Tommy woke up to find himself naked in someone's bed. His head throbbed with sharp pain, making him yelp. He immediately felt a hand touch his forehead. Breathing heavily, he turned his head and saw Annaelisa looking at him with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He realized they were both naked in bed. "Oh god... did we do it?" he asked, pressing a hand to his aching head.

She smirked. "Of course we did it, tiger."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but before he could say more, she leaned forward and kissed him. Their lips pressed together, and he found himself leaning in for more. They lay back on the bed, kissing until they both broke into laughter.

"Ah, my mom is going to kill me," he said with a smirk.

"I don't think she will," she murmured, turning toward him and kissing him again. "I'll protect you from now on," she whispered, making him lean forward to kiss her once more.

After dressing, they made their way to the kitchen. He sat beside Carl, who was eating.

"Good morning, Tommy," Rick said with a smile.

Tommy nodded, then noticed Annaelisa scanning the room as if looking for someone. He walked over to her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm good. Just looking for my brother."

He nodded, trying to meet her eyes. He held out his hand to her, but she quickly let go when his uncle entered with his mother.

His mother rushed toward him. "How did you sleep, Tommy?" she asked.

He smiled cheekily at her, though his eyes drifted back toward Annaelisa. He saw the discomfort in her body language as his uncle's gaze lingered on her.

"Come on, let's get you some new clothes," his mother said, taking him away. He glanced back one last time at Annaelisa.

A little later, in his mother and Shane's room, they sat on the bed.

"Jack told me he saw you go into Anna's room," she said.

He met her eyes, unsure what to say.

"I warned you not to get close to her," she continued, her voice lowering. "She's just a burden."

Tommy looked down, avoiding her eyes. "I'm not a little kid," he whispered.

"Listen to me, Tommy. I care about you, and I love you." She stroked his hair gently—until loud alarms shattered the moment.

He jumped to his feet. His mother gave him a sharp look, and they both ran toward the main entrance. The power went out, plunging the halls into darkness. Footsteps thundered behind them. He glanced back—just in time to see Annaelisa in Jack's grip. His chest tightened, but he kept running.

"What's going on?" Daryl demanded as he appeared in the corridor, where everyone else was gathering.

"Why is everything turned off?"

"Energy use is being prioritized," Jenner said calmly, taking a swig from Daryl's bottle.

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale pressed.

"It's not up to me. Zone Five is shutting itself down. The system is designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second. It all started as we approached the half-hour mark—right on schedule."

Tommy's stomach dropped. We're going to die.

Lori clung to Carl, who sobbed in her arms. Shane stood at her side. Rick kept scanning the room. Tommy's eyes found Annaelisa again—still in Jack's embrace. He forced himself to look away, standing near Glenn, both of them pale with worry.

"To hell with it, Shane! I don't even care," Rick said, shaking his head. "Lori, Carl, Marie, Tommy—grab your things. Everybody pack up. We're getting out now!"

Before anyone could move, a piercing alarm filled the building.

"What is that?" voices shouted over one another.

"Thirty minutes till decontamination," Jenner announced.

"Doc, what's going on here?" Dale demanded.

"You all heard Rick!" Shane yelled. Tommy bolted to his mother's side, taking Carl's hand as they ran.

"You know what this place is?" Jenner's voice rose. "We protected the public from weaponized smallpox, Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country—things we can't let get out. In the event of a catastrophic failure or attack, H.I.T.s are deployed to keep them contained."

"Open the damn door!" Daryl roared, shoving at it.

"You should have left well enough alone," Jenner said quietly. "It would have been easier."

"Easier for who?" Rick shot back.

"All of you. You know what's out there—a short, brutal life and an agonizing death."

Tommy's pulse thundered. Then Annaelisa broke free from the others and ran into his arms. They held each other tightly. She leaned up and kissed him.

"Anna, I—"

"I know," she whispered, kissing him again. He rested his forehead against her hair, breathing her in.

From across the room, Jack Jones stood frozen, watching them with shock in his eyes.

"Get down! Get down!"

Tommy yanked Anna to the floor, landing on top of her. A loud crash shook the air. Then his uncle's hands pulled him up.

Jack slung Tommy's arm over his shoulder. "Come on!"

Tommy looked back at Annaelisa, urging her to follow. Limping, he was half-dragged until Rick appeared.

"Let me help him, Jack," Rick said, taking Tommy and pulling him toward the exit.

"No—Anna," Tommy gasped.

"I'll get her! Go!"

Tommy gave a sharp nod before Rick hauled him away. Jack motioned for Annaelisa to jump. She landed in his arms, and he didn't let go of her arm as they sprinted toward the RV.

AUTHOR  NOTE

sEason 2 is next!!!

MAGGIE IS coming!!!!

What should Maggie and Tommy ship name be?

Also new characters! coming !