Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Paris was never the same. Before, you could smell the fresh air, the smell of pollution, surely. But it was a familiar smell, at least for Emily. The sound of cars honking their horns non-stop, the ringing of the metro. Now Paris had changed a lot. Nature had regained some ground, as had chaos. Most of the buildings were destroyed, or in the process of being destroyed. Several bombs had fallen on the city; on all cities, in fact. Initially, governments thought that the best thing to do was to wipe out entire populations in order to eradicate the epidemic... In the end, nothing worked and the population was decimated, either dying or turning into a monster.

Emily had been walking for ten days to reach the capital. She had left her scooter in a safe place so it wouldn't get stolen. When she arrived at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, she let out a slight sigh. All the time she had spent here when she was younger, with her mother, even though she wasn't often there, brought tears to her eyes. Everything was now covered in ivy. 

After staring at the monument for a little too long, Emily pulled herself together and headed towards the Iéna bridge. Ten days of walking had exhausted her. She was carrying a khaki green rucksack filled with all sorts of things, most of them essential for her survival. She also had a sniper rifle on her back. She had learned to anticipate the sound of the infected and kill them from a distance. Just in case, she kept her pistol in her cargo pocket. And a knife. Very important for close combat. The knife wasn't really useful against the infected. She had killed more than a dozen humans on her lonely journey. Some were about to turn, others were hostile. She no longer trusted anyone. The world before had already been bloodthirsty, but since the apocalypse, there were no rules anymore. And she didn't want to leave anything to chance. After coming across a cult that sacrificed children a few months earlier, she vowed never to trust humans again. 

Finally arriving after a few more minutes' walk at Rue de Passy, she paused to remember ‘La Grande Épicerie de Paris’, where she used to go very often to buy her favourite strawberry jam. Now the shop was completely destroyed, having been vandalised and looted during one of the first days of the international lockdown. 

Fais chier(1).

Remembering all this only made her feelings of loneliness and despair grow stronger. The truth was that Emily didn't particularly want to survive all this at first, but she didn't know how else to do it. Those around her had always seen her as a fighter. She had to live up to that reputation for them.

Entering her building, she opened her flat door and took a huge gulp of water, so much so that some of it spilled down her throat. A shiver ran down her spine as the cool water touched her skin. But she was finally home. Her small studio flat in a Parisian neighbourhood let in a little light, the only thing that hadn't changed since all this had happened. A beautiful ray of sunshine shone through her double glazing. Emily felt blinded by the light and closed the sheer curtains to avoid being dazzled. Then, undressing slowly, even lazily, she sat down on her sofa bed and closed her eyes for a moment. 

A moment turned into several hours. Indeed, she woke up with a start; it was already dark outside. She looked at her watch; it was 10pm. How could she have been so stupid as to fall asleep? She blamed herself all the time for everything and nothing. But she had work to do. She began by emptying her large bag, carefully storing the food and water supplies. She placed a book she had found in an abandoned car on her bedside table. She sighed deeply, looking at the radio on the dining table. She had to reconnect it. She didn't really want contact with other people, but she was increasingly realising that she would like to share her solitude with a small group of people. 

After spending a long time improvising as a technician, she managed to get the radio working again. It was an old radio, but it could connect to a huge number of frequencies and had a range of 10 kilometres. This meant she could connect with more people without drawing attention to her precise location. 

“Est-ce que quelqu’un me reçoit? Does anybody copy?”

Silence.

“Je m’appelle Emily, je suis à la recherche de survivants. My name is Emily and I’m looking for survivors.”

Still nothing.

Emily quickly lost patience (and hope), got up from her chair and opened the book she had found a few days earlier. It was called 'A Woman I Kissed', a sapphic romance between two boarding school students. She knew that this book would either captivate her or make her cry. The synopsis reminded her of a crush she had had in high school, so she immediately put it in her bag. Emily couldn't remember the last time she had fallen in love; that belonged to her previous life. Now, it was all about survival. No more questions about friendship, love, work, family or routine. Just survival.

After a few pages and her heart warming up as she read, the radio began to crackle. She hadn't turned it off, thinking that no one would call her anyway, but that in the worst case scenario, if someone passed by her street with a walkie-talkie, she could eavesdrop on the conversation. 

“Hello? Can anyone hear me?” 

Emily jumped at the female voice coming from the radio. She couldn't believe her eyes. Someone was on the other end.

“Jesus! How does this thing even work…”

She let out a chuckle, the woman probably didn’t know Emily could hear her, and she obviously didn’t know how to use a radio. She picked up the microphone. 

“Hello, I can hear you.”

A smile spread across her lips.

“Were you the one speaking french on the radio earlier?” said the voice, sounding half surprised, half judgemental. 

“I was, my name is Emily. What is an american doing here in Paris during the apocalypse?”

“Well, I was on a road trip with my university and suddenly the world became crazy. 

Wait— Why am I even telling you this?”

“I can be pretty convincing. So, what’s your name, college student?”

“Jennifer. But you can call me JJ.”

Emily felt her lips curving upwards more and more. She didn't really know why she was smiling, but she felt positive energy coming from the woman who was speaking. And that feeling gave her hope again.

“Okay JJ, nice to meet you. Do you need help?”

“I lost my friends today. We said we would meet back here but I can’t find them…”

Her voice sounded panicked and sad. Emily could feel her emotions through the static on the radio. Suddenly, her heart sank. Empathy... it had been a long time. Before turning the microphone back on, she let out a deep sigh. 

“Where are you? I can come and help you.”

'Fait chier(1)': That sucks

Chapter Text

August 28th, 2024 ; written on the back of a cliché postcard.

Dear Mom, 

I’m having so much fun in Paris. I know I’m supposed to be there as a student exchange but it’s refreshing to live in a new city. I haven't really improved my French yet, but I believe in progress. Penelope and Luke are with me, and we're currently enjoying a delicious 'café gourmand' on a Parisian terrace. I'm going to succeed in my internship abroad and come back smarter than ever. 

Also, I met someone. I'll tell you more about them in my next letter, but we get along well. I'm relieved that this person speaks English; they understand me so well.

Oh, and I performed my first surgery in France! Everything went well; the patient is alive LOL. That’s all I have to tell you for now, wait for my next letter!

Love, JJ.

JJ gave her precise location to Emily, which wasn’t far from her flat. She put on her Dr Marten’s boots, a smaller backpack than the one she brought back and went on her way. Everything was so calm outside, you could hear the quiet of the night and even some bugs. If you forgot about the infected, it looked peaceful. She made her way through the deserted streets of Paris, now covered in vegetation. When she arrived at the address she had been given, she loaded her magnum, just in case. She preferred hope to violence, but she could never know if someone was setting a trap for her. It was a constant feeling, burning in Emily's chest every time she met someone. 

She knocked on the door three times. As she and JJ had agreed over the radio, it was a kind of code to prove it was really her. To her surprise, a pretty blonde opened the door, her ocean blue eyes had a slight red in them as if she had spent the day crying. She was the same height as her. She was wearing an Arctic Monkeys t-shirt with a pair of baggy jeans. She looked rather clean for the current situation. A tear rolled down her cheek. “You came. You really came.” An uncontrollable sob came out. “Can I come in?” Emily asked, hesitating. JJ stepped away from the door without saying a word, a friendly gesture to let her in.

