Back to basics.

Taking up a position on the opposite side of the entry to the building Justin heard his love joke as she readied herself to clear the building, "Get behind me Kelly, And stay there." Justin said in a stern voice to his sister as he to slid a fresh mag into his weapon. "Yes sir Drill Sargent sir." Kelly returned with a sense of sass in her tone as she moved to stand behind her brother, In normal circumstances Justin would have had a smartass remark ready but at the current time his mind was completely on the task at hand. Shaking off his sisters remark Justin gave a nod towards Alex signaling her to open the door, He'd take point and clear the right as she did the left as was standard procedure with a centrally placed door such as the one the dimly lit brick appeared to have. "Go"

Making his way through the door Justin was greeted with a small cluster of about five roamers scattered around what appeared to have been a coffee shop at some point or another, The closest roamers head tilted slightly in his direction before jolting back as dark blood splattered against the wall behind him stepping to the left he dropped two more, Their bodies falling slump against the counter against the left wall before making his way to the far left corner without looking back, He trusted that Alex would be quick and efficient just as she had been numerous times before. Turning his head to her he whistled to get her attention , a short and to the point chirp before signalling for her to clear the rooms to the right, He'll clear the left. "Stay here." He then said as he turned to look at his sister that had kept behind him like he had said. "Stay here? Didn't you just say follow you?" she said in a hushed whisper. "Yes, I did. Now I'm saying stay here. Will it make it better if I make it an order soldier?" Justin responded, Kelly didn't respond. Only when he left her immediate area did she grumble to herself as she held her pistol towards the dead corpses that now littered the coffee house floor "Gross..."

Making his way across the room Justin turned to see the door on the opposite side of the room open telling him Alex had already begun. "Efficient as always I see" He said with a sense of admiration in his voice as a loving smile slipped onto his face before turning to the door he had taken. "Okay, What's behind door number two then?" He asked the air as he turned the handle and slowly pulled it open. The last remaining light of day crept through the few windows that scattered the hallway leading deeper into the building casting an orange hue on the opposite wall, A lone roamer had set up camp at the far end of the corridor and was at the time leaning against the wall with its head drooping down, eyes to the floor. Whistling to get it's attention as he closed the distance between them Justin unsheathed his combat knife and drove it into it's head as it looked in his direction. Wiping the blood off on his pants leg Justin returned the knife to it's home before turning back to the door he had emerged from that lay open on the other end, To the left were two other doors, Both labeled. The closest had the words 'MANAGER'S OFFICE' embezzled across the front at eyes level. The furthest being a multigender bathroom. 

Closing the distance in three steps Justin opened the door labeled as a managers office, inside lay as he expected a polished wood desk along with a bookshelf along the back wall, A duo of stiff back chairs sat closest to the door while along the far end a leather reclining office chair sat tucked into the desk. A emaciated looking Roamer sat handcuffed to a built in lamp and what looked to Justin to be a P229 Legion if he wasn't mistaken. "Didn't make it huh?" He said in a somber tone before unsheathing his knife a second time. The Roamer reached with his free hand towards him but Justin stepped around and out of his reach before driving the knife into the back of his head. "Sweat dreams" He said as he put the thing down.

Taking the pistol from the table Justin slung his SCAR onto his shoulder before pulling back on the slide of the pistol and checked the clip. "Full huh?" He mused before making sure the safety was on and sliding it into his back pocket. Taking his rifle back off his shoulder he returned to to the hallway, The orange sunlight had quickly turned into the last remaining hues of purples and reds. Stepping into the bathroom their wasn't much of note save a duo of Roamers, Both adorned in hiking gear Justin figured they must have been the newest members of the corpse party. Placing a round in each of their heads before closing the door back. "Clear." he said to himself before turning to return to the main area. "Clear left." he called out as he entered through the door, rejoining his sister in the seating area of the coffee shop before looking towards Alex's door awaiting her return.   

Sat atop the small stool near the back entrance that he had barricaded with what he could find that held enough weight to keep anything from prying it open a few moments prior Justin looked around the dark room, the pitter patter of rain on the roof had begun to mix with the sound of thunder following swiftly behind flashes of blue through the few windows in the front of the store that cast long shadows against the wall behind, More than a couple times he heard his younger sister jump with a muffled shout of fear. "Shhh." he said as he beckoned her closer; Stepping off the stool and leaning against the wall he wrapped his arm around her. "It'll end soon." he assured her as he gently stroked her back in comfort and kept his eyes glued on the open door Alex had gone through as they split to clear the building.

