Author's Note:

Good lord. Finally, the monster that is chapter five has been revised and is ready to be shared with my wonderful readers.

This chapter was a challenge. Not necessarily in getting the content out but it needed heavy revision, and my poor beta had to constantly help me with suggestions on so many things that required improvement. I'm very happy about where it's at now though!

We finally get to see some action, though there is considerably less dialogue in this chapter. Of course, with the way I write, dialogue will always be there...so if you like a lot of dialogue, don't worry. You'll still enjoy this chapter (hopefully anyway). I hope you all love it!

Lastly, kudos to my beta, Arenoptara, and all the people who have left reviews and favorited/followed Effervescent. It really does mean so much to me. Without further ado...

I rolled over in the bed, woken by the rays of sunlight. Morning came too early as always and I sat up groggily, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. A knock sounded at the door and I croaked out a reply.

"Yes?" My voice sounded like sandpaper had scratched at my throat for years.

Luke's voice drifted through the door. "I take it you're awake. Can I come in?"

I moved to stand, stretching from side to side first before I opened the door. Luke stood just in front of me, looking ridiculously good for it being first thing in the morning. I immediately smelled the welcoming and familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and I about had a heart attack.

Excited, I asked, "You have coffee? I could kiss you right now."

He smiled lazily, as if remembering our interaction last night. His expression sobered and he said, "I do."

He handed me a steaming mug with the magical substance inside. I quickly took it from him, taking a sip even though it was still piping hot and groaned in bliss.

When was the last time I had coffee? Good coffee? I thought to myself.

I glanced back up at Luke and he was watching me with an amused expression. I lifted the mug and mumbled, "Thanks." He nodded in response.

I then noticed he had my backpack slung over his shoulder and his empty duffel bag that he'd taken to the living room the night before, on his other side. I cleared my throat and motioned to the bags. "Looks like you're ready to leave. Is it time already?"

He nodded again, turning away from me and heading into the living room. I took another sip of coffee and shortly shuffled after him. He was facing the hallway when I entered the room, waiting for me to appear and when I finally did, he waved his hand in a 'come hither' gesture and pointed to the floor in front of him.

I begrudgingly obeyed and looked up at him, irritated. "You couldn't have just asked me to do that?"

He chuckled and teased, "You're not much of a morning person, are you?"

I mumbled under my breath in response. "Gee, what tipped you off?"

He reached over to pull my shirt aside, exposing a good chunk of my upper chest and shoulder and I shied away him, exclaiming, "What the hell? Warning much?!"

Luke just stared at me as if I were slow in the head and said in a tone that clearly implied that he was worried about exactly that.

"I need to change your bandage before I leave. What did you think I was doing?"

I shook my head quickly, embarrassed by my assumption and said, "Nothing. Just, uh, sorry. One sec." I leaned over to put the mug of coffee down on the table and stood back up, unbuttoning the top of the shirt.

"Okay, there. That should be easier."

He mumbled his thanks, peeling off the old medical tape holding my bandage from last night in place. I watched him while he worked and he nodded at the condition of my wound in satisfaction, placing the bandage on the table.

Before he straightened, he poured some alcohol on a cotton pad. He faced me again and reached up, dragging the pad across the wound and I winced.

He glanced at me and asked, "It doesn't hurt as much as yesterday, right? I can probably take out your stitches sometime after I get back."

I shook my head. "No, it doesn't. But it's still not exactly a comfortable feeling."

Jokingly, he said, "I don't think I know anyone who enjoys having their wounds cleaned."

He covered the wound in fresh gauze again and I bent down and grabbed the medical tape, holding it out to him. He took it gently from me, avoiding my fingers. It was if we'd switched roles from yesterday and now he was actively trying to avoid making unnecessary contact.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Luke? Are we...okay, after yesterday?"

His gaze flickered to mine and then back to his task, sticking medical tape along the edges of the gauze methodically. "Yeah, why wouldn't we be?"

I studied him before replying tentatively, "I just don't want things to be awkward between us. It was just a kiss."

He finished and held my gaze for a bit before saying, "We're fine. It was just a kiss, like you said."

