Hey guys, slightly bad news.

I got a pretty bad concussion and I can't really be on the computer for long periods of time. I'm getting a little better each day and I will try to keep up with updates (I have this story all mapped out so it's just a matter of sitting down and writing) but if they're a little slow, it's not because I've forgotten or anything. Just trying to get my head back in working order. Sorry in advance for any mistakes!

BTW for all you horror fans... The infected are not just going to stay in the city the whole time. This story is, after all, supposed to be horror at its core. So this story isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows and friendship bracelets, although Boomer's character offers light in this dark new world Bubbles woke up in.

I hope you guys continue to enjoy! Thank you again for your faves, follows, and reviews! :D


.: 6 :.

"But I thought your dad was still alive," she said, feeling slightly regretful for pressing the boy.

He grimaced. "He is. He was bitten the day after everyone was carted off to the evacuation zones and I'm pretty sure he's out running the streets like the other people who were infected. In a sense... He still is, just not the way he used to be."

Bubbles was at a loss for what to say. She was kicking herself for bringing up such a touchy subject and felt horrible for upsetting Boomer, her only friend in this bitter world. If Boomer had some skeletons in his closet, she needed to know. She just wanted to protect herself and stay alive long enough to reunite with her family. She cared for him but a bit of wariness never hurt anyone, at least that's what she told herself.

Finally, after an awkward silence befell them, Bubbles looked away. "I'm sorry."

He let out a shuddering sigh. "It's okay, you didn't know."

"It's just that with the way you spoke about your family, I thought—"

"I know." He smiled weakly. "Sometimes I like to pretend he's still back home waiting with my brothers. It's easier to think he's just out at work or scavenging than to face the fact that he's.. um..."

Bubbles didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she pulled Boomer into a hug. He stiffened at first, not used to being embraced, but quickly returned it. The faint scent of vanilla wafted from her hair and suddenly it was his new favorite scent in the whole wide world.

She pulled away after a few minutes with a red face. "Sorry if you don't like hugs. It's just that, I get it, you know? One day I have the flu and my dad says he's heading to the supermarket, the next, I wake up and everyone's gone. I couldn't get in touch with anyone and there weren't any updates on the local news stations, but then I saw that one guy who was infected.. God, Boomer, it's so disturbing when they scream."

He nodded. "Trust me, I know. When my father turned..."

A violent shiver rippled through him and he shook his head, rubbing the goosebumps that were forming on his arms. "Never mind. You don't want to know."

It felt like their day out had been ruined and she felt terrible. "I'm sorry if I killed the mood."

"What?" Boomer quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, you didn't! We had a great day today."

"Until I ruined it." She could practically imagine the dark rain cloud hovering over her own head.

He pinched her cheek and she swatted his hand away. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being a negative Nelly." He pursed his lips. "We had a great day today. We got to know each other, had a few laughs, ate some fantastic pears... Positives, Bubbles. You gotta focus on the positives."

She lowered her gaze. "How? I used to be all about focusing on the positives but then I saw City Hall, the rescue team didn't come out like Blossom said they would, Buttercup won't call me..."

"Wait a second." Boomer tilted his head to the side curiously. "I thought you guys lived together, why would she need to call you?"

Shit. She hadn't meant to let that little detail slip but she might as well come clean now.

"My family isn't actually staying with me," she confessed. "A few days before the infection spread, my dad left to go to the supermarket and my sisters were both at school. I was home recovering from the flu and when I woke up, everyone was gone. I tried calling them but that's when cell phone service started to crap out, and my sister, Buttercup, managed to call me once and text me a few times but now that the power is out and we lost service completely..."

She shook her head. "I didn't mean to lie to you, but I didn't want you to think I was alone. You've played horror survival games yourself, right? What happens to the people who are alone? They don't last very long, especially not when fellow survivors know they're alone and defenseless. It's nothing personal, Boomer, I was just trying to be careful."

When she finished speaking, she glanced over at the blonde to see him frowning.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I was scared," she whispered. "Again, small girl living by herself? That's like hitting the lottery to a sicko who enjoys hurting people. Not that you fall into that category! I don't mean it like that, but I didn't know you, and, well..."

He exhaled through his nose and looked down at his legs, which were no longer swinging to and fro.

