From X

"Yes! Yes! One thousand percent yes! Oh my God! Is Aggie pregnant? Is that what you're hinting at? Please tell me yes."

"Zach! Aggie might be pregnant! We might be an aunt and uncle! Where is your brother? We have to find out for sure!"

"Zach. Please have a seat." Though she didn't put her paper down right away, finishing up what she was reading before doing so. Strewn across the desk were papers and files opened and read. Sada sucking up information like a sponge. Some less useful in this day and age, but not all. The background checks of every resident in the building was a closely held file, tucked away in a locked drawer.

Who: @rioreeve and @rhianwells Where: Zach's Studio When: Nov 23, 2022

My son.

Tobias felt the eyes of his family on him. He had taken his seat like anyone else had, sat next to his sister, looked straight ahead to match the eyes of his father who had announced the results, a silent type of communication sent and received through those sets of eyes. Understanding? Not exactly. But the son made no gesture, not even a glance, to the help he received from the man who watched him grow up, the man who had counted the votes with a heavy hand like instructed, the one who had to relay the message to the one who shared the same name of Tobias Wexley longer than himself. The lack of surprise should have informed him of everything.

That still left Zach as his partner. That was where true democracy played its part. No complaints. Not yet.

He looked at the dog accompanying them, half-use, half-liability. The bag attached to their back did nothing to sway the scales in either direction.

"Remember," he started, "only the non-essentials in that bag." In case it ran away. In case it had to be left behind. "Do they scare easily?"

Where: Rosie's diner

When: April 8th

It had been a week already, but Emily was still floating on cloud nine. She doubted she would ever come down. Every time she saw Zach the butterflies in her stomach took flight. Her heart began it's staccato rhythm, trying to find it's pace but failing miserably. She just couldn't get enough of the man. Of her man. Just the thought seemed to push her cheeks apart wider, the smile he always enjoyed breaking free.

Ironic that the world had to end for her luck to truly change.

But a win was a win and she'd take it.

It wasnt until the shouts of Jonah rang through the diner that she was dragged back down to Earth, the reality of Abby biting his leg almost playing out in slow motion as her feet began to rush toward him. The trays she held dropped to the floor with a crash, sprawling out in every direction. Her hands grabbed hold of Abby's shoulders and yanked her from him as hard as possible. The motion of their two bodies sent them tumbling into a pile on the floor. She desperately tried to scramble from beneath Bob's wife but it was too late. White, hot, searing pain radiated from her chest and when she looked for the source fear washed away every other sensation.

She'd been bit.

The space right above her breast, snuggled next to her armpit, was now nothing more than a chunk of dangling flesh. Blood began to pour from the wound and every movement sent blurring flashes of light through her vision. "Zach!" she called out in need just to have him there. She couldn't die. Not yet. Not like this. Emily barely registered it had been Oscar who'd tackled Abby off of her as she crawled from beneath the ferocious monster and over to the counter, leaning against and mumbling a string of 'It's fine. Everything is fine' as if in a trance.

But nothing was fine.

And her mind fought to remind her every passing second that it never would be again - the cure Sada held yet unknown to the masses.

X

"Fuck Zach and marry Eric because at least it would be like two Zachs. Sorry Ember."

"Um....Zach? What are they talking about?"