He turned, and broke eye contact. Picking up the radio that had been on the table, he handed it to me saying, "This is for you. I have a separate radio in my pack, but this one connects to both me and the Tower. Don't radio me after dark, I'll check in with you. Just in case I'm in a situation, I don't want the noise to attract anything."

I nodded in understanding. "Got it. Will you reach the tower by nightfall?"

He turned to face the window, studying the level of brightness and shrugged in response. "I'm not completely sure, but I think so. If not, I'll have to stop at a safe zone and continue on tomorrow. I'll let you know." He swung around, heading to the door and pulling back the two safety locks in a swift motion.

Looking back over his shoulder at me, he said, "Don't forget that the flood lights need to be turned on at seven sharp. Bolt the door after I leave. I left you enough fresh gauze for your wound, you'll need to change it again before you go to bed. You're not bleeding nearly as much as before, so it's a good sign that you're healing. Also, there are more protein bars in the cabinets in the kitchen and there's also dehydrated eggs, if you get extra hungry. Oh, and coffee. But that shit is expensive so try not to drink too much of it." He winked at me and pulled the door open, stepping into the hallway.

I walked up to door frame and and smiled up at him. "Okay, Dad. Anything else?"

He laughed under his breath and then his expression softened and he reached out, running the back of his hand along my cheek.

I looked up at him, startled by his sudden willingness to touch me and he said quietly, "Be careful. If anything happens, the stairs are down the hall to my right. You can access the roof if you need to get away."

I held his gaze for a moment and replied, "That should be my line. You need to watch your back more than I do. Check in with me tonight as soon as you can."

He nodded and stepped back. He looked at me a minute longer before finally turning away.

I watched him walk away and before he jumped down to the ground floor, he turned back to me. Seeing that I was still in the doorway, he waved and I lifted my hand in kind. When he finally climbed down, I turned to head back inside the apartment. I closed the heavy steel door, locking the bolts in place and sighed. This was going to be a long couple of days.

Luke's POV:

I grunted as I landed on hard cement, the soles of my feet reverberating with the shock. I walked through the dark lobby, the UV lights causing my faded shadow to warp along the walls as I passed.

I hope she'll be okay on her own...What am I saying? She's a big girl and she's made it this far. I'll check in with her tonight as planned.

As I exited the building, I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness of the sun. Orienting myself north, in the direction of the Tower, I started walking briskly. I needed to keep up the pace if I wanted to make it to the Tower by nightfall. As I came up to the first building on my right, I reached up to the low, green and white striped awning with both hands and pulled myself up, grunting with the effort. I scaled the remainder of the building quickly.

I finally reached the roof and held my hand above my eyes to block the sun again, taking in my surroundings. The sky was a light blue today, with wispy clouds that looked as if an artist had brushed them onto the background. It was windy though, and the harsh gust battered against my face. Dilapidated buildings of various heights surrounded me, as far as my vision allowed me to see. The sun hitting the white rooftops caused them to appear as if they were glowing. In the distance, smoke rose from random locations around the city - a stark contrast to the peaceful appearance of the sky. I breathed in, noting the smells of fire and ash.

Harran used to be beautiful, until everything went to hell.

Mentally mapping out my route, I stepped up to the ledge and shook my hands, nerves suddenly hitting me. I braced myself and quickly jumped to the next building, my forearms catching my weight.

I leapt down to the next rooftop, realizing too late that it had wooden boards as a makeshift roof. I fell through and landed on my elbow, crying out. Dust and wooden shards fell around me, settling in silence as I attempted to process the jarring pain in my arm, my heart beating frantically. Trying to gain control of myself, I took the opportunity to inspect my surroundings. It looked like I was in an abandoned store, judging by the shelving around me.

Suddenly, a snarl sounded behind me and I quickly shot to my feet, pain forgotten for the moment. I looked over my shoulder and a biter came through the doorway, arms outstretched towards me.

I looked back up to the hole I fell through, swearing under my breath when I realized it was too high to reach from the ground.

