to need your help."
Doc nodded in agreement as he saw the flames. "Yeah hon, I think so too." He looked to Murphy and then to Bella. He didn't want to leave Murphy alone, but he also needed to check up on his group. "Mind watching him for a moment?"
Bella smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "I have nothing else to do today."
Doc took off running towards the explosion. He sighed in relief as he got there just in time to help the others. He forgot about Murphy and the girl as he did his best to kill as many zombies as he could.
Finally, he sighed as it seemed everything around them had calmed down. He sagged completely exhausted by all the activity that had been up to. He climbed onto the bed of the truck and sagged against the cold metal as he needed to just relax.
"Where the hell is Murphy?" Garnett questioned as he drove away from the fire the last thing he needed was for their only transportation to explode and leave them all exposed on foot.
"I left him with a girl I met." Doc said his tone expressing it as if it weren't a big deal. "She seemed to calm him down from his Z induced panic attack."
"DOC!" Warren shouted in disbelief. "You don't trust strangers! We don't have any idea what he could be up to! He could've killed the girl and escaped for all we know."
"Warren." Doc said calmly. "You should've seen this girl she took out Z's as if it were nothing. Murphy wouldn't be able to overpower her. Besides, she seemed nice, and I always trust my judgement."
The team pulled out of the refinery and with caution drove up to the large truck that was now in their way to getting out. All watched in shock as they pulled up to the truck and noticed the scene before them. Murphy was leaning against the car with the girl Doc was speaking about and at her feet sat a large husky dog.
Bella took a bite from her apple and smiled at the fresh taste. "Good right? I found a farm not that far away this was just about all they had."
"It's not bad, I've tasted better." Murphy replied taking a bit of his apple. "Now, if you want to taste something good, it's all about the authentic Italian pizza."
"I don't see that as happening seeing as the world has gone to shit." Bella said she threw her apple core to the ground as she saw the truck driving up. She tensed a reflex from being around people she didn't know. She watched and analyzed each of the members as she saw them getting out of the car.
"Thanks for saving our man." Garnett said as he looked at the girl cautiously.
Bella nodded, "I'm happy to help, I'm Bella."
Garnett held out his hand. "My name's Garnett, this is Warren, Mack, Addy, Doc and 10k."
Bella smirked, "This is Baxter." Bella said resting a hand on the dog's head. "Baxter, paw." She commanded and the dog obeyed holding out it's paw.
Garnett amusingly shook the dog's paw. "Where you headed?"
"Nowhere in particular." Bella responded she looked around. "I'm just trying to survive."
Garnett turned his head and looked to Warren who simply nodded her head. "We'd be happy to have you come along with us."
Bella crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you saying you're asking me to join your group?"
"We could use all the help we can get to get Murphy to California." Garnett said with a smile.
Bella smirked, "You know, you're the first group that hasn't tried to rape, rub or drug me." Bella nodded her head. "I'd be happy to come along; we can take my truck seeing as yours isn't going to make it very far in the condition it's in."
Warren nodded in agreement as she knew that their truck could only go so far. "Where'd you get this ride? Conquest XV right?"
Bella smiled proudly. "Yup, bullet proof windows, custom seats and solar panels on the top. It's a custom edition."
"Where'd you get it?" Mack questioned as like Warren he inspected the car.
"It was a gift, a friend of mine anticipated the apocalypse." Bella said with a smirk as she ran her hand alongside the truck. She tossed Warren the keys. "Drive, Baxter and I can ride in the back."
"What's in the U-Haul?" Addy questioned feeling the need to know if this girl was one of those weirdos that hauled around Z's or something just as strange.
"Supplies, food, water, ammo, gas, and two bags of dog food." Bella said with a smile. "I never leave a town empty handed.
"How much food and water do you have?" Garnett questioned as he needed to know how far they could get.
"Enough to last us a few days." Bella said with a shrug. "By myself I can make it last a few weeks, but with nine others it'll last fewer days."
"What about the dog?" Addy questioned looking at the pet in question.
"I have an abundancy of dog food. People don't scavenge for food that's not meant for humans." Bella said with a smirk. "You can add your supplies to the back and see for yourself. Look, I get it trust runs low these days, but I'm not here to kill you or whatever else you think I might do."
"How old are you?" Warren asked from behind the wheel.
"Seventeen." Bella replied she blushed at the shocked looks she got from people. "Yeah, for my own safety keep that to yourselves."
"You act a lot older." Doc said as he put his stuff in the back of the U-Haul trailer.
Bella shrugged, "That's what happens when you grow up in the zombie apocalypse."
She got into the car with the others and found herself sitting beside 10k. Bella smiled and reached up startling him as she pulled out an ear from his hair. "Sorry."
"No problem." 10k replied softly his head bending down in his usual shy matter.
"So Bella, why are you all alone?" Addy questioned as she got seated in the car.
"I lost my family." Bella replied with a slight shake of her had.
"Those damn Z's." Doc said with a disgusted look hating to hear that someone else lost their family to the Z's.
Bella frowned. "I wish it were the Z's, but my father and mother were killed before the apocalypse officially started. It's a long story, but Z's aren't the only thing you should fear out there."
Everyone stayed silent as they watched the young girl stare off into nothing, 10k reached down and pet the dog's head slightly.
-Page Break-
Bella followed after Addy and Mack as they were in Philly and the three of them had been given the task of scouting for anything. "I want that radio." Addy said with a smile as she looked towards her boyfriend.
Bella watched amused as the two effectively took out the Z in the cop car. "I got her back." Bella told Mack as he walked off to search for food. He gave her a curt nod before dashing away. Bella stood leaned against the cop car as she looked around looking at any Z that could be coming their way. Bella eyes caught the two men sneaking up on the two of them.
Thinking quickly Bella pulled out her gun and threw it in with Addy and closed the door behind her. She turned to Addy and put her finger to her lips signaling for the girl to not intervene. She smiled as the girl ducked down and kept quiet. Bella fell to her knees as she was hit with a Taser. She batted her eyes trying to stay awake, but soon everything started to go black and the last thing she was able to see was the face of the man that carried her off.
"What's with you and that dog?" Doc questioned as he the way the dog stuck close to 10k's side.
10k shrugged as the dog followed after him. "I guess he likes me." He bent down and pet the dog's head.
"You know kid; his owner is just around your age." Doc said with a smirk. "You'd make a cute couple."
"Who'd make a cute couple?" Warren questioned as she walked up to the two.
"Bella and 10k, they're around the same age." Doc said with a smile.
Garnett laughed joining the conversation. "You're both equally good at fighting, I say it was a match made in heaven."
"GUYS!" Mack said running up to the group with Addy in panic. "We lost Bella!"
"Z's?" Warren questioned disappointed at the thought of losing the young girl.
Addy shook her head, "Humans. They gave her an electric shock and carried her off. She spotted them in time for me to hide, but they took her. One of them was the friend of that guy who was with Cassandra."
"You think she knows something?" Warren questioned curiously as she too noticed Cassandra's odd behavior earlier.
Addy nodded, "She's hiding something and I think she could know where Bella would be."
"I don't know if we should go after her." Garnett said shocking the whole crew.
"Hold on!" Murphy said surprising everyone. "We know I don't like any of you, but I do like that girl. I think we owe it to her to at the very least try."
"Since when do you have a since of morals?" Addy questioned, "I mean I agree, but whoa."
Murphy rolled his eyes, "I stand by what I said, we owe it to that girl to try."
Cassandra walked up, "We ready to go?"
"Not yet." Warren responded eyeing the girl ready for just about anything. "One of your friends just took our girl. We want to know where they could've taken her."
"I don't have any friends." Cassandra said with a shaky voice.
