When Sarah woke up, Bill had already been awake for some time. Still blaming himself, he just stared at the jar of honey, his gaze lost in the amber liquid. He jerked in surprise when Sarah suddenly sat down in his lap, looking at him somewhat pleadingly. He frowned. "What?"

She looked back at the honey, then at him. "Fooooodd..."

Bill nodded. "Do you want me to open the jar for you?"

She nodded, and got off his lap, watching him. He groaned as he leaned forward, his aching body and stiff joints protesting. He pulled the jar over, then gripped the handle, and popped the seal, twisting it off. He offered it to the Witch, but she sat in his lap, looking at him expectantly. He blinked. "Well, what do you expect me to do?"

She grabbed his hand. "Hheelp meee... I caaan't..."

She poised it over the open jar mouth, two fingers in it. He sighed deeply, then nodded. "Very well."

He dipped his fingers into the honey, then pulled them out. Sarah leaned forward, and closed her lips around them, licking and sucking the honey off. Bill gasped softly at the force of her sucking, feeling like he'd just stuck them in a vacuum cleaner. "Just like the foals on the farm..."

Sarah looked at him, licking her lips, then leaned in and cleaned the honey off his fingers again. Soon a soft smile touched his bearded lips, his ash-gray eyes brightened. He didn't notice Francis waking, and jumped when the big biker spoke. "I think that's the happiest I've seen you, Grandpa Bill."

Bill frowned. "Don't call me that."

Sarah whimpered softly, reminding him of her and the honey. He looked back at her, the smile reappearing, and started feeding her again. Francis watched them, his elbows resting on his knees, smiling himself. "Ya know... I never really liked kids before, but... She's different. She makes things okay."

Bill sighed. "Temporarily."

Francis nodded. "Yeah, temporarily... But temporarily is better than nothing."

Bill nodded, and continued feeding Sarah until she wouldn't take his fingers. He looked at the jar - almost all of the honey was gone. He cleaned his fingers off, then closed the jar, blinking as Sarah hugged him, cuddling slightly. He sighed, and hugged her back. "Francis, wake Zoey up... Sarah obviously doesn't want me up..."

Francis nodded, then reached over and shook Zoey awake gently. She groaned, but sat up and opened her eyes, smiling once she saw Bill and Sarah. "You two look so sweet together."

Bill sighed deeply, his face suddenly grievous. Zoey frowned deeply, and stood, then walked over, sitting on the table. "Bill? What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, and swallowed somewhat hard, closing his eyes for a moment. "She just reminds me of my own granddaughter..."

Zoey blinked. "You had a granddaughter? What happened to her?"

Bill sighed. "Well... if we have the time I'll go over the whole thing. I need to get it out, anyway..."

Zoey nodded, then went and sat on the couch again, cuddling up to Francis. The old war vet sighed again, and pulled up one of the most painful memories he had. "It was a few months ago... My daughter, Carey, and her husband, Michal, dropped their daughter, Elizabeth, off..."

Four months before...

"Grandpa!"

Bill grinned, lowering to his knees as his ten-year-old granddaughter, Elizabeth, ran up the walkway and into his arms. He hugged her, then lifted her, groaning softly. "You've gotten so big, Liza. Maybe you should be carrying me, instead?"

He put her down, then reached up and gripped one of the horizontal support beams to his porch. Liza grabbed his leg, then lifted. He flexed his arms, pulling his aged-but-strong body up off the ground. He looked up at Carey, her bright face smiling as she walked up. "Carey, what've you two been feeding this kid?"

Carey chuckled. "Alright, Liza, let's put Grandpa down."

Her daughter obeyed, lowering Bill to the ground, then going inside. Carey walked up and hugged Bill. "Hi, Dad."

He kissed her forehead gently. "Hey. How're you and Mike doing?"

She smiled. "Oh, we're doing fine. Been busy, and expecting another as a result."

Bill grinned. "Really? Another? How far along are you?"

