Today had been a busy one.
Everyone had been working twenty-four-seven on the two bus shuttles that carried the small light of hope towards the future.
It had been three days since Ana had her "Small little chit chats," with CJ and Monica that morning.
Ever since then she felt somehow more awkward towards Michael. She really couldn't explain it but she thought if everyone else could see how she felt towards him...surely he could to.
So she kept herself neck high in work...there were a million of things to still do and take care of.
Food, water, ammo. The list went on and on.
Almost everyone had taken part of trying to put the buses together. CJ, Michael and Kenneth were on top duty of those jobs.
Terry and Ana pitched in a helping hand on the side since their first "helper." Glen seemed to be a little to slow for their liking.
Ana had been trying to work on the opposite bus that Michael was working on. It was hard not to since half of the thing the siding needed had to be welled on both.
She tried her best to still be friendly...but no be such a wimp. She knew she should have never asked him to stay in bed with her the night Andre and his family had died.
But he did give her comfort and made her feel safer then she had ever felt in her life.
While the drills and sparks inside the garage were going on full blast Ana had found herself sitting on top of one of the buses screwing in metal covers.
Nicole's job was to paint the front plow for the first bus. Kenneth thought this was enough work for her seeing her age and all...and a chance to show everyone her artwork.
Monica and Tucker were upstairs most of the time packing. Every night they would hold a meeting and make out lists of supplies.
Both seemed to be working well together...but as everyone else knew Steve lazed around on the rooftop...doing nothing like always.
Nicole served as their messenger anytime she wasn't painting. She would run up and down the stairs...packing things with the others or getting tools the others needed downstairs.
Even Chips the dog had a bag to carry stuff with.
Things seemed to be going to plan...it all seemed to perfect.
Ana was in the middle of screwing in another bolt when she noticed Michael walking over to the sharp pile and picking up over his shoulder more aluminum siding.
Ana had a good birds' eye view of about everyone in the garage from his height.
She stopped and watched him bring the siding over to the other bus and with the others start putting it up.
She sighed wishing she hadn't brushed him off like she did these past few days.
But she felt mixed up...she told Monica her true feelings about Michael...and didn't wave off CJ's statement of Michael being protective over her.
But she could tell he knew something was up when she acted to busy to talk each time he came over...or how she rushed off the opposite direction whenever he walked over.
During their meals or break times she acted like she was talking with somebody else instead of him.
But she knew she really hurt him last night when everyone was getting to bed and how she hurried into her bed and shut her eyes tight enough to make it look like she had all ready fallen deeply asleep.
She footsteps and then saw CJ giving her a puzzled look.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Ana looked up confused
"What?"
"Your in my bed."
She then remembered that for the past two nights she had pretended to fall asleep on one of the sofas in the front of the store...but each time she woke a blanket would be over her.
"CJ...the store is full of beds."
"What...you want a bigger one for you and Michael to be in?"
She saw the smile behind his eyes. CJ had changed but he still was a jerk and loved getting to her.
Just as he said that Michael had walked into the store...never looking as handsome as she saw him before.
He had just showed in the locker rooms towards the main mall officer where everyone bathed and his hair was still wet from it.
He smelled like soap and he was dressed in his normal sweat pants and simple T-shirt.
He seemed to eye her when he said that and Ana felt nervous.
"It isn't right...how can you be falling in love while Luis walks around outside like those other things?"
She had to push her feelings away more.
"Fuck you CJ...jump in bed if you want to, I don't care."
She then turned on her side and still saw Michael.
He looked crushed but didn't change his calm looking face.
He then slowly walked over to the other bed on the other side of the store which was big enough for his height and pulled up the covers.
She hated to see him like this.
She knew he cared for her as much as she did.
"Okay...this is your last warning, I'm to tried to bitch about it."
Ana couldn't say anything now...she acted like she couldn't hear him as he threw off his hat and then slid in beside her.
He moved around for a little and then seemed to settle in.
So she spent the night sleeping beside CJ...watching Michael sleep.
She then snapped out of her little daydream and knew she needed to tell him how sorry she was...and how she really felt.
Michael then seemed to feel her eyes on him, like he always did and looked up.
He smiled as he put the siding down and she gave a warm smile back.
Somehow she knew things were gonna be okay.
She smiled again and worked faster.
