This one is a really short chapter. I'M SO SORRY It took me so long, but my finals are just about to do me in. I had real trouble getting the chapter right and I'm still not happy with it, but I want to move on. Please post any helpful revisions you think of and maybe I can improve it later. BTW I have some new fics up that I am writing if anyone is interested :)

Song:

'Breath Me' by Sia

I own nothing!


Eventually when they stopped the truck at a nice house in a quiet neighborhood everyone clamored out of the vehicle like clowns from a clown car, but there was no cheer. Chicago Wichita Summer and Little Rock went inside to clear the house leaving the mostly useless men outside. When they cleared all of the rooms and deemed the house safe work began on fortifying their stronghold. Bolting the doors and boarding up the windows didn't take too long and before she knew it Chicago was watching her flock settle in to sleep.

Summer took to the couch aiming herself at the door where she sat motionless and unblinking. Chicago started to suspect the girl was sleeping with her eyes open before she moves shifting slightly. Dad had disappeared into a bedroom almost as soon as the house was locked down. Wichita was curled up in the next room with Little Rock. As Chicago stood outside of the room she could hear the quiet sniffles of the child and her heart broke.

Tallahassee put a hand on her shoulder gently and she turned to him putting her own hand up to touch his. "I'll take watch tonight," she said looking for a topic that wasn't painful.

"She'll be okay," he said in a hushed voice proving he wasn't afraid of what needed to be said. Chicago nodded knowing that the child was resilient enough to recover.

"I'm more worried about Columbus," she replied. Tallahassee looked at his feet and she saw a glint of softness in his eyes.

"He'll find a way to deal with it," he sighed. She crossed her arms trying to hold herself.

"But we have to give him time," she said to assure herself that Tallahassee was thinking the same thing as her.

"I know. Chicago, the kid isn't a quitter. He's a peppy little coward, but when it comes time he nuts up," Tallahassee said rubbing the back of his neck. She smiled weakly.

"I figured. Why else would you stick with him this long?" she whispered. Tallahassee nodded before kissing her on the cheek.

"Goodnight babe," he said before moving past her to the last bedroom. As the door clicked shut she turned and went back to the living room.

"Where is he?" she asked. Summer was stone still.

"I think he went out the window in the kitchen," she replied without moving. Chicago sighed and went to investigate. Sure enough the kitchen window was ajar. She climbed out landing on the soft grass with a muffled curse. As she got to her feet she looked for him, but saw no trace of the young man.

Chicago was motionless listening. The thing that made zombieland most eerie was the stillness of the whole world. There were no cars or train in the distance. No TV set up too loud in the next house over. The lack of human sounds made the air feel stagnant every second of everyday.

When at last she heard the sound she's been waiting for it baffled her because it wasn't coming from any particular direction. It sounded like it was straight up. She followed it until at last she could see the shape of Columbus. A smile graced her lips against her will when she saw him in the hammock. It was a good five or six feet in the air tied between to trees. How he had managed it she didn't know.

"Columbus?" she said gently. Chicago heard him wipe his sleeve across his face trying to hide his tears.

"Yeah?" he said trying to act normal, but still sounding clogged up.

"I was just checking on you," she shrugged. He didn't reply. "Do you need some company?" she asked after a long pause.

"Sure," he replied less than convincingly. She climbed up in the tree and clambered into the netted hammock beside him. Columbus maintained a distance from her becoming as stiff and distant as he had the night they arrived at his house.

"I'm really sorry Columbus, you know if we could have done anything we would have," she sighed allowing herself to gravitate towards the center of the hammock. He sank in a little too.

"I know," he replied sounding broken. She flinched when she saw the pistol in his hand, but said nothing. After her own attempt she had realized nothing felt worse than when others don't trust you with your own life.

"I want you to have this," she said removing the golden chain from around her neck. She pressed it into his hand. "It's a tear stone," she said in a voice not above a whisper. He turned the smooth pendant over in his hands. "Michael's family had a lot of Native American ancestry. They had a tradition that when someone died someone close to them would take the necklace and wear it. You're supposed to put all your sorrow into it. Then when the person with the necklace dies someone close to them takes it and does the same, so on and so forth. Michael got it from his grandmother and she got it from her mother and her mother got it from her great grandmother," she said thinking about all the history in the little stone.

"I can't take this," he shook his head. "It means more to you than to me," he added. She pressed it back into his hand.

"I insist," she said softly. He sighed and slipped it in his pocket. She rested her head against him. He sighed again looking up at the stars.

"I almost killed her when I was born," he said suddenly. "She was so sick, and the doctors said she could never have another kid. Being the only child I was… everything to her, and in hindsight I think that's what screwed us," he said as the situation turned dark. Chicago folded her arms fighting against the cold. "She was so afraid of loosing me… did everything she could to protect me. Dad was always working so he didn't have much hand in it… She took care of me and I couldn't protect her," he sighed.

"It wasn't your fault… zombies just… they find a way," she shook her head. Columbus played with the gun in his hand. "I know that there's nothing I can say that will be of comfort, so I'm not going to batter you with a bunch of lame cliché speeches… just know that the only one who blames you is you," she said softly. He shook his head.

"Tell that to my dad," he said.

"Oh, Columbus, your father doesn't blame you," she replied.

"I'd love to believe you," he sighed, "but somehow I doubt it. He'll find a way to make it my fault."

"Columbus, I love you and I refuse to let that asshole, despite the fact he's your father, hurt you. It's tough enough to lose someone, you don't need anyone making it worse," she said. He gave a small smile.

"I love him but he's difficult," he replied. She sighed realizing that they were squished against each other.

"Focus on keeping your own head above water. I promise the rest of use will be here to back you up," she said feeling like the conversation had gone cold. He just nodded and relaxed sinking into the netting of the hammock.

"Sure," he sighed. Chicago closed her eyes beginning to fall asleep. "That's what families do," he whispered. She smiled and laced her fingers though his.

"That's it," she whispered.