Note: I do not own anything mentioned in this fanfiction. The world is inspired by many zombie franchises. However the world and outbreak is leaning towards 28 days later though I'll also be pulling creativity out of my ass for this one, some stuff will be completely fabricated and odds are not plausible. The two main characters (as well as others brought in here) are from the OUAT franchise.
Characters: They are not their characters as known in OUAT, so they have none of their memories. This is an AU. Also, relationships will probably be out of whack. It is a GOLDENQUEEN fanfiction. So they will be the main characters. Names used will be of the characters in OUAT though so you know who is who. I am giving additionals to their names, so like Weaver has a first name here.
Rating: M. For sex, cussing, blood, violence. Also, There will be gore, of course. If details are going to get gross, I'll warn a paragraph ahead with two **. So you can know when to skip. Then a paragraph after when the gore is over, i'll Place a ##.
Chapters: I have no idea how long this story will be as it is not completed.
This note will be in every chapter.
After Outbreak: Day 124 - Day.
Another early morning, though Weaver couldn't tell with the boarded up windows in the main room. He pinned the schedule to the wall above the mantle, his eyes raking over the quick work he had made of the list, small little hints to him to record things down that would not be noticed by the others. That was his specialty, keeping everything in his notebooks all well sorted out so his world wouldn't boil down around him.
The sound of footsteps echoed as everyone within the house slowly began their day. He moved to sit back against a couch that had been pushed toward the wall, watching as Mulan came up to the schedule, turned and gave him a nod. Knowing exactly what her task was for the day. Followed by Archie who gave a laugh. Having dealt with as much as he had lately with the new girl, still not awake, the scribble next to his name of 'take a breath for a fucking second'. He moved to allow everyone else their rightful read of what they were to occupy themselves with.
Emma and David were last downstairs, as they rounded towards the list, Weaver pushed himself up onto his feet. Having kept himself patient for this very moment. He barely slept just thinking about it. "Bathroom cleaning." He pointed in the direction of Emma. "Water pump duty." He pointed towards David. Then placed his hands on his hips as they turned their attention towards him, away from the schedule. "Your training will be split into one hour intervals for the rest of the week. Mulan will train David and Graham will train Emma. You'll only have an hour though since the work you have to do will be tiresome. So you'll be able to..go venturing..next week. If you stay on good behavior." They huffed before he added "Unless-" Then he shot a glance at Ruby before bringing his eyes back to the brother and sister who had fucked everything up in one night. "...you want to leave. Without anything but what you arrived with."
"O-of course not!" Emma all but yelled in his direction, her arm nudging David painfully in the ribs. "We're very sorry, it won't happen again."
"Yeah. It won't." David's words were far from sincere which sent Weaver's blood from rising to boiling within seconds.
"Say that again."
"It won't happen again." David repeated followed by a hushed Emma; "We're sorry."
"You better be. Now go. Now!" They both scampered off to start their day as he turned his heels and rounded on Ruby. Knowing if Mulan shifting in the corner before August put a hand out to keep her from going towards Weaver and Ruby.
"You." He growled, his voice lower now. "You have been here long enough to know right and wrong. I instructed you to train with Emma until we returned in the light of Graham's absence. Did I not?" It wasn't really a question he cared for her to answer. He knew he had. Having went over that very instruction the night before. "And you went behind my back, disobeyed my orders, and put the entirety of this house in jeopardy."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't. I won't hear it. You have the worst task of all, Ruby. You'll be in your room all day and night today. Thinking. Which is the worst thing any of us can do. Stand idle."
"Please-I'll-"
"Now!"
Ruby ran up the stairs, bounding for her room where she would stay for the remainder of the day.
Satisfied, Weaver turned to face the others. "If anyone goes into her room before the sun sets, you'll find yourself dealing with the same task for the week to come. Got it?" He watched as the room nervously nodded in agreement. "If anyone doesn't like the way I run my house. You can leave. Without any help from me." He grumbled as he set off to do his task. Which would be checking the river behind the house for any contamination as well as clear the windmill building, just to make sure to keep the infected from skirting too close to their water resources. This way, he wouldn't have to look anyone in the eyes as he went about his sole task and others busied themselves with their own.
After Outbreak: Day 124 - Night.
