Ok, this is it. Though I don't know if I have any more Jane and Maura stories in me, I'm glad I got this one done. I've been thinking about just going with all the TV shows I watch and adding zombies to everyone one of them. Except for the ones that already have zombies in them, of course. :) To those I should just add aliens or something. Because TV is starting to piss me off more and more. Thanks for the support through this, and I'm not saying I'm out of writing, but I think until I come up with a good story to tell, I just won't. I have one idea, but it's for another fandom, and I doubt I'll actually type it out.

The static seemed unbroken at first, but if you strained through the white noise you could just make out some form of communication. Frost leaned closer to the small speaker set up on the radio, slowly turning the dial. "Colony...repeat...survivors..."

Fresh static blared out and the man winced. "I've been hearing it on and off for the last few hours. It's like they're roaming the channels but I can't find a pattern yet. I'm staying on one channel and waiting for them to come around again, but we need to boost the signal."

"How exactly?" There were several people crowded into the room.

"The ground plane is fine, the antenna's top loaded. We should check the ratio on the VSWR and the coax. That could be enough." Jerry was staring at the device, rubbing his chin, and finally noticed everyone was staring at him. "What? I drove a truck. The CB is like a party line."

Frost was grinning up at him. "You have a meter?"

"In the rig. Be right back." Jerry left quickly.

"So we boost the signal, then what?" Jane shifted against the wall, glancing over at Korsak.

The man went to answer when Davis spoke up, "We do nothing. We've found a place, it's somewhat safe, we should keep it that way. We don't have the supplies to take on any more people as it is."

Korsak was glaring at the man. "And if they have information, supplies we can trade for? We can't stay hidden forever, and that council you've created isn't exactly in charge here."

Davis turned on him. "We're the only one's qualified! You people were just roaming the streets."

Maura's voice was quiet and calm from her place beside Jane, "You were trapped on top of a box truck, with no supplies, and no weapons when we found you. It was Jane's plan to take this warehouse, Korsak organized the supply and defense of it. Suzanne, James and I set up the infirmary. Angela set up the cafeteria. Frost and Jerry have actually found a way for us to communicate with whoever may be left. All you've done is lock yourself in the meeting room and pretend the world didn't end." Maura stepped forward a bit. "The next time we need to chat about potholes, and making sure dog owners clean up after their pets defecate in the park, we'll call you."

Jane's teeth slammed together, barely keeping the bark of laughter from escaping her lips. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Maura. Davis wasn't nearly as amused, his face red and straining with anger. The doctor walked by the man on the way out of the room, not giving him a glance, barely even pausing when "Bitch" was hissed in her direction.

The detective however did react, stepping right up to the man, "I think you've said enough. We will communicate with any survivors that we deem it safe to, now you can hold all the meetings you want, but until you actually contribute something positive to the group I suggest you go now."

Former Councilman Davis glared at her for a moment before slamming out of the room and down the stairs. "Whoa." Frost let out a low whistle from his chair in front of the radio.

"Maura just took the gloves off and went in swinging."

Taking a deep breath, Jane turned to the both of them. "Someone had to say it. I probably would have used a lot of smaller and dirtier words, but I think the point got across. We should probably make sure he and the other ones don't cause even more trouble. Frost keep working with the radio. Once you guys get the signal boosted, let us know what's going on."

R&I

In the end Davis was powerless to do anything but accept that he wasn't in charge. He could have his council but with Korsak's presence on it, it negated any argument he could have made about his leadership. He simply wasn't cut out for this situation. They could hold all the meetings they wanted but the former sergeant was actually getting things done. With the CB boosted, a few people using boats to bring in fish and access to desalinated water, the survivors thought maybe they actually had a chance. They wanted to keep it that way.

"They need information." They were in the radio room again. "Anything we can give them on medical techniques, first aid, growing a garden, basic stuff."

Korsak nodded. "Well we have that. Should be easy enough to put something together."

The radio room had transformed over the last few weeks into a now functioning technology center. There was no internet but there was a network of cameras for the warehouse, and some of the outlying areas. Gas generators gave them at least a bit of power to run it, and sitting on a desk in the corner was Frost's laptop. He kept it with him through the ruined city and almost everyone had asked why he kept it when there was no internet to use it. What they didn't know was that the man had packed it with as much information as he could before the internet went down. Manuals, survival guides and how-tos packed the memory. Conserving the battery had been an issue at times, but it had survived the trip along with the rest of them.

