Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! And thank you to all readers for even checking out my story; it means a lot! :)

Sorry for the wait; life got in the way but I'm hoping that since the semester is coming to a close, I'll have more time to dedicate to this story. Oh, and a special thanks to my bud A.B. for always being supportive of this story on the sidelines. You know who you are ^_^ And to those who messaged me, thank you for reaching out!

Hope everyone is doing well and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter; as always, let me know what you think!


.: 17 :.

Tick...

Tock...

Tick...

Tock...

It was cold. It was cold and the constant tick-tock of the kitchen clock was making her feel antsy.

Bubbles didn't realize it was possible to freeze in ninety-degree weather, yet here she was, huddled against the wall of some kind of mudroom, the cool cement floor beneath her doing no favors for her back. She hadn't moved in a long time, too terrified to even relax her tense body. Hours had passed; she'd watched the light slowly disappear from under the door, heard the grandfather clock in the living room chime with each hour. Time pressed on no matter what happened and the thought disturbed her.

Hours had passed and she still didn't know what became of Boomer. Another shiver ripped through her and she hugged herself tighter, her nerves both alive with fear and fried from the earlier adrenaline rush.

It all happened so quickly...


Bubbles wasn't sure how, but time slowed to a crawl before her very eyes.

The infected had leaped over the window sill and were in the middle of lunging towards her, however, it was as if they had been dunked underwater. Even though a couple of infected were mid-lunge, it looked like they were wading through an invisible ocean.

She blinked, the movement just as slow as the infected coming at her, and as soon as her eyes closed, the world around her changed.

Suddenly she was five again, riding bikes with Robin, Blossom, and Buttercup down the block. It was a summer evening, so the Professor was much more lenient with curfew, and tonight they'd be watching Buttercup, Mitch Mitchelson, and some other neighbor kids square off with each other in a game of soccer.

Then the scene switched and she was twelve, attending her first middle-school dance, back when she had no idea how to do makeup or put her hair up in anything besides pigtails. That was the night when she realized there was a big difference between being beautiful and being ugly, thus subjecting her self-esteem to a rollercoaster ride until the end of her teen years, when she realized that appearances didn't matter at all.

College. Pulling all-nighters with Robin at the campus library, working through long papers with Blossom, competing with Buttercup over who could bake more chocolate chip cookies within a day (Buttercup won, but Bubbles' cookies were actually edible). Professor Utonium's surprise and praise whenever Bubbles managed to make the Dean's list alongside Blossom. Her family, their constant encouragement, the good times, the bad...

It was only when Bubbles' eyes opened again that time resumed its normal pace, and just as an infected came so close to tackling her to the floor, a firm hand grabbed her arm and tugged her out of harm's way.

"BUBBLES, RUN!"

Since meeting Boomer, she'd never heard him shout, never heard his voice become so thunderous and panicked. It took her a full second to remember that they were in danger, that her life had literally flashed before her eyes, and that if they didn't get the hell out of there, she would become nothing but a memory.

Boomer, thankfully, had enough sense to realize she was in shock, and so he gripped her hand and sprinted out of the living room to the kitchen, Bubbles stumbling over her own two feet to keep up with him.

The infected began pouring into the living room, hot on their trail, and Boomer threw his weight into the screen door that led to his backyard. When he got outside, he grabbed hold of a long piece of fishing line that was connected to a trap Brick had set above the screen door. As the infected busted it down, Boomer yanked and a few torn-open bags of flour and pepper descended from the roof, momentarily blinding the infected and distracting them.

"HURRY!" He cried, and this time, Bubbles was able to follow him, her shock taking a backseat to adrenaline. They managed to hop the fence, Boomer giving Bubbles a boost when she needed it, and continued to head towards Professor Utonium's house.

However, they skidded to a halt when they saw a horde of infected was waiting for them there, stationed all around the yard, on the roof, and even in the street.

They were planning this! Bubbles realized with a horrified shudder. They knew we'd head back there, so they purposely cornered us at Boomer's house only to have others waiting here!

Boomer recovered quickly, once more grasping her hand and leading them in another direction. The infected swiftly gave chase and Bubbles felt her lungs beginning to burn from sprinting so much. As they ran past garbage can after garbage can, she suddenly got an idea. She grabbed one and pulled it so that it fell into the infected horde's path, which successfully tripped a few of them and caused a temporary moment of confused chaos as they toppled over each other.

Bubbles knew she didn't have time to celebrate the small victory, but she allowed herself a triumphant little smile. Boomer tugged her to the left and down another street, both of them slowing when they came to a posh-looking yard, complete with a birdbath and some lawn ornaments here and there. The cottage looming before them had small windows and a sturdy-looking front door; it wasn't nearly as secure as Professor Utonium's underground lab, but it would have to do.

A few howls and screeches in the next street over told them all they needed to know about where the infected were and how quickly they'd be arriving at the front lawn. Boomer tried the doorknob and, to their relief, it was open, and they rushed inside, closing the door and locking it behind themselves. There was a side table close by underneath one of the windows and Bubbles grabbed it, pushing it to barricade the door. Boomer caught on and managed to drag a heavy-looking chair to prop under the doorknob.

