Sanzojoe: They are worth a play! And it's easy gamer achievement points—bonus! Just make sure you make the correct choices. *ominous music* Gotta protect our boy Louis!

Author Note: I had planned on another installment after this, but my OCD kicked in and I didn't want to end on an odd amount of chapters (Yes, I'm a little bit crazy like that). So I combined the last two bits into this one chapter. It all works together anyway, as I wanted to end on some fluff. Major fluffies coming your way! I hope everyone enjoyed this little mini-series. Keep reading! Keep reviewing. It seriously motivates me to keep writing! THANK YOU!

A Purple Surprise and a Skylight

An entire day of travel had passed, and Clem couldn't remember a time when she was happier. Her new leg was working out splendidly. And Louis was the best company she'd had in a long time. He was good at reminding her that she was still a young adult and not just some wizened warrior meant for battle. He kissed her and hugged her as often as she allowed him. He made her feel feminine and delicate, something she couldn't remember feeling since before the apocalypse. He made her feel whole again.

She was so distracted by these happy thoughts that she almost didn't notice when they left the path they'd been on, their horse angling instead toward a shopping center in the distance. Almost.

She lifted her cheek from his back, where she held on to him, and expressed her concern. "This isn't the way we need to go. Did you see something?" Worry welled up inside of her and she reached to her back to feel for the knife there, taking comfort in its soothing familiarity. "Is there trouble?"

"Relax," Louis said in a calm, reassuring tone. "There's no trouble. I just need to make a stop."

This was news to her. He hadn't mentioned any stops before now, and she voiced as much, a frown of uncertainty tugging at her lips. She didn't like unscheduled detours. It was added danger they didn't need in their lives. "We only have so much time before nightfall. We'll need to start looking for a place to hunker down in for the night in an hour or so. An unnecessary stop might slow us down and—"

"We'll stay here for the night then," he said coolly.

The unexpected stop might not have bothered him, but it ate away a Clem's nerves. "That puts us a few hours behind target. We won't get home when we projected, and—"

Louis cut her off once again, his tone calm. "Then we don't get home when we projected. The others knew we might be a day or two off, depending on what he found when we got to the factory, so they won't be too worried if we're a handful of hours late. We'll be fine."

She let out a frustrated huff at how casually he was behaving about this detour. "I just don't understand what could be so important that we're willing to give up good daylight hours in which we could be traveling."

As she said this, Clem realized she hadn't loosened her grip on the reins of life as much as she'd thought. Only moments ago, her thoughts had been light and cheery. All it took was one thing to not go according to plan, and she was back in combat mode, ready to battle her way out of a situation. It was something she needed to work on. Desperately. She knew that. But for the moment, she permitted her paranoia to push to the forefront and demand attention.

"Especially when this little trip is something you didn't feel the need to mention to me," she added petulantly. That part bothered her most of all. She didn't like being left in the dark. Or the fact that he felt he couldn't trust her with something.

Louis only chuckled at her frustration. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe it was a surprise?" He glanced at her over his shoulder. "For you."

"I hate surprises," she grumbled.

"This one you won't. I promise."

Clem glared at his back, feeling irrationally betrayed by this unannounced stop. She knew perhaps she was being more difficult than the situation called for, but she really didn't like surprises. In this world, they never tended to be of the good variety. "Somehow I doubt that," she shot back.

"Have I ever led you wrong?"

She desperately tried to think of a time where he'd led her astray, just for the sake of winning the debate, but she couldn't come up with anything. Louis might have a live for the moment attitude, but he was not careless. And he was getting better and better at this survival stuff every day.

"No," she finally relented, her tone coming out disgruntled.

"Then trust me. You're going to love this."

His voice was so cheerful and full of confidence that it was hard to disagree with him. Oh, she wanted to, but for the time being, she didn't have much ground to stand on. So Clem settled back into position, her arms looped lightly around his waist as he guided the horse forward.

As they approached the shopping center, she glanced at the stores, wondering which one had caught his eye. Was it the hardware store? Did he intend to grab supplies that might be helpful in upkeep at the school? Was it the dark and uninviting bakery? Perhaps there was flour in there that might still be usable? Or the small pharmacy?

She watched with curiosity as he passed them all by. Whatever he was after, it wasn't in any of the stores that had caught her eye. But then where was he leading them? And for what purpose?

Louis finally came to a stop outside of a business with a bright and cheerful storefront window. It was all pinks and purples and bright yellows. He hopped off of the horse and led it by hand toward the front door.

Clem stared at the massive wedding dress in the storefront display window, feeling baffled. She climbed down from the horse to get a better look, her mind coming up blank when she tried to reason out what he could possibly want from this establishment. "Louis, what in the world are we doing here?" she asked. Behind the wedding gown were a hot pink bridesmaid dress and another black beaded formal gown. "Have you lost your mind?"

