[IC] The Walking Dead-From the beginning -Closed

[Belle]

Grace had finally woken. She started whimpering and crying softly immediately. Kat barely heard Matt and Jenna speaking. All she could think was how this was her fault, Grace getting hurt. She had attacked the looter, making him drop the sack and causing Grace to hit her head. If there was permanent damage it would be Kat's fault. She had been trying to protect her... And now she was hurt...

Kat found herself in the truck with Jenna, not quite sure how she had gotten there. "I'm sorry," she murmured, cuddling the whimpering Grace to her, "I'm so sorry baby girl. I got you hurt. Mommy is sorry. I'm sorry Matt," she said even though he had left. He blamed her. How could he not? She wasn't fit to be a mother. "I'm sorry I got her hurt..."

Kat continued to murmur/whisper this as she cuddled and kissed her poor baby. "It's my fault," she finally said aloud to Jenna. "She got hurt because of me."
Kat wiped her face, blood from her broken nose coming off on her hand. There were dark bruises forming on her neck from the bastard's boot and it was hard for her to breathe. Every breath was pain.

[Demonic Angel]

Clara Jekyll Moon

Shuffle, slide, shuffle, slide, and then a groan. The darker half slowly walked toward the sound at a safe distance, or at least what she considered a safe distance, trying to figure out what was making the sound. Granted that there was only about one thing inside this morbid world that could make a sound such as that. Something rolled forward and tapped on the young woman's foot causing her to look downward. Any normal girl would have done two things upon discovering a severed head, scream their head off or ran the other way which would lead what was down there toward the others. For those who were not quite as brave like Nikki they would have been squeamishness and just back away acting like they never saw anything. Clara wasn't a normal teenager so kicking the head seemed like the best thing that way it would get attacked rather than her.

Thump along with another groan told her that something else was there. The darkness covered up the corners fairly well making the precise shape and size hard to determine yet in a way the girl already knew what was inside the darkness. The real questions were how far was the creature as well as why the undead monster never come toward the noise upstairs. The darker side inched toward the sound again as her knives quietly swayed back and forth on her belt. Suddenly she noticed a small light in the middle of the room lighting up a small section with what looked like a metal chair. As the young woman come closer she noticed there was blood stains on the legs with something strapped inside the seat. The object shifted to the side showing that it wasn't dead but the movement seemed to showed that it wasn't quite alive either.

Clara stopped dead in her tracks as it groaned. The chair squeaked as the zombie tried desperately to get up from it's prison, not understanding that the freshly replaced duck tape wouldn't allow it, only to slightly shift the chair to the right. The lighter half would have sobbed at the sight or maybe ran to tell someone depending on which was first. The darker half just shrugged the site off and made her way toward the unknown danger ahead. She moved forward only to hear echos of screams upstairs though the other survivors would have to wait since something jerked the young woman down toward the ground. The teenager gritted her teeth as her arms went up to stop her fall.

Once again something pulled her and groaned along with a snapping sound rather close to her thigh. The girl didn't need any light to see what the snapping came from considering the object was cold and slimy. She tired scrambling to her feet though that didn't work very well she was able to scramble out of the pin. Once out the Walker shuffled toward it's prey only to miss the chance to lunge due to something smashing through it’s head. ” Well now what do we have here? You're rather pretty ain't ya? I bet you're wondering what I want for savin your life. How about you become mine? I can keep you safe for as long as I never become tired of your precious heart.” the person said.

This caused Clara to laugh until it became hard to breath. She wiped the tears from her opened and closed eye before glaring at the living human being while trying to decide a come back.” You've noticed that you're in trouble as well. I mean if shits like you and this undead was able to come in then it means anything can get in. Though I would disappear before I count down from five since you would make the thousandth person I killed this week or would it be today? I don't remember nor do I care.” she said with a mad glint inside her eye.

[RumikoOhara]

Tina was now pissed off as she saw the mess made by the Raiders and the fact that they were now falling victim to the walkers they'd let in and while vengeance was a powerful drive it paled by comparison when she saw the others of her group retreating. She popped a couple more then ran towards her tool bag she'd left where she'd been working when the raid started.

When she arrived at her tools it was well ahead of the walkers and because of her normally obsessive tendency to never have more than the tools needed out sweeps those up and painfully dumps them inside the work bag planing on the first safe stop putting them in their proper place.