"Shit," I muttered, when I discovered the front door was locked. My heart pounded in my chest and my palms started to sweat. I was trapped and it made me panic. Realizing that I'd just have to deal with the immediate threat, I took a deep breath to calm myself and turned around.

Alright, we're going to do this, huh?

I reached up and over my shoulder to unzip the top of my pack, pulling out my trusted heavy gas pipe that I'd modified to hit with maximum damage by tying an added weight to the end. I anxiously waited for the biter to come around the counter and approach me, concentrating on keeping my breathing even and remaining focused.

When he got to about a foot away, I brought my right arm behind me and swung.

The pipe arched upwards and caught the biter in the jaw full force. He howled and reached for me even more fervently than more and I swung the pipe downwards, smashing in his skull. Brains and gore splattered everywhere and the biter finally dropped to the floor, dead. Now alone, my heavy panting filled the room and I wiped my arm across my forehead.

I stepped over the biter and crossed the room to the doorway he had walked out of. All of the windows had been boarded up and there were no accessible exits which left me with no other option than to pick the lock to the door in the previous room.

I returned to the front room, kneeling down in front of the door. I swung my bag over my shoulder so it rested on my thigh and opened the front pocket to take out a lock pick. After jiggling the doorknob around a couple times with the pick, I finally heard it click.

I picked up my pipe again and slowly opened the door, peeking my head out to look left and right for more biters. When I determined that the coast was clear, I eased my body out and angled myself north again, keeping my back to the building.

It took two or three more storefronts before I saw the next group of biters crowded around an old car. I slowed and carefully crossed the trash-strewn street, stepping behind a building and looking up for a ledge to use.

I had to remain quiet while somehow finding a way back up to a good vantage point, and fast. If I fell and made noise, it would attract Virals and biters, wasting valuable time, and I really didn't need that at the moment.

When I spotted the rusted safety grate in front of the second story window, I jumped and grabbed onto the bottom rung, using the grate as a ladder to scale to the roof again.

Once I was up there, the path to the Tower was pretty visible. I had made little progress so far but most of the remaining journey was a straight shot across rooftops, requiring me to hit the street only once. I rolled my neck and shoulders, trying to loosen up my muscles. I didn't want a repeat of the incident just now. It was a little early for setbacks.

Backing up to the opposite edge of the roof, I broke into a run, easily leaping to the next building. Once I had gained enough momentum, the next few buildings were a breeze. The wind blew past me and it gave me a sense of freedom in the midst of all of the confinement I experienced. I thought of Allie, cooped up in the safe zone and felt something that resembled disappointment in the fact that she couldn't be here, running with me.

I shook my head and thought to myself, You barely know her. It's dangerous to get attached to people in this world.

Yet an image of her face popped up in my mind unbidden, and again, I found myself missing her company.

I'm just lonely, I thought lamely. Even in my head that sounded like an excuse.

When I finally came to the last building before the street, I slowed to a halt, catching my breath. My thighs were aching from the prolonged use but it was a good kind of burn. It really had been too long since I left the safe zone. Hopping down onto a balcony, I tried to figure out the best way to cross the street without attracting too much attention.

I pulled some firecrackers out of my pack and studied the clusters of biters lined up on the street. They wandered in circles, focusing their attention on a still burning skeleton of a car that had been abandoned in the owner's haste to leave town. I tossed a firecracker down and to the left, as close to the car as I could throw. The biters made their way over to the disturbance.

It was pretty amusing that the biters were so easily enraptured by what were essentially fireworks: large clusters of fire paired with a ton of glittery shit.

They fell onto the car and caught on fire, squealing and grunting as their bodies were consumed by the flames and they eventually collapsed onto the ground. All that remained of them now were burnt husks of what were previously human beings.

Four down, five to go.

Any large group tended to be a challenge to maneuver, so I threw two more firecrackers to the right this time, slightly apart from one another. That way, the sound came from the same direction but was widespread enough to catch the entire group's attention.

When they starting shuffling away from my position, I vaulted over the railing and down onto the street and sprinted past a large van. A sharp spike of panic lanced through me at the adrenaline rush and even though I knew the biters were distracted, I still found myself eager to reach safety again. I could handle myself against a few biters but a group of nine or ten? That was just asking for it.

