Chapter 1

The Night

Author Note: For those who had favored The Gift this is a redo, I like this one better .. I lost the passion with the other story and this I found it again.

with love,

dark.

It's been a long time since a shotgun or a machete weren't your best friend. Everything had changed after the first case appeared. Alice could remember it very vividly; she was working her usually nights at the town library when everything started. It was Halloween; the library hosted a small party with candy for the kids as well as a spooky story telling. Alice was in the employee lounge getting the candy ready when she noticed the news was on and took a moment to watch it since she saw the breaking news and decided to take another moment and watch it.

"In other news tonight, a man went to St. Thomas hospital with what appeared to be bite marks tonight. The man, a Walter Stakes was rushed to the ER after he was attacked by some body dressed as a zombie. It was at first believed to be a Halloween prank but on closer inspection, the wounds were found to be real," The male anchor said "Happy Halloween Diane"

"Well Allen, that is certainly a frightening way to start of this year's Halloween," Diane said with a laugh "Now over to Bob with the weather."

"That's freaky," Alice said and picked up the bowel of candy and headed back out into the library. Once she got back she noticed the kids were all looking at a strange person standing in the library and her coworker Molly standing there. "Molly?"

"Alice get the kids out of her this person is crazy," Molly said as the guy looked like his face was falling off.

"God what happened to his face," Alice asked as she ushered the kids towards her "That is once heck of a makeup job."

"Get them out of her!" Molly yelled and Alice saw the guy lunge at her and Molly started to scream and all the kids started freaking out as some of the parents rushed over to help Molly. But it was too late, the guy had bit into her neck and took a flesh out.

"Move!" Alice said loudly and the kids ran out of the lobby and on to the street. Alice took one look behind her and ran; she couldn't do anything for Molly.

That was how this all started. After more and more walkers were showing up everywhere. There wasn't a place that didn't have them anymore. After thinking about it Alice thought it was ironic that it started, or seemed to start on Halloween. But it wasn't a prank, or a sick joke it was real. Alice gathered what she could and made her way out to her old family farm to get away from people. It wasn't safe around them.

It had been weeks, Alice kinds of lost time staying at the old farm house. She would go out on occasion on her dad's old horse but mostly spent it locked in the house bunkered down. Hoping she'd see a normal person at some point, but that was getting rarer as the days went on. The world went to shit. Alice had no idea how to take care of herself with regards to hunting and her supply of canned food was dwindling. She knew she would have to figure it out sooner or later. It frightened her a little; she had terrible aim with her dad's rifle and kept it mostly on safety so she wouldn't accidently shoot herself. A noise outside got her attention and she grabbed the rifle as her machete stayed on her waist. She looked out the window and saw a man walking around in what appeared to be a sheriff outfit. He went to the door and knocked which Alice remained hidden in the upstairs bedroom. She didn't know what to do, she learned that most people would have killed her and taken her things so she was use to hiding from them. But as she looked at the man she could see he looked confused slightly and thought she should go down as she saw him talking to her horse.

"You planning on stealing my horse?" Alice said to the man as her rifle was on him "That's not very smart."

"Easy I don't mean any harm," he said "I'm a cop, I'm not going to hurt you."

"How do I know your not lying Mister?" Alice said as she cocked the gun "Since this started people have changed."

"Miss I promise I won't I am just trying to find my wife and son" He said with sincerity in his voice "Now could you please put down the rifle" Alice lowered the weapon and he let out a small smile "My names Rick, Rick Grimes, what's yours"

"I'm Alice Archer," Alice said "But just call me Alice, so what were you thinking of doing"

"Heading to Atlanta, but my car ran out of gas and I can't find any," Rick said and Alice nodded to him.

"I don't know much about Atlanta since I've barricaded myself in the house and couldn't stand to listen to the raid as they first started to talk about at all," Alice said as she followed Rick into the barn and began to saddle the horse.

"You shouldn't stay here," Rick said as he watched Alice saddle the horse "Come with me to Atlanta, there has to be food and shelter, and other people."

"I don't know," Alice said as she finished saddling the horse and patted him and looked at Rick with worry and concern.

"I will take care of you" Rick said sincerely "I promise I won't let anything happen to you, my honor as a cop"

"I guess it would be okay" Alice said as she turned and Rick her face still show concern "I will help you look for your wife and son."

"Why don't you got get your things and I will get what I need out of the car, met back in 10 minutes," Rick said with a smile.

"Okay," Alice said and headed back towards the house.

