Important-ish Author's Note(s) (Please Read): Hello everyone! :) I think this might be my fastest update... Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Don't worry, I'm starting to work on their relationship in this one -winkwink- to get out of the mundane events going on. But! I have a small dilemma. I'm in need of an rp buddy to be my Nick. I enjoy RP-ing and all my friends hate it. Bit of a problem. +10 healthpacks to whomever helps me out here!

Now onto the story:

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I leaned back again the safe house wall, Nick laying on a make-shift bed not two feet away. Rochelle and Coach were sleeping upstairs while I was supposed to be on watch. And technically I was, being awake still and within reach of the door, but I was paying more attention to Nick than I was to the zombies outside. The conman had been woken from his sleep, again, due to the pain in his chest and had decided to just stay up, staring at the ceiling. I hadn't said anything, content to just watch over him. Though he'd probably go out of his way to prove me wrong, I thought of him as a friend. Rochelle and Coach were more of... Family figures to me. Nick on the other hand, I just couldn't see as a member of our make-shift family. He still had a spot there, but not in the same sense as the others.

Was it strange, that he was the one I wanted to be closest to?

"...Ellis, I know you're watching me."

I jumped, blood rushing to my face and I quickly pulled my hat down to hide it, "Wh-what? No I ain't!" I protested, the stutter giving me away. I'm sure he rolled his eyes when he sighed, though he didn't sit up to look at me properly. Smarter than I was- I'd be jumping up to argue if I were him, despite any wounds I had.

"You're a horrible liar..." He mumbled, "Want to tell me why you're being such a creep, Overalls?" I huffed and crossed my arms, "Jeez, Nick, I was jus' makin' sure ya were alright! Ya were mumblin' stuff in yer sleep, ain't I allowed to worry 'bout cha?" He was quiet for a minute, before shrugging and giving a snort. He had no reply to that and I sighed, giving a smile, "Want me to try'na find some pain pills for ya?" I asked and he shook his head, "No... Don't think we have any, Ro checked earlier..." It was quiet for a bit after that, neither of us having anything to say. Finally I moved closer, making Nick look at me with a raised eyebrow. I grinned, "Wanna hear a story?" I asked, fully expecting the usual, 'Is now the best time, Ellis?' or the more rare, but not uncommon, 'Shut up you damn hick.' But I wanted to offer something to take Nick's mind off his pain.

"...Sure."

That threw me a bit and my look became one of confusion, "...Really?" I asked, making sure I hadn't heard wrong. Nick nodded, "Go ahead. Hell, not like I have anything better to do..." He muttered and I grinned, "A'ight, man! So this one time, Keith and I was ridin' in one of them cop cars, don' ask me why, 'cause I don' even 'member. I think it mighta had somethin' to do wit' this real old woman livin' behind Keith's house..." I trailed off, then shook my head before continuing, "Anyway! So we was in the back of the car, right? And it wasn' the firs' time either, so we jus' talked and shit like normal, but then holy shiiiit man, this huge deer runs out in fron' of the car and we swerve so we don' hit it, ya know? Well the car flipped like, thirty times, man! Landed in a river at the bottom of a hill, not too deep though, so we didn' drown or nothin'. But Keith tried to get outta the car through the window, 'cause the doors were all stuck and shit. And well, this fish bit 'im right on the nose! I didn't know fish had teeth, but Keith is livin' proof man. Still gotta a scar from it." I grinned, remembering my friend flailing and trying to pry the fish off his face with a broken door handle. That damn thing really wanted to take a chunk out of him.

"...Ellis, has it ever occurred to you that you and your buddy should be dead from all the shit you say happened?" Nick asked with a raised eyebrow and I just laughed, "Course it has! But we ain't dead, shit, I'm livin' in a zombie apocalypse, ain't dead yet and this is worse than all that other shit combined!" Nick was silent for a second, then asked something that made the grin disappear.

"How do you know Keith is still alive?"

I paused, thinking about it. True, he had gotten on one of the first helicopters out of here, but what if his pilot turned into a zombie like ours did? Or they'd crashed, or wherever they went it wasn't as safe as they thought it was? Sure, Keith was pretty much indestructible but...

"...I jus' keep hopin' he is, I guess." I said quietly after a few minutes had passed, "Ain't got nothin' much left but hope..." I murmured, trailing off. Hot tears pricked in my eyes and I quickly wiped them away, not allowing them to fall. I was the happy, cheerful one that kept everyone's spirits up. I couldn't cry... I wasn't suppose to break...

A hand gently worked it's way into my own and held it tightly. I looked down to see three rings settled upon the fingers that held my own and my eyes quickly moved to Nick's face. The conman wasn't looking at me, no doubt embarrassed by his own action. He wasn't one to care for anyone but himself.

"...We'll get through this, Kid. Just keep your chin up."

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"Well boys, just a little longer and we'll be out of this swamp mess!" Rochelle smiled at us as she talked into the radio at the plantation. We'd made it this far and I was feeling elated- We'd be okay. We kept her safe while she talked to Virgil, the french-sounding man who was on a boat near us, until she was done. "Just ten minutes. We can hold out that long, can't we?" She asked and we all nodded. We could. We ran back to the house to have a better vantage point as the hoards started coming.