Wasting no time, they headed into the kitchen where there were three other doors: one, which was thin enough to guess it was simply a pantry, the second leading into some other kind of room, and the third leading out into the backyard. They tried the unknown door and found an old-fashioned mudroom without any windows; it also contained another door leading to the backyard, but the various types of locks that adorned it looked promising. The room was dark and not too crowded, yet not without a few forgotten pieces of furniture, but it was a perfect hiding spot, and at least they'd have a way outside if the infected found their way into the—

BANG!

Bubbles and Boomer jumped at the sudden noise. Muffled snarls and more banging noises were coming from the living room, the infected already at the front door.

"Holy shit, those fuckers are fast," Boomer hissed, his heart hammering against his ribcage. "They won't stop till they get us, will they?"

"N-no, they won't, so we need to hide right now!" Bubbles whispered, tugging at his hand, but he wasn't looking at her.

Instead, Boomer's gaze was fixated towards the living room, where the infected were currently throwing their weight against the front door and banging their hands on the windows. Suddenly time slowed again and Bubbles could no longer hear the cacophony outside; everything felt like it was underwater, moving at a snail's pace. Her eyes were locked on Boomer, his handsome, boyish features twisted into a frown. When he turned his head to face her again, Bubbles didn't like the determined look in his eyes.

"I'll distract them and lead them away from you," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Everything still felt muddled, like time was allowing them this moment to speak undisturbed. "Stay put and don't make any noise; I'll come back for you when I can, okay?"

Her eyes widened. "W-what? Boomer, no!"

"Boomer yes." He winked, opening the door to the mudroom and gently pushing her inside. She stumbled over her own two feet, but by the time she regained her balance, Boomer had pulled the door shut. She grabbed the knob and tried turning it, but it was locked. He'd locked her in the mudroom.

"Boomer!"

Was he crazy?! What did he think this was going to accomplish? What if the infected got in and discovered her hiding there? What the hell was he thinking?!

"I'll be back soon," his voice was muffled through the thick wood. "I know it's early to say this, but I love you and I'll come back to you, I swear it."

She heard him dash towards the other kitchen door and open it, closing it and locking it behind himself. She heard the infected let out victorious whoops at the sight of Boomer heading outside.

"Hey, dipshits, catch me if you can!" he shouted, and all she could hear was the roar of the infected, the heavy thudding of their feet as they chased after him. Bubbles didn't even have the privilege of crying or freaking out; a few infected had lingered around the house, some sniffing around a bit too close to the mudroom door that led outside, but more noise from Boomer in the distance got their attention and soon they left her in complete silence.

That was hours ago. The light from underneath the door had long since faded to darkness, the tick-tock-ticking of the kitchen clock slowly driving her mad. If it weren't for the occasional chimes of the grandfather clock upstairs, Bubbles would think days had passed instead of hours.

Once the infected had left, a thick, heavy silence covering the neighborhood like fog, Bubbles had sank to the floor, pulling her knees close to her chest as she strained her ears to listen to the world outside her. At first, she'd trembled; terrified for Boomer, still in shock that the infected had been so close to tearing her face off, and scared that she was now utterly alone.

So much had gone wrong today. Had they gotten careless? Was this somehow their fault that the infected had found them? If so, then how could they learn from this? There was no other way to get to Boomer's house than through the streets. Had they been foolish in trying to get Bubbles' phone hooked up to a charger, just to see the update Buttercup had sent her?

...No.

No, her sisters were the only connection they had to the outside world. Besides, she and Boomer were alive; shaken, probably going to develop symptoms of PTSD if they managed to survive past age twenty-five in this world, but they were still breathing and that counted for something.

Would this happen again? Okay, so the answer to that question was a solid probably, but then what could they do to ensure it didn't happen again?

What if Boomer never came back? What if he...

Bubbles bit her lip as tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks, but she angrily wiped at her eyes. She was so tired of crying, so tired of feeling helpless in this chaotic world. Boomer would come back; he swore he would, and she trusted him. She was scared but she knew if she could count on anyone in this situation, it was him. He hadn't let her down yet and she had a feeling that he never would. There was no way Boomer would leave her for dead, he just wasn't that type of person.

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees. He told her to stay put and that's what she would do. She'd wait as long as she could, but if he didn't show up... Well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it, but for now, Boomer was one-hundred percent coming back.

She just had to be patient.

Wait it out.

Tick...

Tock...

Tick...

A few rapid knocks caused Bubbles to jump. She hadn't realized she'd been dozing until that moment, wondering how she had managed to fall asleep when danger could be close by. She held her breath and waited, fighting the urge to speak when the knocks came again.

"Bubbles?" At Boomer's voice, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Bubbles, it's me. I'm not bitten, I swear."

...That's exactly what someone who was bitten would say. She remained quiet, trying to figure out if it was actually Boomer out there... The infected seemed to possess the ability to plan, could they also speak or mimic voices? For all she knew, whoever was at the door could be an infected trying to trick her into going outside.

"H'okay, so I know we didn't exactly come up with, like, a secret password or anything, but..."

Knock knock knock knock-knock. Knock-knock.

Okay, so that was definitely Boomer, but the question still remained...

"You said you weren't bitten. H-how do I know you're not lying?"

"Because if I was bitten, I wouldn't have come back to you." Pause. "Actually, if I'm being honest, I probably would have let myself get killed if they bit me."

