FireStarter{DERRICK}

[Marnie O'Malley]

The house was quiet as Derrick had gone out to the garage for a moment to check on her truck. Marnie grabbed her IPOD in the meantime, and put the two earphone buds into her ears. She turned to her favorite song and slid the IPOd into the pocket of her jeans. She had pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She was dressed in a pair of low rise jeans and a white blouse. The clothes hugged her body nicely. She began dancing to the music. Lily was sitting in the living room. She caught Marnie's eye and giggled. Marnie winked at her and continued to dance.

Derrick and her were going to the beach for a nice romantic walk. Just to spend some quality time together. Lily was coming of course. Marnie would never leave her alone ever again. Marnie twirled and did a few sultry moves. Lily was watching her with amusement and a big grin. So, using Lily as an audience, Marnie began doing other dance moves.

Some were crazy and funny which she did on purpose to get Lily to laugh. Others were a bit sultry, and then the normal toned dance moves. She knew Derrick would probably be out there for a bit, so she didn't have to worry about him too much walking in on her. Marnie swayed her hips and just enjoyed the personal time while she waited for Derrick to come back into the house

[derrick]

Derrick placed himself in the garage for most of the morning to work on the SUV. He was fixing minor bugs and securing it more for their trip to the beach. He rarely went out of the house unless he was hunting or running errands in town for much needed supplies. Today he planned on taking Marnie and Lily to the beach and he wanted everything to go right. He hoped they wouldn't run into too much trouble but in their world, it was inevitable. He would at least make sure to bring his weapons on the trip. Marnie may not like it because weapons around Lily were dangerous but less so than zombies. Derrick finished checking the old and filling up the water before calling it. He knew the vehicle would run fine and wouldn't give them any trouble. He whipped his greasy hands on his shirt, knowing he wold change it before they left, and headed back into the house.

He stepped threw the door leading inside and hesitated as he heard Lily giggling. A grin instantly formed across his face. She had the cutest laugh but his eyes quickly scanned for the reasoning for her amusement. He spotted Marnie with two headphones in her ears as she danced to whatever she was listening to. Derrick leaned against the door frame as he proceeded to watch, chuckling softly to himself. He could tell she was enjoying it and he was too. Especially when she did some sultry dances moves. His eye brow was risen, knowing he could stand her all day and be completely content. Some day he would have to convince Marnie to dance for him behind closed doors.

After a few moments Derrick stepped closer to Lily, who was on the living room floor. He knew she would eventually notice him as she took a spot on the couch. "Oh don't let me interrupt." He waved a hand in her direction. He had a big grin planted across his lips as he waited for her to either continue or stop out of embarrassment. "I think Lily wants to dance with you." He picked Lily up so she was standing and held her hands to see if she would shake her hips like Marnie. Well maybe not exactly like Marnie but in that cute little kid way. He smiled as she attempted, bending her knees randomly.

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie jumped a mile seeing Derrick come in. She quickly yanked out the headphones, heat creeping into her cheeks.

"Let's see if she does want to dance"Marnie said grinning broadly. Lily shook her hips and Marnie did the same thing holding her hand. She laughed.

Marnie placed her IPOD down on the table. She looked at Derrick.

"How about I dance for you that way" she asked him in a seductive tone. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. She was glad he was grinning.

Marnie had to giggle to herself. The scenario was funny. She inhaled deeply and turned to Derrick.

"Is the truck ok?" she asked him.

She notioned to his shirt. "You need to change that" she said as her lip twitched at the grease stains on the shirt. She scooped Lily up in her arms and nuzzled her. Lily giggled and hugged Marnie back. Marnie loved this little girl so much. She squeezed her tightly as she watched Derrick.

The beach was one place she hadn't gone to in a long time. She was looking forward to it greatly. Just to spend some quality time with Derrick and Lily, was something she was greatly looking forward to. She waited for Derrick to respond.

[derrick]

Derrick watched the blood rush to Marnie's cheeked and only grinned some more because of it. He found her dancing very entertaining. It was easy to say that they were both becoming very comfortable with each other, as if they had been living together for some time. The weeks were passing but who was counting? There was really no use of keeping track of time anymore. The only thing worth waiting for was a cure and the whole world had been waiting for nine years. The only thing that kept him clued in with time was the seasons. He at least knew what time of the year it was and that was good enough for him. Sometimes he would forget about his own birthday and once summer had started over again, Derrick knew he was one year older.

