Pairing: Bill x Zoey with implied Francis x Louis (you can read into that last pairing :P)

Warnings: This fan fiction contains coarse language and references to violence not suitable for younger readers.

Other Warnings: This fan fiction and the following chapters may contain strong adult themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead or any of the characters. My story also does not follow directly with the game (for those of you that are aware of the Crash Course campaign).

I'm back, folks! :) Bringing you another riveting chapter of The Aftermath *Ooo Aah* Once again, I request reviews from the readers (Oh my an alliteration hehe). It might sway me to post another chapter~

Well enough formalities! Read to your hearts content, lads and lasses!

Francis made his way upstairs. He wasn't really sure what he needed to say to Louis but he knew he needed to say something. The biker hated the idea of sharing a room with someone that didn't want to share it with him. He'd much rather be on good speaking terms with Louis than get killed for breathing on him. Before he opened the upstairs bedroom, he could hear the black man speaking to himself.

"Just my luck to get stuck with a jerk...I'm fuckin' nice to that guy and this is what I get? This is bullshit..."

Francis backed away from the door with a frown. Maybe now ain't the time... he thought and walked back toward the stairwell, the wooden floor squeaking with each step.

"How long have you been there?"

The biker turned around and saw Louis standing in the doorway, his shirt completely un-tucked and tie removed. "Not long," he stated simply and walked over to him. "But long enough to hear I'm a jerk."

Louis looked off to the side, somewhat embarrassed. "Listen, you weren't supposed to hear that. I'm just—"

"Nah, man. Don't worry about it. I deserved that." Francis smiled a bit and shrugged it off. He moved past the analyst into the bedroom and looked around. The bedrooms really were small with just enough room for them to move around. "I see you've made yourself comfortable," he said, motioning to the disheveled bed sheets.

"Oh, sorry! I—I just wanted to lay down for a while to clear my mind," Louis admitted and grabbed his tie off the end of the bed. "So speaking of the bed..."

"Listen, I'm down for whatever; I just wanna sleep. If ya want the whole for yourself, fine. If ya wanna share, that's cool, too," said Francis and took off his vest, slinging it onto the floor. "I don't really wanna argue with you anymore."

Louis smiled broadly. "Well thank you, Francis. I feel a ton better now that you've said that," he replied and sighed. "Since you're bein' nice, I won't make ya sleep on the floor."

The biker laughed out his nose, removing his gloves. "Thanks a lot, Louis. You're a real gentleman."

"I try. So...what side do you want?" Louis asked, rubbing his smooth scalp. "It doesn't matter to me so I'll let you decide."

"I'll take the side that's all messed up. Saves me the effort of doin' it myself," Francis replied with a laugh and sat down on the end of the bed, bringing his foot up to untie his shoe. "You weren't plannin' on takin' a shower now, were ya?"

Louis took off his white button-up shirt, placing it on the edge of the bed. "Actually I was."

Francis narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "I was too..." he said, trailing off, and took off his shoes.

The two men stared each other down for a few seconds before breaking for the door. They momentarily got stuck in the door frame but Louis managed to get free first, quickly locking himself in the bathroom. "Looks like ya gotta wait, Francis!" Louis yelled from behind the door and laughed heartily.

"Whatever happened to 'sharing is caring', Louis?" the biker yelled back.

"I can't hear you!!! La la la la laaaa!" The black man was blatantly ignoring the other.

At this point, Francis started banging on the door. "C'mon, buddy! In times like these, we shouldn't be wasting water! Lemme in!" I hope he doesn't actually open the door...he thought and laughed to himself.

By this time, Zoey was already taking her shower but she could still hear them over the running water. The girl had just finished talking with Bill when she remembered she desperately needed to get clean. She sighed lightly and let the water run down her smooth skin. The shower was nice, of course; the water was warm, just how she liked it.

Zoey blushed as a thought came to her mind, something she hadn't really thought of. I bet it'd be real nice to shower with someone. The first person that came to mind was Bill but she really didn't think he would go as far as to shower with her. She wasn't even sure how he felt about her.

His words previously comforted the girl. Just the mere thought that he cared for her so much as to say he'd never leave her made the college girl's heart swell. Zoey was somewhat a romantic at heart yet she'd never gotten that sort of treatment even from her ex-boyfriend Jonathan whom she dated for almost 2 years. She hoped that he truly meant those words.

The brunette grabbed a nearby bath pouf and poured a dollop of melon shower gel onto the top. He probably doesn't like me like that. Bill's so much older and...experienced. Why would he want me? He's probably done it tons of time and I'm still—Zoey blushed at the thought of this. She tried to distract herself by scrubbing at her shins and thighs. As she pulled herself back up, she stood for a moment thinking. Why wouldn't he want me? I mean, I'm pretty cute and I've got a nice body...plus I know how much some guys love the prospect of a virgin.

Zoey furrowed her brows and shook her head, this time scrubbing her stomach. What am I saying? Bill's not that kind of guy...I hope...I mean, I can see Francis acting like he liked me just to get in my pants but not Bill.

She smiled, running the pouf over her breasts. He's too much of a gentleman to do that...Her smile soon disappeared as she continued to think.

But why would he want me? I'm almost forty years younger than him! What the hell do we have in common?

Zoey began to get frustrated; she didn't really like to think too much on her emotions. She'd much rather just do what she wanted without thinking of the consequences but in this situation it was just the opposite. Not only would her actions affect her but they would also affect Bill, not to mention Francis and Louis. She sighed in defeat.

