When she realized

Chapter 28: He's here

"It's not like I didn't try! I was 3 seconds late!" Bernadette says. Annalise groans.
"Yeah 3 seconds **too** late! And those 3 seconds cost my dad his life!" Annalise says.
"It's not like I could've done anything differently!" Bernadette says.
"Maybe you could have, maybe you could've doubled checked the zombies where 100% dead, maybe you could've done more! Honestly..**i** could have probably done more! But you've got the powers! YOU'RE THE FREAK!" Annalise blurts. Bernadette blinks and leans back a bit.
"wait- Bernadette I'm sorry I-I didn't mean it! Please-" Annalise says softly and grabs Bernadette's arm. Bernadette shoves Annalise off of her.
"Fuck you Annalise" Bernadette scoffs and then she starts walking away and into the woods.
"Bernadette wait! Don't go!" Annalise calls after her.
"Why not?!" Bernadette turns around and asks.
Annalise hesitates. She stares at Bernadette.
"Because...I still care about you! You'll get yourself hurt!" Annalise explains.
"No I won't! I'm the one with the powers! I'm the freak remember?!" Bernadette says.
"Where will you even go?!" Annalise asks. "Away from you, I won't save your ass anymore if you don't want to feel coddled and big brave Annalise wants to protect herself!" Bernadette uses her super speed to disappear into the woods.
Annalise drops to the ground and onto her knees.
"Wait...don't leave me.." Annalise cries quietly..but then she stops herself.
"No, Y'know what screw this, she's not running away like this"

Annalise wipes her tears and stands up. She runs into the woods, Bernadette is probably long gone by now but she doesn't care. Annalise is determined to find her. Does she know what she wants to say or how to apologize? No. Does she have any clue how to even find Bernadette? No, but again, she doesn't care. She jumps over logs and dodges deep puddles and swinging branches in the darkness, barely even able to make out the sounds and sights around her, the only sounds she can really hear is the thumping in her chest, her feet on the wet ground, and her heavy breath. She trips and stumbles yet she catches herself before falling over, she can't fall over, not now.

Bernadette is running through the woods before stopping abruptly. She can hear Annalise crying. She hates that sound. She hates being able to hear her. She covers her ears but then she can hear footsteps through her hands. She sighs and jumps up. She scales a rather large tree and sits on a thick branch about half way up. Annalise can't find Bernadette if she can't see her. Bernadette listens to Annalise's footsteps, to her heart beating. Annalise isn't in her sight yet but she's getting close. Turns out Bernadette couldn't walk that far away from Annalise so easily, and she's angry at herself for that, but she knows that its always love over anger in her head. Her sisterly love for Jesse has kept her so close over the years to Jesse, and now her love for Annalise is keeping her from actually walking away. She just can't do it. This is the most frustrated she has even been, she thinks.

Annalise ducks under the blurry shape of a tree branch and jumps over the reflection of the moon on a racing river. She stops running and looks around herself. She's about 10 feet away from the tree that Bernadette is sitting in. Annalise sighs.
"BERNADETTE?!" She calls out.
"Look..I know you can hear me..I'm sorry.." Annalise says softly.
"I didn't mean it..and I know it's not your fault. I know you tried, I just don't know what to do, but I shouldn't blame it on you, you and Jesse are the ones who offered to have family take everyone in! I shouldn't get mad at you because you didn't save him..it's not your fault Bernadette..please come back.." Annalise sighs.
Bernadette feels a pain in her chest as she leans against the tree truck and covers her face with her hands.

Scream.

"ANNALISE?!" Bernadette hears her scream and drops down from the tree. She shoves someone out the way and grabs Annalise, she speeds off into the woods and hides against a tree, one arm around Annalise.
"Bernadette I-" Annalise begins to speak but Bernadette covers her mouth.
"Shhh...that wasn't a zombie...that was a person.." Bernadette whispers.
"Who?" Annalise whispers back. Bernadette sighs.
"I don't know..looked like a man or something, I didn't get a good look" She explains. Annalise nods and leans her head against Bernadette's shoulder. Bernadette listens into the wind, hearing the person speak..then she suddenly looks prettified.
"What? What is it?" Annalise whispers. Bernadette looks down at Annalise and speaks very gently.
"Its your dad.."