A/N: I don't want to call this one another zombie one, because it's NOT, but it was inspired by a zombie game. I was watching my brothe play Left 4 Dead 2 (totally awesome game) and his character climbed on top of this bus with a frying pan in his hand, just swatting the zomies away from him as they climbed. For some reason, I just pictured Tyler trying to get out of some sort of post-apocalyptic war zone. This is what was spawned. :3

LadyV.2102: I'm really glad you liked that chapter so much. I've been meaning to update, but I'm really obsessing over Assassin's Creed right now, so my bastard muse has been throwing those concepts at me. Plus I'm going through the college application process (way far behind, I know, but I'm starting at the CC level, so it's kinda w/e). Here's an update, at any rate. :D

julliette: I am so glad I made your day. I kinda thought that fic would ruin a few days. XD

Accidenta1: We all want a teddy bear like Reid.

LawleyPop024: Thanks for the praise. I needed the ego inflation, lol.

Pola: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

beginningxofxthexend: Well, I will admit I'd made a few early attempts at Lemon writing, but I always trashed them before I got too far. X3 I was thinking about doing the whole full-lenght thing, but I'm so terrified it'll end up stupid. =/ And I'll admit that I'm a bit of an ADHD reader. If it's not really necessary, I'm not interested. I often find myself skimming sentences to see how much of it I can skip. XD So I try to avoid boring the readers because I'll end up boring myself if I do. XD I wanted to kind of keep things a little mild for my first Lemon, and for someone who is as mild as Tyler, even the biting and ropes thing is an adventure. Maybe next time I'll make it more devious. :3 I'm really glad you liked it.

The world was ending when they first met; or at least that's how it seemed. The riots had gotten out of control. He stood on top of a bus that was surrounded by burning cars. The wind curling off the blades of the chopper whipped his dark hair around, though he didn't seem to notice. He looked skyward, suddenly disinterested in the cricket bat clutched in his hands or the screaming people trying to get to him. His cool blue eyes gazed up at the helicopter and followed its path through the sky. A shout pulled him from his reverie and he turned, pushing the man off the top of the bus as gently as he could. The helicopter turned back and a rope ladder was dropped. Tyler let the bat fall from his fingers and he grabbed on to the ladder. He climbed as quickly as he could. His ascent was aided in knowing that there was a bloodthirsty mob just feet below. He felt a strong hand pull him up on to the deck and the world began to move. He felt a headset being shoved down on his head and a calm voice flooded his ears.

"That's one hell of a show you put on down there."

Tyler looked up at the man who had saved him and offered a small smile.

"What were you doing down there all on your own?" The man asked.

"Trying to get out while I could." Tyler shrugged.

It had started off as 'nothing to be worried about'. It had ended up being the next big plague. People were dying in the streets. The vaccines weren't working. There was no cure. Scientists weren't even too sure of what it was. But they were sure that there were people out there who were immune to whatever it was and the only hope to be had for curing this laid in their blood. Some people took that literally. Tyler was immune. Those fanatics were after his blood.

"We'll be in a safe zone in about twenty minutes. We'll have a doctor get a good look at you. I'm Chase, by the way."

"Tyler."

Tyler took the opportunity to look around. They certainly worked with military proficiency, but this was a civilian heli with what appeared to be a civilian crew. It didn't matter to Tyler. He'd survived the past six months in a state of near total and constant panic. He was glad to be out of there. Once most of the city had become infected, they were quarantined. Their only contact with the outside world was the occasional research team decked out in hazmat suits or the National Guard in hazmat suits delivering supplies to the cut-off infected.

"This is our stop." Chase's voice crackled over the headset.

Tyler nodded, still lost mostly in his own world. The helicopter landed relatively gently and Tyler removed the headset, sure to keep his head down and far from the chopper blades as he followed Chase.