"About two months."

"Congratulations.

Carey sighed. "Thanks again for agreeing to watch her, Dad."

He smiled. "You kidding? You know I like spending time with her. She's my granddaughter."

"Yeah, she also told me you called her your 'little angel to spoil'."

He laughed softly. "Well, she's that too."

Carey punched his shoulder gently, and he grimaced, clutching it. She put her hands to her mouth. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I totally forgot that was the shoulder you had surgery on!"

Bill shook his head. "I'm fine, Carey."

Liza appeared in the doorway, holding a jar of mix. "Grandpa! Can we make cookies today?"

Bill looked back at her, and nodded. "In a minute, sunshine. Grandpa's talking to Mommy."

"Okay."

He watched her walk back inside. He turned back to Carey inside. "Alright, Dad, we'll only be gone for a few days. Probably four or five. If you want, you can have us pick her up when we get back, or just bring her by yourself at the end of break."

He smiled. "I think I'll go with the second."

Carey nodded, and smiled. "Alright, see you then."

They kissed each other's cheek, and Carey left with Michal. Bill sighed, watching their truck drive away. He then turned and walked inside, getting ambushed by the ten-year-old with cookie mix. "Alright, let's go make those cookies."

Liza grinned and ran into the kitchen. He followed, taking the jar from her and reading the instructions that were in Carey's careful handwriting. He put the oven on preheat, then got what they needed. "Alright, Liza. Let's get working."

Liza grinned even wider than before, and they got to work. With and hour and a half, they had two tray's-worth cooling and two more in the oven. Bill had batter in his beard, thanks to his granddaughter, and it was on both their faces, also her work. He set to cleaning them up. "Let's try and be a little cleaner next time. I'm not the Gingerbread Man."

His granddaughter laughed. "Sure aren't. Gingy was fast - you're not."

Bill arched a brow. "I'm not? Who says?"

"But you're old!"

He grinned. "So? Why don't we go out back so I can show you?"

She hopped down. "What about the cookies?"

"They're on a timer. We'll hear the chime. I'll leave the doors open - sound good?"

She nodded, then ran out back. He followed. The backyard was spacious, plenty of room to run in. He walked to one end, beckoning her over. "I can't show you how fast I am unless we're racing. You ready?"

She nodded. "Go!"

She and Bill took off, running across the yard. She looked at him after nearly bouncing off the opposite fence. "How can you be that fast?"

He smiled. "Because Grandpa was in the Army. And he takes care of himself."

Liza smiled back, then raced inside the house as she heard the timer. Bill followed a little more slowly than normal, his knees protesting momentarily. He then helped her get the cookies out, munching on some with her. "Grandpa, can I have a glass of milk?"

Bill chuckled, and got her a glass, pouring the milk. She started dunking the cookies. "Don't eat 'em all, Liza. I'm sure Mommy and Daddy want some, too, when they come back."

His granddaughter grinned. "Okay. We'll leave... that tray for them," she said, pushing one of the fresh trays further away.

He sighed and chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright. Should we put the cookies in a present for them? Or just a tray?"

She shrugged, dunking and eating her cookie. He looked at the clock - break or not, her bedtime was two hours away, eight o'clock. "Alright, Liza. What should we do for the next two hours?"

"Aw! I really gotta go to bed at eight?"

Bill nodded. "Yes, Liza, you do. We got a big day tomorrow."

She sighed. "Can we watch a movie?"

He smiled, and nodded. "Sure. What do you want to watch?"

Liza hopped down after finishing her fifth cookie, and searched through her movies. She pulled one out. "This one!"

He looked at it. "Zombieland... when did I...? Did you bring this from your house?"

She nodded. He sighed, and shrugged. "Okay... if you're not supposed to watch this, it's not my fault if you get in trouble once you go back home."

