Rochelle climbed up the last stair, "Ah I hate stairs." She complained looking behind her as the other three followed. She put her hands on her knees and looked forward again to make eye contact with a burly looking man. She placed him around mid thirties, maybe around Nick's age; who was 35. He looked like a biker, a scary one at that.

"You hate things too?" he asked… excitedly. Rochelle was confused at his enthusiasm but shrugged and went with it. "Yeah sure… I guess you can say that."

"What else do you hate?"

"I hate that bridge…"

"Me too!"

"I hate zombies…"

"Totally!"

"I hate CEDA."

"Dicks." He agreed once more.

"Yeah… and I hate that vest!" She pointed at his ugly leather vest.

"Hey now!" He started a look of anger in his eyes.

"There a problem here?" Nick said in his usual Boston tough guy accent.

"No, we're good Sweetie." She said sweetly.

The biker growled at the recent conman and Rochelle smirked. She wasn't sure what she had for bad boys but she seemed to have a record.

After some back and forth conversation with the survivors the two groups got to work, prepping to get the bridge down. The two groups rendezvous down on the main ground getting the plan together and working things out, Francis and his group climbing down the ladder while the others took the elevator.

Rochelle watched as the other three people climbed down the ladder from the high bridge. She watched Francis specifically, looking him up and down and trying to conceal her googley eyes at his muscles.

Once everyone was there they all went at it, trying to discuss a plan of action.

"You know what? Since we've been here longer we should be the ones to call the shots!" Francis, the unspoken leader argued.

"Well obviously your plan didn't work since you're one person short." Nick shot back.

That comment ignited a whole string of arguments, angry comebacks and hateful words.

"You have no right…"

"You're a dick"

"We could just leave you here!"

"I'm stating facts!"

"Yeah man… that wasn't cool to say…"

"What right do you think you have to say anything against him he's right…."

Rochelle darted back and forth between the different faces, "SHUT UP!" She tried to shout over the large group.

"He gave his life for us!"

"That doesn't mean shit to me because *I* want out. It has nothing to do with YOU!" Nick shouted.

"Shut up dude… you're pissing people off." Ellis said looking at Zoey as she seemed to shrink more and more away from the large angry group.

"We're ALL pissing off the infected." Louis said looking over at a zombie girl who raised her head and started hobbling over to them.

"Yeah? And he's pissing ME off." Nick said and pointed his gun at Francis. "Just lower the damned bridge!"

Tempers were high and people were starting to panic, everyone drew out their magnums and pistols aiming them at various people, Zoey and Ellis staying neutral; the Romeo and Juliet of the two groups. The youngest of each groups stood next to each other both of them standing on the side watching to see what would happen.

Francis and Nick had them trained on each other while Coach and Louis had theirs trained on each other and Rochelle had here's bouncing back and forth between Francis and Louis.

"We need to all stop right now." Rochelle said, her magnum training back and forth.

"No, dick head needs to lower the god damn bridge." Nick squinted his eyes and his finger itched to pull the trigger on his magnum.

Rochelle lowered her weapon and walked in front of Nick and his trained weapon. "Nick. Stop." She said, her voice holding a tone saying there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Nick growled not going to take the chance of harming her, and lowered his weapon; he spun on his heel and stalked away, going into a warehouse and firing off shots. Momentarily everyone wondered if he was shooting at a wall or an infected what happened to be in there.

"Jackass." Francis muttered.

"Shut up." Coach said as he holstered his weapon, Louis, and Francis doing the same.

The rest of the group made up a plan, one that made each party happy.

Zoey, Francis, and Louis were to stay up high in barricaded rooms around the town, since they couldn't get back onto the bridge, and toss down necessary equipment while the four fought to keep the generators running. Once the bridge was lowered and the others were gone the three of them would come back down and raise the bridge, waiting for the next group to come by.

By the time everyone had figured the plan it was dusk and they all agreed it would be better to wait until noon the next day.

Zoey showed the group where to set up a safe room and they all decided to bunk there.

Rochelle did not enter with the rest of the survivors; instead planning on finding and talking Nick down.

She'll admit it to anyone, Nick is a jackass on a very high level; but she'd also admit that she was highly attracted to him. He was a jackass to everyone but her, and he was a perfect gentleman.

Rochelle moved the desk that was in front of the hallway door and opened the door, descending the stairs like it was nothing. If anything came from the apocalypse it was getting fit.

Although, she was surprised, he did not treat Zoey with much respect as he did her. Nick must genuinely care for her.

She smiled, he was a liar, but he cared, and not just for her either. He said when she first met him that she might as well not even remember his name because he wasn't gonna stick around, that he didn't draw close to anyone, and that he looked out for number one.

But that had changed drastically.

Rochelle poked her head into a doorway, not seeing Nick she moved on.

He cared about the rest of them almost as much as he does himself at this point, something she was proud of.

She heard the sound of a empty paint can get kicked and clamor around. She jumped and spun around her magnum at the ready.

"Whoa whoa, take it easy sweet cheeks." Francis held up his hands in defeat and surrender. "Just making sure you don't get grabbed." He explained.

"I can take care of myself." Rochelle said, holstering her magnum.

He shrugged, "Company then."

"You know how I was naming what I hate earlier?" She asked.

