When I woke, I became instantly aware of Julie, who was curled up more on me than on the bed. The half of me she was lying across was warm, the other half cold - I had a thin blanket covering me and seemed to be wearing some sort of white gown underneath, but the air was decidedly chilly. It was strange, not seeing the flash of red when I looked down at myself. I wondered where my hoody was and felt a brief moment of nostalgia for it. It was like an old friend, there beside me through thick and thin.

Julie shifted slightly against me, still fast asleep. Her weight, even slight, was putting a little pressure on my bandages but I barely noticed. Watching her was too enthralling. Breathing rhythmically, with her hair haphazard but always beautiful around her face - I recognized that she was still deeply asleep from my own sleepless nights on the plane. Watching her sleep was no less meaningful now, no less familiar, and I'd grown used to the patterns she displayed when her eyes closed at night. I would know when she was about to wake.

I took stock of how I was feeling. A little hollow underneath my ribcage, though it took me far too long to realize that might be hunger. Hunger as one of the Dead had not been dictated by the stomach, and was instead more of an all-consuming need that forced our rusty limbs into action. My wound hurt, but it wasn't overbearing, though maybe the beeping equipment beside my bed had something to do with it? After sleeping - who knew for how long - I had woken up feeling relaxed, my mind fresh, my thoughts clear. That felt wonderful in itself, although I suspected it would take some getting used to.

The contentment stayed with me like a faithful pet sitting at my side as I lay and looked at Julie. Her face was half visible to me, head propped on my shoulder, both her arms stretched across my body and one of her legs too, just for good measure. The first time I'd seen her, I'd been drawn to that irresistible spark of life she contained - could it have been because she had what my existence lacked? I hadn't been alive, and I'd still fallen in love with the life in her. It didn't seem like quite such an unfathomable surprise anymore. It was the natural progression of things, as comfortable a fit as the contours of her body alongside mine.

My mind flashed forward, wondering exactly what would happen from here. Julie and I had come through together, even if I was stuck in here for a while recovering. We'd found the cure. The whole world could change. I couldn't comprehend how, lying there in a bed hardly wide enough for me, let alone Julie as well (though to be honest I was kind of enjoying that part) in a tiny room without even a window to see outside. Would I have been able to see a difference in the world if I'd seen it then? Would the sky be a deeper blue, the air a little sweeter? I didn't spend much time dwelling on it. Selfishly, my imagination didn't stray far from myself and Julie. It didn't really matter what happened from here. As long as we stayed together, I would tackle anything.

I would actually be able to talk to her now. I'd struggled, every day I'd know her, to express myself like I'd always longed to. It was a scary thought, communicating with Julie properly, letting her interact with me without the shield of my being a Corpse. But then, every great thing starts out a little scary, doesn't it?

I think I dozed. When I became aware of the room again, Julie was stirring very slightly, her eyelashes fluttering without opening, her fingers tensing and relaxing - that was easy for me to feel, since the fingers of her right hand lay low on my ribcage, an interesting sensation I was mostly enjoying, even it it made psychically me a little apprehensive at the same time. That's confusing, by the way, having more than one very different emotion squabbling inside you. I was having enough trouble sorting out one at a time. I supposed with practice, it would become more natural - but it was all so more powerful, more in the moment, than what I'd felt when Dead.

I was looking expectantly down at Julie when her eyes opened. She yawned, which morphed into a wide smile when she saw me. "R! Hey, sleephead. Are you feeling better?" She shifted position so she could look at me with a little more ease, but she didn't show any signs of wanting to get off the bed.

"Much. I slept well. G-good company, maybe." She grinned at that, dropping her head to nuzzle at my neck with obvious affection. "Must have been, huh? How's your chest feeling though? A nurse checked on you last night after you went to sleep and said you were doing really well. Healing fast - your whole body, not just this." She hovered a hand over my chest. I blinked, digesting that. "Do I look different?" I was curious. After so long paying so little if any attention to my appearance, it was sort of interesting now, seeing myself start to change (the mirror in the plane) continue the process (the window on the way to Julie's house) and then the completion of a sorts when the girls helped me look more human. Had I gotten that far yet?

"Well, the main difference is your eyes. They aren't grey anymore."

"Really?" That surprised me, although a memory I couldn't grasp lifted it's head after she said it. All of the Dead I knew had some shade of cloudy, slate-grey gaze. Oh yeah, was forgetting that I wasn't dead anymore.

"Yep. They're a really, really deep blue now. They're gorgeous, actually." A small grin crept onto her face along with the compliment. I felt my cheeks warm up, not helped when Julie stared at me with unashamed delight at the sight. "Uh. N-not used... to..." I stammered, and Julie laughed and brushed back a lock of dark hair from my forehead. "Truth be told R, I never minded your eyes being grey, either. They were your best feature, really expressive."

