Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! I was going to leave the story as just a little stolen moment between Doyle and Scarlett... But I'm a sucker for "end of the world" passion and started to write more! Again, I don't own the characters. Thanks for reading and review if you'd like!

Our Lifetime for Theirs

The four of them entered the street after Doyle gave the all clear. They were fortunate enough to not see any sign of the infected nearby. However, Scarlett didn't doubt they were still out there someplace.

They hastily walked to the front gates of the park that Flynn would be picking them up at. Doyle closed the gates behind them. There was an abandoned carnival play area where Andy and Tammy immediately ran towards. Scarlett followed, grinning slightly at Andy's childish nature. The poor boy had seen so much for such a young age.

They weren't there five minutes when Doyle's radio blasted to life.

"Doyle! Doyle, you copy?"

Scarlett spun around and watched as Doyle pulled his earpiece on. "Yes I copy! Where you at?"

"You got company heading your way! The damn infected didn't all get toasted last night. I'm coming in hot!"

"Fuck," Doyle swore. He hadn't allowed himself to hope the infected had all been killed but it would have been nice to have a bit of good luck. He looked around and asked, "How long Flynn?"

"I'll be there in sixty!"

"Sixty minutes?"

"Seconds!"

Scarlett's eyes widened and Doyle yelled, "Kids! Let's go!"

She grabbed both Andy and Tammy's hands as they all went running towards the open field. There were twenty feet down when suddenly Doyle dropped. "Get down," he hissed.

They all fell to the ground. Scarlett had seen them before she went down: an entire line of the infected was heading their way. Doyle motioned for them to stay low and quiet. Scarlett looked around. The overgrown weeds hid them from view but it was only buying them minutes and they would only have seconds to all board the helicopter.

"Jesus Doyle, who are all those people with you!" An angry voice sounded over the radio.

Doyle looked down at Scarlett just as she looked up at him. "We need to take everyone Flynn!"

"I can't! We won't be landing at base if all those people are in here! No! I can't take them!"

"Flynn- there's children! We won't be going to base but we have to get them out of here!" Doyle argued.

The chopper suddenly started lowering over them. Doyle got up and ran over to it. Scarlett sat on her knees, holding the children close. She could see the infected had just spotted them. "Doyle!" She screamed over the helicopter's noise. He turned to her but one look at her face and he already knew. He turned around, bringing his rifle up and starting to shoot the nearest undead.

All of a sudden the guy in the red shirt jumped on the helicopter's railing, thinking it was flying away.

"Flynn do something!" Doyle yelled into his radio. They were sorely outnumbered.

Everything was happening so fast. Scarlett pulled her hand free of Tammy's and grabbed her gun. Flynn meanwhile had turned the helicopter into a weapon. It zoomed after the infected, chopping them to pieces. Scarlett tried to see past the blood and carnage enough to shoot any stragglers that got close. The hysterical guy in the red shirt was dropped into the middle of the madness.

Doyle, satisfied by the help, turned and ushered them again. "Run! Run!"

Now, down to four, they ran as fast as they could back through the park. Scarlett's heart was racing. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Andy was running near Doyle, while Tammy stayed by her side.

Tammy's foot caught in a pothole and when she fell, Scarlett dove herself over to catch her. They both went down in a heap. There were shots fired and Scarlett looked back again to see that Andy had fallen too and Doyle was taking care of the five or so infected that were nearby.

Doyle leaned down to the boy and they exchanged words.

"Are we going to be okay? Please," Tammy pleaded. Scarlett looked over at her and squeezed her hand. "We're going to get through this but we have to keep moving. Come on!"

They all helped each other up and again they were off and running as fast as they could. Scarlett could hear the snarls echoing off the alleyway, coming from the infected. She knew they didn't have long before they'd be overrun by them. Doyle's friend Flynn had at least given them a running start.

Scarlett was confused when she suddenly saw smoke at the end of the alleyway, directly where they were heading. "Doyle-"

"Get back! Tear gas!" Doyle yelled grabbing a hold of Scarlett's arm that in turn pulled Tammy away from the hostile gas.