"Now we both know that's not true." Doc said as he watched Cassandra's twitchy attitude. "Where'd they take her?"
Cassandra looked around noticing the group closing in on her. She took in a deep breath and acted as if she were going to answer. Instead she took off running trying her best to move her feet as far as they would be able to go.
10k nudged the dog with his leg. "Go get her." Everyone looked in wonder as the dog took off with Warren and Garnett.
"Since when are you the dog whisperer?" Addy questioned as she looked to 10k.
10k simply shrugged and turned his head as he saw the dog dragging back Cassandra. "I guess he's good at following command."
"Let's just hope we get to Bella in time." Addy said with a sigh. "I'd really hate for something to happen to that girl."
"Me too." Doc said in thought.
-Page Break-
Bella spit out the blood from her mouth. "Fine, I'll join your little family." She hissed out as she watched the older man grin widely at her.
Tobias smiled, "That's good to hear, now follow your new sisters and get changed. We don't want to upset Mama and have you looking so raggedy for dinner."
Bella stood and followed after the two girls. She looked around and took in her surroundings take in as much details as she could. Bella got into the worn down RV and heard the door slam shut behind her. She turned and rolled her eyes at the outfit that had been set out on the bed for her. Bella removed her shirt and smiled as she removed her knife that was tucked into her bra. She was just lucky that she seemed so innocent that they wouldn't thoroughly check her for weapons. She set the knife down and took in a deep breath. She whispered encouraging words to herself as she changed into the clothes she was give. Bella looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head, she looked ridiculous. She was wearing a black top that exposed most of her stomach and a pair of black leather shorts that barely covered her ass. She shook her head, fucking perverts, she thought as she zipped up the knee length boots and safely tucked the knife inside. She opened the door and saw the two girls there already waiting for her. She ignored the empty compliments they gave her as she stepped out of the Rv. She took a look around to notice she was alone with the two girls. She faked a wince and a hiss before lifting her leg slightly. "These boots are so itchy."
"You'll get used to it." One of the girls replied with a shrug. "You just have to wear them in."
Bella bent down slightly looking as if she was just going to scratch her leg. Her hand wrapped around the blade and in a swift movement she had it in one of the girl's neck. She pulled the knife out and let the girl fall to the floor gurgling as her own blood caused her to choke. Bella grabbed the other girl by the back of her hair and pulled her down. She jumped on top of the girl and pushed the knife through her head.
Bella sighed out in annoyance as the other girl stood growling as she was no longer human. Bella stood and grabbed her knife in her hand and as the Z came towards her she stabbed the blade through her head. She left both bodies on the floor, looking around to see if anyone had heard the little disturbance that had just occurred.
She pulled both girls' body into the RV and closed the door behind her being careful not to make too much noise. She had her knife ready as she moved to find Tobias. Bella paused as she spotted one of the four men that were a apart of the 'family'. Bella looked around searching to see if another man was around. She prepared her blade as she slowly and quietly tiptoed towards the man. She used her full strength to push the blade through his skull. She let him fall to the ground with the blade still lodged in his skull. She acted quickly and removed his weapon from his lifeless arms and strapped the rifle around her shoulders. Bella put her foot to his head and reached down pulling the weapon from his head. She turned her head as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Bella pressed herself to the wall of the RV as one of the men came around the corner. She watched as his eyes landed on the deceased and in his moment of distraction she lunged forward and plunged the knife into him. She cursed under her breath as she saw that she had only stabbed him through the heart and he was full on Z. Bella shifted her weight to hold him down while she pulled the knife from his heart. She struggled as she tried to stab him through the head but his jerky movement made it harder for her. Bella's hand trembled slightly as she finally got him. She stood and just like the other man she took his guns and anything else he had on him. She continued throughout the compound using her strength and her skill to do what she needed. Finally, she took a duffle bag and took apart the guns setting them inside before she went off to find her final kill. Tobias.
"Little Flower," Tobias said point his gun at her as he had been prepared for her. "I'm truly disappointed over what you have done to this home."
Bella took out her gun and pointed it at him. "Sorry to say, but I've done this all before and I don't need another dysfunctional family."
"You would've been great." Tobias said in thought.
Bella shrugged, "I guess you'll never know." Without flinching Bella pulled the trigger and watched the bullet go through his head. She stepped forward and took his guns and his knife sticking them in the bag she was carrying. She walked around the compound that it was empty trying to find anything useful to her. She smirked as she came across a machine gun. "Well, I've never had one of these before." She picked it up and carried it off with the bullets. She took one last look at the compound as she stepped out of the gates. She took in a deep breath feeling thankful she had been trained for situations like this. She turned her back to the compound and began to walk down the dirt road.
A wide smirk came upon her face as she saw her car and a pickup driving towards her. She set everything down as the doors opened and the group stepped out to meet her. She smiled as Baxter came up to her. His bark letting her know that he had missed her. She kneeled and let him nuzzle her neck. "Almost thought you had forgotten about me." She said as she heard the familiar steps that no doubt belonged to Warren approach her.
Warren looked her over and raised a curious brow at Bella's clothes. "You look…"
"Like a teenage stripper?" Bella responded with a smirk as she stood to face Warren. "Yeah, I didn't want to stay to look for more appropriate clothing. I kind of just wanted to get out of here."
"How did you get out?" Garnett questioned as he approached her. Slightly looking over her shoulder to see if she was being followed. "Are they going to come after you?"
Bella shook her head and looked over her shoulder at the gates. "There's no one left." Bella said with a smirk. "I was trained to be a fighter, not a damsel in distress. I know how to get myself out of a sticky situation, no matter at what cost. I did manage to get some guns, ammo, oh and!" Bella pulled out the machine gun. "How cool is this? It even came with an entire case of bullets!"
Doc looked at her curiously. "Did you find any medications?"
Bella smirked, "I did in fact, Doc." Bella reached into her back pocket and tossed him the small bag. "Liquid morphine and I think some Oxy."
"You're my new favorite hero." Warren said with a smirk. "Get in the car, let's get out of here."
Bella nodded she smiled as everyone seemed worried about her, something about being with these people just felt right. She watched as Warren, Garnett, Addy Mack and Murphy all got into the pick up while Cassandra her and 10k got into her car. She smiled at Doc as he got behind the wheel. "I'm wiped." She said as she went to get into the car.
"I would expect so, hon." Doc said, "You kicked major ass today!"
Bella laughed, she looked to Cassandra who stopped her just before she got into the car. "Something up?"
"Look, I'm sorry. I knew what they were and I…" Cassandra said.
Bella shook her head. "I've been there; you don't need to be sorry for needing to survive. We're good."
Bella got into the back with 10k she smiled as she looked over at him. "Thanks for watching over him."
"He's a cool dog." 10k responded quietly. Bella took the seat beside him. "Where'd you find him?"
"It was a gift." Bella said with a sigh. "I got him when he was a pup, I trained him myself."
"Why Baxter?" 10k questioned as they began to move.
Bella smiled, "It seemed like a good decision at the time. I was 13 and Baxter seemed like the best thing to call him."
-Page Break-
Bella sat outside of the building with 10k, the rest of the group had gone up looking for Doc, but she decided to stay back and help out if need be. "So what's your story?" 10k questioned curiously.
Bella turned to him and moved to sit directly beside him. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"I'm curious." He responded simply.
"I was born in Washington, lovely mother and father. I was raised in a town with a population less than 800 people, it seemed like everyone knew everyone. When I was 13 a new family came to town. A doctor, his wife and 5 adopted children. These people weren't the same as everyone else, they weren't normal. The Doc thought I was a perfect fit for his son, the perfect mate in his eyes, so he and his son broke into my home one night and killed my mother and my father. This was about 3 weeks before the Z's broke out everywhere. They took me and hid out, they headed to a home in the middle of nowhere in Florida. That's where I spent most of the last 4 years." Bella said quietly as memories she had pushed back flashed through her mind.