Expressive was not a word I'd ever had merit to apply to myself. My surprise must have shown, because Julie smiled. "There were a couple times the last few days I'd look at them and think they had a blue tinge, but I convinced myself it was just wistful thinking. I know my instinct was right now."

I found myself smiling back at her. Julie watched me with a contented look, propping her chin up with one hand. "Am I still pale?"

She chuckled softly. "Yeah. You haven't had much chance to work on your tan in here."

I looked towards the closed door. "Can we go outside?" The idea became fixed in my head, though my motives didn't have anything to do with getting a tan. I wanted to leave behind the stale air of this little room, stretch my legs and feel the fresh air.

"I don't think you should..." Julie trailed off, looking at my expression, then she grinned. "Jesus, R, put the puppy-dog eyes away would you! Not even the meanest nurse could resist that look."

Yes! Score!

"Don't grin at me like that." Julie's eyes shone, still amused. "You can't just head outside with these drips and monitors and stuff. Wait on and I'll see if I can find your doctor. And if he says you aren't allowed out yet, you are going to stay where you are."

"Mmmm." I agreed noncommittally, instantly missing her when she climbed off my narrow bed. "Don't you 'mmm' me, Mr Zombie!" Julie laughed and vanished through the door, leaving it ajar. I could hear voices murmuring and occasional beeps from outside, and I lifted my head to watch the hallway as I waited.

Julie appeared a short time later, leading a dark-haired man in grey scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck. He looked tired, with shadows around his eyes, but he smiled at me as he came in. "R, it's good to see you awake. I'm Dr. Monteresso, but everybody just calls me Karl. Julie tells me you're already sick of being cooped up?"

"H-Hi, Karl. Ye...ah." I followed the stethoscope a little nervously as he placed it on my chest, listening to my heartbeat. Julie sat down and watched as if she were thinking about asking to hear herself, a little smile hovering on her face. "That's probably a good sign, actually. I know my patients are really sick when they're happy to be in this cramped place." Karl held a small device to my ear and I leaped in surprise. Julie placed a reassuring hand on my knee. "It's just a thermometer, R, to check your temperature." She explained, and I settled down, a little embarrassed. The thermometer beeped in my ear and made me jump again, but Karl didn't comment. "Temperature normal, and your wound is healing up really well, excellent signs. You were lucky nothing vital was hit - a little lower and you'd have wound up with a bullet in your lung. But you are looking stronger, and I don't think you need the IV anymore."

He bustled around with practiced ease, detaching equipment. I shot a hopeful look at Julie. "Can I go outside?"

Karl paused to look over me one last time. "Yes, you can, but you aren't being discharged just yet, so you aren't going any further than the hospital grounds, and that isn't far. No more than an hour outside. And, I'm placing you under the care of Miss Grigio, so don't think I won't hear about it if you don't toe the line."

Karl helped me sit up, watching me closely as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My entire body felt battered and sore, but not unbearably, and I could hardly feel my bullet wound. When I stood, Julie there to offer me her support, I was pleased to do so smoothly.

"Hey, you're up!" Nora appeared in the doorway and bounded in with enthusiasm, dropping a crackly packet of something into Julie's hands. "Got lucky, something other than carbtien bars today." Nora then showed no hesitation when she grabbed me in a hug. "Glad you're okay, R." I hugged her back a little shyly with my good arm. Julie swatted her playfully with the back of her hand. "Go easy on him Nora, he did have a bullet in his chest a few days ago." Nora let me go and elbowed her friend. "Oh yeah, way to look after him, Jules, letting your dad shoot him." She chided, and I tried to join in the banter, enjoying their teasing. "I was... distracting, her at the time."

Nora looked at me with her mouth open, then burst into laughter, and Julie followed suit. "R!" Even Karl cracked a grin.

Nora stopped laughing when she took stock of my doctor. Her eyes widened a little bit. "Hey, I don't think we've met. I'm Nora." Karl smiled a very large smile in greeting and shook her hand, holding it perhaps a bit too long. Nora didn't seem to mind at all. I glanced sideways at Julie, and she met my gaze with an amused twitch of her lips - she had noticed, too.

"I'm Karl, the pleasure's all mine. Sorry I have to go, but we're short staffed around here, most of us are trying to cover three or so jobs."

"I'm sure I'll see you again soon." Nora winked at Karl as he left, then turned to us with a grin. "Wow, you really lucked out! I mean, not that either of you two lovebirds would notice, but that is one hottie extraordinaire Doctor."