His words were like an arrow to her heart. Please don't say something like that.

After another pause, "Please, Bubbles, I promise you, it's me. Open the door so we can get back to your dad's lab."

This could go one of two ways. One, Boomer could be telling the truth; there was a chance that he was actually okay, actually unbitten, and she'd have her best friend, her boyfriend back with her, and she would most definitely chew him out for leaving her all by herself, even if he did it to save her life.

Or two, Boomer could be lying. She didn't know how long it took for someone to become infected if they got bitten. This could be a trap and once she opened that door, Boomer would look just like the other infected: savage, hungry, like a predator that just found its prey all wrapped up with a nice little bow. What if this was him trying to lure her outside under the guise of being someone she cared about, only to rip her to pieces?

She shivered, though not because of the cold floor underneath her.

Then again, if he was infected, would he really be able to talk and reason with her? None of the infected appeared to be capable of speech, at least not that Bubbles had seen.

All of this was so messed up. How had the world gotten so screwed up?

She shivered again.

"I'm scared," she admitted, and that much was true. The idea of an infected Boomer terrified her for lots of reasons.

"That's okay," he reassured her. "I am too, but if you don't let me in, I really will get bitten. Please, Bubbles."

...What was the worst that could happen at this point?

Bubbles reached out a shaky hand to unlock the door, her fingers trembling as she turned the knob and pulled it open slightly. She wasn't sure what she expected to see, but the amount of relief she felt when her goofy best friend smiled and gave a half-wave was indescribable.

"Hi."

"Are you sure you aren't bitten?"

He held out his arms, turning them over. "Huh? Oh! No... No, I don't think so. I made sure none of those bastards got close enough to even scratch me. Come on, we have to hurry; they're smart, they'll figure out that what I put out was just a—"

A furious howl pierced the air, along with what sounded like firecrackers.

"—Decoy," Boomer finished. He held out a hand, eyes pleading.

"Please, Bubbles, we have to get out of here NOW or they'll kill us for sure. Do you trust me?"

"Yes." It wasn't even a question.

"Then follow me. Try to keep up and be as quiet as you can."

Bubbles placed her hand in his and they quickly stepped out into the cool night air. They dashed towards the direction of Bubbles' home, but quickly ducked behind some bushes when they realized there were quite a few infected stalking around the house. It astounded them that some of the infected actually looked... Human? Their eyes weren't quite a glowing red, but there was still clearly something wrong about their appearances. The moonlight made them look beautiful, like ethereal beings that didn't belong in this world. Nonetheless, they weren't acting as primal as the others they'd encountered. They were walking and looking around as if they were human, as if they were seeing the outside world for the first time or they were looking for something.

Or, specifically, for two blonde young adults that managed to slip away from them earlier.

A select few were still behaving as the infected usually did, though a majority were acting in this new human-like manner. Neither Bubbles nor Boomer knew what to think about this, but they knew it couldn't mean anything good for them.

Suddenly, all of the infected turned to look towards the left, their gaze trained on something down the street. Even the ones operating on primal instincts seemed to be looking that way, and the human-like infected allowed the primitive ones to sprint towards whatever had caught their attention before strolling after them.

Boomer and Bubbles exchanged a confused glance. What the heck was that all about?

Still, at least now they had a clear path to the house; however, the interior was another matter to consider.

"Hey," Boomer whispered, pulling Bubbles from her thoughts. "Stay put, I'm gonna go in first and make sure there's nothing waiting for us inside. If you see any infected enter, don't even worry about me; just run, okay?"

To Bubbles' credit, she remained quiet and only gave a nod. She had learned quickly within the past few hours that in dire situations like these, there was no time for arguing or protest. He crushed her against his chest, pressing a chaste kiss against her temple, and just when Bubbles was able to relax against him, he let go of her and stood up.

"I'll signal to you if it's safe. If it isn't, get out of here, alright?"

He walked away before she could respond. Bubbles bit her lip anxiously as she watched him step over the debris that was her front door. She held her breath as she waited, hoping and praying that Boomer would be alright. Their luck seemed to have run out this afternoon and the infected were much more clever than Bubbles could have ever imagined. What if something happened to him? How was she supposed to just leave him if—

No.

Fiery determination filled her veins and she swallowed the lump of frustration that had formed in her throat. No, Boomer would be fine. He was quick on his feet and sharp as a whip; he'd be okay, he'd get out of there alive if there was anything inside. It was okay for Bubbles to worry about him, but it was time she started having faith in him. How many times had he outsmarted those creatures before, way before they even met? Others might think he was dopey, but she knew better; Boomer could and would get himself out of danger if anything happened.

And she wouldn't just leave him if shit hit the fan, she'd try to fight, try to help him in any way she could. The infected certainly terrified her, but what terrified her more was potentially losing the one person she had in her life right now. Bubbles was small but she could be tough; a few little spats with Buttercup were proof of that.

To her immense relief, Boomer peeked out from around the door frame and gave a thumbs-up. Bubbles looked around to ensure the coast was clear before sprinting towards her house, wincing when a few bits of pavement crunched under her Converse. When she made it past the door frame, both blondes continued towards the basement door as swiftly as they could and Bubbles opened it, maneuvering herself inside first, Boomer right behind her. Once the door was shut and locked (as gently and quietly as they could manage), they made their way down the stairs and practically collapsed against their makeshift bed.

