Just a few things before you continue reading. This is mostly AU with some of my original characters, also since I wrote this for my best friend I decided to use Michael Clifford from 5Sos and Harry Styles from 1D as characters as well. Some themes are like the show but it is mostly mine. I hope you enjoy :)

Anyone who was still alive were forced to keep running. Nowhere was safe, not anymore at least. These days it seemed like whenever you got too comfortable you lose it all just as fast. No one could pinpoint the exact reason as to why corpses rose from the dead. They were no longer people, they were an empty shell of what they used to be. If you tried to talk to them you died a miserable, painful death of them devouring your flesh. It was like every day life turned into a horror movie that never ended. Civilization ended, families were torn apart, and you never knew when you could lose your own life.

For a while Melissa spent her days alone. She refused to stay apart of a group for too long, it was too risky to grow attached to anyone. It all changed one day when she got cornered in an abandoned pharmacy surrounded by walkers. Crowding behind the counter she heard the glass begin to crack from the store windows and prepared to be eaten alive when it all stopped. Peaking around the counter she saw the walkers had left, the windows were still in tact and from her spot on the floor she saw a glowing orange light coming from across the street. With her knife in hand she crept through the aisles to the door. When she was a few feet away she was surprised to see the door creak open. She was even more surprised when she saw a blonde girl, around her age, on the other side. "Come on, it won't keep them distracted for long." She said quickly.

Melissa turned her head to see the walkers stare in a daze at a car that was set on fire, the blaze burned high into the sky. "How did you...?" She whispered.

"No time, come on," The girl urged as she began to run down the street.

Melissa should have argued, how could she trust this complete stranger? Instead she followed, if this girl wanted to kill her she would have just left her to die on the floor of that pharmacy. This stranger gave her a second chance to live, she couldn't waste it.

The girl clearly knew the area. She wove her way through alleyways, over fences, until they made it to an old Jeep. "This your's?" Melissa asked as she tried to regain her breath.

"Yeah, I found it a few weeks ago, still had a full tank of gas so I considered it a sign from God." She smiled softly taking off her backpack to throw into the back.

"You still believe in God?"

The girl considered the question. "I should say no, but...I feel like the only way to make it through something like this is to believe."

"Insightful."

"Hey, I've been by myself for a while, I have to tell myself something to keep going."

Melissa nodded, she knew how it felt. When the world changed she had been at school hours away from home. She had been stuck in Atlanta for the most part. By the time she made it out of the city she was sure her family was either dead or gone leaving her to wonder the possibilities. A part of her hoped they were alive somewhere but that part was quickly silenced by the true reality of the world.

"I'm Abby by the way." The girl's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Melissa...and thanks for helping me out back there."

Abby shrugged. "I saw that you were alone and that you didn't have any supplies I figured you were harmless."

"That's a dangerous way of thinking."

"Maybe but..." Reaching in her back pocket she pulled out a small handgun. "If you tried anything I was prepared."

"Good to know." She sighed. "You live around here?"

"Right now, no, I was staying a few miles up the road but I don't like staying in one place for too long." She explained. "Do you have a group? Would anyone be looking for you?"

Shaking her head Melissa frowned. "No...like you I usually stay by myself."

"Well...its going to be dark soon and I have a few cans of food. I'll watch your back tonight if you watch mine. We'll decide what do tomorrow."

"Deal." Melissa agreed.

After that night the two girls agreed maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay together. Even though they were matched when it came to survival they balanced each other out personality wise. Abby was a little more timid, a thinker while Melissa liked to take charge and form plans. They didn't travel every day, they tried to conserve the gas in the Jeep for as long as they could. During the days they tried to collect as many supplies as they could, berries, edible plants, and whatever else they could find. They talked about what they had been through. Melissa learned Abby's parents were dead, killed by someone they thought they could trust which explained why the girl wasn't eager about being in a group. Abby found out Melissa had a niece and she was the last member of her family that she spoke to before the turn. It was so rare these days but the girls developed a friendship.

Maybe a month had passed, who knows, since they met they both decided they couldn't stick around any longer. The town had been picked through time and time again with nothing left they could use. They had enough food for a few months if they rationed well and they were lucky enough to find a full gas can for the Jeep. "Time to go." Abby sighed throwing the last bag into the backseat.

"Road trip!" Melissa grinned from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, lets go to the beach." Abby laughed.

It wasn't a quick trip to the next city. Taking highways or any major roadway was out of the question, taking one would most certainly lead to running right into a herd. They were forced to travel by back roads and take breaks in between routes so they could scavenge through any big neighborhood they saw. Sometimes they were lucky but most of the time they were happy enough to find a pack of crackers. At night they stopped in fear of signaling any threats by using the headlights. Most of the time they slept in the safety of the Jeep. Others when the night was completely clear and they found a suitable camping spot they would sleep beneath the stars.

On one of those nights Melissa said. "You know I've been thinking."

"What?"

"You know when you told me you had to believe in something to make it through the days is to believe in something."

"Yeah...?"

"Well I like to believe the world is completely awful...I mean the dead are fucking alive. But I like to believe that maybe, someday, I'll find someone to love." Melissa frowned. "That's probably so stupid."

"I don't think so. I mean I think everyone always wanted to find love in the world even before it went to shit."