Julie slid her arm around my waist, smiling tolerantly, and we took a few steps towards the door. Nora tagged along, still chattering on about Karl, who I must admit had seemed pretty ordinary to look at to me, though Nora's opinion was somewhat stronger.

Julie seemed to know where she was going. It took a few minutes, since my pace wasn't exactly quick, but it was worth it when we descended a short ramp and the fresh breeze hit my face. I stopped completely, closed my eyes, and inhaled. This felt a thousand times fresher - and better - than any previous memory of stepping outside.

"That makes you look like a hungry zombie again." Nora commented, and Julie whacked her arm. "Nora! Leave him alone!" She scolded, then guided me to an old and very worn park bench so I could sit. Nora just laughed and followed us, sitting on my other side. "I was just kidding, you know. You look a lot... not better, because you didn't look bad when you were a Corpse... but you are nicer now." I was surprised to hear this second compliment on my formerly Dead looks in one day. "Th-thanks Nora." Dammit, my speech still wasn't a hundred percent, but the girls didn't comment on it. I took a deep breath, looking around to check out our surroundings. It was late afternoon, and several other patients were out in the small strip of land that bordered the hospital building. A few of them glanced our way, including one family with a small curly-haired boy. He smiled widely at me and waved. I didn't think he looked familiar, but I waved back at him before turning back to Nora.

"Actually Nora, I need to thank you f-for something else. Standing up to J-Julie's... father for me." Still a few wobbles, but Nora just waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it, R. I already owed you one, you saved my best friend. I'd be bored without her." Nora threw a punch over me at Julie's shoulder, but she whipped up a hand and knocked Nora's away. "Still, you came through for us, Nora." Julie told her, while I basked for a happy moment at the sound of the word us. "Thanks."

Nora smiled and touched her shoulder to mine, lightly, careful of my injury. "It was mainly for me. I wouldn't have met Hottie Doctor Karl if I hadn't. Do you guys think he has a girlfriend? He wasn't wearing a ring." She pursed her lips speculatively.

Julie laughed, leaning back and taking my hand in hers. The wind, though it was refreshing, was a bit chilly, but I didn't complain. In the same sort of way the pain had been eye-opening, the slight uncomfortableness of the cold was okay by me. Another reminder of how far I'd come. I listened to Julie teasing Nora about her relationships - apparently she'd been seeing Kevin up until pretty recently. While they talked I stretched my legs out in front of me and watched the activity in the grounds and the street beyond the fence. There were two guards posted at the fenceline, and one eyed me suspiciously until he saw I had seen him. It made me feel a bit down, but remembering how Nora had showed no hesitation in looking out for me made me remember that I had more human friends now than just Julie. Not everybody would be as accepting, and that was probably directed at all my kind (I'd now begun to think in terms of 'former-Dead') rather than me alone. I hoped, anyway. With time, people like the hostile guard might see that we weren't a threat, not anymore.

"Okay, I got to go." Nora jumped up and stretched. "Julie, I heard that classes are going to start up again next week and the kids are asking about you. For now, it looks like we'll be keeping to the same old schedule, but I'm sure they'll let you know if anything changes. I'll catch you two later, okay?" Nora didn't bother to go back inside, she just headed for the fence and hopped over easily. The suspicious guard shouted a protest - maybe he was grumpy with everybody, not just former Dead? - but Nora just laughed, made a rude gesture, and skipped off down the road without looking back. Julie shook her head after her friend. "She never changes."

"You teach kids?" Julie hadn't spoken about herself much back on the plane, as if by not talking about her life behind the wall, she wouldn't miss it. Now I was hungry with the urge to know every detail about her, every precious thought that passed through her mind. I had a lot of time to make up. She nodded, turning to meet my eyes. "Yeah, second grade, although normal classes only run in the mornings now. They get taught basic survival skills and stuff useful to salvage teams in the afternoon, by some of the trained soldiers. I love the kids at that age, they're all still so hopeful and honest and full of life, they haven't learned that life isn't one big adventure yet." She smiled wistfully. Julie teaching a bunch of kids how to read and count fitted her. Like the traits of the kids she'd mentioned, Julie herself was completely honest and filled with hope for the future. They would relate easily to her, I thought.