He opened the case, put it in the player, then turned his TV on. He sat down in his chair, grunting when Liza plopped down on his lap. He played the movie, falling asleep when the four reached Bill Murray's mansion. He jerked when he heard slow, heavy thuds on his window and door. He gently deposited Liza onto the chair, and went to the window, pulling back the blinds. He exclaimed softly, seeing the street full of people. More accurately, things. Fighting, gibbering, wandering... his window was cracked, three of the things, creatures, banging their hands on it dumbly, their eyes aglow, mouths bloody, skin pale white or dark gray. He quickly went to his room, grabbing his DEagle and tying the belt around his waist, pulling his Glock out as well. He heard Liza shriek, and bolted out, smashing the grip of the pistol into the being's head and grabbing Liza. The thing gurgled and fell, its skull crushed. "What the hell...?"

More shambled in, then exclaimed and let out a sudden burst of speed, running straight for them. Without thinking Bill pulled the trigger, emptying the clip into them. They fell, and he finished them off after reloading. He set Liza down, and she ran into the kitchen. "Liza!"

He ran after her, seeing her putting the tray of cookies into a tupperware bin. "I have to get Mommy's and Daddy's cookies!"

Bill closed the kitchen door, opening the door to his boiler room and hooking it on the handle so it wouldn't open. He turned his radio on, tuning it onto news, listening carefully. "...news, a rabies-like virus appears to be spreading rapidly through the Pennsylvanian population. Officials warn people to not let the affected into their homes, or come into physical contact with the affected, as the infection seems to spread through bites and other wounds inflicted to the healthy. Through study of earlier-affected peoples, symptoms of this virus are: heavy sweating, fatigue, fever, shaking, involuntary muscle spasms, and the sudden inability to speak. While scientists are looking for a cure, it seems the only way of ending this is to end it - if avoiding the affected is not an option, officials ask you to 'please kill the poor souls, and put them out of their misery'. Extraction is set up at Mercy Hospital..."

Bill lost it to static. He cursed softly, hitting his fist on the counter, then looked at the door. The wood was splintering and breaking as the Infected pounded on it. He growled. "Liza... stay close to me. We're gonna go get your parents and get out of here."

Liza nodded, holding tightly to the tupperware bin. Bill closed the boiler room door, then kicked the kitchen door open, unloading his clip into the Infected sprawled on the ground and thrown backwards. He reloaded quickly, then ran to the front door, picking Liza up and holding her. He started to leave, then backed up and went to his room, grabbing his combat knife. Tucking it into his belt, he ran out and to the left, knowing that they'd most likely be dead by the time he got his old truck started. He shot and melee'd any Infected that tried to stop them. He reached the end of the road, and stopped, trying to find his bearings through his old, adrenaline-fried mind. He jumped when he heard Liza scream, seeing that one of the Infected had snuck up behind them and buried its teeth into her arm. He kicked it away and unloaded half the clip into its head. He looked at her, then set her down and treated her arm the best he could. "You okay, sweetie?"

She nodded, sniffling. He tore his sleeve and tied it around her wound, then picked her up again. He started running again, trying to get them to Mercy. On the way, he heard a cough that was all too familiar - a smoker's cough. He choked and dropped Liza, being tugged backwards as something long and slimy wrapped around his waist and neck. He fumbled for his knife. "Go, Liza! The Hospital's around the corner!"

He managed to pull his knife out just as she disappeared from his sight. He unsheathed it, and sliced whatever it was that was holding him just as he heard gunfire and her scream. "LIZA!"

He ran his fastest, grabbing his pistol on the way, and rounded the corner, seeing her lying on the ground, the tub of cookies open and spilled, blood pooling around her. Three bloody holes marred her face, one on her forehead and the others sloppily put in her cheek and jaw. He dropped next to her. "Liza?"

Hoping against all hope, he put his fingers against her neck, then started crying. He gathered the cookies, then her, holding her until he found some place worthy enough to bury her. He placed the cookies on her chest, and did so. "I'm so sorry, Liza... I shouldn't've told you to run... I shouldn't'v'e told you to run..."