It's all about the Spankies (Gregor, Angel)

[Lovely]

Name: Angelica Malloy Aliases: Angel, Angie DOB: 26 Location: Schaumburg, IL played by: Lovely likeness used: Amy Jo Johnson

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Name: Gregor Carlisle Aliases: Greg, Grieve DOB: 28 Location: Schaumburg, IL played by: Tripp likeness used: Orlando Bloom

[Lovely]

August 12, 2007
Schaumburg, IL


He'd waited until midday when shadows would be narrowest although it was damnably hot and the concrete steamed. It was a risk, a huge risk. The building itself was huge but it presented itself as too big of a present to leave wrapped. Gregor didn't care if the alarms wailed. No one would come. If they did come they were not responding to the sirens, but to his untainted flesh and still-pure and uninfected blood. Midday was important and the sun's cleansing rays were the only deterrent he knew to keep that threat away. Once inside the maze of shops within, however, the cool and dark wouldn't be so friendly. He'd cased it for a week and seen no one and heard nothing. It wasn't a guarantee but it was better than staying out in the heat, regardless. "Rain would be nice," he muttered to himself as the door finally popped open. He considered breaking the glass, but something in him still couldn't bear being that destructive. "I'm a thief, not a vandal," he qualified in whispers to himself, pulling the flashlight out and hoping it had enough power left to help him in the depths of the shopping mall if there was no generator power left. He let the door close behind him and tried the lock from the inside. He'd warped it and it wouldn't latch. Likely, anything or anyone following him wasn't going to check but just go through the glass he'd left intact. He'd consider that good enough as his own alarm and wandered deeper in, testing roll gates that weren't locked. The dollar earring place yielded easily enough. Plastic and chrome jewelry wasn't what he needed most though he did grab a couple of shiny stud earrings and a couple large rings. The register wasn't as cooperative. What did he need money for anymore anyway? Giving up that task, he dug for supplies, batteries, cables, bottles of water, anything useful. The shop's canvas totes worked well to pile the small handful of items in. He grabbed a few more totes and started off to the next shop, then the next, checking for ones he could try with better tools later. The next roll gate that he could slide under was the specialty bra shop. Just his luck. "Always did have a fondness for those," he smiled, admiring a mannequin with sheer pink hotpants.

Angel ventured out to the mall with the idea that there might still be plenty of things of use there where smaller shops closer to residences had been trashed or looted already. Some of that looting had been her doing as she searched for food and supplies after the outbreak and chaos which followed. Weeks had passed and the places closer to home were not producing what she needed and with no sign of a rescue coming, she had to think about the future and she couldn't survive off stale potato chips for long.

Angel had been a manager at one of the lingerie shops there and had keys to the service door for employees because of that, so she came in through the back entrance carefully. She was slow in making her way to the front of the store, carefully sweeping the shadows with her flashlight and keeping her ears and eyes peeled for movement or attack. She wasn't sure if she would hear much over the pounding of her heart in her chest, but then the sound of rattling door gates echoed in the darkened halls beyond the door of the lingerie shop. "Damn." She barely breathed the word as she cut her flashlight and dropped down on the floor between two racks. She lay flat and tried to breathe quietly as the sound of someone at 'her' door came, what she didn't expect was the voice that followed the person's entrance. She'd expected it to be some raging crazed zombie, not what sounded like a calm and rational person.

Still, she wasn't sure she should come out of hiding and find out if they were friendly. Fate and a dusty floor decided for her with a sneeze she wasn't able to stop, it wasn't terribly loud, actually it was kind of cute and petite, but in the stillness of the shop it seemed like it thundered out of her.

As he was reaching up to the mannequin for a touch of the delicate fabric for memory's sake, the sudden sound stopped him and his light swung around the racks to the back wall, fading a little now and then as the batteries began to drain. "Big for a mouse, aren't you? Hello?" He wasn't sure how friendly he should try to be just yet.