"How'd you escape?" 10k asked as he took a shot and looked at her briefly.
"The family was falling apart. The mother, Esme, had passed away, so the Doc was losing his mind. Her kids, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett all began to see that what the Doc said wasn't true. You see, he told them that he rescued me from an abusive home. This was all towards the beginning, a few months into me being with them. J, Rose and Em knew that they couldn't just let me go back into the world. Everything was taken over by zombies and there was no chance I would survive on my own. I'd eventually just be dragged back to The Doc. The Doc had too many resources not to mention that his other two children, Edward and Alice, fell deep into the idea that I was just meant to be a part of the family. J started to teach me strategy and fighting, Em was teaching me how to build up my strength and he was always trying to keep me happy. Rose, was very strict on my diet, she needed me to learn how to ration and she was really good with cars so she taught me everything she knew. She was the one that gave me my car. For years all I knew was that family, but J always told me to stay prepared because one day they would help me escape. J, Rose and Em prepared everything for my escape and one night they put me in the car with Baxter and told me to go and never look back." Bella said with a sigh as she tried to contain a few tears she felt swelling in her eyes. "Everything just exploded one day, it was the final straw in the family."
10k pulled back and looked at her curiously. "Do you miss them?"
"Somedays." Bella admitted sadly. "They were all I knew for years, and despite being part of the family that kidnapped me, they protected me. I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for them. The Doc was sick and twisted, the sort of doctor who'd be a villain in movies. J, Rose and Em… they were family. They protected me against their own family. They did everything possible to prepare to be out here by myself, they fought against the people they called family to help me. That's not something I can forget. We might've met under fucked up circumstances, but they'll always be my family."
"How do you stay so happy?" 10k questioned as he thought back to how he had rarely ever see Bella with a frown on her face. Something he always found interesting about her was the smile she kept on her face. "You've been through hell and you still seem so happy."
Bella smiled, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life thinking back on a life that no longer exists. Once it's in the past, it's in the past. I spent years feeling so much hate that now, I'm just tired of it. Em used to tell me that one day I would die, and in those last moments my life will flash before my eyes. I don't want to be on my deathbed regretting everything that has ever happened. I want to be happy when I die, I want to be able to enjoy those memories just before I die."
"Is Bella short for Isabella?" 10k questioned changing the subject.
Bella nodded, "Isabella Marie Swan." She said, "Yours?"
"Thomas." 10k replied.
Bella grinned, "If I promise not to do it in front of the others can I call you Tommy?"
10k laughed, "Sure."
"You know, about your dad, he would've known you did the right thing." Bella said softly as she met 10k's eyes. "My father died in front of me, and I remember that the last words he told me were that he loved me. I still remember the look in his eyes when he went… The love your father must've held for you; it means more than you know. You gave him peace, Tommy."
"What happened to the Doc?" 10k questioned to change the subject.
"I don't know for sure, but I think Jasper killed him and Alice." Bella said as she thought back to that day she left.
"And the other?" 10k questioned.
"I don't know. Edward was never really okay in the head; he still believes I'm meant for him." Bella said quietly as she shook from fear. She looked down as 10k rested his hand on her knee. She smiled at him she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for listening, Tommy." She hopped off the truck. "I'm going to go see if I can find something that doesn't make me look like a stripper."
10k chuckled as he watched her walk around looking for just about anything to cover up. "Hey." He said gesturing to the ambulance. "I think you'll find some scrubs."
Bella grinned, "Thank you!" She said as she took off towards the ambulance. Bella grimaced as all she could find was a nurse. Bella apologized as she took the nurses' scrub bottoms off. She shrugged them on and sighed in relief as her legs were finally covered. She walked back to 10k and sat down next to him. "Couldn't find a better shirt, but these scrubs will do for now."
10k pulled back his gun and sat down with Bella on the roof of the car. He looked at her surprised as she leaned against him as they waited for the rest of the group to come out of the building. He took in breath as he found himself enjoying her company a little bit more as time passed.
"Tommy," Bella said softly catching his full attention. "Z at three o'clock."
He prepared his shot and watched the zombie go down. He turned his head as he could hear the others exiting. He helped Bella off the roof of the truck and they both looked as their group exited the building. "Where's Doc?" 10k questioned looking around.
"Doc didn't make it." Warren said sadly.
"What?" Bella said as she stood beside 10k. "What do you mean he didn't make it?"
"Hey, we got z's." Addy said looking at the approaching zombies.
"One of them is Doc." Mack said in disbelief.
Bella put her hand in 10k's and looked on as Warren pulled out her gun. She turned away as she heard the bullet get fired. She sighed in relief as she heard Doc yell out in frustration. She walked up to him and helped him into her car as the others got into the pickup. She got into the driver's seat and looked over at 10k who was in passenger seat. "I'd say buckle up Doc, I've never been good with speed limits."
-Page Break-
Bella moved and sat down next to 10k as they drove in the middle of nowhere. "I miss Garnett." She said softly.
"He was a good man." 10k replied as he reached over and took her hand in his.
Bella leaned against him, she rested her head on his chest and took in a deep breath. She looked up and moved slightly so she could kiss his jaw. "Thanks for saving me."
10k looked down and met her eyes, he smiled slightly and kissed her lightly. "You're welcome."
"Ugh." Murphy said, "I thought riding with you would be less nauseating."
Bella sat up and smiled at Murphy, "What has your panties in a bunch? I thought you'd be on some sort of high since realizing you're the next messiah?"
"It's not as fun as I thought it would be." Murphy complained. "I have a feeling my life is going to become a living nightmare from here on out."
Bella laughed, "Isn't your life already a living hell?"
"Well compared to the disaster the world is at now." Murphy said.
"Hey, doc." Bella said with a smirk "I think Murphy wants to ride with the others. Any chance of catching up to them and slowing down enough so he can jump on board."
"Harty har har." Murphy said as he moved and sat in the passenger seat beside Doc.
Bella curled back up at 10k's side. "He's getting moodier." She whispered.
"The more Z he becomes the worst he gets." 10k replied with a frown. "You should get some rest."
"You should too." Bella replied with a yawn. "You go first."
10k smiled and put his hand over her eyes. "Go to sleep."
"I'm not a bird, you don't just make it dark and I'll fall asleep." Bella said with a small laugh.
"I'll go to sleep soon." 10k assured as he moved his arm to wrap around her waist. He watched her struggle to stay awake, but soon her eyes slid shut and her breathing evened out. He rested his head against hers and closed his eyes feeling comfortable enough now that she was asleep to get some seep himself.
10k blinked his eyes open as he heard Baxter bark once and felt the car stop moving. He looked around and noticed as Mack and Addy took off on the motorcycle. Cassandra, Doc and Warren all headed towards the car. The smoke coming from the pickup evidence that it had finally given out.
10k moved Bella closer to him as the others piled in. She was seated in his lap but still sound asleep the slow rise and fall of her chest evidence enough. Cassandra looked over at Doc once she saw 10k go back to sleep. "When did that happen?" She said using her head to gesture over to Bella and 10k.
"Around the time that tornado hit, I think." Doc whispered back. "I told you they're just adorable together."
"Just utterly adorable." Murphy responded with a frown. "Look, a town with liquor." He said gesturing to the passing sign.
Bella batted her eyes open and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she heard the doors to the car open. She blushed as Doc looked at her as she was still in 10k's lap. "We'll meet up with you Doc." She assured as she moved off his lap onto the seat beside him.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Doc called back as he left the door open allowing Baxter to jump off and head out to do his private business.