"I definitely would not mind that." He smirked, kissing her back softly. It had been as if she was reading his mind and he had no problem with that. There was high hopes no that he was get his own private session some time soon. Marnie always kept him excited. She fed his heart with a lot of love and care. She made him feel things he never had before and to think he would ever get bored of her was shocking. Derrick knew he would never get bored. He loved her.

"Ya. Just needed some oil and water." He nodded at her question. Luckily he was a handy man and knew a thing or two about cars. He was no expert of course. The twenty-seven year old knew more about tracking and hunting but everyone man should know the basics of car care. "Yes ma'am" Derrick smirked her comment, as he watched Marnie cuddle Lily. He stood up from the couch and headed into their room, removing his shift as he walked. He picked threw the clean ones and placed one over his shoulders as she stared the girls from the door way. "Do we need anything else from in here before I walk out?" He scanned the room, not seeing anything necessary. "Want a jacket?" He glanced back at Marnie who he noticed was looking quite beautiful. As she did every day.

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie grinned and winked at him.

"Sure. You can have a private viewing later" She grinned at him.

"Um yeah you can bring my hoodie from the chair in the kitchen" She said as she took Lily's hand and waited by the front door.

Derrick had changed his shirt. She waited for him then they headed out of the house into the garage. Marnie opened the back door to her GMC Yukon and picked Lily up. She placed her onto the seat and carefully belted her in. Once Lily was secure, Marnie tossed her keys to Derrick. He was the only one she ever let drive her truck. She climbed into the passenger seat and closed her door, buckling the seat belt.

When they pulled out of the house, the weather had changed. The sky was a battleship grey color and dark storm clouds began rolling in. Marnie frowned.

"Oh no. It was sunny a while ago. Now it looks like rain" she said in disappointment. She looked at Derrick.

Thunder clapped in the distance, followed by a streak of lightning. Before long, thick fat rain drops began pelting down. Derrick switched on the wiper blades, so they swept across the windshield, pushing water away. Lily was entertaining herself in the back with a stuffed dog. Marnie glanced over the shoulder of her seat and grinned at Lily. Lily giggled and buried her face into the stuffed animal. Marnie reached back and playfully tickled her. Lily laughed. Marnie turned back around to look at Derrick. She gently placed a hand on his thigh as she watched the rain pelt down. It would rain now and ruin and outing, but they could go somewhere else and have fun. Marnie affectionately reached up and touched the side of Derricks face.

[derrick]

Derrick grabbed Marnie's hood from the kitchen and then grabbed himself one before heading to the car. He slipped into the driver'a side as they keys were given to him and took his place next to the blonde. As be backed away from the house and headed in the direction of the beach, he couldnt help but notice the rain clouds rolling in. "Looks like the beach is out of the picture." He commented as the drops of water began to pour against the windshield. He quickly turned on the whippers as he continued to drive. Clearly the weather was changing. Winter was rolling in which meant more danger in Derrick's opinion. There would be little sun lighting up the town anymore which meant wandering around town would be more daring. Marnie probably wouldn't appreciate him continuing to hunt in this type of seasonal change but that was one thing he couldn't give up. If anything he continued to do it to protect her and Lily. It was in his nature. "Where do you want to go instead?" He asked looking towards the blonde next to him as she placed a hand against his cheek. He gave her a warm smile before looking back out the window, wondering which direction he should be taking.

"How about the mall?" The twenty-seven year old asked with some hesitation. The last time the two had been there they had found Lily. Clearly there were some re-Animaters there but nothing they couldn't handle. They would at least be in doors and accumulating more things that they needed around the house. They definitely need more essentials for Lily. Derrick directed the SUV towards the mall but was ready to turn back at any moment. He wasn't sure how Marnie would feel about it and if she wasn't against it they could go somewhere else. They were limited with places that were still up an running. The mall was deserted but at least they could grab whatever they needed. The local bar was still running, which was where they had first met but he wasn't sure about bringing a child in there. He left the decision up in the air for Marnie to decided because either way he wouldn't mind. As long as they were all together.

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie smiled back at him.

She knew that's where they had found Lily. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

"Ok. The mall sounds good" She said at last. "We'll just keep real close to one another"

She said softly.

