CHAPTER SEVEN-ROAD TRIPPING

Chess did as he was asked to do, he drove the parents home. He gave them an up close and personal view of the local landscape. The little that they had witnessed on the TV and in their personal experience in Maverick before the jump to the farmhouse did not compare to the devastation that took place originally. He drove them through the square, then on through the blocks to their own street where their home stood. Sandy wept and Cal was visibly upset, saying 'you kids survived this'.
"Um, we did." Chess replied, looking toward Cal and his dad. The women were not so lucky as Karen was incarcerated and Chess felt certain that Sandy had died with Ray in the basement of the house. The odor of death was overwhelming as they entered the house which stayed intact through the seasons of the zombie. The grass was overgrown, the house dirty and dank and dusty. Sandy opened windows to air the place out and she wanted to gather some personal effects, which Chess allowed her to do. They all observed the basement door in their kitchen. It had a red spray painted X on the door. Clearly it meant do not enter. Clearly Ray had been oblivious to this when he opened this door and he further went into the basement. He found himself, several friends and his mother laid out on the basement floor side by side. Bullet holes in their skulls and their bodies decomposed. The odor was thick and gagging, but he needed to see. Ray had a feeling he was there as were others. Chess had indicated he and his mother had not survived.
Chess covered his face with a tee and descended into the basement. The steps went slowly beneath his feet. Ray stood with his flashlight, shining a beam of light over the death on the floor at their feet.
"Ray," Chess said, pulling his arm a bit.
"This isn't me, this is you." Ray whispered. He looked to his right at his brother. He didn't want to believe it anymore than Chess wanted to believe it back then.
"No, Ray." Chess replied, shaking his head. "It's a different place, Ray. We're standing next to each other."
"Mom." He shined the flashlight over Sandy, what remained of her.
"Is upstairs with dad. Can we leave? What are you looking for down here?"
"Nothin', Chess." He answered, stepping back toward the steps. "Nothing." The brothers climbed to the kitchen and waited on Sandy in the smelly stillness of the first floor of what had been their home. "Is there anyone alive here?" Ray asked as he looked through the kitchen window.
"You see anyone? The living hide from the dead, Ray. They come out when they need to. The living hide from the living too."
"We don't?" Cal asked.
"We do not hide from either one." Chess sounded confident. He hoped they'd feel that and they would understand. "There are others. We occasionally run into them."
"Then what happens?" Cal asked.
"Depends." He shrugged. "Julia likes to say, 'we don't kill the living'. But I amend that with, 'unless they try to kill us first'."
"Will they?"
"Yes." He nodded. "Julia is a talker. I am a shooter."
"She's a know it all." Sandy criticized as she brought a bag into the room with them.
"Because she knows it all." Chess agreed. "You should realize that. Do you like this house? Would you like to stay?"
"Here?" Sandy scoffed at him. "With the dead bodies?"
"Yes, mom. With the dead bodies." Chess replied, kicking the basement door shut. "You would need to relocate them, burn them, then clean this place from top to bottom. You would need to scavenge these houses or relocate altogether as you have no heat source and no running water."
"There are always places to go, ways to survive. You know that as well as I do." Karen interjected.
"You plan on carrying them through zombie world?" Chess grinned at her confidence, her tenacity. Of all those who stood in his kitchen, Karen would be the one to walk away unharmed and stronger from all this. "You deal with Julia's ways or this is where Julia will send you. Are you prepared for that?"
"As if she wasn't bossy and obnoxious before. This only makes her worse." Karen added, crossing her arms over her ample chest.
Chess took his gun off his waist and handed it to Karen. "Can you fire this?" He asked.
"I grew up huntin'. We can fire anything." She motioned to John.
He tossed the keys to the van to her and she caught them. "Remember where the farmhouse is?" He asked.
"I do. Sure, I been all over these roads, longer than you been breathing." John announced.
"Well, then. There's supplies in the van. You think this over and I will see you later." Chess smiled. He stepped away from his family and looked at Ray. "You coming?"
"Uh, what?"
"Are you coming with me or are you staying with mommy?"
"I'm staying with mommy." He answered.
Chess wasn't surprised by that response, he understood it. Ray had always been mommy's boy. Ray had always attached to her and listened to her and Sandy never cut that cord. Chess severed it the day he was born. He'd always gone against the grain. He'd always separated from her and never gave a second thought to it.
Chess left the house through the front door and Cal followed. "You don't need a gun, Chess?"
"Nope." He answered, walking away.
"How are you getting back?"
"I know my way home, Cal." He replied annoyed with the stalling. Cal and John had also survived this road before, whether they knew it or not. They had years worth of experience under their belts. They had chosen the people before, they'd need to do it again or come back to the farmhouse with a new perspective. Chess continued on past the van and into the street.
A moment later his brother caught up to him. He'd changed his mind. "They're our family, Chess."
"My family is at a farmhouse. Choose the people, Ray."
"Mommy says-"
"Mommy, mommy, mommy, Ray. Cut the fucking cord." Chess yelled at him.
"I think I just did." He mumbled, keeping up with his brother's pace away from the house. "Safer with you than I am with them." He looked back over his shoulder toward the house they once lived in.
"They'll be ok." Chess assured him. He knew they lived to torture him in the future at the fortress. He knew they would occupy north campus, which was in fact the farm house, the four of them together. They would survive one way or another.
"Yeah, I need to be with Julia." He said suddenly.
"Why, Ray? What is it about Julia that you need so damn much?"
"She gets it." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. "What is it about her that you need so damn much?" His voice mirrored his own as he asked the same of Chess.
"Uh, she gets it." Chess answered the same with a very different meaning. "I'm gonna be with her in one way or another for a very long time, longer than the rest of you. I trust her. I gotta trust her judgment."
Chess went to Jess's porch and met up with the door that had a large spray painted X over it. He broke into it, shoving with his shoulder. Ray watched as he did this, thinking Julia was right when she directed him to break through Stef's door. He wondered why they stood on Jess's front porch, considering they had Jess at the farm house with them. Chess found Louann's body before he found her purse. She'd been wrapped in a sheet and lay on the living room floor. One more house with one more disgusting odor. He rummaged through the purse till he found Louann's car keys. Ray rummaged through the kitchen cabinet and tossed his brother a granola bar. Ray saved his, but Chess tore his open and ate in spite of the stench of Louann's decaying body.
"Kinda stale." Chess noted as he chewed, but he ate it anyway. He opened the fridge and then opened the bottom drawer dehydrator and he pulled a couple water bottles out of the drawer. They were warm, but they were sealed and drinkable. The brothers head back to the front street and found Louann's car, which turned over when Chess started it. "Miracles." Chess moaned, pulling away from the curb. He drove away and passed their house with the minivan in the driveway. The parents were still alive, Chess mused. He looked at the gas tank. 1/4 tank full and he thought that was plenty to head back where they came from. They head out of Maverick and into the countryside, which appeared untouched compared to Maverick itself. Open roads with farms lining either side. The death walked an awkward and grotesque gait along that same road, Chess slowed and swerved to avoid hitting them. They could do some damage to a car, much like hitting a deer. Drive around, not over, as their muck and goo could clog up a wheel well. He made little comments to Ray as he drove, presenting him either tips or reminders for future endeavors in the field. Ray seemed quite at ease considering this was first contact. Whether he felt safe or whether he was just in a state of shock or denial, Chess couldn't speculate. This amounted to a routine day. He felt some level of relief as opposed to fear or anxiety. Old virus, he thought. He'd take and clear old virus any day over what was coming. Nests were frightening. The new virus zoms were fast and a bigger threat than he had ever dreamed. They would sniff a live human out and track the living unlike their predecessors. The pack mentality, the thirst that never stopped till they were stopped. This pack would envelop and consume and move on. They crossed obstacles like stakes or spikes. They overwhelmed small structures. They knocked down doors and fences and walls and they functioned as a group as opposed to the lone hunter.
"You're not scared of this at all, are you?"
"No, Ray. I'm not." His response short and to the point.
He had other things on his mind. He'd been distracted since Julia dropped them in the front yard of the farm house. There hadn't been an adjustment period with Chess. Considering he did this for a living, the leap from reality to alternate reality was not a huge one. Reality was similarly eerie at home and on the flipside. More than anything he found himself worrying abut Hayley, Macy, Blondie. There were people that were abandoned. Were they at similar risk? Was Hayley being followed and if she was what did that mean for Kevin and his enterprise, his illegal kingdom he ran from a handicap accessible apartment in the city of brotherly love? Chess focused on the road while his brother scanned the landscape.
"You alright, Ray?" He asked, glancing sideways at his twin. Tavin and Julia had both given him all the information they'd learned about his brother's condition. Chess thought it odd. Their entire landscape that laid out in front of them was schizophrenic. The bodies that defied death were a delusion. The odors that surrounded them. The bodies in the basement. The fact that they were driving a car that was low on gas in a no man's land devastated by death was all difficult to process for anyone, let alone someone that already suffered an alternate reality.
"Yes, I am." He replied sounding so comfortable, so very normal. 
Chess turned off one country road and onto another, then slowed as he maneuvered the vehicle around the road block. The obstruction in the road, a wagon sideways, its horses laying disemboweled, had not been there on their earlier ride to Maverick.
"Nice wagon." Chess announced, stopping the car altogether alongside it. He looked around them before disembarking the car. "Stay put." He ordered as he walked to the wagon. No people, living or dead. He checked out the wheels and the bed of the wagon, sturdy he believed. They weren't far from home. They could come back for it. He peeked over the side of the wagon and jumped when he saw the girl there. "Hello." Chess said. She lay beneath a burlap bag and her face was uncovered. She'd hidden there obviously. Whether directed to do so or on instinct, she lay scared and trembling. "I won't hurt you." Chess said softly. He'd been through this before. He'd been trained. He'd been through psych services for this very reason. Kids were the worst. Those that had turned and those that had lived to watch it all fall apart. He suspected this was why he took kids to heart, why he and Julia never turned a kid away from the fortress in the future. "I'm Chess." He leaned on folded arms on the side of the wagon and he looked at her as she feared him as hard as she had feared whatever happened there that morning. "Are you alone?" He asked. She chose to remain mute and she cried quietly beneath the burlap bag. The more he looked at her face, the tears, he realized she may be younger that he first thought. "How old are you?"
Her small hand moved and he watched her pull it out from beneath the sack. "This many." She answered, holding up 4 fingers dirt smudged fingers. Chess held up his two hands. "I'm this many." He smiled, opening and closing his palms toward her. "Twenty." She said, her voice a small whisper.
Well, a smart one, he thought. "What's your name, kid?"
"Katherine." She answered. He noticed she felt comfortable enough to move and then resettled beneath the sack.
"You know where you live, Katherine?"
She shook her head.
"Ok. You can get up. No one will hurt you."
"They all gone?" She asked, her eyes looking at him.
"Looks like it." Chess nodded, extending his hand to the child. All he'd seen was a face. A white and tear streaked face. When the girl sat up, he saw her little flower bonnet and light brown curls that hung against her face. A homemade dress, colorful flowers and a white smock over top of it. She wore old worn shoes on her feet. He lifted the light weight child over the side of the wagon and he held onto her on his hip. "Hey, we'll try to find your people ok?"
"Yes." She said softly as she looked at Chess's car.
"He's my brother. His name is Ray and he won't hurt you either." Chess told her. He opened the rear door and he strapped the girl into the seat.
"Who's she?" Ray asked, looking over his shoulder at the little girl.
"You look just like him." She said, stretching her body to see out the window, then into the front seat.
Chess got back in the car and started it up. He set off back in the direction they came, back toward Maverick.
"Her name's Katherine." Chess told him.
"Where we going?" Ray asked as they approached home as opposed to the farmhouse.
"Julia's wrong on this." Chess muttered.
He let himself in the house and found his parents sitting around the table trying to decide rather loudly what to do. Sandy was drinking. In fact she had a bottle of wine half polished off when Chess came back in the house. "Julia's wrong on this. Get in the van and follow me back."
"We're fine." Karen stated.
"Only been on our own for an hour or so, Chess." His dad announced. They all had guns. His dad had more in the house. "Garage, Chess. They were locked up in the garage."
"Wanna stay, then stay." He threw his arms up and walked away.
Sandy was the first one up. Bottle in her grip, she corked it and she picked up her bag she'd packed. Karen was the least phased by all that had transpired, but she followed her older sister's lead and the men brought up the rear with a couple more bags of clothing that Sandy had packed for them. Cal had expressed interest in heading home himself, unsure of exactly why, but he wanted a few things of his own. Cal stated he didn't have much, but he did have some belongings he wanted. The kids had uprooted their lives, but he had things that he wanted to keep.
They made the short drive to the house and they parked outside in the driveway. Cal and Chess head inside the house he'd recently sold at home to find all their belongings still intact and untouched. Someone had been there, rummaging through the kitchen and the cabinets he noticed.
"Might have been us, before we left." Chess admitted. "We loaded up the Prius, remember?"
"Ellen's Prius? Yes. When I visited, the Prius was by the barn."
"It still is, Cal." Chess reminded him.
While Cal gathered up his personal effects, Chess head to Julia's room. Julia's homecoming dress was still hanging on a hanger on the bathroom door. Jesslyn's was missing. He opened the drawers on her desk and he looked at all the pictures of her and Tia and Alex. The room looked as they'd left it, but it was off. This room was not all her and Jay. There was no playpen in the corner of the room, rather a toddler bed. He heard a noise from the door area as clear as day. He gripped his knife and he advanced with his flash light, shining it toward the entryway, the beam of light over the door. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw her.
"Shit." He squealed, backing off her and away from her. He heard the familiar crying and she stayed crouched in there adjacent to the door. "Holy fucking shit." He said again as he approached her in her crouched stance. She looked scared. The girl who usually stood so fearless, was hiding and terrified.
"Chess?" She whimpered. "Chess, why are you here?"
"Uh, Julia-" He stammered, crouching in front of her. "You ok, babe?" He extended his hand to her.
She trembled. There are people if you look for them, he thought. Usually they hide from the dead, but they also hide from the living.
"Chess-" Cal called from upstairs.
"Daddy." She cried, her voice hoarse. She moved away from Chess and she ran to the voice she thought she would never hear again.
"Jules, wait." Chess called, but it was too late.