The sun soared high in the sky, blindingly. Heat pricked at his skin as he watched Milah move slowly through the garden, tending to a variety of flowers in his favorite sundress of hers. She was a beauty, even if they had been having more arguments than not lately. His love for her felt as pure as a winter's second snowfall. But he often questioned hers for him. Milah was a hard woman to please in his eyes but he tried to please her the best he could. She wanted more out of life than he could give her. Or maybe he had become so used to making up excuses as to why it wasn't the time to move forward. If they had a kid, it would complicate things.
He shook his head out of his ass-awful thoughts and took note of this moment. Here and now as she bent to take in the scent of the flowers, plucking a couple here and a couple there. She would make an arrangement for their table. Not the best arrangement albeit but something he was sure he would love. He felt his face get wet, one drop then three. Before...
"The fuck are you doing?" He hissed in the direction from which the water came splashing down onto him. August stood there in the middle of the bathroom with a bucket in hand, an apologetic look on his face.
"You fell asleep. It's my turn for a bath."
"Seriously?" He looked down into the water that had become foggy during his time in it. Soap usually doing that along with the muck he seemed to collect on himself during the week in which he hadn't been allowed the comfort of being clean.
"You've been in here for two hours, man. I need it."
"Right. Just wait outside." He motioned for August to leave, once he had Weaver pushed himself out of the water and pulled the plug in the drain free. He had fallen asleep, again, in the bathtub. This had become a regular thing as of late. The water giving him reassurances of a comfortable life he no longer had the luxury to enjoy. Fight or Flight. He thought, realizing he had been in that mode for far too long now. It took no less than a minute for him to dry off.
Once dressed, shirt and all, he headed out of the bathroom. "It's all yours." He shot in August's direction before descending the stairs, crossing the main room and dipping behind the tarp where Archie sat beside of the unknown woman. She had been out for too long. No water, no food and this was beginning to cause unneeded anxiety in Weaver. She would surely die like this. "Any success?" He was referring to the ways in which the doctor had tried to wake the woman, surely there was some technique he could use.
"No, nothing but her heart rate picked up about an hour ago and the movement in the eyes... not exactly REM... but.."
"So there's hope?"
"Possibly."
"Good. I'll have Mulan bring up whatever she concocted tonight for dinner. Just in case." He turned to leave before glancing back over his shoulder. "And I'll stay with her once I get back. Give you time to eat and rest."
"Thank you, Weaver. I'd appreciate that."
He nodded in his direction before heading back into the main room, then ducking into the now unusable kitchen before descending the stairs into the basement. Most of the house had gathered around the table. Mulan was next to the stove top, stirring what was left of the concoction. Having already eaten her ration. The others were mostly talking, discussing the days work and memories they had from a time before the infection spread.
"Finally you're here. You missed the entire thing." Mulan said, giving him a nudge in the ribs.
"I need two bowls. And tell me it's better than what I cooked the other night."
"Beyond better, trust me." Mulan poured rations into two bowls, adding a bit more than normal to the one meant for their unnamed guest.
"Thank you."
"I'll stick some of this into a container and store it under the cool tub of water to keep it fresh for a bit longer."
"Good thinking. And who's watching the roof right now?"
"Graham. But once I'm done in here, I'll take over."
He nodded before heading back upstairs, through the main room and behind the tarp. "Go eat, Archie."
The doctor gave him a smile before he stood. "You too." He pointed at the bowls in Weaver's hands before heading off to join the other downstairs. Taking the doctor's seat, Weaver sat the bowl for the unnamed guest next to the solar powered lamp, hoping the heat from it would somehow keep her ration warm until she woke up and thought she could eat. He thrust his spoon into the mess of whatever it was Mulan served up as food, then took the spoonful into his mouth. It could have been worse; he thought. The flavor having a nice array of mixed vegetables. Canned vegetables, that is. Having had nothing but a protein bar in the afternoon, the meal received a loud grumble from his stomach in appreciation. He waited patiently beside where the woman lay as he gulped down what was in his bowl. His eyes washing over her frame, taking in the condition of her filthy skin and hair. It looked as though she had been through the ringer more than a few times. Currently the state of the world wasn't a spa day for the frame, he knew that much. The smell alone though almost turned his stomach. Her clothes, which they had left in tact on her body, were covered in dried blood. In all honesty, he would have preferred wash her down but that wouldn't have been appropriate.