Obviously he heard her, how could he miss a sneeze when no one else was around? At least the guy didn't seem to want to do her immediate harm, but that didn't mean he wouldn't change his mind. "Hi.." She didn't know what to say and still didn't dare move from where she was laying flat on the floor.

"A girl mouse?" He grinned and stepped around the mannequin, deeper into the store toward the direction he thought he'd heard the sneeze. He kept watch to the ceiling and the floor, turning to look behind himself a moment. He hadn't heard movement yet. "Should I bring you a tissue?"

He was nice enough to offer her a tissue? Well he couldn't be that bad, could he? Sure that's what the girl says right before she becomes the victim in the horror movie. "Do you have one? The floor is kind of dusty." It was then that she started to move, shifting up to her knees first and trying to brush off a little to make sure she didn't sneeze again. Her fingers flicked her long dark hair over her shoulder, she had it in a high ponytail much like she'd worn during her highschool cheer squad days.

He didn't, but his hand brushed past a diplay of soft cotton and he pulled up a wad of the cloth in the hand looped through the handle of the tote of totes and items he set out of sight for the moment. "No, but I have this," he said, holding up the cloth and sweeping the room again, landing the light on the figure rising up from the floor. He ducked back a step, uncertain at first until he noticed the pony tail. "What's your name?" Like she'd really tell him, but she already seemed familiar enough... could it be?

"My name?" She squinted as the light shone in her face as he swept it around and then she held up her hand to shield her eyes as she turned her head toward him. She couldn't see him behind the circle of light but there was something about his voice that was soothing. "Are those panties?" She laughed softly as she saw the shape that dangled from his fingers. "Oh.. just don't answer that... I'm Angel."

He turned the light on his hand briefly then back to her. "Spankies. Oh, but you wouldn't know that, having a bad habit of losing yours," he laughed. "I thought that was you! Angel... give me an A and try not to step on my fingers in the dark."

The voice, knowing her name and that she had lost her... "Oh my God.. Gregor?!" It was half exclaimation, half question as she found herself scrambling, fairly gracefully, to her feet. "..and I didn't lose them.. someone took them. I just never figured out who it was." One hand set on her hip, while the other gestured with the flashlight she hadn't turned back on yet.

"You still haven't? I thought you were naturally brunette. I'll give you a hint. I got $40 for the aqua ones on Ebay," he said, putting down the ones in his hand and stepping closer.

Despite all that had happened, Angel's jaw dropped as he confessed and teased her about the missing spankies. "You did not! You.. held me up over your head how many times.. knowing I wasn't wearing them and.. you.. " She huffed and licked at her lips. "If I didn't have so many fond memories of you and if I hadn't just spent weeks living through some very unbelievable crap, I would be so pissed at you right now. I'd strangle you with those." She gestured to the ones he'd brought to offer in place of a tissue.

"Not enough times and I'd do it again. Just be glad I didn't do a drop and let your skirt fly. There's gratitude... maybe I should've let go, just didn't want to," he confessed more quietly, turning the light downward out of her face as he came within reach.

She pouted a little, folding her arms and looking down at the floor as she scuffed her shoe against the other. "So I should be happy that you stole my spankies and then didn't make it worse by flipping up my skirt to show everyone? huh.. there's logic for you." Her gaze came up from the floor after he lowered his light and she realized he was alot closer now. "So no regrets huh? Well.. I do appreciate you keeping it between us, at least. You know, what's a little peep show amongst friends, right? Right.. and I'll be sure to keep my panties locked up around you from now on." She hadn't expected to find such a familiar or friendly face and it got to her, making her bite at her lip and stare at him in the shadows. "It's really you.. wow.. it's really good to see you." She lifted her hand and reached over to gently rest it against his arm, gripping slightly as if she needed to feel him and know he was solid, not an hallucination.

