Epilogue

Thanks to CosmicGunslinger for editing.

6 months later

Lara folded her clothes and placed them in her backpack. On top, she stacked packets of dried jerky, three MREs, food bars, a bottle of water and some water purification tablets that she had stolen over the past two months. It wasn't much, but it was all she could gather without raising too much suspicion. Even then, Benjamin had increased all eyes on the food stores.

Lara zipped the bag up and sat on the edge of her bed. This was the last night she'd spend in this place.

The zone was thriving, and they had a very real chance of returning to how the world once was before all this, but it was no place for her.

Benjamin was a strict leader, and he firmly believed in everyone contributing to build a better world. It was a noble ambition yet that meant that Lara was forbidden to leave once the surgeon brought her back to full health. They had saved her - now she owed them her life.

Lara looked outside her window. The lights from the other buildings were still off. Most people would still be asleep. It was almost sunrise however, and now was the best time to move.

She stood up and zipped up her windbreaker. From her pocket, she took out a Polaroid, now crinkled from the numerous times she had looked at it. The colour was still vibrant; it preserved a memory of the day that Lara realised her true feelings for Sam. She looked at it every day as a reminder of what she had to do.

She put the photo back safely in her pocket. Then, she grabbed her bag and headed outside.

Tanya was already up, to her surprise, nursing a cup of coffee in between cooking up some eggs. She looked up as Lara entered the room. "I guess it's time," she said, her Irish accent sounding particularly thick in the morning.

Lara nodded.

Tanya had been her roommate for the six months she had been here. She was kind, but firm, and took no bullshit from anyone. She had been one of the few companions she had made here.

"Well before you go, sit down, have some breakfast. You won't get eggs like these outside." She turned around and scraped the eggs she had been cooking onto a plate. "Made you some coffee as well."

Lara stared at the meal set before her. For a brief moment, she wondered what Tanya wanted - nothing was ever free. But then again, the woman had often shown her these small acts of kindness.

She looked up at Tanya. "Thank you," she said. Then she sat down and started eating.

The eggs were seasoned with some spice and the coffee was just what she needed before she set out on her endeavour. She was definitely going to miss it.

"Are you going to be okay here?" Lara asked in between mouthfuls of egg.

Tanya shrugged and took another sip of her coffee. "I'll survive," she said. "They shouldn't come down too hard on me. I'm the only one who really knows how to farm. Without me, they'll soon have no food."

"Just tell them that you had no idea of my plans." She'd hate to get Tanya into trouble.

Tanya smiled grimly. "I can take care of myself, Lara." She stood from her chair and went to a drawer. "Here, a gift." She put down a small jar of brown powder - instant coffee.

Lara frowned. "You don't need to, Tanya," she said. "You've already done enough."

Tanya pushed the jar towards her. "It's okay, Lara. There's more where that came from anyways."

Lara smiled and put the jar in her bag. "I left some pads under my bed," she told Tanya. "They're yours. There's not many but I hope you can use them." Tampons and pads were valuable luxuries in here, and you could trade them for some useful things.

Tanya raised an eyebrow. "Don't you need them?"

"I have tampons," she said. They were a lot more compact than pads and should hopefully last her two months.

Tanya nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

Lara finished her breakfast and then stood up. Tanya gave her a brief hug at the door. "I hope you find her," she said. "Stay warm. It's getting cold now."

Lara returned the hug awkwardly. "Thank you for everything," she said. Then, she stepped outside and left the house.

Lara made her way through the docks and towards the main entrance. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon but it was still dark. The guards would be tired now, and their attention lax. It should be easy sneaking through the city.

At the main entrance, she rapped lightly on the shipping container and waited. A moment later, Mark came out from the door and looked her up and down, unimpressed. "Do you have them?" he asked.

Lara fished the two food coupons she had been saving from her pocket. She had saved these from the last few months, rationing her own food. "Here." She handed him the tickets.

Mark took them from her then opened the doors of the shipping container. They were just wide enough for her to slip through. "Don't get yourself killed, kid," Mark said.