He nodded, "Yeah. And I'm still mad you said you hate this vest." He grabbed at it and fingered the vest lovingly.

Rochelle rolled her eyes, "Yeah… whatever. I just thought I should tell you another thing I hate."

"What?"

She looked at him for a second and shrugged turning away at the same time, "Your voice. So stop talking." She said, walking forward her eyes scanning the surrounding area for her recently admitted love.

She was starting to get antsy, wondering where he was, if he was hurt… if he got grabbed or worse.

"Gee honey buns… didn't know you thought of me THAT way. I coulda swore you were making eyes at me earlier."

"You thought wrong." She said simply, looking into another room before moving on again.

"I normally don't do that." He jogged to catch up with her quick and frantic pace.

"Woulda fooled me." She muttered.

"Are you like this with everyone or just me?"

"Just you" she said nonchalantly.

Francis grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "Alright listen, what's with you?"

"Here, I'll spell it out for you." She started to count off fingers. "You are scary, you pointed a gun at my friend," he tried to interject but she stopped him by holding her hand up. "You're trying to get laid AND I'm not interested."

"You haven't even given me a chance."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" She asked, holding up the four fingers she counted off in his face.

"No I did… but just gimme a chance Ro'."

"Don't call me that."

"The jackass called you it."

"That's because HE gave me the nickname." She shot back backing away and continued her search.

Suddenly his large hands clasped her arms from behind and pulled her into a nearby room. She was spun around to face him again and before she could or say anything his lips were on hers and his massively large hand was holding her head in place, his other placed on the small of her back, holding her in place.

She smacked his shoulders and pushed on his arms trying to get him away, but to no avail.

She was reaching for her magnum when she heard another gun not her own cock back.

She looked off to the side, her lips still locked with Francis' and sighed when she saw Nick's furious face, but she all but fell apart when she saw him lower his gun and his face reflected defeat.

He cleared his throat none the less to get the man's attention, he already held hers.

"I leave for 10 minutes and you guys are already sticking your tongues down each other's throats." He said, his voice gruff.

Francis pulled back and Rochelle pulled out of Francis' arms desperately staying as far from the man as she could.

"I'd been working to get Rochelle to like me for weeks, and you managed it in an hour or so." Nick raised his eyebrow. "Nice work."

"I'll leave you to it." He said and holstered his weapon and turned to leave.

"Nick what the hell makes you think I'm attracted to this mammoth?" Rochelle took a step towards the gambler.

"I saw you making eyes at him earlier, and flirting as well. I'm not blind Sweetheart."

Rochelle shook her head. "No way, this guy is a total dick." She said, not caring the said man was in the room with them, he just forced himself on her; for all she cared he could go jump into a pit of tanks and stay there.

"Are we forgetting he's the one who put a gun in my face?" Francis tried to defend himself.

"I already knew he had a temper issue… but who doesn't; especially when SOMEBODY won't cooperate." Rochelle shot back. "At least he treats me like a lady and respects my wishes." She added.

Rochelle moved up right next to Nick and wrapped her arms around his left arm and facing Francis but looking at Nick. "I'll be the first to admit he can be a jackass… but I'll also be the first to say he's the best man I've known."

She had a bad history with men; fakes, jerks, users, pervs, you name it. Nick may be a con but he's a gentleman and he cares.

Francis shook his head, Nick held his head higher.

"Whatever." He said and walked past the two.

Nick laughed as soon as the rejected man was out of earshot.

"I've never received such wonderful backhanded compliment." Nick smirked as he turned to face her.

"Weeell it's true." Rochelle smiled.

"Alright let's not dwell on it." Nick chuckled.

Rochelle was quiet for a moment, looking around the room before she spoke up again. "You had me pretty worried there for a minute Nick…" She started.

"Look… pointing the gun at him was a reaction… I never would have done it otherwise… I was just…"

"Not that." Rochelle shushed. "I understand and I am not upset about that…" She looked at him gently, "You were gone for awhile and the whole time Francis was rambling I couldn't stop thinking about you… I was afraid I lost my chance to…" Rochelle stopped and just shrugged, nervous and feeling awkward.

"I'll be honest Sweetheart… I thought I'd lost you to him…"

Rochelle laughed… "Never to THAT guy; he's not my type."

"What is your type?"

"Gruff, handsome, total jackass with a soft side."

Nick made a hmm sound and looked at the ceiling as he 'pondered' on what he was just informed of.

"Nick… it's always you… it always will be. It's you." She said as she raised a hand to the side of his face.

"I gotta warn you Ro'… I'm a REAL jackass… and I'm always gonna gamble…" he said, he wanted to make sure this wonderful woman was aware of what she was getting into.

Rochelle shook her head, "Just kiss me Jackass."

"As you wish Sweetheart." He whispered as in one fluid motion he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, his lips meeting with hers halfway.

Rochelle smiled into his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

They pulled apart and smiled at each other, "It's you." She whispered.

Nick smirked and pulled her in for another kiss, more than happy he finally found someone who wasn't going to judge him and knew his quirks and was willing to deal with them to have that good part of him, the part that really did care.

There was a moaning sound and the sound of shuffling feet up the stair case and without looking the two both pulled out their magnums and pointed them in the direction of the door.

They had each other and as long as that rang true they would make it.