[Lovely]

A little peep to remember her by and all he'd had to remember her by since graduation and forgetting as much about everything else in the foresaken place as possible. He had very fond memories of that peep show, and some very vivid dreams as well that he remembered the instant her hand curled over his arm. How many times had he dreamt of that touch? His skin bumped over in the most delightful of ways and he straightened up a bit. He turned the light a little toward his own face. "This might help, I think. Still me," he chuckled nervously.

She chuckled softly as he shone the light up at his face, she had not doubted he was himself, but it was nice to see him a little more clearly. She almost teasingly told him he had gotten old but he still looked as handsome as ever. "You.. look great." She said softly, stepping closer to him, her hand tightening ever so slightly over his arm. "Would you run screaming if I threw my arms around you and hugged you?"

He chuckled again and shook his head. "No, I'd be grateful. I haven't seen another soul in... well it seems it's been weeks," he said, opening his arms to welcome the squeal and anything else with it. "And I don't look great. I look like hell, just like everything else ... except you."

There was no squeal, but her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and she turned her face into his neck, she was actually trembling. Her fingers dug lightly into his shirt and she pressed herself against his chest. It was pretty obvious she'd been terrified through all of this and finding him was something positive in all the craziness. "So I look worse than everything else?" She tried to chuckle but it didn't come out right, her head shook a little. "You don't look like hell.. it's not fair, you know.. you are even more handsome now than I thought you were in highschool."

She'd thought that? He was stunned to hear her say such a thing. He wrapped around her in return, thankful for the embrace and pleasant touch. He'd had his own run-in with one or two of the zombies, but had no desire to discuss them right now. His eyes closed and he found himself rocking her slightly. "Don't know about that, but I'll settle for less geeky, how's that? And no, you're fantastic... and very warm, thank you. I'd say hot, but.. well, you know. Can't let it go to your ponytail."

"I wouldn't believe you if you said I was hot.. I might start to worry you were delerious, actually." The chuckle came this time, it was soft and muffled as she burrowed deeper into the space between his shoulder and his neck. He was warm, a bit more filled out since highschool but still lean, he's always been strong - she knew from all the times he'd lifted her so effortlessly in practice and at games. He'd never once dropped her. He'd always been more on the skinny side rather than bulky, but that was part of what she'd liked about him. "I'm not fantastic.. but this is helping to make me feel alot better."

"Well you feel fantastic, then, how's that?" He laughed as her breath tickled down his collar. "I think I am delerious. I thought I'd never see you again. Well, I wasn't thinking I'd ever see anyone again, but to find you again. I mean it when I say I've missed you. It's been far too long. We shouldn't stay here," he said suddenly, his tone slipping from sweet to serious and dark in a breath. His brothers often did that as well, their moods and tones always shifting and keeping others guessing.

She stiffened in reaction to the change in his tone, her head slowly lifting from his shoulder, her eyes a little wider than they had been. "Did you hear something?" Her voice was a tiny scared whisper as her eyes darted around, she strained to hear what he might have. Without realizing it, her hold on his shirt had tightened into a fierce grip.

"Not yet, but I'd rather be ready and not panic if I do. A few supplies from here and I think we should go. The afternoons are only getting shorter. Batteries, food, water, bits of string, bellylint... I don't care what, but if you think it has use, grab it and let's go," he insisted gently.

"I'm a woman in a panty store.." She started to tease but the seriousness of the situation cut her off and she sighed. "Satin and lace aren't really neccessities. We'll probably have better luck for batteries and water in another shop." She did let a bit of a frown linger on her face as she ran her fingers over a bit of lace on the display next to them.

[Lovely]

He gave her a slightly mischevious glance. "Perhaps you might want to stock up. You never know when you might find your spankies missing from right off your bum," he teased, running his hand down her arm to the lace at her fingers, tucking it into her palm. "You should enjoy some things while you can," he said quietly as if somehow they were a gift from himself. He closed his hand around hers to hold the lace in her fingers.