They sat on the floor around an old table, probably dating back to the 1800s. JJ tried to explain the situation as best she could. How she and her friends had arrived from the USA last year, that she was doing a medical internship with her friend Luke and that her other friend Penelope had accompanied them. It was a story full of hope and beauty until she got to the epidemic. They had been stuck in France, unable to leave. Their professor had told them to lock themselves in their flat and not come out until he returned. He never came back. Since then, the last year has been difficult in terms of survival. They had remained confined to the flat, avoiding going out as much as possible. "I don't even know how we survived, to be honest." At these words, Emily saw another tear fall from the right eye of the desperate american woman in front of her. A feeling ran through her whole body. Something strange, more than empathy, she felt really bad for her. Then came the unexpected question. "And you? What are you doing in Paris? What's your story?"

Then silence. An awkward silence for Emily, but one that didn't seem to bother JJ more than that. She understood that this was their first meeting and that she might have crossed the line. She just wanted to know more about the beautiful stranger who had come to her rescue. Well, to her friends' rescue. Emily sighed, regained her composure, tried not to think about the past, and devised a careful plan to find Luke and Penelope.

The three of them had gone out to stock up on food. Then, when they arrived at a small neighbourhood supermarket, they were separated after an infected fell from the ceiling separating them. JJ was so scared that she ran away, heading straight back to the flat without thinking twice. Now she regretted everything and felt guilty for leaving her friends behind. What if they were dead? What if she went back and found them infected too? These thoughts ran through her mind, unbearable, and had been since they were separated. Emily moved her hand closer to JJ's arm, who was too busy wiping away her hundreds of tears to even see the pretty brunette approaching her. She placed her hand on her arm, gently stroking her below the shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. We will find them, alive.” The alive part hit a little more than it should have. Which made JJ cry again. But Emily stayed by her side, breathing calmly as if she expected her to follow her breathing to regain control. There was no judgement, just a moment of compassion and understanding shared between two people who had seen too much. JJ felt Emily's warm presence, just watching her. Really watching her. She felt relieved.

A few minutes later, when JJ was finally comforted, they headed to the supermarket the student had mentioned earlier. Before going in, Emily handed her the knife, as if to say, "Protect yourself." This earned her a genuine laugh from JJ, who had never used a knife in such circumstances; the only thing she was good at using was a scalpel. Emily motioned for her to take it anyway, noting that she would probably not have the courage to use it, either against an infected person or against a human. When they entered the shop, everything was dark. Only the moonlight was reflected on a few shelves, not enough to see properly. Emily then took a torch out of her bag; she was far too prepared for this kind of errand. 

“Penelope?! Luke?!”

“Don’t do this. It’s reckless.” a whispery voice came out of Emily while looking at JJ. She knew very well that she wasn't as prepared as she was for this kind of situation, but she thought it was stupid. Isn't it logical not to scream in a situation where you could get killed? Emily quickly dismissed the thought, telling herself it was mean and that JJ was just terrified of losing her friends. JJ, however, had noticed the tone in Emily's voice and felt bad. It wasn't like her to be so clumsy, but fear was taking hold of her. Moving cautiously from aisle to aisle, they scanned every corner of the supermarket, trying to find some sign of human life. Suddenly, a noise came from the storeroom. It was a bit like a broom falling during a burglary, that moment when you're hiding and you drop something and the robbers hear you. They both thought of that, Emily because of her past with the CIA, JJ more from the perspective of someone who loves crime series...

Without hesitation, Emily approached the room where the noise was coming from, JJ following her like a shadow close behind, close enough that Emily could hear her breath catching on her shoulder. Slowly opening the door without making a sound, she was surprised to find two people, humans, uninfected. A blonde woman with curly hair with a questionable style had her left hand over her mouth as if trying to hold her breath and stifle any sound that might escape. Then there was a rather tall man with a terrified expression on his face, holding a broom above his head as if he were about to beat up anyone who dared to open the door.

Emily couldn't help but chuckle at the dramatic scene in front of her. "Relax, I'm here to help." With these words, JJ slipped out from behind Emily, looking more relieved than surprised, and hugged them both. Emily, still on her guard, let out a slight smile at the friendly reunion. So this was what it meant to share her life with other people. To matter to someone. But for her, it was impossible. To care too much meant to lose and never recover. 

After an hour of hugs, reunions and "I thought you were dead" comments from both sides, they were back at their small neighbourhood flat. They had invited Emily to join them for a late dinner, grateful that she had saved them. Luke had carefully prepared soup with vegetables (from a tin) and pasta. Emily thanked them for their hospitality but felt a sense of awkwardness. She didn't know if she should feel accepted. In reality, she just wanted to run away and never see them again. 

The three friends spent the evening laughing, joking, talking about their lives before, as if everything that had happened over the past year had been nothing but a dream. Or rather, a nightmare. Emily couldn't feel as light-hearted about it as they did. She remembered the many times when her nights were restless and she would wake up with a start, covered in sweat, thinking she was going to die at that very moment. And at the same time, she couldn't help wondering, is this what peace is? Sharing a moment with the people you care about, forgetting the world around you. That must be it.

The sun was beginning to rise, JJ's eyes had been fixed on Emily all evening, which she had obviously noticed but pretended not to pay attention to. In any case, she would never see them again...

JJ seemed to admire her, her courage, her patience. She wondered if she was ready to jump straight into danger to save someone who mattered. At that thought, she felt her cheeks grow red and warm. Embarrassing. She knew that feeling all too well. She couldn't afford to be attracted to someone during an apocalypse; the important thing was to survive. However, didn't survival take human feelings and emotions into account? She disagreed with Emily on that point. She saw survival as a whole and not through basic human needs.

After a few minutes of exchanging furtive glances, Emily got up from the ground, glanced at the three people around her, and rubbed her neck awkwardly. "I should go." They all stopped talking, as if she had insulted them. They stared at her, stunned. JJ spoke first, feeling indebted but also wanting to share her daily life with the woman who had helped them. "Why are you saying that? You can stay." Emily moved closer to the front door, avoiding eye contact so she wouldn't regret her decision. She grabbed the handle and simply said, "It's better this way."

Chapter Text

JJ spent long minutes that night watching the rain fall on her window. Penelope and Luke didn't ask any questions. Even though she hadn't known Emily for very long, she truly felt that she had shared some special moments with her. 

As for Emily, she had returned to her small studio flat, trying to banish every thought that brought her back to the pretty blonde and her group of friends. She couldn't befriend them ; she knew what it was like to lose people, and in this kind of situation, that was bound to happen eventually.

The days were all the same, spending hours deciding on a possible move for Emily, going out occasionally to fetch rations. For JJ, Penelope and Luke, it was warmer. Evenings with friends, endless discussions. But they could tell that something was bothering their friend. Something that should not be said out loud. However, Penelope liked to say out loud what people were thinking to themselves. She approached JJ, who was once again sitting by the window, contemplating the landscape or just lost in her thoughts. She knelt down, looked her friend straight in the eye and took her hand.

"You can't go on like this. It's unhealthy."

