AN: Thank you for continuing to let me know what you think, I'm glad people are still enjoying it. Only two more chapters and an epilogue and my weird little story is over. Yes as a few of you have said Warm Bodies was my inspiration. I loved that movie. Anyway hope you enjoy.


Chapter Eight

"Do you sleep?" Arizona's voice drew Callie from her trance. "I mean earlier, you seemed to be, back at the house... now when you're, you know?" Arizona didn't want to say it because looking at Callie right now, she was convincingly alive, if she said it; it would break the illusion she'd created.

"What?" Callie continued to watch the dreary landscape move a lot quicker than she was used to through the grimy windows. It took her a few moments to catch on to what the woman meant. "Oh, dead?" Hearing the awkward noise Arizona made in confirmation, she turned to look at the blonde. "No… sometimes… closed eyes." and then she returned her gaze to out the window.

Here come the questions. I was wondering how long before it came up. Please don't ask.

She didn't sleep, or rest, she had been constantly awake since she'd woke up dead. Which was fine when you didn't think for yourself and there was only one constant need, but when her conscious thought started to come back she found herself still doing things, horrible things while one part of her mind screamed at her to stop, the other part was driving her body on.

When she remembered what sleep was; it was the first thing she tried to do. She had hoped that if she closed her eyes she would just stop, that she wouldn't wake and this nightmare she found herself in would end.

Please don't ask.

Callie stopped trying to focus on the moving landscape and turned her attention to the woman driving. Callie watched how her fingers tightened and gripped around the steering wheel as she manoeuvred the vehicle through debris littering the highway. The small bones working delicately under their fleshy glove fascinated her. She was actually aware that she was smiling, her brain wasn't numb anymore. Her body may have reverted to feeling nothing, but her brain was working hard. Whatever was happening to her, it was giving her brain the jolt it needed. She was also sure that it was down to being with Arizona, the more time she spent with her, the more her brain seemed to open up. She lifted her own hand and inspected it, moving her fingers, watching the tendons moving under greyish skin.

Arizona took a glance to see what Callie was doing and saw her hand. While keeping her attention on the road, she opened the glovebox, gave a quick peek inside and pulled a pair gloves from the compartment and threw them onto Callie's lap. "Might be a good idea if we get you to wear them." Arizona offered a bright smile before glancing at the gas level, the needle hovering just above empty. Callie lifted the gloves and looked at them confused. "I'll help you get them on when we stop."

The highway itself was littered with abandoned vehicles, decaying human remains, plant life that had finally punched its way through its concrete restraint. In the city and neighbourhoods, nature took hold quickly, the unmaintained asphalt cracked and, without human interference, roots broke through before greenery claimed back the land. It was creepy but so very beautiful.

Arizona, slowly but expertly moved the small vehicle through the chaos, almost flat tyres doing their best to roll over the broken land. The ride was bumpy as hell, and her stomach threatened to expel the small amount of previously eaten pudding. After trying a few abandoned cars, she'd found this Volkswagen Golf parked outside an open garage, the previous owner was obviously a mechanic or a tinkerer at least. Lots of spare parts and ecstatically when she looked in the it's window, it had a small solar panel on the dash that looked to be charging the car battery. Finding the keys hanging up just inside the property, she took a deep breath as she took a seat, inserted the keys and prayed to anyone listening that their luck had finally shifted. When she heard the engine tick over before clicking on, she smiled so brightly, she had to wipe away the tears of relief in her eyes that something had went their way. After making Callie sit in the car she went and gathered as much gas from other vehicles as she could. The mouthful of gas also not helping her stomach.

"I suppose you don't dream then? If you don't sleep, I mean." Arizona quickly glanced in Callie's direction again before she took a quick look at the fuel gauge, her eyes fell back to the damaged road. The remaining gas wouldn't get them too far but she was hoping that it would get them close enough that they could walk the rest of the way.

"No. Only memories."

"What have you been eating all this time?" Arizona's question came out abruptly and was laced with dread, she wasn't necessarily sure she'd wanted an answer.

