One Survivor

31 'The beginning of the end'

One gunshot.

"Little to the left"

One gunshot.

"Up a little"

One gunshot.

"There but maybe don't stick out your butt so much"

The glass broke as the bullet hit it.

"See, tuck the tush" Ava smiled and slapped the twelve-year-old's ass.

"Shut up" Lucas scoffed and handed her back the gun.

She rolled her eyes, "This is important, here look" she tapped his arm and encouraged him to watch her demonstration.

She looked at the last six bottles and loaded the gun, she shot them each with ease, never missing and smashing them instantly. She emptied the ammo and loaded it again, receiving the click of the gun in return.

"Show off" Lucas scoffed, and Ava held her mouth open.

"I did not raise a sore loser" she slapped him over the head and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

Seven years. Seven, long, boring, years. When they escaped the community they came across this abandoned farm, they fixed up the walls, cleared out the dead, started growing the food again and dug up a new well for water supply. It wasn't much but it was something. Some sort of hope to hold onto and believe life could be moderately close to normal again.

Ava and Lucas strolled up the hill to see Justin shirtless and working on the walls again, "Justin!" Lucas yelled and ran to him, jumping on his back and catching the man by surprise as he held onto him securely.

"Hey kid" he laughed as Ava strolled slower, her wavy brown hair dangling on one side, she was wearing a white shirt with blue jeans and black boots. "How was target practice?" Justin asked the boy on his back.

"Good, I'm getting better. Aren't I Ava?" he smiled widely, and Ava nodded.

"He sure is" she walked dover and kissed Justin on the cheek, giving him a hug.

"Hey Lucas, how 'bout you go inside and play with your Legos. We'll be there in a sec" Justin smiled and set the boy down, watching him run into the house with enthusiasm.

"Feels like yesterday when we found him" Ava muttered and sat down on the porch steps next to Justin, he had given up on trying to style his hair and started growing a beard, which didn't look half bad under the circumstances.

"Seven years... goes by like minutes. Feels liked yesterday when we found you" he nudged her playfully and wrapped and arm round her.

"When Ed died, I thought I would be who used to be. Kill anyone who stood in my way, search for danger. But I swear that kid healed all my scars" she chuckled softly, referring to the boy inside.

"I'm glad you didn't, Small" he kissed her hair and held her tighter.

"We're family. You and I... and Lucas" she whispered into his chest and felt Justin's heartbeat quicken.

"Hell yeah" he smiled, and they looked at the now setting sun. Ava was afraid, no matter how many peaceful nights she tried grasp for, she couldn't. Haunted by the memories and screams of those she'd lost.

"Lucas!" Ava yelled at the eight-year-old and tossed him his knife just in time for him to catch it and drive it into the DR's skull.

"Good boy" she muttered and finished off her own.

They both stood there panting and she walked to him gripping him by the cheeks and analyzed his face, checking for bites or scratches or anything.

"I'm good Ava" he shoved her hands away and she slapped him across the back of the head.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings, if I hadn't of handed you the knife you'd be dead. You need to pay attention, stay focused, okay?" she lifted his chin so she could stare at him directly.

"Yes" he muttered softly.

"I don't mean to yell. I just need you to be safe, I would die if anything happened—" Lucas cut her off and shook his head.

"I'm fine, I'm safe. You're not losing me" he smiled sweetly. And damn did he have a good smile.

Ava hugged him, "Now get your stuff so we can get back to Justin" she told him in a playful tone, making him laugh.

"Do you think they're still out there. Liv? Katie? Isaac? The others?" Ava broke the silence from the couch. Lucas was asleep, his head resting on her lap and the rest of him was laying on the couch, Justin sat in a chair fiddling with the radio.

"Xander and Lydia were crushed by the gate, Katie and Liv's truck was gone by the time we got out, Isaac was MIA, and we still have no idea what happened to Luke" he chucked the radio on the coffee table, unable to get it working no matter how hard he tried.

"Yeah, Luke" she chuckled softly, remembering the day she had.

"Sorry I didn't—I didn't mean to bring it up" Justin kneeled in front of her and took her hand in his.

"It's fine" she squeezed his hand and gave a simple smile, "He's gone" she said softly. She tried not to think about Edward, the thought alone made her cry but remembering how she felt when she was with him was even worse.

"Not forgotten" Justin whispered before standing up and rustling her hair, "Gonna go to bed. You okay with him?" he asked her.

"Still light as a feather" she winked, Justin slowly left the room, hearing his slow footsteps strut up the stairs then the click of his bedroom door closing.

Ava sighed, looking down at the boy sleeping, tucking a strand of blond hair behind his ear. She smiled at the past few years they've had. They'd dealt with the living, now they had to deal with the dead.

She knew Lucas could sleep through anything, so she had no trouble getting up and scooping him up off the couch. His head fell on her shoulder and his arms gripped her shirt. She looked down to se him squinting in his sleep, the nightmares again.

Justin and Ava predicted he'd have nightmares; due to the fact he had seen a lot of things he shouldn't. She walked out the room up the stairs, opening the door to his room, there were toys on the floor from when he was younger and from the previous owner, the wallpaper was peeling though still had a nice touch, the floor boards creaked every step.

The bed was tolerable, and she laid him down, tucking him in and kissing his forehead. She closed the door behind her and removed her jacket, laying it on the back of one of the chairs in her room. She laid down on the bed, tucking herself in then looking at the candle she had on her bedside table.

She blew it out and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.