JJ looked away, not sure what to reply at first. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” This wasn’t very convincing. Penelope moved slightly closer to her, as compassionately as possible, and continued: “Just turn on the radio, talk to her. She saved us. She will reply.”

“Maybe she just forgot about it already.”

Those words left a bitter taste in JJ's mouth, she could feel her throat tighten as she said them. Emily surely hadn't forgotten them, she just didn't want to get attached, and JJ knew that. So why had she answered the call? 

“This is JJ, Emily, do you copy?”

The radio came on one evening, JJ's soft voice coming through. Something was wrong, but Emily couldn't tell what. She couldn't figure out what emotion was being conveyed by the simple sound of her voice, something she would have known if she had been in front of her. She spent her time overanalysing people, it reassured her. She told herself that she couldn't be disappointed if she understood their true feelings through microexpressions. 

She hesitated for a long time before picking up the radio microphone, wondering if it was the right thing to do. For days she had put this adventure, as she called it, aside in order to refocus on what was important: survival. But it was JJ. The woman who had looked at her with tearful eyes when they first met. The one who had put all her trust in her. The one who hadn't stopped staring at her all evening. 

Fuck.

She picked up the microphone.

“This is Emily. What’s wrong?”

“We- I need help.” 

No emotion. Just a simple sentence, slow, confident, steady. Still impossible to analyse. In any case, Emily didn't have time to analyse it even if she wanted to, because she was already putting on her boots and preparing her weapons. They agreed on a meeting point not far from the students' flat. 

When she arrived, Emily realised that JJ was alone, wearing pajamas, and didn't even seem stressed. She was very different from when they first met. Emily didn't ask any more questions and approached her, putting her rucksack on the floor and crossing her arms.

“What’s going on? Are your friends in danger again?” She didn't want to sound annoyed by the situation, but her expression and tone betrayed her.

“What’s wrong with you? I thought we shared something last night, all of us. You decided to run away like a coward, is that it?” Now she could analyse her expressions, how her body language betrayed her too, she was pissed. 

Emily took a few steps back, her mouth wide open as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. After all, she owes them nothing, she owes her nothing. She saved them, they shared a meal, end of story. 

But JJ wasn't done yet, far from it. Maybe she had been sad the first few days, but now she was just really angry. She was so mad at Emily for not getting in touch and just… disappearing. "You think you can just leave us like that? We're not interesting enough for you, is that it? I didn't even know if you got home safely, I don't even know where the fuck you live!" 

“You don’t have to know. It has nothing to do with you.” Emily replied, coldly. Perhaps JJ was letting her emotions get the better of her, but Emily couldn't do that so easily. The only way to get out of this kind of situation was to pretend she didn't care. Except that JJ knew this little game well, and she wasn't going to let her win so easily. 

“For God’s sake Emily. Why are you staying alone? Why aren’t you letting people in? I think we proved you just enough that you can trust us.” It wasn't really anger this time, but more a kind of regret, a request. JJ wanted to know if she felt ready to accept them, to accept her.

Then, there was silence. That long bloody silence that was killing them both inside. JJ approached Emily, not too close but close enough that her gaze was fixed on her and she had no escape. 

“I’m scared.” Emily said in a soft whisper. It was the first time she had admitted her own feelings, and it terrified her. It made them real, not for JJ but for herself. She had been able to lie to herself for months by trying to stay alone, but she had finally stumbled upon the one person who made her weak. She wanted to open up to her like a book. At this confession, JJ's gaze softened. She hadn't expected such a deep and honest reaction from her. She thought she would upset her enough to make Emily upset in return, not break her. 

She didn't even have time to answer before blurry figures appeared in the distance. They were two men, approaching quickly and dangerously behind Emily. JJ felt the air grow cold, like a bad premonition. She took a few steps back, staring behind Emily, who turned around immediately when she saw the danger in her eyes. 

“Who are you?” She asked as she stood in front of JJ, in order to protect her. 

One of the men laughed. “Relax, we will just take some things and leave.”

JJ pressed her walkie-talkie to warn Luke and Penelope that something was happening. Upon hearing the ring, they immediately left the building, running to join their friend.

Emily put her hand on her gun, without drawing it, hoping to save bullets by settling this with a conversation. "You're not taking anything, just move along."

The two men looked at each other, they laughed mockingly, even in an evil manner. Emily quickly realised that there would be no compromise and that they were going to cause trouble. Instinctively, she pushed JJ backwards, who, surprised by the sudden movement, fell to the ground. Emily immediately pulled out her gun, pointing it simultaneously at each of the men in front of her. They started laughing again. "Calm down, princess. Do you even know how to use that thing?"

Emily felt rage rising inside her. She fired a shot at the ground at their feet. JJ jumped.

“I said leave.” her tone steady but commanding. One of them came closer and closer to her, but she couldn't bring herself to kill him, not with JJ behind her. Even though she may have witnessed horrors over the past year, she didn't want JJ to see her kill someone without hesitation, without remorse. 

The man then pulled a knife from behind his back and stabbed Emily sharply in the shoulder. Surprised, she collapsed to the ground, but still managed to shoot him in the stomach, which killed him instantly. The other man started running towards her, filled with rage,, but luckily Luke arrived at that moment and punched him in the head, knocking him out cold. JJ got up, trying to process everything that had just happened, when she saw Penelope and Luke's faces turn pale as they looked at Emily. She had a blade more than 6cm long stuck in her left shoulder.

JJ knelt in front of her, pressing on the bleeding wound. "It's going to be okay, you're going to be fine. Everything's going to be okay." She turned to Luke and shouted, "Help me carry her to the flat, now!" 

When they arrived at their flat, they laid Emily down on the floor. JJ barely had time to shout "med kit" before Luke had already brought it to her. Penelope stood behind them, absolutely horrified by what was happening. JJ took out alcohol, scissors, a scalpel, lots of compresses and thread with a needle. Emily's eyes widened at the sight of all the instruments, which JJ noticed immediately. She took her hand and said as calmly as she could, "I've got this. It's my job, I know what I'm doing, breathe slowly."

Strangely, Emily trusted her and tried to regulate her breathing despite the pain. JJ cut her top around the knife to gain access to her shoulder, then took a deep breath and looked Emily straight in the eyes. "This is going to hurt, I don't have any anaesthetic." Then she turned to Luke. "Luke, bring her a wooden spoon to bite down on." When Luke placed the spoon in Emily's mouth, her teeth instinctively clenched around it. She had suffered this kind of injury before, but the mere thought of the pain she was about to endure was unbearable.

JJ began by placing compresses around the knife and asked Luke to press them against the wound when she removed the knife. He did as she asked. Even with her teeth clenched around the spoon, they could hear Emily screaming. JJ, standing over her, could feel all her muscles tense. Yet she was focused on one thing only: repairing the wound. Without even turning around, she said to Penelope, "I need more light, Pen, the flashlight." And Penelope ran to shine light on the wound. They were all in perfect synchronisation.

Once the blood-soaked compresses had been removed, JJ noticed that no arteries had been touched, disinfected the skin around the wound and brandished her needle. She looked Emily in the eyes one last time, "I'm going to stitch this up, sorry," then she inserted the needle into the skin for the first time. Emily was trembling, her body moving involuntarily. Luke tried to hold her as still as possible so that JJ wouldn't miss anything. With each pass of the needle through her skin, muffled cries could be heard. This made Penelope cry, as she was completely unprepared for this, while Luke and JJ remained focused on the operation and on keeping Emily steady.