"Jules, wait." Tavin called, but it was too late. She had already stepped out of the cramped corner they'd hidden themselves. She had followed Jody out. Tavin waited nervously and hesitated to move, opting to let them handle this situation. A simple post apocalyptic med run had turned into a nightmare. Jody, he realized, had balls and he feared absolutely nothing. Jody had stepped out first and as Tavin and Julia sat behind, they heard bones crunching. Julia must have said to herself, fuck it, as she hated the living more than the dead and she hated being cornered. Tavin's blood was running cold, the sound of the bones breaking. Living people with their bones breaking. His first instinct was to help those with broken bones, not break them himself. How he had changed over the years.
"Grow a pair, Keller." She called and he couldn't do it. She had Jody. He was unprepared for this scenario. Caught inside an old nursing home whose cast of elderly characters had long perished in the wave of infection and the loss of their caretakers. He had listened as she and Jody tossed around ideas in whispers. Jody went all Chuck Norris and Julia went into ninja mode. Tavin hid and stayed hidden till he got an all clear.
"Coulda used some help there, Tav. What the fuck?"
"Uh, no." He shook his head as he emerged from the hiding spot. They were standing no worse for wear, but Julia was a bit out of breath. Whether she was out of shape or whether she smoked too much, he was unsure. They'd entered on the first floor into a dining room and met up with an unruly crowd when they went in. They'd been shot at, returned fire, and dodged bullets successfully till they made their way to the exterior hall where they hid behind what used to be a nurses station. Instead of leaving, finding an exit, they crept through the left into the lobby where they then took cover in an old office, closing the door quietly behind them. These windows had been long boarded up. "Maybe we should have knocked or something." Tavin suggested about an hour too late.
"We'll take that under advisement." Jody replied.
"Um, I don't like this very much." Tavin announced, looking around the sun starved lobby. "Not at all." He shook his head. "We should leave."
"I agree." Jody nodded. "Who knows how many others there are." He pointed out.
"What about the meds?"
"I doubt that there are-" Tavin had begun to say as Julia walked toward the nurse's station. She opened the door behind the nurse's station, which led to a thoroughly ransacked room. A shell of what used to be a supply room, but there was a cart parked in the corner. She pulled open the drawers and started flipping through pill cards. Pills with names she didn't recognize. She gave up and she left the confines of that space.
"You, get in there and go through the cart of drugs, please." Julia asked of Tavin. He may have punked out on them during their fight and Chess was correct, the guy could run, but he needed more training. She waited with her gun drawn as Tavin slipped his hands over the cards of medications that were labeled with patients' names. Jody walked the room where they'd entered, making sure the living were dead. He had no reservations on taking another life. He did it so well. It was hard to participate and not watch it all happen. There was no fair fight as Jody took them on. He'd been trained to take this kind of threat on and eliminate it. Where his training focused on the dead, it had also in part focused on disarming or disabling or, if necessary, ending human life. Tavin had found a few cards of the meds he had sought, tucked them into a bag and then reappeared with Julia.
"Most places have a psych floor, like Alzheimer's. When I was an EMT we used to transport these old heads to and from the hospital. If there's a psych floor, then we may have better luck."
"Good, let's go then."
Julia and Jody covered Tavin, their reluctant pharmacist as they maneuvered through the building to the next wing. There, they continued their search in that wing's cart. Tavin added to the bag. The second floor was where they had hit pay dirt. There were doors closed to what used to be a locked unit. Tavin opened the door as Julia yelled no. The line of dead awaited them on the opposite side of the door. Closed doors were closed for reasons beyond his comprehension. The first zombie that pushed through reached for Tavin, dehydrated fingers grasped at his throat and Tavin screamed like a girl as he struggled to separate from the hungry zom. More bullets were fired. Jody always went for his gun first. He never attempted to reach for a knife to intervene. Tavin kicked away from the door and it swung closed. He lay mumbling to himself on the floor. He stared at the ceiling, the blood splattered ceiling. He lay covered in bloody ooze that had exploded from Jody's head shots.
"Tavin, pull yourself together." Julia urged. "You are carrying. Pull that knife and protect yourself. Or the gun like G.I. Jo here." She looked at the ready and able Mayers. "Put that gun away, Jo. Knife first."
"Yes, Morgan."
"Old virus, Jo. Practice, Jody."
"Yes, Morgan."
"Up, Tav. Open the door and let them out one by one or we go in and do it all at once."
"One by one." He answered from his spot on the floor.
"Up, then, Tavin. Practice." She said, her voice soothing and calm yet with the inflection of annoyance at both of them. Jody, too quick to shoot and Tavin, too scared to do harm. "You did this with Chess."
"There was a formation. We shot them. It was all very neat and orderly till we were chased by that nest."
"You have seen a nest." Jody stated.
"Oh, yes, I have." Tavin answered, picking himself up. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and he pulled the knife from his hip. "They run very fast. They tried to climb the store front to reach us on the roof." He sounded disturbed by this story. "I shot the hive leader." He added. "He was tucked into the doorway across the street from the roof we stood on."
"You shot him from that distance? Down and across the street?"
"Yes, Jo. I fuckin did."
"Then why can't you fuckin do that here?" Jody questioned mimicking his voice.
Tavin gave him an angry stare. "I never stabbed anything in the head before."
"Yeah, you have. I taught you a long time ago."
Julia pushed him aside and opened the door. She stood between the open door and Tavin and she didn't pull her weapon. She waited. Either Tavin would pull his or she would get bit. It took everything she had to hold back. She muttered his name as cold and rough fingers latched onto her hair, and he anxiously tried pulling her away. As they moved, the few that were behind the door filed into the small area by the stairwell and she let Tavin take care of it. He was sloppy with the knife, but he managed through Julia's screaming and the zoms moaning and groaning. He was pissed, but he said nothing and he understood. Jody had also understood as he did nothing to assist either of them. He was ready to aim and fire whether she had ordered him knife first or not. He didn't have to because Tavin had intervened.
"Thanks. You can do that all the time now."  Julia said under her breath. This was turning into a messy morning. Tavin hit pay dirt in the medicine cart behind the closed doors. He felt like wheeling the entire cart away and loading it in the Prius.
Two more stops. Neither was as bad or gory or bloody as the last. The next place was burned out and then the final nursing home was no longer a nursing home, rather a dwelling for those seeking shelter and safety. They were milling about outside and enclosed behind their well maintained wrought iron fence. The slats were open enough for a breach, but the grounds appeared clear and well monitored. No one shot at them and they didn't shoot anyone. A man approached their Prius and demanded their business on the property. They hadn't even parked in the lot or the drive as they had only idled on the roadside. She spoke to the man pleasantly, not looking for a fight. She was already tired and done spilling blood for the day.
"I need medicine."
"No drugs here."
"I don't want narcs. If you have any-"
"What kinda drugs?"
Tavin looked out the car window and rattled off a list of medicine names, both the generic and the name brand. "Antipsychotic meds. For schizophrenia."
"Oh. Uh, there's still crazy people out there."
"There's only one we care about." She replied.
The bearded thin man gestured to others using hand signals. Julia had no idea what they were talking about, but a woman was sent to the car and she was given the list of meds both generic and name brand. Julia managed a trade and she'd need to go home in order to effectively carry out this trade. The bearded man said he'd have their meds ready for them when they returned with equal amounts pot and tobacco. They truly wanted alcohol, but Chess's still was currently out of order.  The bearded man spoke up before she got back in the Prius. "You help a guy out, I can get you percs."
"Excuse me?" Julia asked.
"You help a guy out now, you can have the meds." He looked over her shoulder at Tavin and Jody. "Or I come back with the pot and tobacco as planned." Julia stated, letting the comment roll off her like it was never said. She made a mental note that she knew they had narcs. She set that aside in her head as she thought that Chess would have to get that still up and running.
Julia took her seat aside Tavin as he drove away. "What's up, Red? You alright?"
"He'll give me percs if I fuck him." She sighed. She didn't like to be insulted or propositioned.
"Oh, we don't need percs that bad, Jules."
"I know that." She replied, feeling uncomfortable because the thought had crossed her mind. As soon as he said the word, the ones that followed were insignificant. "Fuck." She sighed. "For like a split second, Tav..."
"I know, Julia. That never goes away."
"What never goes away?" Jody asked.
"Do I have drug addict stamped across my forehead?" She asked aloud. "Do I have the word whore stamped across my forehead?" She yelled. "Or does he say that to all the girls?"
"Julia, calm down."
"I'll tell you one thing, he's lucky I love Ray Morgan."
"Julia, let it go. He was looking for company and he didn't get it. So, yeah, he probably says that to all the girls."
"Gonna be like that the rest of my life. It's gonna be like this the rest of my life. No matter what I fuckin do, so just accept it, right?"
"Um,"
"You know what it's like being constantly hit on or propositioned for sex?"
"Uh, yeah. We do." Jody answered. "You forget the world we just came from? They were everywhere. It was a complaint of mine."
"Dude, you two are at least hot. Men, they will try and fuck anything."
"Awe, Red, you're still cute." Tavin reassured her.
"I am obese." She yelled. "Why would anyone want this?"
"Obese?" Jody asked.
"Yes, Jo. I used to fit into my clothes." She replied. "I was so small. I was so thin. I didn't have this." She yelled, hands shaking her belly. "I barely eat. I have cut out every snack. We are healthy farm fed people and I am fucking fat. Why?" She grabbed her thigh and she shook it. "Do you see? My thighs rub together. Together. I have no space between my legs anymore. As if I wasn't bad enough before."
"You're like 110 pounds, Julia." Tavin tried to talk sense into her.
"15. 115 pounds, Tav. I have stretch marks."
"Ok, Jules. You're fine. You look no different."
"I am 20 pounds overweight."
"Ugh, really Morgan." Jody moaned. "This is what I do not miss about having a girlfriend."
"Kelly does the same damn thing."
"She's well proportioned. Me, I look like one of those troll dolls or a garden gnome."
"Oh, stop it. That's just way off base." Tavin argued, raising his voice. "Enough."
Jody laughed in the back seat, "Troll doll."

Julia bypassed the house and head into the barn. She lifted the blue lid on the storage bin and she pulled out a bag of tobacco. She replaced the lid and opened up another bin. She withdrew a bag of weed. Chess caught her as she replaced the lid on his pot bin.
"You found drugs."
"Exchange drugs for drugs." She replied as she held the processed plants in her arms.
"Our weed though, babe?" He whined.
"I won't smoke, then." She shrugged. Amazing...he's not my brother, he's yours.
He sighed, looking at the weed. "Is this a fair exchange?" He winced as if in pain she walked past him with her trade in her arms.
"You tell me." She answered. She figured she'd find out. If what they were trading wasn't equal to what they carried, then Julia would back out and move on somewhere else on another day. What they'd gathered was enough for a couple months, at least to let him adjust to the transition between home and away. They'd still need more for the transition from away back to home. They all would need something to adjust to that transition. Nests...she thought...were the stuff of nightmares. She and Chess both understood that and dealt with that memory on a daily basis.
"There's something we should talk about." He announced nervously as he passed the minivan. Julia had noticed the van and knew he brought them back home with him, but there was a strange car in the drive. It looked familiar, but she couldn't place it. She stopped next to the car and looked inside.
"Does it have to do with this? Who owns this?"
"Louann." He answered.
"Oh, I see. Is she here?"
"No. She isn't." He answered sounding very suspicious. He was holding something back. He wasn't ready to tell her yet. "Are we taking in strays, my Chess?"
"Um, maybe." He replied. "There's a wagon. I wanna go get it."
"Fine, then go get it." She responded sounding rather short with him. She opened the Prius door and grabbed her bag, opened it and tucked the weed and the tobacco inside. She pulled a smoke out and lit. Far away from the house, no one liked the odor of it, except the smokers and even they preferred it away from the farmhouse. Of all the odors they complained about, cigarette smoke was tops on the list. Chess fidgeted in front of her. "Spit it the fuck out." She yelled. "Fuck. What is wrong? Are the parents ok? Ray?"
"Yeah," He nodded, taking the cigarette from her. He took a drag and handed it back. He looked shady and she didn't like it. She walked by him and head toward the house, but he caught her arm. "Um, not yet. Stay outside." He asked of her. He guided her to the steps and to the window that was yet to be covered. They looked in the house through the main room and she saw the red head sitting at the table in a chair with her back to them. Her stomach flipped.
"Is that Amanda? Oh, no. I cannot live with Amanda." She whispered. She had drugged then counseled that guilt out of her. She had talked enough with Amanda and there was way too much animosity between them to-
"Nope." He replied, scratching his head. She looked at her dad, sitting next to this girl, holding her hand. He was talking with her. "Worse. Depends on how you look at it."
Julia squinted, taking in the flowing hair over the small framed girl. She was tiny. The girl's hand lifted and ran through her hair, fluffing it back over her shoulders. As she did this a small girl dressed in Amish clothing ran through the room followed by a very excited Tia. She had a playmate.
"How many you pick up today, my king?" She asked sarcastically.
"That's Katherine. We'll work on getting her outta here, I hope. The other one..." He poked at the window pane, pointed at the girl. "Your dad brought her here." Chess and Julia watched as this emotional girl was gawked at by those around her. Jay looked all sorts of confused and Tavin did as well. The redhead embraced Cal and cried.
"Oh, shit." Julia gasped.
"Not my idea. Not my idea." He repeated. "Not my idea."
"That's my father, not her father." Julia felt some possessiveness as the red head clone wept on daddy's shoulder. Cal ate it up. He comforted her and held her and Julia didn't know he was capable of that. Julia didn't know she was capable of seeking that from him either.
"She's very...nice?" Chess offered, trying to describe the weepy girl at her table.
"Fuck it. Later. Tav and you can go get this wagon. I can't take him out with me again today." She grumbled. She caught Jody's attention and pointed at him. She motioned for him to come out. She wanted to get on with their road trip. She and Chess stepped away from the window and off the porch. Chess separated from her and Julia stood at Caroline's grave quietly thinking she wanted to plant something there. She wanted to have a seat there as well. She'd been busy, hadn't been out there in a bit.
Jody waited for her by the Prius. "You driving, Morgan?"
"Nah, you can." She answered since he held the keys in his hand. As they drove off to the exchange, Jody brought up the red head at the table. "Not now." She cut him off before he could start that conversation. She needed to think this through. She did have one question. "Does she think Jay's her boyfriend?"
"No." Jody answered. "The little I heard, Morgan-"
She held her hand up at him. "Later, thanks." She felt relief when she heard that her clone wasn't expecting much from Jayson. That was all she needed to hear. "Thank God." One less thing to deal with. She didn't need a repeat of the whole Jess-Chess drama. As the roads passed she had more and more questions of both Julia and Cal. What was he thinking blending the reality with the flipside? Julia wondered what else would blend? Who else would they run into as they ran the streets? Should they stay as close to the farmhouse as possible to avoid their alternate personas? Were they all out there wandering the flipside? Truth be told, they were not supposed to be there, treading on their alternates' time and place. Julia doubted interfering with them would be a grand idea. Julia wouldn't want them intruding on hers with expectations and having to provide explanations. Their first trip to the flipside was of their creation, a purgatory they believed, but it turned into so much more.
"What is this place?" She wondered aloud. "If not purgatory, then what?"
Jody studied her with a quizzical look. He couldn't answer her. Maybe they would never know. "I try not to think about it much. I take what's given, Morgan."
"Will we ever know? Will we ever truly know? Are we still jumping around Jayson's mind or Caleb Downing's mind? Is this some sort of weird universe game we're playing? A dream? Cause if it is a dream, should we wake up soon? This has been a reality for years in some shape or form." She could only speculate, guess, estimate and then try not to think about it. She wished she could be more like Jody or Jayson, just take what was given.
Jody pulled to the same place along the road and he stepped outside the car with her. She met the bearded man at the gate and held her bag over her shoulder. The lady whom he called earlier brought a similar bag. She handed Julia the bag and she looked inside. A fair exchange. Julia unzipped her own pack and handed over ample pot and tobacco.
"What's your name?" The bearded man asked.
"Elena Gilbert." She replied to him as she had once replied to Jayson.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Daniel." He winked at her. "You want more, Elena, you know where to come." 
They parted ways and they got back inside the Prius and drove off. That was too easy. Julia questioned herself, wondering why she never had faith in her fellow man. Why couldn't she trust people? As they drove, she directed Jody to turn and she wondered if they were being followed. She kept instructing him when and where to turn till they wound up a block from the library on a side street. He parked and they walked. Jody made sure he kept the keys on him this time around. He didn't question Julia as she walked and they stood a half block away from the Prius before secluding behind trees. They watched the Prius and the street around it. Her lack of trust in her fellow man was secured when a small ford escort drove by, then circled around and then stopped aside the Prius.
She pointed and Jody understood without her speaking. They were being followed.
"We're not taking them home." She whispered. Two men stepped from the vehicle and set out on foot, weapons drawn and looking up and down the yards near the Prius. "Can you hit them from here?"
"Not at the same time." He answered, drawing the gun as she drew hers.
"Fuck, we're gonna get shot at Jody."
"I'll take the far one and you take the near one. Wound him and I'll finish it."
"I wanna go back there so bad now, Jody."
"Yeah." He agreed in one short reply. Would they fire their weapons, catching these two followers off guard? They were only people. Untrained. Unsuspecting. These were not CIA operatives on the ground or navy seals who were trained to decipher the clues in their environment. They were only people. People who wanted what they had or more of it. Otherwise why follow them? Otherwise, who cared? Getting past this skepticism and distrust of others to form an allegiance against the true enemy would be their largest obstacle. In this landscape, everyone was out for blood or looking out for himself. She wondered how to cross over from the fear and mistrust of each other to a place of trust, working together, adding on. Not everyone in this new world was evil or mean. Thinking that would make the war against death only longer and harder to fight. How on earth were they to gather a people when they lacked the foundation of basic human interaction, trust? Trust that no one would steal your goods or harm your people. Every small and sequestered group of people needed to band together and put the lack of trust behind them.
"Cover me, please." She whispered, holstering the gun that she had pulled and she stepped out of their cover and into the street. She walked half the block before they even noticed she'd come from hiding. She was tired of blood shed. They hadn't been there long and this flipside was already more of a mess than the one they left. She refused to do it anymore. "Why are you following us?" She asked, stepping close, but not too close to them. They jumped, alarmed and their weapons aimed at her. "We gave you more than enough. Why are you following us?" She demanded. Their eyes scanned behind her nervously, obviously looking for Jody. "If you want to know where we live, why don't you ask?" She questioned them. "Why didn't Daniel ask?"  They still looked for Jody anxiously. "Yeah, he's back there. He's got his gun on one of you. Which one is getting killed first?" Julia asked confidently, but her voice was tired and her body was similar. "You both will die and you'll probably kill me too, so what's the point?"
"Huh?"
"Do you wanna fucking die here today? Right now? On this street together? Did we survive that only to die here? For what?" She paused, feeling a rant coming on. "You think I am any better off than you are?"
The men relaxed a bit, both tall and gruff, unshaven, in flannels and jeans.
"If you think I am leading you to my people, I will not." Julia informed them, standing her ground. "However, if you would like to form some kind of alliance, I am not against that. Take that to your leader."
"How would we find you to tell you?"
"We would come to you." Julia answered. She looked to the right. "That house, right there. Tack a note on the door. I will find it."
She held her hand up to Jody, open palm and fingers spread. "See this? This is a countdown. You got five seconds to make a fucking decision."
"What kind of alliance?" The taller of the two asked as he lowered his gun. The other did not follow suit.
"Are you in charge there?"
"Are you in charge?" He asked the same.
"I am. I get as dirty as the rest of them. And I don't send out my men to do my bidding either." She replied. She lowered one finger on her hand. "Four seconds." She reminded them. The man who had lowered his weapon put his hand across to his fellow group member, lowering his arm as well. "So, you take that message back to Daniel from me." Julia smiled as they retreated into their ford escort.
Once they were tucked inside, one in the passenger seat and one in the driver seat, Julia pulled her knife and jabbed out the front driver side tire. Air hissed out as she withdrew her knife and tucked it back into her pouch on her hip. She drew her gun.
"Stay in the car. You are not following me anywhere." She kept the gun trained on the driver through the windshield as she motioned to Jody to come into view. He met her with his gun aimed at the car.
"Shall we kill them, Elena?" He asked, stifling a laugh. Normally he wouldn't hesitate, but Julia appeared to have other plans.
"We shall not. Start the car, please." She was speaking with Jody, but the driver in the escort started his car. He put it in reverse and backed up a few feet to let the Prius out of the parking spot. Julia thought this a nice gesture as she hadn't thought about getting her car out of the parking spot.
"Why?" Jody asked as he drove them away.
"I think we have killed enough human beings for one day."
Percocet...Julia answered herself honestly. She assumed the offer would still stand one day should she need it. Percocet.

"I'm Elke." She answered Chess as she held the only weapon she had on him, which was a very large and ominous pitchfork. He had a knife. Karen still had his pistol. In fact she liked it and didn't want to give it back, which made him regret handing it over to her to begin with.
"I'm Chess." He replied, backing off her. He hopped off his horse, his ride. Julia's black horse that she claimed when she spied it at the field that afternoon with Tavin. Tavin, he'd opted to leave the brother home. How hard would it be to hitch a wagon and drive it home? He had thought.
"Where are my sisters?" She demanded, shoving the pitch fork at him. He jumped to avoid its long tines and he grabbed it by its long handle, yanking it from farm girl's hands. He tossed it across the road near the partially eaten horses.
"I have a girl named Katherine. I have no other females." Chess answered, leading the black mare toward the wagon. He went to work attaching this wagon he'd claimed as his own. "I returned for the wagon." He explained as he sured up his work. "Is Katherine your sister?"
"Yes, where is she?"
"The old Matthews farm."
"You are one of the people there?" Elke said, her eyes frantically searching the barren field around her. He could sense her nerves and her fear.
"I am one of them." He answered.
"My sister Elsie. Where is she? And my father?"
Chess shrugged his answer as he couldn't claim them. He pointed to the horses. "I don't know what happened here today. Katherine does. Ask her." His voice sounded cold and distant, but it wasn't his family that was gone. The family in question was Elke's.
"No, Dad had a gun. He wouldn't let anything happen to the girls."
"Sometimes it's out of our hands, Kay." Chess told her, climbing into the wagon seat. "If you want Katherine back, then hop in. I'll take you to her and take you home to mom."
Elke fetched her pitch fork and set it in the rear of the wagon. "Mom's gone. She was bit a long time ago." She replied, getting into her seat. "It was me, Katherine and Elsie. And dad."  Chess didn't ask why a grown man would cart two of his three living daughters out into the street. Shot gun or no shot gun, the surrounding country roads were not safe for children. One mishap, one bite and the whole day would not end well. The fact Katherine had managed to survive the chaos was a miracle. Chess thought about it though, their dad had probably gone over the what if's with his girls as he had with his own family. There were drills and then there incidents that sent bodies into overdrive and sent people into motion. Motions that wound them up in farmhouses on the flipside.
As the horse guided them back through the countryside, Chess checked this kid out. He couldn't help it. A smelly girl, young though. Mid teens possibly. She resembled very much the smaller sisterly version that he'd taken home with him. Taller than he by a couple inches, which wasn't saying much. Thin and well covered in her dress and white smock. Her hair was up beneath a white bonnet and didn't dangle around her plain yet pretty face. Brown eyes and a soft smile when she did smile, a very pretty and plain looking female.
"Katherine says she's 4."
"She is."
"And you?" Chess wondered as he listened to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves on the road. He would have preferred a car, cars are faster, enclosed. He did like the openness of the cart, though, the view from the wagon seat was high and he could see in all directions clearly. Nothing but fields.
"16." She answered.
"Well, we'll get Katherine and get you guys home with your wagon."
She looked down at her hands. "Thank you." She said. "Katherine's ok?"
"Yes. She's playing with my cousin."