They lay there for a few minutes listening to the world upstairs. A few infected had obviously entered the Utonium house and were sniffing around, but they weren't destroying anything like they had during the previous nights. While this was behavior was new, both blondes were just happy to be safe downstairs. Boomer rubbed a hand over his face, exhausted from the day's events.

"I never should have quit track in high school," he sighed. "Holy shit. Today was insane."

Bubbles relished the soft blankets and pillows that were currently comforting her exhausted muscles. She had never been so happy to be home, that was for sure.

"We made it, though," she pointed out. "I knew I felt something funny when we were heading to your house... They must've been watching us, they must've planned it."

"I felt it, too," he commented. "But I thought... Well, let's just say I never thought they'd ambush us like they did."

"They're getting smarter."

Her companion let out a bitter chuckle. "They're definitely not as stupid as they look, that's for sure."

The next few minutes were spent in silence, both of them replaying the day's events in their minds. The wrenching dread they had felt in their guts, the ice-cold terror at seeing the infected literally right outside the window, with those disgusting, leering smiles, eyes aglow with malice... Boomer had taken a huge risk when he'd led them away from Bubbles. Truth be told, there were a few moments where he came dangerously close to getting bitten.

And Bubbles... Sitting in that mudroom, not knowing whether or not Boomer would return in one piece, wondering if the infected would try to break into the house and get to her... Those few hours were agonizing. She was grateful that they'd gotten the infected off their tails, but she was slightly pissed at Boomer for just tossing her into the mudroom. She understood that he was trying to keep her safe, but still, what the fuck? What if there had been an infected hiding out in the mudroom? And even if not in the mudroom, what about the upstairs? That was a really dangerous, really shitty move on his part, and it could've cost Bubbles her life!

She wanted to call him out and vocalize her feelings, but one glance at Boomer, who looked so much older than twenty in that single moment, and her irritation subsided for the moment. Perhaps it would be better to have this kind of conversation later.

And then another thing occurred to her, something so important she was appalled she'd let it slip her mind.

"You said you loved me."

Boomer looked over at her.

"Huh?"

"Back when you locked me in the mudroom," she continued. "You said you loved me."

Realization lit up his features and he immediately began tripping over his own tongue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cross any lines by saying that, it's just that I care about you, you know? And I thought we were going to die, I didn't even think I'd make it but I wanted to save your life at least, but I know we just started dating and it's early and—"

"I love you, too."

Her words silenced whatever he'd been about to say. He searched her face, wondering if she was being serious or if she, well, wasn't. When he'd dated other girls, 'I love you' was always casual, something to say even after dating for one week. However, with Bubbles... It was hard to explain. Boomer liked her a lot and he knew he wasn't quite in love yet, but he was well on his way. Truth be told, saying 'I love you' to her was not quite an exaggeration when he already cared about her as much as he cared about his own family; only difference was the type of love he felt for her.

Was Bubbles only saying 'I love you, too' because it was the polite thing to say when someone expresses their own love first?

"You love me, too?"

"Well..." Bubbles shrugged, cheeks growing warm. "You're right, we did just start dating and it's very early to say something like that, but... These aren't normal circumstances. Look at what happened today: we could have died so many times. I'd rather tell you that I love you than to die regretting never saying anything to let you know I care about you."

She was still mad at him for the mudroom incident earlier, but that didn't mean her feelings had changed, though he was gonna get one hell of an earful later on.

Boomer didn't reply. He merely leaned in and touched his forehead against hers, Bubbles nuzzling her nose against his affectionately. He felt warm and fuzzy inside because he knew she meant what she'd said. He didn't know how it was possible that he developed feelings for her in this crazy situation—strong feelings, at that—but he didn't regret it one bit. He never liked saying 'I love you,' not even to his family because it felt weird; instead, doing little things like helping Brick clean up around the house, letting Butch borrow money from him to get a new PS4 game he was stoked for, and helping his father cook dinner? That was how he let his family know that he loved them. Boomer was more about showing love than simply throwing words around.

But with Bubbles... Those words were more than just something to say. He was well on his way to being totally, completely in love with her, and saying those words felt comfortable to say even if they weren't quite accurate at the moment.

"Can I say it again?" he asked.

"Say what?"

"...You know." He didn't want to lose his nerve while he still had it.

Bubbles smiled, her cheeks growing warm with blush and her stomach doing a flip. "If you want to, sure."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I love you, Bubbles."

She pecked his nose. "I love you, too, Boomer."

Boomer closed the gap and kissed her. It was sweet and sensual and made Bubbles feel lightheaded in a good way. They broke apart after a minute and she scooted closer to him so that she was practically on his lap, to which Boomer let his hands rest on her hips. She let her arms rest around his neck as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, nibbling on his bottom lip to tease him, and Boomer groaned softly, tightening his hold on her just slightly enough to let her know that she was driving him crazy.

Butterflies were doing somersaults in her belly and when she pulled away, she giggled at Boomer's half-lidded expression. However, the magic immediately faded when they heard noises upstairs indicating the infected were back and, yet again, snooping around for prey. It sobered them up quickly.

"We can't stay here," she murmured, hugging him. "We have to find somewhere safer."