Then as she shoulders the bag she checks both weapons assuring they are fully loaded with one jacked in. Of course she knew they were but better safe than short.

Engines cranking alert her to either the Raiders taking their vehicles or an evacuation or perhaps they were celebrating. God she hated that she hadn't yet presented a plan on evacuation and an all clear signal. Tina was a girl of planning, of order and this world was her nightmare.

She stepped outside an saw two men not from her group swing a tire iron trying to shatter the Beast's polycarbonate door window only to have it bounce of barely even scuffing the surface but still enraging the big blue machine's mistress.

She drops them both without warning with her pistol and is surprised when an arrow punctures her left bicep.

It falls out revealing it's self as a practice arrow but still renders her left arm numb; to bad for the A-hole that she's right handed like almost everyone else and puts a 45 through his brain as he's scrambling to string another arrow.

•Dam that is going to really hurt in about an hour• she thinks calculating that she has about that amount of useful time due to her adrenaline levels.

Trailer still hooked up Tina pulls out her phone slash smart controller and sends the warmup procedure to the modified diesel. Then she punches in the door code on her phone that unlocks the doors as she checks the area around the truck.

Once she's cleared the exits the wounded Tina climbs in saying "Quick Start New Boy" using the dash computer voice control an code phrase.

While waiting for the engine to reach prime operating temperature she snaps open her knife and cuts open the shirt an examines the wound. It is a circular puncture about an inch and a half deep oozing blood at a small but steady rate which tells her that she's wounded but not critical. The later realization comforts her because she'd have been forced to think immediately of burning the injury closed. This wound will hurt, heal and leave an ugly scar but she will survive if she packs it with jell and a contact bandage.

Then as efficiently as she dose any task Tina patches herself up then engages the Beast's transmission and moves towards the main area where the other vehicles are parked.

[Wick]

Nikki Hyatt

Nikki yelled down the stairs "Clara! Haru? Are you down there?"

Nikki bashed another walker upside the head. She hadn't see Tina in several minutes and she assumed the girl was out already. "Eric stay here."

Nikki turned on her flashlight and she saw Haru staying back from the noise in the room. She turned the light and saw Clara tied to a chair and some wackadoodle trying to scare her. He moved when he saw the light. Nikki nearly flew down the stairs kicking the guy in the face as she did. Reaching over she pulled her knife and cut her free. "We gotta go now!" Nikki stayed at the back making sure everyone got out before her. Eric got them out the door and pulled Nikki out and shut the door.

@Garth@Demonic Angel

[Demonic Angel]

Haru Sento

Coraline, Lord of flies, Demon Jack, The Shining, Phantom of the Opera, and Doctor Sleep were some of the books his favorite books before this outbreak ever happened. Now Haru was more curious about other classic horror books like Dracula and the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Well except for all the zombie stories since that was no longer Science Fiction. Ever since meeting someone rather unique in a the group so maybe this book would help Erin then again maybe not. There was similarities to the girl's multi personality but there was only two instead of several. Multi-personality disorder usually had three to six depending on the person though this was all from what the young man had read on the internet too.

The guy finally decided to grab all eight just to pass the time until there was another patient come walking inside his and Erin’s nurse's office. Or at least it was theirs when they were inside. He looked around and found a bag to place the books inside that way they would be easier to carry instead of carrying them inside his arms. The teenager flung it onto his over his shoulder before walking outside toward the relaxation area to check on the man they had brought inside and fixed up.Boom! This was all Haru heard causing him to rush forward to see what had caused the sound.

The young man got inside to see the familiar arm chair partially underneath a bus. The front tire seemed to have something on the rim and what sounded like movement inside. The teenager watched as men poored inside the high school bring along a terrible smell from the looks of it. He was just about to ask what they wanted until he noted the weapons then decided against it. A thumping sound caused the guy’s head to turn toward the new sound just in time to see one of their group had tripped but instead of getting a helping hand. The man was greeted by a knife blade forced into his head with what seemed like a chuckle or something to that effect.

