Author's note: Yes, people! It's back! Did you miss it? I'm going to "try" to update WAY more often! I've been so busy (which I know is no excuse) but I hope I'll actually be able to get back to doing what I love! So, enjoy this chapter, because it has been a long time coming!

No more words were said between them. Claire snatched Amanda up in her arms and followed behind Leon and Piers. With incredible speed and precision, the trio stepped over all the debris and made their way out of the back of the gas station before the dark entity came crashing through the front. The force of the impact knocked them all to the ground, showering glass and dirt over them. Disoriented, Piers jumped and readied his gun. When the others had gotten their footing, he nudged them towards the closest structure.

"Go! I'll cover you!" Piers yelled over his shoulder as he aimed into the rubble, ready for the thing to get up. Claire and Leon nodded, knowing that Amanda was their priority now. Even though Claire wanted to stay and help, her earlier encounter with the undead had led to a sever shortage on ammo. Plus, Leon wasn't the best with kids.

"Be careful!" Leon yelled back at him. He took point, mowing down the infected that were drawn to the noise.

Claire paused for a moment, a worried expression fixed on Piers. He looked at her and grinned, taking joy in the fact that she showed so much concern for him. "If you don't go, I can't be the valiant hero that gets to return and sweep the girl off her feet." His grin widened as he tried to reassure her. She just rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"If you say so, 'hero'. Just watch your back." Claire said as she blew him a kiss for good luck. After their exchange, she followed after Leon. The situation gave her a strange case of déjà vu. Piers kept a close eye on them until they were in the sanctuary of the building. Once safely inside, he focused all his attention on the monster who still had yet to show its face. Being cautious, he slowly backed away from the now ruined building so that if the creature jumped out, he would have more room to maneuver. Smart idea on his part, because not even a moment later, it lunged out of the rubble. Piers jumped out of the way as the thing came barreling towards him.

The beast was gigantic. With horns protruding from its skull, it most closely resembled a deer. The horns were covered in scattered remains of people; blood dripping off the impaled victim's body parts. The skin on its face was pealing off, exposing the raw flesh underneath. Its eyes were dead; non responsive and consumed by a grey film. The smell of rot was almost too much for Piers to handle, causing him to cover is nose and mouth with his jacket sleeve. The creature violently stomped the ground, sending tiny chunks of people flying in different directions.

"Okay big guy; it's just you and me."

After securing the door behind them, Leon and Claire immediately checked their surroundings. The room they were in was huge, with old chairs dotting the space. It seemed to be some sort of lobby, now old and forgotten. A thick layer of dust-covered every surface, like dirty snow (minus the fun of real snow).

"The coast seems clear." Even though he said that, Leon didn't relax at all. Claire stayed on high alert as well, not letting Amanda out of her arms until she knew it was safe.

"So, what now?" Claire dusted off one of the chairs and plopped Amanda in it. She seemed content, kicking her tiny feet back and forth for her own amusement.

Leon took a flashlight out of his jacket pocket; turning it on before he opened one of the side doors. "Now, we find out what this is all about." He pointed to the sign to the left of the door. It read 'Document Room'. Claire tilted her head to the side as she read it. Pulling out her flashlight, she shook her head.

"Oh, well, that's convenient." She laughed at how coincidental everything in her life seemed. She turned to Amanda, putting a hand on the little girl's head. "I'll be right back. I'm going into the other room if you need me." Amanda nodded her head, smiling blissfully at the feel of another human's touch.

Following Leon's lead, they both entered the room. Oddly, there were no windows to allow any outside source of light in. The electricity had long since been cut, denying them the luxury to see. Slowly and carefully maneuvering the dark terrain, they used the little illumination their flashlights gave off to search the place. From what they could tell, who ever use to work here left in a hurry. There were papers littered across the surfaces of all the desks, some of which looked extremely important. After reading though the some of the them, Leon was the first to break the silence.

"I didn't have the chance to catch up on how you've been." Claire looked up from one of the documents, one eyebrow raised. She couldn't see Leon to well in what little light they had, but she could sense he was there.

"Yea. That's how it always is. You see each other after a long time and then BAM! Something really dramatic happens." A normal meeting between coworkers was something Claire could only dream of.

"Isn't it sad?" She could hear Leon chuckle darkly, a hint of bitterness in his laugh. Since he didn't elaborate further, Claire had to ask him what he was talking about.

"Is what sad?" Half encouraging him to go on, she returned her attention back to the paper in her hand. If he wanted to take his time having a conversation, then they could at least multitask.

"The fact that fate always works against us." She could hear the closing of a folder and Leon's footsteps drawing closer to her. She didn't see him until he was right in front of her. Once again, she looked up from the pages in her hand to give Leon her full attention.

"I guess, but I think that if it was working against us, we wouldn't have survived for this long." She had a very valid point.

"I agree, but that's not really what I meant..." Leon was about to say something else, but the faint sound of gunfire drew both of them away from their conversation.