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slipped her arm around his waist. Even after all this time, Steve still couldn’t help but feel a warm fluttering in his chest whenever Penny touched him. His unrequited love was unrequited no more, and he was simply over the moon about it.
    ‘We ready?’ Imran asked, walking up to the cart with Liz.
    Behind them, Patrick and Avery followed, with Alice pushing a battered looking double buggy holding Charlie and Saleana coming up the rear.
    ‘Yep,’ said Phil , ‘all aboard.’
    As always, Imran carried his bow and an extra quiver of arrows, as well as the full quiver already on his back. While Liz walking beside him, had her sheathed sword strapped firmly in place over her shoulder blades , and was just doing up the last of the buckles on her throat protector. Looking like a high collar that came from the shoulders and reaching up to the jaw line, the buckled protector prevented the Dead from snapping at any of the tender neck flesh that could normally be exposed.  As uncomfortable as it was, they would all wear one whenever they went among the Dead. It was better to be uncomfortable for a little while, than dead for a long time.
    ‘If you see anything you can’t deal with, just come back,’ said Patrick, slightly worried that three of his best fighters were all leaving at the same time . ‘Don’t take any chances.’
    ‘Right ,’ said Imran, kneeling down to the buggy to give his daughter a kiss.
    Alice stepped forward and pulled Phil into a fierce hug.
    ‘Try not to do anything stupid,’ she said, stepping back as she released him. ‘Charlie needs his Uncle Phil, okay?’
    ‘Oh, your mummy’s a worry-wo rt, Charlie-boy,’ said Phil ignoring her plea, to stoop down to tickle Charlie under the chin. ‘She’ll get worry lines and then how will she get herself a man, eh?’
    ‘You seemed to manage,’ she replied, crossing her arms , ‘so there’s hope for us all.’
    Phil looked back up at the woman he had grown to love as a sister , and gave her a friendly wink.
    ‘I got lucky ,’ he said, smiling as he glanced over at Avery.
    ‘Yeah, well , I’m with her,’ Avery said, pulling Phil up to embrace him, ‘don’t do anything stupid.’
    ‘And put your gloves on ,’ he continued, giving Phil a quick peck on the lips.
    ‘They’re too small ,’ Phil moaned, pulling the pair of gloves from his jacket pocket.
    ‘Doctor’s orders ,’ said Alice, ‘gloves!’
    ‘Oh , for God’s sake,’ Phil continued, as he forcibly stuffed his large hands into the canvas gardening gloves, ‘it’s not fair you two ganging up on me.’
    ‘You might as well give up now,’ Liz added, pulling on her gloves ‘ They’ve got you beat.’
    ‘Humph ,’ Phil grumbled, making a show of holding up his hands, the seams straining to stay together.
    ‘Love you, you torturer, ’ he continued, turning to give Avery one last kiss before clambering up into the cart.
    ‘Love you , too,’ Avery replied, with a smile.
    Liz knelt down in front of the buggy and cupped her daughter’s small face in the palm of her hand.
    ‘Mummy loves you,’ she whispered, ‘and mummy’s coming back.’
    Leaning forward , Liz’s lips gently brushed the top of Saleana’s head.
    ‘I’ll take good care of her, don’t worry ,’ Alice said, placing a hand on Liz’s shoulder. ‘Just come back safely.’
    Liz stood and pulled Alice to her, kissing her cheek.
    ‘We won’t be long,’ she said, looking down at her daughter again and then back up at Alice. ‘She’ll probably sleep all the time we’re away, anyway.’
    ‘Famous last words to the babysitter, they are,’ Patrick chuckled, ‘that’s when the kid usually screams its head off the entire night.’
    ‘Come on, Liz,’ Imran butted in, softly pulling her over to the cart, ‘we’d better be going.’
    Liz was just about to step into the cart, when Anne came running out of the convent to skid to a halt next to her.
    ‘Thought you were going to go without saying