A/N: Finally got that chapter up and going! Now, this story may be a bit slow as far as updates go as I am working on my other stories and it's almost the end of school, so there's a lot of things that are going on that I need to get on top of. And, just as a note, I don't remember the layout of the cabin too to well and I wasn't really about to go looking for a walkthrough in which someone explored the entire house, cuz that would've just been tedious. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter Genre: Family, Romance, Humour

Chapter Rating: T

Rating Content: Brief Mild Language, Brief Mild Nudity, Brief Mild Sexual Content

7 Months Later

Three dead fish were thrown onto the counter, making Pete nearly jump out of his seat. He looked at the fish, all poked through with arrows, and then looked up at her. "What exactly happened to you?"

Marianne sighed, grabbing a spare rag from the counter and wiping her face off. "Ah fell in after a crawlin' one almost chomped me."

She looked to be a complete mess! Mud almost caked her jeans and there was a slight bit of mud smeared along her face and hands. Her clothes looked wet, there was just a few twigs stuck in her hair and there was a small amount of blood along her arms.

"There's no way you got all that on you just from falling into the river."

She shrugged. "Och, nae; Ah slipped oan some mud and the like. Fell through a brush, had tae dodge some Chompers. All tha' fun stuff."

Pete scoffed and grabbed the fish, taking them off of the arrows and setting them on a chopping board. "You gonna help me gut them this time?"

"Ah need tae change and get cleaned, Peter!" She exclaimed. "Where's everyone else?"

He grabbed a knife and stabbed one of the fish with it. "Nick and Carlos are still out, Alvin and Rebecca are in the living area, Sarah is in her room and Luke is... somewhere."

"'Somewhere'?"

"I don't keep track of the boy, Marianne." He stated. "You'll probably find him at some point. Now, I'm a little busy, so you just go get cleaned up."

Marianne rolled her eyes and smiled. Pete was the only one who could get away with calling her Marianne. Well, him and Luke, but Pete was more like a father-figure to her. Normally when an adult called her by her full name, she'd be going the other direction, but when he called her Marianne, it was more of a stern reminder or just a way to grab her attention. When he called her Mary, that was when it was a casual conversation. It was when he called her 'Maria' that she knew she was in deep shit!

She nodded to Alvin and Rebecca, who both waved slightly, and she headed up the stairs and to her room. The cabin was nice enough and it had plenty of rooms and bedrooms. It was also cozy, kept them warm when it needed to. Sure, they had to fix up the cabin a few times but that was only a minor thing. It was one of the best shelters that Marianne had ever stayed in, it was a miracle that they had even found it in the first place. It was a safe haven, and she was more than grateful for it.

She opened the door to her room and set her back pack on the ground, stretching out her arms.

"What happened to you?"

Marianne looked to see Luke laying on the bed. "Sorry, were ye sleeping?"

He shook his head. "No, you're fine. Just woke up not too long ago."

She ran a hand through her short hair, grimacing as she felt the twigs get trapped between her fingers. "Ah fell in the river. Slipped oan mud and the like."

He chuckled and sat up from the bed. "Sounds fun."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Although the house had no power, they had managed to find a way to get themselves cleaned. They used pails and got water from the river and boiled it over a fire to get rid of the germs. They had found some wash cloths and soap in the cabin, so they used those to help clean themselves. Of course, they wouldn't give themselves a whole 'bath', but just wash the essential areas; hands and arms, legs, sometimes their feet. Of course, washing their genital areas was a must whenever cleaning themselves. Once done, they would toss the cloths, dirty clothes and towels in an empty pail and by the end of the week (they counted out seven days) they would wash the cloths in the river. It was a tedious process, but it worked.

Of course, they wouldn't always need a bath. Like Marianne. She had been wearing jeans when she slipped in the mud and her hands were only a bit dirty. She was just wet, so she needed a towel to dry off. And she just needed to use a hairbrush to get the twigs and leaves out of her hair.

She opened the cabinet and took out a towel and some clean, dry clothes. The previous owners of the cabin must have been out somewhere before the outbreak started, because there was loads of fresh clothes, including undergarments. But they used the clean clothes sparingly, of course.

As she dried herself off, Marianne couldn't help but think about the times before they were all hiding. Before the outbreak, before everyone started eating each other. It felt like such a long time ago, and yet, at the same time, it felt like it was only yesterday.

There were some days she wished she could go back to those times, back to when she had to worry about school, worry about exams and driving tests. She wanted to go back to when she had to worry about the dog getting at the food on the counter, back to when she didn't have to worry about being killed in her sleep.