I hopped up and over the fence into the courtyard of a recovered safe zone, sighing in relief. A sign that said, 'Survivors here!' hung from the crumbled wall on what remained of the upper floor of the old building.

I climbed the exposed stairs to stand in front of the sign, looking up into the sky to gauge the time and calm my thoughts. It looked to be barely before noon, so I should be able to make it to the Tower easily by mid-afternoon, provided I didn't run into any more mishaps. I turned around to face north once more, and jumped off the back of the building to the ground.

After scaling the fence enclosing the safe zone, I jogged across the lawn and came up to the next building, scaling it to the roof once again. The Tower looked to be only a couple miles away now. Maybe ten rooftops, if I had to guess.

The next few jumps were easy and I started to think I'd be fine until I reached the Tower, when I came to the sixth rooftop. The ramp that had been propped up, allowing runners to reach the next roof which was higher up, had been knocked askew. I skidded to a stop, a cloud of dust rising up to surround me. Once it settled I sighed, annoyed that I'd have to take a detour.

I looked over the edge of the building to gauge the safest way back down to the ground. I'd probably have to weave between a couple buildings to reach the next point that would allow me to climb higher again. That would take me off course by about fifteen to thirty minutes, but at least the buildings were more densely packed together in this area of the city, possibly allowing me to cut that time down.

I tried to judge the amount of sunlight I had remaining. Confident that I had plenty of time, I began making my way down to the ground. Once my feet hit dirt again, I straightened up and headed to my left, rounding the corner of a building.

"Holy mother fu-" I froze in place, my heart dropping into my stomach.

The largest biter I'd ever seen was standing directly in front of me, a piece of concrete with rusted rebar still running through it, in his hand. Nervously, I started to back up and he lunged for me, his heavily muscled arms lifting the makeshift giant hammer up in the air to completely crush me.

I dove backwards, narrowly avoiding being pulverized and then immediately rolled back onto my feet. I sprinted back towards the building and headed in the opposite direction instead. Anything was better than attempting to deal with that monstrosity armed only with a lead pipe.

Buildings flew by me as I ran and I heard a roar from behind. I quickly glancing over my shoulder back at the abnormal biter. He was only a few buildings away, so I pushed my legs to run faster, my stomach muscles tightening in fear.

Suddenly a building with a balcony on the second floor appeared ahead of me and I immediately grasped the railing, kicking off the building with my knees for added momentum.

Looking back at the biter again, I realized I was still within his reach. I panicked and decided that taking any possible solution into consideration was a great idea. I jumped over to the next balcony and above me, there was a tin awning with a gap right in the middle and I reached up frantically, pulling my body weight up completely relying on my biceps and upper shoulder strength. The biter exclaimed in frustration when he realized I was finally out of reach.

I grunted when I was on my feet again, exhausted from the marathon sprint I'd just gone through. My heart was still thumping against my rib cage and my lungs burned.

Up ahead was the Tower's outer patio, the main building rising far higher than any others nearby. I leapt down, diving into a roll and landing back up on my feet. I shot off like a bullet, the adrenaline still rushing through my body, and scaled the steps three at a time. I flew around the corner, approaching the entryway with "the Tower" scrawled above the door frame.

As I skidded into the dimly lit lobby, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Avoiding concrete debris and broken furniture that was littered across the floor, I slowly approached the ledge that led up to the security post and reached up gingerly to grasp it and pulled myself up. I groaned, my energy spent, and the scout at the top, Blake, reached his hand down and grabbed me just under my bicep to give me a helping hand.

Once I'd gotten to my feet again, I gratefully said, "Thanks man."

He nodded in return and stepped back to his post against the wall.

The security area on the ground floor of the Tower hadn't changed. A desk sat directly in front of me with an outdated computer resting on it, and papers thrown all across the surface. Just beyond the security desk, sat Mesut, the Tower's Quartermaster. His inventory was stored on multiple shelves and bins that lined the small area next to the window behind him.