Crap. She asked!

Callie tore her eyes away from what she took as Arizona's judgemental gaze. Looking through the window once more, the memories of her first kills flashed like a violent movie attacking her brain. The sound of flesh ripping from the bone, so loud in her ears, made her want to vomit.

The question had been simple, innocent enough. It was one question that Arizona had running around her head, begging to be asked from the beginning but obviously, never knowing what Callie was capable of, the question remained dormant. Callie had protected her this far, now she knew that Callie wasn't going to hurt her, she felt it was time that she asked.

If she didn't eat what the other zombies ate then how did she survive so long? However, with Callie's reaction, the answer terrified her. Her mind then panicked – was she just the lucky one for now, maybe this was just a plan to gain trust and infiltrate the Pyramid. An intelligent zombie, they were learning again after all. Taking her eyes from the road she turned to face Callie, her mind frantic as she envisioned turning to be met with snarling teeth lunging at her, like some grotesque horror film.

What she was met with though, broke her heart. Callie looked distraught, her head held in her hands. Arizona could hear that she was mumbling something as she began hitting her head over and over again. Eventually "No" was made out, getting louder as every hit gained in strength.

"Callie? Please, stop Callie!" Taking her foot from the gas and pressing the foot brake, the car stopped suddenly. The sound of the handbrake creaked like an old door as she pulled on it. All fear of Callie having an ulterior motive died as she turned in her seat and grabbed Callie's wrists to still her before she did herself damage.

Callie knew it was going to come up eventually, the question, but luckily for her she hadn't remembered up until now, that part had been very foggy. Up until Arizona voiced that question, and then it all came flooding back like a tidal wave. "No… No...Please make it stop." The pain in Callie's eyes could be seen clearly. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. Make it stop!"

"Callie, it wasn't you. You were a good person and something terrible happened to you. You had no control." Arizona watched Callie flinch at her words before she pulled her hands away from Arizona's touch.

Easily, Callie turned and opened the car door and got out. Arizona was surprised by just how much her range of motion had increased in the few days that they had known each other.

"Callie?!" Arizona quickly copied Callie's movements.

"Leave me. Not worth." Callie's voice was low and for the first time since Arizona had met her, had sounded menacing. "Monster."

"Callie, Stop!" Arizona continued after Callie. Hoping she'd listen to her plea. "This wasn't your fault."

"Go home Arizona, forget me. No good."

"Do you kill now?" She finally stood in front of Callie and got her to stop walking. Anger suddenly made an appearance, Callie was frustrating her. She figured that Callie's reaction was because of memories coming back, but the beaten demeanor, she was not someone who gave up easy. "DO YOU KILL NOW?" She reiterated and pushed her hands against Callie's chest, forcing her back.

"No...No" Callie finally stilled but refused to look into Arizona's eyes. "The beginning…" Callie shook her head, not wanting to admit her past, looked down. She didn't want to see the look in Arizona's eyes.

"Callie, hey, you had no control then. That's not your fault. I just mean… when the memories came back. When you were aware… Did you continue too?"

"No. No!" Her eyes flashed up to meet blue concerned ones. "Animals… Mark, got me food. Wouldn't hunt. Eat animals."

"None of that matters anymore. The past is the past. We can give you a future now, if you come back with me. Please." Arizona's voice was soothing. She gently lifted Callie's chin so she looked into the blue eyes pleading with her. "Please Calliope." Callie felt Arizona's hand in hers and she didn't pull away as Arizona directed them back to the vehicle.

As both settled back into their seats, Arizona turned the key that she had left in the ignition. The sound of the car choking on the remnants of gas fumes had Arizona chanting "come on, come on you son of a bitch!" Infuriated she hit out at the leather trimmed wheel, a few heavier thuds and she yelped as it stung her hands.

Callie found herself smile at the woman's behaviour, she watched her blonde hair fall over the wheel as she rested her head on it in defeat. "You're too cute." Callie's voice surprised even her when Arizona turned and looked at Callie. Her own smile followed when she saw Callie's.