A few minutes would pass before either moved, Kelly kept her head buried in her brothers chest, Her irrational fear of thunder showing it's ugly head as the thunder continued to clash outside. "Don't worry Kels, I'm right here." Justin assured her once again understanding what she was feeling completely as he continued to run his hand along her back as he heard a noise begin to come from the door Alex had disappeared through, shortly the sound was accompanied with the familiar form of his love, "She's safe." he whispered to himself, Kelly hearing him she turned her head away and gave her brother one last hug before pushing herself back to balance on her own feet. "Hey Alex.." she said quietly before stepping to the side. 

A soft smile planted on his face Justin watched as Alex made her way back across the room and mentioned that she came bearing gifts. Her accent showing more than usual Justin had come to understand that sleep generally followed when it became this thick, although, he always couldn't help but think how cute it was. "Gifts huh? Well, thankya my Badass Beauty." he said with a chuckle before hearing his sister speak up. "Badass beau-" she started before bringing her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose before adding "Turn down the cheese levels bro..". Never taking his eyes off Alex Justin swung his arm towards his sister telling her to hush before watch his love move to the coffee table nearby and lay things down on the table. "Watcha got babe?" he asked as he saw her lay a few things on the table, among them a couple of mags and coffee, "I see, this will help a lot." he said with appreciation showing in his tone as he planed a kiss on Alex's cheek. "Thank my dear." he said in a whisper as he pulled away, The soft smile staying on his features as he watched her catch her composure and turn to Kelly to explain that she shouldn't go into the back store room due to the scene that had unfolded which caused a tinge of worry to cross Justin's mind at the thought that it might have been caused by what his love had to deal with alone. Not that he didn't think she could, in fact the woman standing in front of him was probably one of the most combat effective people he had met outside of a few certain members of the military he had served with over the years leading up to the end. 

Pulling out a seat for her Justin placed a quick kiss on her lips before speaking "Coffee sounds great my dear,"  he greeted before fetching another for himself and placing it next to her. "Rest for a moment my love. If I've picked up on anything it's that accent of yours." He said as he pointed towards her mouth for a moment and tilted his head slightly towards her before righting it again. "And I know you only let it show this much when you're tired." he continued before bringing his hand to hold hers, "Or you're just trying to win cuteness points but you already got max in those in my book." He added with a chuckle as he ran his thumb along the top of her hand. 

Taking a few moments to let her settle Justin moved his hand to pull her close and wrapped an arm around her, "Feeling better?" he asked as he listened intently to her calm breathing. "You want that coffee now my dear? I'll whip it up if you'd like." he said with a nod to the packets in front of them, The thunder had begun to grow quieter and with it so did Kelly who had since fallen asleep in the corner against the wall. "Welp, looks like this is our home for the night, Not gonna wake the beast now." he joked before turning back to Alex and planted another kiss on her lips before standing up to start the process of making the dark roast coffee. 

A few minutes passed as he waited for the water to boil, luckily the shop seemed to be tied to an underwater well and still had running water, if you could call the slow trickle running he joked to himself before ticking the gas stove up, The small hole in the wall coffee shop seemed to have an open kitchen of sorts, in full view of the main dining area. hearing the water turn to a boil he instantly killed the heat before adding the grounds and covering it quickly after to keep the heat from escaping. "Nearly done my dear." he said as he smiled towards Alex, Noticing the tiredness in her eyes. 

Taking a couple of white mugs from the counter Justin checked the coffee after letting it simmer for about five minutes and the smell of dark roast filled the room. Pouring a little in each cup he disposed of the dirty pan in the sink before clamping his prosthetic hand around one of the mugs, taking the one he would give to Alex with his real one. Rounding the counter he came to stand next to her. "You're order ma'am." he joked as he mimicked someone that had worked there before trading hands for his own cup and returned to his seat next to her. "You want me to help you get a little more comfortable for the night? or you want to sleep in your plate?"