I walked past him with a slight wave of acknowledgment and headed down the hall towards the elevator. As I tapped my foot while waiting for it to reach the ground floor, I realized I should probably check in with Allie to let her know I'd arrived earlier than anticipated.

The elevator dinged and I stepped in, pressing the button labeled '19'. As the doors closed, I reached into my pack digging for the radio.

Where the hell did it go?

As I rummaged around for a few seconds, a woman's automated voice came over the elevator speakers and the doors slid open quietly. I walked out slowly, concentrating on finding the radio, my head almost buried in the bag.

Ah, there it is.

My fingers closed around it and I pulled it out of my pack, slinging it back over my shoulder. Ignoring the guard standing watch by the elevator, I walked out and around the chain link fence that sectioned off the entrance.

The rest of the Tower resembled the ground floor in appearance. Belongings were haphazardly placed against the walls, out of the way of regular foot traffic. The walls were old and run down, and the gang had painted them white and blue, with industrial looking floor numbers in black paint periodically appearing as you walked past rooms. Each room had a unit number posted next to the door, with what looked like house number plaques. The floor was made of that speckled linoleum flooring that would normally be found in hospitals or cafeterias, and it was worn down from constant use.

Turning down the hall towards the room that had been dubbed the 'Headquarters', I switched the radio on to frequency two, the one connecting to the radio back at the safe zone.

A few seconds of feedback ensued and I paused in front of the door to HQ, nodding at the guard to give me a moment. I paced over to the opposite wall, waiting for the static to clear. Once it fell silent, I held the speaker up to my mouth and spoke into it, still slightly out of sorts.

"Allie? It's Luke."

Trying to be patient and giving her time to pick up the radio, I waited for a couple minutes. When she didn't reply, I furrowed my eyebrows and tried again.

"Allie? You there?"

Suddenly her voice came back through the speaker and she sounded out of breath.

"Luke! Hey! Sorry, I left the radio on the table in the living room and I was in the bathroom. Is everything alright? You sound tired."

"Everything's fine. I just got to the Tower a few minutes ago. I'm about to head in to talk to everyone. I'm hoping Brecken's back already."

"Wow that was fast. You must've been really booking it."

"Yeah I uh, didn't have much of a choice. I ran into a few snags. Anyway, just wanted to check in with you and let you know that I'm here now. I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning for the safe zone so I should be back before tomorrow night, just in time to give you another dose of Antizin."

When she spoke again, her voice sounded more timid than usual.

"Sounds good. Hey, Luke? Can you...check in with me again tomorrow morning? It's just...that way I know when to expect you."

I stayed silent for a few moments, fighting with myself on what the right choice was. I was trying to remain detached and keep her at a distance but I also felt like talking to her first thing in the morning would comfort me as much as it would comfort her.

I finally replied and said softly, "Sure, I can do that. I'm going to let you go now though so I can head in. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Static crackled again and when it cleared I heard her say, "Thanks. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Out."

I quickly murmured, "Out," and shut off the radio. Walking back up to the guard in front of the door, I looked up and told him, "Hey I'm here to see Brecken. Is he back yet?"

The guard nodded and said, "Yeah but Jade and Lena are in there and the new kid just walked in. Do you wanna wait?"

I shook my head. "Nah, they won't mind. I'll just go in now."

He opened the door for me and I stepped inside the hallway. Suddenly, Lena came around the corner, shouting something forcefully over her shoulder. When she turned around she almost ran right into me and I reached up to grab her upper arms, steadying her.

She looked up in surprise and said, "Luke! Been awhile. Maybe you'll have better luck talking to him, too."

She reached around me to open the door and I asked, "Are you talking about Brecken? Oh hey, I need to talk to you."

She turned to look at me and said, "Yes, Brecken. Damn fool that he is. And okay, I'll wait right here." I nodded and she shut the door.

Turning back to head into the main room, I saw Jade and a man I didn't recognize right in front of me, arguing with Brecken who had a huge bandage around his head, already spotted with blood. Jade glanced at me, nodding a greeting and I returned the gesture.