"Yeah but you think I'm gonna find a cute guy in this mess?" She chuckled.

"Hey, stranger things have happened. Like you said, the dead are alive."

The next day they were looking for supplies in a nice suburb when Melissa stopped. Dropping the shirt in her hands she walked over to the window. "Abby...come look at this."

Rising from her spot on the floor Abby walked over to see what Melissa was talking about. Outside there was a boy, well he wasn't a boy, he had to be in his early twenties. His shirt was in tatters and covered in blood. In his hands he carried a gun in a loose grip and he seemed to be walking in a daze. "Is he a walker?" Melissa asked.

"I don't think so...he's not really shuffling like a walker. He seems dehydrated or...stoned?"

"Then explain the blood."

Abby paused. "I wish I could...what should we do?"

"I think we should help him or at least try to. If it doesn't work out at least we can take his gun and then I can finally have my own."

Abby shook her head with a small smile on her face. "Fine. Come on, lets go out the back."

As quietly as they could they made their way out the backdoor into the yard. Abby pulled out her pistol as they stepped behind the fence. Where the fence ended was a few yards away from the boy who had fallen on his knees in the middle of the street. Holding the pistol out in front of her Abby walked out first. "Hey! Drop the gun." She yelled.

At first the boy didn't comply, his eyes were blank to the point they thought he was a walker. "I won't tell you again. Drop the gun." She commanded, even Melissa was intimidated by her voice.

The girls were relieved when the boy's head raised slightly. He stared at them for the longest time until finally he gently placed the gun out in front of him. "Push it away and put your hands in the air." Abby told him as they slowly crept towards him.

Again the boy did as he was told. Hitting the gun he pushed it a safe enough distance away for Melissa to pick it up and put his hands up. Opening the chamber Melissa noticed only one bullet was missing. "What's your name?"

He didn't answer. Instead he just stared ahead. Glancing at Abby Melissa was at a loss. "Is that blood your's or someone else's?" Abby questioned.

Once more they didn't receive a response. To their surprise he broke down in tears. His arms were shaking but he kept them raised. "They're dead..." He cried. "They're all dead."

"Who?" Melissa asked.

"My...my family...my friends." He whimpered.

Melissa took in his features, from his pale face which was turning pink due to his crying, to the tattoos he had on his right arm. If she had met him before she would imagine him to be a rebel but this world had broken him just like it had everyone else.

Before they had the chance to question him further they watched as his eyes drooped and he fell over to his side. "Oh my God," Melissa gasped dropping the gun and rushing to his side.

Abby fell beside her, two fingers pressed to his neck. "His pulse is fine, he's just passed out." She explained. "We need to get him out of this heat though."

"Think we can trust him?"

Abby stopped and stared at the boy in front of her. "For right now, yes, but we have to take precautions. Come on, lets pick him up."

Melissa reached her hands under his armpits while Abby took hold of his ankles. With a grunt they picked him up with much difficulty and headed back to the house they originally were searching. Shuffling with his heavy body in their arms they kept a look out for any potential threat. Once they made it back inside they dropped the boy on a couch and just stared at him. "Now what?" Abby asked.

"Didn't you find some duct tape?" Melissa said looking toward their pile of of supplies.

Nodding Abby went over to find the silver tape. "Hold his hands." Abby told her as she ripped off a long piece of tape.

After wrapping his hands and feet with tape they both took a deep breath. "I'll get him some water for when he wakes up." Melissa murmured going into the kitchen.

Taking a seat in front of the couch Abby stared at the body in front of her. If she had to guess he had to be close to their age. He had a few scars decorating his pale arms, his black jeans were torn on one of the knees and covered in dirt. Wherever he came from it wasn't an easy trip to here. When Melissa came back into the room she placed the bottle on one of the end tables. "Where do you think he came from?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders. "He's dirty but who isn't these days? He's not sickly thin so wherever he was he had food. Maybe he was in a community that was taken over."

"Taken over by walkers?"

"Or other people. I thought I saw some men's clothes in one of the bedrooms, I'll go see if I can find him a new shirt. Call me if he wakes up."

Melissa nodded as her friend headed upstairs. Once she was gone she moved her chair closer to the boy. She watched as his chest slowly rose and fell in slow movements. From where she was sitting she could tell none of the blood was his, there were no obvious wounds on his torso. It made her mind go to the single bullet missing from his gun. What did he use in on? Or who did he use it on?

As her mind began to spin she noticed his eyes begin to open. Slowly she stood on her feet to watch as he took in his surroundings. When he began to sit up he noticed his hands taped together. "What the fuck...?" He whispered then he turned his head to see a girl staring at him. "Oh...hi."

"Stay there." She commanded, going over to the stairs. "Abby! He's awake."

When she came back she took a seat on the edge of the chair. "Don't be afraid. We just...you're covered in blood and you had a gun, you can't blame us for being hesitant."

"Oh this?" He gestured to his hands. "Its nothing...its not the best way to wake up, I admit, but it could be worse."

"Do you want some water?" When he nodded his head she stood to get the water bottle. "Careful." She told him as she lifted the bottle to his lips.

Taking the bottle away she asked. "Can you tell me your name?"

Swallowing the water he said. "Michael...your's?"