Then the fighting broke out so the teenager knew he needed his guns. At times like this he wished he always carried them with him at all times but then again it would have felt rather strange since they were hiding out in a high school. The young man tried to rush for his weapons until he noticed something in the corner before neatly getting shot at from behind. The guy darted toward the right just running as fast as he could even after hearing a pained scream. Still he kept running trying to get away to a safe place so that way he could double back for the guns. Someone speaking from inside a room told him that he was near other people.

Haru skidded to a hold so that way he could listen and determine who was inside. The voices was to muffled to make out what they said but the question forming inside his head was what to do next. The teenager never heard Nikki coming up behind him though the flashlight in his eyes made the young man blink serval times. Next thing he heard was the woman screaming for them to move.” What the hell? What do I look like a damsel in distress? Next person who comes to my rescue without a written invitation dies.” Clara said as the three of them ran to meet up with the others.

[Wick]

Matthew Hyatt

Matt

Nikki and Eric were the last to get to the truck. Nikki had seen Tina pull around so she knew that she was ok. The fencing was still up in the area they were at. The fencing started up across the grassy area by the bus drop off. That is right where they had slammed into the building. The guys and Nikki got out of the trucks and put any of the walkers in the parking area they were in down. Nikki looked at the bus, they were going to have to pull it out. Nikki talked to Matt about Kat and Grace. He nodded and went to Kat and asked Jenna to come too.

"We need the Monster to pull that Bus out. We need to put you in Nikki's car and you will be guarded." He took Grace from her and smiled, "Hey little darlin, I'm glad to see those beautiful blue eyes."

He made a face at her and she smiled a little. "That mean man tried to take our sunshine but her brave mama stopped him. Your mama is so brave. She didn't let that guy take you."

He handed Grace to Jenna so he could help Kat down. He could see it in her eyes. "Don't you even think that. You are a wonderful mother. That man would have killed her. She will be fine. Babies are resilient. Our baby is lucky to have you for her mother. I don't see any other babies around here do you? That means their mama's weren't as alert and determined and capable as you are."

Matt hugged her tight and kissed her deeply. "I have to help Nikki. You guys stay in the car." Matt locked the door after putting them in the car. He handed her the keys so she could turn the air on."

Matt hooked up the monster to the bus and then he put it in gear and slowly pulled the bus out. Part of the wall fell and the walkers started coming out of the building Nikki and Eric started putting them down and it wasn't long til Nikki saw Walker Felix and Zach. She put them down and asked Eric to pull them aside Levi had died almost instantly. He had been hit by the bus and run over. There wasn't anything left in the skull to worry about. She knew Jenna and James were going to be upset.

@Belle@garth

[RumikoOhara]

@Wick@Demonic Angel@Belle

Tina surveyed the scene where the bus had damaged the fence knowing thankfully it was repair able with the replacement of four posts and a section of wire about ten yards wide.

" Dam Ijits just plowed on in like they was Rambo.

Well I reckon I'll need to head up to municipal water an see it the have an auger, terminal posts an some ten gage nine foot cloth." she yells over to Niki standing in the blue beast's door

Then she drops to the ground an walks to the front of her truck and pops two walkers with one of three alloy bats she's filled with plaster of Paris she found in the school art supplies.

Once that's done she heads over to inspect the wall an doesn't like how close the idiots came to knocking out a load column.

"I can pick up the loader this trip along with the auger and later the dozer when we have better defenses.

If we're lucky they'll have a hook trailer I can drag the supplies down with.

They were dam fools, hell pitch in an I'd take a Republican they didn't need be thieves." says the southern blonde resting the bat she just used on her shoulder.

Blood soaks her left arm from her previous encounter with a wannabe Robin hood as she steps close to Niki.

[Wick]

Nikki Hyatt

Nikki was talking to Tina and nodded as she took a knife and stabbed the dead brain in front of her. "That sounds great to me. Take a couple of the guys with you. I know James is a good hard worker and he has mechanical knowledge so that is a plus. He will know what the guys can do." James was glad to go with her and so was Darius. Matt backed up the truck and then he moved the truck so that it had the bus long ways. Nikki nodded as she and Tina walked to a safer place. Matt got behind the bus and pushed it in place so that it was blocking the entrance it had made. Nikki grinned. "Okay the baby and Kat have to stay in the car til we clear the building."