"I joined the salvage team for the holidays, to... well, to keep an eye on Perry." There was still some regret in her voice when she said his name, but it wasn't heartbreaking sadness anymore. I held her gaze, daring to edge into the topic I'd spend a long time avoiding. "Julie, when I... when I K...illed him, I got some of his memories." I explained to her with only slight hesitation. "Sometimes, it was almost like he was still with me, looking out for me - or y-you, more likely. This probably sounds crazy." I lowered my gaze, feeling, as usual, ashamed of myself over the role I'd had in Perry's death. Julie didn't disappoint me, squeezing my hand a little tighter. "After what we went through together R, nothing sounds crazy. I don't blame you, you know that, right? There's been a theory about Corpses gaining memories that way for a few years now, although nobody knew for sure." It wasn't really surprising, that the Living had worked that one out. There had to be some reason behind it all, the way we had gone for brains, not just flesh, for nourishment. Julie looked at me earnestly. "I know that isn't why you saved me in the lab, either. I saw you staring at me before you ever attacked anyone. I thought at the time I must have looked like somebody you used to know when you were Living."

"No, that was just you." I told her honestly. I had already been over that moment myself a few days ago, back on the plane. I shook my head. "You started ch-anging me right away, the first moment I s-saw you. Perry helped me... it wasn't like..." I struggled to find a way to express what had happened. "When I... got his memories, it wasn't like I turned into him, o-or everything he felt, I felt. But when I understood how he... felt... about you... and everything you'd done for him, it began to aff-ect me. Open up my heart again." Julie smiled at though, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, which still held some sadness. She had loved Perry, and she missed him, and I understood. Perry was the lifeline that connected us both. "Without Perry though, I couldn't have done it. He t-taught me as much as you. I felt like he'd br...ough you to me. I even thought I heard him talking to me, when I came into the c-city to find you. He was showing m, me the way. And-" I didn't want to say the next part, but holding anything back from Julie now was beyond my power. "He t-told me not to blame myself, because he was 'ready to go'."

Julie nodded right away, confirming this. "He was." She said softly. "I could see it in him. He gave up right after his dad died. I tried so many times to help him, and get through to him, but nothing worked. That's why I went on the salvage, and convinced Nora to come as well. I knew that if it came down to it, he would stop fighting. I thought that I-" She broke off, swallowing hard, and I opened my mouth to apologize, but she held two fingertips to my lips to stop me. Steadying her shoulders, Julie took a deep breath. "No R, no more saying sorry. Thinking about Perry does make me sad, and I miss him a lot. But I don't wish that things were different. Dying was what Perry wanted, and Living was what you wanted. It's like... it was meant to play out like this. I'm happy I knew Perry, and that I was with him. But I'm happy that I met you too, and that I'm with you now. My past, and my future."

Future. We had a future now - all of us did. My heart expanded. "You... you r-really want t-to, be w-with me?" I had to check. Julie lifted my hand, still in hers, to kiss the back of it. The double scar that had once crossed the back was barely visible now, only if I squinted. She didn't laugh, she answered me seriously. "Yes, R, I absolutely want to be with you. But will you promise me something?"

I don't need to think about that. "Anything."

"You're going to go through a lot, and we've only taken tiny steps today. I want you to promise that you'll always talk to me, like you did today - even if you think it's something that will be hard for me to hear, or it's embarrassing, or you think it's too silly. Because that's what Perry stopped doing, he shut down, and wouldn't talk to me or anyone else, and I knew I was losing him. I don't want to go through that again. I want to be there for you."

That was an easy thing to promise. She wasn't even asking for her, she was asking for me, my beautiful, selfless Julie. I would spend all my new Life trying to match her, prove to the world I could be as wholly good as she was. "I promise." I vowed, looking into her eyes the way I had when we walked through the city and she'd said the same words to me. "I'll n-never stop trying, for you."

She kissed me on the lips, making my wind-chilled skin long for her touch. She sighed after a moment and broke away reluctantly. "Our hour is up. I'd better get you back inside before one of those mean nurses comes hunting you down."

"Okay." I let her help me up, and in a flash of daring, I surprised her when I quickly leaned down to kiss her again. I was never, ever going to get tired of that feeling. Things got a bit more intense this time when Julie leaned tentatively into me, making me very aware of the contours of her body, then curled her arms around my neck and buried her fingers in my hair. I pulled away first, trying to make sense of just how powerful my feelings had gotten all of a sudden, my breath short, my mind racing. My body was clearly remembering things about the physical side of relationships that I hadn't caught up to yet. Julie grinned at my expression. "Sneaky kiss, Shrugger. Better tone it down a bit though, or we're going to wind up with an audience. Besides, you're not in any condition for anything that should take place behind closed doors anyway. Come on, inside."

She firmly wrapped an arm around my midsection and helped me back inside. I wrinkled my nose - the antiseptic-smelling corridor wasn't very welcoming after the clear air outside. I stealthily shifted my head so my nose was just above her hair and inhaled her unique Julie-smell. My body relaxed instantly. Much better.

