Chapter XII

"Is he supposed to be asleep?" Areol ask. She was studying the man that her superior had risked the officials for; curious of what Tori saw in him. She did have to admit that, given the circumstances he was good to look at, if you like scarred and rugged men. She couldn't imagine her leader/friend sleeping or even kissing this man. The more she thought about it the more confused she got. Tori noticed this happening and asked her what was wrong, Areol replied that nothing was.

Jake awoke in a bed with a heavy blanket on top of him, and he instinctively went for a pistol that he normally slept with under his pillow, to find nothing. Upon finding this, he shot up, adrenaline pumping through his veins, as he swung his legs off the bed and bolted to the nearest wall that didn't have a door or a window. In the process of him doing this Tori had walked into the room. Seeing his reaction she started to laugh.

"What's so funny!?!" Jake asked, eyes wide.

"Your face, ahhh, priceless." She responded then fell into another fit of laughter. She went over to him and gave him a tight hug, "I've missed you Jake, more than you know."

"I have missed you too, Tori, everyday my only thought was seeing your face again. Alive of course, cause it'd suck if I had to see then shoot you as an undead." He said, and then regretted saying it as soon as he saw her face.

"Oh, I get it, you don't want to shoot me as one of those freaks, but you'll shoot me as I still breathe. Is that correct?" she asked him, with her face scrunched up.

"Uhhhh, no?" was Jakes oh so smart reply. At this, she started to laugh again, much to his shock. "What did I do?" he asked. She quickly kisses him to shut him up. He was surprised by how much heated passion she kissed him with. As well as how fast his shaft had swollen, becoming harder than a piece of wood. She felt his erection and pulled away, making him whimper.

"Down boy, first things first you gotta meet everyone."

"Can't they wait just thirty more minutes?" he asked pleadingly. She laughs and replies with, "No hun, they can't, so come on let's get this over with, I know how much you hate people." Sighing he submitted to her and walked with his head down in mock despair. He followed her down the stair case, and out into the blinding light of the sun which lit up the entire compound that he was in. "Home Sweet Home", he thought to himself bitterly.

As they walked, they talked remembering friends of old and talking about friends new. As well as some of the things, each as seen since being separated all those months ago, and that was when Tori told Jake about what had happened at the colony she made. Jake understood since he had watched the infected work before on people he couldn't save while he was in the Holiday Inn. He knew all too well how the infected worked, and he didn't like it, it seemed as if they had a hive mind.

"So, uh, Tori I got a question." Jake told her.

"And that is?" she replied, which then Jake asked, "It's about your new friend Ariel, no that's not right, Arial, no not it…."

"Areol?"

"Yea her, is she my replacement? Or something, she keeps looking at me funny, starting to piss me off honestly…" at this Tori laughed aloud, not believing what Jake was implying. "No, sweetheart, she's not your replacement, but I couldn't say the same about that Hispanic chick I saw you with now can I?"

"WHAT??!?!?!" Jake exclaimed, "Oh hell no! That little bitch came into my safe haven and came on to me and decided to say I was hers when I kept telling her to pound sand." At this Tori raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh really? So nothing happened?"

"HELL NO! I made a promise to you, whom I love and I planned on keeping it, even if I died the next day, you are the one I want to----" Tori stopped him from talking by placing a kiss on his lips.

"I knew I could trust you honey; now we're almost there look sharp now."

"Shit more people."