Julia sat on the soft grass beside Caroline's grave. She leaned back against the smooth bark of the apple tree and she looked at the empty fields across the road. The sky as it grew dim in the afternoon just before sunset. The outside was so simply quiet compared to the life that moved around inside her house. Inside the house, Tavin went through the meds they'd brought home. Jayson fed the masses and he already had breakfast planned for morning. He volunteered despite Julia's objections. He coddled Sandy and listened to her drunken griping and complaints despite Julia's objections. In fact he spent the day with Sandy once they returned home from Maverick. Hindsight was 20/20, so maybe taking the parents on a road trip they weren't prepared for was hasty, but it was necessary at the time. If not to abandon them altogether, but to make them appreciate the safety and the confines of the farmhouse and its fences. Living there in their bubble, shielded from reality. Jay at least felt sure they came home with a deeper appreciation for the life they'd built there for the family. As everyone doted on the emotional Julia that Cal had brought back from Maverick, Julia herself felt distant. She self-exiled and sought the solace of reality and the peace of the lawn under the apple tree beside her daughter's grave. In the open and in fresh air she could avoid all the life that she and Alex had brought home with them. She had her family around her. She had priorities and plans for present and future. None of which pertained to the main objective at the onset of this year long adventure.
Lost in her thoughts from the day on the road, those lives she took and those lives she spared as if it were even up to her. Jody had questioned her choice to develop alliances of any kind. Alliances that could end in the coming year. Jody reminded her that they would depart and eventually leave any alliance that they formed.
They'd returned to the farm house with medications that would last them some time and they would need to truly decide what they would do with the meds. She and Tavin planned on sitting down in the coming week and planning that course of treatment from their novice point of view. Ray had gone on a hunger strike all day, refusing to eat until another group member cooked fresh food. Any food that Jayson made, Ray swore he'd tainted with poison. So he had Kelly make him another meal entirely. Eventually the medication that they brought home would have to be given and eventually Ray's delusions would settle. He was not completely distrustful toward Jay. He was suspicious and looking for clues, looking for a reason to distrust him. Until he found that reason, he remained suspicious and looking, constantly looking.
When the front door swung open and the foot steps fell on the porch stairs, she didn't even notice. She was thinking about Tavin, his reaction to their morning activities, wondering if he was alright? As Tavin sat and thought about Ray and how to regimen him on meds and worried about his mental health, who worried about Tavin's? Jayson sat beside her and he handed her a mug of soup, which was all she'd asked for. It was warm, not hot, which was how she liked soup. She sipped it, leaving the spoon in the mug. She always drank the broth, then ate the contents of the soup with her spoon.
"Want your book?" He asked her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"No, thank you. Later." She answered.
"Don't wanna come inside? It's getting chilly."
"Not yet, no." She answered, letting the new Julia settle in and get used to the place before she made any form of introduction.
"I got the stoves ready today in my spare time. I brought more wood in from the clearing."
"Ok, thanks."
"I got everyone settled in. The girls are staying over night."
"Kay and Cass?" Julia asked, thinking of the sisters that Chess brought home. "They are going home, correct?"
"Yes, as far as I know. They can go in with the kids over night. Alright?"
"Yes."
"And Julia." Jay said.
"Yeah, what?" She asked, stirring the noodles and chicken in the mug.
"Uh, no, the other one. Should we break down the storage room or should we put her in with the kids when the girls leave?"
"I don't know, what's she want?"
"Julia's emotional. I don't think it's a good idea to go there yet." Jay explained. "Um, she's not the type to make her own decisions."
"Excuse me?" Julia laughed.
"She is not you. You gotta meet her, ok."
"She's not 20." Julia observed looking toward the house. She thought back on peering through that window and seeing a different version of reality in a chair at her table.
"No, she's 17."
"The age we left here?" Julia surmised.
"She is completely different from you. I think that-"
"Not now, Jay. I don't wanna hear about it."
"You need to hear about it, her." He corrected her.
Julia spooned the soup into her mouth and she waited to see whether he'd continue or whether he'd be quiet. He chose to continue and she nearly zoned out when he started talking about the specifics of young Julia's life in Maverick. A quiet and shy girl, nice, loves her brothers and sister. This Julia knew all her life about Alex and Tia being her brother and sister. This Julia also grew up with them and Jayson on and off, but Jay usually lived and stayed with his brother Tavin. She saw Jayson as a brother not a boyfriend. They'd never been interested in each other. Julia had a very distant relationship with Tavin and only saw him on holidays, if at all. They all grew up sharing their kids, their brothers and sisters.
"Oh, I see." Julia smiled.
In fact this Julia only knew Chess from school. She knew that he was related to the kids, but to have a friendship or anything more with them didn't happen. Julia saw all these people as family, both close and distant on an emotional, familial level. Nothing more than that. In fact, she had one boyfriend named Vin and they shared promise rings. She still wore it, but hadn't seen Vin since the first nights.
"You know what a promise ring is, correct?" Jay asked, shaking his head.
"I believe I do, yes, Jayson."
"So the shit that all went down with us, Julia, never went down with her."
"Good."
"She-"
"I understand what you're saying. That even though she lives in the middle of a zombie apocalypse she has managed to be untouched by a rapist or a boyfriend. Yes, Jay. I get it." Julia assured him. "Maybe that's why she was hiding and crying in the basement and-where are her people?"
"What people?"
"Where's her real dad? Her family? The people that are supposed to be watching out for her? Where are they? Why was she alone and scared like that? Not one of them is there for her?"
Cal and Ellen and Andy all were taken into quarantine camps set up by local emergency services when the hospitals filled to capacity. She never saw them again. Her dad made sure she got out with a friend of his, one he knew from the bar he worked at. The friend worked local government and made sure Julia got home after the house had already been cleared. No dead, no living and she was in the clear and not sick. This friend wished her luck and she never saw him again either. Alex and Tatia, Jay and Tavin, her extended family may have got out or faced the same fate as Cal, Ellen and Andy. She didn't know. She'd been living on what was left over in the house and hiding since the first nights.
"How fucking long has it been since the first nights, cause this wasteland has been here? Like forever."
"Yeah, I know. She got thrown back here from wherever she was while we were here. She won't even talk about that. She's been here since we went home."
"Oh, please, there isn't enough in that house to last three years. Trust me, I know."
"Time passed different here. How long did we spend here? How long were you in that coma? Think about it, Julia."
"Where was she while I was here?"
"I don't know. She mentioned a dream, but I haven't got real close."
"Time lasts an eternity when you're desperate and time passes fast when you're having a blast. Yeah, and this has been the longest day ever."
"Bad day?"
"Depends on how you look at it. How's Tav? Have you talked with him?"
"Uh, yeah. What the fuck happened there?"
"A mess happened there. I shoulda taken you."
"It takes some getting used to."
"I realize that. I think it scared him. Between the living and the dead, I don't know which was worse."
"Well, remember he didn't slaughter his way from Pittsburgh to Maverick with a hot blond. He jumped here with Alex. There's a difference."
"I'll try to keep it in mind. But you gotta learn somewhere. I figure, just jump right in on the easy stuff."
"Easy? Is there anything easy?
"The work's already done, Jay." Julia reminded him as she motioned to her right. A house that stood and the field behind it. Its creatures stirring in pens and huts and barns.
Julia brought him up to speed on her thoughts concerning their new house guest who shared her very DNA. If Julia was out there to be found, wouldn't it make sense that all of them would be out there somewhere to be found? If not found then, would their paths possibly cross? Would they come face to face with their very own DNA matches? She furthered this with Stef's flipside. Was Stef's a completely alternate flip side with a completely different cast of characters with their own traits and personalities? In order to find the answers, then they'd have to go looking for the very people that she questioned him about. Should they stay hunkered down and only go out when absolutely necessary?
"I thought that's what we were doing? We were only going out on runs. Today was for meds. Are we running more? Are we going out all the time?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Think about it. Do we really need to stay put? Can we kill off what is out there and have a whole area clear? Jay, if we banned together, then we could give those that are here something we never had outside the confines of this very farm."
"What the hell would that be?"
"Peace of mind. Phase II, we could dry run it right here and now. When we leave, then these people would have something to build on."
"If we do that then why leave at all?" Jay asked seriously. "Dead people are dead people, Julia. What's the difference?"
"You don't feel the need to go home? I mean, I love it here. I love this place and what we have going on. It's stable, safe and relatively easy compared to what's coming. But home? Jay, this is like living in a foreign country."
"It's all foreign, Julia. Once it happens. We form alliances, then we form relationships, friendships, bonds. We may meet people we don't wanna leave."
"Like Julia." She suggested.
"I like my version, thanks. But it is a little weird seeing this sweet and innocent version of you. She cries a lot. I mean a lot. It's probably the shock of it all, but damn."
"She may stay as long as she likes." Julia added. "What's the alternative? She gonna die out there?"
"We taking in everyone who's gonna die out there?" Jay asked, looking to the road.
"Maybe? The right fucking people. Maybe."
"Elke and Katherine?"
"They have a place out there. It's up to Kay. But if they are going home, then they need to be checked on. Can one teenager do a man's work plus a woman's work?" Julia asked him. "Let Chess deal with his strays. He'll be better able to tell us what they'll face on their own."
"I'm sure he's up for the challenge. He hasn't left the girl alone since he brought her here."
"Well Elke seems very proper."
"Not the older one, the younger one. He's attached to the little one."
"Oh."
"Like he is with Tia, nothing fuckin weird. He's worried about the little one."
"I know why. It's cool and you don't have to explain that shit to me. It's because of work." He looked at her a bit puzzled. "Think you're the only one who has put down a child?" She asked quietly. "When he came to me in the lab, he was discharged." Julia whispered. "After he saved the lab workers, he was reinstated or they rescinded the discharge, however that works. But that's why. He wasn't dealing with it well. Who would?"
"Oh, shit."
"That mass shooting, the school up in Rochester." Julia said. "That was no mass shooting. No one was crazy and no one was looking to seriously shoot up a classroom full of third graders. There are sick mother fuckers out there, but a whole classroom of little fucking kids...Jay, it was unreal what he told me." She paused, thinking of the bigger picture. "Europe. It's in Europe. There was that school where the guy cut up the kids with the sword..."
"Jules, I didn't know."
"There's a lot you don't know." Julia answered. "But he tells me. He unloads all of that on me."
"So when you wanted him to deal with Caroline..."
"I knew he could. Plain and simple. Not anything near what you were thinking. Or your brother was thinking. It was not personal. It was a choice I made to do the right thing for her."
"I was mad and I was-"
"I know." She said, cutting him off. "He would have shot the baby though, so I am kinda glad you did it, whatever you did."
"You wanna know?"
"I have a feeling I already do. I don't know how, but..."
"I didn't have a choice, Julia." He answered.
"But you did. That's the point I was trying to make." She paused. "At the time, my plan made sense to me."
"I see why."
"It wasn't selfish or anything."
"So you didn't plan on getting stuck here with both of us?"
"Um, no, Jayson. Remember we were going to bring McGill too." She reminded him. "It was not the plan. You saw the plan. You sat and listened to the plan. Geeze, quit worrying about me and him."
"You were sleeping with him at the time."
"Let's not do this." Julia suggested as she looked at the dirt by her feet.
"Ok. Too many eyes here?" He asked honestly.
"In part, maybe." She answered. "You want honesty, that is a good fucking thing. We went from being completely alone to having so many people watching me and just waiting for me to fuck up."
"Paranoid much?" He laughed.
"Sometimes, yeah."
The door swung open on the porch, Chess came out and down the steps to them. He plucked an apple off the tree, then took a seat. "We meeting out here?" He asked, taking a bite from his apple.
"Nah, just talking." Jay answered.
Chess continued to eat. "K, so the girls cleaned up your mess, master chef. Table's clear when you're ready, boss." He said, tossing the apple core over the fence.
"Jo done checks yet?"
"Almost. He got Julia and Elke out there with him, explaining the fence."
"When he's done then, Chess."
"She's been asking about you." He mentioned, hoping to get a feel for Julia about the visiting Julia.
"Ok." She answered. "You could have the meeting with her." Julia laughed.
"Uh, no." He shook his head. "Oh, my God. You have no idea-"
"Jay explained." Julia rolled her eyes. "Kelly get a feel for her yet?"
"Fear. That's all Kelly says. Straight fear."
"Great." Julia moaned. "I personally don't care how long she stays. She is as welcome as I am. Understood?"
"Understood." Chess answered.
"Is she gonna be a problem with any of you?" Julia asked, focusing on Chess.
"I much prefer this version." Chess answered honestly.
"Yeah, but you fools get reminiscing and the nice Julia is right there being nice and then what?" She looked at Jay. They were quiet. "And Tavin?" They were quiet. "Keep your hands off her. All of you."
"Ok." Jay agreed first.
"Ugh, I didn't even like you all nice and sweet and crying. Please," Chess responded as if completely disinterested in their new house mate. "I love the angry, drunk, crazy person. You know that. Emo is a turn off." He explained, looking at Jay. "But you, that's what you fell for." He chuckled at that statement.
"You like disturbed." She giggled.
Chess could have elaborated with a million examples of how his wife turned him on, but he held back. All of Julia's personality traits that he loved or admired were products of her strengths, which only made her occasional weaknesses appealing. He liked her pushy and hard, strong willed and stubborn. She gradually grew into that over the years. And when Julia had her breakdowns, they came with good reason. If Julia shed tears, there was a good reason. The Julia he knew and loved held her emotions in check till there was a good time to let go. "The Julia I know does not hide and stay hidden or wait to be rescued."
"It's her way of protecting herself. She can hide if she chooses." Julia corrected him. "We have hidden. We have been right where she is. So to say that hiding is a bad thing, that's unfair. You hide till you figure out what is next. She hasn't done that yet. Being alone does not help her. We had each other to rely on."
"Obviously our first night was much different from hers."
"Uh, yeah. I doubt she was in bed with Jess drunk on vodka."
"Yeah, I doubt that 4 some would happen with her. I don't get the feeling that would even be on the table." Jay agreed.
"She is wearing a promise ring for fuck's sake. How on earth does one agree-"
"Chess, leave her and her promises alone. It's sweet." Julia smiled.
Jay got up when Tia poked her head out into the darkness of the front porch. "No, Tia, inside." He said, heading to the girl.
"Chess, criticizing one girl for a ring...seriously...I got my own fucking ring...and you don't criticize me."
"Virgin Julia, though. Keep my hands off her...I will try, but really...he brought a carbon copy of you in the fucking house. That personality is a turn off, but Julia..." He whined.
Julia kicked at him with her boot. "Let that girl have her clean slate."
"Who wants the clean slate?"
"Ugh, it has been so long, Chess, I don't even remember what it was like."
"We did not ruin you, Julia. Remember that."
"I am aware of that. In no way have I said that. You guys kept me going long before the first night." She sighed. "You know what it would be like to be completely untouched. Unharmed. Un-raped, un-stalked. I would take zombie fear over all that any day. She's lucky, if that's true. She's lucky."
"Yeah, well you wind up fearing the same shit."
"There's a difference between fearing it and experiencing it." Julia raised her voice. "She's here as long as she wants to be here."

