Rebuild. Restart.

Sara had spent the last two days at home cleaning up and trying to get her mind off her father and Ayita. She had given a few of her manga books to Kelly as she remembered that she wanted some. She had seen her dad and Ayita a few times when she would come to see them but it was painful for her to be there all that kept playing her mind was seeing her dad laying on the floor. She had to leave the room a few times due to having an anxiety attack but for now she was in her room painting portraits of people. The first one she started on was of Ziggy. She had finished the outline of the drawing and did some of the painting finishing the hair up but she had to get the skin tone and and the rest of it done. As she was working on painting the skin tone a knock came at the door, it broke her focus for a moment but she continued to paint until she heard that knock again. She walked out into the living room and looked to the back door seeing her sister Maria and her mother hanging out with some of the neighborhood kids and a dog.






She heard the knocking once again and opened the door to find Cam and almost the whole gang at her door. Hearing the news Sara looked shocked as she didn't expect to hear the good news so soon. "Are you serious? Oh my god give me one minute!" said Sara to Cam and the others as she looked down to see that her clothes were covered in paint. She went to her room quickly changing grabbing a long sleeve purple shirt and some blue jeans with her black van shoes. She quickly wrote a note for her mother leaving it on the counter before leaving with Cam and the others. A big smile appeared on her face as she was glad to see that her friend pulled through. On the way there they passed by the old tattoo shop that Ayako used to work at. She was in there trying to clean it and get some of the tattoo machines working as she was still pretty sad about her brother yet she knew that as of now she need something to try and take her mind off of it.

They pasted by the Hell-Riders who were helping out with rebuilding the town. Troy for the first time wasn't wearing his vest he walked around in a white tank-top with suspenders on. While Cutler was shirtless always proud to show off his muscles. The two of them stared at one another and he walked over smiling as he hugged her. "Hey it's good to see you is everything-" asked Troy before he was cutoff by Sara. "Ayita is awake we are going to see her." said Sara in a quick tone. She quickly left to caught up with the others and as she did Troy just smirked as he was happy to hear some good news.







Cassie was in the medical building helping Mark out whose was a little banged up all things considered. His leg was still hurting even when he had tried to put a little weight on it. He knew he would just have to bear with the pain until it went away. He was going through physical therapy now until his leg was fully healed up. He grunted through the pain and was sweating bullets. He made it to the last step and as he did he felt like Rocky. Cassie clapped her hands and smiled at her man as she walked over to him giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you babe." said Cassie to Mark who was taking a minute to catch his breath. "Yeah...No problem...I'll just rest here go help the real heroes out there." said Mark to Cassie who smirked and kissed him on the cheek. She then left Mark heading to Marco's room to check in on him.

Parting ways with Carmin Justin quickly made his way across the center of town, passing by the fountain that served as a center point for Bar Harbors town square his gaze fell to the gold platted lettering of the highschool as it grew closer and closer. Reaching the building he took the few steps to the doors two at a time, reaching the top he looked back towards the corner Carmin had disappeared down, knowing her she was already excitedly wrapping at one of her friends door, the news of Ayita's waking resting on her tongue. Turning back towards the highschool doors Justin opened them and made his way inside, instantly he was greeted by the cacophony of sounds from people going about their duties.

Looking to the left and further down the white tiled hallway Justin took a breath and let the broad smile on his face shrink to a small smirk. The principals office was on the second floor along with the rest of the administrative area. Making his way down the hallway he looked to the doors as they passed, each one full of people going about their business. Some sorted supplies, others repairing clothes or other types of gear, some cleaning and repairing weapons. All important, all needed to be done. Reaching the stairs Justin again took them in pairs and with little time made his way to the second floor landing. This floor, like the last, consisted of one long hallway with alleys jetting off of it at regular intervals. Towards the end it opened up to a small seating area with a large wooden door along the west wall. It was through these doors he would find Mallory who had taken up the heads office as her own, rightfully so in Justin's mind. Making his way down the hall he shuffled passed the few people he crossed paths with, always a polite excuse me on his mind. Reaching the door he knocked a few times, but there was no answer. Knocking once more he opened the door slightly. "Excuse me." He greeted as he shuffled his way in. Making his way down the small hallways leading to the reception area Justin was greeted to why he didn't receive an answer. Seeing Mallory asleep at the desk he shook his head. "Asleep huh?" He questioned. Deciding that he wasn't going to wake her he made his way to the desk and wrote the news on a piece of paper before stepping into the office proper, fully planning on leaving the paper for her to find upon awaking he frowned when he heard her mumble a greeting.