He grinned at her over his shoulder and shook his head. "Not at all." He pulled out his lockpicking kit and set to work on the bridal store's lock. "I saw this place on our trip to the factory, but it wasn't the time to pop in for a visit then. Now is totally the time." There was an audible click as the lock gave way, and he swung the door open, waving her forward. "I'm giving you that dance we talked about."

On her startled look, he shrugged sheepishly. "Sure, it might not have the blaring music, the sickeningly sweet punch, or the throng of sweaty bodies, but it will have that purple dress. And I do promise to wear a tux."

Clem gaped at him, disbelief filling her. "You're recreating a high school dance?" she asked incredulously.

"I am." With a hand at her back, Louis guided Clem into the shop. He tugged their horse inside with them and closed the door silently behind the odd group. "Why else do you think I insisted we scrub off in that lake a few hours ago? I didn't want to stink for my big date."

Clem spun to look at him in astonishment. "You've been planning this that long?"

"I've been planning it since the moment we had our conversation about the fake dance." He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "Now stop worrying about the time and help me pick out a tux."

OOOOO

Half an hour later, Clem stared up into the warm and familiar hazel eyes of her boyfriend. Her hands were on his tie as she carefully knotted it for him. "You look amazing," she said with awe, taking in the fancy tux, the polished dress shoes. She'd never seen him dressed up before, and it was doing all sorts of odd things to her belly.

"Hey," Louis chided playfully. "That's supposed to be my line." He took a step back to give himself room to peruse her form. His gaze moved slowly over her, heated and full of unhidden desire.

Clem flushed as her gaze flicked to her reflection in the wall-length mirrors in the room. Amazingly, she'd managed to find a purple gown in her size, one of a beautiful soft lilac color. It was a sleeveless bodice that tapered in at her waist before flowing out into a full skirt that brushed the ground…until she'd stepped into a pair of delicate heels, that was. The silver of the heels sparkled in the mirror, looking far fancier than anything she'd ever owned before.

"I got you these…" Louis went over to his pack and foraged around for a moment. Then from within, he pulled out a bundle of purple wildflowers tied together with a rough bit of twine. He grinned as he handed them to her. "I hear girls like this sort of thing."

Clem accepted the flowers and instantly tucked her nose into their petals. "We do."

While she was busy sniffing the floral scent of the blossoms, Louis made his way over to the jewelry case. He took careful aim before bringing his elbow down into the center of the glass.

It shattered, large chunks of broken display falling into the case. Louis cautiously slipped his hand inside before withdrawing it with a silver bracelet between his fingers. "It cost me my entire allowance, but I got you this too," he teased with a light laugh. He motioned for her to hold out her wrist, and he worked at clasping it on for her.

"How generous of you," she said with a small smile of amusement. Then once it the bracelet was fastened, she turned her wrist over so she could inspect the tiny flowers etched into the silver band. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

When she glanced up at him with skepticism, Louis laughed. "I'm serious. Even without the dress and the jewelry—without those sexy heels—you are the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on. You stroll into the kitchen for breakfast in khaki pants, and my heart stutters in my chest."

"You're insane," she said, feeling instantly flustered.

"Nah. I'm just a boy in love," Louis said as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in against his chest. His grip on her settled into a position one would use to slow dance, and he began swaying to an invisible beat they didn't have.

Clem looked up at him with wide, startled eyes.

The expression on her face must have been humorous, because he burst into laughter. "Don't look so surprised. It's not like I've been all that sly at hiding it." He shrugged as they danced in the fading light. "I've always been the type of person to throw myself headlong into everything I do. My feelings for you included."

"Louis, I—"

He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Don't. I don't want you to feel obligated to say it back. Say it when it feels right. When it feels natural. I just…I wanted you to know." He wrapped his arms tighter around her, hugging her against him.

She stared up into his open face for a long moment, watching the familiar sparkle in his eyes. It made her heart patter wildly in her chest, but she did as he requested and held back a response. Instead, she tucked her cheek onto his chest and simply enjoyed the moment.

She allowed herself to experience her first ever dance. It didn't matter that it wasn't the big ordeal teenagers had been used to in the past. It didn't matter that there wasn't any actual music. Or sugary punch. Louis was here, and that was all that mattered.

She looked up at him to voice as much, but his mouth lowered to hers in a searing kiss that left her weak in the knees. It left her speechless. It left her rattled to the point that she couldn't even remember what she'd been about to say. Instead, she whispered, "You were right. I love this surprise."

He grinned as he rocked their bodies side to side to music that didn't exist. "I knew you would."

And this time, it was Clem who lifted up onto her tiptoes so she could kiss him.

OOOOO

Clem couldn't remember a trip that had ever been so peaceful, or so good for her emotional well-being. The journey home was going smoothly and effortlessly. Since the mock dance Louis orchestrated, things between them had shifted. She'd felt an attachment to him before, but this was something new, something more.