Julia had a stack of books on the table that she needed to work on. Meeting came first. Each of the topics of the day was covered and this was an especially long meeting as they had an especially long day. Ray was no longer part of the table, they'd made that decision quietly among themselves, but he was welcome to sit in if he chose to. He found meetings to be boring and usually they had meeting while he was off sleeping. This meeting it was important that he sit it out as the topic being discussed in part would be Ray himself. Julia usually kept things open with Ray, but this needed some amount of privacy as they could not discuss medicating him in front of him. Julia had already discussed meds with Ray. Ray saw medication as poison.
They covered the amount of meds they had and that would be enough to level him out till he adjusted to the new landscape. They would need to monitor him and make sure that he was not having side effects. They also went over a list of possible side effects and adverse reactions that could happen and they'd all be responsible for noting any change and bringing it to Tavin and Julia. They could adjust the dosage up or down depending on his progress.
The next topic of discussion was Chess's day trip with the parents. Karen refused to give up the pistol and she was educated on gun safety, keeping them away from the kids, etc... Chess had given her the speech and Karen was pleased that they were allowing her to carry one. He explained it could not be fired unless there was a threat and Chess would work with her and get her firing on point. He explained why he left them in Maverick and he explained why he and Ray went back for them. 'We don't turn away strangers', why would they turn away the very people that put them on the earth to begin with. Julia was not exactly thrilled about his decision, thinking he could have at least left them over night. She also believed Sandy could have shared that wine with her.
"That's selfish, not sharing." She commented.
"I think she needed it. She's a drinker, Julia."
"Is there more?"
"No." He stated.
They moved onto the girls, Elke, "pronounced el-kay" as Chess informed them, and Katherine, or Cass as Elke called her. Chess observed their emotional state and chose to offer the kids' room overnight. He would take the girls home, further assess their living space and what they had, needed and then he would be able to better inform them of whether to invite them in or not. The decision would ultimately fall on Kay. Where these girls came from, lived and what their lifestyle was had yet to be revealed. The girls were trusting of them and they were friendly. The girls arrived and they were content there at the farmhouse, impressed by the lights that were up and running on solar power. Chess had given the girls the tour, a more in depth one was given to Elke.
"I like her. She's great with the spear." Jody added. "She's no slouch. She usually uses a pitch fork."
"I know, she came at me with one, but she's easily disarmed." Chess worried more about human threats than undead threats in that aspect. Would Kay be able to provide safety for her and her young sister, Katherine?
"With some work, she would be. She's tough. Jumped right on the fence with me like she did it before."
"Noted." Julia said, writing that in her book. "Can she cook?" Julia asked. Her question fell on deaf ears. "If she's farm raised, I bet you that girl can make us some food. Can probably skin all that too. Ask, please."
"Yes, boss." Chess replied.
"So," Julia brought up the final uncomfortable subject. "Go fetch my father, please."
Jay was first up and he went looking for Cal who was smoking out back with Karen by the fire he built in Julia's pit. Cal joined them at the table and waited, wondering why he was brought in.
"What on earth were you thinking?" Julia asked him point blank.
"Julia-"
"Yes, bringing Julia here. What on earth were you thinking?"
"We didn't know she was even there, Julia." Chess spoke up.
"What were you doing in my room? Why?"
"Vodka, woman. Didn't find any by the way."
Julia's scowl turned back to Cal. "Was I supposed to leave my daughter there?"
"I-" Julia raised her voice and banged the table with her fist. "I am your daughter." The guys jumped when she hit the table. They hadn't expected that.
"Do not yell at me, little girl." Cal raised his voice.
"Should we leave? Is this personal?" Tavin asked.
"It is personal and no. I am not done with any of you yet." She answered, turning back to Cal. "We do not blend people. I am trying to understand why you would even think it was ok to do it."
"She was upset, Julia. She was crying and she was scared. What would you have me do with my kid like in that state?"
"We do not blend our reality and our flipsides. From this moment on. Understood?"
"Yes, but she was-"
"Not me." Julia argued.
"Yes, she is."
"No, she is not. You knew exactly where I was, dad. It wasn't at home."
"So I was supposed to walk out and leave her there?"
"Yes, it is cruel but-"
"Julia, that's wrong. He couldn't leave her. I wouldn't have left her either." Chess told her, sticking up for Cal.
"This brings us to a much larger issue. Should we be out running around or should we hunker down and avoid the outside altogether?"
No one answered.
"Yes." Tavin answered without hesitation. "Today was out of control."
"Today is the world we fucking live in." Julia countered. "If our doubles are out there running around, then we may or may not come face to face with them. Is that a risk we can take? We may find more just like her. What do we do when we encounter them?"
"We don't know that will happen." Chess argued.
"Do we bring them all home? Pass them by like they are not there?"
"It depends, Julia." Jay answered.
"Think about it then. We'll discuss it at another time. Agreed?"
"Ok," Cal answered.
"What else, boss?" Chess asked.
"Well," She looked at Tavin. "Me and Jay and me and Chess already talked about this."
They all looked at him as he looked confused. "What?"
"Leave her alone." Julia stated.
"I didn't do anything."
"Leave her alone." Julia repeated.
"Alright."
"She's ice cream. She's dairy queen. Leave her alone."
"Ok, but I didn't do anything."
"I know what you're thinking cause I have thought the same thing."
Tavin gave her a knowing grin. "Yeah, Red. No problem."
"What about me?" Jody asked.
"We don't hook up. Has nothing to do with you, Jody."
"Ok," He nodded. "What about this afternoon? Are we talking about that or-?"
"What happened this afternoon?" Jay asked, raising an eye brow at them both.
"Yeah, what happened?"
"The alliance, Julia?"
"Oh, geeze. Um, I mentioned that to Jay. Wanna bring it up now? It kinda goes along with the idea of leaving the grounds here."
"What alliance?" Chess asked. "You making friends?"
"Not exactly." Julia answered.
"Well, what if they leave a note on the door?" Jody asked her. "You told them to leave one and we'd find it."
"On what door?" Chess asked, looking over his shoulder.
"By the library. I didn't bring anyone home." She retorted, thinking Chess and Cal had brought enough people home. "I have trust issues, especially with guys, so we left them alive, but slightly stranded so they wouldn't follow us."
"Why?"
"I was feeling generous." She answered.
"She was kinda awesome. She talked them down from shooting her."
"Ironic, isn't it?" Tavin asked. "One hiding and scared. One stepping right into it and having no fear."
"I had an out. I was going between cars and Jody was gonna open up on them. If it came to that...I always have an exit strategy."
"Good girl." Chess smiled.
"So it's something to think about. That's all."
"She suggested we phase II right here." Jay spoke up.
"Instead of home? Jay, this isn't home."
"Well, she had a couple good points." Jay said.
"You two discuss it and we'll table it one day. We need the dead of winter anyhow, so we got time. If we're doing our thing here, we will need that alliance."
"And more where that came from. The four of us can only do so much." Jody commented.
"800 ISIS soldiers freed the prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison prison and overtook the fucking city afterward, so anything is possible, Mayers." Chess reminded him.
"So we're ISIS rebels now?" Tavin snorted.
"We could be. Easy." Chess nodded. "The living vs. the dead. Old virus. No problem. You have no idea what we can do." He paused. "We would need to form those alliances. Those people that are out there, starving and overwhelmed they'd need our protection, a place to stay, build up their strength and take some time to recuperate before we start an uprising."
"We would need to get this crew here up to speed, too, our men and our women. So if we are away then they can hold down the fort." Jody added.
"The growing season is coming, too, Jody. These people never planted a seedling." Julia groaned. "I think that may be why I sat out the clearing in the first place. No one could plant and grow and harvest. I chose to feed and let you all-"
"Fuck that. You are in on this." Chess told her. "Let them do it."
"Your mom won't cook one meal. You think she's planting an entire field?" Julia laughed.
"We will find people who can. If that's the way we're going, then you're in on it."
"Ok, God, Chess."
"Well, you complain to me I didn't let you go last time. I catch shit for things I didn't even do yet." He complained.
"So we would stay here and clear this state? Is that what you're saying, Julia? Chess?"
"It is a viable option. Nests are no joke, guys. It's warfare. This is nothing compared to the death that's heading our way."
"There are ways to deal with that and you know it." Julia said confidently.
"We should all think and decide at another time." Jay said as he heard footsteps approaching the table. Julia stood at the entryway to their kitchen area.
"Yes?" Julia asked her.
"I am freezing cold." She shivered, her arms wrapped around her upper half.
"How'd you keep warm at home?" Julia asked her.
"Blankets, sweats. I didn't bring anything with me." She said softly. She stood nervously looking at Cal, then back to Julia. She wore a short sleeved tee and a pair of jeans. White slip on shoes on her feet. Julia tossed Chess's old hoodie to her, which she pulled on. "Oh, this smells nice." She said as she straightened it over her torso and smoothed it over her hips.
"Yes, it does." Julia smiled, thinking she'd never get that hoodie back again. Even if she did, the smell would fade, mix with her own scent. "My old clothes are in the storage room. That shit that's too small for me."
"Why are you so big? I mean compared to me. I am small."
"I-uh-Jay and me-uh-we had a baby." Julia answered.
"Oh, a baby? Where's the baby?" She asked Julia. She sounded happy, like she would have a baby in the future and she would share that same shape all for a good reason. Julia didn't answer, rising from the table. She walked past them and through the living room, leaving Julia with a table full of silence.
"Caroline died, Julia." Jay answered. He didn't elaborate beyond that statement.
"Oh, I am sorry, Jayson." She replied, tears welling up again. She looked back into the living room. "Oh, she's upset with me now. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's ok, Julia." Jay said, getting up from the table as well. He head to the steps to follow Julia, but found her coming through the addition with a box. "What's that?" He asked.
"Clothes for her." Julia answered letting Jay take the box from her. "From storage."
"Oh, ok." He smiled.
"Make the girl a fire and come upstairs."
"Want your books?"
"Please." She turned at the entrance onto the steps and head up. "And water, babe. Please."
"Yeah, sure."
Instead of Jayson dropping in with books and water, Jess appeared in the doorway. "Um, hey." She said, catching Julia's attention from starting a small fire in the fireplace. "Smells good in here, Julia." Jess told her as she approached. She sat on the floor next to her and she waited for some kind of response from Julia who hadn't paid her more than five minutes attention. "What's wrong, Julia?"
"Nothing, Jess." She answered as she poked the small fire with her poker.
"Why won't you talk with me?"
"I do. I talk to you every day. Everything alright?" Julia asked, scooting back toward the bed on the carpet. She watched as the fire grew, the flames catching the wood on her pile. Jess scooted back  with her and leaned against the bed frame.
"You haven't actually said anything though, Julia." She said softly, reaching for her hand.
"Hey, what's up with Mayers?" Julia asked, choosing the direct approach.
"Jody?" She asked. "Nothing."
"Um, nothing? I saw you two out there. They were his hands on you? His mouth on your mouth? Was I not seeing that?"
"You probably did. He's very nice, a sweet guy, good looking and that body is out of this world and that facial hair of his, oh my...But he's possessive up front."
Julia giggled a little. "Not surprised. He has to be."
"Oh, well, it kinda turned me off."
"Nah, you just gotta know Jody." Julia shook her head, thinking that should compliment her. Jess was a loyal girl, always had been and that aspect of her friend would never change.
"I didn't go to bed with anyone, not since Jayson."
"Oh, for God sakes, Jesslyn."
She shrugged. "I need a friend first, Julia." She sighed.
"Well, Jo is a great guy to make friends with." She sighed, thinking of how his qualities would smash and mix with her qualities. "Don't you get lonely, Jess? I wouldn't be able to-" Jess leaned in and kissed her at that point and Julia totally was not suspecting that in the slightest.

"Yes." She answered when she pulled away. "I get lonely, Julia." She whispered. She moved fast and she was light as ever when she sat across Julia's lap. Her arms went around Julia's neck, hugging her tight, and Julia held her hands up and away from this girl. She moved her head when she tried to kiss her again. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you making me wait?"
"I swear to God I am not doing anything like that, Jess. You were messing with Jo and I cannot eat Jody's ice cream."
"I am not Jody's fucking ice cream." She snapped, setting back on Julia's lap.
"Jess, please, you're making me uncomfortable. Jesslyn..." Jess put little kisses around Julia's face and he hands started wandering lower. "Jess, I'm gonna move you. Please, stop it. I don't wanna hurt you."
"You are hurting me." Jess whined. 

"It's fading, Jess. Let it fade."
"I can't let it fade. It doesn't fade. It never has faded." She leaned back and she started crying. Jess, the typical girl. Her voice pleading yet sweet.
"I can't do this with you."
"Gimme something. Anything. I wanted to talk and you haven't given me a conversation let alone anything else. Julia, I am stuck here and I-"
"I told you not to come here, Jess."
"You said you would always take care of me."
"I do. I am. I meant that, but-"
They didn't hear him come upstairs, but they heard the door close. "You can hear you down the steps." He said. "Voices carry. What the hell are you doing?"
"Jay, I am trying to talk some sense into her. But-"
"Not you, her." He pointed at Jess.
Jess leaned forward and put her hands on Julia's shoulders. "What I want to do. How long, Jay, have I wanted to do this? You were gonna let me last year."
He looked at the two of them very close together. "You two wanna be alone?" He asked.
"Don't leave me with her." Julia asked of him.
"Jayson, aren't you allowed to eat your own ice cream? No one else can eat it."
"Seriously, Jesslyn?" Jay asked.
"Seriously, Jayson." She replied. "You said-"
"What did you say to her, Jay?"
"No, no. You get all involved with your stuff, but I don't."
"He said not to."
"Huh?" Julia asked.
"Jess, I didn't mean it like that. I meant give it time, find someone you can trust."
"Oh, "
"You been waiting this long for me to change my mind? Jess, I was dating other people."
"One other person, Jay. Let's not act like you were going crazy out there." Julia laughed.
"Well, you know what I mean. I wasn't thinking about Jess."
"Did you in any way indicate this girl shouldn't move on?"
"You said not to give it away." Jess whined.
"We smoked one night and we hung out and we didn't even do anything. I just stopped by her house to see her."
"When was this?" Julia asked.
"I wasn't with you. I was with Stef."
"Oh. So, you weren't serious?"
"She was driving me nuts and Stef was driving me nuts and then you were so damn simple and easy. Compared to them two, Jess, you were so simple and easy. It was cool just sitting with someone who was fucking quiet and wasn't looking to fight with me."
"Why didn't you hook up?" Julia asked curiously.
"I was on my period."
"We were outside."
"We coulda gone inside." Jess argued with him.
"I wasn't looking for sex. I had plenty of it."
"So you had sex with random crazy bitch instead of coming back to the one you told to wait."
"Yes." Jay grinned. "Hey, what's up with Mayers anyway? Tavin banned us from ice cream."
"You can't get banned from your own ice cream, Jay. It's yours, Jayson. You told me that- "
"You two never like sealed that like the rest of us."
"Yes, we did." They both replied in unison.
"How?" Julia asked looking at Jess.
"I'd have to show you. No one else has ever seen it." Jess looked for permission from Jayson. "Can I show her?"
Jay shrugged and then went to the desk to set Julia's books down. Jess stood up and lowered her yoga pants enough to see the tattoo. Having gone the route of Tavin and Kelly, Jess had a tat. "I haven't shaved in a minute." She admitted shyly as Julia leaned forward to see the name Jay written in cursive above her very private area. A small locket, heart shaped, was tatted around the loop portion of the J in his name.
"Awe, I like it, guys." Julia smiled. "Who on earth did that?" She laughed as Jess put her pants back in place.
"A friend had a tat party." Jay responded dryly.
"Is that the key?" Julia laughed, pointing at Jay's crotch.
"You could say that." Jayson answered, taking a seat beside Julia.
Jess dropped back into Julia's lap and made herself comfortable. "You know that night in the pool." Jess said, looking at the fire. "It was so weird cause like I had met Matt like three weeks before. I was digging this guy." She explained. "I thought, that's it. I'm doing this. I can do this."
"Did you?" Jay asked quickly.
"Uh, no. You two showed up and asked me for a ride. And I was like, fucking universe, you know."
"Fucking universe." Julia repeated.
"So I didn't really give it much thought. Sent him on his way and what happens? Like a few days later, there are your damn zombies and I ran to Sandy's. I knew Chess had guns there. So does his dad, so I went there thinking I could at least get a gun. I remember how to use one." She looked at Jay.
"Yeah. I showed you."
"How many nights did I take it out of your hands, Jayson?" She asked, touching his face softly. Jay wouldn't look at her. He only looked at the fire that Julia had built. His hands fidgeted nervously in his lap and Jess waited to see if he'd be mad or say anything at all in front of Julia.
"What?" Julia asked.
"She did. I went right back to that place where I was feeling when I wanted to the first time."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I-how do you say that?"
"You say it, that's how." Julia said to him. "Um, Julia, I think I wanna kill myself today."
"You went home. You made me jump back. You said trust you. And sent me back here." He explained. "No one made me feel that way. It was me. I thought about it, but I didn't do it."  He replied as he untied his boots and tossed them to the corner of the room with Julia's. He pulled his hoodie over his head and threw that in the corner as well. The fire was going, the room was warming up. He pointed at the flames. "TV."
"TV, my ass, you're avoiding the subject."
"What subject? It's over." He answered. "Been over."
"I didn't have a choice, Jay. I had to leave. I woke up."
"I am not blaming you." He answered, putting an arm around her.
"Tell me if you feel like that. Don't sit on it. You come first."
"Chess came first."
"Jayson, you come first, before that fucking plan. It could have waited. It would have taken a back seat."
"Chess came first." He repeated.
"Chess wasn't thinking of killing himself, so I guarantee that you would have come first." She argued. "Have you felt like this recently?"
"Um, not really. The shrink in the lab, Nina, said I am clinically depressed. But that was a while ago. Depressed, yes, but suicidal, no. I wanted to see Caroline, Julia." He tried  to explain this to her. "A lot of shit was going on. You were fucking Chess on the side, Alex was going off with Care. Tavin alone was pissing me off, sending the kids off with mommy and putting us out."
"He wasn't putting you out. He was thinking of you. He was putting me out."
"And you fixed that. Remind me how you did that."
"I threw a tantrum in a lab. That's how I did that. He listened."
"You fucked him. You had a hickey on your neck, street fighter."
"It needed to happen."
"The universe." He said sarcastically.
"His not mine." Julia replied as Jess kissed her neck. 
"You didn't say no?"
"I did tell you no."
"You did not." He argued. "You never said no and I told you to tell me to stop."
"I wouldn't. Not to any of you. Three different people with three different issues. It needed to happen. You don't understand it and I can't explain it anymore other than it had to happen."
"Yeah, so this needs to happen?" He smiled, flicking Jess's forehead as she sucked on Julia's neck by his hand.
"She's harmless." Julia replied. "Always has been." She shook Jess off her neck. "Don't leave marks."
"Mmmkay." She hummed, moving her mouth to a different spot.
"Yeah, she didn't come for sex either." Julia told him. "She knows it's how to get my attention."
"No, I am here for sex." Jess whispered in her ear.
"Let it fade, Jesslyn."
"Then let me go. Tell me to stop." She said, pushing at her arms, sounding reminiscent of Jay a moment ago. Julia told her to leave, which surprised her. "You really making me leave?" She frowned. Jess looked visibly hurt and shaken up. But she did get up and she did leave.
Jay nudged her with his shoulder. "What, Jay?" Julia said, nudging him back. "You want her?" Julia asked.
"You don't?" He asked, taking hold of her hand.
"We live with her. You know where this is heading? You wanna bring the monster back to life?"
"Maybe. She's here for a reason." He smiled, looking at the fire. "I was giving you pussy, babe."
"Jayson, I told you we need to be on the same fuckin page. What page are you on?"
"Not the same one obviously."
"I am fine with whatever page you wanna read, Jay, baby. You just gotta tell me. Are you messing with her?"
"No. I am not. She showed up. I had nothing to do with it."
"Jay, would you like to fuck Jess?"
"That's a given."
"Would you like me to fuck Jess?"
"Do you want to?"
"Would you like to watch me fuck Jess?"
"Yes."
"Then fucking say that." She said annoyed. "Same page. Doesn't mean it has to be a page in my damn book."
"Oh. I thought it was all you."
"No, it's you too." She replied, nudging his shoulder. "Jess though, baby. I like could so fall for that again. She's like a possession. You know how I get with her."
"She's not yours to possess." He grinned, kissing her nose. "I claimed that. It belongs to me."
"Ha, you're so damn cute." Julia moaned, getting to her feet. "If it belongs to you, why you making her wait for you? Did she misbehave?"
"Yes." He answered quite simply.
"What on earth did she possibly do?"
"She got into a car with my brother."
"Long ass fucking punishment." Julia kicked him lightly with her foot. "You know nothing happened between them."
"I realize that. But it didn't matter to me at the time."
"You cannot keep her."
"I don't own her, Julia."
"Sounds like you do. Sounds like she thinks you do, got her feeling all guilty for wanting someone or something else."
"She didn't ask me to let her go, tell her to go. Jules, she forced your hand, not mine."
Julia left the confines of the room, left Jay on the floor in front of the TV. She found Julia on the sofa in front of her own TV.
"This makes me nervous. What if it causes a fire?" Julia asked.
"It won't if you leave it alone." Julia replied to the nervous girl. "It's almost out anyway."
"It is warm, but it scares me."
"Move away from it then." Julia chided her. "Come with me."
Julia led her from the sofa with her blanket and her pillow to Jess's room in the addition. "I would like for you to offer your bed to Julia."
"Fine." She mumbled, taking her sadness and her tears along with her pillow and her own blanket in her hands.
"Thanks. You get settled in. Good night. We'll set you up in a room tomorrow. Ok?" Julia said softly as to not further alarm the nervous girl who set her pillow on Jess's bed. Jess didn't wait for Julia, having moved to the living room. She set her pillow on the couch and Julia caught her as she was about to lay down. "Uh-uh. No." Julia whispered, taking Jess's hand. She connected to her as they climbed the stairs and by the time they entered the room and Julia closed the door, their history was open wide once again. "You sure you want this?" Julia asked as she tossed the pillow and blanket on the extra bed where Ray usually slept. She peeled the tee over Jess's head. "Answer me." Julia said as she went for her neck.
"Yes." Jess replied, letting Julia kiss her and touch her.
"Would you like to make love with Jay?" Julia asked, caressing her skin over her back to her waist. "Don't be shy now." Julia urged her as she pulled on the elastic of her yoga pants.
"Yes. I -"
"No explanations and no excuses." Julia said, sliding her yoga pants over her hips. She stepped out of the pants and Julia spun her to face Jayson who stood in front of the fire. "Remind her of our rules, Jay." She gave her a gentle shove toward him. Jay gave her an odd look. "Whatever you say and however you do it, babe. Remind her of the rules."
Julia could not wait to see the way he reminded her. Chess had his very own specific ways, some more painful than others. She though back on her reminders as she watched as Jay was very loving and sweet with her. He let his hair down over his shoulders, which was significant to Jess. He stood before her bare chested in jeans and he took her bra off then her panties. Julia could not completely make out what he said to her. She had a feeling it was private as well it should be. Julia was, in Chess's defense, a bit harder to tame. Less pliable and less accommodating than Jess ever could or would be. Julia thought it the strangest sight as Jay knelt in front of her. He held her hands, he kissed her tattoo and Jess was reminded. That was it. No fuss in the least.
"Isn't that how you do it?" Jay asked, knowing that she was watching. He knew she had been subjected to reminders and had said so herself.
"Not quite." Julia replied, hands on her hips and standing kind of awkward in front of them. "Really that's it?" She smiled. Nothing kinky about it and no tools of any sort were involved. Chess really went all out in his fortress room. Chess had a lifestyle going on there. Julia was underwhelmed.
"You want me to hang her from the ceiling or something?" He asked, placing his arms around her shoulders. "Seriously, Jules, she's reminded every day. It's not like she can take a ring off."
"Oh. Never thought about it like that." She shrugged.
"You get in bed." Jay said, leaving Jess go. Jay crossed the room to Julia. "She's all yours." He said, kissing her forehead. Jay put his hair back up and then took a seat in the chair next to the bed. Julia understood when he said that to her. Jess's nude body hadn't changed much since she'd last seen it. In fact, Julia thought, she was perfect as she knelt on the bed. The fire burning bright behind cast her shadow on the wall. Rain drops plinked the window behind Jayson. She listened as a steady rain fell. She started peeling off her clothes.
"Gonna be a long night, Jayson."
"If you do it right." He seconded that emotion.