"What about our families?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but quickly closed it again. Boomer was right; his brothers were still out there, weren't they? But... They should be back any day now, right?

Boomer seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I mean, I agree, I don't think it's safe to be in the neighborhood anymore, but... What if your sisters try to come here? And what about Brick and Butch?"

"I'm sorry... I guess I forgot about that." Bubbles bit her lip and moved off his lap to sit beside him. She felt like an ass for saying that when the last of Boomer's family was still out there, maybe even on their way back home. How messed up would it be if they left, only for Brick and Butch to return the very next day?

"We can figure it out tomorrow," Boomer assured, after a few beats of silence had passed. "I don't know about you, but I'm kind of shot after today."

"Me too. I think I'm still in shock; they were so close to killing me, they were right in front of me..."

The memory caused her to shudder and he pulled them down so that they were both laying on the pillows, her head resting on his chest. She nuzzled her face against his shirt and the action made him feel warm inside.

"I can't believe how close they got to me. It was like time stopped and I couldn't do anything..."

He ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to help her relax. "That's why I grabbed you."

"I-I couldn't even move, b-but..."

"You were in shock, baby, that's normal," he assured. "It's alright. They snuck up on us this time, but we won't let it happen again. We'll just have to be extra careful when we go out again."

Bubbles looked up at him and he cocked his head to the side.

"What?"

"You called me 'baby.'"

Boomer was about to point out that he hadn't, but then he realized his slip-of-tongue and blushed, grinning sheepishly.

"S-sorry, I'm kind of... It's just that..." He let out a tired sigh. "It's been a long day and I'm not thinking straight. Have I crossed any lines today? I feel like I'm crossing every line possible and I'm really sorry if I am."

"The only line you crossed was when we were cornered and you locked me in the mudroom." She frowned, her previous irritation bubbling to the surface. "You scared the shit out of me when you left. Do you have any idea how worried I was when it got dark out and you still hadn't come back?"

"Sorry about that, but it was a necessary evil."

"Even if you were trying to keep me safe, you left me there. The infected could have broken in and killed me, there could have been one hiding in the mudroom for all we knew, and I would have died knowing you left me alone."

Her words cut through him like a knife. Not that Bubbles could see it in the darkness, but Boomer definitely felt his cheeks and ears grow hot with shame. "I'm sorry. I swear, I wasn't trying to abandon you; it was a bad situation and I was thinking that if I could somehow save one of us, I'd rather save you."

She sighed. Okay, so he wasn't intentionally abandoning her, but still.

"Just please don't ever do that again."

"I won't. I promise." He hugged her a little tighter and she felt him kiss her forehead.

A loud crash sounded from upstairs. At this point, Bubbles wasn't even frightened; she was actually annoyed that the infected had found yet another of her family's possessions to break. When was enough enough?

"You were right in saying we can't stay here," Boomer pointed out. "They'll keep coming here every night and eventually they'll break down that door."

Bubbles didn't exactly like the idea of leaving her home, but she did like the idea of living to see another day.

"Where could we go?" she asked. He continued running his fingers through her hair, which helped her relax to the point where her eyelids began to grow heavy.

"Maybe we could try one of the tunnels and head to another location?" Boomer suggested. "I mean, as far as I could tell, the infected are moving from the city into the neighborhood. If we go to anymore houses, we'll probably catch a few infected hiding inside, that's how many are here. When I was trying to get them off my trail, I noticed that a lot of houses looked like they were being occupied, so we gotta be careful."

"But..." She was getting sleepy, her nerves shot from today's chaos as well as the soothing feel of Boomer playing with her hair. "What if it's worse out there?"

"We survived today; I think we can handle whatever else those freaks throw at us."

"They were acting strangely, though."

"True, but we're smarter than they are, no matter what's going on with them. They'll never catch us off-guard again like they did today, we'll make sure of it."

"What about your brothers?"

"I'll leave a note or something at the house so that if they get back, they'll know we had to move shop."

She hummed in response, drifting further into unconsciousness until finally, she was asleep. Boomer knew she'd dozed off when he felt her breathing even out. He let out a sigh and continued to stroke her hair, enjoying the way the silky strands felt between his fingers.

He'd come so close to getting bitten today. He wasn't sure what he'd been thinking, taking off to lead the infected away from Bubbles. Of course, he didn't regret it at all; not only did his plan work—he'd gotten them away from her and managed to distract them long enough for him and his pretty companion to return to Professor Utonium's house, where all their supplies were—but he'd picked up a small radio while hiding in one of the houses. Although he'd had to sacrifice it to get the infected off his tail (and the firecrackers were a huge bonus), he'd switched it on just for kicks and heard actual music through the thick static.

Music. Classical music, at that. Which meant that one, if not some of the cell towers were working.

...Which meant that maybe humanity was gaining the upper hand. If they had control of one of the towers, maybe there was a community attached to it, one with food, water, shelter, protection. It was worth checking out, right? Everything would be better for them if they found other people... Of course, Boomer was well aware that this type of situation—a zombie apocalypse situation—didn't exactly bring out the best in folks. They would have to be extremely careful about who they decided to trust.