They arrived at the mall. Derrick pulled into a parking spot. Marnie climbed out and immediately the rain pelted down on her. Ignoring the fact that her clothes were getting wet, Marnie carefully pulled Lily from the car. Once the car was secure, Marnie and Derrick headed into the mall.

She wrung out her hair and grinned at Derrick.

"Wow. I don't think we're going to need a shower for the next two weeks" she laughed wringing out more of her blond hair. She made sure that Lily was secure and dry. She clasped Derricks hand and intertwined her fingers with his. She gently leaned against him for a moment affectionately as they began walking down the corridor.

There was a kids clothing store on the left, which Marnie hit first. She grabbed a bunch of Shirts, underwear and jeans and threw them into a bag. She returned to holding Derricks' hand.

"What do you want to do now?" she asked him eagerly looking at him lovingly.

She was so in love with him now she didn't think she couldn't love anyone as much as she loved him and Lily. Her hazel eyes caught the light, making them twinkle amber.

[derrick]

Derrick locked up the SUV and took his place next to Marnie as they hurried inside to get out of the rain. He ran a hand threw his hair, shaking off some of the water before following the two girls around the mall. One minuscule good thing about the living dead roaming around was that there was no one in the large building. No lines, no rude people who are in a rush to get thing. No reason to pay for anything anymore. It made life slightly easier not having to pay for everything they wanted but it wouldn't be long before everything was gone. Before the last production of items would diminish because there were no more shipments coming in. It was bittersweet but that was how the world was now. Derrick always wondered how long the supplies would last. How long it would take for starvation or dehydration to become the number one killers besides the infectious disease. It wasn't something he should be thinking of because it only worried him but he just couldn't help it. Luckily he knew how to keep his thoughts to himself. They way his mind work was good for Marnie or Lily. The last thing he needed was for them to know how little confidence he had in a cure or a comeback for the world.

As Marnie made her way into the kid store he waited patiently in the hallway with Lily in arms. He looked around, recalling what had happened the last time they were and hoped they wouldn't run into any trouble. Derrick didn't want to walk past the area where Lily's real parents had been attacked. He didn't want to see the site but he mainly was worried of not seeing anything there. He knew better than anyone that they would have turned already and were probably wandering around the mall. Or maybe even gone. Just in case he kept a close guy out for any movement and became slightly startled as Marnie came back. He took her hand and nodded to the in door playground for kids as she smiled at him. "I think Lily want to play for a little bit." He placed the little girl on the floor and held her hand with his free one as they headed to the area. Once they were close enough let go of the petite hand and watched as the little blonde giggled and ran around. Derrick placed his arm around Marnie's shoulder and pulled her close. He kissed her softly and then smiled. "So what happens next? Are you okay with living like this every day?" He questioned out of curiousity.

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie kissed Derrick back, giggling as she watched Lily run around. There was a bench in front so Marnie gently pulled Derrick over to it. She sat down with him beside her. His arm was around her shoulders. Marnie placed her hand on his thigh as she watched Lily. She listened to Derricks' question about living like this every day. Marnie bit her lip.

"I have to admit, it's bothering me a bit, not seeing other humans except the ones that survived" she admitted to him, snuggling up against him. She pulled her legs up onto the bench, tucked, and let her head rest on his lap. Lily continued to have fun, running around laughing, and entertaining herself.

"But, I have you and Lily. And" Marnie said smiling as she turned over onto her back so she was staring up into Derricks face. "We're going to have a baby. I took a test the other night. It's positive" she said softly beaming up at him.

She hoped he would be happy. It's possible that they were going to have a boy. It was a feeling Marnie had in her gut that this time they were having a son. She gently took Derricks hand and placed it over her abdomen.

"You're gonna be a dad and I'm gonna be a mom" she said lovingly her eyes lit up when she looked at Derrick.

[derrick]

Derrick ran a hand threw Marnie's hair as she laid her head down on his lap. His eyes glanced from her to Lily and smiled as he watched the little girl enterain herself. It was quite enjoyable. It always amazed him how children had such a broad imagination that could keep them entertained for hours. Back at the farm, he always watched his nieces play dolls and sometimes even joined in on their little tea parties, thankful that they had no care in the world. To them the world was perfect and there was no bad. Derrick had convinced himself that they still had little knowledge of what had been going on when their home was invaded by the living dead. He made himself believe they went fast and still with every ounce of happiness in their hearts. He couldn't bare to watch them turn, so once it was all over, the survivors had quickly fled the property. He couldn't imagine any innocent chidren like his neices infected but they had been and so long as he was around he promised to never let it happen to Lily. Or any other children that happened to be welcomed into his life.

