Thank you all for reading!

Awakened by the cheesy chirping of the birds outside, Scud rolled over on his bed, stretching his limps delightfully. What a nice dream he had. How real it all had seemed.

Nibbling on her neck, he couldn't help himself, he had to bite her a little. The deep moan escaping her and the way she basically tore out his hair made him sure he was on the right way. Letting all finesse go, he took her top off, opening her bra in seconds with is skilled fingers and was on her nipple before she could think about it.

"Scud" her voice was raspy and the most erotic thing he had ever heard. And damn it to hell and back, she tasted so good. Slowly teasing her one nipple while his hands went down her strong, warm back to her tight ass and to the front where the annoying button blocked his way, he felt her pressing his head to her breast and again he used his teeth along with his tongue. The soft flesh beneath him went rock hard in lightspeed and he felt her shuddering. He himself waw rock hard at that point, this dick pressing against the fabric almost painfully. "Shit, Doll, I can't wait.." he said, his fingers now clumsily struggling with the button. "So fuck that" Alia said, pulling him up on his hair, kissing him hard and deep, biting his lip, he though he might come right away. But she pushed him onto the bed with eagerness, taking care of her pants herself. Both, pants and panties were gone in seconds, and he realized he was still dressed. Starting to pull his shirt over his head, Alia launched herself next to him on the bed, laughing while said "Get that shit off you, Scud, like the stud!" fumbling on his pants. Together they took them off and with another laugh she pulled on his socks "Off with those fugly things!" Scud had to laugh at that. He loved a woman who knew what she wanted. Lips meeting again, he found himself unable to leave his hands off her ass. "Damn, Doll, you are so fucking beautiful" he breathed between frantic kisses. "Stop the talk, Scud" as all he got before she tried to climb him. He just shook his head, rolling her onto her back. She seemed to be fine with that. So he rolled himself onto her, her legs already spread ready for him. "We can play around later" she whispered into his ear, her hands again tangled in his hair. He nodded while kissing her again and lowered himself between her legs...

And that was when the stupid birds had woken him. Nevermind, he already had come, judging by the feeling in his drawers. Quite the stud he was! Looking over to where Alia slept, he just now realized that her bed was empty. Given the fact that she was an early bird, he wouldn't have thought much about that, if there hadn't been a piece of paper on the pillow of her bed. He scrambled himself up and over, almost tripping over his own feet. It was a letter.

"Scud, Josh, Brainiac, I am sorry for doing this. I have to leave. I don't want to but I have no choice. Please don't try to find me. You'll be fine without me. And you know I can take care of myself.

Again, don't come after me. I didn't pull you that goddamn tank to put you in danger now. I am sorry and forever grateful. For everything you've done. You probably don't even realize exactly what you did, and that's fine. That's you. Stay that way. Love, now and always, Alia"

Back-pack, nailgun, food, blanket, pillow, water, some clothes: Scud was packed and ready to leave within less than 5 minutes. He didn't look back, he didn't care what she had asked him to do. No one told Scud what to do. Those times were long behind him. Times in which people like Blade just waved his hands and he disappeared like the good lil' doggie he was. No more. He'd find her and make sure they wouldn't separate again unless one of them died. End of it.

On his way out, he ran right into a walker and knocked himself of his feet before he took the thing down with one well aimed shot and one not so well aimed shot. The latter just flew up into the sky, probably right into the Pegasus-Galaxy. Fuck, way to start.

The car she had stolen ran out of gas maybe 5 miles before Atlanta. Getting her stuff out from the trunk, she just went on on foot. By the time Scud would have found her note, she was hours and miles away from him. Pondering about her situation, she walked with only one machete in her hand. What if she wouldn't turn?

She had heard that usually it was a fast process. And she was going almost a day without feeling any different. Maybe she hadn't been infected after all. But the risk was to high. The skyline of Atlanta clearly visible, she made her way ahead. After a few more hours and a few more dead walker, she was almost downtown when she heard the alarm of a car blaring. Stopping right where she was, knowing the sound would attract walkers, her eyes almost fell out of her skull when she saw a red car racing by the intersection before her. Someone must have a deathwish. But now she knew that there was still people around, so she better kept her guard up. It wasn't the dead she had learned to fear. Turning around, she went into a little alley, trying to find a ladder that would get her to a higher ground. And she did.

Three stories high, Alia found an open window and let herself in. Silently and careful she made her way through the rooms, using every sense she had. The third door she opened held what she knew to find. Two walkers turned to her and growled in their unnatural way. Spinning both of her weapons, she launched herself on them. The first got the blade right into its head, while she ducked at the same time, spinning herself underneath his arms, smashing the other blade into the guts of No 2. Kicking No 2 back, she forcefully pulled the blade out of No 1 skull and put one foot down on the face of No 2, who had fallen over.

Again and again she put her food down until there was nothing left but a bloody mess. Only after, when she looked around, trying to find more of the beasts, she realized that she had blood all over herself. Stupid things had been still juicy. Her brain didn't seem to mind, instead another song played at full volume:

I see them coming
With shrouds to bury us all
Before we were, before we were born they shaped our lives
leading us into an unmarked grave
In moments, moments life could end
So I will speak, I will speak while I can
This is my chance
My time to stand *

Her brain was an ironic bastard.