Brecken's room was by far the largest apartment in the building. Instead of linoleum, the floors were a light wood parquet, and it was all open concept. The living room was right next to the kitchen and he even had a glass door leading out onto a balcony with an incredible view of the city. At least, it would be incredible, if the city wasn't in ruins.

The new guy didn't notice me since he was currently saying something to Brecken about volunteering to go out to secure an airdrop. I pulled Jade aside and whispered, "Who's the new kid?"

She spoke without looking at me, watching their exchange and whispered back, "Crane. Brecken hit his head really hard so we're trying to convince him to let Crane go retrieve the drop. You know how Brecken is though."

I nodded in agreement. Brecken could be stubborn when he wanted to be, but for the most part he chose to do things that were in favor of the Tower's best interests. Brecken finally seemed to agree with Crane and he and Jade left the room quickly, leaving Brecken and I alone.

Brecken sighed, running his hands over his face and finally looked over to me.

"Luke. It's been awhile. What can I do for you?"

I stepped forward, leaning on the table between us and said, "Allie. Did you ever meet her? Apparently she's one of your newest runners."

He shook his head in denial.

"My brain is all kinds of jumbled right now. She's not ringing any bells. Did you ask Jade about her?"

I nodded and replied, "Jade says she checks out. Rahim apparently met her as well, but I haven't asked him directly yet. Anyway, she was bitten while out on a supply run. I had to stitch her back up and she'll be recovering for a few weeks. I don't want her trying to return to the Tower until she's fully healed. I think she's a hemophiliac."

Brecken blew out a long breath and crossed his arms. "We're short on runners as it is. You said she'd be healing for a few weeks? And she was bitten?"

I nodded. "She's healing because she was bitten."

He turned away from me and looked out the window, lost in thought.

"The airdrop we tried to retrieve was supposed to filled with Antizin. We're running low. If she was bitten, I'm assuming you need some."

I sighed in frustration, running my hands through my hair. I cursed under my breath before I turned back to Brecken. Of course the mission had been to get more Antizin.

I spoke up and said, "Yeah, I do. But if you're running low I can't exactly take your entire supply. How much can you spare?"

Still looking out the window, Brecken replied, "You'll have to check with Lena on that. But I know we can't spare much. As far as Allie goes, keep her there with you until she's fully healed. When you clear her for regular activity again, let me know. We need her back here."

I set her pack on the table, pushing it towards Brecken. "Whatever supply run you sent her out on, here's what she was able to grab before I found her. Thanks, Brecken."

He nodded and I turned, leaving the room. I opened the door, heading back into the hallway and spotted Lena leaning against the opposite wall. When she saw me, she straightened.

"You wanted to talk?"

I crossed over to her and we started walking down the hall.

"Yeah. Allie, your guys' newest runner was bitten a few days ago. I already gave her one dose of Antizin but it was my last and she needs another one within a day or so. I know Brecken is trying to get more and you guys are running low, but he told me to check in with you and see how much you guys can spare. Allie's injured and can't return to the Tower for a few weeks. So I need enough to hold her off until then."

Lena stayed quiet for awhile until we turned the corner and walked into the sick bay. She shut the door behind us and gestured for me to follow her into her office.

In a low voice she told me, "I only have maybe one crate left. There are a few people in the Tower who need those doses, including Crane. I can't give you much, only ten at the most. You're going to have to stretch it out as much as you can."

I nodded solemnly before responding.

"Stretching it out is much better than the alternative. I'll take what you can give me. Thank you, Lena."

She turned to reach behind her, into one of the bins against the wall, and handed me a tray of vials with a plastic cover over it. "Remember, make them count."

"I will." I promised her, tucking them safely in my pack. As I turned to leave the room, I heard Lena call out my name and I turned back to face her again.

She had a contemplative look on her face, staring at me for a few seconds before she said, "This isn't like you. You normally help stragglers and send them on their way. Why are you going out of your way to help Allie when you just met her?"

I looked away from Lena, unsure of what to say. I spoke softly, "I really don't know. Why are you guys trusting Crane so much? Didn't he just get here too?"

Lena tilted her head down and smiled, saying, "Touché."

"Anyway, thanks again Lena. Oh, did you see which way Jade went?"

