Mike and Jeff Versus the Zombie Apocalypse

They reached Utah ten hours later, stopping at a mostly deserted rest stop. There were a few other cars in the parking lot, other weary survivors making the pilgrimage to Kansas. They stretched their legs, Julie and Jeff walking laps in the parking lot with Arnold, talking lowly to each other, Dustin and Dan were rubbing their eyes sleepily, leaning against the vehicles, and Shea and Pekka signing autographs for a pair of kids who recognized them. They called over the other guys and it was then they noticed Mike and Sarah missing.

As they formed a plan to look for them, Pekka spotted them walking towards them. Mike held Sarah firmly around the middle and she was giggling over something he had said. She smiled brightly when they reached the others. "Hi!"

"Where were you two?" Dan asked.

"Bathroom." "Walking."

"Walking." "Bathroom."

Jeff rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked towards the range rover. "They had sex," he said as he got in.

Sarah blushed and Mike grinned shamelessly. "In a rest stop bathroom? Gross!" Dustin exclaimed.

Mike shrugged. "Happy wife, happy life."

"That's gonna be a great story to tell your kid one day about how they were conceived," Julie added.

"Come on, lets go," Shea said. "Since these two are fully sexed now. It's 15 hours to Kansas."

Everyone piled back in the cars and they set back out on the road. Mike drove one vehicle and Shea the other while Julie, Jeff, Dustin, and Dan slept. Halfway to Kansas, Mike and Sarah swapped places, as did Shea and Pekka. When they were an hour outside of Kansas, Mike called Scott to check in.

When they pulled their two cars through an armed guard checkpoint, they were directed into the survivors camp and told where to park and check in. They followed the orders and parked before heading inside. Their personal information was taken and then they were each given a full medical exam, stripped to ensure no rogue zombies had made it inside the encampment. Once they were all together again, they set out to find out where they had been assigned for living arrangements.

A perky blonde eyed each man in the group with interest before turning a cold eye on Sarah and Julie. Sarah rolled her eyes at the girl.

"We need the housing assignment for Richards," she said sweetly, slipping an arm around Mike and hugging herself to him. "I'd like to know where I'm living so I can keep working on making a baby with my fine ass husband, the one you are presently attempting to eye fuck. It ain't gonna happen. Try looking somewhere else. Also, if we are not living next door to the Carter's, I will actually whack your head off with a hockey stick."

"Down girl," Shea chuckled, stepping up to flank Sarah on her other side. "Camille is going to love you." He looked up at the blonde. "I need to know where you assigned Camille Weber, my wife."

The girls fingers flew anxiously over the keyboard of her laptop. "You're all in the East End, Miller Street and Robin Lane."

"Thank you," Sarah replied. She turned on her heel and the guys collected packets from her. They followed the maps to their new homes and pulled into the driveway of Mike and Sarah's place.

"According to this, I'm across the street with Camille, Peks, Tara and Sharpie," Shea said.

"Jeff and I are next door," Julie smiled.

Dustin groaned. “I’m with Mike and Sarah. Why am I with Mike and Sarah? Can we please trade?” he begged Julie. “You know you want to live with Rick,” Dustin implored Jeff.

“It would give you two a head start on practicing for when you have your own kids,” Julie said.

Sarah shrugged. “I’ve already lived with Jeff once. I could do it again.”

Julie handed Dustin the keys to the house that she and Jeff were assigned. “Bless you!” he shouted happily, kissing each of Julie’s cheeks. “Stollsy, you’re with me and some of the Blue Jackets.”

"I'm with Tazer, Duncs, Seabs, and Crow across the street," Daniel said as he checked his packet.

"Shea!!" The shout came from across the street and Shea caught the pretty brunette as she leaped into his arms. "You made it! And we get to live with Peks!"

"Are you more excited to see me or Pekka?" Shea laughed as he hugged the woman.

"Pekka." Pekka grinned and hugged the woman next. "Hi, I'm Camille," she introduced herself. She looked over the group and her eyes settled on Sarah. "You must be Sarah."

"That would be me. Shea has told me a lot about you."

Camille smiled. "The Blackhawks and the Rangers are at our house. You guys should all come over."

"We need to find Scott," Sarah said to Mike.

"The Flyers are your neighbors," Camille said. Sarah grinned and ran across the yard and pounded at the front door.

"Hartsy!" she squealed. Scott waved to the others before hugging Sarah.

“The Penguins are my neighbors. Can you believe that? What the shit?” Scott said.

Sarah laughed. “Which Penguins?” Julie asked.

“LeTang, Martin, Neal, and Crosby. They lost Geno.”

“I would’ve shoved Crosby in front of the zombies to save Geno,” Sarah said. “Lots of him to go around. The zombies totally would have had fat puppy syndrome from overeating if they had.”

“I take it you’re anti-Penguins?” Camille asked.

Sarah shrugged. “Old habits die hard,” she answered. She turned back to Scott. "Did you find Danny and Claude?"