A low groan jerked him out of his thoughts, his eyes going to search her face as her featured contorted into confusion before his eyes were meeting hers. Dark chocolate and afraid. He held up his hand, allowing his spoon to plop down into whatever was left in his bowl on his lap. "Easy, easy." He used a soothing tone in which he only brought into his voice during the most needed times. "There's food..." He pointed towards the one meant for her nearest the cot, sitting beneath the solar powered lamp.
She felt more than confused. Having remembered making it to the safety of the house just to have guns pointed at her face and then nothing. She couldn't remember a single thing afterwards. The world had gone dark and somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she would have liked it to have stayed that way. Her body alive, but her mind checking out for a little while. "Who are you?" Her voice came out in a rasp, her throat dry.
"Weaver. This is our safe house." He gestured around himself. Which in all honesty, the room wasn't much to showcase the depth in which they had come in means of survival. He grimaced. "Who are you?"
Slowly, she pushed herself up onto an elbow as she reached over to grab the bowl which sloshed at the unsteadiness of her hands. Weaver darted forward, grabbing the bowl and settling it nearest her on the cot. Then took his spot back where he had been before. Waiting for her answer. Which had been stalled due to her currently spooning nourishment into her mouth. "Miller. Roni. d'you have a first name?
"John."
"Nice to meet you John." She gave a quick smile in his direction before she devoured whatever he had given her in the bowl. "Can I get a shower or something?"
Jumping to his feet, he collected their bowls and spoons then nodded. "Once August is out, yes. Of course you can take a bath."
"Thank you."
"What happened to you?"
"I'd rather discuss that some other time."
"Okay." He would have rather it have been now, but she really did need to get clean. The smell alone was revolting. "Upstairs, the only closed door. Once it opens, go on in and pour water from the jugs into the tub."
"Thank you."
"Do you need help?"
"I think I know how to wash behind my ears."
"I meant up the stairs. You're probably weak."
"Oh, right. No. I'll be fine."
"Archie!" He called out, standing at the entrance to the room. He watched as the woman pushed herself slowly off of her cot, her body waving just slightly as she regained her balance.
The doctor glanced behind the tarp, eyes wide. "She's awake."
"Yes, once you clear her, she can take a bath. Help her up the stairs too, if you don't mind. Then you can retire for the night."
Archie nodded before heading into the room as Weaver made his exit. He brought the bowls downstairs where Emma stood, washing the dishes from the night. He placed the bowls with the rest she were to clean before heading to bed, leaving without another word in her direction. He climbed the stairs then and made his way into his room where he took one of his tablets in hand as he laid back against the bed. His eyes were heavy, begging him to give into sleep but he fought it with every ounce of strength he had in him as he took the pencil from behind his ear and began to jot down the processes of the day. Checking off the chores that had been done and drawing a graph of their food intake and water use; having to remove extra knowing that Roni would be joining in the list of people who have bathed today. He made a mental note to give David another few jugs to fill tomorrow at the water pump.
Dipping his fingers between the pages, he pulled out his hand drawn map of the town. Most of it having been sketched out from memory of the time before the outbreak. He placed a question mark beside of the building he intended on the group scouting next and a check beside of the bed bath and beyond Graham had all but insisted this morning they go further into.
Once done, he tucked it back into the pages and started on the schedule for tomorrow.
Across the room, at his closed door, a soft knock sounded. Jolting him from his work. He placed the tablet against his chest; "Come in."
A soaked brunette walked through his door. Towel wrapped tightly along her frame, water dripping from her dark waves. "They said you would have clothes?"
"Right. The cider wardrobe." He pointed in the direction as he watched her walk towards it. The light dancing off of her soaked skin as she began rifling through the items to find something to fit her. He had taken to stealing clothing not too long after the first person arrived at his doorsteps. Every bit of fabric in storage having been cleaned thoroughly for fear of the virus being airborne. That had been before Archie arrived with his very helpful facts. She had turned, his eyes falling on her chest as they had been at that exact spot on her back. Quickly, he snapped them up to her face and gave her a quick nod before pulling his attention back to his tablet. Chastising himself for not doing that sooner.
"Goodnight."
"You're still sleeping on your cot downstairs. At least until tomorrow."
"Got it. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
She left then, closing the door behind her as she did so. The task for tomorrow would be getting her to tell him exactly what had gotten her in the state she arrived in. He needed those facts, for his records, and for his curious mind.