They'd had their share of monster encounters in the past few days, but it hadn't ever been anything they couldn't easily handle. Louis was becoming more and more capable every day, and they'd fallen into a comfortable routine of dispatching the dead. They just worked well together.

They were walking now, giving their horse a break as they looked through a residential area for a place to sleep on their final night away from the school. If she was being truthful, Clem had suggested breaks for the horse more than she might have otherwise. She was enjoying the freedom of her new leg and wanted to keep testing it out. Sure, there were occasions where it irritated her stump, but it was a discomfort she would gladly put up with until she got used to it. Being able to walk again was worth a bit of chaffing.

She was so lost in these thoughts that when Louis came to a stop, she nearly bumped into his back.

"Holy cow," he said in awe, his gaze focused on a house tucked back a short distance from the road they trekked along.

Clem paused to shoot him a quizzical look. "What is it?"

"It's our house," he said breathlessly.

"What?"

"Our house. The one we described." He pointed at the structure, his brows rising in disbelief. "It's everything we said it should be. It's got it all…even that skylight."

Clem stared up at the building, their past conversation flitting through her mind. They'd hinted even back then about making a home together. They'd pieces together all of the details of their dream house. And he was right. This one ticked all of the boxes. Or at least almost all of them. "It's missing the statue of me," she observed playfully.

Louis gave a bark of surprised laughter. "Yeah, well, if it has the piano, then I'm willing to accept that minor design flaw."

She shifted her attention away from the house to stare at his profile. Louis looked enthralled, his face worry free and…happy. So unbelievably happy. "We've got to stay here tonight," she said resolutely. She didn't care how many of the dead she had to clear out. She wanted him to have this. He'd done so much for her over the course of their trip. This was such a small thing she could do for him in return. He deserved it.

He nodded, grinning over at her. "We're staying here tonight."

OOOOO

The sun had set, the only light in the dream house now coming from a handful of candles on a dresser. Clem stood in the doorway of the master bedroom, still in awe of their surroundings. The house had been untouched and monster free. Despite the years of neglect, the place still held a certain charm to it. All it needed was a little bit of dusting and a good mopping, and the place would be breathtaking once more. Those marble floors would shine. The chandelier would sparkle. And, yeah, it had that piano. It was much more lavish than anything she'd ever been inside, and Louis seemed to love every square inch of it.

The master bedroom was no different than the rest of the house. A massive bed took up the center of the room. It was raised up on a little dais, making it look like something meant for a king. The comforter looked ridiculously fluffy, as well as relatively clean. It was much nicer than anything she'd come across in a long time.

Louis sat down on the edge of the bed and whistled as he looked around himself. "I feel like I'm on one of those really fancy all-inclusive vacations. The kind where they serve you breakfast in bed." He grinned at her with excitement, his gaze dancing around the lavish room, before he added, "And speaking of beds, I should go find myself a mattress to drag in here before I get too tired."

He placed his hands on his knees to press up to his feet, but Clem stopped him by stepped up in between his knees. She took a moment to run her fingers along his dreadlocks, her gaze trained on his familiar and comforting face. As she stared down at the boy she'd come to care about so much, resolve filled her chest.

"What are you doing?" he asked, perplexed.

"Something else a lot of girls do on prom weekend," she informed him, before lowering her lips to his. She saw his eyes widened in surprise and understanding, but her own were already closing. She was already relaxing into the intimate gesture, her worries melting away. She leaned into him with a soft sound of contentment, and his arms automatically wrapped around her waist.

Louis pulled her closer, but it wasn't enough. Clem purposely fell forward, knocking him backward onto the bed, before dropping down onto him so she reclined across his chest. Once there, she danced her lips along his.

He deepened the kiss, lifting his head to press his lips more firmly to hers. It was a kiss that seemed to stretch forever, becoming more and more heated with each passing moment. When he pulled back, he sent her a searching look. "Clem…are you saying…"

She bobbed her head, a flush rising to her cheeks.

Louis rolled them, until he hovered above her, propped up on one elbow. "Are you sure?" There was a crooked, happy grin on his lips. That boyish delight on his face would have been enough to convince her if she'd been having second thoughts—which she was not.

Clem nodded again, resolutely. "Surer than I've ever been about anything in my entire life."

"Then I'm the luckiest guy on the planet," he whispered. His mouth lowered to hers, and nothing more needed said.

OOOOO

Clem woke to sunlight streaming through the large bedroom window of the house she now felt a sense of ownership for. She gave a content mumble and stretched her arms lazily above her head. When she did, her elbow bumped into the person beside her.

As she turned to look at him, Louis rolled in her direction, a large grin on his lips. "Good morning," he mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning." His lethargic, drowsy expression and tousled hair sent a flutter of butterflies loose in her belly. Memories of the night they'd shared together danced in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.