"Shit.. Sorry about that Mal. Didn't mean to wake you." He said bringing his hand up to grip the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose you're awake now so I'll just tell you in person." He said with a chuckle. Looking to her with a smile as he waited for her eyes to look in his direction he let his hand fall. "Was just gonna come and inform you of the good news." He started. "I was taking my shift of watching over Ayi in case the worst came to pass." Taking a few steps towards her he let the smile widen. "Well, I'm happy to say she's awake. Woke up about Thirty minutes ago. Her and Ziggy were talking when I left."

Leaning her head onto Ziggy's shoulder after she took the letter from her hands Ayita shifted her weight into her girlfriend and wrapped her arm around her. Chuckling lightly upon hearing her say that she would spank her if it was a goodbye letter Ayita shook her head before looking Ziggy in the eyes. "It's not my love. I promise you." She answered with a smile in her direction, Leaning her head back down on her shoulder Ayita waited for her to read through it. The letter containing what her heart had been wanting to say for the longest time she felt a certain type of nervousness creep it's way into her mind. Would she still love her even after reading about some of the things she had been forced to do after the end of the world? Or would she hate her? Scared that the latter may come to pass Ayita brought her hand to hold her lovers and waited to hear Ziggy's responses to what the letter contained.

Going quiet for a time as she let Sieglinde work her way through the letter Ayita snuggled closer to her lover and closed her eyes, Letting the sensation of the warm body next to her push the nerves from her mind she smiled and thought of what her parents had said to her in that white room. Breathing quietly she heard her fathers words echo in her ears. "You found a winner in this one my girl." He said. He was right, It really did feel like she had found a winner. They worked well together, got along well, and most importantly... Loved each other. A smile finding its way to her features Ayita opened her eyes again and looked up to Ziggy's eyes as she worked through the letter, her eyes seemed to be watering, was she crying? "bist du in Ordnung?"(Are you alright?) She asked bringing her hand up to wipe the tears away from Ziggys cheek. Waiting for her to finish the letter in it's entirety Ayita stayed quiet for the most part, Running her thumb along the top of her girlfriends hand Ayita once again closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of her lovers body next to her. Leaning her head into Ziggy's chest she let her breathing steady, her feelings fly away. It was peaceful, and nice. Staying this way until she heard Ziggy shout Ayita instantly shot up with a wince from pain that shot from her wound. Recovering as the pain subsided Ayita looked to Ziggy with concern in her eyes. "What's wrong Sieglinde?" She asked gripping her girlfriends hand tighter than before.

Giving her a moment to answer Ayita watched as Ziggy held the piece of paper to her face for a moment before slowly lowering it to her lap and looking at her. Staring back with the same concerned look on her face as before Ayita repeated her question. "What is it my love?" Concerned that she may have written something that had upset her Ayita felt as the anxiety crept up on her again, if only for an instant as she heard Ziggy begin to provide an answer. Hearing that what was written was everything she wanted to say to her as well Ayita tilted her head. "What do you mean?" She questioned. Hearing as she began to provide an answer to the question Ayita smiled, She knew how hard it was for her to talk about her life before the end, what it was like in Germany and what she did before coming to America. Happy to hear that she was willing to talk about it Ayita brought her lovers hand up to rest between the two of them and looked into her eyes. "Only if you're okay with it Sieglinde." She said.

