Wooo, another chapter ! xD

Slowly getting a bit more interesting...

CDC soon!

Review!

jack-chan88: Yeah I noticed that too! I figured I'd bring something new to the table :) Thanks for the review!

Dallas' POV

Gah... I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Okay, so it wasn't morning. But I could smell it.

But I can't say for a second that I loved it.

I held Kammie close while we silently watched Atlanta go down in flames. The emergency broadcast system stopped working altogether about a half hour after Paula and Sarah fed us all and gave us spare blankets and supplies. About an hour after that, we heard the helicopters overhead, and nearly everyone ran through to the edge of the treeline to see what was going on. The military, like Derek said, took over and did what they thought needed to be done. They were eliminating the threat. That meant the zombies (never gonna get used to saying that), had taken the city. It was overrun. Which meant no survivors. No military checkpoint. No fucking refugee center.

Damn it! Couldn't we at least be granted this? Not a big favor to ask. Just a safe place to stay, that's all. Is that so freaking hard?

"Dallas, where're we goni go?" Kammie asked quietly. I pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.

"I dunno, Kam. We'll figure it out. I promise."

"Hope so."

"We'll get through this, babe. Bunch of stupid zombies can't stop us, huh?"

She flinched. "Dannae call them that." She said flatly.

"Kam?"

"It makes them soond less real then wot they really are. Childish. A joke."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

Damn, Dallas, you really know how to put your foot in your mouth when your trying to cheer up a girl.

She shivered again and whispered, "Peyton's noa a joke."

And there goes the other foot. Congratulations, Dallas Gray, you are now the number one most terrible boyfriend on the planet.

"I know, Kam. I know. I'm sorry."

Kam's POV

Flames licked at the buildings I once walked between as a kid. The power had run out, so there were no familiar lights flooding through the windows of buildings, or lighting up streetlamps along the sidewalks. The moon hid behind clouds, as if it, too, was scared to face the night that stretched out in front of us. It struck me as ironic, that the only source of light, the only cure in the thick, pressing darkness, was the fires that were destroying our last strand of hope.

And here I was, leaning my head into my boyfriend's chest, his strong arms wrapped around me. It seemed like a silly concept, now, boyfriends. The word 'boyfriend' made it sound like some high school crush where we hold hands and make googly eyes and 'marry' each other on Facebook. Suddenly we were more than that. We were witnessing the end of the world together. After everything Dallas and I had gone through together in the last 24 hours... It felt wrong calling us a simple 'boyfriend and girlfriend', when it felt like so much more.

I latched onto Dallas and vowed to not let go for anything. The refugee camp was gone, which meant we were on our own. We had to survive off our instincts, now. Work together, forget our petty differences and use each others strengths. No one could do this alone.

Dallas led me back to the truck and told me to get in and wait while he went to find that Sergeant. I flat out refused. Not letting go for anything. Reluctantly, he nodded and locked the truck up again. We gave sympathetic nods to Sarah and Paula as we passed while they tried to console their kids, and continued on, hand in hand, searching for Sergeant Matthews.

The sights we saw on the road made me want to cry, again. The families, some broken, missing members. Children crying quietly into teddy bears and blankets. Husbands and wives embracing each other because they know this could be their last night together. Brothers and sisters forgetting childhood fights and hugging, because suddenly family was all that mattered, now. Father and son exchanging well deserved tears, not caring if people thought it made them any less manly or strong.

At the end of everything, when you strip away that food chain of society, that balance in everyone's lives... you see who people really are.

Dallas found Matthews by a bunch of other soldiers hovering around a military Hummer. "Hey! Dude! Sergeant!" His voice carried without him needing to be too loud, the night choked into silent sobs in the shock of our new reality. The soldier twirled around to face us.

"Yeah?"

Dallas lowered his voice. "Look man, I know the military have probably got safe-zones, right? Like an Army base? Air Force base? Anything nearby?"

Matthews ran a hand through his hair. "Our orders stopped coming in about an hour ago. I'm just as clueless as you as to where's safe."

"But ye must ken bout where the bases are?" I argued, "Like he said, Army bases?"

Matthews thought for a second. "Fort Benning is about a hundred miles off from here. That's the closest I can think of... Unless..." He turned around to one of the other men, "Hey, Corporal! What'd you say about the CDC?"

A young kid with a buzz cut spoke up. "Last I heard, the General was ordering a whole damn platoon of marines down there, sir. Says they're workin' on a cure."

I looked up at Dallas. "They're protectin' the CDC at all costs, right? So isn't that a gid place tae be?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He looked to Sergeant Matthews, "You boys got a map?"

"I can do you one better. I'll take you down there myself. I'm getting my family down there, too."

Dallas nodded. "We'll just follow you, then."

"Just back up and run along the treeline till the traffic clears. We'll go the long way - cut back into town and circle our way back around. It's safer."

"On it."