Hello fellow migrators! I'm so very sorry for the delay but the wait is over! This week I'm going to try and get at least three chapters out seeing as the newest season is coming out in just a few days, WOOHOO! Anyway on with the show!

I don't own anything from either show (regular disclaimer shtuff) and please ENJOY!

PREVIOUSLY

"Do you live near here?" I find myself at a loss of words. Thankfully Elyza isn't.

"The house of the yard you came from."

"Good. You and your...family regroup there," he makes a gesture with his hands and we no longer find guns pointing at us, "this neighborhood is officially under martial law. No one gets in and no one gets out. Try and leave and you will be shot on sight. Do I make myself clear?"

No answer from any of us. This can't be happening. This must be some sort of joke.

"I said 'Do I make myself clear?'"

All any of us can do is nod as four of the soldiers round us up and escorts us back to our vehicles. Five military helicopters fly above us as we slowly drive back home but the strong flight engines do nothing to hide the sounds of gunshots coming from every corner of our neighborhood.

CHAPTER 8: Permanent

It's been nine days since the lights had gone out, since the wall around our entire neighborhood was built up. Nine days since the soldiers made themselves at home here. Nine days since the world had gone to complete shit.

Travis likes to remind me that we're the lucky ones, that life could be much harder and we could have ended up like one of those...things.I don't understand why we don't acknowledge them by the names we know, hell we've all pretty much watched Dawn Of The Dead and the million other undead films. I guess calling them the 'Z' word would make this situation that much more real.

Now don't get wrong I am grateful for our friends in green making this part of town a little more safe but let's be real, how long can these walls stay up? We're completely cut off from the outside world with no information on what the hell is happening. All we do know it that it isn't done yet.

I take a glance at the burnt remains of the home a few blocks down, the Sanchez family home. Military had burned it down with half of the family still inside, they were infected. The other half was taken by the military over the wall and somewhere in town. They still haven't returned.

That's how life is now.

The groaning next to me pulls me back to the task at hand. I glance over to the blonde mess of hair lying down beside me. It had been another rough night last night, what with the loud gunshots soaring through the air. Apparently the infected had come a little too close for comfort. Biscuit had gone crazy, running around the house searching for a place to hide.

Elyza had chased him around the house for almost an hour before she was finally able to catch him. I watched from my spot in the blanket fort she had made in the living the living room for us seeing as I had to give up my room for the newest edition to our family, the Salazar's. Nick had also given up his old bedroom for Liza and Chris to share. Speaking of Nick I wonder where he was off to, I don't hear him snoring from the other side of the cotton wall.

I decided that now is a good time to get up, i rise up from my position on my back and glance back towards the blonde. She is blocking the only exit out of the fort and in order to get out I either have to wake her up or climb over her….I really don't want to have to wake her up and besides that is just rude to wake her up after the marathon she had run last night, and I Alicia Clark am not a rude person. Yup good excuse to get all up on that hot piece of blonde- NOPE NOT GOING THERE.

Mind made up I turn on to my side and slowly throw an arm and leg over the sleeping beauty, straddling her hips. I find myself pausing all movements as I take in the soft features of her face. From the long lashes, the cute button nose, the curves of her lip. This woman is absolutely stunning. Her hair is an absolute mess spreading all over the light pink pillow below her head, a thick strand had somehow managed to fall right over her slightly opened mouth, rising and falling with each intake of breathe.

Reaching out I softly pluck the strand and tuck it behind Elyza's ear, my hand now falls gently upon her cheek. I hadn't realized how close my face was getting to her own.

A whine next to my head startles me and I topple the rest of the way over Elyza and tumble out of the fort, almost tackling Biscuit in the process. He and I lock eyes and I can see the judgment there.

"Oh shut up, Biscuit, I wasn't going to do anything." I swear I see his eyes roll in a ' whatever' kind of way.

"Listen you can sit here and judge me, not that you're in any place to judge, or I can take you out back to go pee. Your choice."

Great I'm having a conversation with a dog. 'Outside' is a word Biscuit knows very well. He stands up, twirling in a small circle and lets out a happy bark. Immediately I clench his muzzle shut.