CHAPTER SIX-STEP DOWN MOMENTS

"Can I have the baby?" Julia asked. "Please." She held her arms outstretched as Kelly handed Tarin to her. "Oh, how I missed you." She kissed him and she rubbed his small back.

"How are you?" Julia asked, looking at Kelly. She looked at her hand. How easily I am replaced...she smiled.

"It's not easy." Kelly replied.

Julia gave her an awkward look. "No meds." She said quietly to her.

"Not now."

"You'll be ok. We'll get through this and 100 other things." Julia whispered.

She paced the floor and she went in the addition and she looked in the cubbies at her people.  Thankfully Jay hadn't sealed off the stairwell yet. Her group was confused as to why the bed was downstairs, but Julia didn't feel like answering them at that moment. She felt like her private space had been invaded as they all initially crowded in the living room around the bed. Some were sitting on it. The sheets...she grimaced, having tossed a throw blanket over the bed. Jay had just moved that bed. He had just put it back together. They had just got around to being in bed together, enjoying each other that afternoon. She had finally stopped bleeding. Her body felt good again. She felt healthy enough. Strong enough. Ready. And it had been totally worth it. She wished she could wiggle her nose and move it out of the way. So much for one floor living, privacy, a year of planning and reconnecting to her boyfriend.

Physically she still felt good, but emotionally she was drained again. That whole afternoon had been a rollercoaster. Who had she shot and killed? No matter how many excuses she made to justify that murder, she still had to talk herself into believing she had every right to kill the living. That made her uncomfortable. Was there another way? Not with Alex at her side, no. She found their cubby and she went inside, taking a seat on the bed where Alex held a sleeping Julia, too.

"It's been a really bad day, kid." She grabbed his hand. "Anything I can do? Other than mess it all up?"

"Fuck him, Julia. You didn't-"

"Watch your mouth. What he said in anger, needed saying." She scolded him. Alex quieted. "Thanks for saving our girls."

"Mommy, she grabbed onto us when we jumped. I was leaving her there. You didn't want her at the fortress."

"She's your mom. If you want her, then-"

"She didn't even know who Julia was." He frowned. 

"I love you, Alexander." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I do."

"I love you too. We love different." He smiled.

"This is definitely different." She laughed. "Um, no jumping back and forth. You have the ability, but I do not want you doing it." She pleaded with him. "I know it's tempting and there's gonna be things you want and think you need. Please, it's dangerous. If you need something that bad, then you need to talk to me. Ok."

"Yes." He nodded. "But we left people behind."

"Who?"

"Care."

Julia looked at Julia, too. "Got room for both your females in here, Sir?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not really." 

Tarin started fussing against her chest, his small head turning toward her nipple, his lips brushing her shirt. Wrong mama, she thought, getting up from Alex's bed. She pulled the door closed a little and took the baby to the nipple he needed. Kelly was back in her own room. She handed Tarin over. "You know children go upstairs." She advised her. "Tomorrow, we'll work on sleeping arrangements."

"Thanks." Kelly said.

"They still out there?" Julia asked.

"Yes."

Julia was hesitant on leaving the confines of the house to get them. Tavin, Jay, Jody and Ray had gone out there after him. He was gone too long. He was in the dark and angry and armed. They didn't think he'd hurt himself, but they didn't want him left alone. She wondered what they were doing, what they were talking about, who they were talking about. She shuddered to think about it. Julia checked in on the parents who were sitting around her table drinking coffee. Sandy made it.

"Which water did you use?" She asked, looking toward the sink.

"It looked clean." Sandy said, pointing to the kitchen.

"Ok, you'll live." She sighed, thinking that she'd used the dish water to make coffee. Julia helped herself to a cup and cringed as she sipped it. "Cheers." She held up her cup to 4 parents who were not pleased. Cal had done his best to explain this farmhouse to them, having only been there once. He was baffled that it still existed. He believed that the place had dissolved once they returned. So did everyone else.

"Bathroom." John announced. "Where is it?"

"You're a man. Piss anywhere." She replied. "Otherwise, there is an outhouse."

"A what?" Sandy asked.

"Would you like to use it?" She asked.

She and Karen rose and flanked her on either side. Julia led them through the back door and down the steps. She led them to the outhouse. Julia opened the door for them. The women stood at the open door looking inside. She warned them to peek inside before they actually stepped inside to make sure there were no animals in there. She had that happen once. Scared her to death. Next question was toilet paper and Julia explained. Sandy was emotional, but Karen head inside first. They had a million questions. What if it was cold? What if it was the middle of the night? What if they had their period? What if...Julia answered all their questions as she had the same questions at one time. Sandy didn't react well. Karen, on the other hand, accepted this as her lot in life.

"How can you be so blasé about this?" Sandy yelled at her sister.

"I survived six years in state prison. This is life." She answered. Karen looked to Julia. "I am on the pill." She said.

"Not anymore."

"Oh, thank goodness I had the sense to tie my tubes." Sandy sounded like she was relieved for the first time since she landed on the farm.

"I am rather fertile." She reminded her.

"I'll take care of them too." Julia groaned. "Seriously though, there are ways to avoid-"

"Are we reverting back to the pull out method? I gave birth to the pull out method." She ranted, referring to her eldest son.

"Thank you." Julia said.

"And what is that odor?" Karen asked loudly.

"It is a farm. There's dead on the fence. You get used to it."

"Dead on the fence?" Sandy repeated.

"We will have a tour tomorrow. We will cover this. There are rules and there are routines. You will see." She explained. "For now, let us worry about it."

"Us who?"

"Me, Jay, Jody, Chess and Tavin."

She sent the moms off to the house back the way they came and she watched as they entered through the kitchen door. Once they were clear and secure inside the house, Julia sneaked around to the still. She approached cautiously. They saw her coming toward them, she wondered if it was safe to do so. She didn't say anything at first and Chess knew what she wanted.

"Everything ok in there?" Jay asked.

She nodded her response. She didn't want to open her mouth for fear it would erupt all over again.

"Julia, I said some things I regret saying to you." Chess said.

"Me too." She acknowledged.

"So, I'm sorry."

"So am I. Sorry."

"We having a meeting or-"

"Well," Chess said nervously. "We are having one."

"I see. We voted?" Julia asked, feeling excluded and hurt.

"Yes."

"Unanimous."

"Yes."

"Jody? Really?"

"Yes, Morgan." He answered.

"Ok. That's a surprise." She shook her head. "Ok, then. Cool. You-uh-know where I am if you need me." She turned on her heels and head back to the house. She stopped half way. "Um, the table is in there, Napoleon. Y'all don't have to hide out here in the bushes."

"Understood." He answered.

"Mayers? Really?"

"I can explain, Morgan."

"Awe, here we go." Jay whispered.

"It's not going anywhere. Jody, that bothers me. I am not sure why yet."

"Did you want in on the meeting?" Chess asked. "Julia, we can sit-"

"Wasn't it you that gave me the credit for dropping a nest and I wasn't even there?" She started laughing. Was this a joke? She walked a little further, then stopped again. "It's funny. Who were you all waiting for? Tonight, you went to a lot of trouble leaving me a message, so I would know exactly where to rescue you people. Cause that was your plan. Didn't see him doing it."

"Julia. Enough." Jay said.

"Yes, Jay." She replied.

"Morgan, we had a plan. None of you stuck to the plan."

"We had a plan for August of next year." She reminded him. "Not September of this one, Morgan."

She walked further away from them before she got off on a rant she wouldn't be able to come back from. She suddenly felt that all roads pointed toward New Jersey. "What a way to put me in my place, boys. Is someone writing this down?" She shut her mouth. She didn't have to prove herself to them or anyone else.

Julia entered the house through the addition and she passed the cubby doors that were closed. She passed the bed in the living room. She went through the kitchen and she asked her father for a cigarette.

"I don't have a lot left."

She thought a moment of pulling the gun on her waist to forcibly remove the cigarettes from his possession. "Dad, there's a field full of tobacco. Gimme a smoke." He slid the pack down the table and she took two and a lighter. She went on her front porch and she sat on the step at her farm house.

"Care, I am about ready to jump in there with ya, kid."

Julia sat for what seemed like an eternity. She'd fortunately had a nice nap and she wasn't tired. She wasn't in the mood to cry and she wasn't in the mood to fight. She would do, she decided, whatever Jayson wanted her to do. She had instructed him to think for her and damn if they all didn't do that. She chose not to complain. She chose to ride this year out and do what she originally intended on doing, making things right with Jayson. She listened to the activity inside her farmhouse. She listened as people's voices carried. She listened as Tia ran around the downstairs and had fun exploring Julia's house. She watched the stars twinkle in the sky, she watched the darkness in front of her eyes. Not a street light or lamp or candle in the distance as far as she could visualize. She glanced at Caroline's plot of land. The white sparkles of light danced above her like fireflies. She smiled.

Jay came out to get her and he took her in the house. He'd put the parents upstairs and he'd put Tia to bed up in the middle room. He felt as uncomfortable about the bed being in the living room as she did with all the extra bodies around. He led her to a room in the addition, his room, and she laid on the mattress like they had a million times before while he locked up and made sure they were closed in tight. He laid beside her and she curled up against him.

"Wanna talk?" He asked.

"No." She answered. There were probably a million reasons or excuses and she swore none of them would be good enough. She already knew why. She didn't need anyone telling her. "Mayers, Jay. That hurts."

"I know." He said, holding her tighter.

"I never gave him a reason not to trust me. The rest of you, yeah. I get it. But him."

"Not about that." He said. "It's not that you aren't capable. We have other plans for you."

"I refuse to prepare meals here. I am completely lost, Jayson. We're gonna die if that's the case."

"Yeah, the bread was not bread." He laughed.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

"You stay away from the kitchen." He ordered. "You wanna know now or wait till tomorrow?"

"I can wait."

Julia woke early to Jay's lips sucking softly on her neck, a hand up her shirt, fingers gently twisting her nipple. As he had her undress, he advised her not to wear clothes to bed anymore. "Yes, Jay." She acknowledged that she'd heard him. He instructed her to turn over and she followed direction. He placed his arm beneath her and pulled her bottom up against him, his hand on the small of her back, he told her, "Ass up." Like she had never had sex before, she listened to him. When he was ready, his hand gripped her hair and pulled her body against his. His hands moved her waist they way he preferred and even though she enjoyed this, she wondered if this was what he had Stef doing in the mornings, or what Stef had him doing to her in the morning. She let him have his fun although she thought it was way too early in the morning for all that.

Julia lay back down when he got out of bed. "What are you doing, babe?"

"Same thing I always do. I'm going back to sleep." She answered.

"No. You stick with me. Get up and get dressed. I'll meet you outside." He kissed her and left her to dress alone.

"Yes, Jay." She sighed, dragging herself out of her nice comfy spot. "It is too early for this." She mumbled to herself. She head outside with a water bottle. She drank half of it and took the other half to the outhouse where she used the rest to clean Jayson off her. "Gonna be a long apocalypse." She passed Chess on the way back to the house as he head to where she had just come from.

"Morning, Jules." He said. Wide awake and in the same clothes he'd worn there the day before. Not that he had a lot to choose from as she and Jay had just rearranged the entire house to accommodate two people not a group.

"Yeah, hi." She yawned as she head back to the kitchen. She tossed the empty water bottle in the empty bin and she head inside for coffee. Chess had dragged Sandy out of bed as well. In fact he had everyone up and moving. This was not boot camp...all these people do not need to be up this early...Julia groaned to herself. Sandy sat at the kitchen table with coffee and everyone helped themselves. Eventually that would run out. Julia dreaded the day that happened. She and Jay had just enough to get them through the year. At the rate they brewed it, it would be gone before they knew it.

"Julia," Sandy said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Yes," She answered.

"What are we doing?"

"Ask your son." She replied, sipping the black liquid from the cup she held. "I would assume breakfast." She answered. "Lunch is the large meal and the prep should start right after breakfast. Dinner is usually soup, left overs from the first two meals." She said softly. She didn't command, rather she explained the way it had always been. She thought about the field of food and she thought about harvesting that field of food, which was easier than planting that field of food. She dreaded spring already. Day in and day out of unending seeding. It was not fun, it was hard work, tiring and she hesitated to think about it. "We save the seeds. We dry them out and seal them in pre-labeled bags." She explained. "There's a process. I know how to do it."

The sound of the rifle startled them all and sent a couple people diving for the floor for cover. Strange, Julia thought. "Calm down. Jay bagged a deer." She said calmly. "The deer usually gather out front. It's why we don't bother landscaping out there by the road." She added. She looked at Uncle John. "I'd say you're going to be busy this morning."

"Yeah, I can do that."

Chess opened the kitchen door and looked at his dad. "Dad," He said.

"Yes, Julia told me." He said, rising with his coffee in hand.

"Where's Cal?"

"Not here yet."

"Wait for him. Julia, go."

"Go where?" She asked, looking at John. She didn't want to do the deer. "That deer is in good hands. Do I have to?" She felt the anxiety build as she started out after John. Jay had already made her slaughter one poor rabbit. She doubted she was ready to level up to a larger animal.

"No, go get your dad."

Julia followed directions and went upstairs to get her dad and she assumed she'd get Karen as well. She heard them before she got to the landing. Karen working on the next pull out method birth. She waited a minute or two, hoping this romantic interlude would end. She wondered whether Jay was a pullout method baby? No one ever bothered worrying about intruding on her very own interludes at that farm house, but she waited it out. How long could it last? She stood in the hall and Chess appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Julia, what are you doing?"

"Um, they're-you know."

Chess climbed the steps, banged on the door. "Wrap it up. There's work to do." Chess descended the steps and Julia followed. "Hey, get out on the fence. They're waiting for you."

"Checks?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No, Chess. It's not."

"Show them the way it's done. Set up a schedule and give it to Jay."

"Zombie 101."

"Basically. You'll do it again later with the others."

Julia gave her speech. She wound the perimeter of the farm and she gave those in her 'class' tips and what if's. She showed them all the ins and outs of fence inspection, looking for gaps or rusted areas, broken slats or God forbid a breech. Fence maintenance was the utmost importance as it kept out the most undesirable aspect of life, the dead. It was their first and only line of defense. If there was a problem with the fence in any way, shape or form, then "Get Tom immediately."

Jay coughed to get her attention.

"What?" She asked, looking at him, upset he'd interrupted her.

"Who's Tom, Morgan?" He asked.

"Quit calling me Morgan. You know who Tom is." She answered, then she thought about it. "Oh, there is no Tom. Who do we get?"

"Someone's dad I would assume."

"Ok, get someone's dad."

As they trailed the perimeter, she attempted to show them the schematic of the spike system that Tom had developed. Although Tom was not present, his spirit certainly could be felt by her. This fence was his brain child, erected before they moved in there piece by piece. Julia couldn't even see over the fence without climbing.

"Me and Chess go out and look over the outside weekly. Jules, don't worry about that."

Julia gave them zombie 101 when they arrived at a body on a spike. It had been impaled through its torso and it hung there awkwardly groaning and the closer they got its movements became more animated, arms outstretched and bony fingers reaching and clawing for them. Jody found this entire set up unbelievable. He'd never seen anything so extravagant in his lifetime. He was fascinated that they could kill the dead and not get near them.

"This whole set up, Jody, gave us some security. We didn't have the hands for all night patrols and we still don't. Plus we don't have the lighting for all this. As dark as it gets, we only had the moon. At night, we have to trust the construction of this fence. Without it, if anything is overlooked or missed, we got trouble."

"What about people?"

"What people? We kill the people, Jody. No questions asked."

"Oh, ok. Why?"

"Because we do."

"That's counter productive to survival."

"This isn't about survival of society, it's about survival of us as a group. That's all."

"So we do not add people in?"

"We did."

"Who?"

"Jody, this walk down memory lane can happen at another time." Jay interrupted. "This can't take all damn day."

"Sure. Ok." He understood. "I think I got it. I can do this by myself."

"Yes, you could. Any of us could. We used to pair up."

"Why?"

"That's the way she wanted it. So, let's move on." Jay said, guiding the group ahead.

"It's still the way I want it." Julia stated.

"Not now." Jay cut her off.

"You know, it's fine what ever you people wanna do, but I will not be left out of the loop. It's my house."

"Jo, take them ahead, please." Jay asked, handing Jody his spear creation. "Jules, I'm gonna kill you." He droned, putting loose hands around her throat and faked a choking motion. "This is our house. No one is leaving you out of the loop. Please do your job."

"You know I need explanations. You know I don't blindly like to follow commands and-"

"Julia, all this is already set up. There's nothing suspicious about any of this. It's you showing them how to do what we do. They are new. It's a transition for them."

"Ok."

"You also know what to table and what not to table. Do we fight in front of them?"

"No."

"Fuck, babe, we have one fuckin meeting without you and you get all mental on me."

"It was an important meeting."