"The Brioux's have the house on the other side of the Penguins. Wayne and Jake are living with me. And I believe your captain and goalie have that house right over there," he pointed.

“Wait....does this mean Jake is no longer our mortal enemy? Because I’ve been wishing evil things onto him since the trade, you know, for Jeff’s honor and all that but it pains me greatly, seeing that he is super adorable and what not.”

“Sarah!” Jeff whined.

“What? It’s an established fact that I like redheads.” Scott laughed as Wayne Simmonds and Jake Voracek joined the others outside. She walked up to the pair of them and eyed them both. “I am sorry I cheered when Mike leveled you his first game back in Philly,” she said to Jake. “And I’m sorry that you got traded from beaches and hot chicks in bikinis to Philly,” she told Wayne.

"I see exactly why Mike picked you,” Camille spoke up as everyone laughed. “I'm really looking forward to getting to know you, Sarah. I wish we had gotten to meet the week I stayed with Jeff in LA when Shea and I were first together."

Sarah grinned. “Since I now know everyone is present and accounted for, Mike and I have things to do,” she announced, grabbing his hand and pulling him behind her to their new house. Mike smiled and waved to the group as Sarah slammed the door behind them.

“What exactly do they have to do?” Scott asked. “Or do I not want to know?”

“They have babies on the brain,” Jeff told him.

“Speaking of babies,” Julie groaned. “My water just broke.” Everyone looked down at the puddle surrounding Julie’s feet.

“Oh shit!” Jeff yelled. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

Daniel rolled his eyes as Jeff hopped from foot to foot. “I’ll get Sarah,” he said, crossing to pound on the front door Sarah and Mike had disappeared behind.

“Come on, Julie,” Dustin spoke up. “Into the car with you.” He guided Julie by the arm back into Mike's vehicle and climbed into the driver seat. “Come on, Carts. Time to go.”

Sarah came flying out the front door and ran to the vehicle, climbing into the back with Julie. Mike nudged Jeff forward. “Forward motion, Jeff. Forward motion.”

Twenty hours later, Julie held her newborn son in her arms. Jeff pressed a kiss to her forehead and then his son. “You’re beautiful,” Jeff murmured. “He’s beautiful.”

“He needs a name still.”

“You know Sarah’s vote,” Jeff smirked.

“We are not calling him Chester.”

“What about Finn?”

“Finn,” Julie repeated. “I like that.”

Jeff smiled. “Finn Michael Carter.” Julie laughed softly.

“We’re never gonna get away from that boyfriend of yours, are we?” she teased.

“Bros before hos, Julie.” She shook her head.

There was a soft knock at the door and Sarah peaked her head inside. “Are you up for visitors?”

“Of course,” Julie answered. Sarah entered with Mike and approached Julie’s bedside.

“He’s precious,” Sarah cooed. “Congratulations.”

“Do you want to hold him?”

“Can I?” Julie sat up, handing him off to Sarah, who cuddled the baby close, kissing his little head.

“I can’t wait to see you with our first one,” Mike said softly, wrapping his arms around Sarah and holding her as she held the baby.

“Me too, sweet cheeks,” Sarah whispered, leaning back to kiss Mike. “What did you guys pick for a name?” she asked as she passed the baby back to Jeff.

Julie smiled at Jeff and nudged him. “Tell them,” she encouraged him.

“Finn,” Jeff answered. “Finn Michael Carter.”

Mike grinned and Jeff laid Finn gently in Julie’s arms as the two men shared a hug. “If you kiss right now, I can die and go to heaven,” Sarah announced, breaking the two apart.

Mike grabbed her around the middle and dragged her against him. “We’ll let you rest,” he told Julie before turning to Jeff. “If you need anything though, just call us.” They left as quickly as they came and Jeff settled into a chair beside Julie’s bed as he held his son.

“Jeff?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just for being you and accepting me as I am, crazy and all. I love you.”

“I love you too, Julie. Thank you for choosing me, and giving me our son.”

Mike and Sarah walked out of the hospital hand in hand and walked to the car and drove back to their new home. “So Kansas,” Mike said. “What do you think so far?”

“Well, it definitely isn’t Philly, thank God, and it certainly isn’t as glamorous as California, but I think it will be a great home.”

“How’d I do as a zombie apocalypse partner?”

“You were the best. Looks like I made the right choice after all.”

“I’ve known you were the right choice since the first time I kissed you. I felt it the instant our lips met, like an electrical current. I fell in love with you, Sarah and I will always love you, no matter what.”

“God I love it when you go all sappy on me, Richards.”

“Just so long as you don’t tell my current and possibly future teammates.”

“Never. It’s our secret. I love you.”

“I love you, Sarah.”

“Now take me home and lets make post apocalyptic babies for the next two days.”

“Two days?”

“Three?”

Mike laughed. “Three,” he agreed. “And then we’ll talk about forever.”

FIN