"Melissa." When Abby stepped into the room Melissa directed her head towards her. "And that's Abby."

"Hi." Michael smiled. "Um...would it be too much to ask for you to free my hands?"

"We will once you answer some questions." Abby began. "Like where did you come from? Why you're covered in blood? And what you were doing with that gun?"

"Ok, ok I'll tell you. Can you help me up?" He implored glancing at Melissa.

Grabbing his taped hands Melissa eased him up so he could sit up right. "All right, my name is Michael...I'm from South Georgia but I was touring the state with my band when the outbreak started. We found a little community near Macon. We stayed there for the most part but then we got taken over by this group...they call themselves the wolves. They're ruthless...they kill anyone on sight, women, children, they don't care."

Abby stared at him with sad eyes. "They killed your friends?"

"Two of them," He answered. "I escaped with my friend Ashton but then he got bit." With that his eyes began to water. "He begged me, he begged me to kill him. There was nothing I could do! He had a fever, he kept throwing up, and then...and then I had to."

"I'm sorry." Melissa murmured.

Shaking his head Michael kept going. "I buried him a few miles away and I just started walking. Now I'm here."

Crossing her arms Abby cleared her throat getting Melissa's attention. "Give us a minute," She mumbled stepping away to head into the kitchen.

"What do you think?" Melissa whispered.

"I don't know...he's obviously been through a lot." She sighed. "How can we be sure he's completely by himself though? What if the wolves know he escaped and they've been following him?"

"Then we leave, we don't stay in Georgia. There's nothing keeping us here anyway."

Abby thought about it for a minute. "I guess another pair of eyes wouldn't be so bad."

"Exactly...and if he tries anything we put his ass on the road."

"Ok. Lets tell him."

Melissa smiled inwardly when Abby agreed. Following her friend back into the living room she grinned at the boy. "Well, Michael, if you want you're welcome to travel with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but just know you do anything we won't hesitate to put you down." Abby warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Michael agreed. "So can I get my hands back now?"

"I guess so." Melissa smiled reaching in her back pocket for her knife. "Be still." She whispered leaning down, taking his hand in one of hers to cut his hands loose.

"We'll stay here for the night and leave in the morning." Abby told them reaching down to pick up the discarded shirt she had found earlier. "Um, we usually take watch in shifts so just tell us when you would like to take your turn. And I found you a clean shirt."

"Thanks," Michael mumbled taking it from her. "And thank you both for letting me stay."

"Don't thank us yet, we have no idea what we're gonna run into when we leave tomorrow." Abby sighed. "I'm exhausted, if its ok with you two I'm going to sleep first. I'll be upstairs, the beds aren't too gross. Melissa you have your gun?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

"All right, good night."

"Night." Both of them said as the blonde headed upstairs.

Glancing at his profile Melissa cleared her throat to break the silence in the room. "Um are you hungry? We have some food over here."

"No, I'm all right, thank you though."

Nodding, Melissa played with her hands out in front of her. Now that they were alone she had the opportunity to ask him anything she wanted but nothing came to mind. She couldn't deny this guy was cute, incredibly cute, and she couldn't think of one thing to say to him. He had been through so much she didn't want to push him. "So you said you played in a band?" She blurted.

"Yeah, guitar." He answered.

"Oh wow, I've always wanted to learn how to play guitar."

"Well if I had mine I would teach you. I don't even know where to find one these days."

"Yeah really, these days you're lucky to find a can of beans let alone a guitar."

"Right...so I told you two about me what about you? Where did you come from?"

Sighing Melissa thought back to the start. "I was in Atlanta when it started. I was in school hours away from home and it had gotten so bad I couldn't leave the city. By the time I got out everything had fallen."

"What about your family?"

"I don't know," She whispered. "I was too scared to go back home. Too scared of what I may or may not find."

"So you have no idea of knowing if they made it?" When she shook her head he continued. "Do you want to know?"

"A part of me does, just for the closure but I think its been easier moving on not knowing."

"What about your friend?"

"Her whole family is dead but that's her story to tell you if she ever trusts you enough to tell it."

"Got it, how long have you two been on the road?"

"A while, we met when she saved me from a herd of walkers."

"Well its good that you have a friendship in all this. There's not much of that these days anymore."

She could tell the words hurt him. His eyes glassed over as he said them. "I'm sorry about your friends."

"You already said that...and its not your fault. We were stupid to stay in one place for so long. We got lazy."

"That's kind of why we stay on the run, I think both of us have been too hesitant to stay in one place for too long."

"At first the feeling of safety is nice. Its such a drastic change from constantly looking over your shoulder but...there's always a nagging feeling its not gonna last. Then when it all comes crashing down you have no one to blame but yourself, you have to be strong to make it through."

"Well you made it this far."

"Yeah...on dumb luck and then running away, leaving the people I care about behind."

"You have to do what you have to. You have to survive."

"So you're telling me you would leave your friend behind?"

Melissa opened and closed her mouth, considering his question. "I've never been in that situation."

"Well someday you just may be put in that situation and you don't get a second chance."

The thought nagged her for the rest of the night. So many thoughts had been plaguing her since the outbreak. Where her family was had been the main concern and it still bugged her she didn't know where they were. Now she had a small group and even though she had just met him she felt like she could trust Michael, a thought that scared her. Trusting people gets your hurt, trusting the wrong people gets you killed.

