By the time Andre and Robbie got back Tori was fed and calm once again. She was busy wiping at her face with her sleeve, knowing Jade liked when she was cleaned up. Meanwhile, Jade had all limbs cut up into three pieces each. She used the lab coat to wrap it up and dumped it all in a new bag. She twisted it closed and shoved it in her pack. She hefted the pack on her back with a grunt, her tired body protesting.
"Let me," Tori offered from her side, holding out a hand. Jade pushed her hand away.
"I'll be fine. Thank you," she replied, turning down the offer. Tori stared at her hand, confusion evident in her expression.
"Are we ready to go?" Jade asked the guys. They gave her a thumbs up from the doorway. Jade turned back to Tori when she felt the backpack straps slide down her arms.
"Hey, I told you-" she began, words cut off when Tori yanked her closer. Their lips pressed together, Tori nipping at her bottom lip a moment later. Jade groaned, enjoying the contact despite the metallic tang it left on her tongue as it ran over Tori's top lip. Tori pulled away and Jade rested her forehead on hers, hands on her waist.
"Fuck, I must be certifiable," she muttered to herself, leaning away with a smirk. For a second Jade noticed a spark of something in Tori's eyes before it disappeared and she looked away. Jade knew she was the only one feeling something. She knew she was the only one who enjoyed the kiss. So it made her wonder why Tori gave her one at all.
"Why did you kiss me?" she asked, making Tori look at her with a hand at her chin.
"It makes you happy," she answered simply. Jade wasn't expecting such an answer. It showed how far Tori progressed. She might not function like a human but she was starting to understand how a human should function. She was learning and remembering. Even her speech was improving. It gave Jade hope. She carded their fingers together after handing Tori the backpack. After all, she didn't get tired. She saw the look on Andre and Robbie's face and gave them a questioning tilt of her head.
"I'm so trying not to be disgusted here, but I'm also still gonna be honest and say that if she was human that would have been hot," Andre confessed. Robbie wisely said nothing. Jade chuckled but let it slide with a shrug.
"Pretend she is then. Whatever helps you get over it," Jade told him, gesturing at the hall beyond to get them moving. Robbie was the first to get going, Andre right after him. Jade and Tori brought up the rear. They passed Ryder's body on the way. It spasmed and then he was sitting up. His white eyes barely had time to open before Jade shot him in the forehead point blank. He slumped over, never to rise again. Andre and Robbie ran back over, eyes wide.
"Huh. How did I forget about you?" she pondered, playing at forgetful.
"You were purposely waiting for him to reanimate," Robbie remarked, understanding Jade's intentions.
"Yep. And now that I've got my revenge we can go," she replied, pleased. The guys exchanged a look before shaking their heads and leaving the room, Jade and Tori following without a single glance back. They were silent as they walked. Andre was saying something about almost reaching the exit and finding a room being used as a holding cell but Jade wasn't listening. They had just passed a different room that interested her. It was the only one she had seen that looked anything like a lab.
"Hold on, guys," Jade called to them, redirecting to enter the room. She passed various medical as well as laboratory equipment. Her eyes landed on a case at the back. It was sturdy with locks that weren't currently engaged.
"Looks like we pulled him away from work right on time," she remarked, opening the case. There were two syringes filled with a bright green substance inside. Another vial held the same.
"Why would he lock this up?" Jade prompted of the others.
"It's valuable," Andre answered.
"Exactly," she said with a nod.
"Do you think…? No, it can't be," Robbie mumbled, asking aloud before talking to himself.
"He actually did it. The bastard actually made a cure," Jade stated, a bit impressed.
"Wait, how can we be sure? I mean, if it is, why did he need more test subjects if he already succeeded?" Andre asked.
"We can't be sure if it is or why he needed more test subjects. What we can do is inject it and see what happens," Jade replied. She glanced at Tori, contemplative.
"Her?" Andre questioned, unsure.
"Jade, after everything you went through for her…" Robbie began to protest.
"I know. I shouldn't be thinking this, but I made a promise to her and I went back on it because I wasn't ready to let her go. She would rather be dead than undead and I didn't give that to her. I was being selfish. If I do this and it works then she'll be human again. If it fails the worst it could do is kill her. Either way she would be happy," Jade rationalized, picking up a syringe and taking Tori by the wrist. She watched curiously and allowed Jade to lay her arm on the table to steady it, exposing the crease of her arm.
"Are you sure?" Robbie questioned her, eyebrows creased. Jade nodded.
"Yeah," she mumbled, slipping the needle in Tori's arm. She didn't flinch or fight back. The three watched as the liquid disappeared into her arm. Jade let her go and set the empty syringe aside. They all stood around, waiting as if something would happen at that very moment. When minutes passed and all they got was a confused Tori, they let out a shared sigh.
"Ok, so maybe it just takes some time?" Andre guessed.
"It will either work or it won't. We'll know in time," Jade simplified, closing the case and picking it up to take with them.
"And if it does?" Andre inquired.