"Oh, you think that was funny do you?" Arizona straightened her back against her seat, her eyes closed momentarily as she cracked her stiff neck.

"Little bit funny." Callie smiled once again and Arizona's annoyance fizzled away at the sight of it. She really did look alive. Even her movements and mannerisms had relaxed, they weren't forced like before… they had come alive.

"Okay…" Arizona crained her neck to look up and out of the windscreen. "Going with the Sun we have about another three hours of daylight left." Drumming her fingers on the wheel she stared into the distance. Biting her lip as she tried to figure out the best way to head. "We have about an hour's walk until we get to the lost lab's entrance, there was a small outpost. Once we get there we can re-evaluate if its possible to continue on or if we need to wait it out."

Arizona took one more look around the surrounding area and then opened the door exiting the car, opening the back passenger side she grab her backpack and weapons and stepped around to Callie's side, by the time Callie had finally stepped out. She watched Arizona momentarily before she extended her hand toward Arizona. "I'll carry bag." Arizona was about to question her when she moved and took the bag from her. "You… quicker if danger."

"I'm not leaving you behind Callie." She was readying herself for another argument.

"I follow… can find you if need to." Arizona narrowed her eyes as Callie smirked. "You smell alive again." Callie shrugged as she tried to make her arms move properly to put the backpack on. Arizona found herself laughing and then helped her with the backpack straps and then gloves. "Looking at you right now, no-one would ever know." Arizona watched Callie smile again.

Arizona had a strong belief that they could help Callie, and for the first time Callie had hope.


As the sky once again darkened around them, Arizona was grateful when the outpost came into view. They had encountered a few loan infected on their journey, but nothing that caused Arizona anything more than aiming her weapon at them. The wandering dead had stopped and watched the two of them as though weighing up whether or not to attack, before continuing on aimlessly.

"We can start a small fire and rest once I've secured the area." Arizona turned to look at Callie properly for the first time since they'd set off. Occasionally Arizona would flash her a quick look to make sure she was still there, every time Callie was focused on her and was quietly following. "Are you alright?" Callie's eyes were tightly shut, her face clenched showing signs of pain.

"The feeling." Callie forced her eyes open and drew level with Arizona, bringing her hand up to above Arizona's heart. She quickly tapped her fingers a few times before she stopped and then repeated. "starts and stops. It's…"

"Painful?" Arizona watched Callie shake her head. "Strange?" she nodded this time.

"Weird." Callie looked down as Arizona mirrored Callie's hand placement, her fingers ghosted across the skin and Callie pulled away as though she was in pain once again. When Arizona panicked and pulled her hand back, she watched as Callie almost laughed. Callie stood still for a long minute looking off into space trying to find the right word, lost deep within. Seeing the unease in Arizona, she decided to show her since she couldn't get the words. She copied what Arizona had done to her moments before, running her fingertips lightly across Arizona's skin.

"Hey! I'm ticklish don't!" Arizona pulled back away from Callie laughing and then the realization hit her. "You were ticklish. Callie, how long?" Callie pointed back and then shrugged, she had no idea how long. "You really are a wonder, Callie." Arizona smiled wildly as she linked their fingers together. "Come on, lets get some shelter."


After completing a quick perimeter search, they both settled beside the fire. She was happy that the weather had seemed to take a better turn. The area had a good view point so if they attracted any unwanted attention they could use the outpost as cover.

It was one of the first things that amazed Arizona when the lights turned off. Just how dark the world really got without light pollution. Callie watched as the fire's orange glow highlighted Arizona's face as she poked a stick into the flames trying to keep the fire burning steady. Placing the charred stick to the side she picked up the broken radio that she'd found during her search of the outpost and began fiddling with the mass of exposed wires. When she'd seen the radio lying under the lone desk she had remembered the batteries she had taken from Callie's collection. Her hoped died when she picked it up and realised it was smashed. Changing a plug was about the limits to her electrics knowledge, but she took it out with her to see if she could maybe get it working again, but she wasn't holding out hope.