"Into the van! Hurry!" He commanded, thrusting them towards the abandoned vehicle they had just passed by while he shot at some of the infected running towards them.

Scarlett yanked the grungy door open and let the children in first. She followed, breathing hard, and threw herself into the front seat. "Cover your faces!" She yelled, pulled her jacket over her own mouth to demonstrate. Doyle jumped in, slamming the door shut. He already had his mouth covered and quickly closed the vents and checked the windows.

Scarlett tried the ignition just as the infected started slamming themselves against the car. Blood smeared the windows, screams from the backseat, and the damn car wouldn't start!

"Come on!" Scarlett yelled at it.

"Scarlett now!"

"It won't turn!" She yelled trying the ignition over and over, hitting the gas, the brake, the clutch- anything to get it to start. By now the infected had passed out from the tear gas. If they didn't get moving the same thing would happen to them.

She looked at Doyle, who was staring into the car's rear view mirror. Scarlett turned behind her and saw faint outlines of hazmat suits coming towards them. They had glowing fire torches. She looked back to find Doyle looking at her.

He said, "Hold the clutch in, when I tell you too, pop the clutch and press on the gas. Got it?"

New horror dawned on her. He was about to sacrifice himself by getting out of the van to push.

Tammy yelled a defiant "No!" from the backseat. Scarlett shook head, "You can't-"

"Our lifetime for theirs," Doyle reminded her. He reached over and laid a hand on her cheek. "When I say go!" Then he opened the door and disappeared behind the van.

Scarlett let out a frustrated yell as she forced herself to get ready to do as he said. Andy and Tammy were both yelling at Doyle to come back. Inside, Scarlett was screaming in distress. How could he do this, it wasn't fair, none of this was fucking fair-

The van started to creep along and Doyle yelled a muffled, "Now! Scarlett NOW!"

She pressed the clutch and turned the key then forced the van into second gear. There was a grinding noise as the engine bubbled to life. Time seamed to slow down. Scarlett raised her eyes to look in the rearview mirror. She saw Doyle there, still pushing. She also saw the four hazmat suits closing in behind them.

Fire blazed behind Doyle. "Get in here! Please, Doyle!" Scarlett yelled leaning over and forcing the passenger door open again. "Don't leave us! Hurry!"

For the moment, she didn't care that the car was moving of it's own accord. Her eyes were set on Doyle's, willing him to listen and get back in the van. She had a wild thought that they'd all make it or none at all.

Doyle swung his rifle around, pulling the trigger as he sprinted towards the open door. His lucky shot took the closest hazmat suit down but in the process brought more attention to them. The others retaliated by blasting off fire directly at him.

"Doyle!" Scarlett was vaguely aware that Tammy was leaning over the driver's seat trying to steer. Meanwhile, Scarlett through her arms out and grabbed a hold of Doyle. With Andy holding Scarlett down so she didn't slide out, she pulled Doyle into the van with all her might.

Tammy swerved to miss a pile of bodies in the street and Scarlett clung to Doyle. With another hard final pull she managed to get him the rest of the way inside. "Tammy grab my bag!" Scarlett yelled as she slid into the driver's seat. Andy closed the van door with a bang. "Hurry! Tammy, I need you to take out the burn kit, the red case in there. Andy, can you get the cloth away from the wound? If any of it sticks don't pull it."

Andy nodded bravely to her before setting to work. Scarlett looked at Doyle, who was breathing heavily with red, watering eyes. She could tell he was about to pass out from breathing in too much gas and a bit of shock from the burn.

"I got it Scarlett," Tammy said leaning forward.

Scarlett kept a watch on the road but didn't have a clue where to go. Wait, the stadium. Flynn said he'd pick them up next at the stadium. She glanced back at Tammy. "Okay, when the wound is as clear of cloth as you can get it, you'll need to open the pouch that says burn gel. You're going to put the entire packet on the wound carefully, not missing any spots, okay?"