"We take it to whoever can work with it and hope they can replicate it. It's all we can do at this point," Jade answered, tone even. She wouldn't allow herself too much hope until she saw results. They left the lab and continued to the exit.
"So, like I said before we took a detour, I think Cat is being held in this room up ahead," Andre informed them, stopping at said door.
"Then get her and let's go. We've wasted enough time here," Jade dismissed, her thoughts still on the discovery of the possible cure. She was distracted and so she didn't filter how much it bothered her. Andre didn't say anything. He only sighed and entered. Robbie went in after him, knowing Jade was in a bad mood. He didn't blame her. She went through a lot. But so did everyone. Still, he wasn't going to stick around. Five minutes later they came out with Cat held up between them.
"What's wrong with her?" Jade questioned.
"Looks like she hasn't eaten much. Her arms are marked up by what looks like needles. They must have been getting blood samples to work with. We got some water in her but she was dazed and confused. She passed out shortly after," Robbie answered, hefting Cat into his arms.
"All the more reason we should get home as soon as possible. All we can do now is take frequent breaks and get food and water in her," Jade advised, voice softening with concern. Robbie offered her a smile of gratitude that she was trying to curb her agitation. Together they left the rundown facility and headed for home. As expected they ran into trouble, but a combination of blood camouflage and careful maneuvering made it easier to travel unhindered. Tori acted as lookout when they took breaks and slept, the guys finally trusting her enough not to turn on them as soon as their guard was down. They made it home without any complications. Robbie took Cat to the hospital wing and Andre waited for him at his house. Jade took Tori to her house, wanting to be surrounded by her own things where she felt the safest. She sat at the edge of her bed and looked at the case on her desk. Tori came in, done exploring for the time being. She sat down next to Jade, eyes blankly staring forward.
"How…aware are you, really? You probably can't answer that but I always wonder. They think you aren't human. That you only run on the hunger that controls you. But then you speak, and you protect, and you care. That has to mean something, doesn't it?" Jade contemplated. She looked at Tori, mildly surprised when she was met with eyes that held emotion in them, intelligence she hadn't seen before.
"I remember," she whispered, holding a hand to her head.
"What do you remember?" Jade asked, suddenly anxious.
"You," Tori responded. Hope flared anew in Jade, too strong to ignore this time.
"You and me. We were little," she went on, her eyebrows coming together as she tried to bring back the memories. They were barely in reach.
"We were childhood friends and grew up together until you moved away. Then the outbreak happened and I thought you died. But then you showed up. I got you back and lost you soon after. And yet here you are, still by my side. Even when they said you were mentally gone, you weren't," Jade remarked, thoughtful and nostalgic. The feeling seemed to project to Tori. Jade glanced at the case and Tori did the same.
"You used it on me," Tori mentioned, rubbing at her arm.
"Yes," Jade responded, nodding.
"The promise," Tori continued. Jade's lips pressed into a line, knowing she was caught. If Tori was starting to remember it made sense that she would remember everything eventually.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't let you go," Jade admitted. Tori nodded.
"If it works you'll be cured. If it doesn't…you'll get what you wanted," Jade told her, repeating her thought process from earlier. Tori placed a hand on her leg.
"I want…I want to be h-human," Tori pleaded, squeezing her leg. Jade rested her own hand on top of Tori's.
"For a powerhouse bent on sating your hunger you're awfully good at using your words instead of violence. That, and your habit of contact," Jade remarked, picking up her hand and removing it after kissing her palm. With a sigh Jade got up and walked over to fall in bed, exhausted.
"I need a shower and sleep," she groaned. When she didn't get a reply she sat up. Tori swayed from her spot at the end of the bed and then fell back. Jade hastily caught her and pulled her to the top of the bed. She laid her down and checked for a pulse but found none. She knew she wouldn't but tried anyway. She sighed heavily and left for the shower she wanted, hoping the cure was just taking affect. When she came back nothing changed. Jade didn't know if it was a good thing or not. She crawled in bed and collapsed next to Tori, gripping her limp hand in her own. She never let it go. Not even when she fell asleep.
The next morning was one Jade would never forget. She woke up to Tori's semi-warm hand gripping hers. She thought it was the warmth from her own hand until hours later when it was still the same temperature. It was a promising start. While Jade waited for any more change she kept Tori confined to her house, examining as well as protecting her. No one could know what happened, and if the cure gave her a full recovery no would ever have to know. Cat made a full recovery and Commander Maes was none the wiser. As the months passed Tori's skin began to gain its natural warm glow. She stopped craving flesh and started searching for food.
She needed sleep and began talking more often in longer sentences, prolonging conversations. She often expressed thoughts and ideas, only occasionally forgetful of minor things. The use and recognition of emotions were the last thing to fall into place. It was that or Tori purposely hid them until she felt comfortable. Jade respected her rate of progress so she never asked or pushed her for personal information. She only did her best to be there for Tori. But she did wonder what Tori was feeling about everything. There was really only one thing that Jade wanted to know more than anything, and she was going to find out one way or another.