"Where'd we stop?" 10k questioned as he woke up.
"Someplace in Kansas." Bella said with a smile, "Come on, let's go see what they have to offer around here."
10k took Bella's offered hand and walked out of the car. He watched in amusement as she locked up the car and made sure everything was secure. He smiled as she stood close to his side as they made their way through the place. They came across Doc talking to an old friend and Bella noticed 10k's attention was drawn to a gun.
"There's a competition going on for that." The man with the large hat said.
"What sort of competition?" Bella asked as she stepped forward.
"Long range shooting."
Bella nodded, "And the entrance fee?"
"Whatever you got that's good."
Bella looked to Doc and he pulled out a small bag with a few pills of Oxy in them. "Top of the line, no add-ons."
"You go an entry, go line up!"
Bella looked to 10k and grinned, "Go for it!"
10k smiled and kissed Bella's cheek. "Thank you."
Bella and Doc followed after 10k and watched him set up his un. Bella leaned forward and kissed 10k's cheek. "Good luck, Tommy." She whispered into his ear.
Bella crossed her arms over her chest as she watched intently more than ready to see him win this competition.
"I'm going to go see what they have around here." Doc announced to Bella.
Bella nodded, "You should go check on Warren."
"Keep an eye open." Doc said as he walked away.
Bella smiled as 10k was making it down to the final people in the game. Her head turned to see zombies approaching the border of the town. They were coming in high numbers and she knew this would soon be a problem for everyone in this place. She leaned forward towards 10k, "I'll be right back, I have to make sure Murphy's alive. Keep going and good luck." She whispered to him seeing his nod she disappeared preparing her weapon in case anything happens.
Bella walked off keeping her eyes peeled for anything around her. She sighed out in annoyance as she spotted Murphy hiding behind a car. "Murphy, what the hell are you doing?" She questioned as she approached.
"Trying not to get mistaken for a damn Z." Murphy muttered in annoyance.
Bella crouched down beside him and whistled. She smiled as Baxter came running his tail whipping around as he ran towards her. "Come on, we have to find the others and get out of here. There are Z's everywhere, it won't be long until we're swarmed by them."
"Look, why don't I just stay in the car." Murphy said as he walked towards the car.
"Just don't leave." Bella said with a frown as she followed after him. "And keep Baxter with you."
"Yeah yeah yeah, go find your love boy." Murphy said as he got into the car with the dog and closed the door.
Bella rolled her eyes, but made sure to kill any zombies around the car. She took off running and killed any Z that got into her way. She went back to where the games were being held, and frowned as 10k wasn't there. She took off again and looked around for him, she stumbled back as she saw Cassandra being bitten. Bella took in a deep breath. "I give you mercy, Cassandra." She whispered as she aimed and took her shot. She shook her head as she saw Cassandra's entire body go limp as the bullet landed in her brain.
Bella turned back around and started to run. She ran as fast as her feet could take her and just as she was about to reach the car she was pulled back by a Z. She stumbled to kill him as her gun had been knocked out of her hand. She tried to reached for her knife, but she was losing focus on trying to get the damn Z off of her. She screamed out as he bit into her leg. She started to struggle, but sagged in relief as the Z fell limp. She tried to stand but failed, she fell back onto the ground.
Bella saw Doc, Warren and 10k standing around her. "She's not turning." Doc said in wonder. "She should've turned by now."
"Get her in the car and let's go." Warren said as she kept her eyes on Bella.
10k helped her up but couldn't meet her eye. Something about watching her being attacked had bothered him greatly. He felt a wave of anger aimed towards himself as he hadn't been able to save her before she was bitten.
Bella sighed as they took off driving. "Well, aren't you going to ask?"
"What the hell is going on Bella?" Warren questioned as she turned around in the passenger seat to look at Bella.
Bella looked down and ran her hands through Baxter's fur. "As you're all aware, before the apocalypse officially started, I was kidnapped and taken away from my home. The man who kidnapped me was a doctor. The U.S. government was looking for a cure, but so were other governments, one of them had hired The Doc to find a cure. The Doc, he was getting close, but he couldn't get it just right, not without being able to test it on humans. One day when all the other family members were gone he strapped me to the desk in his office and told me to be patient. He kept telling me over and over again how I was goin to be the savior of the human race. I was going to be his most prized possession. He injected me with a special sort of venom and he waited. Then he brought in a couple of Z's and let them bite me. When I didn't turn he got excited and he kept testing out venoms on me until finally, I was clear. There was no trace of the virus in my system, I was the last pure human on the Earth. The only problem now was that the U.S. government somehow got wind of the news, and they sent their mean to capture me. The Doc went crazy, he killed so many people…" Bella took in a deep breath. "You've been in contact with Citizen Z, right? Contact him on the radio, he'll back me up."
Warren reached for the radio and contacted Citizen Z, "Delta-x-ray-Delta calling Northern light."
"You've got Northern light, how's the package?" Citizen Z questioned.
"Murphy's fine. We have some questions about another operation." Warren said she looked to Bella.
"Operation Venom." Bella said softly as she couldn't bring herself to look at 10k.
"We want to know about Operation Venom." Warren said as she waited for a response.
"How do you know about that? No one knows about that operation anymore." Citizen Z exclaimed his voice high as he spoke.
"Yeah, well we have a girl claiming she was a part of it." Warren said as she eyed Bella.
"Lieutenant Warren are you hinting that you may possibly have Isabella Marie Cullen with you?" Citizen Z questioned.
Bella scowled at the thought of being a Cullen. She hated being referred to as a Cullen. "Swan you bastard! I AM NOT A CULLEN!"
"You heard the girl." Warren said never having seen Bella so angry.
"YES!" Citizen Z shouted, "We had lost all hope. This changes things, please tell me is Isabella hurt?"
Bella shook her head, showing Warren her leg. "The venom is taking over."
"She's healing; you want to tell us what the hell this is?" Warren questioned as she watched with fascination as the bite mark on Bella's leg was close to invisible.
"Operation Venom was an operation that started with the Kings in Italy. They hired a doctor to research a cure using venom. The doctor succeeded, but refused to share the cure, when the U.S. tried to get the specimen, Isabella, into safe custody, but the entire operation turned out to be a complete blood bath. They wouldn't let her go, and ultimately we thought they killed her after we returned to the home with more reinforcements to see that everything was burned down and all signs of Isabella was gone."
"What sort of venom?" 10k questioned as he put his arm around Bella as he saw her begin to shiver.
"Vampire." Bella whispered but everyone caught it.
"I'm afraid to say this, but the world is much more dangerous than you know. The venom used was indeed vampire venom The family watching Bella was a vampire coven. The Kings are vampires as well." Citizen Z. "Speaking of, Isabella, do you know if they started this?"
"Aro wanted a vaccine that would prevent humans from turning into vampires. He didn't want the vampire population to continue to rise. He had a Doctor named Kurin begin a program to create a vaccine that would prevent humans from turning. Kurin found something, but it wasn't what Aro wanted, so Aro hired more men and eventually one claimed to have the solution. He vaccinated a man and when Aro bit him the man didn't turn; the wound was just like any other. This lead Aro to believe that his vaccine was found. He sent it out in the disguise of flu shots and other vaccines that are commonly used. Only Aro found that 7 days after being injected the specimens began reacting negatively. They were snapping their teeth at anyone that moved and they kept trying to eat themselves. Aro had them killed but it was too late. The vaccines were out there and people were becoming zombies all over the world. That's when Aro hired The Doc to find a cure. Aro didn't want all his precious blood supply to go out, so he needed a cure. He was going to use this cure to potentially dominate the world and send it back to the dark ages when vampires ruled. Ae you know, your men showed up and The Doc went crazy."