"Well, not gonna lie, it kinda hurts that you thought you couldn't trust me," he admitted, and Bubbles' face fell at the words. She wanted to slap herself for unwittingly hurting his feelings, even if she had every right to try to protect herself.

"But I get it, and I'm not upset." He immediately brightened. "In a world like this, you have to put yourself first, especially if you're on your own."

Relief flooded through her. "Thank you for understanding, but... I really am sorry. I never used to be like this."

"It's okay. I never used to be this obnoxious but... Well, I guess we all adapt differently."

"You're not obnoxious," she argued, but Boomer smirked knowingly.

"I know myself, Bubbles. I get on my own nerves at times."

"We could all say that, though."

"True, but my point is, don't worry so much. Whether you're carefree or careful, just be yourself. No judgement here."

Bubbles wanted to hug him again. She was grateful to have found a friend in someone so wonderful, funny, understanding, and sweet, and if the circumstances had been different... She shook that thought away. Boomer was a friend; nothing more or less. In this world, there was no time for romance or silly little crushes when life could be snuffed out at any given moment.

Yet the more Bubbles thought about it, the more she realized she truly shouldn't worry so much. All those nights of laying awake and listening to every little noise around the house proved to be fruitless. The infected seemed to be sticking to the inner city, not one of them straying to the outskirts, but why? She knew it was probably pointless to wonder why a bunch of people who no longer possessed their humanity would behave a certain way, but it would be foolish not to notice these things. What exactly was drawing them to the city? Surely there were no survivors there...

A tap on her shoulder jolted her out of her mind, looking up to find Boomer watching her curiously.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Sorry." She blushed. "I know it's random, but... Have you ever seen any infected out here?"

"Define 'here.'"

Bubbles motioned around herself. "The neighborhood-slash-outskirts. I was just thinking, isn't it strange that they keep to the city?"

He considered her words before frowning. "It is a little bizarre but I can't say I'm complaining. As long as those things leave us alone, they can have the city as far as I'm concerned."

"Do you think there may be survivors in the city? Maybe that's why they stay there?"

Boomer leaned back against the roof and looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I doubt it. Anyone who remained in the city is probably either dead or turned. Believe me, ever since the infection hit, my brothers and I have done a lot of exploring, and we know three things so far. One, the infected hate sunlight, except for that one weirdo you were telling me about; two, they hate groups of humans; three, you turn if you get bitten.

"There's no way to kill those things, not without risking death yourself, but we also haven't tried killing any of them so we don't know for sure. They've never tried to attack me or my brothers and we have no idea why, but it's something we use to our advantage. We tried looking for survivors after the army's initial rescue efforts but most of the people that came out here got turned and then infected the survivors."

"When was this?" Slight desperation colored her voice. Boomer smiled sadly.

"It was the day after the infection hit Townsville, so it's not the rescue team that was sent out to find you if that's what you want to know."

She wilted but at least there was still hope that the second rescue team was still out there somewhere. "Oh."

"Butch almost got bitten while we were out one night. It was stupid of us to go into the city when those things were fully active and I don't remember why we even risked it, but that's when we saw what happened in Bonsai Gardens. City Hall, we knew about, but... Well, I guess you could say Bonsai Gardens is the resting place for the first-wave rescue efforts."

Bubbles turned to scold Boomer for making such a disturbing, tasteless joke but one glance at him and she realized there was no humor in his expression. His eyes were slightly narrowed, eyebrows furrowed together as he recalled what he had seen. He hadn't meant it to be a joke, just a solemn observation.

She shifted, deciding it might be best to change the subject. "Why do you think those things aren't attacking you guys? They didn't seem to hesitate with other survivors."

"I don't know. I'd say that maybe we're immune and they sense it, but I really don't feel like testing that theory because if I'm wrong and if anything happened to my brothers..."

He didn't need to finish his sentence. She placed a hand over his and he threw a small smile her way, acknowledging her attempt to comfort him, but neither of them said anything more.

They had gotten so caught up in their conversation that neither of them noticed the skies growing dark. Bubbles felt slight anxiety at the knowledge that night was only an hour away but it was somewhat of a relief to think that the infected would continue to stick to the city. She let out a soft, wistful sigh; if only the power was still on. Then maybe she could look forward to putting the fan on at night and at least pretend things were normal. Too bad anything electrical wasn't even an option.