Back in my room, Julie settled me into my bed and sat back in the chair, though she pulled it close so she could prop her elbows on the bedside. She tucked my single blanket over me.

"How'd you k-know I wa-was cold?"

"You have goosebumps. See?" She peeled the blanket back just far enough for my forearm to be exposed and touched my skin, which was covered in the same tiny bumps I'd noticed before my shower. "So th-at's what gave me... away." I glanced up at Julie and verbalized the thought that popped into my head. "Was warm with you up here."

Julie laughed out loud. "Nice try, R. The nurses are making rounds and I don't think when they check on you they'd be too impressed." She picked up the packet I'd seen Nora give her earlier and examined the label. "Excellent, barbeque flavor. There's only the one small place making these still. I can't wait until we can get a bit more junk food back into production." She opened the pack and took out a round chip that smelled pretty good to my new human senses. The hungry sensation in my stomach kicked right back in, and Julie glanced over at me. "You wanna try one? I don't think potato chips are the most nutritious choice for your first proper meal."

I focused, trying to replicate the look Julie had earlier called 'puppy dog eyes', tilting my head slightly, small smile, eyes big and hopeful.

Julie snorted and shook her head. "If you don't cut that out, we're going back to your jet and getting you some of those sunglasses, I swear. Here." She handed over a chip. I accepted it a little clumsily, then took a bite out of it. A few crumbs escaped, but on the whole, much neater than the food I was used to.

I chewed twice then choked slightly, swallowing in a rush. Julie lifted her eyebrows in questioning concern. "It's... I'm okay. It tasted good." Taste, another on the long list of things I had forgotten. Eating people didn't taste like much of anything, so I wasn't prepared for the way salt and flavor and texture interacted on my tongue. Julie handed me a bottle of water. I took a few cautious swallows, licked my lips, then hopefully held out my hand for a second chip.

We polished off the bag between us, with Julie fishing out the last, broken one and holding it to my lips. I smiled and ate it, though I nearly choked on it when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. At least this time he didn't have a gun.

Julie patted me on the back, jumping herself when her father spoke.

"Julie. R." General Grigio said gruffly, and Julie replied, blushing a little. "Hey, Dad."

He might not have been armed, but my voice box up and jumped ship the moment I saw him. I managed a nod.

"How are you feeling?" His steely gaze had landed squarely on me. Crap, a question that required something other than a nod, shake or shrug.

You can do this, you can do this. "M-much be-b-bet-ter." Okay, I sounded worse than when I'd been Dead, but I had spoken.

"Good." Grigio spoke in the same clipped, impersonal manner, but his expression didn't look quite so terrifying as before. "Julie, I trust you're headed back to work next week?"

Julie just held back a sigh, I could hear it catch in her breath. "Yes, Dad, Nora's already been round to fill me in that classes are starting up again. How's everything out there?" She nodded to a wall, though I had no idea if she could tell directions apart inside my tiny, windowless room.

"Improving. There are a lot of Corpses starting to act more human, and a few of those more advanced are interacting with people - under armed supervision." He added on the end with a warning glare at me. I swallowed. "I'm leading out Squad Three tomorrow morning, and we're headed to the outskirts, so I'll be gone just over a fortnight. I've come to escort you home tonight, leave your friend to get some rest now."

I almost panicked at the thought of being stuck in here without Julie. Luckily, she came to my rescue. "No, I'm staying here until R is discharged." Her voice was very firm, and I felt a thrill at her challenging the General over me.

"Julie, don't be-" He began, taking a step forwards, but Julie actually interrupted him. "I said no, Dad. I'm sorry, but R needs me, and you're only going to spend half the night going over your plans for next week anyway." She squeezed my hand, then stood up and approached her father, kissing his cheek lightly. He looked stern, but he wasn't protesting. "Have a safe trip, okay? We'll see you when you get back."

"All right." Grigio said at length, and my heart leaped. Go Julie, I cheered silently. "Oh, the Rossos have agreed to house in your friend, once he is discharged." He said over his shoulder, shooting a look that was definitely a warning at me before he left. I exhaled for the first time in what seemed to be an hour when he was gone.

"Sorry." I muttered, and Julie laughed as she perched herself on the edge of my bed. "Don't worry, he has that effect on a lot of people. He's all bark and no bite really."

"The Rossos... Kevin?"

"Yeah, he and his father are Dad's right-hand men. They're nice people, even if Kevin can be an uptight idiot sometimes. Don't worry about staying with them though. The moment you're allowed out of here, I'm taking you back to my place where I can keep an eye on you." She ran her fingers tenderly through my hair. That news brought a smile on my face. "Really?"

