What if R and Julie hadn't met outside the city? What if R had been captured, and brought by soldiers into the fortified city of the Living? A different version of the R/Julie story, one where they meet in her world, not his.

Isaac Marion owns Warm Bodies. I just enjoy playing with the characters.

A Dark Negative of Love

Chapter 24 – First Arrivals

"Questions?"

Though it took a few minutes, soon hands were raised, and a jumble of voices filled the room again. There were a lot of question, of course. All eyes were on me, but I felt Julie slip her hand into my under the table, and give mine a reassuring squeeze. I felt a smile trying to form on my face. Whether it showed, I didn't know.

Although there were a few questions, most of what was being said was a series of increasingly angry recriminations for allowing a Dead to move freely in the city without anyone knowing.

I kept telling myself to stand tall, and not shrink back at the barrage of anger and hate that was flowing my way. But I was as terrified as I could ever remember being. At one point, the General signaled a soldier to step in front of me. Once the soldier took his place before me, with his two feet apart, and his gun though, though pointed at the ground, still ready to be used, the tone of the meeting changed. The presence of this guard seemed to remind the Living that they were under military rule, and that the General was in charge. They quieted down, and I saw a few leaving through a back door.

Finally it was over. After the General left the commissary, Julie, Nora and I exchanged nervous glances. That ordeal had been neither expected nor easy. I was still standing, and Nora slid her tray in front of me.

I sat back down at the table automatically. Looking at the oatmeal on her tray, U lifted a spoon and put a bite into my mouth. It didn't taste right, but it wasn't as terrible as the last time I tried Living food. I forced a few swallows down, while the girls sat on either side of me. I noticed that Nora only had one hand visible, as she had her gun on her lap under the table, finger on the trigger.

After watching the other Livings' reactions to me for a few more minutes, the girls started eating as well. We finished quickly, though, and soon left. It was quiet as we walked out, but we heard the buzz of talking begin behind us as soon as we stepped through the door. Nora walked in back of me as we made our way back through the narrow streets, past the brightly painted houses to our guest quarters.

Once we reached the safety of our room, Nora leaned up against the door, holding it closed with her back, and then bent forward, hands on her knees.

Julie collapsed into the little chair at the desk.

"Well…that was intense," Julie said. Nora exhaled loudly, and then nodded her agreement.

"And unexpected," added Nora flatly. "But still, I guess the General figured the best approach was to just to 'rip off the Band-Aid,' so to speak. R, how do you feel about what happened in there?"

"Odd. Never expected…so public?" I said. Then I took a deep breath, forcing myself to concentrate. "I ate," I added proudly.

"I saw that," replied Julie. "How did it taste?"

"Not great," I said, focusing hard on not stuttering. "See if it…stays down." I shook my head in frustration at the return to broken speech.

Julie seemed to guess what was going on in my head, as she leaned forward and stroked my arm reassuringly. "It will take time, that's all," she said.

Nora moved to the window, pulling back the little curtain. "Steiger made quite an impact. If only in 'outing' you," Nora said. "There's a group outside, standing and talking, staring at the bunker. Wonder if we should call him?"

Julie looked over at her, a bit sadly. "I don't think that will be necessary. After all, he's not my Dad," she said.

Nora glanced over at Julie, clearly puzzled by her remark.

Julie took a deep breath, fighting back tears. "I think they trust him, this General Steiger. With my Dad…people were starting to get edgy. With good reason – and look what happened! R knew about it too, before it happened. Didn't you?"

Julie turned to me. I could only nod. "I'd never seen it…but…he wasn't all Living…at your house…"

"I thought something was troubling you. After he left, you seemed to be looking after him, worried," Julie said softly.

"Scared, really. For you," I added shyly.

"That's sweet," she replied, keeping her head down.

So she didn't want to reply to my attempts to be affectionate. What did I expect? I swallowed and looked down at my hands, flexing my fingers. They seemed to be more…limber. Inspecting them more closely, it occurred to me that I should really clean my nails. I wondered if I became more "human," would she lose interest in me? Or could there ever be a possibility that she might return my affections, if I became full Living like she was? I wasn't sure of her feelings, at this point.

She paid attention to me, but was it because she was just naturally kind-hearted? I was sure that was what had happened initially, when we met on the roof. I was like some kind of wild animal she had found and wanted to return to its "natural habitat," outside the fortified city.

Now, was I simply some kind of experiment, someone to keep a close eye on as a way of judging if the plague might possibly be shifting course?

I didn't know. When I turned to look at her, she was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, and had Nora had plopped back down at the desk. Both had picked up books, and Nora was reading, while Julie had hers lying on her stomach, open somewhere in the middle.

I remained standing and looked out the window at the crowd that was slowly increasing in size in the street outside.

We stayed that way for another hour, until the first of the transports came in.

General Steiger had mentioned in the meeting at the commissary earlier that the soldiers had been working to construct two entrances inside the city. One for the Living evacuees, and the other for the Dead seeking shelter.

When the phone rang, both girls jumped, and Nora reached over to answer it. It was the General, she mouthed at me, and he wanted to speak to me on the phone.

When I took the phone, he said, "The first group of evacuees is about to approaching. This was your idea, R. I want you here to see the incoming refugees. It's time people got used to seeing you."