"Guys, shiiiitload of bombs over here!" I yelled, pocketing a pipe bomb. My personal favorite had to be the Molotovs, but that was the only one not available. Nick was still in bad shape and kept back from the front lines, a bile bomb he'd found earlier in his coat pocket. I stayed near him to make sure he was alright, but as the tanks started coming I found this to be a harder task than I'd thought. The brutes picked up a table and threw it at Rochelle. The woman moved out of the way but the object got her leg and she fell. In ten seconds, at most, the tank was over her, arms up and about to strike. I had to leave Nick, impulsively, to save Rochelle. Coach grabbed her while I shot at the thing with a shotgun I'd picked up inside. The zombie groaned and turned, smacking me back into a marble post. It hurt, but I had to keep moving as it came after me. The tank picked up a large rock was about to throw it-

It dropped dead, falling to the ground.

I looked up to see Nick on the higher balcony with Coach, a sniper in his hand. I grinned and gave him a wave to show my thanks. The gambler simply nodded and returned to sniping as I ran back inside to Rochelle. She wasn't too hurt, but there was some dark bruises all over her leg. The boat needed to get here soon- Two of us now would have trouble walking. If Coach or I got hurt as well... I shuddered.

"Boat's damn near here!" Nick yelled from above us and I smiled- Thank god. Luck was on our side. I picked Rochelle up as the boat pulled into the dock. Coach gave us the OK to go, watching out for Nick, and I ran. Halfway across the field something whizzed over my head and my heart starting beating at an amazing pace.

Another tank?

"Ellis, put me down, you'll need to shoot-"

"I'll be fine. Les' jus' get ya to the boat." I cut her off and she didn't protest further. 20 feet away.

Then 10.

Then 5.

Then none, and I was jumping onto the water vehicle with Ro. I grinned, feeling accomplished; We'd made it. We were okay. I set her down gently and turned to see how Nick and Coach were making out. I felt relieved at how close they were, no more than 30 feet off. Nick was limping and the sleeve of his white jacket had been torn off, and Coach had blood dripping from his shoulder, but they were coming. They were going to okay, all of them. Coach was just a few feet ahead as he crossed onto the boat, and Nick was close, ten feet, almost there.

Then the tank got to him, a rock smashing into his back and he fell to the ground. My eyes widened and I screamed at him to get up. He tried, he really did, arms shaking as he tried to force himself up. We all shot at the massive zombie that was quickly nearing him, trying to kill it. God forbid it get near our teammate. It was getting ever closer and we weren't going to get it in time.

"Shit..." I jumped off the boat despite Ro and Coach's protests and was at Nick's side in a second. I scooped him up, much like a husband would do to his new bride and I probably hurt him but that wasn't important right now. I'd fix the wounds later. Ducking to avoid a thrown object- was that a tractor? -I ran until I reached the boat and Virgil sped off.

We were safe.

"Dammit Ellis..." Nick coughed after I put him down, "Too fucking reckless..." He muttered and I grinned, "But yer okay. And thas what matters, ain't it?"

"...Yea, I guess. Thanks, Kid."

I think that was the first time I'd ever seen him give me a real smile.

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I looked out over the side of the boat, grinning. The swamp wasn't too bad when you weren't being chased down my zombies and mud men in a fight for your life. In fact, it was rather peaceful. Rochelle seemed to have motion sickness however, leaving her anchored to a spot on the side of the boat, puking every half hour or so. Coach stayed with her, cleaning her up and trying to get her to eat something. Virgil had some food on his boat, more than just stale cereal. Sure, it wasn't much, but canned corn and uncooked beans was better than nothing. Rochelle had gotten a spoonful of corn down and then simply threw it back up. After that, she wasn't really in the mood to eat anything.

"'Ey, Nick. What'dya think we'll find when we get outta this swamp?" I asked the conman sitting on the floor beside me, a cigarette in his mouth. He'd found a lighter and a half-empty pack below deck and Virgil had graciously let him have them. Ellis wasn't too keen on the smell, but if it calmed Nick's nerves, so be it.

"More fucking zombies." Nick mumbled and I laughed, "Well no shit, man... I meant other than that." I looked down at him at the same time he looked up, our eyes meeting. He shrugged, not looking away, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, "Don't know, Kid... Trees, dirt?" I rolled my eyes and sat next to him, "What 'bout when we reach N'Orleans?"

"..." Nick didn't reply and I knew he was thinking the worst. That we'd be too late and that all this would be in vain. I'd admit, I'd thought about it too but hadn't voiced my thoughts. Optimism, that was what I gave.

"I think we'll be okay." I said quietly, hugging my knees to my chest, "Jus' gotta keep hopin' for the best... Stay together..." Nick took another drag of his cigarette and looked up at the sky, "Always looking on the bright side, aren't you?" He mumbled and I smiled, "No point in lookin' at the downside all the time." Nick didn't reply and the rest of the day was spent in silence.

I fell asleep beside him.

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Well there, a tad bit more involved, right? Rushed through his area a bit because well... I hated this campaign the most. Ever. It was so fucking hard to move. But it was good to use to practice with Nick's attitude issues. BUT WE'RE OUT OF THERE NOW THANK THE LORD. Sorry if it seemed a bit rushed, as I said, I hate this place and the plantation house was like hell on earth. Writing about it makes me remember... -shudders-. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Reviews keep me motivated to write, so if you'd be so kind...?