He'd wanted to tell Bubbles about this little discovery and ask if she was interested in looking into it, but the poor girl was so exhausted and fried from today's close call that maybe it was better if he ran the idea by her tomorrow instead, after she was able to get some rest. Truth be told, as soon as they'd reached the lab again, he'd forgotten about the radio in favor of finally letting himself rest. His whole body was sore from constantly sprinting with barely any resting time in-between; he really did wish he'd never quit track, otherwise he might be in better condition to run long distances.

Soon enough, Boomer began to doze off as well, dreams of a better world without monsters dancing through his mind.


"So you heard classical music?"

It was five in the morning and they were wide awake. Boomer had just finished devouring two granola bars while Bubbles polished off a can of peach slices. It wasn't exactly a perfect breakfast but it was enough, and they were grateful that they even had food after yesterday. If they hadn't been able to come back to the lab, they would have had to scavenge; who knows how badly that might have gone?

Boomer nodded enthusiastically. "It looked like a cheap little thing so there was lots of static, but... Music, Bubbles! I didn't think I'd ever hear music again."

"And you said you think there might be people out there?"

He nodded again. "Where there's music, there's gotta be people."

She worried her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I'm not trying to be negative when I say this but usually, in a zombie apocalypse, a settlement of people means trouble."

"Oh yeah, I know; sometimes they're secretly cannibals."

Bubbles shuddered. "Or they're totalitarian."

"Or they'd take all our stuff and leave us for dead. Not that we have anything of value except food, but we'd be screwed if we lost what little we actually have."

"Do you really think it's a good idea? Going to check it out, I mean... You only heard music; what if that's a sign that they don't want to be bothered, whoever they are? If they wanted to attract survivors, wouldn't they put out a broadcast with their coordinates inviting people to drop by?"

Boomer paused. "Oh... I didn't think about that."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I guess I just got excited that I was hearing music for once instead of deafening silence. Music is one of humanity's greatest accomplishments, y'know? I doubt those infected boneheads would be able to come up with anything as extraordinary as music."

Bubbles hummed in agreement.

"Thing is... Eventually we're gonna have to leave, which sucks because honestly I really like your house, but with those things prowling around outside, it's only a matter of time before they..." He sighed. "You get what I'm saying."

She took a small sip from her water bottle and nodded. "It might be a good idea to leave today."

"Today?" When she nodded again, Boomer grew serious. "Alright. We're gonna need to pack only what we can carry. I don't know where we can go that the infected won't find us, but if you want, actually..."

His expression grew thoughtful. Bubbles, yet again, didn't like how determination flickered in his eyes. Usually when he got that look in his eyes, he was up to no good... Though usually that 'no good' saved their skins, so she couldn't complain too much.

"Boomer, what are you thinking?" she asked slowly.

"I'm thinking that maybe it might be a good idea to scout ahead, see if there's a house we could stay in. One of us could stay here, hold the fort down, while the other searches for a potential new place for us to take refuge in."

She didn't like the idea of being left alone again and she had a feeling that Boomer was hinting he'd be the one to go scouting. "Um... Wouldn't it be better if we both went to find a new house?"

"Well yeah, but it's less of a risk if I go by myself." When she raised an eyebrow, he held up his hands in the universal 'whoa nelly' gesture. "Look, nothing personal, but I'm a little bit faster than you."

"Oh hell no." Now that caught Boomer off-guard. His eyes widened slightly at Bubbles' sharp tone. "Boomer, if anyone's gonna scout ahead, let me do it."

"Why?"

Bubbles didn't know exactly why, but she did know she hated the idea of him thinking she was a weak little damsel that couldn't handle going off on her own. While she was always considered the soft-hearted one out of her sisters, she could hold her own against anything, let alone the infected.

...Okay, so they totally freaked her out and she was terrified of getting bitten, but if she needed to protect herself, she would do her damnedest to stay alive. It's just that... When she first discovered that the world had changed, she'd thought her family was dead. That was enough to rattle anyone, let alone petite, sweet Bubbles. The infected were unnatural and horrific in nature, and yes, she'd gone into shock when they got ambushed earlier, but she wasn't weak for being afraid of them.

And apparently that's how Boomer saw her, whether he had feelings for her or not. It kind of stung.

"Because I know Townsville like the back of my hand. Give me a little credit; before I met you, I managed to find my own food and I survived a few nights by myself upstairs, not down here in the security of the lab. I may scare easily and I may seem weak, but if I need to kick some ass, you better believe I will."

The fire in her eyes made Boomer feel a little woozy. So Bubbles Utonium was not without sass; that was kind of hot, if he was being honest. Nevertheless, he understood what she was saying and he honestly hadn't meant to piss her off.

"I'm sorry," he admitted. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything when I said I was faster than you. Believe me, the last thing I'd ever wanna do is offend you, it's just that... I'd rather get myself hurt than have anything happen to you. I care about you a lot, you know? I mean... I said I love you, and trust me, I never use those words lightly."

Bubbles simmered down slightly at that. "It's okay. It's just that my sister Buttercup always used to tease me when I was younger, and... I don't wanna seem like this weak little doll who can't do anything for herself."

"You're the furthest thing from weak, Bubbles. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone, let alone me." He chuckled. "You're one of the strongest people I've ever met; I just don't want anything to happen to you, especially since my brothers have been gone for a while now, and I don't know if..."

He bit his lip and Bubbles nodded, immediately understanding.