When they left the next day Melissa decided to drive letting Michael get some sleep since he had taken watch last. While he slept in the back sleep propped up on a backpack they began their journey. "Think he will be ok with us?" Abby asked.

"I believe so...for now at least."

They drove all day not wanting to stop in fear of someone following them. The thought of the wolves Michael had talked about worried the girls. They had been lucky enough to avoid people like he described. Their biggest concern were walkers, they wanted to keep it that way for as long as they could.

Over the next few weeks Michael became a key member of their group. He was smart when it came to decision making, he was a good fighter with both a knife and gun. Whenever they stopped long enough to rest he would help Melissa with her aim. By the time they made it to South Carolina she felt confident enough to get a head shot from a far distance. Abby had even warmed up to him to hold a conversation with him without Melissa.

They had lost track of what state they were in when the Jeep finally broke down. Michael knew a little bit about mechanics but he couldn't save it. Each took a bag from the back and with a final look at the vehicle that had taken them so far they took off on foot.

Keeping to the woods and back roads the journey was difficult with the terrain and the hot summer weather. All three felt like they would pass out numerous times. Their bodies were sluggish, their feet carrying them on autopilot. "Are we there yet?" Melissa wheezed.

Abby tried to smile. "Do we even know where we're going?"

"No," Michael rasped. "As long as we keep moving at least we know we're alive."

"Yeah...I guess that's one way to put it."

"Lets take a break, its been a while and all of us need water." Melissa insisted taking off her backpack, the weight being lifted felt amazing for a minute but the sun bearing down on her shoulders made her cringe.

"I agree..." Abby whispered pulling out her water bottle. "Only one problem, I'm out."

"Same here," Michael announced.

Taking out her own bottle Melissa grimaced seeing hers was empty as well. "Shit...and we're in drought, where are we going to find water?"

"Maybe I can help." A new voice spoke.

Even though their bodies were tired Abby and Melissa pulled out their guns in a split second. "Who's there?" Abby snapped.

To their shock and amazement a man with curly hair stepped out from behind the bushes. He wore a navy windbreaker and khakis, he was completely clean, like he stepped straight out of a catalog. "Who are you?" Michael asked.

The man help his arms up. "My name is Aaron...I've been following for a while now and I believe you three would fit in perfectly with our community."

"How could you be so sure?" Melissa snapped. "You don't even know us. We could kill you."

"If you were going to do that you would have done it already. I know what kind of people you are. You've struggled, I can see that. Alexandria is a community for people like you. Those who can handle themselves, and maybe you could make us stronger."

"Alexandria?" Michael repeated.

"Yes...I could take you there, if you like." Slowly he took his backpack off. The girls lowered their guns as they watched him pull out Polaroid pictures. Slowly he reached out to hand the pictures over. "As you can see we have homes, plenty of them, you three could have one to yourselves."

"I don't know about us staying somewhere permanently." Abby whispered.

"You are free to leave whenever you want." Aaron continued. "We have walls to keep us safe, our leader's husband was an architect, he designed them to be strong and withstand a herd."

Melissa glanced at her friends. "Maybe...maybe we could check it out."

Abby still wasn't sold but if Michael and Melissa agreed she would go wherever they went. "Fine, we'll go but we can leave whenever we want?"

"Of course, in Alexandria we want our people to be comfortable, not like they're being held against their will."

And with Aaron's words and promises in their minds they went with him. The drive was quiet with the only sound coming from Aaron's humming. It was so strange to them for this man to appear so happy. Had he really been this sheltered the entire time? How often does he leave this little community? Does he even know how the world is?

When he stopped the car in front of the rod iron gate he instructed them to get out of the car. "We usually leave vehicles outside the gate just in case." He told them as he put the keys in the glove department.

"Smart," Michael mumbled.

All three stood behind Aaron as the gate was pulled open. "Aaron, its about time you got back." A tall, good looking man smiled. "Who are they?"

"Aiden, these are some new recruits. This is Abby, Melissa, and Michael. I found them on the road, I think they would make fine additions to Alexandria."

"Well they will have to speak to my mom first. In the meantime we'll get a house ready for them. I assume you all would like to stay together."

The teenagers didn't speak, instead they nodded their heads. With a smile from Aaron they followed him through the gate. It was surreal, the houses were even bigger than the pictures. They looked perfect, like they had stepped back in time when life was normal. The lawns were trimmed to perfection, they could hear kids playing off in the distance. A few Alexandrians walked the streets and stared at the dirty hoodlums Aaron had found on the road.

Feeling self conscious Abby stepped closer to Aaron. "Who do we have to meet?"

"Deanna, she runs this place. She used to have a seat in the Senate but now she is just our leader. She's tough but fair."

It turned out they each had to meet with the leader separately with Michael going first. Their meetings with Deanna was tense. She asked them where they had been and what they had gone through. No question was left unanswered. 'How many of those things have you killed? Have you killed a person? Is there a reason my people shouldn't feel safe with you here?'

"I felt like I was being interrogated." Melissa whispered to Michael as Abby finished up her interview.

"I guess we kind of were." He told her. "She wouldn't turn us away would she?"

"So you want to stay?"

