The First ~10K~ (book 1)

3: Remember The Mission

The crickets chirped and sang their nightly song. I layed my head on 10K's lap and watched the flames of the fire dance.

"Are we heading out tomorrow, Warren?" Murphy asked.

"That's the plan." Warren replied.

"What? We can't leave!" I yelled. I shot my head head up from 10K's lap.

"Maddi." 10K whispered.

"No! This place is nice! We can protect it, defend it!" I argued.

"We have to get Murphy to California, Maddi. The world depends on him. We can't just sit in one place." Warren said in a strict voice.

"What she said." Murphy agreed.

I scoffed and stood up.

"You guys can go to California. I'm staying here." I growled.

I heard Addy and Cassandra gasp. I stormed off to the Willow. I sat on the ground and leaned my back on the trunk of the tree. I put my chin on my knees and watched the stream flow.

"What the hell was that?!"

I jumped and saw an angry 10K. He had his arms folded and his eyes gleamed with anger.

"I want to stay here." I mumbled, turning my gaze back to the stream.

"What about Murphy?" 10K asked, sitting down with me. He never stays mad for very long.

"Screw Murphy. All he cares about is himself. He doesn't give two shits about us." I snapped.

"Don't say that!" 10K hissed.

"He didn't care when Garnet died! He didn't care when I went missing! He didn't care when Hammond died, the person who was supposed to keep him safe! Now it's up to us and he would rather watch people suffer than get to California!" I dished out, the tears streaming down my cheeks. I let out every emotion I was feeling into my words. Anger, sadness, disappointment, pity. Eveything I wanted to let out was let out.

"You done yet?" 10K asked.

I nodded and wiped my cheeks. I sighed and turned away from 10K.

"I just want to feel safe for a while. Not be on the road, risking our lives for that douchebag." I concluded.

10K turned my face with his hands so I was looking in his gorgeous eyes.

"Remember the mission." Was all he said. I cried quietly and 10K pulled me in a hug.  "We're staying here tonight, then moving on. I don't like it either, Maddi. But if it's for humanity, we gotta try."

I nodded and wiped my cheeks. I smiled and stood up.

"C'mon. We got a big day ahead of us." I said.

10K stood up and too my hand. We walked back and sat back down with the group.

"Did the beast calm down?" Murphy asked.

"Shut up." 10K snapped, which was not like him at all.

Doc chuckled. Murphy just rolled his eyes.

"Let's get some shuteye. We're gonna have a lot of walkin' to do." Warren said. She kicked dirt on the fire to put it out.

10K and I stayed back for a minute so the rest wouldn't hear our conversation.

"If we're gonna be on the road a lot, when are we going to find time for us?" 10K whispered.

"We'll have plenty of rest stops." I said. 10K put a hand on my thigh.

"Not enough." He said.

I shook my head. I put a hand on his and squeezed it.

"There'll be time. Maybe not enough, but there will be." I told him. I kissed his cheek and stood up. I grabbed the blanket I was using to lay down on. 10K followed me to our tent.

I kicked my shoes off and slipped out of my shirt. 10K pulled his shoes, bandanna, and goggles off before laying down beside me.

"Man, it's so hot out here, I could melt." I grumbled.

"I know." 10K replied.

"Then why don't you take your shirt off?" I asked.

He shrugged and sat up. He pulled off his shirt and a gasped at the sight of him. He was skinny, but not shockingly skinny. He had nice back muscles which was worth seeing.

He layed back down and I curled up next to him.

"You I know what I've been thinking about?" 10K whispered. His chest rumbled with his voice.

"What?" I whispered, looking at him.

"If Murphy can really save the human race, I want to... Marry you." 10K said, lightly running his finger tips up and down my arm.

My eyes grew wide. I sat up and felt him touch my thigh.

"Marry me?" I reapeated.

He nodded and he smiled a little bit. Even thought it was dark out, I could see his cheeks were red.

"You don't want to marry me." I whispered.

10K sat up and cupped my face with his hands.

"Yes, I do. I know I do. I can't marry you now because any day I could lose you. Losing you would be hard now, but if you became my wife... I would become a zombie myself. I love you, Maddi. I really, really, love you." He whispered. He was trying not to cry.

I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled myself closer. He wrapped his entire arms around my back and squeezed me.

"I love you so much, 10K. I don't know what I would do without you." I cried in his neck.

"Listen to me." 10K said, becoming serious. "If I don't make it. Because I won't. We're all gonna die... You find someone else. Move on. Don't hold on to something that's gone. Understand?"

I shook my head. "I wouldn't be able to."

"Yes, you would." 10K whispered, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Shut up." I cried. I pulled him into another embracive hug and wouldn't let go.