He didn't know if Brick and Butch were coming back.

"Speaking of which," she decided it was time to change the subject. "When they come back, what do you think we should do to let them know where we are?"

She didn't know just how grateful he was that she said 'when' they come back instead of 'if.' Boomer had been trying to remain optimistic, but with how clever the infected seemed to be getting... Brick was a genius and Butch was a force to be reckoned with, but there was a chance that even they might not make it, and even Boomer was starting to come to terms with that.

"I could leave a note," he suggested, remembering what he'd said before they'd fallen asleep. "But now that I think about it... That's not really reliable because what if we find a place to stay, but then we have to move again? They'll have an address that leads them nowhere."

That was a valid point. Bubbles sighed.

"I'd say we could try using walkie-talkies, but we don't have any and I think there's a limit on how far you can go before you can't really hear each other anymore."

"True." Boomer laid back against the pillows and let his arm fall across his eyes. "Why do the infected have to be such asshats? Why can't they just be slow and stupid?"

"Because that would make life easier," Bubbles joked. She tried to think; what exactly could they do to let Boomer's brothers know where they were? It was a shame that they couldn't use cell phones to keep in contact with—

"Wait." At her tone, Boomer moved his arm to look at her. "You said you heard music on the radio, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Maybe cell reception is working again."

"I'm not so sure about that. Besides, we were having problems with reception before; even if the towers are back up and running, who's to say that cell reception would be any great?"

"That's true, but what if we somehow managed to get my cell phone back from your house and left Brick and Butch a note with my number? That way if we do have to move and they text us or call us, we can let them know what the game-plan is."

Boomer seemed to mull that over. "Not a bad idea, but again, what about electricity? Eventually your phone will die again and we won't have any way to charge it, and then they won't be able to contact us even if... Er, when they get back."

Damn it... He's right.

She laid down next to him and sighed. "Well.. I'm all out of ideas, then."

"To be fair, that was actually a pretty good idea and I'm definitely considering it." That surprised Bubbles. "It's better than nothing and who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll return before your phone dies again. Speaking of which, would it be okay with you if I was the one who went to retrieve your phone?"

At her queer expression, he held up his hands in mock-surrender. "I'm not trying to be an ass, I'm just trying to give you the option. If you want to make the journey yourself, I won't stop you, but I do think it would be better to have someone stay here just in case, even if that 'someone' is me. It's up to you, though."

Bubbles blushed with slight embarrassment. "You can do whatever you want, Boomer, I just got upset before because I don't want you to think I can't do anything for myself. I'm scared of the infected, but just because I'm scared doesn't mean I'm helpless. I can pull my own weight too."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, I understand, and you've definitely been pulling your weight, so please don't think otherwise; if it wasn't for you, I would still be at my house and I'd probably be dead, since this lab is the one thing that's been keeping us safe. I just wanted to ask because you kind of had a point earlier... I was trying to keep you safe by locking you in the mudroom, but that was also a dick move on my part. Not only was that probably terrifying, sitting there by yourself not knowing whether I was dead or alive, but it put you at risk, too, considering the infected probably sniffed around the house after I led the other ones away. Plus you probably thought I left you for dead, and I would never do that, but I can see why you might think that. And honestly... I'm really sorry, Bubbles, I never meant to hurt you or put you in harm's way."

Out of all the guys Bubbles had ever dated, she had never heard a more sincere apology than she did in that moment from Boomer Jojo.

"We were in a tight spot and you were just trying to keep us both safe, even though you were putting yourself in harm's way." She poked his cheek and he smiled. "The truth is that you are faster than me and you were able to think on your feet even though the infected were hot on our heels. All I did was freeze up."

"That was a natural reaction, though. I think I'd probably shit enough bricks to build myself a small cottage if I had been in your shoes."

Bubbles burst into laughter. "Oh my gosh, did you really just say that?"

Boomer laughed as well. "You've never heard that expression?"

She could only shake her head as she continued to giggle. When they'd both calmed down to soft chuckling, Bubbles wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"I needed that laugh."

"Me too." Boomer wiped at his own eyes. "For what it's worth, though, I am sorry about yesterday."

"Just please don't toss me into a dark room again," Bubbles half-joked. "If anything, take me with you. That way we can at least fight side-by-side if we get cornered."

"If we ever get split up for whatever reason, I promise that I will always do whatever it takes to come back to you," Boomer added. "So if we have a repeat of today, which I'm hoping we won't, but if we do, then I promise, I will always come back to you. Unless I'm bitten, of course."

"I promise, too. If we ever get split up, I'll try to find my way back to you and I'll help in any way I can."

They kissed on it.

"So what are we going to do about getting your phone?"

Bubbles glanced towards their food inventory. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to have one of them run to Boomer's house while the other stayed here.

"You are faster than I am," she admitted. "If you're up for it, you could run and grab it. I could stay behind and get everything packed up; that way if the infected follow you, we're already good to go. And actually, here..."

She reached over to grab Buttercup's bat, handing it to him. She knew he'd brought his own baseball bat, but Buttercup's was the one she could reach. "Take this with you so you at least have something to defend yourself with."

Boomer nodded. "Alright, I will. Let's do this."


The bright morning sun had never looked so beautiful.