She pointed left at the door. "She went to find Rahim. Probably up on the roof, knowing him."

I gave her my thanks and strolled out, back into the hall. Heading over to the stairs I quickly took two at a time, going up towards the roof. As I climbed I thought about what Lena had said to me.

I did barely know Allie. Less than a full twenty-four hour period technically, because she'd been out for three days. I rarely ever stuck my neck out for wandering survivors, preferring to give them a spare room at the safe zone for a night or two and then sending them on their way. I never went out of my way to rescue anyone.

Maybe I was hesitant and even a little afraid that one day, someone might want to stick around. Yet here I was, with a semi-permanent female guest who I had risked my own safety for to ensure that she'd make it through another day.

Sure, she was beautiful. I noticed that now after everything had settled down following her hectic rescue. She was a little spitfire though, always ready to retort with a sarcastic comment to everything I said. Even knowing her for only a day or so, her sharp wit was pretty obvious. But that didn't explain why I cared about her.

I had spent my time since the outbreak ensuring that everyone stayed further than an arm's length away from me, both emotionally and physically. So why were things different with Allie?

I shook my head, frustrated at where my thoughts were heading and not wanting to deal with deep, emotional questions at the moment.

As I reached the roof's landing, I saw Jade and Rahim standing just outside of the door frame. I strode over to them leisurely, admiring the view of the bay and the bridge in the distance, and Jade turned to me.

"Hey Luke. You done with Brecken already?"

"Yeah, I just had to talk to him about Allie's condition. It's all figured out now," I replied.

She smiled and said, "That's good to hear. So she's staying with you for a bit, I assume?"

I nodded and Rahim turned to me as well, asking, "Allie is staying with you? Why doesn't she just come back to the Tower? We have Lena."

Jade looked back at her brother and seemed annoyed when she responded. "Are you forgetting Luke is also a doctor? Allie was injured; she can't be leaping across rooftops like usual."

Rahim's eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, right. How long is she going to be staying with you then, Luke?"

I studied Rahim, my curiosity piqued at his concern. "I don't know. A couple weeks, at least. Why are you so worried?"

Suspiciously, he quickly replied, "No reason, I just wanted to make sure she was alright, you know?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "You idiot, that's not the only reason. You've had your eyes on Allie since she first arrived. Don't be a chickenshit and just say it out loud."

Rahim looked down, embarrassed, and said, "I guess so. She's nice, I think."

I scoffed under my breath and Rahim looked sharply at me, asking defensively, "What's so funny to you? Maybe you don't see it because you push everyone out the door as soon as they arrive, but I think Allie would really fit in here. She's tough, and she's willing to do what it takes for the safety of the Tower."

I looked at him sternly and said in a low warning tone of voice, "I know that. I was laughing because nice is not a word I would use to describe Allie. She is tough, like you said. She's also incredibly sarcastic and from what I've heard, I'm sure she has a foul mouth. But she's determined, caring, and sexy as-" I cut off, realizing what I had just said.

Jade's eyebrows raised and she looked at me with surprise etched on her face. "Sexy, huh? Never thought I'd hear you say that."

I mumbled, "Never mind," and turned around to head back inside and down the stairs.

Rahim was quiet behind me and Jade called out to ask, "Hey, why'd you come up here in the first place?"

I shouted back over my shoulder. "Just to tell you that I'm borrowing a bed for the night. I'll leave in the morning."

As my foot hit the top step I heard Rahim say something under his breath and then he yelped. I assumed Jade hit him and I smiled in amusement.

Once I reached the nineteenth floor, I headed into the small room right next to the chain-link fence that was blocking the elevator. There was a bunk against the far wall and an extra mattress placed on the floor nearby.

Walking past the kitchen that was even smaller than the one at the safe zone, I tossed my duffel bag onto the floor and flopped down onto the mattress, exhausted from the morning's events. I leaned over the edge, reaching into the pack's front left pocket and pulled my wristwatch out. 5:17, it read. It was later than I anticipated, but nowhere near late enough to call it a night. Putting the watch back into my pack, I pulled the radio out.

