Hello! I know I know... It has been ages when I updated the story. But I'm back from the dead!

My writing may have changed a bit and I apologize about it. Also please remember English is not my native language so there might be some mistakes.

Please enjoy! And as always all the characters belong to Valve.


Nick satt on a wooden box, resting his hands on his legs and stared his silver pistol with a wooden hadle on it. He spinned it around and admired its shape. He listened how Rochelle and Coach were talking together a little further from him. The day had been long. They had sticked to the plan and had tried to find a safe passage out of the city. They had finally found the right way to the high way, which led to north but the whole road was full of abandoned cars and living dead. The ordinary zombies were the easy ones to handle but there had to be those fucking special ones: three big Tanks! Their plan had stopped right then and there...

They had found a small storage house near the gas station, that was made entirely of congrete, and they had took shelter from there. Now they were sitting inside of that congrete box with feelings of hoplesness. It was very hard to find a working car and the only one who was good with cars was dead... Nick cursed and waved his hands in the air. Rochelle looked the man but said nothing. Nicks bursts of anger were nothing new to them. Nick stared the wall in front of him. There was random writings with different colours and fonts: 'What coused this?!', 'We are punnished from God!', 'The one who got bitten lives max four days.'. The las one was ficksed many times: 'Max three days', 'Two days!'. Nick sighed. They weren't the only ones, who had been staying in this God forsaken place.

Nick walked slowly to the window. His black, worn shoes were claping on the concrete floor. Stones were rasping under his shoes like in the gagster movies. Nick watched out – it was raining. Couple of zombies were wobling in front of the gass station without a destination. Rochelle was watching Nick with concern. He had been so bad mood since Ellis died. He had looked sad even. Had Nick grew a heart in this past month?

The white suited man looked out of the window and started to remember the time back at the Mall. It had been only a day or so... He remembered the scene where Ellis had walked right pass him and shot the Charger infront of him. He remembered how that thing had thrown itself and the young mechanic down from the bridge and how he had so desperately tried to safe that silly bastard. Nick just couldn't forget the look on Ellis' face, which had been full of desperation and fear. He couldn't forget, how that young man had grabbed his hand wishing, that he would never let go. Nick closed his eyes. He wanted to forget that look. He wanted to forget how that hand slipped from his own. He wanted to bury this feeling of guilt down down to his core, like everything else.

"Nick?"

Voice of a woman waked him from his slumber. He turned his gaze towards the voice and he saw Rochelle standing right next to him, with conserned look on her face.

"Is everything okay?" The woman asked.

Nick just stared at her face. They were beautiful in some simple classical way. He couldn't look at her brown eyes so he just moved quickly his gaze off. He didn't want to see that accusing look, that he thought he would see. Rochelle had cared Ellis more than anyone and she... She blamed him right?

"Everything is fine." Nick mumbled and turned quickly away from her. He started to walk towards the back wall of the room and continued to climp stairs towards the second floor. He didn't see the confused expression on her face. He just wanted quickly out of there.

"Nick?!" Coach shouted after him but didn't get any answer.

Nick continued along the second floor's corridor and stopped infront of the metal door. He opened it and stepped outside into the cool, rainy night. His shoes were splashing on the roof's vet surface. He stopped on the edge and enjoyed the view. He saw the blocked highway, houses, fields... Where the hell could they go? Nick sighed and run his hand through his vet black hair. He looked his palms and they were filty from dried blood. He started to rub his hair and felt how all that filth and dirty water pored down his face. He rubed the grime out of his face and stubble. Oh, how he wished that he had a shaver! Beard didn't quite suit him, as his ex-wife had said to him... Nick took of his white jacket and layed it down to the roof. He removerd his brown belt and kicked his shoes off. This shower, that nature provided, had to suffice. Nick was starting to open his blue shirt but a shout from the door interrupted him.

"Nick?! What are you doing?" Rochelle asked baffled.

Nick turned to look at her with his grey blue eyes. He smiled.

"I'm showering."


Rochelle sat on wooden box beside Coach and listened the rain drops that were hitting the small window. They were lost. They had lost all the will to go on. These past few days had been miserable, the worst days afted the epidemic. Ellis was dead. The youngest had died and nothing could bring him back. Rochelle rub her eyes so tears couldn't fall down.

"Awww don't ya worry. Everything's gonna be fine." Coach said with smile. He shook the womans shoulder with care. Then Coach pulled the woman to a hug and squeezed her little. He dried one tier off from Rochelles cheek.

"Thanks Coach." Rochelle said with smile. They sat there quiet.