Lara glanced back at him and nodded. Mark was a good guard and the place would be safe under his watch. She slipped through the door and Mark closed it behind her.

Lara looked ahead of her. The morning was eerily quiet and she could see the sun starting to rise. She looked around at the empty city, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. It had been a long time since she was out in the wild and a ball of fear wormed itself into her stomach. She had no idea how out of practice she was, but she hoped she could survive and find Sam.

She found the first note in the building that she had woken up in six months ago. It was taped to the back of the door.

Hey Lara! Sam here. I hope you're doing okay. I hope the surgery went well and that you're not-

The last word was scribbled out. Lara had the feeling that she meant 'dead'.

Anyways I'm going to leave you these notes so you can find us. And as a way that I can talk to you…I know it's stupid but it's the only way I can cope with you gone.

It was only now Lara realised that there were tear splotches on the paper.

We'll be searching around the Rosewood Plaza. Here's a spare map. There'll be another one of these near there. Come find us.

Love you always, Sam.

There was a '#1' at the bottom of the note.

Lara tucked the note into her pocket and picked up the map, looking at the red 'X' marked on the grid.

Hey Lara, Sam here. I hope you're recovering well. How's the safe zone? Probably a lot more comfortable than this shithole here.

Emma and Jake have been really supportive. It's getting a bit hard to find water as we don't really have a way of purifying it.

Head to Thornton Street.

Love, Sam.

#9

Hey Lara.

Jake almost died today. He fell from a balcony whilst trying to escape some biters. Emma is looking after him now and she's losing her mind. I know how she feels and I'm trying my best to help her.

I miss you. I always relied on you for strength and I wish you were here. Come find me soon.

Head to King's Avenue.

#26

Lara.

I don't know if you're dead, or still in the safe zone but it feels so lonely without you. I wouldn't blame you if you stayed, but a selfish part of me wishes you were out here, searching for me.

I love you.

Blackburn Library.

#37

Lara.

I'm so sorry. Please find me soon.

Howard Street.

#49

Lara.

Brook Street.

#71

2 months later

"All clear," Emma said. "Good job everyone."

Sam wiped her knife clean on the corpse of the biter she had just killed then stood up.

"I'll go look upstairs," Emma said.

"I'll go to the backyard," Jake said.

That just left the bottom floor of the giant two storey house for Sam. "Then I'll be down here," she muttered.

Jake went out back whilst Emma lingered in the room. "You okay?" she asked, her hand brushing her shoulder.

Sam forced a smile. "Yeah," she said. "I'm just really tired. You know how it is around this time."

Emma smiled wryly. "Are you still going to leave a note for her?"

"Of course," she replied automatically. A wave of hopelessness washed over her as she thought of Lara again. She cleared her throat, eager to be alone. "We should finish searching this place."

Emma looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it at the last minute. "Okay," she said. She touched her shoulder comfortingly and went upstairs.

Sam shook herself from her sadness and started combing every nook and cranny of the bottom floor. They were strapped for food now and staying in the city only made things worse. Emma and Jake had suggested they move to the country but Sam had begged them to wait another month. Lara could be looking for them this very minute and if they went out of town it would be twice as hard for her to find them.

In the kitchen, Sam found a tub of powdered pudding at the back on the very top shelf. Behind a cluster of rubbish in the pantry, she also found a can of tuna which had fallen down. And underneath the sofa in the lounge she found a plastic bag full of chocolates and sweets - probably someone's secret stash.

In the lounge, she also found a notebook on a side table. She ripped out a blank page and took out her pen, ready to write their next location on the paper but then hesitated.

Was there even a point to doing this anymore? For all she knew, Lara was dead or still back at the safe zone.

That place had food, water, walls - everything anyone would want in this world. Lara was smart, she would probably stay there and establish a new life for herself. With her looks as well it wouldn't be hard for her to find a new partner. One who won't almost didn't get her killed on a daily basis.

Sam felt tears prickle her eyes and she didn't want to stop them.

After all, it had been eight months. If Lara had wanted to find her Sam would have seen a sign already.