She pulled the clean clothes on, composed of a pair of black yoga pants and a grey tank top. She then sighed and leaned against the bathroom sink, looking at herself in the mirror.

She looked tired, she thought. There was a ghost of black under her eyes, her hazel eyes have long since lost their usual gleam. Her hair, which she always kept long and tied back, was now short, her bangs just barely reaching her eyes. Her eyes traveled down to her shoulder and her fingers grazed over the scar that was there. A perfect shape of a bite mark. There was no chances of it disappearing anytime soon. The one on her forearm hadn't even began to fade, despite the amount of time that had passed since she was first bitten.

Her fingers clasped around the silver pendant that hanged from her neck. She still had her bible, she still occasionally flipped through the pages, but that was becoming rarer and rarer as the days passed. She still remembered Travis, and what he had said to her back in Georgia, back at the Inn, just a few short hours before he had been murdered. "How can there be an 'all loving God' when the dead are walking on the Earth? How can an 'all loving God' let this happen, let so many people die and let so many people suffer?"

For what felt like the hundredth time, she felt that doubt settle deep within her heart. She released her grip on her cross and sighed. "Shite..." She cursed.

Marianne turned away from the sink and opened the door, closing it behind her and setting herself on the bed beside Luke. Opening the drawer of the nightstand, she pulled out her bible and opened the cover of it.

Luke knew her long enough to know that, whenever she pulled out her bible, she wasn't in the best of moods. "You alright, Anne?" He asked, moving onto his side so he was right next to her. She never just flipped to the cover, he thought. He quickly looked over her shoulder. It was a picture, taped to the back of the cover. He immediately recognized her, but the other three he didn't know. They all had their arms over each other's shoulders, smiles on their faces. One of them had made bunny ears behind someone else's head. "Who're they?"

"Ah told ye about Ben and Travis, aye?"

"Yeah."

She pointed to the boy on the left. Dark brown hair, small bits of freckles on his cheeks, the one who was making the bunny ears behind the boy beside him, who was a bit taller and had light brown hair. "This is Travis, the one beside him is Ben."

Luke pointed to the two other people on the right. "And who are these?"

"Them? The one with the glasses is Arvo. He was part o' the exchange group and was in our school band. The lass beside him is his older sister, Natasha."

"You all were friends?"

A small smile formed on her lips. "Aye, tha' we were. This picture... reminds me o' the time when things were good. When Ah had people tae talk with, ye know?"

Luke chuckled. "What does that make me, then?"

Marianne smacked his arm slightly. "Ye know what Ah mean, Lucas!" She placed her bible on the nightstand. "Although this isn't the best kind o' situation, Ah dinnae think tha' Ah would've met ye any other way."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I am pretty great, aren't I?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Yer alright." She fingered at the locks that fell in front of his face. "Ye still need tae get a haircut, though. And shave tha' wee spout o' peach fuzz ye got."

He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I worked hard for this look! Besides, I don't think you mind as much as you let on."

There was just a small bit of a mustache on his upper lip and a peach fuzz-like stubble across his jawline and chin. It gave him an older, more rugged look, something she liked, but that never stopped her from occasionally poking fun at him.

"Maybe, maybe no'. But Ah still think ye should shave."

"I'll shave, once you start letting your hair grow out."

"Ah like it short. Easier tae take care o'."

"Well, then this 'peach fuzz' is staying." He turned them over so he was on his back and she was laying against his chest. "Whether you like it or not."

She couldn't help the small smile that spread on her lips as he kissed her, his hand brushing through her hair as the other rested at her hip. Their relationship had been growing steady for the past seven months and nobody had failed to notice it, either. For the first while, Marianne had been sleeping on the small sofa in the living area while Pete had the couch. Nick and Luke shared a room, Alvin and Rebecca shared another, and Carlos shared a room with his daughter, Sarah. After three months, Nick had offered to let Marianne stay in the same room with Luke and he would take the sofa. At first, she refused, but he had insisted "since you two are, you know, a thing". She hadn't missed the implications in his statement, and she quickly corrected him at where they both stood in their relationship, but he still took the sofa the next evening, giving her no choice but to 'move in' with Luke.