Her answer came not from words though, but from actions. Waiting for an answer Ayita quickly felt as Ziggy gripped her head and pulled her into a long kiss, her eyes falling shut she let the feeling overtake her, felt the warmth and comfort it always brought. Leaning into her as the kiss came to an end Ayita felt Ziggy's forehead against her own. "Tell me everything, as much as you're comfortable with." Ayita answered in a whisper. Without another word she watched as Ziggy broke the moment and reached over for her jacket. Fishing around in it for a moment she pulled out a handful of pictures, the first containing Ziggy herself and two others that looked fairly similar to her. "Family?" Ayita asked looking to Ziggy for her answer. Seeing her nod Ayita smiled for an instant until she heard Ziggy say that she hadn't been able to look at the images since before the end. Frowning Ayita shook her head and looked her girlfriend in the eyes. "If it's painful, don't force yourself Love." She said before letting her hands fall again. Giving her a moment Ayita heard as she began to continue, it must of been hard for her to talk about it but Ayita was thankful she was opening up to her. Giving her a caring look Ayita gripped her girlfriends hand again and smiled as she heard her continue to talk about the photos. Next up was a group of people, All of them Ziggy introduced in order, Vivien, Gitte, Max, Michael, and Christian. Letting her gaze shift from one to the other as Ziggy spoke about them Ayita took notice of the way they were dressed, They all looked the way Ziggy had dressed for the most part and it got her thinking. Would she like her to dress like that? Would it make her happy if she did? Letting the thought fall from her mind for the time Ayita looked back to the photos.

Watching as Ziggy set the images of her friends to the side Ayita then saw as she held a final image to her chest before speaking of what it held. It was an image of Dieter, the boy she was in a relationship with before the end, the one she loved before. Reaching out with her other hand Ayita gripped Ziggys free hand with both of her own and looked her in the eyes. "It's part of your past, part of you. I want to know everything." She said reassuring her. Giving her a moment Ayita then saw as she brought the image away from her chest and showed it to her. On it was an image of Ziggy and a man she presumed to be Dieter holding hands, she looked up to him with the same admiration she saw her looking at her with. Seeing it made Ayita smile because it confirmed to her that what they had was real.

"Sieglinde." Ayita started as she looked from the image to her lovers eyes. "Thank you. I know it's hard for you to talk about your life before." She said as she brought their foreheads together again. "And now I know what we have is real. That face." She said pointing to the face she was making in the image of her and her old boyfriend. "It's the same face you look at me with. Isn't it?" She said with a smile and a cheesy look to her lover.

---

Having gathered all of the friends together Cam led them towards the highschool where they would make their way to the rooms that were converted into a medical wing a few days prior. On their way Cam remembered something she forgot. "Oh! Shit!" She called with a snap of her fingers. "I'll uh.. I'll be right back." She said to the group before sprinting off back towards her house. Reaching it within a few minutes Cam burst through her front door and down the short hallway into the living room, scattered across the floor was countless heaps of dirty clothes and discs of every sort. Turning the corner into her room Cam dropped to her knee's and began rummaging through her closet for the converse All-Stars she had promised to give Ayita for Ziggy. "Where are you you bastard?" She said to herself. Pulling anything and everything out from the closet her room was shortly as big of a mess as the rest of the house. Finding them stuffed in the far back corner Cam pumped her fist into the air in victory before pulling the box out and lifting the lid. Confirming that they were still both in the box Cam jumped to her feet before spinning towards her door.

Stuffing the box under her arm Cam quickly left her house and locked the door before stuffing the keys into her pocket, thankfully her father had kept a spare set below a pot in the front that hadn't been touched, that old coot thought of a lot of things now that she thought about it. Making her way to rejoin her friends she smiled. "Got it." She greeted.

"What's 'it'?" Brody questioned.

"Well, Shoes... Sorta figured that was obvious there B." Cam answered giving him a face.

