AN: If I can make it there, I'm gonna make it anywhere. / It's up to you, New York, New York!
CHAPTER 5
Getting into New York isn't a problem, it's moving around in the city that is. The group unanimously decides to leave the SUV behind and carry as many of their supplies as they can, while still being efficient.
Alison struggles to walk at first with her bag, prompting Travis to clip her backpack to his.
"Travis..." Alison complains affectionately.
"Hey, this is nothing. Don't worry about it." He says with a smile, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
"Still." Alison says.
They continue on their trek to the apartment building they know Hanna lives in. About halfway, they stop at what used to be a Starbucks to sit and eat something.
"Once we get Hanna, what's the plan?" Spencer asks quietly.
"We head back to Texas. Camp is safe." Emily answers.
"And then?"
"Then, we live." Emily finishes.
Emily feels like she can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a small reminder of why this was all worth it.
Emily then feels eyes on her and looks up from her food to see Alison staring straight at her.
They share a small smile.
It really has been worth it.
The thing about New York is, it's filled with zombies. However, there is so much chaos in the city, the zombies roaming around are less in hordes and mostly just singularly roaming around. It makes it easier to keep alive, but harder to move more than a block without encountering at least one.
They have one close call.
Emily is leading the pack, followed by Alison, Spencer, and finally Travis rounding up the end.
A zombie, trapped in what used to be some type of jewelry store, reaches its arms through the slats of the security gate of the store and manages to grab Emily by the neck, pulling her against itself. Taken by surprise, Emily is unable to react fast enough to avoid having her head slam into the gate.
A shot rings out by Emily's right ear and the zombie drops dead, letting go. Emily falls to her knees, her ear ringing and the back of her head throbbing.
Alison drops to her knees next to her quickly.
"Em, you okay? I'm sorry about that - I had to." She explains frantically, as her hands hover over Emily, unsure of where to touch.
"Here, let me see." Spencer's unexpectedly sure voice says, as she nudges Alison to the side so that she can check on Emily.
She looks at her ear and then the back of her head.
"No bleeding. You should be fine." She concludes.
"Yeah, except for the incoming migraine." Emily grunts.
"I'm sorry, Em." Ali says softly.
Emily then finally looks up and sees two pairs of eyes staring intently at her. She smiles softly at Alison first. "You saved my life. A headache is a small price to pay." She jokes. Alison let's out a small laugh at that. Emily then looks at Spencer. "Thank you." She says, making sure that Spencer knows what this moment means.
"Of course." Spencer replies. She then reaches over and helps Emily stand, while Travis - who has been standing over them - helps Alison up.
"Let's keep moving." Emily says.
"Let's." Travis confirms.
They reach the building just as the sun is starting to set. Emily walks up to it, the other three staying in the street as lookouts, as she goes to try the door. It's locked. There is an intercom next to it, the names of the tenants next to their apartment number. Emily feels like it's probably a long-shot, but she presses the one labeled "Rivers" and waits for something.
When nothing happens, Emily moves back over to the group.
"I'm not sure how I feel about screaming out Hanna's name in the middle of an open street so close to night." She explains.
"Maybe there's a backdoor?" Travis asks.
"We should find someplace to spend the night, then come back early tomorrow and try out all the windows." Alison suggests.
Before any other suggestion can be made, a buzzing noise is heard, and the front door opens.
Emily, still the closest to the building's entrance, turns in time to see a flash of blonde hair seconds before it crashes into her.
"About damn time!" Hanna Marin says, as Emily manages to collect herself and reach around to hug her.
"Sorry it took us so long." Emily says, voice filled with emotion at having her best friend back in her arms.
"Yeah, well I figured I'd be stop number four, so." Hanna says as she pulls back and jumps over to hug Spencer.
"Hey, Spence."
"Hey, Han." Spencer says, tears in her eyes.
After she pulls back, she reaches for Alison. They don't say anything, just quietly hug each other tightly.
When Hanna pulls back, she looks over to their fourth member and a large grin overtakes her face.
"Travis freaking Hobbs." She says with a laugh.
"Hanna freaking Marin." He replies, laughing as well.
As she pulls back from hugging him, Hanna surveys their group, smile slipping from her face.
"Where's Aria?"
Before any of the girls can even begin to form an answer, another voice is heard from the building's entrance.