"Really. Mrs Rosso is a sweetheart, I'll warn her not to bother making up a bed for you. She and her husband would never tell on us, and Kevin will keep his mouth shut because I'll sic Nora onto him otherwise." She flashed me a wicked grin that melted my heart.

"You... r-really want me there?" I felt a little shy asking. Julie looked down at me, her grin softening. "Of course, R. I've gotten kinda used to having you around, and it'd be especially weird to spend a night apart. That's why I asked you to stay in the bedroom that night in the suburbs."

"M would make a j-joke about me staying overnight."

"Yeah, he probably would. Good thing you're so much more mature than him, huh?" We both laughed, and Julie dropped her head on my good shoulder and kissed the side of my neck as she hugged me gently. "I could listen to you laughing forever. But seriously, R, don't worry. That's not an invitation to jump into bed with me as soon as you're able. We don't need to rush anything physical, it'll take time. Both of us."

"Time." I agreed, nervous at the very mention of a physical night with Julie, even if my joke had kinda been what brought it up in the first place. But my relief at the news I wouldn't have to adjust to living with strangers, no matter how nice, remained. "I - I'm glad I'll b-be staying with you. Don't wa-nt another new place." Her arm circled my waist and she pulled her small body close to mine, and the way my breath caught, my heart skipped, and the still-fresh memory of our kiss outside made me a little regretful there wouldn't be any rushing. But however ready my body had decided it might have been to be with Julie, my mind was another matter. So far the day had been an onslaught of sensations unfamiliar in their intensity, and I was more than a little tired trying to sort it all out. "Hey Julie?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you."

When I next opened my eyes, a frowning face was glaring at me over the top of Julie's head. Hastily I touched her shoulder to wake her up. "You two!" Lectured the nurse, lips pursed disapprovingly. Uh-oh, so this was one of the mean nurses Julie had joked about. She hastily slid out of the bed, somehow having wound up under the blanket with me. "Sorry." She said to the nurse, though it hardly sounded heartfelt. "Nothing happened." I added, my cheeks heating up.

"I should think so, in your condition! These bunks are not designed for two people, I'll have you know." The nurse handed me a bar wrapped in paper, tsking when Julie leaned over me to plant a kiss on my lips. It may have made the nurse frown but it sure put a smile back on my face.

"R, I'm going to go freshen up and maybe see about finding something to eat myself. I'll be back soon okay?"

I nodded twice as the nurse made an impatient shooing motion with her hands. "It isn't even visiting hours. You, start eating that carbtien." She grumbled, and Julie paused in the doorway to made a gesture at her back with a single raised finger that I immediately placed as rude. I let out a laugh that I hastily turned into a cough as Julie grinned widely and vanished. I unwrapped my breakfast and took a cautious bite. It didn't have any real flavor and wasn't nearly as good as the chips Julie had let me have yesterday. But with the nurse glowering, I ate it all, and I did feel better afterwards.

The nurse was no less impressed when my next visitor turned up. "M!" I beamed. He looked no worse for wear after his scuffle with the Boneys, in fact he had better colour than I'd ever seen and he smiled at me when he came into the room.

"R. Lo-oking good. Ni-ce bullet w, wound." He pointed at my shoulder and I grinned. "Should get one. L-lastest fashion accessory."

The nurse finally stopping glaring, but mainly because she left, and M sat down in the chair. His motions were less clunky, too.

"How's things?" I made a vague nod to a wall to mean 'out there'. M offered my favourite gesture as his shoulders rose and fell. "Better for, many. Cure... spreading."

"You remembered... Marcus? Your name?"

He looked proud for a moment, an unfamiliar emotion to see on his face. "Yeah. You keep... calling... me M, t-though. Old times sake. Met a girl." He grinned. I smiled back. "Let me guess... pretty?"

"Drop dead... gorgeous." M said it with a straight face, but I groaned. "You'll kill me again!" I protested.

"I don't, t-think your sense of h-humor came alive yet."

"Hey you guys, don't make me call that nurse back. I don't think even you'd stand up to her, Marcus." Julie reappeared in the doorway, and I was pleased to see she seemed more at ease with M now. She came to sit on the bed by my feet. "R, I have some good news for you. Karl says you can go home today." Her smile announced how pleased she was, and mine must have been just as wide. The mention of home did make me think of my plane, and all my things, a strain of nostalgia edging into my relief. Maybe we could visit the airport once I was a bit more mobile.

"Now?" I pulled out the Look and with a laugh Julie bunched up my blanket and threw it at my head. "He said he'll come give you a final check as soon as he can, and if you look good, yeah, really soon."

I settled back, torn between impatience and delight at the news. "M, have somewhere you can... stay?"