Callie watched the flames dance, hypnotic and mesmerizing. Breaking free from its hold, she saw that Arizona, while her hands held the radio, was watching her intently. Very much the same way Callie had watched Arizona on more than one occasion. "What is…" She was surprised to hear her own voice, but when Arizona stopped pulling at wires and smiled at her she relaxed and the words came a little easier. "This place… what happened here?"

"We are sitting on top of what used to be the west lab." Arizona paused and sucked in some air, frustration at the broken radio caused her to slam it into the ground. Dejected she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her body trying to keep warm. Her full attention shifted to Callie. "Buried underground was a laboratory, one of four that were researching the virus. They were trying to find a cure, a vaccine. They wanted to better understand it." Pausing, Arizona looked at the fire. Callie watched as she had a far off look in her eyes. "Officially, we were told that one of the lab technician's was clumsy and got infected and attacked his colleagues. The lab and its sixteen personnel under protocol were destroyed."

Arizona cleared her throat and then picked up the stick again to continue her poking at the fire. Looking up and into the distance she smiled. "When it gets dark, The Pyramid's entrance tunnel shines a small light up into the sky. It's not bright enough for the Zzz's to see, well they never seem as though can see it. It's not dark enough yet, but we have good cloud cover so the light should reflect off their surface when it gets dark. You'll just need to stick with me."

Callie smiled as she sat examining the few scars on her arms. The skin tingled as she ran her fingers across the skin. She could feel the heat from the fire. It would come and go the feeling, but it was definitely happening.

Arizona stared at the flames, watching them dance across the branches she'd piled. Jabbing the stick in once again she watched small pieces of burning ash fly in to the night sky. "My ex girlfriend, Karen, she cheated on me. She hurt me and for a long time I wished her pain, both of them. Eventually, after the hurt died down I realised I wasn't really in love with her. I was pissed that she cheated on me. I wasn't… I'm not one for expressing my feelings." she sighed and poked at the fire once again. Karen had told her she was tired of coming second place to everything. "She's buried here." looking at the area around them. "Somewhere. She was in the lab at the time of the accident. Dr Carter, her boss and my father's booty call, she's… she is not, not someone I want getting anywhere near you, Callie." Arizona smiled as she pushed some hair away from her face. "She wouldn't want to help you, she'd want to study you… god knows what tests. I can't let anyone hurt you." After a few moments of silence, both were still, just staring into the fires glow, something shifted behind them.

Reaching for her weapon she slowly stood and scanned the area. Pulling the flashlight from her bag she directed its waning light out into the dulling surrounding. Callie also got up easily, her continually easing movement made Arizona excited that Callie was changing. She smiled again and made a mental note to say to Callie when they'd found out if the noise was a threat to them. Looking around the light had dimmed enough that she found it difficult to see anything even with the temperamental flashlight.

Both stilled as they listened carefully, the shuffle came suddenly from the left - behind them. Slowly, Arizona took the lead telling Callie to stay by the fire. Callie stopped momentarily before she followed. She really just told me to wait here? I'm already dead, need to protect her.

The further they moved away from the light of the fire the louder the noise got. It was scratching - but she couldn't see anything except for rubble up ahead. She gave Callie a look when she saw that she hadn't listened to her and was following. Distracted she turned her body slightly. "I thought I told you to… Aaah!" Arizona felt the pull at her ankle and before she knew it her head cracked against the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the darkened sky. Bright white shimmering stars peeking out from behind gaps in the clouds.

The panic in her rose as she felt the clawing and pulling at her foot, glad that her heavy boots covered her ankle and a good few inches of her shin. No exposed flesh for it to get at. Trying to kick away, rubble and earth shifted underneath in her frenzied retreat. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears before she realised the familiar, but raspy screeching sound from her attacker. She twisted her body trying to escape its grasp. A sudden, sharp cracking sound came before the pain registered, but she finally found herself free. Crawling away from the hole, she hesitated and looked back, expecting something to lunge for her, but it never did. Just the sound of continued screeching and clawing at earth.