Michael considered it. "Kind of, yeah, the walls are high. Aaron said they grow their own food, they have an armory, its nothing like where I was before."

"We'll see what Abby says." Melissa murmured as the door opened and Deanna along with Abby stepped out.

"I assume you three would like a shower and a hot meal." She smiled. "I believe Aaron already has your house ready so he'll show you around."

"Can we keep our weapons?" Abby asked.

"Yes you can, we don't have a reason for them but if it makes you feel safe then I will allow it."

With that they assumed they were now apart of Alexandria. Aaron was waiting outside and excited to show them around their new home. "Miss Robinson over there makes delicious cookies, she's developed her own recipe to make up for the ingredients she can't find anymore. Mrs. Barnes runs the daycare."

"You have babies here?" Melissa questioned.

"Yes we do, I know, hard to believe. A few women were pregnant at the start which terrified us as you can believe but we made due. Dr. Howell runs the clinic. He was a surgeon before, he's seen a little bit of everything."

"Wow...y'all really do have it all." Abby whispered.

"I hope you three will see this is a good place for you." Aaron said, his voice genuine. "And here will be your home for as long as you decide to stay."

The teenagers looked up in awe at the house in front of them. It was a two story Victorian home that looked brand new. On the porch sat whicker furniture with plush pillows and a swing hanging on the far side. "Well go ahead." Aaron urged. "If you need me, I'm three houses down."

With that he stepped away to let them explore. Going up the stairs the finally felt like this was real. When they opened the door their mouths fell open. Not only did the house look brand new the furniture looked like it had never been used, but it was spotless. "Holy shit...no more sleeping on ratty blankets for us." Michael laughed.

"I call the shower!" Melissa yelled as she ran upstairs with Michael following right behind her.

While they fought over the shower Abby took a look around the bottom floor. She was afraid to sit on anything, she didn't want to dirty the clean furniture with her filthy clothing. Going into the kitchen she turned on the sink, expecting the water to be off like in so many homes they had scavenged, but water fell freely from the faucet. Running her hands through it she moved her hands up her arms trying to scrub off some of the sweat and dirt from her skin. After cleaning what she could reach she dried off with a hand towel that hung off the stove.

If she didn't know better she would think the outside world wasn't happening anymore. There were no walkers or evil people out to kill anyone that crossed their path. Even though she wished this was real, it was an illusion, a dream that they were bound to wake up from a one point.

After exploring the bottom floor she decided to go upstairs to see what else the house had for them. All the doors were open except for two telling her there were two bathrooms and both were occupied by her friends. Stepping into one of the bedrooms she decided she would take this one. A queen sized bed with plush bedding, it reminded her of her old room in her parent's house. Before she got a chance to be upset she heard a knock coming from the front door. Running her hands against her jeans she went back downstairs to answer the door. On the other side she was met by yet another tall good looking man. "Hello, I'm Spencer." He smiled.

"Abby." She answered.

"I'm Deanna's youngest son, I'm also apart of the welcome committee." He smirked holding up a laundry basket for her to take. "We gathered some clothes for you and your friends. They should fit just fine."

Taking the basket from his arms she nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem, if you need anything, and I mean anything, don't hesitate to find me."

"Ok...thanks again." She said closing the door with her foot.

For some reason everyone she had met in Alexandria had been incredibly friendly but she received bad vibes from Spencer. She didn't trust these people, maybe she would grow to but for the moment she was keeping her guard up.

It turns out it was easier for them to adjust to life in Alexandria. Even though they were still hesitant about staying put they couldn't deny it was nice to have a place called home. They each had a warm bed to sleep in at night, they had food, and at least for the moment they had hope. Each one of them found jobs. Michael decided he wanted to work in the armory. "You guys never let me have my own gun, this way I actually get to touch one." He had joked when he told them where he wanted to work.

Melissa had joined Alexandria's version of the guard. She would keep watch on top of a tower during the afternoon, most days were boring but she was allowed to practice her aim on walkers. When she wanted a break from guard duty she went with the scavenging team to get a chance to see the outside world and remind herself just how dangerous it could be.

It took a while for Abby to find a job she felt comfortable with. She mainly wanted to keep to herself when Melissa and Michael weren't around but the days grew boring with them both working. Then she found her way to the clinic and met with Dr. Howell. He was nice enough, but she could tell he was more business than personable. She helped him with cleaning the equipment and the clinic one day and then when the day ended she asked if she could return the next day. "Sure...if you want." Howell had scoffed.

So life went on. They worked and they adjusted to their new lives. One night Abby and Melissa were sitting on the front porch when Melissa said. "Do you think this can work?"

"I don't know," Abby whispered. "Yeah its great now, we can shower and we have three square meals a day but how long is this going to last?"

"I guess we have to have hope. I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you in the morning." She sighed rising from her seat.

Upstairs Melissa paused in front of Michael's room. Over the past few weeks, even before they had found Alexandria she had grown attached to him. She wasn't sure what to call it just yet she just knew she enjoyed his company. He made her laugh, he had such a carefree attitude after getting to know her. Maybe she was attracted to him, she couldn't deny she thought he was cute but even now when they had been through so much she didn't know how he felt.

Knocking once she heard him call out, "Come in!"