Afterwards she was beat, her body ached and her neck felt sore.
They were done for tonight and everyone seemed to see how far long they had came in a matter of days.
As she was going up the stairs she saw that Michael had disappeared off to somewhere.
Everyone went their own way once they reached the food court.
Ana sat back on one of the sofas they had taken out and placed closer towards the tables and tried to crack her neck as her muscles buzzed in low pain.
Just then she smelled smoke and saw Monica stroll on over towards her.
Ana opened her eyes and moved a little and she flopped on down beside her.
"Working hard?"
"Yeah..." Ana said as she rubbed her neck.
Monica then took a deep breath of her smoke and flicked it with her fingers.
"I noticed who you were bunking with last night..."
Ana rolled her eyes.
"Don't even get my started..."
Monica giggled
"Hey, I'm not saying anything...but it looked like you hit Michael below the belt."
"I wasn't trying to hurt anyone...I was tried..."
"Not to tried to watch Michael's back the whole night huh?"
Ana felt guilt...Monica had eyes and saw everything.
"Maybe you didn't know that Michael was asleep the whole night to..."
This made Ana feel even worse.
She then looked down at her hands.
"Monica?"
"Yeah hun?"
"Remember what you said about moving on?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you mean it?"
Monica gave her a friendly punch in the arm.
"Sure I did hon...I mean I know everyone needs in life."
"And what's that."
"Someone to look after them...somone to love."
"Do you have that?"
"Not looking at the time." She smiled.
"But I know what you and Michael need."
"And what's that?"
"Each other."
Ana then was breathless at what Monica had said...she was smarter then she looked.
"I'm gonna go take a shower...see you in a little bit."
Monica took another drag and smiled as she all ready turned her head and was seeing what the others were doing further down the mall.
Ana then headed downstairs.
Within minuets she found herself all alone walking across the lower level of the mall.
During the day everyone spent most of there time here, There was Hallowed Grounds, The diner, And just about everyother store that matched with upstairs.
She walked further and further down and was about to make a left down the hallway towards the showers when she saw Michael sitting all alone by the fountain.
She paused for a minute and then smiled seeing him all alone sitting back.
On this time those things didn't seem to form as much...and during the night you couldn't see as many.
Michael was sitting on the floor and was leaning against the fountain as water slowly ran down the stones.
It seemed like a good background music during all this stillness.
She then slowly walked towards him until he turned his head...somehow he always knew he was near him or watching.
He smiled
"Hey Ana."
"Hi..." She started...and felt kind of unsure about what to say next.
"Come here..." He waved towards her and she smiled back and walked over and sat beside him.
He looked her over and then looked back at the glass doors.
Both didn't say anything for a while...it was just them and the sound of running water.
Then a little later both stood up after they saw how the time had past and Michael let out his hand to help her up.'
Once she was up to eye level with him the two of them couldn't believe how much they loved each other...and how in a matter of hours they would show their love for each other and not be able to hold back.
Michael smiled at her.
"Did some good work on the shuttles today."
Ana smiled back
"Yeah you to...think their gonna work?"
Michael let out a breath
"I sure hope so."
Ana smiled and then reached for his hand.
"Yeah...me to."
Both then looked into each other's eyes and something flickered inside them. They satrted to motion towards a kiss...but then Michael let out a wide grin and took her by the waist and playfully
He laughed and swung her around over his arm and then dumped her into the fountain water...which had since been cleaned.
Ana was stunned but at the same time shocked by the cold water.
Michael laughed as she stood up...soaked and laughed back at him and gave a playful splash.
Both then were in a full on water fight...laughing and diving around. For once the mall wasn't a unhappy place...it was a place full of laughter.
Later on some people would shift an eye seeing the two laughing together...clothes soaking wet as they went off to change for the night.
But while their short moment of happiness went on in the fountain someone was watching from above...someone that was glad and happy for them.
That person was Monica.
"Monica?"
"Yeah hun?"
"Remember what you said about moving on?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you mean it?"
Monica gave her a friendly punch in the arm.
"Sure I did hon...I mean I know everyone needs in life."
"And what's that."
"Someone to look after them...somone to love."
"Do you have that?"
"Not looking at the time." She smiled.
"But I know what you and Michael need."
"And what's that?"
"Each other."