Chapter One

Ever since the apocalypse started, there had been drama between Rachel, Bass and Miles.
Five years. It had been five years to this day that the whole mess started and their lives changed forever.
The three had always been extremely close, they always helped eachother through the hard times, were there for them in the best of times. But who knew that an apocalypse could shatter the trio into a million pieces?

When it started, they managed to escape together out of the city, attempting to scavenge and find shelter, but after a month had gone by, they struggled to actually find shelter and supplies, leaving them vulnerable – for the walkers, and for the survivors.
Each of them knew that they had feelings for one another, they always knew. But it only took one night which changed their lives forever.
After finding a barn for the night, Miles and Rachel had admitted their feelings to eachother, starting with "I love you" and ending with a passionate night when they were sure Bass had gone out to find supplies.
But, of course, over the coming weeks, something changed about Rachel, and Bass hated it all. He hated that Miles got the girl he'd loved for years and he resulted to nothing. So he framed his best friend to make sure he'd leave and never come back. And that's what happened.

Daylight was beginning to break through the curtains when Rachel woke. It was a pretty sight when the sunlight shined onto the white bedcovers, leaving a ray of glimmer in its wake.
Rolling over onto her side once she woke, the Blonde was greeted with a rough hand wrapping around her waist and pulling her close.
"Good morning, beautiful." The voice of her husband was soft and quiet, softer than his best friend's ever was.
"Morning, Bass." Rachel replied in a whisper, leaning her head round to peck his lips, grinning subconsciously.
It was strange, everything seemed so normal that morning. Like they just lived a normal life with a normal family. They had found a safe zone a year back, and it was safe enough, but it was far from normal.

Moving to sit up, Rachel tucked some of her golden hair behind her ear and groaned. She always had hated waking up early, especially when she felt there was no need to. But she needed to check on the kids, they would be waking up soon.
Danny and Charlie. Her son and daughter. They were only tiny, but strong and smart, just like Rachel was when she was of that age.
Especially Charlie. She was only four but could read, count, she knew what to do when there was trouble. She could certainly fight, which was demonstrated the other evening when Bass had succumbed to a cut lip from their play fighting. When Rachel thought about it… Charlie was just like Miles. Bass didn't see it like that. He still had hatred towards his 'best friend' which wasn't going to go away. Charlie was his little girl, his angel.
Danny was definitely more like Bass. He wasn't strong like his sister, and he succumbed to breaking down and getting emotional over the littlest thing. He was scared, and all Rachel wanted to do was comfort the two kids, and tell them that everything was going to be okay, but she couldn't lie to them. He was younger than Charlie, being only just two now, but grew to be more and more like Bass every day.

Feeling the arm which held around her pulling her back to the bed, she felt the warm breath on her neck and the soft stubble which tingled her neck when he nuzzled into her. She sighed softly, keeping her eyes open, glancing down at her husband's hand which was bigger than hers, resting on her flat belly.

"I've got to get up, Bass." The sound rang through Bass' ears and caused him to let out a gentle groan, expressing how much he just wanted to stay in bed for a minute longer with her.

"No, you don't. Stay, Rachel." His forceful voice came out just louder as a whisper as he tightened his grip around the fragile woman, begging her to stay there with him.

"I need to check on Danny and Charlie." Rachel replied after a pause, forcing his hand from around her and climbing out of bed, wrapping her own arms around her slim frame and heading out of the room quietly, and into the children's bedroom.
Bass growled from his throat, moving to lay on his back and punch the headboard, becoming angry that Rachel didn't even want to lie with him. Why does she worry so much about the kids? What about some alone time? Isn't that what married couples are fucking supposed to do?
All those thoughts rang through his head, causing him to rub his eyes, laying an arm across his face as he shook his head softly.

The door opened with an almost silent creak when Rachel entered the room.

"Mommy," Rang a tiny voice from inside the room, in the corner where a delicate bed stood, with purple covers and a fluffy white cushion which had turned a little grey now, from the amount of times Charlie had given it to Danny to cuddle in the night when he was scared.

"Morning, sweetheart." Rachel tiptoed over to her daughter's bed, sitting down on the edge as she leaned over, pressing her lips to the top of Charlie's head. Charlie leaned into her, cuddling her for a second before letting go.

"Danny got scared again last night. He cried again, and I had to help him get back to sleep. I was going to come and get you but he fell asleep a bit after." The young girl's voice came out as a gentle whisper, her gaze settling on her dozing brother in his own tiny bed at the other end of the room.
Frowning, Rachel stood up and headed over to her son's bed, leaning over to kiss his forehead to which he responded by waking up and waving his arms around.

"Hey, angel, it's only mommy." Rachel whispered, lifting the small boy up into her arms and rubbing his back. "Let's go get some breakfast."
Charlie immediately jumped out of bed and followed her, running down the stairs, two at a time, with her mother and her little brother following her. After she arrived into the kitchen, she leaped onto a chair which was sitting next to the wooden table on the left in the room.

"What would you like? Cereal, fruit—" The blonde was cut off by a knock on the door. She pursed her lips. No one was ever knocking on their door this early, if at all. Quirking a neatly-trimmed eyebrow, Rachel left Danny to scramble onto a chair and headed to the front door, glancing back at the children as she walked. Settling her hand on the handle, she pulled it, revealing a sight that she never thought she'd see again.

"Miles?"