One Survivor

19 'He's my brother'

"I've been fixing up the old radio and made contact with a new settlement, they've got walls guys, enough to keep the dead out and they grow their own food and have a smooth water supply" Luke explained, still trying to get everybody on board with the idea. 

"No, we have no idea if we can trust them. What if Davis told them about Ava and they might wanna have a try" Justin argued and stood closer to Ava.

Ed scoffed, "Of course you'd say that" he rolled his eyes.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Justin snapped and moved closer to him.

"Ava can I talk to you?" Ed ignored Justin's question and looked over to Ava.

"If it would get you two to shut up, then sure" she smiled and handed Lucas to Sam.

"Oh I don't—oh. Okay... Hm. Hi" He stuttered and looked at the small boy in his arms, Ava patted Sam's cheek then followed Edward outside.

"How may I help you?" she folded her arms and leaned against the wall outside.

"Just tell me now, do you not wanna be with me because you're in love with him?" he asked.

Ava had a smile creep up on her face as she burst out laughing, "Oh god... you think that Justin and I are—?" she laughed even harder hearing the words come out of her mouth.

"What? You think I was kidding?" Ed folded his arms.

"No, I think you're stupid" she stopped laughing, "Justin is not my lover, Ed. Okay? He was there for me when no one else was, and boy it feels like he has raised me through this stupid thing" she told him as he stood there silently.

"Edward when are you going to learn that I have changed. We all have. You may not want to accept it but, this is the world now. Kill or get killed, if you don't like what I am now..." she walked closer to him, "You should've seen what I was when you left".

"She won't get out of the room, Malcom. All she does is stay in there and go out at night doing god know what" Justin stood outside the door with Malcom as they watched the sun go down.

"Follow her" Malcom told him without looking away from the door.

"I may not like what I see" Justin sighed.

"Three months ago she lost her home and the boy she loved, she's alone" Malcom sympathized, and his expression softened.

"She has us" Justin looked to him with the same sympathetic look.

"So tell her that" he said just as they heard the window shut and a thud from the other side. Justin nodded at him then went to the back door and followed a figure to the fence.

He jumped over and followed the footsteps, Ava stopped at a gas station and Justin watched as she pulled out her weapon and slammed it against the tanks to create noise.

He watched as three DR's scrambled out of the store, jumping through the windows, and crawling to her, she struck one of them across the face and tripped it over, and she slammed the pole into its head.

The second one tackled her to the floor, she dropped her weapon and Justin was about to help her, but she kicked it off her and straddled it, reached for her pocket knife and stabbing it in the head over and over again.

She stood up and faced the third one, it was eyeing her as blood dripped form its mouth and dropped onto the ground, he heard it growling lowly as it ran to her. She threw the knife at it; it went straight in its neck. That didn't stop it as it continued to run at her. She held up her fists and punched it to the ground, grabbing the knife from its neck and holding it up in the air, bringing it down into its skull.

Justin blinked a few times before stepping out of cover and walking towards her, she was breathing heavily, he could hear her as she started to hyperventilate before she began to sob.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped back and looked up at him, she had drops of blood scattered across of her face and blood on her hands and clothes.

She realized who it was and stood up slowly, they stared at each other for a few minutes before she started to cry again. Just held out his arms and she slowly walked into them, "Shh... it's okay, I'm here" he listened to her cries and held her closer into his chest.

"I miss him so much" she cried, and he rubbed small circles on her back.

"I miss him too... but you're not alone, Small" he whispered.

"I like that" she mumbled.

"What?" he pulled away and stared down at her.

"Small" she smiled.

"You are, you're like a tiny psycho" he laughed making her chuckle light, he wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"Let me help you control this. You don't have to be this" he pressed as she just sniffed and nodded.

"Okay"

Ava sat with Lucas beside her, "You like that?" she asked him as she watched him play with a screwdriver.

"Like a builder" he said sweetly making her smile.

"Yeah, like a builder" she smiled and wrapped an arm around him.

"Hey Small, we need to start getting packed up, we leave for the community at sunrise" Justin poked his head into the living room as she nodded.

"You wanna come with me and help me pack, show you some of my builder tools?" she asked him as he nodded, "Okay, one two three, up" she groaned as she lifted him up onto her back.

She pretended to be a dinosaur as she stomped around childishly making him laugh and giggle, "Time to pack" she smiled and closed the door behind her.