"Shhhh Biscuit. Don't wake her up." Biscuit lift his paw to playful scratch at my hand, almost like he is agreeing to stay silent as long as I let him go.

Releasing him I grab at my phone that I had left on the coffee table in front of me and proceed to stand. Stretching my arms high up above my head a loud crack has me groaning in relief. Note to self, don't let the aussie talk you into building the world's tiniest freaking fort.

The dull light up of my iphone alert me to the fact that it's dieing, I make my way into the kitchen to retrieve my charger seeing as that was the last place I had the damned thing. Opening the backyard door along the way.

Mom is in the kitchen, eyes locked in a staring contest with the clock on the wall above her. She doesn't pull her gaze away when she speaks to me.

"We need to paint the walls in the second living room again, Travis found some buckets in the garage."

"We just painted the walls for the third time three days ago. Why do we even have to paint again? I hope you know that the real estate business isn't exactly booming at the moment."

"I can still see some stains." There are no stains on the pale yellow wall, at least no physical staining.

The jingle from the phone once again reminds me of it's barely there battery level and i walk towards the counter. I plug in the chord to the outlet and attach my phone, no light or sound follows.

"The power is still off?"

Mom doesn't answer but Travis does. He just got home from his routine run, sweat stains all over his light grey workout shirt. I cringe at the smell of rotting food when he opens the door to the fridge. He pulls out a water bottle before addressing me.

"Don't worry Alicia. The military is probably just trying to conserve what energy they have left from the grid, they will get the power back on in no time."

And they did. Not a minute later the lights flickered on and the chime of my phone told me that it was now charging. Travis places a kiss on my mother's cheek, turning back to the door.

"Where are you going, babe?"

"Lieutenant Moyers is going to be making an announcement and he asked that I be there earlier than required."

"Well, we wouldn't want to upset him if you weren't there now would we?" Oooh awkward. The tension in the air is extremely intense. Time to look busy on my phone.

"Ok Maddy, what's wrong?"

"Where do I start? My home is a refugee camp, my daughter's room is an ICU, someone has to cook and clean and somehow this someone is just me. Where does your ex-wife even go during the day?"

"She goes out to help the sick people,wait is this about Liza? Are you jealous right now?" Oh shit! Bitch did not just say that. Shit is about to go down.

"What? No this is about you!"

"Me?"

"Yeah you! You keeping running around playing man of the people-"

"Im not playing! They are-"

"Youre all of a sudden friends with these soldiers and-"

They're yelling at one another getting closer to each other and as amusing as this is I have to stop it. Both of the them frustrate me, they've been arguing with one another for the past nine days and it's always over the same things. It's irritating because we obviously have bigger problems in the world right now.

"Stop it! Stop! Oh my god just stop it! This domestic bickering like it's normal, like you're 'normal' people in a 'normal' kitchen" I leave my phone where i had thrown it down onto the countertop, "This isn't 'normal' and you all need to stop acting like it is!"

Im breathing hard by the end of my little speech and the silence that follows has me thinking that maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all.

Thankfully Ofelia appears in the doorway dressed in one of my old rainbow tiger tank and shorts, she asks my mom and I if we are ready to head out to receive our food rations and we both readily agree.

I leave the kitchen feeling guilty, I hadn't meant to say anything but really Mom and Travis need to grow up. I can't deal with them, the world going to shit and the questioning of my sexuality all at once.

Elyza lets out an obnoxiously loud yawn as her and Biscuit walk alongside me, mom and Ofelia walk a few steps ahead of us. We're making our way down the street towards the three huge military trucks that are surrounded by soldiers. Today was rations day. The military would gather the people up and distribute can goods and bottled water to all resident who checked in.

"So sweetheart, care to clue me in on all the yelling this morning?" Biscuit tries to approach some trash on the side of the round but with a jerk from Elyza on his makeshift leash and collar, a plain old rope tied in a knot around his neck, he's back on track.

"Shit they woke you up? It was just mom and Travis fighting again, I swear those two can fight over anything nowadays. Y'know yesterday they fought over whether or not we should continue to recycle the plastic bottles. Mom wouldn't talk to Travis all night."

"Jesus those two need to just cop a root before they kill each other."

"Cop a root?"