Derrick had taken in a deep breath and practically joked on it as Marnie mentioned having a baby. He looked down at her, head tilted out of confusion. "Pregnant?" He repeated as if he had heard wrong the first time. They had once already had a pregnancy scare but it had been negative. While he had some time to sercome to the idea the first time, having to wait for the results of the test and all, Derrick was completely unprepared for this news. He wondered if maybe they first test had been wrong and she had pregnant the whole time. Or maybe they brought this upon themselves the second time they had slept together. There had been a lot of emotions roaming threw the air that day. He had saved the two that mattered most to him from a re-Animater. He had been so overwhelmed that he hadn't really been thinking about their actions. It always seemed to happen that way but as he stared at the blonde he could tell she was happy.

Derrick allowed his hand to be replaced and he glanced down at stomach that would eventually become larger with time. This was all so sudden and as she said reclaimed their positions as soon to be offical parents, he grew scared. Needless to say this was what the twenty-seven year old always wanted but under the circumstances it was difficult to digest. "Wow."

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie looked up at Derrick. A look of concern flashed across her face.

"You're not happy about having a baby?" She asked concerned studying his handsome face.

She kept her face turned up toward him and gently leaned up to kiss him.

"I know it's a bit of a shock though. But it's real" she said softly pressing her forehead against his. She closed her eyes, enjoying being close to him like this. She kept a hand on his chest as she pressed her forehead against his.

"We're really a family now" She said happily.

It was probably a shock to him. She knew the first time they had the pregnancy scare, but this time she was. There was no mistaking that. She wound her fingers through his and clasped his hands tightly.

Lily came running over and happily bounced onto Marnie's lap. She laughed and sat up, kissing Lily nosily on her cheeks. Lily giggled and climbed into Derricks' lap, resting her head against his chest. She yawned and her eyes got heavy.

"I think someone's sleepy. I think we should head back home" Marnie said to Derrick softly. She waited for his response

[derrick]

Derrick let out a sigh as Marnie gazed at him with a concerned look. He felt bad that his reaction hadn't been what she wanted; how anyone should have been when finding out there was a baby on the way. It's a new life. It was to give hope. In this world they needed a lot of that. "I am happy." He quickly reacted to her moment. "I just...wasn't expecting it." Which was the truth. The twenty-seven year old was completely caught off gaurd. He would take him some time to process and realize that they were going to have a child whether he liked it or not. Derrick did like it. He always wanted kids. Maybe not during an apocalypse but every decision came with a consquence. He was more afraid of not suceeding as a father. He always swore that he'd be more involved and caring than his own father but with the duty to protected his family all hours of the day; to always be on the look out and protective, he wasn't sure he'd give the children the care they needed. He wasn't sure he'd end up being he fathr he wanted to be.

"You're right. We are." Derrick kissed her back gently, hoping he could be reassuring. He was never really good at expressing his real emotion. Marnie knew that but it probably would be nice for her if he could be a little optimistic every once and awhile. He was happy about having a baby; happy they had Lily and happy that he was with Marnie. He just needed to find a way to show it.

He grinned as the little blonde crawled onto his lap and rested her head against his chest. "I agree. Someone had too much fun today." Derrick only teased as he stood up, holding the sleepy girl in his arms. He was glad they got out of the house and explored. It probably had been more fun for Lily instead of being cooped up in the house all. Goes to show there was a different way to living life now. It wouldn't be like the way he and Marnie had grown up. There would be more restrictions and more caution. He wasn't sure if the world would ever go back to the way it was but Derrick would at least make it work for his family.

He lead the way back to the car where he placed Lily in the back seat. She was no fast asleep. He hopped into the drivers side and waited for Marnie to get in before he drove back to the house.

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie grinned and got up as they headed back to the car. Marnie climbed into the passenger side and glanced back at the sleeping Lily on the seat. An affectionate look crossed her face as Marnie turned to look at Derrick.