I'm over-thinking this. This isn't about commonalities or anything like that. It's about lov—

The girl stopped herself mid-thought. The fact that she was just about to use the word 'love' scared her. She'd never been in love before, not even in her longest relationships, and to think that she could possibly be in love now in a time like this made it even worse. It took a zombie apocalypse for me to find love...and with a man practically three times my age! What is wrong with me?!

She wrung out the pouf roughly and replaced it on the shower hook where she found it. She wondered what would have happened if this whole infection had never happened. More than likely, she and Bill would have never met and she wouldn't even be having this problem right now.

Suddenly Zoey remembered a painful event that happened about two months prior. The girl shook lightly as a sob raked through her body. Why did the cure have to come now?! Why couldn't it have come before— She stopped herself before she could remember that excruciating moment; the girl stumbled backwards slightly, hitting the shower wall, and slid down until her butt hit the moist tiled floor. Her hands came up to her face as she pulled her knees to her chest. The water continued to cascade down her reddened cheeks.

I couldn't save them...

**********

Louis reclined on the sofa, flipping through the channels of the small TV. Only one channel was working: channel 8 news. With a sigh he watched the weather radar. Precipitation to the east. Nothing around here, he thought and turned over onto his side. He was bored to say the least since Francis had already gone to sleep. Zoey and Bill seemed to be in their prospective rooms and that left him, all alone. He wasn't really complaining though. No one was arguing. No one was cracking jokes. Everything was quiet.

"What I wouldn't give for Francis to be awake," Louis muttered to himself, hearing the creaking of wood behind him. He raised himself up and saw Bill, wandering out of his bedroom. "I didn't know you were still up."

The old man glanced over. "Can't really sleep. Gettin' a glass of water," he replied simply and wandered into the kitchen, his limp much less noticeable.

The black man listened to the glass fill with water, then the water being drunk. He watched as Bill reentered the room and sat down in the chair next to him, setting the tall glass on the coffee table. Louis noted that all the clothes that were provided for them were the same: black t-shirt and green pajama pants; the only exception was Zoey who had green shorts. It was weird seeing Bill in that outfit, much less without his hat. "Why can't you sleep?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Bill shrugged, leaning back. "I dunno. Got a lot to think about, I guess." He glanced over to Louis and then propped his right leg up onto the table. "What 'bout you?"

Louis shrugged as well. "I just don't feel all that safe here, ya know? After all the shit we been through, I just can't relax."

"I don't blame ya," the veteran chuckled in reply.

"Hey Bill, if ya don't mind my asking..." Louis paused for a moment; he already felt like he was walking on eggshells with the old guy and this topic might not put him in the best of lights.

Bill looked up after taking another gulp of his water. "Yeah, go on."

Louis cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his shaved head as he sat up on the couch. "I was just wonderin'—" He stopped himself again. I'm gonna get my ass kicked.

The war vet frowned a bit and leaned forward, getting annoyed by the analyst's hesitance. "Son, I ain't got all night, ya know."

"Sorry, sorry," Louis replied, somewhat flustered. Oh God...I've lived a good life. I'm just gonna go for it. "Do you like Zoey?"

Bill raised both of his eyebrows. "What?"

"D—do you like Zoey? I mean, you kinda act like it and me and Francis have been talkin' and...uh...we were just wonderin'..." Louis trailed off, feeling the heat radiating from the old man's eyes. Oh Lord, I'm gonna die...

Bill stared at the other man for a moment, before lowering his eyebrows. "Yeah, I like her. She's a good kid."

"That's not really what I meant." Louis frowned slightly. "I mea—"

"I know what ya meant, Louis," Bill replied quickly and watched the other man shrink back into the couch. "I ain't stupid."

"I wasn't implying that you were stupid or anything, I just..." Louis felt defeated and somewhat embarrassed; he needed to fix this somehow. "I'm sorry...that was outta line."

Bill nodded gruffly. "Damn straight it was," he replied and felt around for his cigarettes. He had forgotten momentarily that he had left them on the night stand. "Besides, that's not any of yers or Francis's business." The veteran slowly stood up, leaning on the arm of the chair, and sent him a look. "Remember that next time you ladies are gossipin'."

Louis started to reply but before he got the chance, Bill was already gone. Maybe I should head to bed, too. Hopefully Francis didn't take up the whole thing... he thought and drug himself upstairs for the night.

The old man listened to the other's retreating footsteps as he opened his bedroom door. He smiled lightly with satisfaction and took a step in; just as his foot hit the ground, the floor squeaked but Bill could distinctly hear another noise coming from behind him. A sick feeling grew in his stomach. It almost sounds like...a witch! He turned and walked forward a little, the sound of cries growing a little louder as he approached Zoey's room. It can't possibly be a witch...Bill knocked on the wood door; the sobs stopped momentarily. "Zoey?...are you okay?" he asked, waiting for a reply of some kind. He didn't get one.

Slowly Bill opened her bedroom door, seeing a dim light cast on the floor. He peered inside and felt a slight relief when he saw the college girl sitting on the bed, her back turned to him. "Zoey?" he called once more, closing the door behind him.

She turned her head a little bit to glance at him, more tears flowing down her flushed cheeks. She couldn't bear to look at him, not now.

Thank you for reading! :D Review??