It was a mansion they had landed atop of. The sprawling grounds were surrounded by chain link fence and wicked sharp barbed wire. Beyond that was another round of fencing with more barbed wire. There were trip lines attached to spotlights beyond the second round of fencing and people constantly patrolling.

"What's with all the security?" Tyler asked.

"The Army knocked on my door a few months ago. Asked if they could keep a couple of guys stationed here seeing as how we were so close to the infected city we pulled you from. They want to do some sort of R-and-D with the Plague. I figured that at best they'd be keeping me safe if anyone manages to break out of the city and decides to do a number on the nearest person available. At worst they're going to eat all of my food and Uncle Sam will pay for the grocery bill." Chase shrugged.

Tyler just nodded. It made sense. Chase was getting a bit of a free ride on the government dollar. And he was smart for allowing them to stay there. It was rather well known that, for whatever reason, the mind decayed faster than the body when the plague was concerned.

"So why were you on top of that bus?" Chase asked, leading Tyler through various corridors and down several stairs.

"I'm one of the unlucky immune that didn't make it out in time. I figured it would all blow over eventually, that people would calm down. The next thing I knew, the city was shut down and I couldn't get to the exit point fast enough."

"Why didn't you just tell them that you were immune at the gate?" Chase asked. It was well-known that if you passed a simple blood test they'd whisk you off to safety.

"There's only one exit to that city now. I was headed there when you found me." Tyler shrugged.

"Well, at any rate, you're safe now. Here's the doc." Chase opened the door and a man in a uniform looked up.

"Chase. Another survivor?" The man asked.

"Tyler here is as immune as I am. I want you to give him a good once-over. The plague-heads had chased him up on to the top of a bus. I don't know how long he was up there before I found him."

"Sure. Have a seat." The man gestured to a small cot. Tyler did as he was told.

Blood was drawn. Tests were run. He was poked, prodded, examined. His pupils were checked. His tongue was depressed. His lymph-nodes were pushed. His kneecaps were tapped.

"You're clear and definitely immune. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to take another vial of blood for testing."

Tyler shrugged and said he didn't mind. He'd lost blood in worse ways. The medic opened the door and Chase was waiting outside for Tyler, who self-consciously tugged the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt down to his wrists. But not fast enough. Chase's hand wrapped around his wrist and pushed the shirt back.

"What the hell kind of scar is that?" Chase asked.

"The kind that comes from an unattended wound." Tyler shrugged.

"That much is obvious. Where did you get it?"

"I was bitten."

"By one of the plague victims?" Chase almost didn't believe it.

"He'd been infected a few days prior to the incident. I'm not entirely sure how, but he was. He started freaking out. Told me the secret to the cure was my blood. Bastard bit me and tried drinking my blood. It was the first time I'd ever killed a man. Not really a memory I enjoy revisiting."

"Is that why you were on that bus with a cricket bat when we flew over? Because they were trying to drink your blood?"

"Yeah. One of the first psychological symptoms of the plague is auditory hallucinations, followed by visual hallucinations. Then you have the gradual failure of the internal organs, then the seizures, then the blindness, which is followed by paralysis and eventual death, and the hallucinations continue all the while. Those around the bus were hallucinating. All it takes is one psychopath to say drinking my blood is the key. The rest will eventually follow suit. Three weeks and that was as far as I'd made it." Tyler shook his head bitterly.

"How'd you make it that far? I mean, with that many people carrying the plague in the city..."

"Rooftops. I climbed up on one roof and stuck to them as much as I could. There were times when I'd have to drop down and navigate the streets, but it was difficult. That's where the plague victims were. Sleeping was the hardest though. Sometimes I'd have to break into abandoned convenience stores and down caffeine pills to stay away."

"Where did you sleep when you could?"

"Any place that had some sort of 'reinforced' door. Anything but wood. You get enough of those bastards knocking hard enough, the door's bound to go down eventually. There was an elementary school I slept in for a few days once, just to catch up on long-lost sleep. The teacher's breakroom had a thick metal door and no windows. There were some vending machines I managed to break open and survived on snack foods until the infected got bored with waiting for me to come out and wandered off to look for someone else."