Bella stayed silent as flashbacks came back to her. "There was so much blood that day. Jasper was trying his best to stay calm, but it never worked it was too much. The entire coven destroyed the army, they had gone too long without feeding that the human blood was too tempting. That's when I escaped, Jasper said it was perfect timing. Everyone would assume I died in the bloodshed and would leave me alone. Jasper killed Carlisle and sent me on my way."
"The kings, are they still alive?" Citizen Z questioned.
"I doubt it," Bella said with a shake of her head. "Aro was losing his mind, he would've been destroyed by his own guard, and the other vampires would've fought for survival. Every drop of blood counts nowadays, and Aro lost the one thing he needed to sustain his existence."
"And the other Cullen's?" Citizen Z questioned.
"Jasper Whitlock, Rosalie Hale, Emmett Mcarthy are all hunting down Edward Anthony Masen-Cullen." Bella said, "Look them up, you'll find their back stories."
There was a pause before Citizen Z's voice came back on the microphone.
"Major Jasper Whitlock, Isabella?" Citizen z questioned a slight strain in his voice.
Bella nodded, "Youngest Major ever titled and most feared vampire in the South."
"Is he a threat to you?" Warren questioned, "We need to know this."
Bella shook her head. "Jasper's a lot of things, but he's not a threat to me."
"Isabella, do you know what you were injected with?" Citizen Z asked.
Bella laughed bitterly. "Sorry, but I was busy yelling for help to notice what the hell the Doc was injecting me with. All I know was that it was his venom mixed with something else, if I had to guess, it was whatever the hell they injected into Murphy."
"That would explain where Dr. Merch got her information from, she must've gotten her hands on Dr. Cullen's file." Citizen Z said.
Bella shook her head. "The Doc wouldn't allow his files to be shared, he hand wrote them and kept them in a safe. There's no way anyone could get their hands on them unless Ed…" Bella's mind came to a realization. "Unless Edward said something. The Doc only ever spoke to Edward about this sort of thing, if Merch got the information it was from Edward."
"I'll check on it, for now, just like Murphy you have to make it to California." Citizen Z said.
Bella laughed bitterly as Citizen Z let them go. She turned to Murphy with a small smirk. "Look at that, we're both going to be used as guinea pigs."
"Fucking perfect," Murphy said.
Warren looked to Bella. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Would you believe me if I said I was kidnapped by vampires because the youngest one needed a companion and the leader thought I was just perfect for the role?" Bella said she blinked and yawned. "I'm starting to feel dizzy."
10k rested Bella against him as she passed out. "If you had been through what she had gone through, you would've lied as well."
-Page Break-
"Look, there's not enough room for all of us to get in one." Warren said looking around trying to find a space for the others to hide.
10k took Bella's hand in his. "We can cram into one."
Bella looked at him wide eyed as she had been too scared to speak to him since the revelation about her bite. Bella looked to Murphy, knowing he'd be the only one not to go into one of the spaces. "Baxter is out there…"
"Don't worry your pretty little head." Murphy said as he helped Warren open another drawer.
Bella got into the small drawer with 10k. She was pressed tightly to him with his arms around her, she sighed and pressed her forehead against shoulder. "I'm sorry." She whispered into the darkness.
"I understand why you did it." 10k replied quietly he kissed her head. "Get some sleep we're going to be here for a while."
"You should go to sleep, Tommy." Bella replied softly, she turned her head slightly and kissed his neck. She closed her eyes and hugged him tightly as she tried to relax being in a tight space that was meant for dead bodies was putting her at ease. Her entire body stiffened as he heard the screaming of the man that had been stuck in the space beside them.
They both flinched out as they heard that newcomer break through the door. Bella held onto 10k tighter as she heard the muffled screams. "He should've just stayed." She whispered.
10k kissed her head and closed his eyes. "Keep all the secrets you want, just stay alive." He whispered as the last thing he ever wanted was to see her die.
Bella nodded, "The same goes for you, Tommy." She kissed his neck again smiling as something felt different and her Tommy felt more relaxed than how he did before. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of being in his arms.
Bella squinted her eyes as the door to the drawer was open. She looked at 10k and smiled as she was finally able to see him. She kissed him quickly before she slid out of the tight space. She sighed as she stretched her muscles. Her head turned as she heard the familiar bark of her dog. "Baxter!" Bella said happily as the dog was sitting comfortably by Murphy. She crouched down and ran her hands through his fur. "Really was worried for you, pup."
-Page Break-
10k smiled slightly as he saw the large pout on Bella's face. "It stopped working." He said as they walked.
"It just needed a new battery!" Bella whined as she looked over her shoulder back to the direction where her car was. "I really loved that car, Tommy."
10k chuckled quietly, but he continued to walk. He looked at her for a moment and smiled as she was twirling her knife around. "Maybe you can kill a few Z's to make yourself feel better."
"I really hope so." Bella said as she looked to 10k and grinned. "You know, if I start counting I think I might reach your goal before you do."
"You wish." He replied with a smirk. Bella paused her remark as she felt something was different. "Hey, something wrong?"10k questioned as he watched her stall.
"No, I just…" Bella looked around. "Something feels weird I guess. It's probably nothing." They continued their walk in silence as Bella knew something was wrong.
Bella paused outside of the containment center that the group went in and looked around. She followed after them and caught up with 10k. She found herself barely paying attention as they were led by two people into the abandoned town. Bella looked around and still she felt something was off. She followed mindlessly after the group her mind trying to figure out what was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand.
"Did you hear me, Bella?" Warren questioned curiously.
"Yeah, kill Z's." Bella said with a nod of her head as she twirled her knife about. "Got it."
"Hey." 10k said as he grabbed Bella's hand before she got ready with the others. "What's up with you?"
Bella smiled, "Nothing, I'll be right back. Cover me, Tommy." She pecked him on the lips before she went with the group. She smirked his way as they opened the gate and the killing began.
10k kept his eyes on her as she moved he shot any zombie that went to sneak up on her. He pulled his gun back as they disappeared from his sight. He waited patiently for her to come back out, he could feel something was wrong with her. He stood and prepared his gun as he caught sight of her. He tucked his gun away as they made it out of the gate. He noticed as she looked around and a small smile made its way onto his face as he watched her eyes land on him and her smile brighten.
"You know, I counted 15 zombies, just now. I can catch up to you, Tommy." Bella said with a smile as she approached him.
"There's no way." 10k responded he watched her eyes once again shift around them. "Okay?"
"Yeah, I feel good. You?" Bella questioned quietly.
"I'm good." He assured, but he could see the look in her eyes, something wasn't sitting right with her.
-Page Break-
Bella closed her eyes as she heard everything that was happening inside. She dropped the device and walked towards the gate as she saw him come out and her heart broke at his expression. Bella walked after him begging Doc to give them some space. "Hey." Bella said softly as she finally got him to stop walking. "You heard him, he had already been exposed to too much radiation, he knew he would die in there, Tommy. You can't blame yourself for this."
"Why couldn't I save him?" He whispered as he ran his hands through his hair.
"You can't save everyone, but you've saved a lot of people. Every Z you killed has potentially saved someone's life. You have to know that you're doing the right thing." Bella said she turned her head as she saw Murphy approaching. She sighed as she felt 10k wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly. "I'm sorry you had to do this all over again."
"Don't ask me to ever mercy you." He whispered before he pulled back and led her to the golf cart Warren had brought with her. They got on the back and Bella picked up Baxter and set him on top of the vodka. Bella turned her head as Warren stopped the car. She jumped out immediately as she recognized those eyes anywhere.
"Bella." Everyone said as she walked towards the figure.
Bella shook her head and her eyes watered. "You all need to go." She said quietly in fear.
