It wasn't the sounds of her younger sister's giggles that woke twenty-seven year old Kelsey Brandt from her Saturday morning slumber, but rather the sounds of her husband breathing into her ear. It was a rare occurrence, having her husband in bed next to her, seeing as he lived in Georgia and she was once again a resident of Pollux, Texas. "What did I do to deserve a treat like this?" Her voice was light, happy; as she rolled over to face the thirty-four year old she was married to. In actuality, he wasn't due in Pollux for another two weeks.

Ulliam's turquoise blue eyes were closed and his breathing was deep, even; meaning that he was actually asleep instead of faking it – like he was known to do. "I love you." Smiling, the woman reached up to tuck a lock of her caramel colored hair behind her ear as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his brow. The dark haired man simply rolled onto his back and released a contented sigh, as if he was having the best dream of his life. Giving a chuckle, the smaller woman moved to get off of the Queen-sized bed, not a care in her world as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Padding down the hallway, Kelsey felt her brows knit together as the silence of the house washed over her. Something was off. Wrong. The middle school art teacher could feel it in her bones as she rounded the corner towards her little sister's bedroom, her footsteps echoing slightly on the chilled hardwood flooring as she went. It was far too quiet in the house for Kelsey's liking. It was nearing ten o'clock the morning after a sleepover, Hilary and her best friend – Astrid – should have been awake, causing a commotion and demanding breakfast by now.

The distinct sound of a male voice could be heard on the other side of the door, saying something about needing to get to Austin or San Antonio for the nearest refugee center. What in the? Why in the world would they need to get to a refugee center? Confusion crossed Kelsey's features as she leaned her head up against the door, trying to hear the rest of what the man was saying. From what Kelsey understood, the epidemic was being contained. That's what the neighbors were saying anyway. Besides, Pollux was a good four hour drive from any of the big cities. They had to be safe there.

Squaring her shoulders, the brunette leaned back from the door and shook herself. No one in the small town had been hit by it yet, thank God, but that didn't mean that they would be safe forever. Kelsey knew this, which is exactly why she was happy that Liam was in the business that he was in. "Hey, Lazybones!" Knocking on the door to make sure that she got their attention, the brunette shook herself a moment before she opened it. The sight before wasn't exactly one that she thought she'd see, ever. Hilary and Astrid were perched on the edge of the former's bed, eyes glued to the television screen, the news flashing before their eyes.

They were completely oblivious to the fact that Kelsey had entered the room.

"What is it that's got the pair of you so transfixed this morning?" The brunette cocked her head to the left a little as she waited for one of the two to answer her. Hilary's bright blue eyes were still glued to the television; her pale golden blonde tresses still a mess from the night's sleep. Astrid was a stark comparison to her best friend, her olive colored skin dark against Hilary's pale ivory complexion. Her dark hair was still pulled back into the braids that she slept in, dark brown eyes sliding from the TV set to Kelsey's own green/brown gaze before turning back to whatever the news was covering again.

"They say that more people are gettin' sick Miss Kelsey," it was Astrid who spoke, causing the older brunette to look at the pre-teen with a sense of concern, "the news people said that some of the bigger cities have been overrun." This time the dark skinned twelve year old turned to look at Kelsey, concern in her voice as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "Are my mom and dad going to be safe?" Astrid bit down onto her lower lip, trying not to look like she was scared out of her mind.

Astrid's parents had gone on a short trip over the weekend to celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, leaving Astrid in Kelsey's care until they got back. Astrid's older brother, Alpheus, was eighteen and had refused to spend the evening with Kelsey and the younger girls. Where the boy was, Kelsey didn't know. With her mixed green gaze turning to the television set, the artist made a mental note to find out where exactly Al had gotten off to for the weekend. "They're going to be fine," Kelsey said, crossing the room to kneel before the almost seventh grader. "Your dad is one of the toughest people that I know; he'll keep him and your mom safe." Even as she said the words, Kelsey knew that they tasted like a lie.

She could only hope that Astrid believed her.

"What're we gonna do Kels?" It was Hilary this time, her bright blue eyes turning to face her elder sister's murky gaze. "It won't be long before it comes here."

Licking her lips, the brunette reached up to brush her tangled hair away from her face. "Liam's here," she said simply, turning her attention to her little sister. The look on Hilary's face was enough to tell Kelsey that she was immediately going into panic mode and that Kels needed to do something to calm her, and quickly. "Don't panic Hils," Kelsey said, reaching up to tuck a loose lock of her sister's hair behind her ear, "I'm going to go talk to him and see what's up. You two get dressed and meet me in the kitchen. I'll cook you up some chocolate pancakes. Sound like a deal?"

The two girls simply nodded simultaneously before Kelsey stood and headed back the direction that she came.

She needed to get some answers about this damn plague spreading across the nation.

Answers she was sure that her husband would have.