Tammy swallowed, took a deep breathe, and nodded. Scarlett looked at Doyle, "Hang in there- and don't you ever fucking try to be heroic again."

Doyle smirked before resting his head back and passing out.

A mere twenty minutes had gone by when Doyle came to again. Scarlett was trying to take the long way around to the stadium, taking side streets to avoid any of the infected or the army scouring the city. It seamed like they had passed the area most likely to be torched and now they just had to be extra careful. Be attacked by the infected or burned alive... how wonderful.

"Where are we?" Doyle mumbled, straightening up in his seat.

"About an hour away from the stadium. I didn't think we should get there early, just in case." Scarlett looked at him, glad that he was awake. Part of her was getting nervous the gas had affected him badly.

Doyle nodded before turning in his seat and checking on the children.

"They're worn out," Scarlett said.

"We'll need to hide out someplace again, wait until evening to meet Flynn," Doyle said. He winced slightly at his arm now wrapped in gauze. "Shit, burns hurt."

Scarlett glared at him a moment before setting her eyes back on the road.

XX

They found a safe enough spot in an office building across from the stadium. From here they could keep a watch for any of the infected lurking around and plan just how they were going to get inside. Tammy and Andy had immediately fallen into a dusty, oversized arm chair in the corner. Scarlett could see the strain in their faces, the grime, and the blood. Doyle was in front of the window, checking his gun. Scarlett looked down at her pistol in its holster and knew she only had one clip left. Not enough if the infected attacked them again.

"How long are we waiting here for?" Tammy asked, catching Scarlett's gaze.

"A couple hours at least," she replied quietly.

"We'll have to leave early to give us plenty of time to get over there," Doyle said, nodding at the stadium through the window. "I don't like the way it looks out there."

Scarlett looked back at Tammy, taking a deep breathe. It was down to four of them now. How many would be left in the end?

Doyle made a noise that made Scarlett look over at him. He was trying to get his gear off now but with the fresh wound on his arm it was obviously more difficult. She walked over to him and said quietly, "Let me help you."

Doyle looked at her, sweat beading on his forehead. She knew he was in pain. Without waiting for a direct answer, Scarlett reached up and lifted the vest strap that was trying to scrape its way over the burn. Doyle used his other hand to hoist the opposite strap up and over his head. Scarlett used both her own hands to maneuver the vest over the bandage as carefully as she could. Finally, the vest came free and she laid it on the desk by his weapon while Doyle started unbuttoning his army jacket. Again, she helped him get the garment off. The whole time they worked silently, Scarlett avoiding his heavy gaze. She glanced behind him and saw that Tammy was still watching them.

Once the jacket was off Scarlett set it by the rest of his things. Her eyes rose and looked out the window. By the way the sun was shining she could tell it was just after noon. Again, she was overwhelmed with thoughts of how the hell this had gone so wrong. About how the infection had again consumed so many innocent lives. They needed to beat this thing; they needed to find a cure.

"Scarlett," Doyle said, interrupting her thoughts.

Her gaze fell to the table but she didn't turn around. She was holding onto her composure by an unraveling thread.

"Look at me, please."

There was genuine pleading in his voice and it sent tremors through her. Scarlett never pegged him for being such a sensitive man. But what was the point of knowing these private things about him? They had mere hours to form this relationship, to build upon what they had shared in the abandoned warehouse before he almost sacrificed himself. What plagued her was the fact that he'd make that same sacrifice if the situation so called for it again.

Slowly, Scarlett turned around. His blue eyes stood out stark against the dirt and blood on his face. She was again struck by just how handsome and intriguing he was to her.

"I want you to survive this. I want you and Tammy and Andy to survive this. I will do anything to make that happen," he said quietly. Scarlett guessed he knew that the children couldn't help but hear what they were saying. All the same, he tried to make the conversation just between them.