"Hello, Love." Edward said his eyes red and a smirk on his face. "I've been looking for you everywhere. You've become quite hard to find, my love."
Bella glared at him. "I am your nothing!"
"YOU ARE MINE!" Edward growled he extended his hand to her. "Come, we have places to go."
Bella shook her head. "I will go nowhere with you."
The group gasped back as Edward had Bella by the throat her feet dangling in the air. "When will you understand that you are mine to do with what I please."
"I am your nothing." Bella gasped out she could hear the shouting of the people behind her, but her world went black.
Edward dropped her to the floor and looked in disgust at the people she had been with. He took a step forward but was grabbed from behind. Edward growled out as he had been constricted and he couldn't kill the boy that had his hands on his Bella.
"Hey, little brother." Emmett said in amusement.
The group turned to see Bella's car pulling up. The door slammed and two other people stepped out.
"SHE'S MINE!" Edward shouted as he heard the approaching footsteps.
Jasper growled, "She's not your damn pet! Rose, put Bella in the car." Jasper ordered as he turned and looked at the golf car. "Baxter, follow." As soon as the command was out of his mouth the dog jumped and followed after Rosalie. Jasper turned and looked at the group. He eyed Warren and smirked. "I know military when I see it." He said as he handed her the keys. "You should get out of here, this isn't a place for humans. Take care of my little darlin'"
Warren took the keys without question. "Let's go."
10k rushed to the car, he didn't pay attention to the blonde as he got into the car and took a seat by Bella's side. He looked her over and sighed in relief as she was breathing. He watched as the others piled into the car, but he didn't move from her side. He noticed as the others look at him strangely, but he didn't say a word just turned his attention back to her.
10k waited fighting sleep just waiting for her to wake up. He sighed in relief as she woke up. "You're awake."
"What happened," Bella questioned as she looked around. "Where are we?"
"We're on the road." He said calmly as he brushed her hair out of her face and got a look at her neck seeing the light hue of bruising.
"What happened back there?" She whispered as she tried to remember.
"We can talk about it in the morning." 10k replied as he kissed the top of her head. "You need to get some rest."
"So do you." Bella said as she sat up and put her hand over his eyes. "Go to sleep, Tommy."
10k hugged her and kissed her head. "Sleep."
Bella smiled as he dozed off. His breathing softened and his hold on her loosened slightly. She opened her eyes as they pulled into some sort of building underground. "Don't tell me we're actually going to go willingly into a small dark space."
"Citizen Z said it was important, and there's supposed to be fresh food." Warren said, she looked at Bella critically. "How you feeling?"
"Like I almost just died." Bella said with a shrug. "The usual. No need to worry Warren, I'm good."
"Good, let's get going." Warren said, "Be on your toes, Z's could be everywhere."
Bella nodded, "Got it." Bella said, she walked out with her dog and turned to see 10k right behind her. She smiled at him and followed after the others. She kept her hand on her knife as they made their way through the tunnels. Bella pulled out her knife as they heard a clear noise. She took off after warren as they went towards the noise. Bella sighed as she saw the familiar faces of Mack and Addy.
She hugged Addy and Mack in greeting and stood back against 10k as the group continued on together. Bella noticed the slight shift between Addy and Mack and she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the two. Bella stepped back as she saw Addy hit the already dead man over and over again. Bella leaned into Mack, "What the hell happened to you guys out there?"
"She's just working through some stuff." Mack said with a shrug. "She'll get past it."
Bella nodded, "Good to see you again Mack." Bella said as she stood back with 10k.
"Come on," 10k whispered as he saw Warren heading off.
Bella took his hand and walked off. She entered the crowded room and stood between Murphy and 10k.
"How are the packages doing?" Citizen Z questioned quietly.
"HEY!" Bella said with a glare. "We have names and we're in the room! If you have something to ask us, ask us personally don't talk about us if we weren't in the damn room."
Mack leaned into Warren, "She's a package now?"
"Long story." Warren said with a smirk.
"Sorry, um how are you doing?" Citizen Z questioned.
Bella crossed her arms over her chest. "Just dandy, thank you."
10k chuckled softly as he was sure if Citizen Z were in person Bella would've hit him. "Where's the food at?"
"Oh right, it's just down the hall to your left. It's good to see you all alive again!" Citizen Z said.
Bella rolled her eyes and headed out of the room with Doc, 10k and Murphy. Bella entered the kitchen looking area and smirked, "Hmm, what are the chances they have Oreos?"
"Let's take a look around and find out." 10k said as he led Bella through the area. He watched her move around and smiled amused as she pulled out some milk. "Over there, top shelf."
Bella smiled and jumped up on the counter not being able to reached the shelf on the floor. She grinned as there was three boxes of Oreos. She took them out and grabbed the milk. She joined Doc and Murphy at the table and put the stuff on the table. She poured milk for her and 10k, "I missed chocolate." She announced as she opened the package.
10k took a cookie and took a bite of it. He looked to Bella as she frowned at him. "What?"
"You're supposed to dunk it in the milk first." Bella said with a smile.
"I don't like dunking them." 10k said as he grabbed another cookie and purposely took a bite out of it.
Bella laughed, "You're being unreasonable." She grabbed a cookie and dunked it into the milk before taking a bite out of it. "This is how you eat them."
Doc and Murphy stood and took two packages of Oreos leaving one for Bella and 10k.
Addy leaned forward, "When did that happen?"
"There's no real timing, but we think it was somewhere around the tornado." Warren said as she looked over her shoulder and saw Bella laugh.
"No shit." Mack said as he looked at the two. "That long? I didn't think he'd take us seriously when we said they'd make a cute couple."
"Do they have anything in common?" Addy questioned.
"More than you would think." Doc said as he looked over his shoulder at the two.
"Do you think we should…" Mack trailed off.
"Give them some sort of sex talk." Addy finished for him. "I don't think we need a baby with us."
Warren laughed lightly. "I got that covered, not long after we survive that tornado Garnett and I sat them down and had that talk. Bella is infertile, there's no way she can have a baby. We're good."
-Page Break-
Bella looked to 10k as the group had split up. "There's no way we're getting back to the car. We have to get out of here, Tommy!"
10k nodded and looked around seeing there was no other option for them. "Come on, we have to outrun them." Bella nodded she took off running with 10k and they both jumped out of the balcony. They landed in crouches and took off running again. Bella took in a deep breath as they made it into the deep woods. "Holy hell…"
"We have to keep going." 10k said as he looked around.
Bella nodded. "Shit. Where the hell is Baxter?"
"He was Murphy," 10k said as he looked around. "He'll be fine, but we should really get moving."
"Yeah." Bella said as she took in a deep breath. "I'm suddenly really happy that I carry around my backpack."
10k chuckled, "Come on, let's see if we can find a car and get back on the road to try and find the others."
Bella nodded, she walked beside 10k and smiled, "How romantic, a walk through the woods."
10k smirked but lifted his gun and fired off a shot as there was a Z nearby. "If killing Z's is your definition of romantic, then yeah I guess it is."
Bella grinned, "It is."
Warren looked around. "Where the hell are they?"
"They got separated from us, I think they might've gone out the back." Doc said as he looked around. "I hate to say this but we have to go. The z's are getting close, 10k and Bella will meet up with us soon."
Warren sighed, "Alright, let's go."
Murphy pulled the dog back as he was about to jump out. "She'll meet up with us soon, pup."
Addy shook her head. "What if we don't see them again?"
"Hey." Mack said quietly. "It's 10k and Bella, they're strong together, they'll make it out fine."
"I sure do hope you're right, kid." Doc said as he pulled out and began to drive away.
Bella looked to 10k, "Cover me, that truck looks like it's going to run."