Nikki looked at Matt as he climbed down from the truck and said "I need you to go to the warehouse with a guy or two and get as many cinder blocks and bags of cement as you can. We are going to be able to take a lot of supplies from the construction site but those we need now. While we have the bus on the outside we will rebuild the wall on the inside then we can do the rest of the repairs on the outside."

Matt nodded and looked at her car with his girls in it and he said "Take care of my girls." He hugged Nikki and waved to Kat. "Let her know where I am." Nikki nodded smiling at him. "If you guys hurry I won't get the chance." He and a couple of the guys took off and something Nikki heard Tina say registered. She looked at Tina and asked. "Okay what do we need with an auger and nine foot cloth? I think I missed something."

@Rumikoohara@Belle @Kurai assassin

[Belle]

Kat tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. How did Matt know what she was thinking?
"I can't help it. I just... I wish I could just take away her pain, take it on myself. That asshole should never have touched her. The feeling of her being pulled from my arms... They ripped her away from me and there was nothing I could do Matt..."

Her voice was filled with pain. It was hard to talk through the pain of a broken nose and her throat was raw from being choked by the asshole's boot. Even though she looked like a train wreck, he still kissed her. That floored her. She sat after he left, keys still in hand, in a daze. When Kat had discovered she was pregnant both she and Matt had talked and decided that Kat would raise the baby with him only visiting and helping monetarily if she needed anything for Grace.
Now she found herself wondering if that had been the right choice. Was it the apocalypse that was bringing them together like this or should they have stayed together all along?

She touched her lips. One thing was certain : she had felt something when he had kissed her. The same thing she had felt the night Grace was conceived. A kind of spark.

Grace had woken up completely and had a large goose egg on her forehead. Kat cuddled her, kissing her gently. "My poor baby girl. I know it hurts sweetie. I'm so sorry. It'll be better soon."
Grace looked at her Mommy and started to whimper, tears welling up. No wonder, Kat's lower face was still bloody. "It's okay Gracie. It's Mommy," she said and opened the car door. "Does anyone have a cloth or something I can wipe my face off with?" Kat asked then paused when she only say Nikki and Tina there. "Where's Matt?" she asked, an edge of worry and very slight panic in her voice. The events of the day were wearing on her, making her nervous.

@Wick@RumikoOhara

[Wick]

Nikki Hyatt

Nikki heard Kat and looked over at her. She looked at Tina, "Gimme a minute, I'll be right back." She headed over to Kat and opened the back door of her car and dug around til she found the diaper bag and pulled out the baby wipes. She handed the diaper bag to Jenna who put it in the front by her feet. Jenna smiled at Kat and said.

"Let me take her while you clean up." She eased Gracie from her hands and started to use a soothing happy voice she used when cuddling and playing with her.

Nikki said "okay Kat clean it up the best you can, if it's out of place I can fix it. You wouldn't know it by looking at him but Matt broke his nose three times playing football." As she handed her the wipes she said, "It looks worse than it is. It shows what a fighter you are though. Stupid men should know don't threaten the cub or the mama bear will kill your dumbass."

Nikki had her get out and stand up so she could help clean her up. As the blood and dirt was removed Nikki could see all of the bruising in a rainbow of shades. Her face was turning different shades deep blue and purple. Her neck was also bluing she looked like she had gone a round with Mike Tyson. She could see the pain she was in and she knew that the next few days Kat was going to be in a lot of pain.

Nikki's eyes teared up and she wiped one of them up. "I'm sorry Kat. I thought that when I killed that one and ran off that you guys were at least safe. I knew Matt could protect you but a hoard of them appear to have jumped you guys. I'm sorry." Nikki hugged Kat and tried to be careful.

Right now Kat's best friend was the adrenaline running through her body. When that wore off she was going to be in big trouble. "Oh yeah, Matt went to the warehouse we've been getting a lot of our supplies from. On our last trip there we got it emptied of walkers. He took a couple of the guys with him. They'll be fine."

"Jenna? I found Felix. He is gone hun. I put him down gently so as soon as we get all of this stuff straightened out there will be a lot of grave digging." Jenna nodded and wiped at the tears on her face.

Nikki closed the door after Kat got back in. She noticed that Jenna had a split lip and some pretty deep bruising on her face. Nikki was glad that she could at least say that she helped her. Jenna was definitely not a victim. She was proud of both of those young women. She smiled and went back to Tina.