There was the sound of footsteps behind her. Sam hurriedly wiped the tears away and turned away. Emma and Jake had seen her cry enough times and she was sure they were sick of it. "Hey guys," she said, the crack in her voice betraying her true emotion. "I found a bit of food."

"Sam."

That voice.

Sam turned around and felt her heart stop.

It was her.

Lara walked hesitantly into the room, an uncertain smile on her face. Her body was stronger, with more energy and muscle but she still had the same tentativeness as before. Her hair was messy and unkempt, yet her eyes sparkled as she looked at Sam.

"Hey," she said.

Sam broke down in tears and ran towards Lara. She tackled her in a big hug and cried, squeezing her against her like she would disappear any second again.

Lara was laughing and crying as well, hugging her back with equal fervour and stroking her back. Sam could feel her smile at the base of her neck but all she could do was cry.

"I've been looking for you for so long," Lara murmured.

"You have?" Sam murmured. She leaned back and looked at Lara. She looked so much better than the last time she had seen her. Her skin had colour in it and she had so much more energy. The surgeon must have done a really good job.

"Of course I have. I found your notes and I've been following them." From her pocket she produced a handful of folded notes. Sam recognised them, but there were less than how many she thought she had written. "I didn't find them all, but I found enough to find you." She put the notes on the sofa next to them and took her hands. "God I missed you," she muttered, beaming.

Sam squeezed her hands then leaned her forehead against hers. It had been so long since she felt so safe. "I missed you too," she whispered. She leaned in to kiss her.

"Holy shit," came Emma's disbelieving voice. Sam looked to the side and saw Emma and Jake standing at the base of the stairs. "You actually found us."

Lara turned and smiled at them. "Yes, it was a bit of an endeavour," she said.

"Well we're going to stay here for tonight," Emma said, "So tell us all about it."

They set up camp in the house and started a small fire in the fireplace. Lara had brought a bit of food with her and, most importantly, a jar of coffee powder. They sat on the sofa whilst Emma sat on a bean bag by the fireplace and Lara told them of what happened.

She told them of how the surgeon operated on her immediately, and that she ended up having septicemia. Thankfully, they didn't pick up on the virus in her bloodstream and had given her antibiotics for a week, watching her for a month in case of any other infections. During that time, Lara was 'asked' to work around the safe zone; cleaning, building, repairing, farming - wherever an extra pair of hands were needed.

Benjamin, the leader, didn't force her to work too hard because of her condition, but it was clear she didn't have much of a choice in it either. When she asked Benjamin if she could leave, he said that she owed them for saving her life and would never be allowed to leave.

So she bided her time.

In that time, she got better, stronger, and thought of a way to get out. The place was well guarded and there were only two ways into the compound; through the main gates or by swimming. Lara decided to bribe others into helping her; although the place was thriving, it wasn't above corruption and a black market.

She waited until the right moment and then left.

"You were brave leaving that place," Jake said. "This Benjamin doesn't sound like someone to be crossed."

"Or foolish," Emma murmured into her mug. "That place had everything."

"Is he going to come after you?"

Lara shrugged. "Hopefully Benjamin won't waste his time trying to find someone who didn't want to be there. Besides," she turned to Sam and placed her hand over hers, smiling. "I made a promise."

Sam smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. There was so much she wanted to say to her. She wanted to tell her about how much she missed her, how hard it's been without her…how sorry she was that she had done this to her…

She desperately wished they were alone.

Emma yawned and stretched. "Well I think I might hit the hay," she said, standing up. "I can't wait to have a bit of that coffee tomorrow."

Jake stood up as well. "Yeah, I might go to bed too," he said.

"Don't have sex too loud," Emma said. "We need our sleep."

Lara blushed and Sam chuckled politely. Flustering Lara was always easy and amusing. Emma and Jake went upstairs leaving Lara and Sam alone. The lounge room was suddenly quiet.

"That's something about Emma I don't miss," Lara said. She looked up at her and gave her a smile.

God she was so beautiful. Her heart ached thinking about all that time they had spent apart yet she didn't feel like she had a hole in her anymore.

