Thump thump.

Louis' ears pricked and he held her in the original position, tears still falling from his eyes. He could have imagined it. No, this had to be real.

Thump thump.

There it was again. Louis wiped his eyes and put his ear up to her chest.

Thump thump.

It was her heart.

Thump thump. Thump thump.

"Lori?" Louis called in disbelief.

Suddenly Lori's eyes shot open and she gasped, taking a couple deep breaths. She looked up at Louis, and in his opinion, her eyes were even brighter than before. She stared around, her eyes portraying extreme surprise.

"Lori!?" Peaches yelled in surprise.

"Hurry go get the others!" Ellie told her daughter and Peaches took off.

He looked down into her eyes with a big grin on his face and said the words her would have regretted saying.

"I love you." Louis laughed a little bit and they both smiled.

"I love you too." She said in a horse quite voice. Louis leaned down, and again, pressed his lips to hers.

"Excuse me?" Ellie said quitely, tapping Louis on the shoulder. Louis leaned back, looked up, and his cheeks turned red as he smiled awkwardly. Ellie checked Lori's heart beat and breathing then turned around, took a couple steps, and sat down.

Lori looked to the side and upon noticing that Ellie wasn't looking, grabbed Louis shoulder and pulled his down, giving him a little peak on the cheek. A goofy grin crawled across his face as they heard footsteps growing closer from down the path to The Oak Tree.

"Ellie!" They heard Manny yell. "What happened?" The herd ran over and Lori closed her eyes and relaxed her whole body, making it look as if she was dead again. Louis looked down at her and his eyes widened. Lori opened the eye opposite of the herd and winked it, smiling, then closed it again and relaxed.

"Lori was picked up by a hawk." Ellie responded. The possums walked closer to Louis and Lori, but stayed a foot or two back looked over that them. Finn walked closer hesitantly and looked at Lori's face.

"Is she… dead?" Finn asked. That was when Louis knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Boo!" Lori yelled as her eyes shot open and she stared at Finn. Every one jumped and Finn ran back to Eddie, hiding behind him.

"I totally got you guys!" Lori laughed and Finn glared at her while everyone else sighed in relief.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Finn yelled stepping out from behind Eddie.

"Well, at least I'm not still dead." Lori said, trying to sit up a little.

"Wait, wait!" Louis said. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Uh, ok." Lori said leaning back again. Louis scooped his free arm under her legs and lifted her up, walking down the path. Lori looked up at him and smiled, then leaned her head against his shoulder.

VVV

"Can't we just leave her by the door so we don't get yelled at by her parents?" Crash asked as Ellie knocked on the ground by the entrance to Lori's family's burrow. He was hit by all the animals that could reach him and glared at by the one that couldn't.

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Crash said.

Lori had fallen asleep in Louis arms on the walk over to the burrow, and Louis was staring at her with the stare he always gave the girls he liked.

Lori's mom appeared in the burrow entrance and looked around at the odd assortment of animals but her eyes eventually fell on her daughter. She climbed all the way out of the burrow and ran over to Louis and Lori. She looked at Lori, then glared at Louis, then looked back at Lori , then glared at Louis again.

"What happened?" She demanded. Louis, suddenly afraid of her, struggled to get the story strait.

"Well, Lori, I-I mean, s-she sort of, well t-there was this hawk and-"

"My daughter was picked up by a hawk?" She yelled in disbelief.

"Well, yeah." Peaches said. "But she's ok now. She was dead for a little bit but-"

"She what?!" Lori mother screamed.

"Peaches!" Everyone yelled.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, GOT YA! SHE'S FINE! MOHAHAHAHAHAHA

but yeah, she was actually dead for a good 30 seconds though.