The Ultimate

Together at Last

*Neko*

I carried Mandy through the halls towards the sound of howling. The sound made my tail stand on end but I forcefully calmed myself. The dogs are on our side.

I emerged into daylight and felt the sun's warm rays on my skin for the first time in what felt like forever.

"MANDY!" A voice screamed in my direction.

I drew her closer and glowered in the direction of the fastly approaching footsteps.

"Is she ok?" The voice asked. I could smell their dog breath from a few feet away.

"Coma." I answered flatly. "She'll be fine in time."

This seemed to satisfy the dog and so he said "oh dude, you must be Neko."

Silence surrounded us.

"Right.... Well I'm Jeff. I headed the pack that helped cause a distraction.

"Killed a lot of people." I could smell blood everywhere.

Another awkward silence enveloped us. And then I smelled something else on the dog, sadness.

"I know."

I began to walk again, not entirely knowing where I was going, I just needed to get out of here.

"Hey wheres Angel?"

"Still in the building. She didn't follow me out. Make sure shes ok. I'm taking Mandy."

"Ya of course I'll make sure she's ok. But are you sure you should be caring Mandy out into the streets not being able to see?"

A blaze of anger spiked through me but I knew he was right. "I guess I'll wait for Angel and take her back to her place."

"The pack can take you back to their place. I'll make sure Angel heads that way too after I find her."

"Not your place anymore?" I caught the words he didn't think I would.

"No. Not anymore. "

"Well thank you... For helping." The words seemed to get stuck in my throat. I registered surprise in the dog, still standing in front of me.

"I loved her too." And then he was gone.

*Jeff*

I race down the hall, half expecting Angel to leap out at me and call me an idiot or something. When I finally do see her, coming down the hall toward me, it is definitely not what I expected.

She held the hand of a little girl. Both of them looking awkward to be holding each other's hand.

"Angel." I call. She sees me and her face lights up in a smile.

"Jeff!" She calls.

I race towards her and then trip over an opening in the floor. I begin to fall but I see her drop the little girls hand to catch me. My momentum hurtles us to the floor, me landing on top of her.

The little girl giggles.

"Idiot." Angels says, a smile still playing on her lips.

I begin to scramble off of her "Sorry I-"

Next thing I know, Angels hands wrap around the back of my neck and pull me down so my lips meet hers. My heart leaps in my chest as I feel her lips kissing mine.

I blink as her head falls back to the floor, eyes smiling up at me.

"Oh..." Is all I can say before Angel starts laughing and then pushes me off of her.

A joke?

I stare up at her from the floor as she grabs the hand of the little girl again. "This is Junie. She's staying with us from now on."

"Us?" I ask. Trying not to let the hope in my heart take over as I get up.

The little girl and Angel are already beginning to walk down the hall again. Angel looks behind me and smiles, holding out her hand to me. I run to catch up and place my own hand in hers. She entertwines our fingers as my heart beats rapidly in my chest.

"I mean, unless I misheard you back under the bridge and you didn't want to be with me." She looks over at me with laughing eyes.

"No, no, you definitely heard me right."

"Good." She squeezes my hand once as we make our way down the hall and out into the sunshine.