"Let me walk you home?" At Bubbles' hesitance, Boomer gave her a pointed look. "I promise, I'm not a psycho slasher who's going to stake out your house while you sleep."

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, before she could filter her thoughts. Surprise flickered across his face before he nodded.

"Why do you care so much about me?" Hurt flashed in his eyes and she quickly amended her statement. "What I mean is, you don't know me too well. What if I wasn't a good person? What if I took advantage of your kindness and left you high and dry? I could be dangerous."

He considered her words seriously. "Well. Are you dangerous? Are you planning to leave me high and dry?"

Bubbles' eyes widened. She would never, not even on her worst day, think of hurting another person in any way, shape, or form. It was not in her nature to screw people over or be selfish in any way. The thought of having any sort of negative impact on Boomer was horrifying to her.

"No, of course not!"

"Then I don't see why I shouldn't care about you. You're a person, Bubbles. Just because all those zombie stories feature awful people with awful intentions doesn't mean everyone is like that. You have to be smart and you certainly have to be careful, but not everyone is going to revert back to neanderthals in this kind of situation. And honestly, don't you think it's better that people stick together? It sucks being alone and having to fend for yourself; don't you think it makes it easier to know someone is with you to watch your back?"

"Not everyone is trustworthy," she argued, and he nodded.

"You're right, not everyone is, but I think I'd rather take a chance on someone and have them become a great ally or someone who walks away than to not take any chances whatsoever."

Bubbles hated that he was right. She knew she could stand to be less paranoid and suspicious of ulterior motives, but she couldn't help it.

"And speaking of trust, you said you're alone in that house... Why not stay with us?" he asked. "I promise, cross my heart, hope to live, we're not bad people. Butch can be an ass and Brick's quiet, but we're not out to hurt others. Plus, don't you think it would be safer to stay with other people than be here all by yourself?"

It was a tempting offer even though mentions of his brothers made her a little wary... If Boomer was still pretending that Mojo was alive, who's to say his brothers weren't also part of the infected army in Townsville? Perhaps he was pretending they were back at his house as well as Mojo; perhaps the infection had taken enough of a toll on his mentality that his common sense and perception of reality were skewered.

Or, Bubbles mused. Maybe I need to stop over-analyzing before I lose the only friend I have right now.

"I would, but I need to wait there," Bubbles replied. "I don't know when or if the rescue team is coming by, but I told my sisters I'd stay put and I intend to keep my word. We can still hang out together, but I need to continue staying at my house just in case."

Boomer opened his mouth before closing it again, giving a firm nod.

"Okay, I understand. But at least let me walk you home? And at least show me where you live. I've no idea if the infected are smart enough to plan a raid or if they will eventually come into the outskirts, but if they do, it would give me peace-of-mind to know where you're staying. If shit hits the fan, we'll know where you live so we can pick you up and get out of dodge together. Besides, you already know where I live, so it's only fair."

That was valid, she supposed. "Alright."

"Cool." He beamed. "Lead the way, then! I'll protect thee, fine maiden!"


Getting down the tree was not exactly easy, but Bubbles was pleased to learn she was incrementally better at tree-climbing than before. Once she made it back down safely, Boomer taught her how to spot good places to keep her footing and, as they walked in the direction of her house, she could imagine herself climbing the different trees scattered around the neighborhood. Looking at the thick trunks and low branches, she could see all the best spots to plant her feet and envisioned scaling the rough bark until she made it to the top. It was an exciting new skill to possess and she wished she'd learned how to do it as a child, when tree houses were practically castles in a kid's imagination.

The familiar white modern-themed house came into view before she knew it. Boomer followed her up the driveway, noting the three huge circular windows on the second floor. Bubbles' house was definitely not the norm as far as cookie-cutter homes go (and most of the neighborhoods in Townsville were the definition of cookie-cutter), but it was still lovely and homey in its own right.

When they reached the front door, she retrieved a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked it, gently pushing the door open.

After hesitating for a moment, she turned back to him.

"Would you like to come in for a little bit?"

Boomer didn't miss a beat. "Only if you're comfortable with it. If you're still not sure if you can trust me, I won't be offended."

She supposed someone with bad intentions wouldn't be so understanding or careful to respect her boundaries. After considering his words, she stepped aside and motioned for him to go in first.