"You're welcome to stay here. Even if a plague-stricken mad-man were to get out of the city, we're a dozen miles from the city and surrounded by the Army."

Tyler smiled and murmured that he'd like to stay. He followed Chase for the remainder of the day, getting the tour of the mansion. Most of the rooms were filled with various bored soldiers. One of them had been turned into an armory and another had been turned into a massive supply closet with uniform articles neatly categorized and organized and placed in their proper place. They eventually reached a wing that was very nearly empty, except for the odd occupied bedroom.

"You can have this room. Tomorrow I'll help you fill out the proper requisition forms in triplicate and block-lettering for some new clothes." Chase grinned. Tyler thanked him.

The bathroom was well-stocked. It was clear they were used to people passing through here all the time. There was a knock at the door and Chase handed him a few sets of clothes, saying they seemed to be around the same size and he could bear to part with a few outfits. Tyler thanked him again and was glad to get to a shower. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a real shower, mostly just scrubbing surface dirt off his skin while standing under a broken pipe while he was on the run. He was sure he smelled awful and looked worse and a glance in the mirror proved him right.

What Tyler was really looking forward to was sleeping in a real bed with real blankets and pillows. It was the little things he missed the most, the little luxuries he didn't consider luxuries until he had to struggle to get the necessities. Sleep was merciful and came quickly.

He didn't realize he was having a nightmare until someone woke him up. He heard a dying scream lingering in the empty room and recognized it as his own. Chase's gray eyes were locked on his and Tyler realized what was going on. He must have been thrashing around and trying to hit Chase because the older man was straddling his hips and holding his wrists against the mattress.

"Are you alright?" Chase asked gently.

Tyler didn't trust his voice, so he just nodded. Bits of the nightmare came back. He'd fallen while he was trying to out run the psychopaths with virus-controlled mentalities and they'd decended on him, all snapping teeth and bloodthirsty eyes.

"It was bout the city, wasn't it?" Chase prodded.

Tyler nodded again... There had been a pot hole in the road. He hadn't seen it. He'd been too busy looking back at the horde and not enough time looking where he was going...

"Hey, look at me. As long as you're here, you don't have to worry about that." Chase said seriously.

"Are you going to protect me yourself?" Tyler asked bitterly. He'd trused a man once. The man had listened when the voices told him to befriend Tyler before biting him.

"If I have to, yes."

"Why?"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I gave up on love when I gave up on hope and every other fary tale months ago when the plague-heads kicked my door in." Tyler spat.

Chase leaned closer to Tyler, inch by inch.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked nervously.

"Changing your mind." Chase purred. He kissed Tyler gently, afraid of spooking the brunette. He was faintly surprised when Tyler kissed him back, though he didn't let it show.

"Have I changed your mind yet?" Chase asked.

"Almost." Tyler shrugged, reverting to the inverted, cryptic nature he'd developed after being on his own for so long.

"Anything I can do to finish the transformation?"

"You can start by not leaving me alone. And then you can keep your promise of not letting any of those things anywhere near me again." Tyler's voice wavered.

"Anything you ask." Chase smiled. He got off of Tyler and the bed and held a hand out. Tyler sat up and took the offered hand, following Chase to the opposite end of the house. Chase's room was large, but it was dominated by a gargantuan, plush bed that made the room seem a bit smaller.

Chase flopped on to the bed with a strange, boneless grace and beckoned Tyler closer. The brunette curled up against Chase's warm side and Chase wrapped an arm around him. Somewhere, miles away from the fortified mansion, cars burned and the sick howled at the dark skies in their insanity. But Tyler had never before felt so detached and far from the chaos. He had never felt safer in his sleep than he did at that moment. He smiled in his sleep and moved a little closer to Chase, glad to have found another immune survivor who could act as his savior.