Finally, the wound was stitched up. JJ let out a sigh of relief as she wiped her forehead, her arms covered in blood. Luke pointed this out to her, so she got up to rinse it off immediately. Looking at herself in the mirror as she emptied a bottle of water over her arms, she paused for a second. It’s Emily’s blood. She now realised everything that had just happened and burst into tears, collapsing on the floor. She had been so focused on helping her that she had forgotten her own feelings.

After a few minutes of trying to calm down, JJ came out of the bathroom and saw that Penelope and Luke had laid Emily on the sofa, a blanket draped gently over her. She had fallen asleep, even though her body was still shaking from the trauma she had just experienced. JJ asked her friends to go to sleep, saying she will keep an eye on Emily. 

She sat down on the floor, at Emily's waist level against the sofa, took her hand and whispered, "I'm so sorry, I wish it had been me instead of you." Of course, Emily was too deeply asleep to hear what she had just said, and she had done it on purpose. It was something she said to herself, but she still wanted to say it out loud. 

The sun rose timidly over the flat in the heart of Paris. JJ woke up slowly, having fallen asleep on Emily's waist, still holding her hand. When she realised, she got up quickly, as if it was forbidden. She rubbed her eyes and then looked at the state of the wound. It was a little red, which could mean an infection, or just the fact that she had had to operate without anaesthetic, using whatever means she had to hand. Unsure, she looked for her thermometer and took Emily's temperature in her ear, doing so gently so as not to wake her. She did indeed have a fever. Which meant an infection. JJ's pulse began to race, and she paced back and forth, which woke Luke, who came running out of his room. "What's happening? Is she okay?" he asked, out of breath. “She has a fever” replied JJ, sounding worried. Then she asked, “Can you drop by the drug store, I need antibiotics for her, the infection will definitely not go by itself in that state…” Luke agreed and packed his bag to go out. 

At the sound of the door slamming, Emily opened her eyes. She could see JJ standing next to the sofa, half turned towards the window with her hand on her chin, looking worried. Emily didn't really pay attention to her, since she was the one who was ill. She sat up as carefully as she could on the sofa before letting out an "ouch..."

JJ rushed over to help her. "You shouldn't get up, stay down."

"Hi." Emily said with a slight smile. 

"Hey..."

Emily turned her head to face her fully. “I survived, thanks to you.”

JJ let out a chuckle, half genuine, half worried. “Yeah, you did. You weren’t gonna die of a knife in the shoulder, don’t worry.”

Emily’s face softened as the blonde tried to joke. She knew how worried she had been about her, even if the night came up in flashes, she could still hear her voice.

“I’m glad you were here.”

JJ's cheeks turned bright red. She felt a wave of heat wash over her whole body. Moving away from the sofa a little and continued, "It's because of me that you went out. Technically, it's my fault."

“Well, you’re pretty good at fixing your own mistakes.” Emily joked.

That earned her a genuine laugh from JJ, looking at her as if she could see the stars through her eyes. But for now, Emily wasn’t thinking about running away. She just took advantage of the silence to stare back into the pretty blonde’s blue eyes. And that feeling was peace.

Chapter Text

Luke interrupted the two women, who had been gazing languidly at each other for several minutes. He placed the antibiotics on the table with a slight smile, not wanting to disturb them by speaking. Penelope and he had noticed that Emily had made quite an impression on their friend, and they intended to do everything they could to give them some privacy. He then returned to his room. JJ smiled, took the antibiotics and explained to Emily that she would have to give her an IV for greater effectiveness and faster action. 

Emily trusted her with her life now, so when JJ took out the needle, with an intense look as if it were the first time she had ever done this, Emily took her hand tenderly. She fixed her gaze on the pretty blonde's eyes and said, "I trust you." And those words resonated throughout JJ's body like butterflies. She began to blush, once again despite herself, then positioned herself to put the needle in Emily’s arm vein. "Breathe, I'm going to insert the needle." It didn't even hurt. Emily had stopped thinking about the pain since she had felt JJ's sincere presence beside her, since last night but especially when she woke up. It was an inexplicable hold.

Penelope came out of her room, made breakfast for everyone, and a huge portion for Emily so she could regain her strength. Luke joined them and they all sat around the sofa eating. It was a safe place, with light-hearted but meaningful conversations, and a very strong and reassuring bond. 

For a moment, Emily let herself be carried away by the simplicity of it all, telling herself that she might finally have found a place that mattered to her and where she belonged. While they laughed loudly, JJ couldn't stop staring at the beautiful brunette she had saved the night before. Her mind was torn between her affection for her and all the care she would have to give her for her wound. She was a bit of a control freak when it came to work and wanted everything to be perfect, especially since she wasn't treating a stranger this time.

After thirty minutes had passed, the antibiotic was finished, Penelope had gone off to read a book and Luke had gone for a nap. JJ jumped at the opportunity, professionally of course, and said to Emily with a serious look: "You should take a bath. I can help you if you need it, of course, but it's the best non-medicinal way to bring down a fever." She seemed so serious and focused that Emily let out a chuckle. JJ was surprised by the reaction, then realized that the sentence was probably inappropriate. She didn't want to see her naked, she just wanted to help her. “I mean, you can probably bath yourself obviously but if you need help or-”

“I’d like that, thanks.” She was cut mid-sentence by the brunette. And as if her cheeks hadn't stopped burning since that morning, she felt herself blushing again. So that Emily wouldn't notice, she got up to fetch the water supply they kept for emergencies only, in order to pour it into the bathtub. Once it was full, JJ made a sign with her hand for Emily to join her in the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, JJ could already feel the tension rise up. But there was no time to think about that, this was only about Emily’s fever. 

Emily began to undress naturally in front of JJ, who instantly turned away, feeling a sense of modesty and embarrassment, she thought to herself. Emily then turned to the blonde, who seemed to be dying of shame, and said, "I'm not going to be able to take off my shirt by myself, even if you've cut part of it off. Remember, I can't move my arm." Her tone seemed mocking, and of course it was. Trying to ignore her shyness in the face of the situation, JJ turned to Emily, facing her back, and delicately removed her top. 

She admired her back, how her black hair fell below her shoulders, her perfect hips... Stop. She shook her head as if that would make the thoughts go away. Emily was now in her underwear, wearing a sports bra and boxer shorts, very lesbian of her, JJ thought. Then she shook her head again to chase that thought away too. Emily turned back to her, "I don't want to get my bra wet, can you help me take it off too?" And then it all became even more real, she was literally going to see Emily naked, but she knew she was vulnerable because of her injury, so JJ tried again not to think about it. 

She helped her into the bath, her eyes avoiding her curves and lower body, telling herself that trying to count her hairs one by one would avoid any problems. The water was freezing, and Emily shivered when she first sat down. Her body instinctively rose, then she sat back down in the bath. JJ moved away from her a little, muttering something about going to fetch her some clean clothes. Emily didn't even have time to turn towards her before the bathroom door slammed shut, and the blonde was gone. She laughed, honestly and affectionately. It was one of the first times she had ever made a woman so shy, and she realised the hold she had over her.

