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Okay now, you may not have heard, but I've decided to converge this with a 28 Days Later fic...everyone meets and la di dah...I really hope you like it, hopefully it won't be confusing with the POV switches I'm going to put in...I plan on using real life characters so if you want to be a character please email me Just for the record, I will still be continuing my other 28DL story Survival Is As Good As It Gets Selena's Story separately from this...alrighty so here we go...

That night Cynthia came over to Lisa's to pick her up for dinner.

"You know what you need," Cynthia told her as soon as they were seated in a booth at Applebee's.

Lisa sighed and braced herself.

"A vacation," Cynthia finished. "Go to your mom's, or...somewhere. To clear your head."

Lisa thought. This might actually be a good idea. "I don't know...maybe," she agreed. She did really miss her mother.

The next morning Lisa called the travel agent. Her mom had recently moved to upstate New York after the death of Lisa's grandmother.

By the next week, Lisa had arranged everything at the hotel and her home for a week's vacation and was arriving at the airport. She hadn't told her mother in anticipation of surprising her and was taking an overnight flight that would arrive at about ten the next day.

Lisa boarded the plane and was seated next to a kind-looking Hispanic man in jeans and a polo shirt. She smiled uncomfortably at him and buckled up.

He stuck out a hand. "I'm Nick." Lisa cautiously shook it as the plane began to move.

"Lisa," she acknowledged him, still somewhat wary. After all, she was sitting on a plane next to a handsome man. Can you say de ja vu? He looked about the same age, too.

"I hate flying," he said. His voice had a light accent to it that Lisa recognized as Mexican. "My mother died in a plane accident ten years ago, so..." he smiled sadly at her.

"Sorry to hear that," she told him sincerely. "I used to be afraid of it, too, but a few months ago I realized it wasn't the plane to be afraid of, but the people on the plane."

"What do you mean?" he frowned at her, but suddenly a look of realization crossed his face. "Hey, you're that Lisa Reisert! I saw you on the news! That guy was a real asshole, huh?"

Lisa chuckled, warming up ever so slightly. "You can say that again. And the jury declared him not guilty."

Nick shook his head. "The justice system these days. I'm a teacher, so I'm spared of most of it."

Lisa smiled. "Lucky you. I'm a hotel manager."

"Yeah, I know," Nick nodded. "It's not all blown up?"

Lisa laughed. "Just a few suites. They're remodeling as we speak."

"So, are you headed to New York on hotel business?"

Were you in Texas for...hotel business?

The flashback shocked Lisa and she gasped.

Nick lightly touched her arm worriedly. "I'm sorry, did I say something to offend?"

Lisa shook her head and swallowed. "No...it just...reminded me of something he said."

"Sorry," he apologized again.

"But no," she answered him, collecting herself. "I'm visiting my mom, you?"

"I'm actually going home," he told her. "I was visiting my sister."

"Are you...Mexican?" Lisa asked, not knowing if this was considered rude or not. Apparently it wasn't, because he showed no sign of being offended.

"No," he shook his head. "My parents were, but I was born in New York. My family is bilingual, however."

Lisa nodded and looked out her window.

The rest of the flight was pleasant. Lisa engaged in amusing conversation with the charming young man and began to ease up. Not every man carried a knife in their back pocket, she assured herself.

Lisa checked her purse and realized something as the plane landed.

"Shit," she unbuckled her seatbelt. "I just remembered the only money I have is credit cards and a cabbie won't take that...I was going to surprise my mom, but...guess I'll call her."

Nick stood up and handed her her bag. "Where do you live?"

"Quaker Road," Lisa answered, stepping into the aisle.

"I'll give you a ride," he offered. "I live on that street anyway."

Lisa smiled and thought. It would be nice to get a ride, but could she trust him? She fought her silly inhibitions and accepted the offer, but not before double-checking her purse for pen and pepperspray.

Nick politely opened her door and she sat down. His car was nice, a brand-new red Sedan. He buckled up and took off down the road.

"So your mom is going to be happy, huh," he smiled at her.

"Yeah, I haven't seen her for two months," Lisa nodded, taking in the scenery. The upstate New York scenery was summery and green, but considerably colder. A dewy mist lingered in the air.

"That's a long time," Nick agreed, driving right past Quaker Road.

"Uh, Nick, you missed the road," Lisa told him as he kept driving.

"I'm afraid your mom is going to wait for a while to see you," he grinned at her and sped up.