"I know. You went and pissed off every single person at the fucking table. Again."

"Fuck you." She said. "I created that table. I already earned that."

"Not this time."

"Any time. Fuck this."

"And then what? Fuck this, and then what?"

"Are you saying I have no choice?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I am saying."

"Am I on the table or not?"

"Kind of."

"You fuckers are walking contradictions."

"Please don't speak to me like that." Jayson raised his voice and that surprised her. She sat herself on the ground, refused to move. "You stay there then. I can't deal with the mouth this morning, Jules." 

"If this is you putting me in my place, then you can do better, but it's a start." She paused as he started walking away. "Are you angry with me, Jayson? Am I misbehaving?" She asked. She had to throw her dog a bone. She wanted that response from him. He obviously need some help or guidance. She would drop clues, but he'd have to come up with it on his own.

"What? Julia, you're being difficult."

"Ok, then. I'll wait for you." She shifted off her ass and onto her knees. "Is there anything specific I should think about?"

"How about you don't talk down to me or cuss at me?"

"Yes, Jay."

Jay finished up checks with Jody and the group and they all head back into the house for what would hopefully be a meal. Chess had assigned this task to his mother. Halfway through breakfast, Alex realized Julia wasn't eating with them.

"Where is Julia?" Alex asked.

"Oh, shit I forgot about her." Jay said, getting up quickly. He had completely forgotten as more than an hour passed and she was still out in the field.

"Where is she?" Chess asked

"Out there thinking. Damn."

Jay quickly crossed the field and he worried about how pissed off she'd be when he got there. He found the opposite. She sat still on her knees in the same spot where he left her. She had her hair down over her shoulders and when he approached her she was calm. She didn't complain. She was nice.

"Are you stuck?"

"No, Jay."

"Breakfast is ready." He said, turning to walk away. When she didn't follow, he went back the 30 or so feet to her.

"Remind me what I was thinking about."

"You tell me."

"I won't cuss at you or talk down to you anymore."

"Thanks."

"Can I get up?"

"Yes."

"Tell me to get up."

"Julia, stop it."

"You're transferring the title or not?"

"It makes me uncomfortable."

"Make it a boundary. Make up the rules."

"I don't know how."

"It takes time. You'll figure it out."

"You want that? Jules, babe, it's creepy. I mean, it's strange. Did that turn you on?"

"Jay, are you satisfied with what you did to me?"

"Sexually?"

"On any level."

"I don't know yet." He answered.

She knelt in front of him and she did look rather comfortable like that. She didn't seem put off at all. "Jayson, do you like me on my knees in front of you?" She had that look on her face that he'd seen a hundred times.

"Yes. That I like."

"Why? Think about it."

"There's a reason other than the obvious?" He asked, touching her hair.

"Yes. Think outside the realm of blowjobs." She suggested. He smiled, laughing a little. Julia reach her hand toward him, lowering the elastic waist band of his shorts. She took hold of him with her hand and then her mouth. She doubted he was able to think outside the realm of head while she gave him head. She had to get a point across. Morning head in a field wasn't on her agenda for the day, but Jay wanted it. He didn't argue when she did it. He wasn't complaining when he emptied into her mouth. He was surprised she swallowed him without complaining of the taste.

"Please get up, Julia." He said, holding a hand out to her.

She stood and shook out her legs, letting the blood flow through and the numbness go away. She hadn't knelt anywhere for that length of time in a while. It would take some getting used to again.

"Are you satisfied with what you did to me?" She asked again, holding his hand as they walked back to the house.

"Yes."

"Creepy and strange?"

"No."

"Kneeling at monuments." She whispered.

"Oh, is that what you meant?"

"Yes."

She plucked a large tomato from the plant as she passed. She sent Jay in to finish his breakfast and she ate her tomato like an apple as she waited for the rest of them finish up. She waited outside, checking on her eggs and her chicks that had hatched. She petted them and talked to them. Chess came out and stood with her, looking over the hutch she kept them inside. He'd seen them earlier.

"Wanna smoke, Julia?" He asked.

"I'd like a cigarette." She answered, closing the door to the hutch. She looked through the screen at the chicks and listened as they peeped.

"You didn't have to skip breakfast. I don't want you to think I am mad and I don't want you mad at me either." He pulled a pack from his pocket and handed her a cigarette.

"I ate and I am not mad." She replied, lighting off his lighter that he held up for her.

"I hear Jay kicked you off zombie 101."

"He put me in a time out."

"Long time out."

"I have a feeling he forgot I was out there." She laughed.

"He ran when he remembered. Thought he was in trouble."

"I'm sure."

"Who's training who?" He asked. Julia didn't answer that, smoked her cigarette in silence. "Your idea, the whole thing."

"Kneeling at monuments, Chess Morgan. That was some sick shit you came up with."

"We are experts at entertaining ourselves in confined spaces."

"Who you playing with?" She asked, looking around them.

"I'll find somebody. Trust me. There's people out there. We were not as isolated as we thought. We were stupid thinking we were. Never left the confines of this space and when we did we were scared to do it. Now we wonder why?"

"Yes, now I wonder why. Then it was really clear. We were young, scared. Please don't mess it up, Chess. It's my home."

"I know it is. We'll respect that."

"I don't want bad memories here. That's all."

"Neither do I. We didn't build this place to tear it down."

"You gonna do the right thing? Make sure it's all good?"

"Yes. I will. You sure about this? This is what you want? I think it's a good decision. I think it's a smart decision."

"This year is mine. I want to do with it as I please. I got everything I want. My people. My house. My kids. I need to heal and I want to fix things with Jay. It was about Caroline. It still is about Caroline." She looked at the sky. The sun bright above them. "That is my plan."

"These people are already pissing me off."

"I'm sure they are. Welcome to my world." She smiled. "Mayers, Chess. He turned on me?"

"He was a hard sell."

"I thought there'd be at least one person who had my back."

"We all do. Tavin said we'd all get you through this shit and we meant it." He assured her. "And you have Alex. The boy gave me a piece of his mind this morning."

"I'm sorry. I told him to leave you alone."

"I deserved it. I was really harsh on you."

"That is an understatement. But I brought you here alone, so we are even."

"Julia, I will find someone. Think I am going a year? I'll fuck Jess again before I go without. Don't think I haven't already thought about it."

"Don't think I haven't." She replied. "He's gotta get me under control or it's gonna be a problem."

"I'll rescind before it's a problem."

"Don't think I haven't thought about that either. Alone here. It would not have been an issue. Christ, Mayers is starting to look good. That feeling is back again. I shoulda never connected to him to begin with." She finished her cigarette and threw the butt in the fire pit. "How'd you know this was a set up?"

"Fields." He answered. "Something she said."

"Sleeping with the enemy."

"I like her, Julia. I swear she's a good person. I swear she warned me. She wasn't setting me up."

"What did she say?"

"We were gonna go out. Get some of that good shrimp."

"Oh, that was good shrimp, Chess."

"Yes. She said, have a few beers, clear another nest, have some more beer."

"That's all?"

"Something about the way she said it. Then, she was talking about you. Like now that you're gone, we could start something. As long as you were around, it wasn't gonna happen. She knew you would be gone for good. Here or somewhere else? I am not sure."

"She sent you directly to me to get you outta there. She cares about you. She knew I would take you with me."

"You think so?"

"If you say she's good, then she is. I trust that. In the future she's an invaluable asset. I still don't like the cunt." Julia replied. "Wanna go get her blonde ass?"

"There's a blond in Philly I wanna pick up." He said. "When me and Mayers kill her boyfriend. We take care of Hay."

"We will. Just not yet. He'll die, she'll go home to Maverick and all's well."

"We'll see." He lied. "How about we go have a very uncomfortable meeting, Mrs. Morgan?"

"Sure, Mr. Morgan."

"Tell me where the ring is."

"The still. In the bottle of hooch. It's safe."

"You left it out there?"

"No one likes it other than me and you."

Chess walked Julia back to the kitchen door and she took a seat at the table with her leaders. She didn't have a sinking feeling exactly. She was leaving this in good hands. Ray sat alongside Chess. Tavin had his usual seat at the head of the table. Jayson and Jody to his right. Chess slid a notebook down the table to her. "No one plans like you." He complimented her. He slid a black pen and a red pen and a highlighter her way. She caught each one as they slid to her. Across the front of her book it said meetings. He slid another book to her. Across the front it read in black letters, PHASE II. Tavin reached onto the seat next to him, opening a bag he slid her maps and travel guides one by one. Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New York , Delaware and New Jersey. "Maps." Tavin shoved the bag down the table and it held her office supplies that she had requested.

"You got it." She smiled. "Thanks, Chess."

"You are not in charge here. You are in charge of phase two. Plan the fuck out of it. Consult with all of us. Use us. Run shit past us. Bounce ideas off us." Chess told her.

"This should be a how-to of nests and zoms. Every tip and idea you got or have used to kill one or 100 of them, past present and future." Jay said.

Jody slid another notebook down the table to her. "I wanna do this with you." He requested. Across the notebook cover it read, Pennsylvania Infantry. "I would like to create it."

"It's a side project. It needs to be cleared by me since I will be in charge of it." Chess ordered.

Jayson slid another book down the table to her. The cover was blank. The book was blank.

"What's this one for?" She asked, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and under staffed for this job description.

"I am not sure what to call it. What was your job in the future?"

"Public relations liaison, specifically to Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and sometimes Maryland, but only over the border. I didn't go too far over the Mason Dixon line."

"What did you do exactly?" Tavin asked.

"I am a public servant, affiliated with the states' infantry, specifically Pennsylvania. I wrote the book on policy and procedure and protocols for dealing with incidents and also how to prevent those incidents from occurring in the future. I set up safe zones, installed and educated the staff and local sheriffs and patrolling militias to exterminate threats, determine when a threat is out of hand and when to signal an evac and then call in the infantry to deal with these threats."

"You did all that?"

"Oh, yes. I also am kinda like a social worker. Being that I work with the public, I focus on education and preparation. I do drills. I educate and hopefully give the knowledge to the community that will get them through the seasons. Water purification, heating, birth control and prevention. I also-"

"There's more?" Tavin asked.

"Oh, yes. I am on call 24/7/365. I put people in contact with psych services. Men are not kind to women, you know. Help those with PTSD. Help women and children find appropriate shelter and I also clothe them, feed them and-"

"You do all that alone?"

"No. I train people to do all that. As I go from sector to sector or incident to incident, I am 100% in the community. I meet the people. I listen to the people and then I get in touch with the sector leaders directly with a list of things that need fixing, help or to be addressed. If they have difficulty addressing these needs then I am also outreach. I will travel to the next community and find what I need and I will make arrangements to bring it back and they'll likely trade something."

"That's a lot of work. A lot of people."

"Oh, there's not a lot of people left. And it's fun. Very humanitarian if you ask me. Jay was supposed to be doing this with me."

"What about the rest of the states? You cover a few."

"Cookie does that."

"Is this Cookie's idea, plan?"

"No. It is mine. I am proud of this. This is my baby. It's based on assisting people at a much larger level. That sense of community and taking care of your own. That's what we do. They are our people." She answered. "I can do this, but this evolves, Jay. At your pace. Not mine. Babe, this is all you. I will take care of my part. I can recite it. But the foundation, babe, that's yours. The directives and the beliefs and the moral of it all. That caring spirit. That's you."

"I thought you stayed on base." Jody said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Only in New York. Anywhere else, I know where I am going. I sleep in the community, someone takes me in. I usually stay at a women's shelter or some family will take me in. In New York, I went straight into an incident so I set up on base first. After that, I would have relocated, but I wanted to be on base after that incident. Freeman was on base, so I stayed."

"New York." Jody shuddered. "No one in Pennsylvania likes New York. Militant racists."

"I'm white. I never had any trouble in New York, Jody." She answered honestly.

"You are female. They are respectful toward females."

"Ok, moving on..." Chess said, looking toward Ray. "You, did your men in black follow you to zombie world?"

"Um,"

"It's a yes or a no, Ray."

"I haven't seen them yet. I have been looking, but I think I am hidden here."

"Julia, you are in charge of the men in black."

"Yes."

"All aspects of the men in black."

"Of course. Ray and I will work together on that."

"Thanks." He said. "We should cover these windows."

"Curtains." Jay said. "I told her that."

"And get that bed outta the living room." Chess pointed at him.

"Well, we were gonna be one floor living." Jay argued. "It wasn't anything weird. Abe approved."

"Abe?" Chess asked. "The ghost?"

"Residual energy, Chess." Julia replied.

"Moving on..." Tavin said, raising his voice and wanting to wrap this up.

"I will not be fighting over beds. I will not be fighting over petty shit." Chess announced. "Julia, pick a room."

"Me?"

"You didn't last time. You said surprise you last time."

"Boy, were we surprised." Jay said.

"The room with the fireplace."

"Good, you got plenty of room for all these maps. Ample room for a workspace."

"And a TV." She smiled, looking at Jay.

"Must we still keep kids upstairs?" Chess asked.

"Yes."

"Middle smaller room as usual?"

"I guess, yes. There's only two kids, though."

"Tavin and Kelly are in the other room, kids are in the middle. Agreed?"

"Your dad's a big guy." Tavin mentioned. "He gonna fit in the addition? And your mom might not like that. She's special, you know. Just saying."

"You giving up the room?"

"Me and Kell kinda want to keep our room. We like it in there."

"Fine. I want everyone moved in their rooms by bed time. I don't want to take up a lot of time getting settled in here. It's a pain in the ass. I got the girls going through the clothes, separating everything out according to sizes. I am not running a Walmart, so if we could all just kinda pitch in and put shit away, get it organized, reclaim our personal effects. That would be great. Dinnertime, I want you and Mayers back outside on the fence with the next group of people. Everyone needs to know how that fence works no matter who does the job."

"I'll make a list when it's all done what each person needs. Then we'll-"

"Make a run if need be. Yes, Julia." He paused. "Can you get in your old books and see what projects we were planning at the time? There was always something in the works. Was it anything important?"

"I don't remember. I was busy with other stuff at the time."

"Meeting is closed." As they filed away from the table, he held Julia and Jayson back. "Sit down." He and Julia took a seat next to each other as Chess slipped away and then returned again within a few minutes. He had a white envelope in his hand. He set it in front of the two of them. "You were right the whole time. We shoulda stayed here." He said, then he walked away. Jay opened the already unsealed envelope and he unfolded a stapled set of papers. He saw what it was and he handed it to Julia. There were X's on each page that indicated where she should sign. The divorce papers. He must have tucked the envelope in the bag when he packed everything up and handed it over to Tavin.

Julia used her brand new pen and she signed by the X's where he had also signed his chicken scratch signature.  She folded the papers back up and she tucked the envelope in her bag with her office supplies.

"Thank you." Jay said.

"You're welcome."

She picked up her notebooks and her bag and she went to her room.

Julia sat at her desk writing about her day. Journaling by candlelight was not her favorite activity. She was bothered this idea of hers wasn't working out with Jayson. She and Jay were plugging along, going through the motions, talked to each other as usual. The idea of him completely taking over and thinking for her was a bust. Every once in a while an assertive Jayson peeked out from behind his curtain of nice. She swore that Chess had overstepped and encouraged him. He needed confidence. She drew the conclusion he was fine the way he was. His problem was, as he had told her a couple weeks prior, her. Maybe Chess was right? Who was training who? She wanted peace. She wanted nice. She wanted someone who was thoughtful and sweet and caring. He was, after all, the opposite of her. He had all the qualities she sought in herself and couldn't hone.

He lay across the bed reading his book about fur skins. How he found that interesting, she was at a loss. He had wanted a book that detailed how to make one, but what he found was a book on those people who wore them or made them. The kid wanted directions not a story. Regardless, he was bored and he was reading. She jotted a note on a special piece of paper-how to make a rug. It wasn't very detailed, but she knew what she meant. If and when she ever jumped home and had internet access, she would print out an article or fifty for him.

Julia swiveled around in her chair and she looked at her guys. Jay lay reading and Ray was curled up sound asleep on the bed on the opposite wall. He kept odd hours. Usually he was up all night and he'd sleep on and off all day. He slept in a series of naps, some longer than others. Julia allowed the kid to carry, but it made her nervous. She always wanted night security and she had found it in Ray.  It had become clear to all of them that Ray was not table material with his delusions. Since the men in black had departed, his delusions were crashing down around him. He had taken to hearing voices. They'd implanted a chip inside his head. Even though they weren't visible to the naked eye, he could still hear them. When he slept, Julia got peace. But sometimes Ray would keep her busy at odd hours. If not for any other reason than she was worried about him. She wrote herself another note. Follow up with Tavin's research...schizophrenia for dummies.

"He's sleeping." Jay said, peeking around his book.

"Yeah. He is." Julia frowned. "He needs meds, Jay." She said. "Think there's any out there?"

"Don't know. You taking some?"

"You think I need some?"

"I think you're as depressed as I am. How are we even functioning?"

"No choice. Especially you. I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I think it's pay back. The universe that you like so much...for shooting you guys. That's a theory I been kicking around. A life for each life. Hers, mine and Sam's."

"Well, I don't know what to say about that."

"Well, you get to live. Like last time."

"Oh, Jay. That's depressing." She said, getting out of her chair. She crossed the room and she looked out the window. She watched over the empty field as Jody's fine body worked the fence. That is not depressing...she thought as she viewed the way Jody's body moved, muscles as they flexed. He likes that job...he was born for this job. She watched Jess too as she sat and watched the same fine body move around her. He'd stop a few minutes in the waning light of day and he'd chat with her. He leaned and kissed her. She gasped at the sight of it. "He kissed her."

"Huh? Who?"

"Jody kissed Jess."

"Should you break the news to him or you want me to?"  He said from behind his book.

"What news?" She asked, reeling from sight.

"She isn't a princess."

"Not many options in a zombie apocalypse."

The more Jess crushed on Mayers, the dirtier Julia's thoughts about Mayers became. She was jealous of her not him. She scolded herself as she closed the curtain on them. She reminded herself the feeling would pass. She reminded herself as she faded, so would inappropriate thoughts of Mayers. Mayers would only add to the problem not detract from it. Thoughts were not actions. He was off limits. Nonetheless, the sexual energy coursed through her and it wasn't something she could fade if she had sex. Sex exacerbated it.

Julia climbed in bed with him, straddled over his waist. "Tell me about fur skins."

"They're warm." He answered. "It's a native thing. They used the hides to make blankets and coats, boots, hats."  He said, closing his book. "This is-" He tossed it in the fireplace. "Like a 6th grade reader or something."

"If I ever get back home, we'll print out something."

"If you went back home, you'd need money."

"There's money, plenty of it. Ours or someone else's. It's obsolete here, so it's everywhere."

"I don't want you jumping back into Maverick. You don't know what's waiting."

"Jay, we aren't jumping into Maverick anyway."

"What do you need?"

"I have a specific list going over there on my desk. Material things aren't important, but we could get the kids some stuff to occupy their time."

"Or we could just keep looking for another book."