"Smash uglies?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Shaking her head, Elyza takes a hold of my left hand and spreads out my palm. She then maneuvers my pointer finger to touch my thumb making a 'O'. I watch curiously as her right pointer finger begins moving in and out of the 'O'.

It takes me a moment before my face heats up and I basically snatch my hand away. I can feel the bile building up in the back of my throat.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!"

"Alicia, language!" Mom throws me a look but I can't find myself to look her in her eyes.

The she-devil beside me just laughs as she grabs for my hand once again intertwining our fingers, my brain is so short-circuited that I don't pull away. I'm still blushing like mad as we continue to walk down the street hand in hand.

"Oh by the way they weren't the ones who woke me up, there was this incredibly beautiful brunette straddling me this morning and let's just say I woke up a little more than hot and bothered."

…...SHE WAS AWAKE.

"Motherfucker!"

"Alicia, LANGUAGE!"

Moyer's voice drones on and on but I've stopped listening a while ago after I realized he was giving us the same speech over again, 'You're all very luck' and 'there is no infection nearby'. No new information. The others realise this too and begin to line up in front of the ration truck.

I'm first in line, followed by Elyza and biscuit, then Ofelia. The red wagon is being pulled along by my mom who is still listening to the lieutenant speak along with Travis.

"Name of you and your family members?" Ask the soldier with the clipboard. He's younger than the rest of the soldiers I've seen, probably closer to Ofelia's age. He also isn't as stern looking as the rest of his comrades, his blue eyes shine with genuine kindness.

"Alicia Clark, I'm picking up for the two other member of my family ; Nicholas and Maddison Clark." Making a quick check mark on his list he gestures for me to move towards the truck where another soldier stands, collection my rations and placing them into a small cardboard box. I take the box and wait on the side for the rest of us.

"Next."

"Hi I'm Elyza Lex and this here is my dog Biscuit Lex, it's just the two of us." At his name Biscuit lets out a yap from his seat next to Elyza's feet, his aloha t-shirt almost touching the asphalt.

"I have food for you but none for your dog."

"No dog food?"

"Sorry ma'am, but our priority is with the people and not well...again I am sorry."

"That's alright. Thanks anyway, mate," Elyza moves along and collects her ration, "well Biscuit, I guess you and I can just share these cans of beans for the time being."

The ration should last us all four days before we need to return for more and it's an assortment of different foods. Variety is always good.

Ofelia is next and if the blush on both her and the kind officer is any indication, I would say these two are definitely flirting. Ofelia giggles at something the man said before moving on and collecting her family's box of goods and joining Elyza and I on the side.

Elyza is the first to speak.

"Well he is cute."

"Yes he is...and very charming as well. Why are intrested in him, Elyza?" It's as if I'm watching Animal Planet, Ofelia is staring down Elyza and studying her like she was a threat to her territory or something. Elyza keeps her stare for a moment before a huge grin breaks out on her face.

"Don't worry Ofelia, he isn't really my type. I prefer my lovers to be a little less….well male."

Ofelia breaks out with her own grin, patting Elyza on the back like they're old high school friends. If I wasn't still trying to get the thought of my mom having a sex life out of my mind, I'd probably be freaking out over the fact that Elyza had just announced her sexuality right in front of me.

Travis interrupts the two older women to drop off my mom's red wagon, stating that she had already left to return home without us. Placing our items into the wagon, the three of us walk back down the path of housing as i pull the goods behind me, completely oblivious to the blonde's eyes that are glued to me.

Walking back home with Elyza and Ofelia was nothing but fun, then again wherever Elyza went she probably made even the most mundane things fun. Biscuit was being his silly self, jumping along with Elyza as she described her most recent visit back to the 'bush' where her and her dad , Jake, were chased around the open fields of Australia by a pack of wild dogs.

The blonde bombshell told the story with such enthusiasm and with so much hand gestures it wasn't hard imagining the scene she played out for us. The three of us laughed the whole way home and we welcomed the distraction from the real world. As soon as we made it the front door, Ofelia was rushing in with an excuse that her mother would love to hear about Elyza's adventure.

I was so focused on trying to get the wagon wheel over a rather large bump in the driveway I completely missed Ofelia winking at Elyza, nodding her head to me and sending a thumbs up to the blonde when she nodded back.