His comments shocked her enough to make her stare at him for a moment, she could feel the lace in her palm and the warmth of his hand around hers. He was just teasing her, he couldn't possibly mean anything by his words, she'd never be his type.. even if she were the last woman on earth. He was just being Gregor.. always kind and thoughtful toward her.. with the exception of stealing her spankies.

"Right.. want to help me pick a few?" She pulled up the one he'd placed in her hand and her eyebrow arched up as she read the tag. "It's my size." She held it out to him and motioned to the counter. "I'll grab a bag.. and we'll get out of here quick."

"Got one," he grinned, flashing the light back to the tote of totes he'd set down on the way in. "Several actually - room to stuff enough to keep you in... or out.. of spankies for months. I like them all. Aqua, I like those best," he teased still, dodging back to grab a tote for her to start stuffing.

This was so not fair.. all this free lingerie, hot.. super hot guy, and a world gone way wrong, zombies, and horror. Was it wrong to indulge? Was she horrible for feeling a small rush of excitement as her fingers grazed over lace and satin in search of tops and bottoms in her sizes? "Wait.." She already had an armful before he even got back with the bag. "..are you sure.. I mean, I want them but, is it really okay? Should I put them down and think about things like batteries and.. " Her eyes glanced up to his face as she started to feel petty and shallow.

He tucked the flashlight under his arm and held the bag out, opened wide for her to dump whatever she liked in it. His nose wrinkled up with the curiosity at her hesitation. "Who's going to stop you? Absolutely not me. Start stuffing," he insisted, poking the bag at her, and helping her with that handful.

She didn't need alot of convincing and let him help her shuffle the assortment of bras and panties into the bag. "So.. where are we going.. after we get what we need? I mean.. I think.. are we going together.. when we leave the mall?"

He hadn't thought that far ahead beyond his reaction to the touch on his arm and the feel of all this lace and satin in his fingertips. Of course... he almost blurted out, but realized she'd been keeping herself safe somewhere already and might not want to come with him. "For safety... well for many reasons, I think we should stay together," he shrugged, trying not to sound too eager about the prospect of her keeping him company a while longer - hopefully a great while longer. "I've... got an apartment that's at least not on the street level."

She didn't ask this time and she didn't try to hide the feelings as she once again threw her arms around him. "I was scared that you were going to say no." She admitted as she held him in the sudden and tight hug.

"Angel, I could never say no to you," he said sincerely, returning the hug as before and resting his cheek against hers. "C'mon. Shop like there's no tomorrow, like you're flying to Paris tonight... like you ARE Paris.. well, only prettier."

"I have to stop hugging you now." She pouted a little as she pulled slowly away from him. "I have to shop like a rich skank.. who's kind of sl*tty.. any advice on what I should pick? Actually, you have a bag with my sizes, if you see something irresistable grab it." A smile spread across her face briefly before she turned to grab more, as quickly as she could.

[Lovely]

"Red, black, strappy, buckles... leather... sheer, faux fur, polka dots, nothing with names or days of the week, and no cartoons. Sexy is you all over," he said, continuing the banter without thinking as he spun around the displays, shining the light down on interesting, lacy and expensive looking gear that fit his dream perfectly, picking them up one by one with a short description of each item he added to her collection for her.

The 'sexy is you..' comment genuinely surprised her and she glanced over at him, wondering if he really thought that or if he was only teasing her again. "Don't forget aqua." She murmured, coming up beside him with another small armful, an array of shades, styles, and fabrics, which she dropped into the bag while stealing a peek at what he'd put in. "You know, I don't have any other clothes with me.. I may just have to wear this stuff all the time." She was teasing because it was in no way practical to only wear lingerie all the time.

"Mmm.. you might. If I don't hide it all. No one to sell them to, though. Ah well. Ah... aqua!" He said, triumphantly holding up a corset and garter set with a sheer mini robe with tufts of ostrich feathers fluffing out the barely-there sleeves. "What do you think?"