It was almost awkward for her at first, sleeping in the same bed with someone else, with a man. She could often be a restless sleeper and there had been more than one occasion in which Luke informed her that she had nearly pushed him off the bed, or she would wake up with an arm around him (or vice versa), or she would often slip off the side of the bed and onto the floor. Eventually they got used to each other (more like she got used to him) and their sleeping habits wouldn't bother the other. As the time passed, however, they actually slept together (the rule of 'staying on your side' being pushed away). They trusted each other, they knew where they stood, he respected her, and she respected him. At this point, it was safe to say they loved each other.

It felt almost odd for her, though. She was a fully grown woman, being almost twenty-one years old (she guessed; her eighteenth birthday came around shortly after meeting Carver and his group, so she was just guessing her age by the seasons that passed). She and Luke had been together for almost over two years, and they never really moved beyond being a 'couple'. They did have their 'heated moments', however. Much like this one.

Luke's hands slipped underneath her tank-top. Briefly breaking their kiss, Marianne quickly lifted her tank top over her head and threw it off to the side. She kissed him again as his hands roamed freely, his fingers ghosting over her hips, her stomach, under her breasts, anywhere he could touch. They then slid over her back and over the clasp that held her bra together. A deep shiver shot through Marianne as his tongue slipped past her lips, to which she responded with equal fervor.

The bed groaned underneath them as she swung a leg over him, now on top of him as she straddled his hips. She tugged at his shirt. "Off..."

Sitting up, Luke quickly dispensed with his shirt and her hands splayed across his chest, feeling the taut muscle underneath her fingers. "Ye know, Lucas..." She spoke between kisses. "They think... think tha' we're..."

Marianne suddenly trailed off. "That we're what?"

"Doing it."

Luke suddenly stopped, pushing back slightly to look into her eyes. "We're not, Anne."

"Ah know, Ah know." She licked at her lips, hesitating only slightly. "But whit if Ah wanted tae...?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

He was shocked, she knew. In the time they've been together, they hadn't had sex even once. They were both content with that, of course, and neither of them had brought up the topic. Until now.

"We've been together fer so long, Luke, and Ah..." She pressed her forehead to his, laughing breathlessly. "Ah just..."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to, Anne."

"Ah dinnae feel like Ah have tae, Ah want tae! Unless ye dinnae want-"

She was cut off by Luke's lips roughly pressing to hers and her back was suddenly pressing against the bed, Luke's full weight settled on top of her. He wasn't as heavy as one would expect; she could breathe. And yet, she still felt completely breathless.

His lips left hers as he kissed a trail from her mouth to her jaw, then to her neck. "I want you, Marianne."

She sighed contentedly as her fingers ran through his wavy locks, her legs wrapping around his waist. She wasn't the most experienced of women when it came to sex but, before the outbreak, she had been a real sucker for romance novels (mainly historical) so she at least got the general idea of how things were supposed to go. Then there was also high school and the health class she had to go through (which almost nobody took seriously).

But still, just knowing that didn't stop her heart from racing uncontrollably.

She suddenly shivered as Luke's hands moved along her sides. They almost felt cold compared to the heat of her body, wherever he touched her never stayed cool for long. His hands then settled just under her breasts, almost hesitantly. "Anne?" Marianne looked to see Luke was waiting, looking up at her. Had he just asked for... permission?

She opened her mouth, ready to respond, when the door to their room opened.

"I called the both of you about three times already! Dinner is-"

They both looked up to see Pete, door swung wide open. The instant he saw them, his eyes widened and he quickly shut the door, uttering no words of shock or apology.

Marianne groaned and put a hand over her eyes, the realization of what had just happening settling into her mind. "Tha' was embarrassin'..." She muttered.

She heard Luke snort and she looked to see his shoulders shaking with a controlled mirth. "How do ye find this amusing?" She seethed.

Luke looked up, trying his best (and failing) to prevent a smile from spreading across his lips. "I-it's just that..." He took a breath, trying his best to keep his composure. "Pete is definitely gonna give one of us a lecture. Or both of us."

"Oan what?!"

Luke sat up, deepening his voice slightly and mocking a stern expression. "I understand you're in a relationship, but we already have one pregnant woman, we don't need another!"

Marianne covered her face with her hands, moaning loudly as she turned onto her stomach. "Ah swear, if he actually gives either o' us tha' lecture..." She trailed off.

He laughed, then, pulling his shirt back over his head. "Well, you do whatever you feel like. But we should probably get downstairs before someone else comes up to get us."

/ / /

Dinner was fairly short, but for Marianne, it felt like it had taken hours to finish the meal. She swore that she felt Pete burning a hole into the side of her head! Every time she looked, Pete was also looking at her, a stern look in his eyes. Luke was right; he definitely was going to give them a lecture.

