(Author's note: Hey everyone, this chapter turned out way longer than I'd expected so I cut it up in two parts. I hope it won't undercut your fun of reading the story. Thanks for your support and kind comments!)

Two months ago.

When Clint came back from his Rescue and Relief service, he was smiling like a schoolboy who'd just been kissed by his crush. And he was carrying the crates of rations that he'd written off from the ration clerk.

Marie had returned his smile with just as much youthfulness when she saw him. She ran into his arms, feeling like a schoolgirl herself. She kissed him fondly and held him for a long time, letting the fact sink in that he was really back.

"These were the longest two months of my life," Clint whispered to her. "But this makes it all worth it."

Marie looked up at him, grinning. "So the field duty didn't beat the romance out of you, huh? Not bad. Not bad at all."

"It would take more than a few harrowing sights to beat the romance out of me," Clint said.

Marie giggled.

Clint's eyes happened on Zack who was standing a few feet away, rather awkwardly, rather shyly. As if not sure what he was supposed to do. Clint just smiled and stepped forward, crouched down and opened his arms. "Come here, big guy," he said.

Zack smiled back at his father, still rather shy. He walked into his Dad's embrace.

Clint held his son close to him for a long, long time. "I'm so glad to see you're okay," he whispered to his son.

"I'm glad you're back too," Zack said.

Clint pulled away and grabbed a chocolate bar from the crate of rations he'd brought with him. "Here you go." He offered the chocolate to his son. "You won't have to share that one with anyone, okay?"

Zack took his little gift, nodding, smiling. Clint ruffled his hair.

That's when the decontamination nozzles hissed again. Someone entered the living room. "It took me some time, but I finally got some fish," said a man's voice.

"Well, still perfect timing, Nick," Marie said. She was smiling again.

"Nick?" Clint looked at the man. He was much younger than him but about the same height with bright green eyes and dark brown hair. He was lithe and toned, even in his button down shirt and jeans. And he was carrying what looked like a cooling box they used to use for keeping the beer chilled.

"That's me, sir." Nick smiled and stuck his hand out towards Clint. "And you must be Clint."

"Dr. Clint Harris." he said, gripping Nick's hand and shaking it briskly.

Nick just gave a friendly smile and nodded. "Yeah, Marie told me," he said. "You are really brave to go out and do what you did."

Clint frowned. "I still don't know who you are."

Marie stepped forward. "I ran into Nick when I went out foraging last month. I stepped into an abandoned house hoping to find some supplies for me and Zack. There weren't any. Turns out, the house wasn't very abandoned. One of the infected attacked me. I screamed and that's when Nick heard me when he was passing down the street outside. He swung in to rescue and beat down the infected."

"Did he?" Clint raised an eyebrow at Nick. The younger man blushed.

Marie nodded. "I thanked him for saving my life. He asked me if I had some drinkable water to spare. I offered him a bottle from my backpack. We chatted for awhile. I told him I'd come in to find food before I was ambushed. He said he had some cans of food to spare since he felt it was too dangerous for me to go foraging on my own. I asked him if he would like to stay here with me and Zack."

"I hope I didn't cause you and Zack much trouble," Nick said, still smiling sheepishly.

"Don't worry. It's quite the opposite." Marie nudged his arm. "You were a great help." She turned to Clint. "Nick was always looking out for us, scavenging the supplies and keeping the infected away from this place."

Clint nodded. He looked at Nick. "Thanks for looking out for my family, Nick. I'm really grateful."

"Oh, don't mention it, doc. I should be thanking your family for letting me live with them," Nick said. "It gets pretty depressing, surviving on your own out there. Marie and Zack kept me sane through it all. I'm grateful to them." He smiled. "But enough of the serious talk. I've got a surprise!" He laid down the cooling box and tossed open the lid.

Zack walked over and gasped when he looked in. "You got fish?" he said, astounded.

"It looks fresh too," Marie said.

"Where did you find it?" Clint frowned. "All the rivers and ponds are polluted."

Nick smirked. "There's a government pisciculture plant just outside of the city." He said. "All the workers either abandoned their post or died so there were all these tanks full of fish just waiting to be taken out."

Marie gasped. "You trespassed government property?"

Nick pouted. "You make it sound illegal. While in reality there's actually no law stopping me from doing what I did. Not anymore at least."

That's when Zack stepped up. "But wouldn't the place be locked?" he said, amazed.

Nick smirked at the boy. "It was." He crouched down to Zack's level. "The main gate was actually just protected with a simple padlock. I busted it open with a cinderblock and walked in. I would've broken in however possible just to get my buddy Zack some fresh fish." He winked at the kid.