Bubbles bit her lip as she took a step outside into her front yard. She made her way towards the sidewalk before turning around to take one last look at her childhood home, a place filled with so many memories, once cozy and safe.

Boomer had left earlier that morning to make the run to his house. After finding one of her father's post-it notes, she'd scribbled down her number and let Boomer write his own note to his brothers. Although he was taking a little longer than expected, Bubbles knew that his neighborhood was probably crawling with infected and he could be hiding, waiting for them to move along so he could continue his journey back to the lab. Truthfully, it was dangerous for Bubbles to even be standing out here, but she'd wanted one last glimpse of her home, to burn it into her memory one final time so that she would remember it forever.

The house was in utter disrepair, but in her mind's eye, it was still perfectly preserved, not a single scratch on it. She could practically envision Buttercup racing through the house, running late for class; Blossom cooking pancakes for everyone; the Professor sipping his coffee while reading the daily newspaper; and Bubbles herself would be upstairs, humming to herself as she did her makeup.

One blink and reality wiped her rose-colored memories away, revealing once more that the house in front of her was no longer what it used to be.

But... Wasn't it just that: a house? No matter where she went, the memories would still be with her. One day Bubbles would reunite with her family and the location wouldn't matter one bit: all that mattered was that they were together again, safe and happy and healthy. The same would happen for Boomer; his brothers would return and they'd all reunite, it would all be okay and all this worrying, all this fear would be something to laugh at once it was all said and done.

...Well, that's what Bubbles liked to hope for, anyway.

She eyed her home one final time before going back inside, making her way down the narrow staircase to her father's lab. The strong smell of chemicals and disinfectant used to make her wrinkle her nose, but now she was used to it. It reminded her that she and Boomer were safe, that nothing could get to them in this little room. It was a shame they had to leave, but it had more than served its purpose, and who knows? Maybe they might return one day, make use of it again if the world above proved too dangerous.

Footsteps upstairs caused her attention to shift to the ceiling. Boomer knocked his usual tune and Bubbles moved to unlock the door, allowing him in before redoing the locks. He held up her cell phone with a brilliant smile on his face.

"Look what I got~!"

His cheerfulness was contagious because she grinned as well. "No infected?"

"Honestly? None. I expected them to be waiting there, but they weren't. I felt like I was being watched, so I moved as fast as I could, left the note on the couch so Brick and Butch see it as soon as they enter the house. I don't know if the infected followed me or not, but it doesn't matter. We're leaving anyway."

She hugged him. "I'm just glad you're safe. Come on, I've got all our stuff packed."

They descended the stairs and Boomer handed her the phone before heading over to his backpack. She immediately clicked it on and went into her inbox, checking for the last message Buttercup had sent.

...Or at least, she tried to. Unfortunately, at that moment, her phone decided to start updating itself without any prompting whatsoever. She groaned.

Figures.

"Everything okay?" Boomer asked, hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders.

"Phone's updating. It's my luck that the moment I get to check my sister's last text and my phone pulls this bullshit."

He nodded sympathetically. "Mine used to do that all the time, too. Just give it a little bit, reception down here is probably crappy anyway; we're underground, after all, and once we get above ground, you should get a better signal. Might even update faster once we get out of here."

"Here's hoping." She deposited her phone into her own backpack. It was probably better to check it later anyway; if Buttercup sent something alarming, it wouldn't be a good idea to read it now when she needed to be focused on the journey ahead of them. A distraction would and could prove to be fatal.

"Alright. Do we have everything?" Boomer asked, turning to face her.

"First aid, food, water... I think that about covers it," she replied. "Oh, and I did grab my charger just in case. If you're right, if the cell towers are working again, then maybe electric will come back on soon."

"Good thinking." After a moment, he added, "Was there anything else you wanted to take with you? Y'know... A memento or something? I don't think we'll be coming back here for a while, if ever again, so if you wanted to grab something, now's the time."

She'd already thought to do that while he was gone.

"It doesn't weigh much," she began. "But I did grab one of my photo albums. I think... I think that should be enough."

Boomer took her hand and intertwined their fingers together. Bubbles turned and offered him a weak smile, appreciating his attempt at comfort.

"I'll be fine. Are you ready?"

He nodded. Bubbles hoisted her own backpack over one shoulder and let out a huff at its weight. She was used to carrying lots of textbooks for class, but canned foods and water bottles? Now that was a new challenge altogether, though it was definitely a challenge she was up for.

She stepped forward and unlocked the door that led to the tunnels. The endless hall that stretched before them was intimidating, to say the least; Professor Utonium's lab was pitch dark but the tunnels were somehow darker.

"Think there's anything hiding in these things?" Boomer whispered, giving her hand a nervous squeeze. She squeezed back.

"If there is, I'm gonna be hitting more than a home-run," Bubbles promised, half-joking but also completely serious. Yesterday had been a wake-up call for her. While she was still scared of the infected and she wasn't the violent type, she would not hesitate to kick some ass if the situation called for it.

He stifled a chuckle at her response. He knew she was serious and he hoped he'd never be at the receiving end of a furious, baseball bat-wielding Bubbles, but he also found her badass side adorable. Brick had been correct in deciding that Bubbles, though sweet, would be the type to defend those she cared about if push came to shove.

Taking a deep breath, they stepped in together, ready to face whatever came down the line.