"Did you know it's been a year since I gave you the cure?" Jade mentioned, glancing at Tori out of the corner of her eye. They were seated on the roof of Jade's house, stargazing until the arrival of the sun made them fade. Neither could sleep so they both settled on their favorite activity. It was always calm and relaxing on the roof at night. It gave them time to bond and forget problems they would most likely encounter in the new day.
"Really? That much time passed already?" Tori responded, amazed. She didn't realize just how fast time flew by. She was always turned inward at the things happening to her physically as well as mentally. She didn't have much patience with the world around her besides Jade who she clung to for stability.
"Yeah. Crazy, right? So much changed since then," Jade said, looking out in the distance. Miles away they were taking down the concrete wall. The cure they found had been successfully replicated and distributed when Tori showed promising signs. The world was slowly brimming with life again. It was only a matter of time until everything went back to how it had been before the outbreak. The few zombies still around were all captured and taken to be cured by the patrolling soldiers. If anyone was bitten they were to report it and receive the treatment. Jade subconsciously rubbed at her arm. Before taking the cure she remembered how cold the skin around the bites had been. Now the scars were just as warm as the rest of her. Her gaze dropped to Tori's exposed thigh due to her short pajama shorts. Without thinking her hand lifted to brush over what she could see of the scar. Tori's hand moved to cover hers and she lifted her gaze to meet her brown eyes.
"You know how you always ask me if I'm happy…" Tori began. Jade gestured for her to continue with a nod.
"Why do you ask?" she questioned.
"I want you to be happy," Jade answered easily.
"Are you sure you aren't looking for a bit more?" Tori checked, studying Jade's face. She blinked and tried to pull away from Tori but she gripped Jade's hand tightly before she could.
"I've been thinking a lot lately. So much so that I remember when I was…dead, for lack of a better word. Nothing was clear except for you. I was so aware of your presence and it helped me to hold on to the last pieces of me I had left. I want to thank you for giving me time to come back to myself. I really appreciate it, but…I know you have questions you want answered and it's only fair that you get them. After everything you did for me you deserve that much," she stated, pulling on Jade's arm so that she could bring her closer. Jade smiled and slipped her arm around Tori's middle, leaning into the embrace.
"So, ask away," Tori offered. Jade hummed in thought, wondering how she would work up to the one thing she wanted an answer to.
"How…how close did you feel we were back when we were kids?" Jade questioned first.
"Very. I relied on you for everything, remember?" Tori replied. Jade chuckled but nodded.
"How about when we found each other again?" she asked next.
"It didn't take me any time to feel comfortable around you. We easily picked back up where we left off," Tori answered. Jade had felt the same way and was glad she wasn't the only one.
"When you moved…I felt so alone. And when the outbreak happened it didn't take long for me to actually be alone. I was scared I wouldn't make it to at least see you again. I was more scared of the thought that you were already…But I kept myself busy. I fought through every day, hoping I would see you again," Jade confessed.
"It must have hurt to see me…like that," Tori mentioned, squeezing Jade's hand.
"You were a surprisingly fast learner. It made interacting with you easier. Especially when you had to eat. I reminded myself that you were still in there and I wasn't going to give up until I got you back," Jade told her. Tori smiled gratefully, tears in her eyes.
"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to go through that," she mumbled. Jade shook her head and held Tori close.
"Do you remember anything when you were a ghoul?" she asked, curious.
"Ghoul? Not zombie?" Tori remarked.
"Like I said, you were smarter than the rest. It was how I separated you from them," Jade said with a shrug.
"Well, bits and pieces. Remembering anything was hard. I was so hungry all the time. That, I always knew. I remembered parts of our childhood at odd times, memories mixing with the present. Being around you made everything easier. You kept me calm and in control because you felt familiar," Tori explained, her fingers running over the ring Jade never took off.
"Is that it?" Jade carefully pressed, searching Tori's face for any indication of a remembered memory. A light blush flourished on Tori's cheeks. Jade liked seeing it.
"I, um…did I kiss you?" she asked, bashful. Jade laughed.
"You did," she confirmed.
"Oh," Tori said, averting her eyes. Jade held her by the chin and brought her gaze back to her own.
"To be fair, I kissed you first," she admitted. Tori's eyes widened.
"But I was…" she stammered. Jade nodded.
"Yeah, I know. You tried to bite me," Jade recounted.
"Oh geez," Tori whined, trying to look away again. Jade didn't let her.
"None of that mattered to me. You were still Tori in my eyes. I always loved you," she stated, smiling when Tori gasped her surprise.
"You…I love you too. I think I always did. Even when I wasn't me," Tori whispered. She grinned and kissed Jade's cheek. Jade returned the happy smile before directing Tori's lips to her own. It was gentle and chaste. The warm glow of a new dawn spread out before them, coloring the sky. Even though they had seen it many times before it felt different this time. It felt like the start of a beautiful future.
Another sappy ending. I know.