"Shut up, Nick." Marie smacked him on the shoulder. "There's no point in risking yourself like that. Just for some fish."

"Hey," Nick rubbed his shoulder, "I just wanted Zack to see how real fish tastes. None of the canned crap you had been feeding him." He turned back to Zack. "In fact, there's still a few live fishes at the plant. I can even teach you how to catch 'em yourself. What do you say?"

"That shouldn't be necessary, Nick," Clint said. "The canned food works just fine for us for now."

Nick looked up at the older man and just shrugged. "No problem. However, the offer still stands, kiddo." He winked at Zack again.

The boy chuckled.

While Marie was seasoning the fishes in herbs and spices, Clint walked up to her and asked if she needed any help. Marie smiled and nodded. "Why don't you chop a few more of these and skewer them? It will be a nice appetizer." She handed him a knife and a plate with two headless trouts in them.

Clint got down to business. "It's nice to see you and Zack are doing so well," he said.

Marie smiled again. "Thanks to Nick."

"What do you mean?"

"He's been a trooper. He was out scavenging for supplies, medicines, looking after Zack. It really helped, especially when I caught pneumonia."

Clint stopped chopping the onion. "Pneumonia?"

Marie nodded. "I would've been completely hopeless if I had been alone and no one to look after Zack. But Nick was taking care of everything."

"How bad was the pneumonia?" Clint frowned.

"It was mild it seems." Marie shrugged. "That's what Nick said. He had gone to the library to read up on what kinda medicines might cure it. He also went out and found some antibiotics that fixed me up."

Clint put the knife down. "But you should've received the rations I sent from Rescue and Relief. They have basic medicines like antibiotics in the package, like amoxicillin." He frowned. "Weren't they delivered?"

"I didn't receive any package of rations." Marie shook her head.

"That's not possible!" Clint snapped. "I sent it off. I talked to the clerk at the rations assignment myself! You should've gotten it, goddammit!"

Marie flinched. Then she scowled at Clint. "Why are you acting like it's my mistake that I didn't receive the package?!"

"You probably made a mistake." Clint glared at her. "I was ready to starve myself for you and Zack. I wrote them off because I wanted you and Zack to remain well fed. And you just messed it all up!"

"Do you even hear what you are saying? How could I have made any mistake? I didn't even know there was a package headed for delivery!" Marie said.

"You would've if you'd paid attention!"

"You aren't even making any sense, you idiot!"

"Mom? Dad?" Zack appeared at the kitchen entrance. "Why are you fighting?"

Clint's face turned red. He looked away. "I-I'm sorry, son. I...I just...I made a mistake." He sighed, rubbing his face, as if fatigued.

Marie frowned at her husband, feeling a bit of sympathy, also some apprehension. She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders, pressed her thumbs against his muscles and squeezed. "You are just tired, honey," she said softly. "You should rest up. Knowing you, I'm sure you never took any breaks at Rescue and Relief. Why don't you lie down?" She hugged him from behind.

Clint sank into her arms, sighing. "I'm sorry. I was...I was stupid for yelling at you. I shouldn't have. It wasn't your fault."

"Shh..." Marie squeezed him in her embrace. "Don't dwell on it anymore. Just lie down and try to relax, dear."

Clint smiled at her. He kissed her cheek. "Thanks for putting up with my stupidity," he said.

She kissed him back. "Thanks for always looking out for us."

Clint pulled away from her and smiled at Zack before going to the living room. He lay down on the couch and looked up at the ceiling, feeling slightly ashamed of his outburst.

That's when he heard Marie calling out for Nick. "Hey, help me out with the cooking, dumbass!" Her voice was rather jolly, as if she was addressing someone she'd known all her life.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Nick called back. Clint heard footsteps walking into the kitchen. There was a sound of knife slicing the fish, the gentle thudding of blade against the board. The hiss of meat searing in the cooking oil. The noise of friendly chatter. The sound of laughter. It sounded like a family cookout.

Clint frowned and just lay there, listening.

###

Then there was that day. Marie brought him a cup of tea. The steam rising out of it fogged up Clint's glasses. Marie laughed as he pulled them off, grimacing a bit. "You're adorable!" She pinched his cheeks.

Clint pursed his lips and swatted her hand away. "Look who is all bubbly in the morning." He smirked at her.

She smirked back. "It's fun to mess with you," she said as she sat next to him on the arm of his chair, leaned in and nuzzled his neck. "Let's make a bigger mess after you finish your tea?" she said, her lips brushing against his ear.