Sam smiled back and leaned forward. She pressed her lips gently against Lara's and she felt Lara respond in kind, cupping her face to bring them closer together.

"I missed you," Sam murmured when they finally broke for air. "So much."

Lara stroked her cheek gently. "I'm sorry," she said. "I tried to find you as soon as I could."

Sam turned her head towards Lara's hand. She hadn't noticed before, but she was now missing her ring and little finger. They were now flat stumps, smooth on the ends.

Lara noticed where she was looking and retracted her hand, laughing nervously. "Yes," she said, examining her hand. "The scar here now matches the one on my stomach."

Sam closed her eyes as she felt the tears surge up again. She had fought against them for the last few months but now…being face to face with Lara…it was too much.

"Hey…it's not that bad, is it?" Lara asked, her voice wavering.

Sam shook her head. "No, it's not you." She wiped away her tears and looked down at her hands. They were complete, unbroken. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You almost died because of me, Lara," she murmured. "So many times. Just to rescue me."

"I would do it again if I had to," Lara said, grabbing her hands. "It was my choice."

"You wouldn't have had to do it if I didn't get captured in the first place," Sam bit back. She couldn't look at Lara and face the judgement in her eyes. "It's been so long since we separated. I was so worried that you wouldn't come because…" she hesitated and bit her lower lip. "That you didn't want to deal with me anymore. That, I don't know, you met someone else who didn't put your life in danger all the time."

"Sam, you know I wouldn't do that," she said softly. She took a deep breath ."I thought once that everyone I loved was destined to die," she said, "but you showed me that I was wrong. Even when I failed to save you from Mathias and Stevens, you saved me. Twice. You've kept your promise even when I told you to leave me, so I'm never going to break mine. We'll be together, no matter what."

Sam wanted that more than anything. She looked up into Lara's eyes which were gentle and warm. "I don't want to lose you Lara," she murmured.

"You won't," she said resolutely. "You're an amazing person Sam, and I love you with all my heart. Even if I'm gone for a while, I will always come back to you."

Sam stared at the girl before her. Lara was so passionate, so sincere that it made her heart ache. This woman would do anything for her, and Sam knew that she would do anything for her as well. She believed her when she said she would come back, and she knew it in the way Lara squeezed her hands and from the determination in her eyes. Maybe Sam had finally found the exception to her curse.

She locked eyes with Lara. "I'll keep you to that," she said. Her eyes darted down to her lips and lingered there. "I'm lucky to have you." She pulled Lara forward and kissed her deeply.

Lara smiled against her lips and pushed her down into the sofa. She wove their fingers together as Lara pinned them on either side of her head.

This was right, she thought, her heart swelling with love. This was the way of the world, how it should be.

You and me together, forever.

Lara kissed down her neck, and then up again. Sam moaned and rolled her head to the side to allow her better access as she sucked on her earlobe. Tingles ran all the way through her body, settling in the sweet spot between her legs. She wanted nothing more than to let Lara slide her fingers into her yet…

With a frustrated groan Sam put a hand on her chest and stopped her advances. "I'm sorry," she said as Lara looked at her with puzzlement. "I can't do this tonight."

Surprise flickered over Lara's features and Sam quickly explained, "My period just started."

Lara made an 'oh' with her lips and then smiled. "It's okay. I can wait."

Lara's lips were still right above her, tantalizing and red. Sam stared at them and tried not to think about where else those lips could be. "You have no idea how sexually frustrated I am right now," she said.

Lara laughed and propped herself up on an elbow. "I think I do," she said, staring down into her eyes with a grin.

Sam leaned up and captured her lips in her own again. She wrapped her hand around her neck and pulled them closer together until they ran out of breath.

"We should go to bed," Lara panted, resting her forehead against hers.

"We should," Sam muttered, closing her eyes. Lara's body over hers was so warm and comforting she could have fallen asleep there. She could just hear Lara's heartbeat over the sound of her own racing pulse. It was steady and strong - it's rhythm comforting just like its owner.

She could get used to this.

Lara leaned back and got off the couch. She offered Sam a hand which she took gratefully, interlacing their fingers once more.