JJ stood completely still in front of her wardrobe. Her eyes wandered from right to left without really looking for anything in particular. She shook her head, regaining her composure. She grabbed the first hoodie and the first pair of jogging bottoms she found and hurried back to the bathroom.

JJ opened the door quietly so as not to surprise Emily. She still called out, "It's me," as if Emily was expecting someone else to come in. She turned her head towards the door and smiled at JJ.

"I hope you picked out a really nice outfit for me. I don't wear just anything." JJ stopped walking abruptly and stared at Emily with wide eyes. "I didn't think about that. I just got you something comfortable," she admitted. Emily laughed. "I'm just messing with you, don't worry." JJ let out a sigh of relief. She moved closer to the bath, placing the clothes on the sink. She stood behind Emily again, a jug of water in her hand, and poured cold water over her shoulders. Emily felt a shiver run through her as it fell on her skin. JJ noticed and placed her warm hand on her back. She stayed like that for a moment, both of them silent, just enjoying each other's company.

After a while, Emily turned her head slightly so that her voice, as soft and calm as it was, could reach JJ's ears. "I'm really starting to get cold, if you don't mind I'd like to get out." JJ didn't answer but hurried to grab a clean towel. She was now standing at the side of the bathtub, her eyes trying hard not to look at Emily, which was all too obvious as she stared at the ceiling...

"A little help?" asked Emily, holding out her right arm for JJ to grab and help her up. So she helped her out, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling, and wrapped the towel carefully around her. Now that Emily was covered, JJ allowed herself to look at her, and they shared a soft, genuine, real look. JJ was the first to look away, feeling her cheeks turn red for the thousandth time that day. Emily lowered her head and giggled, so that JJ wouldn't realize she was laughing at her. 

JJ cleared her throat, grabbing the clothes she had prepared for Emily, which were scattered messily on the sink. She first helped her put her bra back on, still avoiding any tempting glances at the pretty woman's body standing in front of her. She then gave her her hoodie, which Emily looked at for a long time before putting it on. She paused. “Mean lesbian, huh?” JJ froze. For a good minute she didn’t realize Emily was talking about what was written on the piece of cloth she just lent her. “I’m talking about the hoodie, JJ.” 

JJ felt so stupid, she hadn't even looked at what clothes she had chosen, she had just picked them at random, and now it was super embarrassing. Emily's reaction seemed so serious, JJ could have died of embarrassment, but just before she mustered the courage to flee the bathroom, Emily took her eyes off the jumper and focused on JJ's face, letting out a genuine laugh. JJ's whole body relaxed, her laugh made her feel strangely better, as if everything became lighter at the sound of it. “How did you know?” Emily asked, kind of teasing her.

“Just a hunch.” JJ replied, sarcastically. 

“Just so you know, I’m not mean to women, I swear.” Emily teased again.

JJ felt as if lightning had struck her. Why did she say that? She couldn't get a single word out, as if the sound of her voice was stuck in her throat. Faced with the silence, Emily simply put on her jogging and said she was going back to rest on the couch. 

JJ remained alone in the bathroom for a few minutes, as if she were unable to move a muscle. Emily's words still echoed in her head, their intimate moment shared... But it was over, and she didn't feel brave enough to confide in Emily about their situation. Instead, she would go and talk to Penelope in the near future to get her opinion, even though she knew her friend would just be so excited that JJ had fallen so quickly. 

A week passed, fairly quickly. Luke had found a van during one of his trips out to get new medication. He had set himself the goal of repairing it so that they could hit the road. There were hours of discussion over glasses of wine and the "pros" and "cons" of moving. Everyone finally agreed that Paris had become too dangerous, with far too many people, both infected and human. Their destination was quickly chosen thanks to Emily, who recommended Normandy. The countryside of northern France, calm and quiet.

However, Luke still needed a few days to repair the camper van, and the girls wanted to be absolutely sure they had prepared everything they needed for the trip. Of course, Penelope had prepared dozens of different outfits; if the apocalypse hadn't taken away one aspect of her personality, it was her love for fashion. As for JJ, she was packing winter clothes, knowing that it would surely snow in a couple of months. She took some of her photos that were hanging on her bedroom wall and two medical books. 

While Luke repaired the vehicle, Penelope stayed by his side in the garage to pass the time. She had always had a crush on Luke since they met, and even though she didn't want to say anything, they often shared little moments that could be described as more than friends.

JJ suggested that Emily go to her flat so that she could get her things too. Arriving at the doorstep of the small studio, JJ hesitated before going in. Emily turned around, looking at her with surprise, as if questioning her. "You can come in, you're not going to stay outside." So JJ stepped through the door, admiring every corner of Emily's small flat, trying to discern every detail that might reveal something about her, but she was quickly disappointed. The walls were white, no frames, no photos, even on the two tables there were no accessories, as if she lived in secrecy and didn't want to reveal anything about herself.

Emily was too busy checking her list of things to take to notice that JJ was observing her studio insistently and intrigued. She had taken warm clothes, a few books to pass the time, another pair of shoes "just in case". Then, next to her big bag, she sorted through all the weapons she had. Every time she took one out, JJ's eyes grew wider and wider. Where did she get all this stuff? She thought it was crazy. There were so many things Emily was hiding; in the end, JJ knew nothing about her previous life. But anyway, the important thing was that they now trusted each other, or at least that's what she told herself.

They ended up sitting down on the sofa, tired from taking out and putting away hundreds of items. A wave of infected people could be heard growling outside, so Emily closed the window to forget about their daily life. She sat down next to JJ, who seemed far too pensive for someone who had just been folding clothes.

"What's going on inside your head? Tell me."

Her voice was so welcoming that JJ wanted to tell her everything. She put her hand on her jaw, as if her head was about to fall off. "I'm wondering if you really want to come with us. I'm afraid you feel like you have to after I took care of you, and I don't want you to get stuck in a situation that doesn't feel right."

That made Emily smile. JJ had so much compassion and understanding for her, always wanting her opinion and consent on everything. It was too cute. "I'm not forcing myself, I don't feel indebted to you, I want to come." JJ had expected this answer and smiled back at her. "Good." was all she could say to avoid getting overexcited about the situation.

Later that day, they returned to the flat after waiting for the infected wandering the streets to leave. They saw that Luke was still working on the van, with Penelope motivating him as usual, screaming and cheering. This gave Emily hope. She seemed to have found a family that liked her just as she was. Even though she didn't always feel like she belonged, they all made sure she was included in every conversation, every single moment. They had completely accepted her.

They celebrated their departure the next day with a small party in the living room. They had all brought their mattresses from their bedrooms so they could sleep together and share this last night in their student flat in Paris. Laughter shook the walls of the empty building. It was a comforting night for all of them. Penelope ended up falling asleep on Luke's shoulder, leaning against the sofa, and he too fell asleep a few minutes later. They had stolen the biggest duvet in the flat to cover themselves, as the night was getting colder and colder.

Emily had settled down by the window, unable to sleep. JJ was lying on her right side on her mattress, completely out of it. She had tried to stay awake to keep Emily company, but she kept closing her eyes every ten seconds, so after Emily teased her and advised her to get some rest, she finally went to sleep.