"How about we move this inside, ladies. And Travis." Caleb Rivers says with a smile, as he holds open the door for them.
Emily let's out a sigh of relief as they all begin to move inside.
She's always been thankful of Caleb's presence in Hanna's life, but if how they look and sound right now is any indication, she's never been more thankful of him than in this moment. Because both Hanna and Caleb sound the closest to normal anyone has sounded in these last few months; they sound untouched by the horrors of the world they live in now. They look and sound the way Emily is reminded again that this was all indeed worth it.
That night, they fill Hanna, Caleb, and Ashley Marin in on the details of their harrowing journey so far.
Emily tells them about leaving her apartment in San Francisco by herself, terrified but determined. Walking for ten hours non-stop, only to crash in Paige's apartment that night. She tells them about the pleasant surprise of finding Paige still there and having her join her in her journey. She tells them about the month long trip into Texas and how Paige kept her from ever giving up.
She tells them about the government and how, just like Spencer had predicted all that time ago, they were covering their own asses. How she and Paige had to escape Camp, aided by her father. She tells them about driving to Savannah only to find that she was too late.
She tells them about getting to Rosewood, about having that town revitalize her - only to then gut her. How Paige saved their lives by having hers come full-circle - dying in that town she had left years ago, to avoid such a fate, by her own hand, rather than taken by the monsters that had haunted them all in the past.
(Emily thinks about how, unlike other times when Paige had considered taking her own life in the past, this death found her at peace, rather than at desperation. It's a small consolation, but Alison's voice reminding her about having a choice strengthens it.)
She tells them about reaching New Haven and finding a second chance. She tells them about getting to where they are now and knowing that they're going to make it out alive.
"Us against the world." Emily concludes.
"Us against the world." She hears echoed back at her.
That night as Emily's eyes begin to close, she can feel Alison's breath on the right side of her neck, the other girl's arm thrown across her stomach where it holds on to Spencer's. Hanna's hand reaching them as well as she spoons Spencer, who has fallen asleep cuddled up to Emily's left side.
Alison moves a bit, as if making space behind her for someone else. Emily holds her breath as she feels it. Feels an additional presence. Feels her.
All of the girls falls asleep together in Hanna's bed.
Us against the world
[2 days later]
As they pack up all their things, the group takes one final look around at their surroundings before heading out.
Before heading home.
They take their time, slowly but surely making their way to the SUV. They avoid as many zombies as they can and somehow, miraculously, they all make it to the SUV. As they begin to place their bags in the trunk, they notice something troubling.
"We're low on gasoline." Travis says.
"What?" Alison asks, moving him aside to count the remaining containers. "Fuck. There's no way we make it to Texas with this much."
"Well, for how long can we last?" Ashley Marin asks, the concern clear in her voice.
"Halfway, if we're lucky." Spencer answers, after taking a look herself.
"Don't suppose any of you noticed a gas station on our way here, did you?" Caleb asks sarcastically.
Silence engulfs them as they all contemplate their dilemma.
"Fuck it, then we make it halfway. I'm not spending another night in New York." Hanna says as she aggressively throws her remaining bag in the trunk. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Now, let's move our asses and cross the bridges we need to now."
"Hanna's right. We should head out." Emily confirms.
They all nod and move to get in the SUV. It's a tight fit. Travis takes the wheel, with Ashley Marin riding shotgun. Alison, Emily, and Caleb take the backseat - Hanna on Caleb's lap and Spencer on Ali's. It's a tight fit, but they make it work.
Lead the way, Fields
Emily hears it in her head, clear as day. She leans forward, from her place in the middle seat, and places her hands on both front seats as she speaks.
"Let's go." She says. A small smile playing on her lips.
Let's go, McCullers
She finishes in her head, as she leans back into her seat. She feels someone grab a hold of her right hand, so she turns to look. Ali, who has her right arm wrapped around Spencer's waist and is resting her head against said girl's back,
(as Spencer herself looks out the window wistfully, while she plays with the driver's license in her hands),
has reached over to grab Emily's hand. A small smile playing on her lips. Emily smiles back at Alison and adjusts her hand so that their fingers are interlocked - she squeezes them.
And Emily knows, in this moment, in her heart, that they're all still together - even in spirit.
[Destination #6: Austin, TX.]
[ETA: 27 hours]