"Someone knocked herself out" she joked to Derrick motioning to Lily in the back seat.

She kept her hand wound around Derricks as she enjoyed the ride home.

Once at home, Marnie put Lily to bed for a nap. She flopped on the couch and began watching TV. She was so happy about being a mom. She probably knew that she had that 'special glow' about her that pregnant women seem to get. She could understand how Derrick felt, it was a bit of a shock really. But underneath, she knew he was happy, just had a problem expressing some times. She didn't mind she still loved him regardless.

Marnie cooked dinner. Lily happily ate her meatloaf. Marnie popped in one of the disney movies that she had in her collection for Lily. They relaxed and enjoyed one another's company.

About 11 PM, Marnie yawned and stretched.

"I think I'm gonna hit the hay. You coming love?" she asked groggily. She headed into the bedroom and changed into a pair of pajama pants and a baby doll matching top. She pulled down the blankets and comforter and crawled into bed, lying on her side, waiting for Derrick to join her.

[derrick]

Derrick hadn’t said much the entire night since they got home from the mall. He was still in shock with the news that Marnie had laid out for him. She was pregnant; she was going to be a mother and he a father. Both for the first time. Obviously the couple had taken in Lily as their own since there was no other choice but she wasn’t related to them. It was something they would have to explain to her someday and hopefully she would understand. They would treat her no differently. He’d make sure of that but having their own child was different. This baby would have their genes. It would look like them. It would be apart of them biologically and that’s something they could never deny. Maybe Derrick hadn’t been as emotionally prepared for this day as he thought. Maybe he had psyched himself out during the first pregnancy scare. Now that it was true, the reality of it was terrifying for the twenty-seven year old but he held on to something that his mother passed on to him. Grin and beret. It was an ability they joked that his father never acquired. His mother always said that when times got tough just keep your head up and accept it. Derrick very much wanted to live by her teachings, it was the only thing he had left of her so for Marnie’s sake he kept the mood positive.

“Yea. I’m coming.” He nodded as he stretched a bit and then stood from the couch. He ran his hands over his face, letting out a deep sigh once she was clear from hearing distance. He just need a little time. Derrick peeked into Lily’s room before heading to his own and grinned when he saw Marnie all ready in bed. He undressed, taking off his shirt and pants then hopped into bed with the blonde. “Good night.” He kissed her softly before resting his head on the pillow and dozing off. Dreams weren’t a frequent occurrence for the man but he did recall this before waking up in complete distress.

Derrick had just returned home from hunting when being greeted by a small Lily about the age she was now. He picked her up into his arms and tickled her before walking inside. He failed to notice the little girls distress but when he walked inside it was clear as to what she was frightened of. He noticed his fiancé standing in the kitchen door way, large belly exposed with blood dripping down her face. It was clear that his son-to-be wife and mother of their first born had been turned by the vaccine. Lily buried her face into his chest and he pulled a gun from his holster and aimed at the woman he was in love with. He pulled the trigger once and allowed tears to roll down his face as she dropped to the floor.

Derrick was quick to wake from his dream, sweat streaming down his neck as he looked to Marnie, fast asleep next to him.

[Marnie O'Malley]

Marnie felt Derrick sit up in bed next to her. She switched on the light and sat up. Derrick's face she would never forget. He was drenched in sweat and he looked visibly sick to his stomach.

"Derrick? What's wrong? What happened?" She demanded anxiously.

She gently took his face in her hands, cupping it.

"It's ok. I'm here" she said soothingly. She gently ran a hand over his forehead and smoothed back some of his damp hair. She wound her arms around him tightly and literally climbed onto his lap. She pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to his heart beat.

"Did you have a nightmare too?" she asked him quietly. "Nothings going to happen to me or Lily or this new baby."

She pressed herself tighter against him and stayed like that. The look he had on his face now was the same look Marnie had when she dreamed about Derrick turning. It was a sickening thought that literally killed her. Marnie closed her eyes against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. The top of her head was snuggled under Derricks throat. She stayed like that, content, while she waited for him to respond.

Her legs were stretched out over his. A gentle breeze floated in from the opened window, ruffling her blond hair. She could smell the spring flowers outside their window. She pressed her face into his neck.

"I'm right here Derrick. I'm not going to go anywhere. I promise you that" she murmured as she gently kissed his neck.