10k nodded, he pulled out his gun and prepared himself as she took off. He killed any Z that came near her and once she was inside the truck he saw her rummaging around. He smiled as she got it to start, he quickly ran and got into the passenger seat. "Do you know what's under that tarp?"
Bella shook her head, "No, but these people must've been survivors that tried to go into the hospital too. This truck has gas tins in the back seat, they probably stopped for medical supplies and couldn't fight off the Z's." Bella smirked as she looked to 10k. "But look, they have a police radio."
"You think we can get it running enough to contact Citizen Z." 10k questioned curiously.
Bella nodded, "Yeah, I think we can get him to signal us in on where the others are headed."
"He's capable of anything." 10k responded as he played around with the radio.
Bella pulled over and looked to 10k, "You drive, I'll handle the radio."
"Good, I didn't know what I was doing." 10k responded as he and Bella fumbled around in the car until they switched seats.
"Bella Swan to Citizen Z." Bella said talking into the receiver. "Isabella Swan to Citizen Z."
"You've got Citizen Z." Citizen Z said. "I am glad to hear your voice! The others said they lost you back at the hospital a few hours ago."
"Yeah, we got swarmed," Bella said looking at 10k. "We managed to find some transportation. Can you tell us where the other are headed?"
"They're just exiting the Salt Lake City limits." Citizen Z said. "You just passed a speeding camera, so I've got your location. If you keep going straight, you'll meet up with them sooner or later."
Bella nodded, "Do you know if everyone made it out alright?"
"Yeah! The whole crew was there; they were all worried about you." Citizen Z said, "I can contact them and let them know you're alive."
"That'd be great." Bella said. "Hey, if I turn on the radio, can you play something? We're going to need something to keep us entertained and awake."
"Yeah sure, I'll put on a playlist for you." Citizen Z said
Bella looked to 10k, "You didn't sleep last night, I think I should drive."
"Bella, I can drive." 10k assured.
Bella frowned, but didn't argue. She looked out the window as they began to see less and less Z's. She tapped 10k on the shoulder. "Hey, stop there."
10k pulled into the parking lot of an empty boutique. "Why are we here?"
"It's getting colder." Bella said as she grabbed her knife and her gun and put them in the Hollister around her waist. "We need something warmer and I still really hate wearing these scrubs."
10k smiled, "Alright." He pulled out his gun. "I don' t think we'll have many Z's to worry about."
"It's in the middle of nowhere." Bella said as she got out. She looked to 10k as he walked by her side. "I'll kick the door open and you shoot anything that comes our way?"
10k nodded and prepared his gun. "Go."
Bella nodded, she moved and kicked the door open. She stepped back as only a few zombies appeared. She and 10k took them out rather quickly. "Come on, let's get some new clothes."
Bella giggled as she watched the look of distaste on Tommy's face as he looked at the brightly colored shirts they had in the men's department. She grabbed a black t-shirt that they had folded and handed it to him. "You're making this harder than it should be, Tommy."
He turned and in a move that surprised her wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. She smiled against his lips as being alone really seemed to make him calmer. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She wrapped her legs around his waist and smiled as this wasn't how she imagined this little stop leading to, but it really was a better way to go.
Bella laughed lightly as she shrugged on a pair of leather skinny jeans. "We got lucky coming here." Bella smiled at the look on 10k's face. "Well, we did get lucky, but what I meant was that it looks like no one has touched this place."
"It was probably too close to the city." 10k responded as he pulled down the t-shirt. He put a black jacket on and looked at Bella who was strapping on her gun and knife. He walked away and looked at the jewelry section. He grabbed a necklace and walked back to Bella, he walked up behind her and put the necklace on her.
Bella reached down and looked at the small T charm on the necklace. "What's this?"
"Just in case you ever get separated from me." 10k replied simply.
Bell grinned, "Thank you." She kissed his cheek and looked around. "Let me find a jacket and we can get going."
10k watched her walk around and finally put on a thick black jacket. He watched curiously as she grabbed a backpack and stuffed a few items inside. She grabbed a pair of leather gloves and scarves as well. "There, all set."
"What did you put in there?" 10k questioned as he walked out first scanning the area for anything.
"Another set of clothes for the both of us, just in case." Bella said with a smile. She moved quickly and got into the driver's seat. She folded the pair of scarves and put them on her lap. "You need sleep, so I made you a pillow."
10k laughed as he pulled off his gun and set it down. He shifted around and put his head on her lap, moving his eyes to look up at her. "You're beautiful, Bella."
She smiled and looked down at him for a moment before returning her eyes to the road. "I love you, Tommy, but I swear if you don't go to sleep now I'm going to knock you out."
10k smiled, "I love you, Bella." He said quietly with a smile. "I'm going to sleep."
-Page Break-
10k blinked his eyes open as he began to wake up. It was light outside and he could hear Bella's quiet humming. He closed his eyes for a moment as he could feel her fingers running through his hair. "How long have I been out?"
"About 7 hours." Bella said quietly.
10k sat up. "How did you stay awake for so long?"
"I was talking to citizen Z. It seems the group took a small detour, and the road they had been on was hit by a hoard of zombies. We'll meet up with them soon." Bella said she turned and looked at him. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I feel really refreshed." 10k said. "Let me take over."
"I want to argue, but I'm wiped." Bella said as she pulled over. She moved to sit down beside him, but chuckled when he put the scarves down on his lap. "Thank you." She fell asleep as soon as her eyes closed.
10k smiled as Bella began to mumble in her sleep. He put an arm across her stomach to keep her from moving too much as he drove. He squinted his eyes as he saw Bella's car pulled off to the side of the road. He pulled up and parked the car. "Hey." He said gently waking Bella. "We found them."
Bella sat up and smiled. "They're here." She quickly jumped out and hugged Mack and Doc and saw Baxter hanging out under the shed
"Hey!" Mack said with a smile. "Did you get new clothes?"
"oh yeah," Bella said, "We stopped and changed."
Doc hugged 10k. "I was scared for a minute, kid."
"Where the hell is Murphy?" Bella questioned as she took a look around.
"Where are Warren and Addy?" 10k questioned as he looked around.
"Murphy is in there with a blonde." Doc said motioning towards the tent.
Mack looked towards the gate. "Addy's in there with Warren. It's a community that only allows women and children to enter."
"Do we know if Warren is going to come out?" Bella questioned.
"Not yet." Mack said.
Doc looked at the truck. "What's hooked up to that."
Bella turned her head and shrugged, "Not a clue, we haven't stopped to look. We think this belonged to some survivors who also went into the hospital but didn't make it out."
"Let's take a look." Doc said as he walked up to the truck. "Mack, help me take this tarp off."
Mack walked to the other side and helped Doc remove the tarp. All four looked at the six boxes of liquor, two car battery chargers, a pair of fishing poles, and a few containers of dry food.
Doc took in a deep breath. "I love you kids. This is the good stuff." He reached over and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. "Come on, Mack, let me teach you how to drink your troubles away."
10k put his arm around Bella. "You still need sleep."
"I'll sleep later." Bella said as she looked around. "I have a really bad feeling about this place, Tommy."
"There's not much we can do." 10k said.
"I'll be right back." Bella said she reached up and kissed 10k quickly. "I promise, I won't get hurt."
"Come back safely." 10k said as he knew Bella was going to step inside the gates.
Bella looked around as the woman led her to Addy. Bella entered the room and looked as Addy was leaning back in a chair two women working at her hair. "Whoa… you're going to get a cut?"
"Oh hey!" Addy said with a wide smile. "Yeah, I want a change."
"Your hair is so long." A woman said approaching Bella.
Bella nodded, as her hair was past her waist now, "Yes, I suppose it is."