Opening the door she saw him laying on his bed, shirtless, reading whatever book he had found in Deanna's house. It had become his own little haven ever since Deanna had told him he could take whatever book he wanted out of her library. "Just wanted to say good night." Melissa smiled as she watched him put the book down.

"I was hoping you would stop by. Come here." He told her scooting over to let her sit down beside him.

"What?"

"I drew this today when things got boring at the armory." He smiled pulling out a sheet of paper. It was a rose, a beautiful, intricate rose on a long stem.

"What is this?"

"Tattoo design. I remember how you said roses were your favorite flower, I thought you may like it."

"I love it," She grinned. "The only problem is...I can't get a tattoo these days. We don't seem to have a shop in Alexandria."

"See, I got that figured out." Michael laughed going over to his dresser. "I got Aiden to bring me these back from a run."

Melissa giggled seeing him hold up three Sharpies. He was holding them like he was a child with his favorite candy. "Why did you ask for Sharpies?"

"Well I know how you said you always wanted a tattoo and I guess I thought maybe I could give you one. I mean a safe one without needles."

"You want to draw this on me?" She asked holding up the picture of the rose.

"If you let me."

She really didn't have to consider it. Nodding she laughed seeing how happy he was. "So where do you want it?"

"Um..." After thinking for a second she decided. "How about on my side?"

"Ok, get situated and we'll get started." He told her, handing her a pillow to place under her head.

Laying on her side she pulled her shirt up just enough for him to see the skin of her ribcage. She could feel her heart speed up as he moved right in front of her and began drawing. Staring at him she watched as his green/grey eyes moved over her body. His attention fully on the art in front of him. He kept one hand on her side while the other drew the design. At this point her body was numb but she didn't care, being this close to him she could inhale the smell of whatever soap they had in the bathroom along with the tea he had drank before bed.

When he was finally done he blew over the work to make sure it dried. "Now with this one you don't have to worry about taking care of it." He chuckled.

"Yeah but it will wash away after a while."

"In that case you'll just have to come back for another session."

"I think I will." She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

Even though she was exhausted she felt the other side of the bed dip and noticed the room darken. She felt him gently pull her shirt back in place before getting comfortable beside her. "Good night." He whispered, moving a piece of her dark hair out of her face.

They got comfortable. They swore it would never happen but it did. One day they left the house without their weapons and that was when it happened. Abby and Melissa were walking home when they heard cries and screams coming from the gate. "Get Dr. Howell! Someone please help!" A man cried. He was covered in blood and in his arms he held Aiden who looked like he was clinging to life. Behind them were more of their people, bloody and weak.

"Melissa, get Howell." Abby told her friend who quickly ran back in the direction of the clinic. "What happened?"

"These people...monsters...we were scavenging when they found us." The man, Abby believed his name was James explained. "They told us to give us half of whatever we found. Aiden refused and then they just shot him. It was a fight after that."

Abby tried to stop the bleeding of Aiden's head wound but it was no use. His eyes were already rolling in the back of his head. "Oh my God!" She heard Deanna's pitiful cry.

Abby noticed Spencer off to the side. "Spencer get your mother out of here, she doesn't need to see this."

She didn't like him but at least Spencer listened. He gently grabbed his mother's shaking body and guided her back to their house. When Aiden stopped breathing Abby frowned and told James to let him go. With her help the older man slowly lowered the body to the ground. "Do you have a knife?" She asked him.

Reluctantly he handed her his small pocketknife. Nodding her head in thanks she gently stabbed the skull to prevent reanimation. Pulling it back out she wiped the blood on her jeans before handing it back to James. "We need to get you and the others patched up." She told him.

"Someone's coming!" Someone cried from the tower.

"Who is it?" Aaron called.

"I don't know!"

The sun had begun to set making everyone adjust their eyes to the darkness when bright headlights appeared from the other side of the gate. "Better let us in or we'll just break it down!" A gruff voice yelled from the other side.

Abby glanced at Aaron who slowly nodded his head. Whoever was working the gate opened it and trucks came plowing through by the dozens. Everyone watched in a trance as bodies filed out of the vehicles one by one. Each one of them had a gun, each one of them looked intimidating and Abby realized these were the people she had been running from this entire time. She could hear Alexandrians cry along with the moans of pain from the ones that still needed medical attention.

"Sweetheart, you may want to move out of the way." She heard a deep voice say from behind her.

Turning around she saw a tall boy, he didn't belong with this group, he couldn't. He had long curly hair, with piercing green eyes that bore into her soul. He was dressed just like the others, a white T-shirt and black jeans. On his back he carried a assault rifle. Just him standing so close was enough to terrify her. She didn't even register what he said to her. "Styles, move her." A gruff voice commanded.

Without a word the boy, Styles she assumed, grabbed her arm and moved her back. He moved his big hand on her shoulder to push her down on her knees in front of him. "You may want to close your eyes." He muttered, just low enough for her to hear.

She was about to ask why when the shots rang out. Her mouth fell open as these people killed the ones she had intended to help. One by one the bodies fell and all she could do was stare in shock. Tears fell from her eyes as the blood fill the road. She wanted to scream for them to stop but no noise came from her mouth. They just kept shooting until the same man held up his arm. "Check and make sure they all got a head shot." He instructed like it was nothing, like they hadn't just killed several people.