Chuckling she punched his shoulder before taking the lead again. Reaching the hospital in short order the group made their way inside and towards the room Ayita was being held in. Getting to the door Cam opened it a crack and looked in, smiling as she saw Ziggy and her cuddling on the bed Cam the pushed the door all the way open. "Guess who's back.. Back again.. Guess who's back.. Tell a friend.." Cam sang badly as she bobbed her head to the beat of the words while she entered. Her smile growing from ear to ear as she saw Ayita looke in her direction Cam rushed to the bedside and set the box down next to her friend. "God it's good to see you." She said smiling ear to ear.

Looking at her for a moment Cam let her gaze shift to Ziggy next to her and then down to the box. "Oh! Uhh. Here Ayi." Cam said as she held the box out to her.

Chuckling at the goofy display Cam put on as they all entered the room Ayita smiled as she saw all their friends file into the room. "Hey guys.." She said quietly but with satisfaction as she let her gaze shift from one to the other, They were all here for her, that was something odd on a whole nother level.

"Welcome Back Ayi." Brody said with a nod.
"Your absence, has been... Peculiar. To say the least." Ellie answered.
"layman's terms: It's been weird without you." Thomas then added.

"Yea! Shits been weird without you Ayi." Cam then added.

Looking among her friends Ayita's smile widened. Taking the box she opened it a small amount and peered in, seeing the converse just like Ziggy had been wanting she smiled while she brought the box to her lap. Looking to Ziggy she leaned over and kissed her lover. "So.. Remember before when you said you wanted a pair of.. All-Stars?" She asked. "Well.." Opening the box fully she turned it towards Ziggy so she could see what it contained. "As a thank you.. For everything."

Having made his way into the principals office and relaying the good news to Mallory that Ayita had rejoined the living Justin frowned, he could tell that she hadn't slept in a while and was struggling to stay awake. Shaking his head as he heard her begin to say that she'd go see her in a minute Justin approached his leader and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "How long has it been since you slept?" He asked her as he shed his jacket and put it over her form that remained slumped over the desk in a half sleep filled daze. Giving her a moment to provide an answer the fact one never came was one in it's own right. "She's not going anywhere soon, I'm sure Ziggy is going to make sure of that. Get some rest boss, You've earned it." Justin answered as he turned to leave, letting his hand fall from the chair Mallory sat in Justin quickly met the gaze of Claudia who came tearing in like a bat out of hell as usual. Feeling as a wave of annoyance came over him from the accusations she threw his way and how she accused him so Justin took a deep breath and let the feelings fade.

"I told her the same Claudia. It wasn't my intention to wake her up, I was gonna leave a note but her senses kicked in." He explained, making a reference to how her senses had been sharpened over years in the service just as his had. Thankfully Claudia decided to drop the subject soon after that and the subject had shifted to something that Mallory had apparently been wanting to ask him.

Looking to the two of them curiously Justin wondered what they wanted to talk to him about that was so important that they couldn't wait until Mallory got a little sleep, although from the looks of it she was already doing so. Letting a gentle smile form on his features as he saw her begin to drift off Justin looked back to Claudia and listened to what she had to say. From the sounds of it the fact he had a military background like Mal had earned him an offer that would place him in a more prominent role in the group, One that would have him training the younger members and preparing them for any more conflict the town may have to endure. Having spent a number of years in the service as well as being a gun instructor after losing his arm and being discharged what he would be doing wasn't anything new, In fact it brought a sense of normality to his mind, like things may get back to the way they had been before, or at least a little bit anyway. Letting his gaze drift from Claudia to a sleeping Mallory Justin Nodded. Looking back to Claudia Justin let their gazes meet. "I'll do it." His answer quick and to the point. Turning to the door Justin crossed the room and began to exit, before doing so he looked back to Claudia. "I'll find Mallory and ask her about the details after she gets some RnR." He said. Turning back to the door Justin smiled and gently closed the door behind him before heading back outside.

Reaching the front steps he took a deep, satisfied breath. Things were finally looking up.