Louis didn't hesitate in curling his arm around her and pulling her in close. With a happy little sigh, he nuzzled against her shoulder while they both took a moment to fully awaken. The intimate way his fingers danced along the inside of her arm had her toes curling with pleasure.

Clem slyly observed him as he yawned and settled back against the pillows, looking content and completely relaxed. Just looking at him made her heart swell, and she realized she couldn't imagine going through a single day without him beside her. "I love you, Louis," she whispered, before her mind could catch up with her mouth.

She inhaled sharply at the confession, her eyes going wide. She hadn't meant to say it. The words had just spilled out unbidden. But she didn't regret them. In fact, it was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She'd finally admitted her feelings, not just to him but to herself as well.

Her eyes flicked worriedly to Louis' face only to find him smiling. "Yeah, I know," he said simply.

She blinked at him, surprised at his flippant reaction. "What?"

He laughed at her haughty response. "You're not as good at hiding your feelings as you think, my little warrior woman." He kissed her lightly. "Why do you think I didn't press to immediately hear it in return the other day? It was because I'd already seen it written plainly across your face long before then."

Clem glared at him, but the kiss he bestowed upon her had her relenting somewhat. "Why do I put up with you, Louis?"

He snickered, leaning down to kiss her bare shoulder. "Because you love me. Obviously."

OOOOO

Clem and Louis approached the school on their horse. She sat in front with his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. There was a new sort of intimacy in the way he held her, and it brought a smile to her face. Would she ever get used to how amazing Louis was? She was almost certain she wouldn't.

The sight of Ericson's Boarding School brought a wave of homesickness and nostalgia through her as they headed for the large gates. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the school until they'd returned. She'd missed all of the people who lived there too.

"We're home," she said wistfully.

"At our second home anyway," Louis teased. He leaned in to whisper into her ear. "I was thinking we keep the other one a secret. Our own little getaway spot when we need some time alone."

Clem risked tipping her head back onto his shoulder so she could gaze up at him. "You think we'll need getaways often?"

"I do." He grazed his lips against hers as best he could in their position. "I want to repeat what we did last night. But seeing as you share a room with AJ, it won't be the easiest thing to manage."

Her belly tightened at the memory of his body cocooning hers, of the pleasure that came with the intimate actions they'd shared with one another in that big, fancy bed. "We should book another getaway soon, then," she said with a little smile against his lips. "Because I definitely want to do that again."

"Good." He gave her another gentle kiss as the horse clopped steadily forward.

She was just sinking into it when he suddenly pulled away. Winking, he nodded in the direction of the gate.

AJ was racing toward them from the other side of the fence. "Clem's back!" He gave an excited holler over his shoulder in the direction of the school as he hurried to the gate. "Clem and Louis are back!"

"Looks like our solo time is over," Louis said, but he didn't sound all that upset about it. The way he lifted a hand and waved at AJ, coupled with the grin on his lips, was evidence that he was happy to be back to safety, back with the others. It was obvious she wasn't the only one who had missed their companions.

"Yes, our solo time is over. For now," Clem said as she slowed the horse to a stop at the gate. She swung her new leg over the side of the beast and lowered herself to the ground.

An instant later, AJ threw himself into her arms. "You're home, Clem! You're home!"

She wrapped him in a giant hug, holding on tightly. "Home is wherever you are, kiddo," she reminded him. She glanced up at Louis as she added, "It's where both of you are."

AJ's expression became pensive at this, and he looked back and forth between the two of them, as if sensing something had changed while they'd been gone. "Does this mean we're a family now?" he asked curiously.

Louis glanced at Clem, shooting her a private smile. Then he shifted his attention to AJ. "It sure does, buddy." He reached out to ruffle AJ's hair. "And that means when we come home from a trip, we bring you back souvenirs."

AJ's eyes lit up at this. "It does?" When Louis responded with a nod, AJ bounced eagerly on his feet. "What did you bring me? What did you bring me?"

Louis looped an arm over AJ's shoulders and led him back through the gates. "I may have discovered a whole bin of superhero action figures at one of the places we stayed. Good ones too. I'm talking Batman, The Flash, and I even saw a Beast Boy in there."

"Who's Beast Boy?" AJ asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Well, my little dude, have you ever seen a green dinosaur?"

As they walked in the direction of the school, Clem followed behind at a slower pace. She happily observed the two males in her life who meant more to her than anything else in the entire world. She glanced down at the silver band on her ring finger, which Louis had surprised her with this afternoon when they'd stopped for a water break. The diamonds sparkled at her in the sunlight, but it was the meaning behind the ring that really mattered. It was the commitment it symbolized.

Smiling, she followed after AJ and Louis, knowing that they well and truly were a family now. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

THE END