"Clear, sir!" One of them called out.

They were dead...all of them and she just sat there. Looking around she saw Melissa and Michael off in the distance along with Aaron, they had seen it all. Lowering her head she could feel herself sobbing but stopped when she saw a pair of boots standing in front of her. A rough hand grabbed her chin. "We're gonna need to see your leader."

When she didn't answer he grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the ground. "Go get your fucking leader!" He commanded. "Or you'll be joining your friends!"

On shaky legs she was forced to step over the bodies of the fallen Alexandrians to go up the stairs to Deanna's house. Stepping on the porch she saw them in the window, Deanna, her husband Dale, and Spencer. Opening the door she whispered. "They need to see you."

Melissa watched in horror as Abby guided Deanna down the stairs. Their leader, always so strong and put together, held her hands over her mouth as she looked at her people laying lifeless on the ground. The grass was stained red and dripping down into puddles on the concrete. "W-who are you people?"

"Don't worry, Negan will explain who we are soon enough. For right now you gather your people and come right back here. You and your son over there can clean up the mess here."

Abby moved to follow Deanna when the man told her to stop. "Hey blondie, why don't you stay here? I think Negan will like you."

Abby glanced at Deanna but she didn't pay her attention. Like a robot she walked back over to the man. "You're lucky," He scoffed. "With all that blood on you we might as well believe you belong over there. Negan told us take care of the injured."

She didn't reply, just stared ahead as Spencer and Dale began to pick up the bodies. The man scoffed again. "So she doesn't speak? Fuck man, Styles, you're good with women, you take her. Watch over her, Negan will want to see her when he gets here."

Once again she felt herself being pulled backwards. At this point she just let them drag her wherever they wanted to take her. They were going to kill her it didn't matter now. Styles took her to a truck where he instructed her to get in the bed. Without a word she complied, sitting down on the cool metal and wrapped her arms around her knees. Leaning her head down she felt fresh tears fall and stain her jeans. Whoever this Styles person was she knew he didn't leave, instead he stayed right beside the truck bed. She wasn't sure how long she had been crying but at one point she felt a soft piece of cloth being placed on her hands. Picking her head up she saw him pull his hand back and in her hands was a small rag. "For your hands." He told her.

She stared at her red hands, still stained with Aiden's blood. It disgusted her but she couldn't bring herself to thank him for this pathetic kindness. Instead she tossed the rag back at him. "Don't...don't try and be nice to me after you killed my people." She whispered.

"I didn't kill anyone." He snapped making her wince. "And I could be an asshole to you if that's what you want."

Shaking her head she buried her face in her knees. She didn't want to look at him. Those eyes, those damn eyes made her want to believe he was different but no. If he was with these people he had to be just like them, he was a killer. He may not have pulled the trigger in Alexandria but surely he had before.

Melissa and Michael stood in shock as Deanna rounded up everyone in Alexandria. Children were crying in their mother's arms who couldn't do anything to comfort them. In her mind they were like lambs being led to the slaughter, just like the others. She was terrified, even more so than she ever had. On instinct she grabbed Michael's hand and gripped it tight. Inside she felt a small relief when his fingers wrapped around her's and gave a reassuring squeeze.

Once the whole population of Alexandria stood in front of them. The men went one by one and pointed to certain people. "All right, women with kids get outta here. Go home, leave, I don't give a shit but get outta here." He instructed, they heard someone call him Dean. "You, old timer, go on. You're gonna die any day now anyway. Same with you over there."

Melissa watched as the Alexandrians were dismissed. They were in shock but didn't argue. She hoped they would go to the armory and fight these people but Melissa knew better. Alexandrians were too comfortable here, they didn't bother carrying a weapon, most didn't even know how to operate one. When Dean stepped in front of her he looked her up and down. "Huh...this place sure does have some nice looking women. I thought the pretty ones didn't make it." He smirked.

Michael's hand tightened around her's trying to ease her nerves. Dean continued scrutinizing her until he finally stepped in front of Michael. "Tough guy? Trying to protect your girl?" He sneered. "Good luck with that."

One by one he dismissed other Alexandrians until finally there were only twelve left. In her head Melissa was trying to determine why he sent certain people away and kept others. Then it hit her, 'He got rid of the people he believed to be weak. The mothers, children, and the elderly were gone leaving only what he considered strong.'

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, if you will please follow me." Dean instructed.

With guns pointed at them the remaining Alexandrians filed into a straight line and followed Dean towards the gate. "Styles, bring her too!" He called over to the truck Abby was being held.

Without waiting for him to touch her Abby eased out of the bed of the truck. Silently she found a spot in line and followed the rest of the group out of Alexandria. It was nightfall now making it difficult to see as Dean led them to the woods. Melissa found herself tripping over roots and whatever else was on the forest ground. Off in the distance she could hear the moans from walkers making her tense. 'So this is how they're going to do it? Lead us right into a herd and let the walkers do the job for them?' She thought.

She waited to walk right into a walker herd but instead Dean led them into a clearing where several trucks were already lined up. The headlights blinded her as he told them to line up in front of the trucks. "On your knees." He commanded.

Without a word the Alexandrians crouched onto their knees. Once they were on the ground the men lowered their guns but their presence behind them made sure to tell the Alexandrians not to do anything stupid.