@Belle@rumikoohara

[Demonic Angel]

Vincent James McGarth

Vincent moved each piece according to the movements he had gained. The other movements were just scenarios depending on what happened day by day. As the man took a step back the homemade map showed something rather frightening, so he took another step. Each would start with a small hand full of zombies that would eventually become larger as another few or small group shifted toward the original small group. Another step showed at least two more groups from the west and north adding to the chain. The last step showed something the was more frightening than all the rest and it was right at the school.

In the North were at least four small groups at the beginning though before coming to this hideout there were maybe three medium groups following after the remaining humans. Humans that had passed away seemed to reanimate, only having that one basic need in which every creature on Earth needed, the need to feed. Granted that this theory was based on the day they were practically ambushed and attacked.” Move Nikki’s piece here. Move Erin's/Clara’s away from any harm. This piece here and this one there. But then this group would go for the child’s crying leaving the mother opened.” the man thought to himself.

A loud sound seemed to shake the whole building which caused some concern. Vincent slowly cracked the door open and listened closely for any short of noises before walking back inside. He walked to the beds one at a time and lifted the mattresses revealing the place that his weapons were hidden. The handgun was placed on the middle board and off toward the right corner so that way if either someone decided to steal it away or if went off accidentally than it would hit the wall. The other gun started on the left of the second board across the second toward the right side. Granted it was rather dangerous but then again that was how Raven wanted it.

The man strapped the Cheetah in place and grabbed the shotgun just in time as someone was opening the door. Once the person was inside he tried to slam it shut only to have his arm bitten as he tried to completely shut the door. The guy knew that this would end with one of them either eatten or one turned and the other one bitten. Either way it would end in disaster so the only choice was to use the person as bait while he hauled ass the other way which is what he did. The guy grabbed the kid by the back of his shirt, opened the door quickly, and pushed the man toward the undead making sure to let go in time before getting bitten.

Once that was done Vincent quickly closed the door. pop, pop, pop could be heard behind the door letting him know there were others just behind it as if waiting for all the zombies to die then search the rooms one by one. He stayed where he was and listened. The muffled voices sounded like they ranged from the countries of Russia, America, and Hawaii or from what he thought the countries were. After they left the man snuck into what he assumed was Kat’s old bedroom and broke the window. The man ducked out and ran out into the unknown while getting shot at.

[Wick]

@Demonic Angel Kat was in an interior room there are no windows there. There is one in Nikki's room.

[Demonic Angel]

@Wick We can chalk it up as him guessing. I can change it.

[Wick]

Nikki Hyatt

Nikki and Eric and some of the others were going in to clear out the walkers. It was now approaching 10pm. Several of Jon's guys had stayed with Kat and Jenna just in case. They stayed in pairs and swept the school from one end to the other There were a lot of dead bodies but a lot of them had gone back out the hole before it was blocked off as the trucks made more noise than the empty school did.

They had designated places to pull the bodies too. There was not a lot of room left to get through to the back door but that is where they took the bodies and then they started pulling them through the doors to the outside where they put them to await burial. Then after all of that they came back in. Nikki locked the doors and chained them back up. Nikki looked at Eric. Could you check the two upper floors. There won't be anyone dead up there they can't pull the doors open to get into the stairwells. Eric nodded and took the other guys with him leaving one with Nikki.

Nikki was getting tired. This seemed to be the longest day yet. She knew one thing. Kat was getting a more secure room on the second floor. Eric and the guys came back giving the all clear. "We checked every closet, office and stall. All clear." "Thanks!"

Nikki saw the Monster as Matt pulled it in. She looked at it and thought REALLY Matt! When he and the others got down he walked over to Nikki. "We got it but it was not as simple as you would think. The suspension took a beating and we need it unloaded right now." "First we need to get the girls inside. We just finished getting the creeps and the creepies out back. The building is all clear. Thanks for going to get that stuff." Nikki yawned.

"We are putting the girls on the second floor from now on." The walkers will have more trouble getting up there and I want them safer when we are attacked again. Jenna needs to go up there too. I'll stay on the first floor. I'm assuming you want to stay with Kat and Gracie. After that kiss you planted on her I'm sensing a shift in the nature of what you want your relationship to be." Matt blushed a little. "What? when did it become wrong to love the woman who you have a child with." Nikki smiled, "I'm just saying!"