"Wow. You have nice taste." She smiled with the genuine compliment in the midst of the teasing, she took a moment to admire the set. Her fingers reached to lightly play with the sheer material. "I think I love it.." She glanced at his face and then back to the set. "I wish I'd had you for a shopping partner before.. though I might never have left my apartment.."

His eyes shimmered with devious thoughts though she likely couldn't see it or the grin very well. She was probably quite right with that theory. "Put it in the bag, it's yours. I'm sure it's more than flattering on you, too."

She took the set in a manner that showed just how much she liked it, and she carefully put it into the bag with the others. "Gregor.. " She started but seemed to not have the words to say whatever was on her mind. Her hand brushed over his arm and she looked around the shop, seeming to try to find the words somewhere in the silk and lace.

"Right, we should go," he said softly, almost solemnly. He considered her tone and that it wasn't all what she was wanting to say, but he wanted to rescue her from an awkward moment. "We could come back, you know. Keys to the palace here and all. It's just not safe to stay put very long."

"You know you used to do that sometimes.. back in school.. pluck my thoughts or part of them out of my head." Her voice was soft and her gaze came back to his face, she smiled softly. "The keys.." She pulled them out of her pocket and showed him. "I have the keys to the service entrance of the mall."

"Still do, but I'll try to reserve it for those private kinky thoughts, miss jail warden," he teased, hearing the jingle of the keys. "Don't lose those. Could save our skins sometime. Mmmm.. how about fish nets and a neck tie, hm?"

He sent her mind spinning with his comments and she was lost for a reply at first, finally she latched onto his last question. "Yes but I need a good pair of heels to go with them. Something with a strap on the ankle."

"We... are in a mall," he reminded her with the hint of shopping fever in his tone. "I think you'll need two pair... at least. Alright, alright.. and save some room for essentials.. like the bunny ears. I'm joking. Food... hey you don't suppose there's anything not spoiled in the food court?"

"Maybe some of those boots that come to here.. " She grinned as she demonstrated the height on her leg. "It's not like we can't get more bags.. we are in a mall.." She reminded him back, now that he was getting her all excited for shopping. "I don't know about the food court, the mall has back up power which might have kept the coolers running. We'd have to investigate."

[Lovely]

"I like how you think. Let's find you a pair, or one in every color. Matching bag? Not that you'll need to put anything in it now, I suppose, except maybe mace and condoms... or... well, you know... whatever a girl needs to feel safe," he said, not sure the slip might make her think he was thinking what he had been. "Got all the spankies you can handle?"

"Condoms and mace? You've had some pretty interesting dates, haven't you?" She laughed softly but even in the shadows he'd see how her cheeks darkened and the way she glanced at him, biting her lip. She was thinking about all the things in the bag and him.. and condoms. "I'm a naughty girl you know.. I need alot of spankies. Do we have all that you can handle?"

"Won't know til I try," he warned playfully, giving her the bag of silken goodies to hold and covet until she could get a better look at his choices in the light at home. "Need... is in the eye of the beholder or something like that, isn't it? My dates.. heh, well let's say many were less than sparkling... or memorable. Interesting... I suppose that's as nice a thing to say about them as I can think of. It's been a while now, so... Here's to new interesting endeavors. Cheers," he added, rattling the flashlight like a New Year's noise maker, the light flickering and strobbing over the ceiling.

"Gregor.." She chewed at her lower lip for a moment and glanced over at him, still blushing hotly. "Can I tell you a secret?" She held the bag they had filled, feeling a strange sense of excitement about what was inside. "It's been a long time for me.. I never found anyone who really felt right to me."

"You've been feeling around the wrong crowd, then," he chuckled, picking up the other tote he'd started to fill from his other stops. "Your secret's safe and I won't hold it against you, except the 'never' part... you should know better not to ever say it. Come on. You know you want to try them all on for admiring. Let's go."

"Yeah.. never was the wrong word.. I just meant.. it doesn't matter. We should go, you didn't actually come here for this stuff, there are supplies and things that are needed." She couldn't look at him now, afraid that she would be so easy to see through and that he wouldn't understand.