"It must get hard to survive with it." Helen said as she looked at it.
"I manage just fine." Bella said quietly. "Actually, can you cut it?"
"Do you mind if we use it to make a wig? There's a woman here whose husband shaved her head in punishment, she can't manage to grow it back, and you're the first woman who has hair long enough to make a decent wig from." Helen said.
Bella nodded, "I wouldn't mind."
"What would you like to get?" Helen questioned.
"How about something shorter. Sort of like a bob?" Bella said as she got into the chair.
"I'm sure we can handle that." Helen said.
Doc turned around a glass of liquor in his hand he put it down instantly. "Incoming."
10k turned to see a what looked like a sports car driving in. He prepared his gun as he saw it pull up directly beside Bella's car. He watched as the same men and woman who had saved Bella before stepped out.
The three looked around before turning to face them. "Where's Bella?" the one with the cowboy hat asked.
Doc and Mack straightened out and put their hands on their guns. "Why do you care?" Mack said as he reached for his gun.
"Is she alive?" The big one asked looking around.
10k titled his head as he had listened to Bella talk about the three members that had protected her to be able to recognize them now. "She's inside, she went to go check on the others. Only women and children allowed."
"I got it." The woman said as she disappeared.
"Don't mean to be rude, but little darlin' is important to us. My name is Jasper Whitlock; this is my brother Emmett." Jasper said with a bow of his head.
Doc looked to 10k and to Mack, he reached over and lowed Mack's gun. "They're her family, kid." Doc looked back at the two vampires. "I'm Doc, this is Mack and 10k, and the guy in the tent is Murphy."
"And the other woman who was part of your group?" Jasper questioned, "The leader."
"She's inside with the others." Mack said putting his gun away.
"You want a drink? We just happened to come across some good liqour."
Jasper and Emmett nodded, "Don't mind if we do." They both noticed 10k walk towards the hood of the car and lean against it as he cleaned his gun.
"He's waiting for her to come back out." Doc said as he poured the newcomers a drink.
Jasper nodded and looked to 10k. "How good of a shot is he?"
"The best." Mack said, "He's saved all of our lives before."
"That kid can kill a Z with a rubber band and a paperclip." Doc said with a smirk.
Emmett nodded, "What's his real name?"
Doc shrugged, "No one but Bella knows that."
"Why do they call him 10k?" Emmett questioned as he downed a drink.
"That's how many zombies he plans to kill." Mack responded just as he took down his drink
Jasper smirked, "Well, that's interesting."
"Fuck man, That's cool! Do you think we should start to keep track?" Emmett said with a smirk.
"Shut up, Em." Jasper said with a roll of his eyes.
Emmett continued the drinking game knowing he would win against the two humans. Jasper however watched 10k, he took in the extensive way he cleaned his gun and the way he looked up every few minutes towards the gate. Jasper helped Emmett settle the two drunken messes in the car.
They both turned their head as Bella came out with Rosalie.
"Did she cut her hair?" Emmett said in disbelief as Bella's hair now lay just inches below her ears.
"That must be why Rose looks mad." Jasper said with an amused smile.
Bella frowned, "Rose, it's my hair I can do with it as I please."
"I just wish you would've chosen someone better to do it." Rosalie said, "I'm not sayings it looks bad, I'm saying if anyone had a right to cut your hair it should've been the person who had to brush it 580 times."
Bella smiled and walked faster as she saw 10k waiting for her. "What do you think?"
10k smiled, "It looks good, but I thought you went in to talk to Addy."
Bella frowned, "I did, she's staying, that's what has Mack in such bad shape."
10k nodded, "Your family is here. I'll leave you with them, I should probably go check on Doc and Murphy."
Bella nodded she kissed him quickly before she let him leave. She turned and smiled at Jasper and Emmett. She hugged them both before taking a step back and frowning. "What are you doing here?"
"After what happened at that nuclear plant we just had to make sure you were going to be okay." Emmett said, "We still have some vampires to go after."
"I'm fine, Edward was the least of my problems." Bella said with a frown. "We got separated from the group in a raid of a hospital. Took us forever to get back here to the others. Murphy he…"
"Was injected with the same vaccine as you?" Jasper said, "Minus the venom of course."
"Yeah, they're taking him to California to look for a cure." Bella said, "They're taking me too."
"You told them?" Rosalie said in disbelief.
"I had to," Bella said as she looked briefly down at her leg. "I got bitten."
"Hey, Z!" Emmett said with a smile.
"Go ahead and take care of it." Jasper said with an amused smile.
Emmett took a step forward, but frowned as the zombie went down. "What the hell?"
Bella turned to 10k who put down his gun and gave her a smile. "He's a pretty awesome shot."
Jasper smirked at the look on her face. "You're in love aren't you, Bella darling?"
Bella grinned, "Yeah, I am." She blushed at the thought. "He's really… amazing. You should see how he shoots, J. And he's really fun to be with, he's quiet with others, but not with me. I feel really happy with him, and all I want is to survive with him."
Rosalie smiled, "We're happy for you, Bella."
"Just stay safe." Emmett said with a smile as he put his arm around his wife.
"I am safe." Bella said as she turned to look at 10k who was helping Mack sit up with Doc. "I know you trained me to fight, but with him I'm safer than I was before."
Jasper turned his head as he could feel something. "We have to get going. We're being followed and we don't want to lead them to you. We'll contact you soon."
Bella nodded, she hugged them all. "Soon, right?"
Jasper nodded, "Stay safe, little darlin'."
Bella nodded, she watched as they got into the car. She waved sadly as they drove off and she felt an immense wave of sadness.
"Hey, are you okay?" 10k said as he walked up beside her.
Bella shook her head. "It sucks to see them go."
"They couldn't stay?" 10k questioned.
Bella shook her head, "No, they're on a hunt for the other vampires that once belonged to the Volturi."
10k placed his arm around her shoulder. He put both his arms around her as she turned to rest her head against his shoulder. "You'll see them again."
-Page Break-
Bella grabbed Murphy as he went to run. "Don't do this, Murphy."
"I have to." Murphy said, "You should to. We get to California and we're going to be used as damn guinea pigs, no one is going to care if we live or die." Murphy pulled out of her hold and took off.
Bella looked over her shoulder as 10k helped Doc to his feet. She gave him a questioning look before he nodded his head and she took off after Murphy. She met up with him as he was about to leave. "HEY!" She yelled and tackled him down to the ground. "You can't do this to the others. You can't damn them to a nuclear blast."
"I will not be used as a puppet." Murphy."
"Face it Murphy, you're not as important as me." Bella said with a sad smirk. "You're slowly turning into a new kind of zombie, but I'm staying human. Who do you think they're going to want more? Me or you? When we get to California they're not going to bat an eye at you. They're going to want me and only me."
"You're so willing to go? To leave your precious lover boy behind?" Murphy questioned curiously.
Bella laughed, "I'm not going to leave him, I'm going to save him."
"You got him, Bella?" Warren questioned as she came in with Doc and 10k."
Bella nodded as she stood up, "Come on, let's get naked and get the hell out of here."
Doc laughed softly. "Great words, kid."
Bella gave a pointed look to Murphy. "Don't kill us all because you're scared."
Bella reached out and took 10k's hand in hers as they waited for the decontamination to begin. She put on her clothes and held his hand as they exited the building. She didn't say a word as they got back into the van. Something about what she said to Murphy made her realize something strong. She was willing to be put through numerous tests as long as it meant making a cure. Only now she realized she didn't want the cure to save mankind, she wanted it to save her Tommy. She leaned against 10k as the car began to move her mind whirling with thoughts.
"I love you, Tommy." Bella whispered as she held onto him. "I'd do anything for you."