"Different library. Book store. Think we could do that? We could get out of here a little while."

"You wanna go to the mall? Barnes and Noble?"

"Jay, what is left out there? Have we ever really looked?" She asked, taking his hands and locking their fingers together.

"I've been out there. We have been out there on runs. It's a wasteland, picked over." He held her hands tight. "Where are you jumping?"

"Philly." She answered. "They don't know about Philly, the contacts or people there. Other than Zoe Flannigan."

"When?"

"I don't know yet. They wanna get settled here and Chess has to work up the nerve to jump again."

"What do you want?"

"I would prefer they left it alone." She answered. "Chess is pissed off, it's personal. But I can't see what benefit he would have killing the kid now? I'm not sure why Mayers even cares. He says it's personal and it doesn't have anything to do with me."

Jay opened his arms wide and dropped Julia onto him. "Why's he always have to be in here?" He whispered in her ear. "He has a cubby." He reminded her, kissing her neck.

"The MIB are after me too." She whispered, turning her head to look at Ray. "I'm part of the delusion, babe."

"Wonderful." He moaned. "Cover up and slide down."

"Jay-" She protested.

"Shh, just do it." He urged, sliding her over his abdomen. Julia pulled the throw blanket around her waist and covered them. She lifted, letting him move beneath her. She felt him slide inside and she settled onto him.

"The door's open, Jayson." She whispered. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight as he moved beneath her. She didn't like playing look out for others and watching Ray the entire time he fucked her.

"The bed, Jay. It's-" creaking, she wanted to say. Creaking in an odd way. She felt like it was about to give out beneath them. The frame at the top was loose. Had it been taken apart and put back together right?

His hand covered her mouth. "Quiet." He demanded, then pulled his hand away. Quiet he wanted, quiet he got and as he was about to come the frame gave way and dropped them at an angle onto the floor, which cause quite the clatter of metal hitting and scraping on the wood floor. She saw it coming, but he hadn't and that startled him some. It startled their roommate awake and it sent someone to the steps to ask. "What's that?"

Julia had been instructed to be quiet, so she said nothing.

"We're good. Something fell." Jay answered, looking toward the doorway.

"You were supposed to pull out." Julia told him. "The calendar. Remember?"

"I will never pull out, so throw the calendar away."

"Yes, Jay."

"We were falling. Like I was supposed to just pull out."

"It's ok, Jay."

"I am in the room." Ray said half asleep and half awake, looking across the room at them.

"You're always in the room, Ray. Do you live with us, Ray? Do you not have your own bed, Ray?"

"Jayson, it's ok."

"Julia, it's not ok."

"Julia, they got to him too." Ray looked disturbed as his thoughts churned.

"No, Ray. No one got to me. I was fucking my girlfriend, Ray. I just wanna fuck my girlfriend, Ray. You're always here, Ray." Jayson complained, emphasizing his name.

"Ray, we talked about this. Jay is not one of them." Julia said softly, trying to sit up, but at the angle they lay, it was near impossible. "I watch him too. I already questioned him today."

"Oh, my fucking God." Jay sighed against her shoulder. "Jules, this is out of control."

"Meds, Jay." She whispered. "Ray, we should have woke you and sent you out. I'm sorry."

"He's trying to-"

"I'm not doing anything to her." Jay raised his voice.

"They been in here. They were messing with the bed. They put something in the bed. They're listening to everything we say. Everything you do to her. They're recording her."

"Jules, I'm gonna kill him-"

"Ray, put the bed back together. You go over the bed and make sure there's no devices. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Jay will help you. You can question him."

"Get away from him." Ray demanded.

"Ok." She agreed as Ray got out of his bed and offered her a hand off Jayson. "Jay will get the tools and bring them back."

"Do that." He looked suspiciously toward Jayson.

Jay held his breath and walked away with Julia. He followed her downstairs. "He's lost it." Jay said under his breath. "Where's Chess?"

"I will deal with him. Get the tools."

"No." Jay head through the addition to Chess's room. "Deal with your brother."

"What did he do now?" Chess asked, setting down the notebook. He was reading over the day's notes Julia had written for him.

"I have specific ways I deal with Ray, Jayson. I tried to tell you and you didn't listen."

"I am not one of them. He thinks I'm doing shit to her."

"We keep our enemies close." Julia shrugged.

"You're just as fucking delusional."

"I have to be."

"Sandy needs to babysit him."

"No one needs to babysit him."

"You try dealing with the shadow all fucking day." Jay said to Chess.

"I do, Jayson. I keep him with me when he's up."

"We need to find medication. We need to medicate him. It's important. The kid's sick."

"Where we getting meds, Julia? Tell me. I will get them." Chess sat up and ran his hands through his hair.

"We also need a plan if he goes psychotic. We'll need to sedate him. I was talking to Tavin-"

"We discuss Ray, not you and-"

"He needs inpatient psychiatric treatment and meds." Tavin interrupted. "Asking Julia to deal with him is unfair. She's not trained for that."

Chess looked at her. "Could she be? She's the one who can get through to him. I can't."

"Tools, Jay." Julia said. "Answer his questions."

"What questions?"

"The same ones I ask you every fucking morning. So go." She said, growing impatient.

"This is bullshit, Julia."

"No it's not. It's serious. I know it's frustrating, but try living it.  I try. I come up with ways to deal with it and you all go against me."

"You sound like him."

"I have to. I try to understand it. You are not listening to me."

"I cannot believe this." Jay muttered.

"He's stressed. The whole environment is stressful. He's not used to it. We pulled him out of his comfort zone where he coped with it in his own way. Now he has to completely readjust his delusions around an entirely new environment. It takes time to do that. He will level out eventually, fall into a new routine and find new ways to cope. Until then, we wait."

"Wait?"

"Yes. If you want him to trust you, go get the tools, answer his questions and fix our bed."

"What happened to the bed?" Tavin asked.

"The men in black have control of Jayson."

"You broke the bed?"

"I don't think he put it together right to begin with. But to Ray..."

"You were fucking with Ray there."

"He was asleep."

"Don't fucking do that."

"Tell Jayson." She whined. "We had clothes on. We were quiet. Till the bed fell out from under us." She looked at Chess. "He's always there. We get it in when we can. Like having an infant."

"Chess, I know this is hard, but I been reading about this. Exciting info, too, thanks to Julia and her damn library. We have to get him medicated. It'll help him adjust and live a normal life."

"Ok. Where?"

"Where are drugs?" Tavin asked. "The drugs we like have been picked over, but meds like he needs should be out there."

"Plan it, we'll make a run."

"It's planned." Julia said, looking away from him.

"What?" Chess asked, surprised to hear her response.

"Me and Tav-"

"Thanks. You planned it, you do it. Out." He said, sitting back on the bed.

Tavin left and head back to Kelly and Tarin.

"If you were mine, I would beat your ass. Get out."

"I'm sorry, Chess. It-"

"I'm pissed. Again."

"You put me in charge of Ray or not? I'm not interfering with your fucking table or anything else, but Ray is my responsibility. I love him and Jay loves him, but he's-"

"Cockblocking?" Chess suggested.

"That too. Yeah." She paused. "You did this on purpose." She whispered. "Not the way to win me back."

"Nothing to win, Julia. You gotta earn that too."

"Jules, get the hell outta there." Tavin yelled.

Kelly glared at him. "Said you weren't getting involved."

"The train wreck's coming. I don't want it to be tonight." Tavin said. "Can we get past one disaster before rolling into the next?"

He set the schizophrenia books back on his dresser top, then closed the notebook, Ray's notebook or chart or whatever Julia was calling it. The notebook was a case study into Ray Morgan's mind. Julia had a list of his delusions, the words the voices said to him and then in a column next to it, positive reactions and her thoughts on how to handle them. The whole notebook was extravagant and detailed. Julia had too much time on her hands. How did she find the time to think about him and all the other plans she had going? Ray alone was a fulltime job.

"You didn't see Jay when they came home from losing Caroline. I will not do that again."

"Why didn't she just stay with Chess? You can feel the sexual tension coming through the freaking wall?"

"She wants to fix things with Jayson."

"Slutting it up in there isn't the way to do it."

"She's not. It's how they are." Tavin moved closer to her. "He owns her." He whispered. "But he disowned her and this is how she acts when he disowns her."

"That's some bullshit, Tavin. You know it."

"They believe it." He replied. "They're all crazy, if you ask me."

"Are we alright? Can I trust you?" She asked, lifting her shirt to position Tarin on her breast.

"We are. I'm trying Kelly."

"No one's tempting yet."

"It's not easy to turn it off. How do you do it? Not look elsewhere?"

"Because no one else matters."

"Never been tempted? Not once?"

"No, Tavin. I have not. I do not think of it and I do not put myself in situations where it could be a possibility."

For Tavin any situation was a possibility. His eyes forever roamed. He always managed to find like minded individuals. He never thought of Kelly, not once. She never entered his mind whenever he hooked up. She was an after thought, the one he went home to. The only girl who was ever off limits was Jess. He made that agreement with himself a long time ago and as long as Julia was with Jayson, she would be off limits too. No matter how tempting the thought was. No matter how she would lead him there. He would lead her to the same place.

Avoid the situation, he thought. He took Ray's notebook and he went to the bedroom where he found Ray finishing up with the bed and Jay watching from Julia's chair. When Ray packed up the tools and left, Tavin spoke.

"We are going tomorrow." Tavin said, setting the book on Julia's desk. "She's staying home."

"I thought this was your run."

"I don't wanna run with her." He replied.

"Tavin, she's itching to get outta here."

"Not with me. You two wanna take a day trip, cool. Making a run, no. It's not her place."

"I don't think she'd agree."

"Do you agree?"

"Tavin, she makes her own decisions."

"What are your decisions? She's not part of it for a reason."

"We voted."

"We don't vote on anything that hasn't been tabled by the group. She's part of the table. She knows what went down and she chose not to defend herself. If she had, then she would be sitting there. What's the reason?"

"She asked for that vote?"

"Yes. And he brought it to us and we voted on it as directed by her."

"Why didn't she just step down?"

"Think she could do that? Not without a vote. She wouldn't be able to. It's her fucking table in her fucking house."

"She did that for me?"

"What's her reason for the whole year here?"

"She serious about that?"

"Are you?"

"We can do both. What's her problem?" He shook his head. "Where is she?"

"She's with Chess. Set your limits early with her, Jayson."

The girls finished dinner clean up and everyone scattered away from their table, the five started evening meeting. Jay had brought her books down for her and Julia sat pensive with her notebook. She read over Tavin's notes regarding meds and possible places to locate them. He had his phone books in his room and he'd listed facility names and addresses.

They held meeting, went over the day's notes Chess had already gone over. Before meeting closed, Chess asked if there were any issues.

"I got one." Jay announced.

"What is it?"

"I want to re-vote." He said, looking at his brother.

"Re-vote on what?"

"Julia's place at this table."

"Jayson, it's in capable hands."

"Should be in your hands. I would like to re-vote the issue. Do we need a vote to re-vote?"

"Jay, why?"

"My brother stood upstairs with me and told me to put you in your place. Basically that you need to be told your place, what your role is here."

"Do that, Jay." Tavin said.

"She knows her place. She knows what her role is. It's whatever she chooses wherever she chooses and she does it better than the rest of us." He said. He looked to Chess. "You, you hate it. I can see that already." He looked to Jody. "You, how many times did you say you would follow her anywhere?" He looked at Tavin. "You gave her credit for saving lives when she wasn't even there. She's right, you all waited for her to show up at ice cream's house to jump your asses out of a bad situation. Just like last time." He looked at Julia. "Put her back where she belongs. No one tells Julia her role. She tells all of us ours. And we liked it that way. She has my vote because she's absolutely miserable. We don't place restrictions on her or any of our other women. I don't want to live like that. I think it's crazy that you would, Julia." The men at the table were quiet. "None of you has anything to say? You all sat and listened to her describe her job description in the future. That is what she does. Give it back to the person that deserves it. Whoever is her second...well, that is up to her. Telling her she needs to earn anything at her table in her house is an insult. And for you to suggest it, Julia, or go along with it is insane."

"I have reasons." Julia looked at Jay.

"We can do both. You can multi task. You function under pressure. You thrive on this. It'll take your mind off her and as for us, that's not up to you, or the rest of you." He looked around the table. "If I know one person in this world, it's my girlfriend. There's no one I would rather ride or die with. My vote is yes."

"Jay, I didn't know you felt like that."

"I always have. Were you listening?"

"The team that bleeds together." Jody smiled.

"This is the team, Jo." Julia said. "It's not two people. It's all of us."

"Red, whatever you want to do."

"Little Hitler." Chess laughed. "Could we have some rules?" He asked seriously.

"Like?" Julia asked.

"If you start to lose it, you step out and let someone else take over for awhile?"

"Please, do not pull your weapon on me and threaten to kill me." Jody added.

"You cannot hit us."

"Or cuss at us."

"Or call us names like fucker or douche bag."

"I find that when I emasculate you, you work harder." She admitted. She blushed a little. "I-um- trained all of you to be like this."

"Julia, stop it." Chess said.

"I did. Do you wanna know the truth? The whole truth?"

"Julia."

"It is a system of give and take and punishments and rewards." She said. "So if you all eliminate the negative, which you all do like...then how is this going to work?"

"What?" Jay asked.

"I learned this with Jesslyn. And you two. I had to use a different approach with Tavin at first."

"I don't understand." Jody announced, leaning back in his chair.

"You wouldn't because you weren't here. They were."

"This will work, everything was already set in place. It should theoretically run smoothly. Tav's up to speed, but he didn't live it like we did. Jay doesn't want the headache. He's not assertive enough and he doesn't like making people feel bad or uncomfortable. That's why I gave it to Napoleon over there."

"I'm so confused." Jay said, leaning forward, placing his head in his hands.

"A system of give and take, punishment and reward. Take that any way you choose to take that."

"There's no pussy in the infantry." Jody said.

"The right one can make men do amazing things. Or two, in your case." She looked at Jay and Chess. "The wrong one, even though it is absolutely amazing, can lead you to New Jersey."

"That is not the way it went down." Jody argued, raising his voice.

"Well, you see how that turned out. If she would have let me handle it, Jody, then you would be where you should be and not here with us. You two have no idea how that man's mind works. I would have taken care of it."

"She had the best interests of a lot of people in mind."

"I am an expert at the best interests of people, Mayers. She was young and dumb, although very idealistic. Like her brothers. See where that got them. The world does not and never will run with humanitarianism in mind. Our people do not think that way. They never have and they never will. Military cleared the states not humanitarians."

"I disagree."

"Your dick got in your way. You tripped and fell over it. Did you even know the plan? Tia's wasn't working. You weren't briefed. I wasn't briefed on what Alex knew but that was not my business. The plan that they had in mind was not gonna pan out either. So we were going to north campus to create one. I was going with my number one, you and Tia were going with the next gen. We are not stupid. We have experience. We were going to combine military and human interest in the same god damn plan. Till you guys went and screwed that all up." She pointed at him. "You could have gone back. Chess made that clear to your brothers and you and the rest of the kids that walked out. That was the agreement. You followed Princess into hell. Literally. Then you got stuck there with the queen."

"Why did you go then? You and him went right along with us."

"Chess gave Tia the benefit of the doubt. We were young once, believed in the idea of it."  She answered " Plus, we were bored, wanted to party with your brothers. It looked like fun. "

"Fun."

"See who walked away from that don't you? Old school faired much better than new school and the only reason new school survived is because you all were paired up with old school. You had your brothers. I had D. Every kid that walked away from that school lived. Warring with humans is different than warring with the dead. Fighting a losing battle on two fronts. It was insanity. Those people in Jersey lost sight of whose side they were on and to be honest, knowing what I learned after I arrived, they deserved every thing that was brought down on them. You go on and on about New York, but I feel that way about New Jersey. I will take the dead over the living any day. They're easier."

"Easier? That was not easy."

"Jody, learn to love it or it will eat you alive."

"We lost people. Good people."

"It is part of war and it is part of life. It isn't even a life, it's a lifestyle. It is the chance you take. You know that signing up."

"We slaughtered innocent human beings, Julia."

"They killed my brother, and as you pointed out, other good people. So, yes, slaughter is the appropriate word."

"You left your child."

"Getting personal? If that makes you feel better about losing Princess, then fine." She rolled her eyes at him. "I was leaving Antonia anyway. I left her in good hands. It was my time to wake up and come home. I left behind what I could. My memories of her dad and of us and that's all I could do. It is cold and it is unfair and it is agonizing at times, but it is life. I left Julia the most beautiful gift in the world and she is alive and with her mother where she belongs."

Jody quieted down, letting the conversation cool off.

"Furthermore, you aren't calling out the men that left their children to go to Jersey. Just the one woman. I know my fucking place, Mayers. My place was alongside him. He knew it. It's why he took me. So having children is not an opt out for infantry. Once you're in, male or female, you are in for life. Let's make that perfectly clear."

"Yes, Morgan." He replied.

"Furthermore, Alexander was young and slightly less dumb than his sister. And even though I love the kid, he was a little off on his intel. He didn't like to rely on his senses."

"Yes, Morgan."

"Furthermore, there is a chain of command for a reason. To prevent you people from doing what you all did. If they weren't related we would have jailed them. And you."

"Understood."

"That was a fun night. Remember, Chess?"

"No, I wasn't there, Julia."

"I was and-"

"Mayers, let's not."

Jay looked overwhelmed. "So let me get this straight, boss. You fucked us to get us to do what you wanted us to do?"

"Yes."

"And if we were bad, you treated us like shit?"

"Yes. And then at the right time, I did what I do best and all was right with zombie fucking world."

"What about the others?"

"They listened to you guys and followed your lead."

"Simple as that?"

"Most of the time, yes. Tavin was more difficult. Kelly got out of hand there for a minute." She answered. "So, hey, I can't like do that this time around that's why I handed it over to Napoleon."

"Why can't you?" Ray asked.

"Because I really don't want to. I was serious when I said I wanted to make things right with Jay. We were pretty cool till you all showed up. Chess took over and I haven't felt the need to step in yet and deal with any of you. It is a little awkward that the parents are here too. My poor dad doesn't know 90% of this and I would like to keep it that way. Chess's parents know enough."

"What about when we went home? What was that shit all about?"

"We flipped the script. I adapted to this for so long and then it all went back to normal. Everyone went off on their own and I literally lost control. Drugs happened and all kinds of other shit I couldn't deal with. I can't train myself, so I self medicated."

"Do you even love us at all?" Jay asked.

"Don't question that. Don't you ever question that." She snapped at him. "I did what I thought I had to do to make this work and I had every single female you all messed with doing it too."

"You knew all of this?" Jay asked Chess.

"Yes. I know everything." He answered. "Past, present and future."

"Must be nice, Chess." Jay sighed.

"I kinda knew too." Tavin admitted. "I had no idea it was this deep, but it does make sense if you think about it."

"You used us and manipulated us." Jay stated.