Then Nicks cursing broke the silence. Rochelle turned to look the man who was angrily lifting his hands up. Nothing new... The woman sighed and looked again the teacher next to her.

"Does Nick act strangely to you?" Coach asked quietly.

"How so? "Rochelle asked curiously.

"He has been cursing more and complained less." Coach mumbled.

"Hah! I can't believe that Nick can curse more than this!" The woman laughed.

"I think... that the death of Ellis is hounting him." Coach said.

"Yeah..." Rochelle said and glanced the white suited man who was staring the concrete wall with empty gaze.

"It defenitely bothers him." Coach said massagering his neck.

"Who? Nick? He doesn't care of anyone." Rochelle snapt and turn up her nose.

"You think?" Coach lifted his eyebrow. "Look at him!"

Rochelle watched as Nick passed them and pased towards the window. His expression was tired. There was black sircles under his eyes and it was like there was new wrinkels too. It was like the mans confidence and determination was shaken. Nick looked much more older that he was. Rochelle was even more conserned when saw the pained expression on mans face when he closed his eyes. The woman rose up and called the man with his name. Nick stared her with confusion. Those grey eyes where full of sorrow and pain, and this was the first time Rochelle ever saw that on Nicks face. Nick withdraw his gaze off so the woman couldn't see his broken soul. Rochelle watched as Nick haistly pased off mumbeling something to himself.

"Nick?!" Coach yelled after him but didn't get any aswer. "What was that?"

"I... I don't know..." The woman aswered confused. Rochelle had seen some humanity in Nick that she didn't believe the man had. The woman bit her plump lip and sat back on the box. She sighed and crossed her hands.

"Should you go after him?" Coach asked smiling.

"Yeah..." The woman mumbled and looked her friend who was smirking to her.

"What'r you laughing at?" Rochlelle snarled and hit the teacher to his massive sholder.

"Oh! Nothing!" Coach laughed. "I just thought that if somebody could cheer him up it's you Rochelle."

"Uhuh..." The woman answered and massaged her face. "I don't think so."

"Listen... I don't mean anything kinky. Its just that... You blamed him for Ellis' death and I think that apolagy from you would be cool." Coach said.

Rochelle was quiet and stared the dirty congreet floor. She had plaimed Nick, even though it had just been an accsident. She really had to apologize.

"Sigh... Yeah I'll go." Rochelle finally said and started to walk towards the stairs.

Coach was smiling and started to hum happily. He put the shotgun between his legs and started to clean its barrel. Those two where so easy to handle.

Rochelle arrived to the second floor. It was dark. Night had arrived. The woman saw light on the corridor. The door for the roof was ajar and she could hear the raindrops hitting the roofs service. "Don't say you jumped off the roof." Rochelle was thinking when she walked towards the door. She opened it and looked around. He saw Nick who was standing on the edge of the roof. He was soaking wet and was takig off his suite jacket. Nick dropped it down and kicked off his shoes. What an earth was this guy doing? When Nick started to take off his blouse Rochelle shouted his name cheecks turning red.

"Nick! What the hell you'r doing?!"

"I'm showering." Nick said with a tired smile.

"Showeing..." Rochelle repeated silently.

"What?!" Nick shouted.

"I said that okay!" Rochelle yelled back.

Nick only noded and continued taking off the blue blouse. He ripped it off with swift move and looked at the stains on it. The man turned up his nose and dropped it on the jacket. Nick was massaging his torso and watched all the grime that was falling off with rain. Rochelle was standing at the door and wathed the man. She felt a little akward. Why though? Showeing was complitely normal and now there wasn't such a word as privacy. Rochelle was rubbing her neck and build up a courage. Apologize... Okay. She step on the wet ruuf and let the cold rain drops wet her darks skin and purple shirt.

"So refressing!" Rochelle said when she got next to Nick.

Nick looked at her put didn't say anything. Rochelle grabbed her shirt and lifted it off. Her black bras where starting to get wet. The water was cold but refressing and it felt like she started to get clean again. At last! How long has it been since last shower? Nick watched the woman beside him smiling.

"What?" She asked seeing the mans face.

"Nothing. Thought you where shy." Nick answered with smile.

Rochelle laughed and took off her jeans. Soon they both stand the in they undergarments letting the rain clean their bodies. Rochelle looked the man. He had wery nice body for middle-aged- man who had got everything on silver plate. Or this was the way Rochelle had always saw Nick. He had some chest hair but they suited him. Scar on the mans lower back had womans attention.

"Where did you got that?" She asked pointing the silverly line. Nick looked the place where she was pointing.