His skin flushed all the way up from his neck. "Mrs. Harris, you're trying to seduce me," he said, leering.

Marie shifted onto his lap. "Glad you noticed, Mr. Harris." She buried her face in his neck, breathed in his scent.

He let out a soft breath, a pleasant shiver ran up his spine. "I haven't finished my tea yet, dear," he said in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Don't let me interrupt you." She kissed his neck.

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, the tea very much forgotten, he kissed her with fierce passion, his teeth gripping her lower lip. Marie moaned, her fingers grabbing him by his hair. "Hell, I missed you so much!"

"Shhh!" He covered her mouth with his hand. "You'll wake up Zack."

She smirked at him, pulling him in for another kiss. "Don't worry about him, Mr. Harris," she said playfully. "Nick took him out for a little scavenging training."

Clint frowned, pulling away. "Why? We have enough supplies. The fish he brought yesterday are still in the cooling box. The rations I brought with me from Rescue and Relief are there. We don't need to scavenge for anything right now. Let alone send Zack out there for it. Why did you even let Zack go with him?"

Marie grimaced. "Because I wanted some alone time with you." She tried to pull him closer again.

He resisted. "That's not an excuse Marie," he said in an admonishing tone. "Considering how bad the virus is and how the infected get in the hunt stage and the riots were just two months ago. Anything can happen in this world! Why would you let your son step outside with a stranger?"

"Nick is not a stranger, Clint," Marie said.

"That's the problem. He is getting a little too friendly."

"Because he is a friend. He was the one who took care of me when--"

"I know, I know. Don't get started again." Clint looked away, scowling a little.

"Is this about Nick?" Marie said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Are you really...jealous of a man who became friends with us just two months ago?"

"Your friend. Not mine."

Marie grimaced. "Why, Clint?" She gripped his shoulders. "What's making you so upset? Nick isn't here. He is someone I trust to take care of our son out there. If I asked him to do that while you and I spent some quality time together, then why are you still so angry about it? I'm still here! If I wanted Nick I could've been with him right now instead of going out of my way to be alone with you here!"

Clint glared at her.

Marie glared back, unflinching. She shook her head, disgusted, disappointed. "What's wrong with you?" She got off his lap and walked away, huffing in anger and frustration.

That's when she felt his arms circling her from behind. She pushed him away. "Don't touch me!" she snapped. "You can't get all insecure on me and expect me to just ignore it now." She took another step back as if marking the empty space between them with an invisible line.

"I'm sorry, I--"

"Shut up!" Marie yelled. "I don't wanna hear none of it! It's been a month since you came back already. You've had plenty of time to recover from whatever fatigue being out there had on you. You can't make any excuses for your behavior anymore."

"I know I can't," he said. "And I'm not trying to. I'm just...sorry. I'm an idiot."

"That's supposed to just solve it each time, isn't it?" Marie said, crossing her arms. "You get angry, then I get angry, you call yourself an idiot and then it's all good, right?"

Clint sighed. "This won't happen again. Please. Believe me." He stepped closer to her crossing the invisible line between them. "I-I'm...I haven't been in my right mind. Almost ever since the virus, since the riots. I've been...jumpier, angrier than before. I-I'm trying to fix this. Please, try to understand. Whatever I do, I do it because I care for you and Zack." He put his hands on her arms, she didn't resist this time. He pulled her closer. "None of this is your fault. Please, I'm sorry."

Marie let out a long breath. She looked up at him. "You mean it?" she said.

He nodded. "From the bottom of my heart." He pulled her even closer. "I just want you and Zack to be safe. I want to do everything I can for you both." He wrapped his arms around her. She still didn't resist. He held her close, caressed her hair softly.

After a long minute, she wrapped her arms around him as well. "You were never like this," she said softly. "You were never this paranoid. I want the old Clint back. Bring him back for me, will you?"

Clint gave a brief smile. "I will." He kept caressing her hair.

"I'm kinda scared of you right now," she whispered.

His fingers clutched her tighter. "Why?" he asked, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

"I can't tell what you would do next," she said. "I don't feel like I know you the way I used to. I should be able to understand why you are acting this way. But I can't. It's as if...I'm seeing you for the first time. It's like a stranger, wearing the face of someone I know."

He pulled back to look at her. He cupped her face and gazed right into her innocent blue eyes. "I'm still the same Clint you married," he said. "I love you. I'll never do anything to hurt you. Never."

Marie smiled a smile that didn't really reach her eyes, but she nodded. Nodded and believed everything he said.