"You guys need to take the Art room. It's got dividers for privacy. The door locks and it has a private bathroom." "How do you know that little sis?" She played punched him and said, "Nolan and I were all over this school..." She chuckled at the look he gave her. "Go get the girls."

Matt went to get the girls and he took them to get their stuff from their rooms and then he took them upstairs. Jon's men helped Matt carry the beds upstairs and the Mats for the baby. Nikki went back outside and stretched. She looked up at the truck and a few minutes later Jon's men came out to help her while Matt got the girls settled in. He put Jenna in the room next to him and Kat. He gave her one of the dividers that was in the art room. He thought she might feel better if she weren't alone in the room maybe Jon would stay with her. They seemed to be getting close. He had seen what Nikki had interrupted and the bruises on the girls face and arms said the rest. He made sure she had a room with a door lock on it. Most of the rooms did but the art rooms had a half bath too, so she could clean up without going down to the showers.

Matt helped move Nikki's bed and things into one of the interior rooms and she rifled through the keys and gave him the key to the two art rooms. She suggested to everyone to choose a room upstairs unless they could be ready to fight at a moment's notice. She wanted their defensive forces downstairs in interior rooms and the others upstairs so they could be more protected. She did not want what happened tonight to have a repeat performance. They had a few guards outside for the night and Matt went up and told Kat and Jenna they should stay together that night. He was going to stay downstairs to help unload the monster and keep watch on the bus/hole in the wall and James stayed with him. James locked down the front door and he and Matt stayed by the bus and stacked the cinder blocks like bricks and the next morning the others would morter it in and make it solid again.

Matt grinned when he saw Eric carrying the sleeping form of his sister as he carried her to her bed and shut the door. He came back out to grab some of the cinder blocks and took them to Nikki's other room and started blocking in the window that was broken from the inside.

@Rumikoohara@Belle@kurai assassin

[Belle]

Kat gave Grace to Nikki while she cleaned her face. Recognizing the face of Auntie Nikki Grace actually managed a smile but it didn't last long. Her little head hurt and she was tired and cranky.
At her comment about the mama bear Kat smirked. "Same goes for anyone touching my sister the badass wildcat," she replied, referring to Nikki. "Don't blame yourself. These are rough times. Good men become bad and bad men become worse. Fear and desperation push people to do things they are not proud of, things they never would have dreamed of doing back when things were normal."

Kat placed a comforting hand on Jenna when she found out about Felix. "I'm sorry hon. I really am. You stick with Nikki and me."

---

It was later on that night that the day's toll started catching up to Kat. She fought tears and got close to having a panic attack several times. She worried about Matt, which was ridiculous the man was an adult and could take care of himself. But she still found herself watching for the Monster, as everyone was calling it.
And she felt guilty about not being about to do much to help, but if she tried to set Grace down anywhere she would start screaming. The little girl was obviously traumatized and refused to be parted from her mother. Kat was able to do some things one handed, like organize things from what supplies they had managed to bring to where to place the bodies that needed to be buried and plotting where the graves would be located.

Grace squealed excitedly and Kat looked up from her organizing to see the Monster was back. That meant Matt was back. Kat hurried over to see him standing there talking to Nikki, completely unharmed. Grace saw her daddy and immediately started babbling in baby language trying to get his attention. Kat handed the baby to him as they went upstairs. A room on the second floor made Kat feel infinitely more secure and she hoped that Matt and Nikki would be in rooms nearby. She pushed aside the hope that maybe he would stay in the room with her and Grace. Despite the kiss he had given her she still was wary thinking that he might...
When you hoped too much for things, they turned out bad. Life had taught her that lesson the hard way multiples times and she didn't want to have to learn it again.

They ended up staying in a room with Jenna. While she was glad to have someone else in the room, Kat couldn't help the stab of disappointment that it wasn't Matt.
She really needed to get over this.
Grace was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Kat smiled faintly across the room at Jenna. "It looks like we both went through the ringer today hon," she said as she moved her head from side to side, wincing at the pain still in her neck. "May have to go get some pain meds. I am definitely not looking forward to sleep tonight. My mind tends to have a field day in the nightmares department."