"Yeah. Kev set u-us all up. Bit crowded." Grunted M. Julie nodded. "It's not for long though Marcus. Dad has plans to spread the word, hopefully re-unite people with those they knew before. And he's already considering expansion of the city. There's even talk of when we might not need the wall anymore, if things keep getting better." Her voice rose hopefully at the last sentence.

"They will get bet-ter." M sounded confident. Julie glanced at him. "How do you know?"

He offered a lopsided sort of smile, and I answered for him. "He met a... girl."

"Aaaaaahhhh." Julie grinned wryly. "That didn't take long. What's her name, Marcus?"

"Emily." He winked. It was somehow a fitting gesture on him. Maybe the equivalent of my shrug.

"How's my favorite former zombie doing in here?" Dr. Karl was my next visitor. Julie introduced he and M, and they shook hands before M excused himself, saying he would see us soon. Karl came over to examine me, nodding when he was done. "Okay, R, you're progressing really well. Your bullet wound is healed to quite an advanced stage, your body is handling food properly but, just don't go getting ahead of yourself once you're released. It's healing well, but it's still a serious injury." He cautioned. "Julie, I want you to make sure he doesn't move around too much. Two more days bedrest, only light walks of about a half hour each time until he builds his strength." She nodded, eyes shining. "Keep him on just carbtien for a few days, too. He shouldn't have too much variety in his diet until his body has adjusted." He bent his head to write on a clipboard attached to the foot of my bed, and Julie made a quick motion by drawing her finger over her lips that I interpreted as 'The chips will stay our secret'.

"Okay R, this is it. I'd to see you back on the third day for a checkup, but hopefully you won't have to stay here again for a while." Karl smiled and shook my hand. He offered to find me a wheelchair but I was determined to stand on my own two feet. He wished me well. I thanked him, and he headed across the aisle to check on his next patient.

"Here R. They had to cut your shirt off, so Nora got you a new one." Julie handed me a grey shirt with a subtle speckle pattern that looked, if not new, then clean. "The jeans are yours, but they've had another wash, and I did save your hoody, too."

That cheered me up even further. I dressed in the bathroom, glad to be rid of the gown, and though I was a bit clumsy in getting the clothes on, I did manage. Then Julie helped me down the corridor, outside, and back into the world.

"We don't have far to go to get home, but Karl recommended a rest once we got halfway. Are you sure you're okay?" Julie had an arm under my shoulder and was paying careful attention to the way I moved. For my part I was so enjoying the ease of standing up straight and moving fluidly, that I hardly noticed the dull ache of my shoulder. I just felt so content to be out in the world again. "Sure." I smiled at her and her worried expression softened.

There were plenty of other people out - mostly walking, some exercising dogs or riding bicycles. We got a lot of glances - some were friendly, some were surprised, a few looked upset or even angry. I tried not to dwell on those ones, avoiding eye contact and ducking my head so low I slouched unknowingly back into my zombie-posture, like it would protect me from the hostile stares. Julie gave me a poke and told me to ignore the people who had a problem.

We stopped to let me sit and 'catch my breath' as Julie put it on a stack of crates opposite a pen containing several cows. It wasn't too far from where I'd first entered the city, and I realized the wall was within eyesight when Julie turned to look at it through two nearby buildings.

"I hate that wall. I know it's kept us safe, but it also kept us trapped. Stuck in its shadow, everyone got grimmer, somehow. Do you think it'll really be able to come down someday, R?"

I pictured a city sprawled out comfortably, instead of all hemmed inside a metal border, with sunny, open spaces and smiling people in the streets. I could see it. I could see it so clearly.

"Yes. We won't always need it." She pulled up her feet and leaned against me, cured up comfortably. I could have sat there with her all afternoon. Maybe I would.

I think I dozed in the pleasant, early-afternoon sun. Julie's body stiffening against me jolted me back into the present. There was a small crowd gathering in front of us, instantly making me nervous. We stood up, Julie instantly shifting her weight so she stood slightly in front of me.

"Excuse me - are you the one who used to be-" A older woman with white hair was clearly struggling to ask a question. Julie answered for me. "He used to be a Corpse, yes. But we've just come from the hospital, and he's Cured now." Her tone was a little sharp, defensive, I think. The woman still looked flustered. "Oh, he looks so..." She waved her hands, embarrassed, but although she dropped the thread, the group around us was growing - I still had no idea of how to measure how many people were there, but it was enough to have my breath start to shorten, nerves making me twist my fingers together, panic threatening to take over my insides.

"How is he cured? Have they looked at his blood?" Asked a young man, then everybody was speaking at once.

"How can we be sure?"

"Speak up, boy, are you alive? Or are you a Corpse still?"

