Adan looked down again, trying to take in the full meaning of her last statement. While also trying his hardest to remember what that path from point A to point B had actually been for them. That seemed like the most important piece of the entire puzzle that led to this new level of their relationship after all.

Surprisingly, she found her voice before he did for once. “Besides, shouldn’t I be the one asking you how much you regret last night?”

Adan scoffed, casting his eyes away once more before making himself look back over at her. “I’m guessing not really being able to remember what exactly led to... It’s gotta be even worse for you. I mean. It was your first time and all” he added, his volume dropping as he skirted that particular fact of the whole scenario.

“And definitely not yours” she stated, more to herself.

Adan couldn’t help another slight look down. “So you do remember parts of it?”

“Pieces,” she admitted then shook her head, “and that’s beside the point. We need to figure out what the hell even happened, don’t we?” She then quickly clarified, “what happened, before what happened.”

Biting back the urge for any other coy comments, “agreed” he stated with a slight nod of his head. “So what is the last thing you really remember? Perfectly clearly I mean.”

“You saying that you were afraid that you weren’t going to be as perfect as the fantasy of you I created in my head” she admitted.

“I don’t think those were my exact words, but” he sighed, “yeah that’s pretty much the last thing I remember clearly too. Then we woke up. And it was pretty obvious that some pages of last night’s script got lost somewhere during the night.”

“But how, how does that happen?” she asked desperately.

“How does which that happen?”

She looked down with a blush. “I was referring to the selective amnesia this time.”

“I have no fucking clue, literally” he admitted. “But obviously, at some point after what we remember, I said or did something that made other things happen between us. We know that much, at least” he stated, trying desperately to grasp for that knowledge.

“Or I somehow made you forget that you never really wanted me, like that?” she stated sadly.

“I’m pretty sure you know that’s not entirely true. Wanting someone is a pretty big requirement for what we know actually happened between us last night.”

“Or it was just the fact that I may very well be the last woman on earth now” she sniffled.

“Stop” he shook his head over at her. “I made love to you last night, Aura. I took your virginity for crying out loud. Do you honestly believe that I would do that with you, if it was only about getting laid? Do you really think I would use you like that, knowing how much I do care about you? Really, Aura?”

Aura let out a sound of frustration at her inability to immediately come up with any sort of counter argument to his logic. But she couldn’t dwell on that now. “All of this emotional stuff aside; us both forgetting a chunk of last night? You’ve gotta admit it is pretty fucking scary... and fucked up! Something really strange is going on here, Adan.”

“Agreed” he repeated with a hopeless shake of his head. When he looked back her way, her eyes were pleading with him for some explanation that made any kind of sense at all. “Well, I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do.”

“They already tried to kill us all with a virus. Maybe now they poisoned the air too. To get rid of anyone who’s still left. And our brains are just melting every time we take a breath,” she mumbled as she covered her face once more.

“You really have watched a lot more sci-fi and horror movies than me,” he stated, once again using humor to deflect any kind of tension.

“We’re in a sci-fi/horror movie!” she reminded him loudly.

“OK” he shook his head again, “let’s go with that. But isn’t one of the points of a bunker to protect you from poisoned or irradiated air outside? Doesn’t it have its own environmental system in here?”

“Yes dammit” she conceded. “But I just don’t fucking understand how we could just forget. Forget whatever made us go from fourteen years of friendship to...? In the span of one conversation!”

“We did have a few conversations about it, technically” he corrected quietly.

“Adan!” she just shook her head.

“Well, I guess we could always just have sex again. Maybe that’ll fill in the blanks” he shrugged, though couldn’t help casting a small glance her way as he did.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Do you want me to be?”

“Adan, come on!”

“I know. I’m sorry. But I’m really at a loss for any other ideas on how to figure this thing out.” He then just sighed heavily. As did she.

Late that night Aura somberly made her way to the pantry in search of a beverage with more taste than just water. As she scanned the shelves and shelves of non-perishables she sighed. Just as she turned to step around to the other side of the shelf, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

He immediately held his hand up. “Please, don’t make noise” he said softly, as though unsure of every word as it left his lips.

And inconceivably, Aura didn’t make any noise. It was as though she actually couldn’t right then. Her breath caught as terror filled her eyes and she just stared at the man now standing before her in the shadows of the tall shelves.

Other than her immediate fear and confusion, there was another layer to her reaction as she took in his appearance. It was only the second time in her life she had ever only been able to describe a man with one word: Beautiful. And the only other one who ever garnered that description from her was currently in a completely different room, totally unaware of this man’s presence. Just as she had been until that moment.

The man seemed to struggle with finding more words for a long moment before speaking again. “The only reason I’m talking to you now, like this, and letting you know I’m even here, it’s because I need to know. Is he dangerous?”

Aura mouthed the word ‘what’ though sound didn’t seem to find its way out of her throat still. Seeing that she still was unable to respond to him properly, the man seemed to give in and held his hand up again.

“Please, tell me, but quietly” he instructed as he lowered the hand and she almost had the feeling of an invisible noose suddenly loosening around her neck.

“Who the fuck even are you?” she demanded in a loud whisper, surprised that she suddenly had regained use of her voice again.

“Is he dan--”

“Who are you?” she asked more loudly.

He stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to figure out the proper answer to her question himself. Finally, after giving her the impression that he was seeing inside her very soul, he spoke again. “Colonel Reese?”

“What?”

“He’s the one who warned... your family? Before the attacks? And sent you here?”

“What?” was all she could repeat. She then shook her head and added, “you know him?”

“Yes” he stated, as though not sure of the answer himself, somehow.

“What?”

“His son. I am” he added.

“OK, Yoda” she shook her head, “I didn’t even know he had a son. And how the fuck did you even get in here, and when?”

“Before you, and Adan” he stated warily, never letting her out of that dark gaze of his.

“Me and...” she shook her head in frustration. “How?” she asked again.

“Reese... Father” he corrected, “he’s the one who told your father to get this place. Years ago.”

“And he never bothered telling us that he had a son who could get in here too? Maybe cause his son’s obviously so high he can barely speak, perhaps. Just a theory. Feel free to correct” she bit back sarcastically. Yes she found him stunning, physically at any rate. But everything else about his presence and mannerisms and every other thing she was dealing with made her tone harsh and angry with every word.

“I just need to know if Adan is dangerous. If he hurt you, last night” he stated firmly.

“Fuck you!” she bit back, appalled, and feeling her cheeks redden.

He blinked at that response as though actually trying to decipher it. “That’s all I wanted to know.”

“You’ve got some issues, buddy. And you’re not even supposed to be in here goddammit! And you’ve been sneaking around and listening to us, watching us? What the fuck? I mean, really?”

He blinked again, looking as though her words caused more confusion than offense. “Neither of you can remember all of last night. Not clearly.”

“Excuse me?” she asked, her breath catching.

“That’s why you can’t answer me.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry for that.” He then moved forward, causing her to recoil from him. “I just want to help you remember. Then you can answer.” and with that he moved his hand toward her head, and suddenly the memory of every moment of she and Adan’s lovemaking, and the panic that led to it, came back to her, all at once.

She gasped at the flood of memories. Stammering, she forced more words, “you’re not really Colonel Reese’s son, are you?” she asked, the words barely audible.

“Did Adan hurt you?” he asked her again.

“What? No!” She shook her head. “But you... you’re...”

Though before she could finish her sentence, he moved his hand again, only to then catch her as she fainted. “I’m sorry, again. I just needed to know if he was dangerous” He then gently placed her body upon a nearby sack of foodstuffs, and disappeared into the shadows once more.