She took note of the bruises and marks on Jenna. "Listen sweetie, I know you don't know me that well but I've been through a lot. Even before the dead started walking. If you want to talk about anything, vent, rage or unload... I've got two ears ready to listen. No judgements, no 'poor thing' or advice on how to deal because everyone has their own way. I'll just listen."

[Wick]

Jenna Connor

Jenna smiled softly and looked at Kat. "I'll be okay, I'm just a little bumped and bruised. Nikki got him before he tore me up too bad. I wish I could fight like her. I swear I'm going to have her teach me. I'm tired of men looking at me like that. Unfortunately, this was not the first time I've been sexually assaulted. Photographers sometimes get more aggressive than is appropriate." Jenna smiled sadly. I'm sorry that Felix didn't make it though." She rolled over and let herself cry herself to sleep.

About 3am. Jenna awoke at the sound of a key in the door and Matt came in and locked the door back. He went over to Kat and the baby who were out cold. He lay down next to Kat and put his arm around her spooning her from the back. Jenna smiled and thought how lucky Kat was to have a guy like Matt. She saw him set down a prescription bottle just above his head. Jenna grinned and closed her eyes.

Matthew Hyatt

Matt, Eric and James had been up working steadily on rebuilding the wall and they finally got the mortar set and it would take time to dry but it was a good sturdy wall. James and Jon volunteered to stay downstairs and stay up the final hours til the sun came up.

Matt stopped by the nurses office and grabbed some pain killers and a cup for Kat. She was going to hurt later and for quite some time he was certain. He trudged up the stairs and down the hallway to get to the room he put the girls in. He unlocked the door, went in and put the cup and meds down and he looked at his little family and felt a fierce protectiveness for them. He slid in right behind Kat and cuddled her to him and he held baby Gracie's little hand.

Nikki Hyatt

Nikki was asleep when Eric came to bed. He climbed in and started to massage her thigh. She woke up and pulled him down to her, kissing him hungrily. They quickly undressed as they kissed and feasted on each other til they were so worn out that Nikki pulled the covers up so they wouldn't be seen in the morning. Eric held her to him tightly. She smiled and cuddled up to him and they slept like that.

Nikki thought to herself that she needed to talk to Tina about that idea she had.

@Garth@Belle@Rumikoohara@kurai assassin

[Belle]

Kat jerked awake when she felt someone behind her. Panic was instant and she nearly screamed, ready to fight. It didn't help that she had been having a nightmare moments before. When she realized it was Matt she settled but didn't calm down. She still felt the panic laying just below the surface. Her throat hurt from the urge to scream out her growing anxiety. She had to stop this. It was pointless. Why had she not been bothered when the dead had risen to eat the living yet she was now allowing that one looter who was now dead to scar her this way?
She couldn't give in to this. She had to be strong for Grace. She had to be strong for herself. Kat couldn't afford any weakness.

So she focused on pushing the feelings back and away, burying them deep inside. There was no time to deal with this right now, not when there was so much to do.

Grace's fingers instinctively tightened around Matt's in her sleep, a sense of peace and security making her drift deep into a peaceful sleep. Kat pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead and leaned back against Matt's chest. She was a strong woman, not a weak wimpering female that needed to be coddled.
But having Matt there did feel better than she cared to admit...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kat woke to her natural alarm clock Grace, who wanted food. Slipping out from under Matt's arms Kat tried to stand and immediately winced in pain. A small whimper escaped her as the pain in her throat and stomach hurt like hell. The bastard had kicked her harder than she had thought. Now that the adrenaline had worn off things were going to get ugly for Kat in the pain department.
Grace had spotted Daddy in the bed and had forgotten about food. Instead to crawled over to his, poking his face with her little fingers. She giggled and clapped, giving him a slobbery kiss on his cheek.
"Shh, Gracie. Daddy needs rest and so does Jenna," Kat said, her voice a hoarse whisper. Grace whined in protest and gave Daddy's face one more poke before reaching for Mommy.