After a while spent looking at the dark sky and the clearly visible stars, Emily heard a kind of moan. She turned around and saw Luke and Penelope holding each other, which she thought was very sweet. Then, turning her gaze to JJ's mattress, she realised she was shivering. Her teeth were chattering and grinding. She approached her, cautiously at first so as not to wake her. She gently touched her forehead, then her shoulder, then her hand. JJ was frozen. Emily, worried, shook her carefully to wake her up.

“What’s going on?” said JJ in a sleepy voice, her eyes half open and her body still shivering from the cold. Emily, still worried, sought honesty in JJ's response. “You’re freezing, JJ. Are you cold?” JJ rubbed her eyes, concentrating hard to analyse Emily's question and come up with a coherent answer. She said, as if in a whisper, “Yeah a little…”

Emily immediately thought about survival as if her brain was programmed for it and, without thinking twice, asked, “Is it okay if I sleep next to you to keep you warm?” Then she stopped. She realized that this question might seem strange, so she followed up sarcastically, pointing at Penelope and Luke, who were sleeping close together, “Seems like your friends already found out that technique.”

“Sure. Yes. Thanks.”

JJ was far too sleepy to realize what was happening. She just moved slightly towards the edge of the mattress to make room for Emily, who slipped straight under the covers beside her. "You can turn over and go back to sleep now, you won't be cold anymore." JJ turned instinctively, and Emily snuggled up against her, her chest pressed against her cold back. She hesitated to put her arm around her waist but decided it would be too much, after all, she wasn't indifferent to her. But for now, she stayed close to her, breathing near her neck, which was half hidden by her long blonde hair, then sighed. It was a rather reassuring sigh, as if all the worry she had felt had now disappeared. Then she fell asleep.

The next day, just after sunrise, JJ heard the sound of a camera, a polaroid to be precise. She opened one eye to see that Penelope had her camera right in front of her face. She was about to shout at her, in a friendly way of course, when Luke, who was standing behind Penelope, signaled her not to speak by putting his finger to his lips and looking behind her. JJ turned slowly, just enough to realize that an arm was around her waist under the blanket and that Emily was lying next to her, fast asleep. "Adorable, I'm going to die," whispered Penelope. “Shut up and give me that photo right now!” whispered JJ back, a little louder, threatening. “She can’t see this!” "It's fine, you're practically already together... Do you think we don't know about the bath story?" Penelope laughed, still whispering. Luke put his hand over his mouth to laugh too. 

JJ stood up abruptly, ignoring Emily's arm as it fell limply onto the mattress, and she let out a groan. JJ started running after Penelope around the flat to get the photo back. Penelope hid in the bathroom and locked the door. JJ knocked several times, still trying to be discreet, but another groan escaped from Emily's mouth. This time she opened her eyes slowly, as if the sun might burn her retinas. She stretched, letting out a sigh. Her shoulder still hurt a little, and she tended to forget about it. She saw Luke standing right in front of JJ's mattress. Surprised, she asked him what was going on. He looked towards the bathroom door, where she could hear "Pen! I'm serious! Open that door or I'll kill you!" coming from JJ’s mouth. 

The tone of her voice made Emily smile, so she got up and joined her by the bathroom door. She leaned against the wall, her right hand on her hip. "What's going on?" she said curiously and teasingly. JJ turned to her, frowning, and she blushed bright red. Emily absolutely must not see this photo. It was a matter of life and death. "Nothing's going on! She stole something that belongs to me, that's all!" JJ said, getting angry at Emily as if she were the one at fault, and turned her head back towards the door. But Emily didn't take it badly, on the contrary, she found it quite amusing. "Wow, calm down, princess. Do you want me to break down the door?" Emily said teasingly. JJ turned back to her, shocked by what she had just heard. Princess? She was going crazy. Her whole body began to boil from the inside, so she grabbed her slippers and went outside for some air, slamming the door behind her to show her annoyance. Luke looked at Emily, who looked back at him, both confused, trying not to laugh.

Penelope came out of the bathroom after hearing the sound of the door and the almost stifled laughter of the other two. "Did she really leave?!" she exclaimed. "Well, yes, you provoked her and now she's angry. You know how she is," Luke replied. Emily then approached the front door, not bothering to retrieve what Penelope had taken from JJ. She told herself that it was none of her business and that it was a private matter. She didn't need to know. "I'm going to go talk to her. Be nice when she comes back," she announced with a laugh. She wasn't making fun of JJ; she was just laughing because she was happy. She hadn't seen friends argue like that in years, and it brought back memories of the good old days. 

When she reached the bottom of the building, she saw JJ sitting on a bench with her back to her, her fists clenched. She approached her slowly, as if waiting to be noticed and then accepted. But JJ didn't turn around, so she moved closer and sat down next to her, keeping a little distance so as not to overwhelm her.

"It's refreshing to see close friends arguing like children. It's been a long time since I've seen that. I hope you're okay, though." JJ finally looked at her, her eyes teary. Emily couldn't help but smile tenderly at the sight of her face. She didn't reply, she just looked at her. She could feel that Emily was sincere and there for her, and even though the photo had really embarrassed her, she couldn't stay angry. Looking into Emily's brown eyes and losing herself in them had calmed her down.

"I have a suggestion. I was thinking of taking my scooter to Normandy while you guys would be in the van, but I thought you could come with me. Don't worry, I have a spare helmet." Emily said in a serious but reassuring voice. She had a gift for talking. JJ felt weakened and touched by the proposal. She couldn't refuse three hours of driving, her hands wrapped around Emily's waist, her hair blowing in the wind on a scooter. It was a dream come true. "I'd love to," she replied simply, but her face lit up. 

"Deal. You can't back out now."

"I wouldn't dare."

Chapter Text

As they all finished packing and putting their stuff in the van, Emily arrives next to it on her scooter, all dressed in black leather. JJ's jaw was ready to drop to the floor. So hot. She turned off the engine and got off the bike. She approached JJ, holding out a black helmet with white hearts on it. "Ready?" JJ looked at her, her eyes shining with excitement. "Obviously."

Emily got back on her scooter, stabilizing herself and motioning for JJ to join her. Luke and Penelope got into the van, signaling to Emily that they would leave first after she had briefed them on the right route to take. JJ climbed onto it, staying a little away from Emily at first, the fear of being too intrusive. Emily grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms until they were wrapped around her waist. JJ's body was completely leaning against Emily's, who could feel the blonde’s heart beating faster and faster.

She had done it on purpose, it made her laugh. She told herself she would bring it up again in a future conversation to make JJ blush again. JJ rested her cheek, or rather her helmet, against Emily's back, ready to experience the best road trip of her life. She had a smile she couldn't wipe off her face, so big that it almost hurt her cheeks.

After making several detours because of abandoned cars blocking the roads, driving slowly enough to avoid attracting any living creatures near them, they arrived on a long country road surrounded by fields and greenery. 

The air was cool but pleasant, and JJ enjoyed the wind blowing through her hair as the scooter moved along, making her feel light as a feather. An hour had passed and she still hadn't moved her head from Emily's back, nor had she lost the big smile on her lips. Emily, meanwhile, was focused on the road. She was usually quite cautious, but even more so today, given that she had someone with her. 