Hesitantly Melissa glanced down the line to find Abby a few people down. Being so close to the assassination of their people was clearly affecting her. Her eyes were still glassy, cheeks flushed with tears, and her clothing stained with blood. At any moment it looked like she was going to break down and Melissa felt the same way. They had never gone through anything this extreme. With everything they've seen, it couldn't prepare them for this.

She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting on their knees. The wet, dewy grass was soaking through Melissa's jeans and her body was stiff but she didn't dare move. Everyone around her was frozen with fear while the men looked on in amusement.

Finally they heard the sound of a loud pickup truck approaching the group. Turning her head Melissa spotted the truck as he tore through the bushes and small trees, creating its own trail. Melissa eyes widened trying to peak at the body exiting the vehicle. The headlights created a shadow, blocking their view but what they did see was a baseball bat in his right hand. Her breathing sped up when she noticed the top of the bat was wrapped in barbwire. "Are ya shitting your pants yet?" They taunted the group.

Abby stared ahead, her eyes only focusing on a pair of combat boots in front of her as they began to pace in front of the group. "I sure am sorry for our introduction. Oh and I'm sorry for not properly introducing myself. I'm Negan." Holding up the bat he smiled. "And this is Lucille, and she's awesome."

Melissa was shaking, she was shaking from fear but also rage. This man was a psychopath and here he was just so casually smiling. And he named is bat? Who does that?

"So I'm guessing you're wondering why I gathered you here today?" Negan spoke again. "As it turns out your little group killed several of our men."

"B-but you killed them?" Aaron stammered.

"I put them out of the misery." Negan snapped. "They weren't gonna make it anyway so I saved you the heartache. But now what's gonna happen is, we're gonna form a little partnership. What I mean by that first is you all are gonna give us half your shit and we'll make sure your little community will stay safe."

"And if we don't?" Michael asked.

Melissa's head snapped towards him. No, no don't argue with him, she was thinking as Michael stared down the man. She watched on as Negan bent down so he was eye level with Michael. "Haven't I already proved myself, son? If not I'll be more than happy to show you why. How about a little game?"

Tears fell from Melissa's eyes as he began to play eeny, meeny, miny, moe, pointing Lucille in everyone's face as he made his way down the line. Stopping for a moment to further intimidate whoever he stopped in front of. When he stopped in front of Abby he looked her up and down. "Now what happened to you?"

Licking her lips Abby looked up at him for the first time. She was terrified to speak but even more terrified not to. "I-I work in the clinic...I was gonna help our people before they..." She couldn't finish.

"I see...well then for your people's sake they better hope you don't get picked." Negan smirked as he moved his way down.

"And...you...are...it." He sang as he stepped in front of Aaron. "Get him."

The Alexandrians watched in horror as two men grabbed Aaron from under his armpits and dragged him towards the front of the group. "If anyone tries to stop it you'll just make it worse." Negan instructed. "You can move, you can cry, you can blink...hell you're gonna do that anyway." He snarled as he held Lucille in the air and brought her down right onto Aaron's skull.

The sound of the crack filled the air sent a chill down Melissa's spine. Blood flowed down the wound into his eyes as he tried to pick his head up only to slam back down onto the cold ground. Michael tried to look away, tried to ignore the sounds of the bat crushing his skull but it was impossible, there was no escaping this. Tears fell from Abby's eyes as she heard Aaron's groans of pain until they finally stopped. Once his body stopped moving Negan swung the bat around, blood flying off the end landing on Melissa and Michael's faces. "Now son...do I make myself clear?" He questioned.

Michael choked and began to sob. Lowering his chin to his chest he felt the tears soak his shirt. "I guess I did." Negan chuckled. "Now that we have an understanding...who's the leader?"

Until now Deanna had cowered in the middle of the group. Her usual calm, professional demeanor was long gone. She wasn't crying, she felt like she was in shock. Aaron's body was the only thing she could see. "I won't ask again," Negan's voice rang in her ears. "Who is the motherfucking leader?"

Cringing Deanna slowly raised her hand. "I-I am."

Negan took a step back in surprise. "Oh...didn't expect that." He laughed. "Well then, your name, madam?"

Deanna choked the words out. "Deanna."

"Ain't that nice," Negan mocked. "So here's what's gonna happen, you and your group are gonna give us half of your shit. I don't care if you have to steal, scrounge, whatever you have to but its ours. When we come to your homes you let us in. If we knock on your door you will let us in, we own that fucking door. If not we will break that motherfucker down, got it?"

When no one answered he yelled. "I asked if y'all got the message?"

Slowly they began to nod their heads. "Good, good, but first I want to see where you motherfuckers live, I got to make sure its acceptable, right? So Deanna, you're gonna take me while the rest of your people wait here. If anyone tries anything my men won't hesitate to put you down, got it?"

Again everyone nodded. "I'm glad we have an understanding. Deanna if you please, come with me."

Deanna wasn't able to answer. She was hauled up by her arms and dragged to the truck Negan had arrived in. "Hank, come with me, if anyone needs me he has a radio." Negan instructed as Deanna was loaded into the truck.

Just like that their world was flipped upside down. Now they were in way over their heads and for the first time they didn't have a plan. It all seemed so hopeless, darkness was closing in.