"Yeah, can they make a cure for the rest of them?"

"That's not how it works-" Julie tried to answer the closest speaker, beginning to look more than a little tense herself. "He still looks pretty pale, and he has those weird scars, are you sure he's cured properly?" A middle-aged man interrupted, peering closer at me and causing me to flinch back. The ring of people had closed in, forming a semi-circle around where we'd been sitting. I was beginning to feel really trapped. More people began calling questions out, so that I couldn't hear any of them. I probably would have been too shaky to reply anyway. Was this what it was going to be like? Would I have to face people like this all the time, who wanted something from me that I didn't fully understand myself?

Without thinking about it, I drew closer to Julie, who turned to meet my eyes. Immediately, I felt calmer, better able to cope with whatever the world had in store for me. I stretched my arm out for her, felt the warm brush of her fingers, wrapped mine around hers slowly but with a sureness that dulled the panic inside me. She held my gaze for a few seconds, as if the crowd had vanished altogether, and it was just her and I. With all the times I had defended her from my kind, now I needed her to do the same thing for me. It hit me so strongly now that it might have keeled me over, except it felt so very right, and powerful for it - I needed Julie. Right now, today, every day after this one. She could see it, too, I could tell from the gentle fire in her eyes - I wasn't allowing myself to dare think the word love yet - she understood.

When my attention finally returned to the group, I realized they had fallen quiet, questions fading to soft chatter to near-silence. Wide eyes took in the sight of the two of us. I couldn't understand why it affected them except to come to the same conclusion that I had that day in the parking garage, when it was a hoard of Dead we faced instead of Living - that the emotion I felt for Julie was so strong it stretched beyond us, that they could feel it too.

Julie took a step forward, bringing me with her, eying the group who now fell back, leaving a gap for us to pass. She led me through, though I stayed very close to her, and then we were past, the moments of apprehension staying behind as well.

"Sorry, R." Julie apologized once we were out of earshot and her house was visible further down the street. "I should have known that people would be curious. They shouldn't have been so overwhelming about it, though. People have been stuck behind this wall so long, they've... well. Not everyone tries as hard as they should."

I had already moved on, my heart-rate returning to what I hoped was normal, and I was dwelling instead on the more pleasant fact that Julie hadn't let my hand go. I smiled, shaking my head to show her it was okay now. A few more moments passed in silence before I realized it wasn't a time for gestures alone, that I had to keep making the effort to share my thoughts with Julie.

"Hey Julie?"

"Yeah?" She stopped, a few feet from her door, looking up at me curiously.

"When it happens, we'll watch the wall come down together." She turned to look into my eyes and smiled warmly, wrapped her arms around my waist and giving me a moment to do the same. We said the last word at exactly the same time.

"Promise."

The End

A/N

I know some of you thought the last chapter would be just that, but I found I had a little more to day yet (Shocker, yeah?). Hope you guys all enjoyed this. The one big thing I found the movie lacked was a little more of a peek into what R and Julie go through at this time, since we jump from his gunshot wound to watching the wall come down without anything in between. Hopefully I've done an okay job with Human R. At one stage I worried I was making him a bit too emotional, but after I took stock of everything he'd gone through it was really the only way to write him at this point in his life. As R realizes, every emotion he's feeling is more intense than anything he's known, he's changing physically, and of course he's madly in love. Lots going on for him to cope with, he and Julie have so much to face, from the progression of their relationship to bringing Perry's death into the open and just adjusting to R being human. Even if he has the physical reactions of a 21-year-old, the sum of his life experience is eight or less years wandering around as a zombie. R's confidence will build with time, you do get glimpses of it in this chapter.

I'd like to thank all of my very wonderful fans of this fic. Especially those who reviewed, which is a really strong push for me to get my writing completed faster, and to reach for a higher standard for you all. I would love to continue to hear feedback from any new readers however, don't be afraid to let me know what you thought of this fic!

Jusea, Brigid, Emmett, Vid, and Ravenclaw, you guys stuck with this fic for a long time and took so much time to let me know your thoughts, thank you for your support!

The idea at the end btw, where the crowd is peppering R with questions and he takes Julie's hand, was not mine - that was directly influenced by my wonderful muse, that gem is hers and I must thank her - she suggested the original idea as a great place for me to end this fanfic, and I ran with it. I bow to your genius, my friend!

Keep your eyes open for Julie's half of this story, which will be called 'Give Me a Reason' - the first chapter is now up :) - and after that, there will be a fanfic set after the movie called 'Next To Me'. If you need to fill in some time feel free to check out the R/Julie videos I have apparently become addicted to making, there is a link to my Youtube in my profile!

Thanks again you guys.