"But we need you," Scarlett returned with a voice barely above a whisper. She wasn't trying to hide their conversation. It was more that she didn't trust her voice not to crack with emotion. She had to stay strong, especially for Tammy and Andy.

Doyle took a deep breathe and raised his hand to lie gently on Scarlett's cheek. "I want more than anything to promise you that all of us will make it- but I can't do that. You and I both know what's at stake here." He used his thumb to wipe away the stubborn tear that insisted on falling down her cheek. Scarlett looked into his eyes and stayed silent.

She reached up and caught his hand. She lightly squeezed it before lowering his hand away from her face. While her body craved more of his touch, Scarlett wouldn't allow herself the small comfort. "You should get some rest. I'll keep watch." Before Doyle could argue, Scarlett stepped around him and walked towards the far side of the large office. She could feel his heavy gaze on her back.

XX

Scarlett had sat herself comfortably in the large windowsill overlooking the small back road they'd be taking to get to the stadium. Her gun laid ready next to her. They had made it pretty far considering everything they had come across. Andy and Tammy were physically safe. Emotionally… Well Scarlett knew they were all going to have unseen wounds after today.

As her gaze continued watching for any sign of the infected, Scarlett's mind dazed off on some other memories.

District One had shown great promise and hope to a life after the infection. Everything had been going so well. To put it simply, people were happy again. Scarlett recalled the times where she walked through the cafeteria and heard laughter, saw smiles, friendships forming. It was the greatest inspiration they all needed; to just see that happiness still existed in a world permanently marked by blood and horror.

Even with Scarlett's blossoming hopes for the future, nothing had prepared her for seeing the two small children arrive at the unloading station. None of her superiors had warned her about bringing children into the District. She had tried to argue against it but they all didn't see any risk.

For Scarlett, alarm bells went off. Her instincts were telling her something was either coming or just wrong... She couldn't place it. She started working long nights recalculating her work and fine picking her research for any mistakes. When she met Andy the first time, Scarlett had been impressed by the maturity he carried at his age. It was also quite interesting to meet someone with the eye discoloring that he had- which happened to be what started this all.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when footsteps interrupted her thoughts. She looked and saw Doyle coming towards her. It was hard to ignore her suddenly accelerated heartbeat. Of course, Scarlett cursed at herself again. She slipped off the window ledge to stand instead.

"D'you get some sleep?" Scarlett whispered when he got near enough.

Doyle shrugged his shoulders as he stopped to look at the window. "Hard to sleep when I know what's out there waiting for us."

Scarlett glanced up at him then continued staring out the window as well. "There hasn't been any movement yet."

"I don't see that as a good sign. They're out there. Better to know where they are than not," Doyle responded quietly.

Scarlett knew he had a point there. "The kids asleep?"

"Looked to be." Doyle looked down at her. Feeling his gaze, Scarlett looked back at him. Their eyes locked and silence stretched on. Scarlett thought she could get lost in his blue eyes forever.

Doyle took a slow but determined step towards her. Scarlett's breathing picked up. His hand raised and slid across her cheek to bury in her hair. Then he was leading her face up to his. Scarlett thought about breaking away, she knew it was the better thing to do. But… Was it so terrible to steal these final moments for themselves?

Indecision won and the reward was another heated kiss with Doyle. His lips were chapped against hers but it didn't matter. Soon their tongues touched and Scarlett went weak in the knees. Doyle was there to support her, even with a wounded arm, and he soon pressed his body against hers into the wall. The passion they had experienced mere hours before was suddenly there filling their souls with life. Feeling the spark, Scarlett gasped and broke the kiss. "Doyle..." She said while he leaned down and laid a kiss on her neck. "...we can't do this..."

Doyle pulled his lips away from her neck and stared hard into her eyes. "We're almost there Scarlett, we've almost made it." He said quietly, trying to sound confident. "One more final mission and we'll be on board a helicopter and flying away from this hell."

He raised his hands to cradle her face. Scarlett let another tear fall. Hell was the only thing this world knew now.