"I don't mind. The only thing is, it's dark so I have to find a flashlight."

He peered past her into the darkness that was her living room. They'd had a serious conversation about trust before and, although Boomer knew himself to be trustworthy, Bubbles' words did give him slight pause.

"What if I wasn't a good person? What if I took advantage of your kindness and left you high and dry? I could be dangerous."

"Going off of what we talked about earlier... If you're secretly an axe murderer, now would be a good time to tell me," Boomer half-joked, and Bubbles laughed.

"There are no bodies buried in the backyard," she reassured. "Scout's honor."

"Okay, but if I see one arm poking out from the ground, I'm booking it."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, and they both stepped inside, Boomer closing the door behind them. Bubbles managed to find a flashlight and clicked it on, placing it so that the light bounced off the ceiling and illuminated just enough of the room for them to make out their surroundings.

Once his vision adjusted to the darker setting, Boomer's gaze roamed over every nook and cranny, letting out a low whistle when he caught sight of the wall that held some of the Professor's various awards.

"Wow. Your dad is the best of the best, huh?"

She followed his gaze and blushed.

"Those are his most recent awards," she explained. "A few weeks ago, he attended a con up in Canada and won those."

"Wow... That's pretty far."

"Yeah." She plopped down onto the sofa. "He was gone for two whole weeks. Buttercup wanted to throw a huge party, but Blossom put an end to her plans before they could begin."

"Sounds like something Butch would do," Boomer commented, then, "Um, quick question.. Do you prefer shoes on or off?"

She blinked, his inquiry not making sense until she realized he was hesitant to enter the living room. Was he actually concerned about being polite right now? They had much bigger things to worry about than etiquette.

"I don't mind, you can keep them on if you'd like." On the off-chance an infected person did wander into the outskirts, it wouldn't be in their favor if Boomer had to spend an extra five minutes slipping his shoes back on when they would need to get out of there ASAP.

"Okay, I just wanted to be sure." He relaxed and smiled weakly. "Not everyone appreciates people tracking dirt into their home. Some folks prefer shoes to be left at the door."

"Boomer, there are literally sick people wandering through Townsville killing off whatever they can find, and you're worried about tracking mud into my house."

He pretended to scoff. "Just because those cretins forgot their manners doesn't mean I have to. Gosh."

She barely suppressed a chuckle as he joined her on the couch, leaning back against the cushions.

It felt strange to have a guest in her home after being alone for so long. Her house used to be full of shouting, laughter, talking, pots and pans banging in the kitchen as someone cooked, the blare of the television, Buttercup's favorite alternative bands blasting from their bedroom... How odd to think she used to be accustomed to such noise. It was weird to think that after only a short time, she began preferring silence over noisiness. In silence, she could listen.

"Sooo..." Boomer folded his hands in his lap. "You have a really nice house."

"Thank you."

"Have you lived in this house your whole life?"

"Mm-hmm. The Professor has lived here since he graduated from college. It was ten years after that when we were born."

"Oh, okay. Cool."

Pause.

"Hey, you know what? We should have a sleepover!"

Bubbles raised an eyebrow at that. Sometimes the inner workings of his mind were truly unpredictable. "Sleepover?"

"Yeah! You know, I sleep over your house and we have fun for the night!"

She couldn't contain the giggles that burst forth. "That sounds so wrong."

Boomer's eyes widened and he flicked her forehead. "Get your mind out of the gutter, ya pervert! I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't."

"Okay, okay, fine, wrong choice of wording, but I meant it as innocently as possible," he said, laughing. "Seriously, think about it: we build pillow forts, tell scary stories... Listen for any infected. Don't worry, I'd probably take the couch, or we could set up a little fort here in the living room and stay together. Plus, think about it: you get to hang out with yours truly for an entire evening!"

Bubbles rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the last part. However, she had to admit, it did sound like a good idea especially if the infected decided to poke around where Pokey Oaks was located... And even though the world appeared to be doom-and-gloom, a sleepover did sound kind of practical and fun.

However, before any plans of sleeping over came to fruition, she had to make sure Boomer was truly trustworthy. If he passed this one last test, she would know whether or not she could rely on him.

"Before we do, though, can I meet your brothers?"