At one point, Luke signaled to Emily to stop. Both vehicles slowed to a complete halt, and everyone got out. They met up between the two vehicles, taking a short break to eat and drink as they hadn't had breakfast yet.

They sat down in the middle of the deserted road to enjoy the breakfast Penelope had carefully prepared while Emily chatted outside with JJ. They had since made up. Emily exchanged a glance with JJ, then said to her in a low voice, as if she wanted her to be the only one to hear, "Do you like travelling with me so far?" JJ smiled, pursing her lips and looking at the ground, intimidated by the question. She didn't want to hide, "I love it, I'm all for it. Thank you for asking me." Her answer made Emily blush for the first time. While Penelope and Luke exchanged knowing glances, they knew exactly what was going on. They didn't want to intervene, though, especially after the joke that had gone wrong that morning.

After eating and drinking their fill, they quietly set off again. This time, JJ put her arms around Emily's waist herself. They both smiled like idiots. At one point, Emily felt JJ's hand slip, so she put it back around her waist, letting their hands intertwine for a few seconds. It felt natural. Neither of them felt uncomfortable and just enjoyed the contact with each other.

When they reached the sign for Caen, Normandy's main city, Emily signaled to continue on the main road, seemingly preparing a surprise for them. Luke asked her to take over and lead the way. She accelerated, and JJ held on tighter to her waist, which made Emily chuckle softly.

About an hour later, they arrived at the seaside. The view was magnificent; for once, the weather was fine in the north. The tide was low, so there were a few puddles on the damp sand, with birds sitting next to them. Emily stopped near a sign that said "Camping". Luke did the same. He and Penelope got out of the camper van while JJ got off the scooter, offering her arm to Emily to help her, even though she didn't really need it. But as it was a sweet gesture, she took her arm willingly. 

"Well, the scenery has already revealed the surprise I had prepared. I spotted this camping several years ago when I wanted to travel to France." Emily explained with a big smile on her face but a slight apprehension about what the others would think of her idea.

Everyone was absolutely delighted with her initiative. Penelope jumped for joy and said, "Emily, this is perfect. You've just added some happiness to an absolutely awful situation. You're amazing."

Emily lowered her head, embarrassed but happy that they liked it. JJ caressed her arm tenderly with sparkling eyes and a huge smile, "Thank you for this. You're the best."

They chose a bungalow large enough for four. It was painted white with blue waves on the front. The paint looked a little faded, but that made it even more welcoming. They settled in, unpacking their bags, then noticed that there were only two bedrooms and a sofa in the entrance hall. Penelope and Luke immediately turned to JJ and Emily. JJ rubbed the back of her neck, looking embarrassed, while Emily didn't even seem to see the problem. She finally said, "I'm a couch person, that's fine." JJ looked at her in surprise but decided it wasn't the right time to discuss it, not in front of everyone. 

After everyone had settled in, they lit a small fire on the beach. The tide was high now, and Luke had promised to cook for everyone. Seeing Penelope hovering around him like the moon around the sun, JJ decided to move away a little to give them some privacy and motioned for Emily to join her. Now a few meters away, they sat next to each to each other on the damp sand, contemplating the waves and the tranquillity. They had both put on their thickest jumpers to keep as warm as possible, as the sea air made the wind particularly chilly at the end of September.

JJ was the first to start the conversation, as she could see that Emily didn't seem to have much to say.

"You know, you can sleep in my room, I don't mind. I'd rather that than you sleeping with Luke!" she said humorously.

"What makes you think I'd agree to sleep with a man?" Emily replied, also jokingly. "But if you insist, I'll have to share your bed, so..." she added in a voice that was clearly flirting with JJ, who didn't know where to put herself.

"You know, I'm really glad you're here with us," JJ replied, avoiding the unseriousness of the conversation. She didn't want to laugh; she wanted to have a serious conversation with Emily, at least tonight, no flirting, just a heart-to-heart talk.

Emily was still amused by the situation. "I'm the one who chose where we moved, technically... So you're the one who's with me." This response annoyed JJ a little. She replied seriously, almost disappointed, "I'm serious, Emily."

Emily looked her in the eyes, realizing that she might have strayed a little too far from a serious conversation and feeling guilty deep down. She hated having to put her feelings into words, she hated having to be honest with people and confide in them. But she hated seeing JJ disappointed even more. "I know what you meant. I'm happy to be here with all of you. With you."

JJ felt that this was the right moment. Her heart was beating so fast at the thought of what she was about to do, but she wanted to go for it. After all, she had been living with Emily for almost three weeks and things were escalating more and more. She gathered her courage, quickly brought her face close to Emily's, afraid that if she went too slowly she would lose her nerve, grabbed her by the shoulder and planted a warm kiss on the beautiful brunette's cheek. Then she turned away, embarrassed, like a middle schooler who regretted confessing her love to her crush. Emily let out a chuckle, touched by what JJ had just done, but held back from doing more. She wasn't really ready, especially not in this context.

Admittedly, they had never been friends, everything had been ambiguous from the start, but doing more would mean committing, and committing was too hard for her. She regretted not being able to give that to JJ, but that would be a conversation for later, she told herself. For now, they would watch the horizon, the birds flying, the sun setting, the calm waves of the sea, and smell Luke's ravioli with tomato sauce.

The next day, Emily got up early to make coffee. The coffee was absolutely disgusting, but at least it would wake everyone up. The night before, they had discussed going out to get supplies, as they had had to leave some things behind in Paris. They woke up one after the other, Luke being the first to get ready, putting on his big, well-worn hiking boots, which were perfect for exploring. Emily prepared her weapons, Penelope staring at her in amazement at the size of her collection. JJ also grabbed a backpack with the essentials and they approached the front door. Penelope stood aside watching them, as if hesitating to speak.

"Look, I really admire you guys, but I think I should stay here. I trust you completely to protect me, it's just that it terrifies me to go out into the city and you know how I am when I'm scared and—"

She was interrupted by JJ, who took her in her arms. "We know, it's okay, Pen. Stay here and rest, we'll be back soon." JJ was always so understanding and warm towards others. It made Emily's heart ache a little.

They set off for the city on foot so as not to make too much noise, even though the streets seemed empty. Who would want to stay in the north at this time? When they arrived in front of a large supermarket, an infected woman was hanging from the logo of the store. She was still alive, her arm pointing towards our protagonists as if she were seeking help. Well, she was just trying to eat them, but it was a rather sad scene. Next to the infected woman was a sign written in French that translated to "The inferior race," and the sign enraged JJ, who couldn't stop staring at it. Luke and Emily were fairly neutral, as if it was the umpteenth time they had seen this kind of thing, but not JJ. She couldn't help but feel empathy for this creature who could devour her if she wasn't hanging there. Perhaps many people had lost their humanity over the months, with the sacrifices they had had to make and all the deaths they had encountered along the way, but not her. Her humanity was all she had left. And the infected creature was suffering, she could feel it.

She slipped her hand into Emily's holster, took her gun and looked through the sights to get the infected woman's head in her line of fire. Emily, surprised, asked her what she was doing, telling her that the infected woman was securely tied up and wouldn't hurt them. JJ lowered the gun, utterly disgusted by what she had just heard, looking simultaneously at Emily and Luke, who seemed surprised by her reaction.