"Angel, tell me. If I misunderstood, I want to understand, okay? It does matter to me. I mean I get it, that you're saying.. well, what I think you're saying anyway, is that someone special enough just hasn't been there for you. I just think that... someday he'll waltz in for you and treat you as well as you absolutely deserve," he said quietly, honestly, the optimism shining brighter than his flashlight was now that it began to fade and flicker on its own. "C'mon b*tch, don't you burn out on me yet," he seethed in a suddenly darker tone, shaking the flashlight to keep it going until they were in good light.

She sighed and said nothing as he shifted his focus to the flashlight without missing a beat or giving her a chance to explain what he said he wanted to understand. "I have mine." She offered it to him quietly, holding it out if he wanted to take it. The batteries were fresh and strong, she hadn't used it much.

He shook his head as his own came on a little stronger again. He showed her and didn't take hers. "S'alright. It's done that a lot. You need yours and I don't want you without one. I don't think we'll get separated between here and home, but just in case. It's funny how I actually live so very close to here... had I known you were here..."

"How close is very close?" She asked, wondering now at how he could have been right there this whole time and she hadn't even known. In a way she didn't dare explain to him, that thought hurt enough to make her glance away pretending to check her own flashlight. She blinked at the stinging in her eyes as they welled up with tears for could have and should have and might have.

[Lovely]

"Close enough that I have no excuses," he shrugged, sounding a little sad himself. "Close enough that I've been watching this whole strip over a week now and not seen anyone resembling human until today. Amazing the things you discover in the dark, isn't it?" It was his turn to reach out to her and offer the hug without asking. He was more grateful than words could manage to encompass.

Angel hugged him back after the initial moment of surprise when he wrapped around her. A few of the tears slipped down her cheeks and she turned to brush a soft kiss over his cheek, trying to reassure him somehow. She rested her chin on his shoulder and a small sad chuckle rolled from her mouth. "I'm so pathetic.." She murmured quietly, more like she was voicing what she was thinking than speaking directly to him.

"You're not," he chuckled, squeezing her tighter for a moment. "You are probably exhausted and terrified. Secret.. so am I. But, I'm going to fight it with every breath and keep going, so... Time to see if maybe there's at least a pretzel or something if we can find it, hm?"

"Sure." She didn't think he'd understand what she'd meant by her comment, it wasn't like he could actually read her mind and know she had thought he was the one.. as far back as highschool. She just never thought he saw her that way and that she was not good enough for him and definitely not remotely his type. Still, there had been something about him that she'd never been able to get out of her head, he was the reason she was single. Every guy ended up being compared to him and none of them could measure up, none of them were him.

She slowly untangled from the hug, though she didn't want to let go of him, and turned back toward the entrance. She froze as her flashlight settled on the pink and black set near the door, it was simply gorgeous. A mix of naughty and sweet, playful and cute, it was the kind of thing she could see herself wearing to relax even though it was sexy. It had the right amount of lace, the shade of pink was perfect with black satin straps and trim, and laces up the front.. "Wow."

He looked up at the piece her attention stuck on and agreed, whispering at her ear. "Wow is what you'll look like in that. Get it or you'll hate yourself in the morning," he said, though his mind was off thinking of what she'd look like out of it as he tugged each of the straps and bows. His breath rattled with that bit of anticipation. "On the way out," he said tugging with words and slight push on her arm. Damn food, he was getting hungry for something else entirely.

She hoped he missed the sound of her gasp as she felt his breath trickle over her ear and neck as he whispered to her, that area was ultra sensitive to begin with, nevermind that it was him! She stumbled a step or two on knees that felt weak for a moment before shivering off the sensation and heading with him toward the exit. She did stop to grab the lovely pink set, tucking two of them in her size into the bag with a mischievious little smile on her lips. "Mmm so.. about that pretzel?" She asked offhand as she snagged a few more assorted panties off the display and offered him the key to open the gate for them.