Watching as Alex sipped on her coffee Justin felt his smile widen ever slightly, She was serious nearly every waking hour so he grew to cherish the times he was able to allow her to relax. Taking a few sips from his own cup he returned it to the table in front of them before hearing her speak Russian which gently drifted into English, running his hand up her arm and resting it on her shoulder he did the same with his prosthetic before rubbing her shoulders gently before responding, "That's my job." he said with a sense of sincerity in his words before adding "moya lyubov' (My Love)" with a fleeting worry that he pronounced it wrong. Keeping up the pace of his shoulder message as he felt her lean into him and take another small sip of coffee as her eyes fell shut. The grin on his face grew ever so slightly once again as he leaned his head down and kissed the top of her head, her dark brown hair a mess from the days events, pulling away he heard her mention taking watch. "I know my dear, I won't let anything happen to my girls as they rest. Don't worry." Justin answered before motioning for her to sit up.

Shifting his weight to face her Justin motioned for her to set the cup down, "Lets get you more comfortable." He mused before moving to undo the cummerbund, Feeling Alex's hand move to aid him he gave her a smile before turning his attention to his hands once again. Sliding the cummerbund off he sat it on the table before moving to the next task. Raising her hands up Justin undid the Velcro strap around her wrist's before sliding both gloves off revealing the class ring around her finger that he had given her as a sign of their bond a few weeks prior. "Turn around for a moment my dear." he said gently before taking her hand to aid her in the movement, He knew she didn't need the help but he helped all the same. Undoing the strap on either shoulder he slid the plate carrier off of her form before leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. "There you are Moya lyubov'" he said kindly before setting the carrier next to the rest of her gear on the table. "I'll take first watch sweetie so try to get some sleep for me." he said as he let his eye trace the scar that stretched along her collar bone and below her ear, Standing up he grabbed his rifle and leaned it against the wall close to Kelly before moving his chair to sit against the wall so he could see both exits along with the majority of the main area. "Join me?" he asked as he pulled a close by chair next to him and patted the seat softly. "I'll keep you safe." He said before removing his hand.

Watching as she finished her coffee Justin waited for her to join him before adjusting his position so she could lean on him as she slept if she so chose while still allowing him to reach his rifle if needed. "Sweet dreams my dear." he said to her before settling in fully for the watch ahead. 

Letting the night overtake him Justin watched the doors of the building, the entrances and windows being illuminated by the moonlight as he felt the weight of Alex lean against him, Stroking her head until he heard the soft snoring that he had grown accustomed to he let his hand fall, Reaching for his rifle he brought it up to his lap before glancing down at Alex. It felt nice knowing she trusted him enough to let herself fall fully asleep, even if it was never for long stents of time. Returning his gaze to the area around him all was quiet, The bodies of the few undead that had been scattered around when they arrived still strung across the area Justin let his eyes drift to them for a time.

Who were they? He wondered to himself as he studied their tattered clothing, The one closest to the counter had the remnants of a suit, the blue hues showing through the crimson splatters of blood and gore, The mans matted short black hair resembled a cool and put together individual. Moving to the next closest body Justin's heart went out to the person the creature once was, She didn't look older than eighteen. Her long brown hear reached to her waist and a Metallica shirt covering her now ripped torso, her midsection strung across the floor the thought of that being the way she originally died crossed Justin's mind. "Poor thing." Justin whispered to himself before turning his eyes away. The wood walls which must have housed much laughter and fun now harbored nothing but cold and death, With a sigh Justin returned to letting his eyes bounce between the three doors and the front windows as the Night drug on.

A few hours had passed since his watch had begun, Justin had taken up humming a soft tune to pass the time and before he knew it was passed midnight, The moonlight still shown strongly through the front of the coffee shop he could just make out Alex's features as she began to stir and shift her weight on his shoulder. Looking down he saw her begin to bring herself to an upright position before he spoke. "Have a good sleep my dear?" He asked with the same soft smile he always had, "All's still quiet, nothin but the coffee and us." He added as he handed her the rifle, "I know, I  know. No protesting." He joked as he waited for her to take the rifle assuming it would be easier than fishing around for her own that lay against the table near her gear.

Placing a gentle kiss on Alex's lips as she stirred from her slumber Justin waited for her to rub the sleep from her eyes, The dark room gently illuminated by the moon hanging in the night sky he watched, eyes gleaming with joy as she sat upright, Hearing her reject the offer of his rifle didn't phase him for he had known she wasn't fully familar with the rifle yet and still preferred her own even after the few attempts to training her, Maybe one day he thought, but it wasn't important. Sitting up Justin rubbed his eyes in a futile attempt to extinguish the sleep that had begun to grip at his mind about an hour ago, His shift was coming to a close for the night and Alex's was soon to begin. Watching his love stand up and move to fetch her rifle Justin took the time to pull a few extra chairs and aline them with the one he had been perched upon during the first part of the night. "Worth a try." He chuckled with a shrug of the shoulders at her remark about the rifle before he placed the last of the chairs in a line.

