IMPORTANT: I am NOT abandoning this story, in case anyone was thinking that. I am just having exams (Shouldn't even been updating this xp) and will have for another week or so. Sorry for any inconvenience. I'll write twice as fast once they're over.

Replies to reviews: I want to thank everybody that reviewed, can't describe how much I appreciate the kind words and compliments!

Mattardis: whoops, now that you mention it, I don't really know if Larry died before or after Mark. Sorry to disappoint you, he'll be up next though.
HarryPotterTwin: Thanks for the review. I can't do Carley next though, since I'm going in order of deaths xp she'll get her turn though.
Mermaid Ninja: I'm not sure if I'll do Lee's family. I would be forced to make up half their characters since you know almost next to nothing about them. the St. John family will definitely be in here,though!
RosaRubra: Your review made me laugh. you can have as many cookies as you want!

The pilot and the plane:

As dark and muffy as the last place had been, as bright and airy was this one. The area seemed vaguely familiar to Lee, but he couldn't put his finger on why.
It was a large area of flat ground. Lanes of it were asphalted, but too wide to be roads, though they had the white stripes.
In the far corner he could see several dark buildings. Only then did it occur to Lee why he knew this place. He had been here already.
Only months before, when he hadn't really had the time to go sightseeing in an overrun Robbins airforce base.
Here, he and his group had encountered Mark, who had saved them from starvation…. At least temporarily. Ironically, it was exactly that which later had driven their crew to the dairy.

"And then he almost saved us from starvation a second time…" Lee hadn't realized he had said that out loud, a bad habit, until a voice behind him answered.
"You know, that's not funny."
Lee turned and there stood, yes stood, Mark. Right on his both legs. The thought of Mark lying on the bathroom floor covered in blood and missing both his limbs, made Lee's stomach churn. Especially because he knew where they ended up. And the mere thought of Clementine almost eating it filled him with anger. But he had stopped her, just in time.

"You want to see something cool?" Mark suddenly said, already heading for green, half-circle shaped buildings behind him.
Lee followed him over.
He hadn't noticed until just now how all the places he had already been to during his journey seemed to vibrate with good energy. Like he could feel the soul of the people he visited. This only made Lee more nervous of what he knew was to come.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of a hand hitting metal 2 times.
The buildings were obviously garages for something, and that something turned out to be a plane. A military plane no less.

"Here she is. Can you imagine I used to fly her. Seems like ages ago." Mark said, looking proudly at the airplane. Lee realized, with a ping of guilt, that he never DID ask what exactly Mark's job had been on the airforce base.
"I thought you weren't allowed to fly it with bad eyesight?" he asked instead.

"Lee, Lee, Lee" the pilot shook his head disapprovingly. "First of all, that's the navy. Second, a plane is never an it. It's a 'she', like a ship." He was rubbing his hand on the spot where he hit it before. "But most importantly, This isn't just some plane, She's a Lockheed U-2."

"Which means?"
"Which means, that this isn't the kind of plane you take on a vacation to Hawaii."
Mark said.
He then proceeded to explain some of the more technical issues, which passed Lee by completely.
Back in the old days, he used to know tons about military planes throughout history. All of that was gone now, forced out by the survival instinct developed during the epidemic.

"Are you alright?" Mark suddenly asked. Lee hadn't expected that of all questions. Wasn't he here to redeem Mark's feelings? Typically him to be more concerned for others.
But now that Lee though about it, there was something that bugged him. It had, ever since what happened at the St. John. Dairy. Now was as good a time as any to get it of his chest.

"Do you think we could have avoided it, Mark? Weren't there any signs…" It was eating him up inside for quite some time after what happened. Could they have foreseen in?
But Mark reacted calmly.

"Hunger can cloud the judgment as good as any drug can, Lee. And yes, maybe there were signs, but we decided to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in our guts to still the empty one in our stomachs. And I'm still certain it was the right decision…. We would have all died otherwise."

Lee shook his head angrily. "We don't know that for sure! We took a risk and paid a price, and it was partly my fault. How could we have been so blind?"

"Because we wanted to be." Mark interrupted him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We wanted… Needed hope so badly. We would have looked for it anywhere."

Somewhere, Lee knew Mark was right. It were desperate times, and the dairy had seemed like a gift sent from heaven.

"You know you're gonna have to face them too right? You are strong, Lee, you have already proven that. If there is anyone that can do this, It is you. But you have to stop blaming yourself for every horrible thing happening because of the outbreak."

Lee nodded once. Maybe that was what this was all about. Accepting defeat.
"Well, you better get going then. I'm waiting too you know." Mark adjusted his glasses and gave Lee a firm handshake. Then the airforce base was gone.

Larry up next. Phew... still everlasting love for anyone that reviews. and this time you get a free hot coco with it! ^^