The three of us walked to the gate and waited with the General for the transport. We heard the rumble of a diesel engine on the other side of the gate, and then the soldiers opened the gate and pulled aside some of the barricades to let the large truck in. We watched as a grizzled truck driver got out of the cab and went to the passenger side. As he opened the door, I was stunned to see him helping M out of the cab. I started as I felt the sharp intake of my own breath.

As M climbed down, the truck driver told us, "Colonel Rosso suggested I bring him with me in the cab. He pointed out some very useful information I would like to share with you if I may, General."

The General nodded, and appeared to be watching the transaction between the Living driver and the Dead M carefully.

As M stood up, regaining his balance, the truck drive extended his hand to him. "Thank you, friend," said the driver.

M looked startled, but returned the handshake and said, "Nice…working for a change."

The General looked pleased, and when M spotted me, he swayed happily for a few seconds before starting towards me with…a grin on his face! He was smiling!

When he reached me, he clapped me on the back. "Good…to see you," he said.

I pointed to his face. "Smiling?"

He nodded.

"Still bent…from Boneys," I said, looking at his forehead.

M reached up and gave his forehead a shove. "Better?"

I nodded, and then looked at the girls.

Julie and Nora were standing behind us wide-eyed, watching M try to fix his head.

"Sorry," said M. He looked at me expectantly.

Realizing that of course he wanted introductions to the girls, I said, "M, this is...Julie…"

"Hello…again," said M with a bow.

"And Nora…"

Clearly this was the moment M had been waiting for. He looked at Nora, biting his lip, and then said only one word: "Beautiful."

Nora blushed. "Pleased to meet you," she said, sounding as though she were choosing her words carefully. "You're the friend who came into the city looking for R?"

M nodded.

"Well then, I am especially pleased to make your acquaintance," she said, extending her hand to him. He looked at it for a minute, and then put his hand out to shake hers.

As this introduction went on, the soldiers had been helping the refugees down from the back of the truck. I noticed that Julie had been watching them as Nora and M were talking. I could almost feel her counting them off in her head. She was smiling occasionally, as it looked like she saw someone she knew.

"Miles must have brought over forty in that truck. Couldn't have been comfortable in there, but he did it," Julie said in an admiring voice. "And this first group was mostly children, with a few of the mothers."

The General and the truck driver, who had been talking quietly while the Living disembarked from the back of the truck, had also been watching us.

"We're going to my situation tent for a briefing," the General told us, "and then Miles is going to get gas and go back for more people."

Julie walked forward. "Miles?" she called after him.

The truck driver excused himself to the General and made his way over to us. "Sorry to hear about your father, Miss," he told Julie. "Whatever happened, he was a good man."

Julie smiled, fighting tears again. "Thanks. We don't know what happened, and if R can come back, maybe Dad can too. I've got to hope," she said.

Miles nodded sympathetically.

"You brought the kids first?" Nora asked him.

"We were pretty sure we would get the first truck through, as I usually make a run between the two domes on each trip," Miles replied. "But if John Grigio starts to notice multiple trips back and forth…we're not sure what will happen."

"Who's next?" Nora asked.

"They're deciding that now," Miles said, rubbing the back of his head thoughtfully. "It's a hot debate over there, and a hard first test of General Rosso's leadership."

"Ladies," he said, "the staff is waiting for a report from me, and then I want to get going while it's still light." With that he turned to leave with the General.

"Well, now we have an excuse to room together," said Nora brightly. "They'll need the other room for the incoming people." As she was speaking, Nora's pager went off, and she pulled it from her belt to check the message.

"Gotta go," she told us. "Medical is paging me. The Nurse Practitioner said they would be calling me for any procedures."

As she started to leave, though, she turned back to us. "M, it was a pleasure to meet you," she said carefully.

M smiled then stepped closer to her, clearly trying not to drag his feet. He reached for her hand, which she held out cautiously. He bent over it, kissing the back. "Pleasure…all mine."

Julie giggled watching, and Nora shot us a look, then left.

M came back over. "She smells…as beautiful as…she looks," he stated. Then looked at Julie. "Compliment. Not hungry. Well….won't eat anyway," he said, starting to babble a bit.

Julie giggled again, and M gave a goofy grin, looking relieved.

"Going back…with him," he said, pointing in the direction Miles had gone.

"Maybe…shower?" I suggested softly, glancing at Julie.

Julie looked at me, and then said to M, "I'm sure I can find some clothes for you, if you want. Do you think you have enough time to freshen up before you leave again?"

M got a strange look on his face before asking, "Peach body wash?"

Julie looked startled, and I laughed.

"Joke," said M.

And so it was that the three of us walked together towards our bunker. It felt strange but good to be mixing my friends from the two worlds, Living and Dead. Or maybe, "Living-Transitioning" would be a better term? Simple "Dead" no longer seemed an adequate term for our current state.

Looking at the Living on high alert all around me, I couldn't help but thinking about who was missing. The one whose fate seemed tied to all of our futures: John Grigio.

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If you would like more on the truck driver Miles' backstory, please check out my other Warm Bodies story, Seeking Life. Miles' story is Chapter 5.

Also, I will be traveling at the end of the week. There may be a delay in sending previews, if I get them after I leave on Friday. I will send the previews on Monday when I return.

I really do appreciate all of the reviews and support that you guys have shown for this story.

Waiting for John G as Boney? Stay tuned…next chapter…