"Hey babe, let me help you with that." Elyza lifted the back end of the wagon up and over the bump before placing it back down.

"Thanks." We both enter through the side gate which leads to the backyard. I follow the concrete path all the way to the glass door of the second living room but stop in my tracks.

Through the window I watch as Mom and Chris are laughing together, painting the stainless walls and my heart clenches. My mom looks so happy, so normal. This morning I let my irritation over my mom and Travis' denial overwhelm me and I don't mean to sound like a hypocrite, seeing as moments ago I was laughing and talking without a care in the world, but there is a difference between distraction and denial.

I don't want to start another screaming match so I do what I should have done this morning and I walk away, I'm going through the hole in the back fence and into Mrs. Chang's garden. The sound of feet behind should have bothered me but it didn't.

Neither of us acknowledge the other as I make it to the back door of the Chang household, the military team must have locked it after taking Mr. Chang because the door is now locked. I'm about to head on back when Elyza gently moves me out of the way.

She shifts her hand around in her leather jacket pocket, pulling out two hair pins. Elyza kneels down and probes the lock with the one pin, moving the other in a circular motion. With a quick jerk the door is swinging open.

I'm through the door first and I slowly start my walk around the house. Now that there is light in the home and no fears of the infected present, I'm able to fully taken in the home I knew so well.I make my down the old hallways listening to the familiar creeks of the floorboards below. I pass by rows of pictures littered across the walls, pictures of the Chang's and their extended family that I had grown to love.

Taking the turn into the familiar bedroom the smell of jasmine envelopes me, Susan always did love that particular scent. There are more pictures here too, pictures that I hadn't noticed the last time we were in here. One pictures draws me closer.

It's a horrible drawing of a house, a tree and two figures holding hands, all done in an assortment of different crayola colors. My heart constricts when I read the even messier writing below the picture.

For, Aunt Su-su

Love, Alicia

My knees feel like they're going to give and so I quickly move to the bed, the framed artwork still in my hands. I let the memories that I had made here in this home wash over me and I do nothing to stop the tears that fall from my eyes. The bed dips beside me and I lean into Elyza, placing my head upon her shoulder.

I move to wipe the tears on my white and black bomber jacket only to stop midway when I notice the fading ink on my arm. I bring my other hand up to caress the heart and Elyza does the same.

"You're boyfriend?" I know what she is asking and for the first time I push aside my false hope and recognize the cold hard truth out loud.

"He didn't make it…"

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Her hand doesn't release mine as we both trace the faded artwork of Matt's hand. Even with her jacket on, I can still picture the artwork permanently stained on Elyza.

"I don't want to forget him, Elyza. I'm scared that I will...I can't forget him, I owe him that much."

"You loved him?" I nod my head because my throat is so tight from trying to hold back my cries. "Then you won't forget him, Alicia."

"How can you be so sure I won't?."

She doesn't answer instead she looks around the room, searching for something. Her eyes light up when she spots Aunt Susan's old sewing kit.

"Do you trust me ,Alicia?"

"Yes."

The sting of the needle on my skin has become a dull pain now as Elyza continues along the barely there sharpie lines. She dips the pen in the ink then dips it into my skin. It's not a big extravagant design so it should be over soon.

With each prick I latch onto a certain memory hoping that as the mark becomes permanent on my skin, the memories Matt and I have made will also stay permanently attached to me.

"We're just about done."

A few more pricks and finally it's over. Elyza place the needle onto the side of the dresser next us and reaches for the the wet rag she had made earlier. Gently she wipes at the mixture of blood and ink on my skin and when that is done I finally look down.

Matt's symbol is there and brighter than ever. I no longer feel guilt when I look at it, I no longer feel disgust. Matt was my family and although he isn't here physically, he is here with me.

"It's perfect. Thank you, Elyza."

I'm not ready for another relationship but not because of Matt. I needed to stop using him as an excuse. I'm just not ready, not with all this craziness that is going around. I'm not ready, but when I am I will go into my next relationship with no guilt gripping at my heart.

"Alicia, we need to be strong now. You need to be strong," Our eyes lock, a clash of green and blue, " The dead are gone, Clark. The living are hungry."

TBC