Arguing with myself on whether it was a good idea to check in with Allie again so soon when I'd told her I'd talk to her tomorrow, I tossed the radio up and caught it as it fell back down. I did this a few more times and heard a throat clear at the end of the bed. Lifting my head, I saw Jade standing there, watching me.

"You should just call her, if you really want to that badly," she suggested.

I sighed. I let a few seconds pass before I said, "I just talked to her a couple hours ago, when I got here."

She laughed quietly and sat down on the chair facing me. "So? What's your point?"

I sat up and swung my legs over the bed so I could look at her head on.

"I don't want her to feel like I'm bugging her or that I don't trust her to take care of the safe zone. Shit." I sighed again.

Smiling, she said, "I've never seen you like this. First of all, you barely ever remember any survivors' names let alone want to check in on them when you're away. Second, a woman? You, acting like this over a woman? I remember you shunning them all away, saying you'd be forever alone."

I rolled my eyes.

"I never said that. I just wasn't interested in trying to keep a relationship going in this shit storm. As soon as you get attached to someone, next thing you know, they go off and get killed and never come back."

Jade went silent, studying me for a minute before she asked quietly, "And yet, with Allie, for once you want to try?"

I looked away, rubbing my palms together while I thought, really thought, about what she'd asked me. "I know that with her, it's the first time in a very long time, that I've wanted something. I don't really know why, and I don't know if I can take the chance."

Jade stood, turning to leave the room and as she walked out I heard her say, "I think you should at least try."

I looked down and sighed once again. Picking up the radio and mentally coming to terms with the realization that I did want to talk to her, I turned it on and switched to frequency two. Holding it up to my mouth I prompted, "Allie? You there?"

Immediately, she responded.

"Luke? I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tomorrow morning, at least. What's up?"

She sounded so relaxed and at home. I could just imagine her sitting on the sofa in my living room, feet propped up on the coffee table. The image was so normal that I smiled to myself.

"Not much, just resting on a spare bed at the Tower. I was going to try to get some sleep but didn't realize it was so early."

I heard Allie laugh and she said teasingly, "Bed huh? I knew you seemed older than me but going to sleep at five in the afternoon is pretty old."

"Hey, I said I was going to go to bed."

"Mmmhm."

I could practically hear the smile in her voice. I couldn't remember the last time I had talked to a female like this.

A few moments of silence went by and I heard Allie ask, "Luke? How is everyone there doing?"

I took a deep breath and started to list off names.

"Brecken got hit on the head pretty hard, so he's definitely the worst out of the bunch. Jade's fine and so is Rahim, but he's a little moody. Lena is good, but they're running low on Antizin and Brecken's recovery mission failed so she's a little tense at the moment."

Allie replied in a quiet voice, "They're running low on Antizin?"

Shit, I probably should've left that part out.

"Uh, yeah...they are. But she gave me enough doses to hold you off until you come back here in a couple weeks. So you'll be fine until then."

She fell silent again and then I heard her sigh.

"I almost forgot I'd have to return. It's so weird, it feels comfortable here."

"Well, Brecken wants you back at the Tower because he says they need you, so..." I trailed off.

The radio crackled a bit and Allie said, "Yeah. I guess that's probably true. Well hey, I'm going to let you go so you can head to bed. What with you being so tired and all in the early evening hours."

I chuckled under my breath and said, "Gee, thanks. I really appreciate that. I'll check in with you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight, Luke."

The way she said my name, all quiet and sultry, made my throat tighten up. I knew ending things where we did the night before had been the right thing to do but hearing her voice then almost made me regret my decision.

I cleared my throat and said, "Goodnight, Allie," and reached up to turn the radio off, setting it down on the floor beside me.

I laid back down onto the bed, kicking my shoes off and resting my head on the pillow. I had to admit, as much as I missed Allie's company, it was nice sleeping on a bed and not on an old lumpy couch. I closed my eyes, resting my arm across them and sighed. My thoughts drifted into nothing.

A/N: Whew, that chapter was a doozy, right?! Don't worry, chapter six is just as long and equally exciting, at least in my opinion. See ya'll soon!