"Oh... One guy cut me." Nick aswered priefly.

"One guy?"

"Yeah."

Rochelle examined his face. There was no emotion there. Mans past may have been much more darker that Rochelle had thought. It might explain why Nick was always hiding his true feelings. He didn't want to look weak. Rochelle rub her neck.

"Listen..." She stared but couldnt finish. Nick was looking at her, but not straght in the eyes.

"Well uh... Sorry that I said those things back at the mall." Rochelle said. "I shouldn't... It wasn't your fault that Ellis fell. It was that damn chargers fault."

Nick looked straigh to womans brown eyes. He stared them hard like he didn't believe a word Rochelle said. Nick moved his gaze to his feet and twisted his toes. He pressed his hands to fists trying to handle the anger rising in him.

"I don't need your pity." Nick then said silently.

"What?" Rochelle asked with disbelieve.

"I know damn well who killed Ellis!" Nick growled and looked the woman with blazing eyes. Not from anger, more like grieve and dissapointment.

"Nick..." Rochelle started, but con man interrupted her.

"Don't you fucking start! I don't need any of you! I don't need your symphaty or you opinnion! And expesially I don't need your lies! I know you blame me so don't you fucking dare!" Nick shouted and pushed Rochelle back wards.

The reporter stared the conamn with fear. Nick could be very unpredictable person when he got mad.

"I'm not lying! I really think it wans't your fault." Rochelle tried to calm the man.

"God... Coach propably asked you to come here, didn't he?" Nick said and swung his hand towards the door. " Go away!" Nick growled and turned his back to the woman.

Rochelle bit her lip with rising anger. Nick new how to be a prick. Saying 'sorry' was hard enough and this con man didn't make it any easier. Rochelle sighed and then walked towards the man. She huged him from behind and put her head to his shoulder. Nick starlted the touch and stared infront of him with big eyes. For the first time Nick was speachless.

"I'm so sorry Nick." Rochelle said silently. "Please forgive me. It wasn't your fault."

Nick couldn't breathe. His chest was aching. Nick swallowed and tried to keep the tears at bay.

"Give it a rest... will you..." Nick mumbled and tried to remove womans arms from his chest. Rochelle just hughed him more tighly. God she was so warm. Nick could feel Rochelles heart beat and he could feel how his own cheecks started to heathen up. Well this was starting to get ridicilous!

"O-Okay... Apologize accepted." Nick finally said looking at the sky and the falling rain.

Rochelle removed his hands from the con man and stepped few steps back. She put her hands behind her and started to smile shyly. Nick smiled back and hoped the rain was consealing any tears he might have shed. Nick messaged his face and then kneeled down. He started to scrub the dirty clothes from blood and grime. He sniffed and tried to ignore reporter who was still looking at him. Rochelle was similing. Nick had feelings. They just where hard to dig up. Rochelle keeneld down too and started to clean her clothes mimiching Nick.

"Ro! Nick! You never guess what I just found!" Coach shouted from the door. Both of them looked the teacher.

"What an earth have you two been doing?" Coach asked laughing. "I just left you like two minutes and you are already naked!"

Nick looked teacher with a warning. Rochelle started to laugh and took her clothes from the ground.

"We where just showering." She explained and walked to Coach. "It would be good for you too." She continued and smelled him with disqusted expression. Nick snickered teachers hurt look.

"What did you find?" Rochelle then asked when she got out of the rain. She started to press her clothes to get them dry. Coach kept his flash light up so she could see something.

"Somebody had left some interesting writing on the wall." Coach said.

"Really?" Nick asked and dried his own clother in the dim light.

"Come, I'll show you guys!"

They followed the teacher back to down stears. Rochelle was slightly trembling from the cold but it didn't bother her. She felt more alive! Coach took them to one of the shelves and pointed one of the writings. It had been made with black marker.

"Found that when I was moving the shelve." Coach told.

The writing said:

'Heard from radio that there is a boat and they need crew. Will go there."

Coach looked his frieds with big smile.

"A boat?" Nick said.

"The harbor! Why didn't we think this before?" Rochelle said and slapped her hand to her forhead.

"I think this is the shit right here." Coach tapped the wall.

"Tch... I don't think the boat is still there. We don't know how old the writing is." Nick said shaking his head.

"But there could be other boats." Rochelle said to the con man who only smiled back to her.

Coach looked them happily. He was wery pleased to himself. What ever Rochelle had done to make Nick feel better, it had worked.

"So? To the harbor?" Coach asked.

"To the harbor!" Rochelle said and slapped her hands together. Nick crossed his hands and noded lightly.