Flashing the light at the ground where the noise came from, she saw the dust shift in the air and watched as Callie with both hands gripped it's skull and strained against it as it attempted to pull her down to meet its teeth. Despite its withered appearance it was strong.

"Callie!" Arizona tried to move to help as the screecher's pointy fingers dug into her flesh like barbed wire. Its jaws continued to snap as it continued to pull Callie towards it. Callie pulled back so hard that the thing's arm came away at the socket, what was left of its flesh ripping easily and Callie fell backwards on to the ground.

A half buried screecher. Its now only arm clawing at the ground trying to escape its earth and rubble prison. "CARTER! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" She found herself shouting into the air. Their position above the lab, its position - the rumours were true.

Two hands looped under her armpits and she felt herself being dragged back beside the light of the fire. Callie's forearm was a mess, her skin was pierced where the screecher had a hold of her. Arizona hissed in pain as she looked down to see the leg of her trousers saturated in blood. The pain was intense, in waves, it threatened to make her pass out. Tearing at a small hole in the trousers leg, she ripped the material so she could see what the damage was.

As the shock began to take hold, she began to laugh as she sat staring at the extruding snapped shin bone. "Survived a Zombie Apocalypse and it's falling over and bleeding out that's gonna kill me." She continued to laugh not noticing that Callie stood still looking at the buried screecher. It frantically tried to pull itself free without any luck. Her body relaxed as she realised it wasn't going anywhere.

Callie moved around the laughing woman quicker than she had ever before. There wasn't any thought to her actions, everything just seemed to fit together, she just knew what she was doing. "Arizona... belt?" She watched as Arizona shook her head. Examining Arizona's possessions, she grabbed the rifle and tried to remove the thin leather strap. Frustrated, she growled when she couldn't make her fingers do what she wanted them too. "Strap...off." She thrust the rifle into Arizona's arms before she moved back to rummage through the backpack's contents.

When she collected what she could use she made her way back to the blonde and knelt over her. "Need to stop blood." Taking the leather strap from the womans hands, she looped it around Arizona's leg, just above the knee. Arizona's eyes began to close as she fought the dizzy feeling in her head, trying not to lose consciousness. She was desperate to hold on, scared if she closed her eyes she wouldn't open them again.

Callie positioned herself over Arizona. Her knees at either side of her stomach, almost sitting on her chest. Callie readied herself, one hand pinned Arizona's ankle down as her other held the strap tightly. "This will hurt."

"Do it." Clenching her teeth, Arizona braced herself.

Callie pulled on the strap, hard and fast. Arizona agonising pleas for her to stop caused that uneasy feeling in her chest once again. She didn't like causing the woman pain. The vast emptiness around them swallowed Arizona's screams as she frantically fought to get away from Callie. Finally the noise died down as Arizona lost her fight with her consciousness and she surrendered to the darkness. Callie assessed the protruding bone, it was a clean break, no shards in the wound. She was relieved that Arizona had taken some of the ripped sheet from the house, probably to change Callie's dressing later if she needed. Placing the material on top of the bone, Callie gently pushed the bone back into alignment. Happy that Arizona was out because she couldn't take hearing her pleading with her to stop, like before. She tried to tie a knot in the sheet when she was finished dressing the wound but failed, again she looked at her gloved fingers annoyed that with everything that she was getting back she still had trouble with her hands. She contemplated taking the gloves off but knew she could never get them back on herself. She remembered that Arizona had used tape on her dressing earlier.

Wrapping the tape around the material to secure it. Callie was so engrossed in what she was doing she never felt the drops of rain hit her. It wasn't until the rain fell heavier, droplets ran down Arizona's pale skin that she stood and looked into the sky. Large wet splashes hit her face, the cloud cover was grim, but she smiled when she saw the light in the sky Arizona had told her about.

Callie wiped the water from her face and saw the makeup transfer to the gloves she had on. As the rain started to bounce on the ground around Arizona, Callie made her decision. Arizona wouldn't survive out here without the proper medical care. She had to get her to the Pyramid no matter what would happen to her.