"Kinda, but my intentions were good. None of you complained."

"I complained for years." Jay corrected her.

"After, not during. I do have a conscience in here somewhere." She replied, pointing at her head with her pen. "I do know the difference between right and wrong. I do have basic morals and values. But I did what I had to do to make this work."

"It would not have worked otherwise?" Jody questioned her skeptically.

"Um, no. We were heading to a cabin in the woods, not a farmhouse if I recall. In fact no one knew what we were doing while we were at that first house. When me and Jess hooked up, you all paid attention."

"To Tom. We paid attention to Tom."

"No. It was me. Tom found the place and I had to beg plead and fuck Tom's vision into reality. It worked. You two were easy. That one, not so much. The universe helped him along. We spent the night here in front of the fire place."

"You did fuck him that night."

"No. I did not. I told you what we did that night. We may have connected. I am not 100% sure on that."

"Nah, we didn't mess around till we got here."

"How would you know?"

"Chess told me."

"You knew. You were with Hayley anyway. Not like there was anything really holding us together there, Jay."

"I was with Hayley twice. Two times. The same night if I remember."

"Why, Jay?"

"Why? You want an answer and I have been asking you why for years."

"I just told you why." Julia replied.

"Before that though?"

"In the beginning? Um, he was nice and I felt like I knew him. He was totally hot. I fell for him. I told you that."

"We had issues with our moms." Tavin added. "Our conversations started out about our moms, Julia."

"Yeah, cause he was so closed off about it."

"Oh, no. I was there for you when Rose was sick. Every step of the way. Don't you dare go there. I was there when she died, too."

"After though?"

"After what? You stopped talking about her. You didn't want to talk about it. You were the one that picked up and moved on. Like you do with everything."

"I was talking about it with him. You didn't even like the word mother let alone talking about them. I understand the bitter there. Tavin was so open about it. Like it was part of his recovery. You were there through it and he got me through the after. I trusted him."

"You never fucking said anything. Nothing at all."

"Well that's how it started. Think she died and everything was ok afterward? No. I wasn't ok."

"That's not your fault, though, Jayson." Tavin said. "It's what we were thinking about at the time. Then to meet her and come face to face with this really thoughtful and sweet person. Wow. She was like the first girl in a long fucking time that didn't say fuck off when I started talking about my demons. That's a turn off to most girls."

"Where was he at the time?" Jody asked, looking to Chess. "Where were you?"

"Uh, where was I? Getting high. Drinking, chasing girls, having fun, hooking up with Hayley."

"Which brings us back to Hayley." Julia shook her head.

"I am sorry. I learned my lesson. I will never ever have sex with her again."

"Why?"

"She wanted to have sex with someone. She didn't mess with Kevin here. Think you were bad, damn she was a mess. Talk about traumatized."

"She isn't exactly traumatized at home." Julia smiled, looking at Tavin.

"Is this normal table and meeting conversation?" Ray asked. "Cause this is taking a long time and-"

"It needs to happen." Julia cut him off. "Would you like to leave? You got nothing to do with this."

"Yes."

"Vote, Ray."

"Yes, I think." Ray replied, getting up from his seat. He tucked it beneath the table and went outside through the front door.

"Can I leave too?" Jody asked, looking back toward the addition.

"No, you should know the history. Plus, princess three isn't going anywhere."

"Is Jess a problem?"

"Not with me." Tavin replied. "I got nothing to do with Jess."

Julia, Jay and Chess hesitated on an answer. "Sometimes Jess and I can be flirty together."

"Flirty? Is that what you're calling it?" Jay shook his head in disbelief. "Flirty is an understatement."

"Um. well, it might be in the future. Just warning you."

"Do you have any intentions of-"

"Not currently, but that could change." Julia replied. "Depends on a bunch of factors. Me, her, him."

"Don't let them get drunk together. You should be fine." Chess informed him.

"Don't let them get drunk together. You should be fine." Julia smirked. "She may be a problem for both of us or all of us, which may make that your problem."

"She is not a problem for me." Chess said. "Like I said there's a whole world of other people out there. She is not a problem."

"Well, I am not lying." Julia looked at Jody. "Enter the princess at your own risk."

"She is a nice girl."

"Yes, she is. We all agree with that."

"What does Jess think?" Tavin asked.

"I think Jess would agree with me. That's a safe bet."

"I have an idea. How about you don't eat the ice cream?"

"Why do you call her ice cream?"

"Tavin?"

"Julia is cake and Jess is ice cream. Ice cream is a good reference, believe me."

"That hurt my feelings, too."

"She didn't eat my ice cream, but she had her fingers all in it."

"Quit complaining. You're the one that wanted me to fuck her that night. You were the one with the pictures on the phone. You were-"

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. But what pictures?" Tavin asked.

"That's not relevant to this conversation." Jay answered. "And they were not my pictures. She forwarded them from my phone to hers, so they were hers."

"Wasn't that the night you broke up?" Julia asked him.

"I think it was the night we all broke up."

"What pictures?" Chess asked.

"I can't say I'll never do that again. So, like I said, enter at your own risk."

"Leave her alone, Julia."

"I will if she wants me to. But if she doesn't want me to, then what? Are girls an issue now?"

"Not for me." Tavin announced. "Never was an issue for me. In fact none of this is an issue. I loved all of it. Every horrible, disgusting, fun, sexy thing you have ever done to me or for me. I am cool with it all."

"Me too." Chess agreed. "Are we voting?"

"Yes." Tavin answered.

"Yes, me too."

"Mayers?"

"Yes. I didn't wanna vote no in the first place. He ordered it." Mayers smiled.

The three of them got up and left Julia and Jayson at the table. 

"Was that some kind of group fucking therapy?" He asked her.

"I think so." She agreed, dropping the pen on her notebook. "Come over here." She requested.

Jayson did as she asked and sat beside her. He held her hand and looked down at the table.

"You really, really need to let me do whatever the hell I wanna do, Jayson. If you want this to work, we can make it work, but I gotta be me. It can be the best time of your life. We can do this. Me and you. Whatever we do, we do it together. Whether it's walking, talking, running, fighting, fucking. It's gotta be us, together and on the same page."

"I don't want you fucking them. It's a rule. There's no other rule. It's all I want from you."

"Ok. It's what I want."

"You lead and I follow."

"It'll be fun, Jayson. I promise you that."

"Ok."

"Good. You sure you can do this."

"Yes. I can do anything." He nodded. Julia stood up and started walking away. "Where you going?"

"I'm going to get my girlfriend and we're taking her to bed."

"Ok."

"Go upstairs and wait." She smiled, holding her hands on her hips. He got out of his chair and she caught him when he passed to go to the steps. "I'm kidding, baby." She laughed. "Good start though, Jay. Good start."

Julia sat on the edge of the bed and she untied his left wrist from the bed frame. He removed his blindfold and then untied his other wrist. Jay was speechless as he rubbed his wrists and then his eyes as they adjusted to the ambient light in the room. She leaned over him and kissed him, which was well received. She had warned him. I may say things that will surprise you...he doubted it. He thought he'd heard everything. I may do things that will surprise you, relax and allow it...He doubted that too. He thought she had already done everything possible to his body. He was wrong. He wondered what the purpose to the blindfold was. She could just turn out the lights, but it became quite clear that the blindfold was not for him, rather it was for her. His entire body tingled. Every nerve ending was on fire. He had no idea she could do what she had just done.

"Julia." He said, finding his voice. He wasn't sure he was still breathing by the time she finished him off. She waited. She had practiced with Mia under Chess's instruction, but she didn't know what to expect with Jayson. When she advised him to let her do what ever the hell she wanted to do, then he let her, she was surprised and satisfied. She had never enjoyed her Jayson more than she had when he was tied and helpless beneath her. "That." He said, trying like hell to find the right words. He couldn't. "That." She found this amusing.

"Relax, baby. It'll come to you." She smiled as she rubbed his belly.

"Was the best sex I ever had."

She leaned to his ear. "It gets better." She breathed heavily as she gave his ponytail a light tug.

"Can I do that to you?"

"You may do whatever you want to me."

"Whatever?" He asked, rubbing her back.

"Yes." She replied. 

He had a feeling that whatever he did to her in the future would somehow dull in comparison. He was just not that creative. He had felt her and he had enjoyed her, the way she touched him with her mouth and her hands and her fingers. He even liked when she inserted her fingers...he shuddered to think of it when it wasn't being performed on him. He wouldn't and he couldn't bring himself to ask where she learned that or under what circumstances she had experienced that. He didn't want to know, but he had a feeling he could guess. What on earth were they doing in that stone castle of theirs? When she said they were bored, they took it to the extreme with their activities to occupy their time. 

He watched as she washed herself. The water in that basin couldn't have been very warm. He watched as she placed the curtain ties back on the hooks on the window frame. She was unusually quiet for her and as he went to the basin when she was finished, Julia stopped him and she cleaned him herself. The water was chilly. Once the fire place was in use, they would have warm water for this. He hated not having plumbing. Why'd they choose a farm with no plumbing? They could have thought up a way to use plumbing. If the Romans centuries ago could have a plumbing system, then why couldn't they? 

Julia wrapped in her robe and when Jay was tucked into bed, she opened the door a little. She peeked into the hall way and when she got to the bed she took her robe off. She did this every night. Opened the door for Ray. If he needed her, he would come get her. She left her robe over the end of the bed, then settled in next to Jayson. She should, he thought, get up and go over her notebooks, which was a regular routine. Anytime he went to bed, Julia never stayed long beside him if she got next to him at all. She spent most of her free time writing in one book or another. Now that fall and winter were upon them, she would pick up with the notebooks. When the rest of them were bored out of their minds, Julia would get lost in her books. God forbid anyone complained too heavy about boredom, because she could find a hundred things for idle hands to accomplish for her.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Punishment." She replied softly.

"That was no punishment." He laughed.

"You're right about that." She agreed.

Early in the morning as the sun rose, Julia was already up, wrapped in her blanket. She had her RAY notebook open in front of her on her desk. She looked over the list of possible meds that Tavin wrote down for her and the addresses of the various facilities that may have them. She circled several to start with and then looked at her map, determining where these places were and how far they were from the farmhouse. She circled them in pencil so she could erase them later. Caleb Downing's PA map came in handy on more than one occasion. This map they specifically used for runs like this. They would use this map for good not evil. As she held the map, though, all it did was drum up memories. The further away from Caleb Downing and that night, the easier it was to think about it. 

Jayson lay on the bed and watched her as she worked. She had a system down for sure.

"You're cold." He startled her, drawing her attention away from her book.

"Yes." She answered, closing the book. "Chilly. I'm chilly a lot. Tav said I looked a little pale."

"No more than usual."

"Well, he added iron to the list of meds and it isn't for Ray."

"Ok. We going?"

"Yes. After breakfast. This might take all fucking day depending on what we do or don't find."

"Is he even gonna take them? Are we wasting our time?" Jay asked, getting out of bed. He pulled on a pair of jeans.

"I have an idea. If it doesn't work, Sandy will put it in his food."

"We gotta find it first." He crossed to her, kissed her good morning. "You'd be warmer if you had clothes on." He advised her, peeking under her blanket.

"You told me not to wear clothing to bed anymore." She replied, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

"Weather permitting, babe. Geeze, it's not summer anymore." He laughed. "Get dressed."

Jayson head downstairs, wasn't down there long before he returned to his dressing girlfriend. She pulled the old hoodie over her head and the look on Jay's face said there was a problem. She didn't ask, had a feeling she already knew what it was. The same problem they had every other morning. No matter how many discussions they had, it fell on deaf ears. She crossed to the window and looked out, Jody was up and on the fence. She glanced to the left and the barn door was open, so she knew Chess was up and he was processing the tobacco and the weed. Her eyes panned right, over Jody and to the still. No. She thought. No. I can't.

"I started coffee." He said awkwardly.

"Thanks, Jayson." She replied, stuffing her feet in her boots. She needed to have a talk with her number two or her number one, depending on the day and the problem. Considering Sandy was his mother, then this would fall onto him, not her.

"I can gather up-"

"No, thank you." She cut him off before he even suggested it.

"It'll only take a bit, not long. I have figured out how to do breakfast. It's rather easy." He argued, sensing her anger even though she was masking it.

"You'd like to do that?" She asked.

"Hell, no. But I will." He answered, turning away and heading back to the first floor.

Julia left her door ajar and she head outside through the addition, peeking into the rooms as she passed. Someone had figured out how to light the wood stove as it was much warmer in there than it was in the rest of the house. She looked at Tavin as he held Tarin.

"You light that?" She asked.

"You act like we're paying for gas and electric."

"Um, Jay hasn't cleaned them yet. You'd like to die of carbon monoxide poisoning?" She asked.

"We're ok. I didn't know though." He replied.

"No problem. There's reasons why-never mind." She shrugged. They were going to do what they wanted to do no matter what she said. Pulling an extra blanket around them somehow didn't make sense in this new world. They were so used to turning a dial and having heat or AC, that they just didn't know. It was unfair expecting Tavin to know these things like he did before. It was a learning process. She caught Jay gathering eggs.

"Stoves." She mumbled.

"I'll get to it."

"Show Tavin, Jay, when you do it."

"It's my job though."

"Well, they lit the stove last night."

"There's blankets though, Jules."

Julia walked past him to the barn and found Chess.

"I was wondering where my hoodie went." He said, looking at her as she stood in the barn doorway. "I like this hoodie." She answered. All honesty, it still smelled like Chess.

"What's up?" He asked. He lit a joint. He took a hit and he handed it to her.

"Your mother." She replied, taking a long drag. "She's not up. Damn it, Chess."

"I'll talk to her again."

"Maybe your dad should talk to her?" Julia suggested. "She's got one job, Chess. One job."

"She isn't a morning person."

"I am?" She whined. "I'll do it myself. I will. It won't be pretty."

"She's my mom, Julia."

"She doesn't cook, she doesn't eat. Make it clear, Chess." Julia snapped at him, then returned to the kitchen with Jayson where he was managing to whip up a palatable breakfast. 

"Calm down, babe." Jay said under his breath.

"You know exactly how I feel on this subject. I finally get away from there, where I don't have to do this shit anymore and where the fuck do I wind up? Back in the fuckin kitchen." She complained.

"Calm down, Julia." He repeated.

"Don't tell me to calm down." She mumbled. She and Jayson whipped up a meal and as they cooked, the house awoke and started heading toward the kitchen. She wouldn't get out of bed to feed them, because she knew someone else would do it. This was not modern day and age where there were boxes of cereal and boxes of pop tarts laying around. Each meal had some level of preparation. If someone else was preparing that meal, then that someone wasn't completing their own job. Jay had his own morning routine. She was detracting from that, which meant no one else was picking up his slack. Punishment...Julia thought. Their parents, especially of the female persuasion, were difficult. Karen was mouthy and rude, but as long as she was as active as the males, then she was pleased and distracted. She was adapting to the lifestyle as was Uncle John. Cal and Sandy were having a rough time. They were spoiled with the modern ways of life. She needed to unspoil them. Despite the weed she had smoked, the agitation level was high. She didn't appreciate the resistance that she was getting.

Sandy did come downstairs dressed for the day. She helped herself to a plate and Julia pulled it away from her.

"You didn't make it, you don't eat it." She said, handing her plate to the next person in line.

"But-"

"But nothing. Go talk with your son." She demanded. "He's in the barn. Tell him he may eat."

"Julia, that wasn't right." Jay whispered to her. "There's enough."

"I know that there's enough. Not the fuckin point." She replied. "We should have already eaten and left by now."

"We have all day though. Julia, don't get all fucked up over this."

"Luz never fucking did this to us."

"She's not Luz." He argued.

"Do you remember the bread, Jay? Do you remember what it tasted like? I could bake it again." She warned as he made her a plate.

"Please, no." He smiled.

"I could do lunch and dinner, too."

"I learned my way around this kitchen because of your excellent chef skills."

" In fact take Sandy with you today. Please, take all the fucking Morgans with you on the run, Jay."

"That would still include you." He poked her arm with his fork.

"They don't have a clue what's out there. Spoiled fucking people." Julia snarled. Jayson poked at her plate with his fork and he jabbed a piece of scrambled egg. He poked it in her mouth before she started rambling again. Her voice. Years, he'd been listening to little Hitler for years. As she tried to speak, he fed her more. "These eggs are good, babe." She complimented him.

Chess brought Sandy back inside crying. He sat her at the table and he made her a plate. He set it in front of her. He then fixed his own, watching Jay feed her, sensing he was keeping her mouth full so he wouldn't have to listen to her. "You cannot starve mommy."

"Pussy." Julia mumbled as Jay poked at some potatoes.

"Julia, rules, Julia." Jay reminded her.

"I'm sorry I called you a pussy, Chess." She rolled her eyes and took the fork off Jayson. "So you're just ok with this?"

"We cannot starve my mom." He said so matter of fact. As if it was even an option.

"Put the parents in a car today and drive them around. Take them home. Show them what they don't see here. Anyone who hasn't seen it first hand should go."

"Julia, why?"

"What's that got to do with breakfast? It makes no sense."

"It will. Cause I will throw them all out. Then what? There are simple rules in place."

"Maybe this is one of those step down moments?" Chess smiled at her. "Cause you are crazy if you think I will put my mom onto the street with 3 days of supplies and a gun she can't shoot."

"Give her a reason to make some fucking breakfast. I guarantee this meal is easier than that street."

"Who cooked this? This is good? It wasn't you."

"I did." Jay answered, sounding proud of himself.

"Then you cook." Chess suggested.

"I can. Jules says no."

"Well, who's doing your stuff if you're in here slaving away over a hot hearth?" She laughed.

"Alex." He answered.

Julia kept quiet, thinking she would have to think about it. Chess had a point. Starvation was never a valid option for anyone at the house. She still ordered he take them home for the afternoon. "You wanna run the streets as much as I do." She told Chess.

"I do wanna get outta here." He admitted. "I am so bored." He further admitted. "So you're hired for the day, Jayson."

"I got a run with Jules this morning." Jay replied.

"I'll take Tav." She sighed. "He knows what we're looking for."

"He doesn't wanna run with you." Jay informed her.

"I'll keep him safe." She whined.

"It's not that." Jay shook his head. "I think he's trying to make Kelly happy. Running with you would piss her off."

"Jody is itching to get outta here, too." Chess added. "The brother needs more training yet. He's not ready."

"He is too." Julia argued.

"He's not the same Tavin that was here last time. I'm telling you, he's not ready. He lacks confidence."

"Awe, Chess, really. What about a couple weeks ago? He was right there with you and Ben."

"He can run fast, that's for sure. He was out there trying to get us killed."

"It was a nest."

"It was old virus first and I am telling you he's scared."

"Fuck. Fine. Me and Jo will take the brother on a road trip."

"Me and Ray will take the parents for a ride."

"That ok, Jay?"

"That's cool. I don't wanna go anywhere. I am happy right here with the girls. And since you're emptying out the entire house, we'll have a light lunch."