[center]Prologue: A little victory here and there makes the world turn.[/center]

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yGOmamSuMA]"Dad! Look! A ukelele!"[/url] Stepping into a small apartment on the eastern side of old Fort collins, Alice had picked it out right away. Though Killian tried to stop her, caution making him shine it in the darkened room, but there was nothing. The little girl picked up the Ukelele and started to pick the strings a little, adjusting the turners on the top until she found a sound that she liked. For a 15 year old, she was talented as hell, took after her mother, bless her soul. He couldn't help but stifle a laugh, seeing his daughter throw caution to the wind and pluck the strings of the ukelele regardless of the fact that there could be undead just outside the door. It didn't matter, if he didn't deal with them in time she'd slice out everything from their brain to their toes. He closed the apartment door behind him and set down his quiver, exploring the apartment a little. It was small and quaint, a little messy but relatively untouched by time. There was a small balcony that overlooked the fort and a couple bedrooms to boot. No undead at all, and even a few food supplies! It seemed that somebody had lived her a while back, must have died at some point outside the room. Oh well, they'd want them to have it. "Hey! Found some cream corn!" "Oh My God! Really?! BEST. PLACE. EVER." The girl got excited easily, but then again, she enjoyed the little things, anything that could possibly make somebody happy for a moment would make her day, that in turn would make Killian happy since his daughter, Alice, was happy. It was all that a father could want.

He brought it out and found an old recliner. He sat down and inhooked a little bit of his armor, placing it on the ground. Alice walked over to the balcony door and opened it up. The light of the sunset poured into the room, coating it in a deep orange glow. She came to her father, whom was holding a the bag he found in the other room. "Is that a bag of chips?!" "Unopened, want it?" "HECK YEAH I DO. GIMMIE GIMMIE." She reached down to grab it but Killian pulled it away. "Have you no manners girl?! Have I taught you nothing?!" "Ugh...please?" "No. Now you don't get chips. Ooooh, and they're your favorite kind too! Chedder!" "You arse!" "No you!" His tongue poked out a little as he laughed, Alice glaring at him with her bright green eyes. "Come on...please?! You know I love them! Come on!" He placed his finger on his chin, pursing his lips and staring into the ceiling. "I...suppoooose. But only because you have a spider on your knee." "WHAT" She jumped back and slapped at her knee several times, finding nothing. Realizing that it was a ruse, she looked back at her father and glared for a moment before a big bag of chips hit her in the face via a throw from him. He had taken off his armor, a dirty black shirt underneath.

"So..." She said, stuffing the chips into her mouth like an animal. "How far do you think we....are from...The Temple?" "Slow down girl, you're going to choke yourself." "Can't...help it...too goo." "Goo?" "Just made...it up. Like...now. Too lazy to...use Ds." "Oookay then....I think we've still got a couple weeks left. Remember, we're in Colorado, the Temple is on the other side of Washington, in fricken Olympia." "Darn it! Oh...well, journey...not destination...right?!" He reached over and snatched the bag from her. She had eaten half of it already. "You pig!" "I take after you!" "You take after your mother!" "Damn straight I do!" "HEY!" "Oh bite me. I can curse every now and then." "Don't make me take your ukelele away." "Don't make steal your diary and pawn it off to a traveller again." "Grounded is too soft a word for what you'll be if you do that again." "Ooooh, soooo scared." He launched off of the recliner, tackling Alice to the ground and wrestling her, rubbing his knuckles on the top of her head.

They had been travelling for a good couple months across the US from their home town of texas, all in search of this place called "The Temple." Rumors everywhere said that there was this place in Olympia that had food stores that could support a town of three hundred for fifty years, protection that could repel the most ferverent of Zombies and views beyond what could be imagined. A paradise. To most people, it was a story, but Killian had proof, a post card from there, a picture from before the end of the world, soldiers and people building it, even giving an address to it! It proved that it was more than just real! It would be their home, he swore by it! He and Alice had never been ones for towns anyway, too crowded, they had each other and were happy. They used to have a third but she sadly passed away when Alice was but six years old. Since then, she and Killian had become especially close, best friends. It proved invaluable more than a few times on the road, having saved each other's lives from not only the undead, but people and plants too.

"That'll teach you to respect me, little missy." She was sitting there, her jaw slacked and her hair messed up, her own shirt sleeves stretched and used to tie her hands together. "Jerk."