After the dishes had been washed, most of the group had gone up to their respective rooms. Nick was the one on border duty for the evening, so he was out. Marianne and Luke both were in the living area of the house. She was reading a novel that had been found in one of the rooms while he was sharpening his machete.

She muttered the page number under her breath and closed the book, setting it on the coffee table. "Ah think Ahm callin' it a night."

"Not so fast, Marianne."

The Scot immediately cringed and shrunk slightly in her seat and exchanged a look with Luke. They both immediately knew what was going to happen.

Pete sat in the chair across from Luke and Marianne. "I think we need to talk about what happened earlier."

Luke set the machete on the coffee table and picked up a glass filled with water. "What is there to talk about? We're both adults, we're both responsible."

Pete crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "That may be, Luke, but that's besides the point right now. Look, I understand that you're in a relationship, but we already have one pregnant woman, we don't need another."

Luke, who had been taking a sip of his water, quickly set the glass down and attempted to hold back a snort. The result of his ill-timed laughter was water coming out from his nose. Marianne breathed out heavily through her nose, making it sound more like an extended snort, and she held her hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop the fit of giggles that threatened to escape her.

The older man was both confused and completely unimpressed with the young couple. "I don't see how that's funny." He stated.

Luke wiped at his nose, opened his mouth to speak, and was quickly overcome with another fit of giggles. Marianne managed to regain most of her composure. "Nae, it's no' tha'! It's just..." She took a deep breath. "Luke was saying tha' ye'd give us a lecture. Ye just said the exact thing tha' Luke said ye'd say!"

"That may be, but this is still a serious conversation." He looked to the younger man. "Luke."

He wiped a tear from under his eye and cleared his throat. "I know, I know. Sorry, that was just... a little too coincidental."

"We also understand yer concerns, Peter." Marianne said. "But Ah think we have this handled."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh do you? Last I checked, you are a religious woman, so I doubt you've had sex before."

A deep blush painted her cheeks and she looked away, not bothering with a response.

"Have you talked it out?" He then asked. "Have you made a plan? Have you figured out what you'll do if you do end up with a kid?"

"No, Pete, we haven't." Luke sighed. "Look, it was just... spur of the moment sort of thing. You can't entirely blame us, either."

Pete nodded. "True, I can't. But still, you both should think this through before things get out of hand. Alright?"

They both nodded. "Good. Now, Mary, you're on my bed."

/ / /

"He's right, ye know."

"Hm?"

Marianne sat on the bed, pulling the top sheet over her legs. "We should probably plan things oot before we... ye know."

Luke sat beside her. "Yeah. Yeah, that might be a good idea."

"Ah dinnae have much experience with... Ah just dinnae know what tae expect, really. Aside from romance novels and health class in high school, Ah dinnae know much about sex and... pregnancy."

"Did you not have any sisters or something?" Luke asked. "Who were married or anything?"

She shook her head. "Nae, Ah was an only wean. My mother gave me a talk, but no' so much about pregnancy. Ah didnae ask, either, considering Ahm a religious lass."

"Yeah, I get that. And, I'm a guy, so I never really concerned myself with that stuff." He cleared his throat. "Just basics on preventing pregnancy and such."

Marianne covered her face with her hands and fell back against her pillow. "Ah feel like a wee schoolgirl talking about this. Ahm an adult, Ah should be fine talking about this..."

"Don't worry," He tried to reassure her. "I'm feeling the same way right now. But I guess it's something we have to talk through before we end up forgetting."

"Aye, true." She sighed.

Marianne removed her hands from her face and sat up, turning herself around so she was facing Luke. "So, if we do end up having sex and Ah end up pregnant, whit do we do? Rebecca is already expecting a wee bairn in barely a couple o' months. Havin' one wean would be... challenging in times such as these, but two?" She shook her head. "Ah dinnae want tae end up being a burden tae anyone."

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, don't be like that. Remember, I'd be the father, so I'd also have that responsibility of taking care of the baby. You're not alone in this, Anne. You wouldn't be a burden to anyone, least of all me."

She shrugged slightly. "Ah suppose..."

Luke gave her a small smile and kissed her gently. "How's about we sleep on it, alright? Then we can talk more in the morning."

Nodding in agreement, Marianne blew out the candle on the nightstand, slid underneath the cover and settled herself on her side, sighing contentedly as her head hit the soft pillow. Luke's arm slipped under hers and then wrapped around her waist, bringing her body closer to his. He kissed her cheek. "G'night."