"She was a person, just like us. You wouldn't want to see your loved one like that, hungry, helpless. It's absolutely horrible. The people who did this are no better than those who want to eat our brains. This woman had a life, a family, a job, and this is how she ends up. I find it degrading and I want to put an end to it. If you don't agree, just step forward and I'll join you. I have to do this."

Even though she didn't expect a positive reaction from her friends, Emily patted her on the back and Luke put his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. She felt a little less judged for her decision and pulled the trigger. Blood was now flowing from the top of the supermarket and the infected woman's growls had stopped. JJ let out a sigh, reassured by what she had just done.

They entered the shop, looking for food that would keep for a long time and was easy to cook. After an hour of shopping, they returned to the bungalow without incident. Penelope was waiting impatiently for them, having been bored on her own. She helped them put away the shopping and chose what they would eat for lunch.

In the afternoon, everyone had dozed off a little. Except Emily, who was looking out the window, lost in thought. She thought back to what JJ had done earlier and admired her. She hoped one day to regain the human side she had lost long before the apocalypse. Working for the CIA hadn't helped her in that regard. But for now, it was a part of her life she wasn't ready to reveal, telling herself that if she hid it deep enough inside, it would eventually disappear. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a boat approaching dangerously close to the campsite. It was a small sailing boat; she couldn't make out anything else from so far away. She took her gun, as a precaution, and went out onto the beach to greet whoever was on the boat.

A few minutes later, when the boat was almost on the beach, a man appeared. He seemed to be alone. He looked Emily up and down, sensing her mistrust from afar. He smiled and simply said, "Do you speak English?"

Emily lowered her weapon slowly, as if she was still unsure whether to trust this complete stranger. She also noticed that he was quite muscular, not because she was checking him out, but because she was already imagining having to beat him up if he became hostile.

He got off the boat and approached Emily, stopping a few meters away, unsure whether to get any closer. She had a menacing look on her face; honestly, she was scaring the life out of him.

"I speak English. Who are you?" she replied in a monotone, almost annoyed tone.

"My name is Derek Morgan, I was in the army before all this. I come in peace, I promise. I'm looking for a friend who came by boat a few months ago. And you, who are you?" He was convincing, confident, even kind in his manner of speaking. Emily was not intimidated by his tone and replied simply, "Emily." She wanted to reveal only what was necessary. A complete stranger didn't need to know about her life; she hadn't even told the others she had been living with for more than three weeks... Derek sensed the atmosphere relax a little and allowed himself to move a little closer.

"What is an American doing in France?" he asked, simply out of curiosity.

"The American also has French nationality, imagine that. And how did you get here? Military plane?"

"Do you think I have that privilege? If military planes still exist, it's for the elite. I was simply in England when everything went nuts."

Emily smiled. He had the simplicity she appreciated in people, responding to her accusations with humour, without mocking her. He changed the image she had initially formed of him.

"Who is this friend you're meeting? Do you know where you are and where you're going?" she asked him.

"I know I'm in France, that's something. My friend's name is Tara, I don't think you've met her, it's a big country." He paused to laugh. "To be honest, I came here a bit blindly with only a few supplies... Not very smart for a soldier, I know."

Emily started laughing again. She told him to take his things and meet her at the campsite entrance. He followed her to the bungalows, she opened the door slightly, looking at Derek one last time, "I'm going to tell my friends who you are, stay there and don't do anything stupid or I'll kill you." Derek smiled, amused by the situation, and raised his arms in the air as a sign of surrender.

Everyone had woken up and watched Emily come in. She suddenly felt intimidated by all the eyes on her. She cleared her throat, "Okay, sorry this is a bit abrupt, but I just met someone I'd like to introduce to you. He's a bit lost and needs help finding his friend... I thought he could stay with us for a few days." They were all surprised by the news. Penelope was a little excited at the idea of meeting someone new, but JJ remained cautious, even a little fearful of who she was going to introduce. 

Emily brought Derek in, and he introduced himself to each of them, very polite and friendly. He explained his adventure and the long journey he had made alone. He told them about the death of his friends, which still weighed heavily on his heart, but which he would always remember fondly. The day ended quickly with discussions about Derek, intrusive questions from Penelope, and JJ staring at him.

At nightfall, Derek decided to go and explore the bungalows with Luke while the girls prepared dinner, or rather, JJ and Penelope prepared dinner and Emily took care of the fire. She wasn't very good at cooking, so she helped out as best she could.

Suddenly, Luke came running up, jumping around as if he had found something amazing. Derek joined him, laughing. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the two excited men. Luke took a bag out of his pocket and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, weed!" Emily burst out laughing, Penelope's eyes widened, and JJ didn't really react.

"Doesn't anyone here know how to roll a joint? That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Emily, licking the paper she had finished rolling. She had put enough weed in it to knock everyone out if they shared a single joint. She lit it with the I love France lighter they had found with it. She took her first drag and started coughing. Everyone laughed. She passed it to Derek, who passed it to Penelope, then Luke, then JJ, who hesitated. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but Penelope looked at her with a big smile and said, "Come on, Jareau, have some fun for once." And she took a drag on the joint too; she needed it.

After finishing the first one, there was quickly a second, then a third, until they were all lying on the sand looking at the stars. JJ was next to Emily, Luke and Penelope were also close together, and Derek was in the middle, the third (well fifth) wheel.

They talked about everything and nothing, switching from hyper-philosophical conversations to childish jokes, but everything made them laugh and think. It was the kind of moment that was so light-hearted that you wanted to stay there forever. JJ turned to Emily, her eyes sparkling. Emily turned to her too, expecting another joke or something that wouldn't make sense. She wasn't expecting a confession at all. "I'm a lesbian, Emily." 

Emily smiled, a little surprised but very amused by the sudden confession that seemed obvious from the start. "Yes, I suspected as much."

"I was in love with a girl last year, before all this. She was perfect. She helped me improve my French, she was very interested in what I was studying in class. We went to the cinema and cafés all the time. I felt so good."

Emily frowned, not in anger but rather with nostalgia and understanding. She thought that if JJ was trying to make her jealous, it just made her feel sad for her. "I didn't think I'd ever be able to experience that again..." She was interrupted by Luke shouting, "Sleep! Sleep now!" and Penelope laughing loudly. Derek got up and approached Emily, who turned to him, frustrated that she hadn't heard the end of what JJ was going to say. "Where can I sleep?" he asked her. Emily explained that it would be the couch or the floor, and he gladly accepted the couch. Turning back to JJ, she noticed that she had fallen asleep. She smiled, even though nothing could take away her frustration and she knew she couldn't ask her again what she was going to say, as the weed had probably already erased her words and thoughts. But Emily would remember. She stroked her hair, whispering, "JJ, you're not going to sleep outside, come inside." JJ barely opened her eyes, struggled to get up with Emily's help, and managed to follow her until she collapsed into bed on top of the sheets. Emily took the time to remove her shoes and sweatshirt, tucked her under the sheets, and lay down next to her with her back turned. She kept repeating this sentence in her head, "I didn't think I'd ever be able to experience that again..." She was talking about her, that was for sure. Who else could it be? She finally fell asleep peacefully.