"I like them... hot, salty and twisted.. there's a lot to be said about enjoying that," he chuckled, taking the key and feeling along the bottom of the gate for the lock while looking beyond into the eerie depths of the echoingly dark row of vacant shops. His imagination was already leaping merrily along and the shadows cast by his light were leaping right along with it as he juggled.

"Guess we have more in common than we realized." She chuckled but it was short as she looked out into the dark hallway. In here it seemed safe or safer at least and for the moments they'd teased she'd pushed the horror down and away. It was crawling up the back of her neck with a case of the nerves like she'd had when she first ventured in. She stopped pawing through underwear, she already had enough in her bag for a month, maybe two. She moved closer to Gregor and let the beam from her flashlight shine out and chase away the shadows that seemed to move.

[Lovely]

"Do we? Ah, got it," he asked happily as he exclaimed with relief that he'd gotten the lock to work without too much difficulty. He pushed the gate up for her to duck under easily. He shuddered slightly, feeling exposed in the unlimited darkness, always fearful of things in the shadows. "Would I be wrong to hope you don't like the looks of that hall either?"

"You're not wrong. It is really dark out there and the hall isn't exactly short. It makes me feel all nervous again.." She explained a little and eyed the hall beyond the gate while taking in a deep breath to get the courage to scoot under the gate he'd pulled up for her. "One, two.. three, go!" She whispered to herself and a second later she was on the opposite side of the gate from him.

Three... The hesitation brought back the memories and he didn't realize he was actually counting with her, reliving moments of being ready for her to leap, always ready to catch her. Nervous... no, this was real fear and far different than just being nervous about having their uniforms perfect for State competition. He shook his head... the memories were pleasant and welcomed but distracting. The hall was too long and uncertain to afford that distraction. He sighed and beamed his flashlight down the center of the hall where the light was eventually swallowed a few dozen yards away. Anything in that darkness had the advantage, it seemed. "Alright. We check the gates as we go and only those shops we really need to check. We know phones don't work and a lot of this is crap no one needed even in normal times. Candles.. that might actually be helpful, though."

"So, do you have a mental list of what we need most? Just so we're on the same page.. you know? The next store over on this side is a clothing store. The other side is electronics and a jewelry store." She was going through in her head the layout of the stores and which they could pass over and which they might need. "After the clothing store on this side is a bath and body place.. they have candles.. oh and then the sporting good store."

"Clothing.. well, the essential variety anyway, we'll need to gauge as we go. Layers seem to be safest, even though it's got to be nearly 100 out there today in that parking lot. Covering everything, I'm thinking like armor. Food, we mentioned that. Light, heat, weapons, water, batteries, generator and fuel if we're lucky... and your boots-up-to-there," he added, turning with a smile.

"Do you have some ideas on how we're going to carry all that?" A few things, sure they could haul it out by hand and on foot but as he listed more items and bigger, heavier ones she started to become concerned. But then she smiled a little as and idea came to her which might work if he didn't already have something in mind.

"More than one trip and I was only planning on one set at the time," he admitted, though some of the items he wasn't sure would be so simple even for just himself but would be easier now with the help. "You asked about my list... not so sure it's all feasible at the moment."

"Yeah um.. here's what I'm thinking. Long dark hallway isn't going to get any shorter and the more times we have to come in and out, the more dangerous it's going to be.. especially if we're carrying everything by hand and on foot. Sooo.. how do you feel about a new truck?" She shone her flashlight down the corridor hoping it would reach to catch the metal of the vehicle that had been on display, a prize in some contest the mall had been having. Of course since the chaos had errupted, the mall had been closed, no one won the contest and the truck was still there with a quarter tank of gas. Sure that wouldn't get them that far but if he'd been able to see the mall from where he was.. they didn't have to get far and could make a few trips with the truck and viola they'd have the supplies they needed. "There, see..?" She finally got the right level and angle on the flashlight for the truck to be visible. "What do you think?"