Kat left the room. She stared at the stairs leading down and just couldn't do it. Instead she went to one the Science Room. No one seemed to be up yet. Kat dug in a box and found some crackers made for babies. Grace gnawed on them happily while Kat turned on one of the few Bunsen burners that actually still worked, until it ran out of gas. She cooked a little oatmeal on the burner for Grace, then started heating up cans of soup for everyone else. They didn't exactly have 'breakfast' foods at the moment, but food was food so Kat knew no one would complain. Come on, who didn't like Spagettios and Swiss Cake Rolls for breakfast?

[Wick]

Nikki Hyatt

Nikki awoke amidst a tangle of arms and legs. Eric had her trapped underneath his very heavy leg. She kissed him awake and she chuckled softly as he responded to her. Close to an hour later Nikki emerged and went down to the showers. She went into the ladies locker room and double checked everything before she took her shower. She washed her hair and heard the door to the locker room open. She picked up her gun and set it down as Eric came in shirtless and joined her. Nikki grinned at him and told him how incredibly bad he was going to be for her image. He chuckled and declared that he didn't care about that.

When they emerged another hour or so later they were holding hands and Nikki felt more peaceful than she had in a long time, even before the day everything fell apart. This relationship was not stressful or difficult. There was something just very fulfilling and satisfying in the best way. Nolan and Eric were so different. Nolan and Nikki had grown up together. The love that was there was exciting in the early years but the last few it was more of an obligation and a memory of what it used to be. With her and Eric it was animalistic and it was a need one that would not go away. She spent half of her morning staying just outside of his reach and slapping his hands away. She couldn't remember ever blushing this much for any reason. Nikki was all smiles though and people noticed.

She went in search of Tina. She figured Tina and the guys would be going there at first light and she had questions but she figured she would leave the construction of it all to the others. That was a little out of her skill set.

Matthew Hyatt

Matt

When Matt crawled into bed with Kat he felt her tense up and start to fight him as his arm went around her. He whispered into her ear "Kat darlin it's me. It's okay babe. I won't let anyone hurt you or are little one." He felt the baby grab his finger tighter and Kat settled down and snuggled into him. Matt was so tired all he could do was mumble something unintelligible as he fell asleep. He knew the wall would hold and that was all he could do at the moment. At least his family was safe for now. He felt Kat getting up several hours later. He also felt the baby poking him. He scrunched his face a little as she poked him in the eye and then she stuck her little finger up his nose. He jerked back as she tried to stab his brain. He turned his head and turned onto his stomach never waking up fully.

@Belle
@garth

[Demonic Angel]

Haru Sento

Haru turned another corner as he continued his search for the twins and Erin. Worry showed on his face as clear as a reflection in a mirror but after hearing someone screaming at the top of their lungs in fear who could blame him. So far everyone had been filled from their home once again yet no one seemed to want to talk about it. So the teenager couldn't help but worry if this nightmare was beginning to take its toll on everyone yet or not. He was lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Nikki ahead.

The young man slammed into her as he was focused backwards landing on his bottom.” Ow. Sorry Nikki I didn't see you there. Are you alright?” he asked waiting for the scolding of a life time.” I swear that it will never happen again. You see last night I awoken to a scream inside the school so I was worried about everyone.” Haru explained while getting up as quickly as possible. He placed a hand out to help Nikki up, in case she had fallen too, since it was his fault after all.
@Wick

[Demonic Angel]

Erin Hyde McGarth

After the attack on the school and the man nearly stealing the only connection Erin had to her mother the place never felt safe. Last night the girl had screamed awake from a hellish memory, though ten to one at least someone had heard it, after that she didn't dare to fall asleep again. When morning come the teenager was still curled up in a ball inside the science room even after Kat had walked inside. Granted she didn't say anything to announce her presence. Her stomach growled revealing that the mother wasn't alone though the lighter half tried curling up tighter while shifting toward the shadows. The food smelled rather good so the young woman finally gave up and slowly uncurled. The papers underneath her hands and feet wrinkled, startling the woman if she didn't hear the steel earlier.

” What do we have for breakfast today?” the girl asked as she slowly crawled out of her hiding place. Her face was almost a sickly pale colouring. The young woman wasn't shaking enough for people to notice straight away though the action was indeed there. There were very light grey rings underneath her eyes that at the moment showed rather well.” How are you feeling today Miss? Does it hurt anywhere?” the teenager asked in a worried tone as her blue eye fell toward the floor.
@Belle