He held up a thumb drive, "They've confirmed that they have a way to read it. All it needs is delivery."

"What are they willing to trade for it?" Why Davis was still allowed to attend these little meetings no one knew.

Frost sighed, "They've offered help with the radios. Turns out they've got a few people over there that know their stuff when it comes to CB's and shortwave. Especially the shortwave, they can talk to people across the country, maybe farther." He motioned to a hunk of metal in another corner of the room. "We can't get that one to work. Even with all the information I managed to get my hands on, we're stumped."

"So information for information. Fair enough." Korsak spoke up before Davis could. "Where are they wanting to meet?"

"They gave me a street that they can make it to safely. Apparently transportation is a problem for them. If we agree they'll send someone and we send someone."

Korsak thought that over, sending someone alone to a place that the other party had set up was a sketchy situation. They'd been in contact with the other outpost for weeks though, and they were hurting for this information. He'd talked to the woman in charge himself a couple of times. "Ok, now we just decide who to send."

"I'll go." Jane had kept quiet during the entire conversation, now she straightened up.

Maura frowned, "I don't think..."

"I'm the best one for the job. So, I'm going."

R&I

Jane watched one of the mechanics going over the unmarked she was taking to the trade. Korsak wasn't taking any chances with it breaking down on her and leaving her stranded. She looked up as Frost and Maura made their way over, each of them carrying a pack. They stopped in front of her, Frost holding up an earpiece and a battery pack. "It's not as sleek as the ear pieces we had on the force, but it's got the range and the battery life. We can keep in contact."

She smiled and accepting the equipment. "Thanks."

"Take care of yourself." He cast a glance at Maura then headed back to the radio room.

Jane had said her goodbyes to her mother and Frankie already, but Maura had been hard to find all morning. She knew the doctor wasn't happy with her volunteering for this, and she even understood why, but it still had to be done. The woman stared at her for a minute, before holding up the waist pack. "There's a first aid kit, some water and food, a standard survival kit."

She took it slowly, but Maura's eyes were now staring at warehouse floor. "Maura, I'll be back before dark. Please don't worry about this."

The green eyes darted back up to her, holding a flash of anger. "Don't worry? Don't tell me when I'm supposed to worry and when I'm not! This isn't a beer run, Jane!"

Jane reached out and grabbed the woman's hands, stopping any further tirade. "I know. I'm sorry."

"I just don't want to lose anyone else. Especially not you."

Tugging the woman forward, she wrapped her arms tight, feeling tears on her neck. It was time and they both knew it. They had to stop ignoring that they cared more about each other than just friends. "When I get back..."

"I know. Just make sure you get back in one piece. You understand?"

Jane pressed a kiss to the woman's cheek and held on a little tighter until the mechanic cleared his throat. "Um, the car's ready to go Jane."

Reluctantly she let go, looking Maura in the eyes for a moment then turned for the keys. "All right. I'll be back in a few hours."

As she went through the gates she could see Maura watching her go in the rearview mirror.

R&I

Cursing lightly, Jane took another turn narrowly avoiding a lone zombie in the street. She'd had to detour twice, and keep making random turns so the few herds she'd run into wouldn't be able to follow. It had slowed her down, but she was still making fairly good time. About a mile from the agreed upon meet point, she slowed some more, looking for anything out of place. Just because someone said they would come alone, didn't mean they were going to. She wanted to be ready. In her ear she could hear Frost. "How's it going partner?"

"Almost there, so far so good."

"Ok, keep your eyes and ears open. Keep checking in." His static laced voice filtered through to her again. The signal had been bad all day, communications had been bad between the two outposts, and even their closed channels were touchy.

"10-4"

Jane stopped the unmarked, and pulled her gun from her holster, surveying the street for a moment. There was nothing that she could see, nothing even the zombies were making an appearance here. Laying the gun carefully in the console, she decided to make a show of good faith. Opening the door and stepping out, she scanned the abandoned cars around her.

"Hello?"

Snapping her head toward the sound, she saw a thin man making his way between the cars, empty hands held up. "Hello."

She held out her own empty hands and slowly the man approaching her seemed to relax and came closer. "You're from the warehouse?"

He stopped a few feet away, well out of arm's reach. "Yes, I'm Jane. I have your information."

He smiled in relief and began to lower his arms. "My name is..." Cars on either side of them went up in a roar of flames and both of them were thrown to the ground. The last clear thing Jane saw before darkness filled her senses was the other man's body landing hard a few feet away from her.