Letting her finish gathering her things Justin returned to his seat before watching Alex fetch some extra equipment from her pack, one of which he noticed was the Gorka that they had used as a pillow for one of them or the other and her helmet before she returned to sitting next to him, "Your lap will do just fine my dear." he said as he cupped her cheek in his hand, placing one more gentle kiss before propping his legs up on the chairs stretching length wise away from the duo. Taking the Gorka from Alex as he laid his head on her lap and stuffed the suit beside her to act as a sort of neck support. "Hey babe, You remember when I told you about my other siblings? You think their still out there somewhere? Breathing that is." He asked with the sleep beginning to show in his voice as he gently ran his along her knee, feeling the cloth of the clothing she wore, "I'm worried. Worried that we'll end up finding them less than human." He add before taking a deep breath and fell quiet. Just listening, To the soft breathing that came from his love and his sister that lay close by, The trickle of water from the drainage pipe attached next to the exit of the building, The crickets outside. 

Letting his eyes close Justin let his mind wonder, The scene of the hiking trip that had been one of the last family excursions before the end flooded his vision, The warm sun beating down on their heads, the green grass and rocky hills under their feet. Except, This scene was a little different, There was an extra member. Not a threatening, dangerous one, but a kind, and sweet one. Alex was with them, This wasn't just the hiking trip he remembered, But the hiking trip he wanted, the one he wished they had managed to have, The one he wished they could still have. "I...Love you.. Alex.." escaped his lips as the scene played in his mind, Shortly being accompanied by the quiet laughter that managed to find it's way to reality from the hardy laughter that now played in his mind from a joke that someone or another had said, His arms fell to rest next to his head, his hands clasped as they rested upon Alex's lap along with his head, His thoughts happy and his body under the watchful eye of the woman he loved slumber overtook Justin, Not to wake until morning. 

Justin opened his eyes, the soft hues of blue beginning to paint the back wall of the coffee shop as he sat upright in his chair from the comfort of his lovers lap. "Morning." He said with sleep in his eyes before attempting to rub it out. Taking a few moments to attempt get himself to fully wake he looked at Alex who had stayed on watch for the latter part of the night. "Anything fancy happen while I slept?" He asked, not being woken up early meant that no roamers had managed to take interest in them over the course of his slumber but Justin thought he'd ask, even just to show interest in what she was thinking.

Standing up Justin stretched for a moment before moving over to where his younger sister was still snoring. "Yo, kid. Wake up." he called before crouching down to be close to her level and shook her while repeating the call a couple more times, Kelly swatted at his hand before mumbling something about how he needed to go away and let her sleep but this had grown to be the routine it seemed, He could tell that she cherished sleeping which he couldn't blame her with the way the world is now, Seems like when you're asleep is really the only time you can fully enjoy something. "Come on kiddo, We're gonna be headin out soon enough." He called one last time before shaking her shoulder until he felt her turn of her own volition towards him with squinted eyes. "Already?" she greeted with a yawn. "Man.. I just got to the best part.." she added before turning back around and closing her eyes. "Kel's, don't you go back to sleep." Justin said before standing up, beginning to return to where Alex was he watched his younger sister before hearing her grumpily mutter. "Yea, yea. I know." 

Fetching his pack Justin sat next to Alex and began to go through the check list to make sure he hadn't left anything laying about from last night as he prepared himself to move. "Think we should go back to the bus and clear it out? It's the only car around that we know for sure works after all.." he said with his gaze fixated on his task. "See what we can scavenge at least."

After making sure he had everything Justin planted a kiss on his love before fetching his rifle, Kelly had since gotten to her feet, her hair still a mess from the night Justin ran his hands through her hair a few times to get the prominent tangles out. "Thanks." She said quietly before fetching her own bag from the ground. "No probs sis, You ready to go?" Justin asked before once again moving back to Alex. "You ready to go as well? Faster we get the bus cleared and running faster we're back on the road and further away from this little slice of danger."