Alice went up to the room and pulled out her old school backpack and began to pack an extra set of clothes. She had on a white tank top and jeans and grabbed an extra pair of each incase as well as a long sleeve shirt for when the weather would turn cold. She gathered all the medicine she took and a few other supplies that included some hickory nuts, extra food and water. She put her bow on her back and took a crowbar, and a hammer along with a machete that she found out back in the tool supply. She fit most of it in her backpack and soon headed out of the house to see Rick with a bag full of guns ready to go.

"We can both fit on him no problem," Alice said as Rick got on the horse first and he helped her get behind him where she held on to his shoulder and waist and the gun bag rested between them. "He's a strong boy."

"Alright now, let's go slow I haven't done this in years," Rick said and Alice let out a small laugh as she felt him tense up as the horse started to walk then took off in a run "WO Wow o easy boy easy boy."

Alice kept a laugh inside as she held on to Rick and the horse kept up his running pace. Hours passed and Alice never realized that she wasn't too far from Atlanta. When they arrived Alice's jaw dropped, there were cars on the other side of the highway burnt and abandoned, and Rick eased on the horse as Alice looked on and her grip got slightly tighter on Rick.

"Rick," Alice whispered as they drew closer to the city "I don't like this."

"I know," Rick said as they walked over the bridge covering the train tracks and entered the city and the horse began to get more uncomfortable so they headed left.

As they traveled they saw more abandoned cars and saw no signs of life as they rode down the street. They passed a bus that had dead people inside and Alice noticed that they started to get up probably because they smelt them and they ended up near a tank.

"Rick," Alice said and pointed to the crows eating a solider on the tank's gun.

"Don't look," Rick said as Alice turned her head and Rick kept moving on the street and then he suddenly stopped and started to look around. "A helicopter," and Alice just stared at him but soon they both saw the reflection on one of the buildings before it disappeared and Rick took off in the direction of where it went only to run into a city street filled with the walking dead.

The horse reared up and Alice gripped on tightly to stay on the horse as they reached the tank only to find more of them. He reared one more time and Alice fell off the back followed by Rick and they both lost their bags. Alice was freaking out from all the walkers surrounding them and Rick grabbed her and they crawled underneath the tank only to have them follow them. Rick started to shoot and more kept coming. Alice looked up and noticed an opening in the tank and crawled up followed by Rick. He shut the door and they both crawled towards the back where they were taking deep breaths. And Rick looked to the side and noticed a dead solider next to them and took his gun and Alice let out a small scream as she noticed he started to move and then Rick shot it in the tank. Alice had been on the ground and now was holding her ears in pain along with Rick, the sound dazing them and then Alice noticed Rick looking at something and saw him get up and look outside the top of the tank and he fell back in.

"What is it Rick," Alice said as she started to get her barring around her again.

"They are surrounding the tank," Rick said and Alice's face dropped and she watched Rick put up his gun and looked at how many bullets were left and Alice held in a cry.

Suddenly static was heard and Alice and Rick looked at the CB radio inside.

"Hey you dumbasses, in the tank. You guys cozy in there," the voice said and Alice looked at Rick who looked at the radio.

"Rick," Alice said with a smile on her face "Someone is alive out there," and they kept hearing banging on the outside of the tank.

"Hey you alive in there," the voice said and Rick went to get up but hit his head on a bar in the tank and Alice held in a laugh as he grabbed the radio.

"Hello? Hello?" Rick said into the radio.

"There you are," the voice said and it sounded relived "You had me wondering."

"Where are you? Are you outside? Can you see us right now?" Rick said desperately.

"Yea I can see you, you guys are surrounded by walkers," he said "That's the bad news."

"Any good news?" Rick said.

"No," he replied.

"Listen," Rick started as Alice crawled over to him to hear better "Whoever you are I don't mind telling you I am a little concerned in here."

"Oh man you should see from over here you'd be having a major freak out," he replied and Alice hung her head.

"Well I am already there," Alice replied and looked at Rick who gave her a grim smile.

"Got any advice for me?" Rick asked as his face began to show more worry.

"Yea I'd say make a run for it," he replied and Alice let out a strained laughed.

"He's kidding right," Alice looked at Rick and he looked at her.

"That's it make a run for it," Rick said with a disbelieving voice.

"It doesn't sound that crazy, you got eyes on the outside here," he said "There are still some on the tank but most of them went to join the feeding frenzy where the horse went down, you with me so far?"

"So far" Rick said and looked at Alice again who let out some tears for her horse.

"Okay the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded," he said "You move now while they are distracted you stand a chance. You got ammo?"

"In the duffle bag I dropped out there is guns can I get to it?" Rick said.

"Forget the bag ok," he said "It's not an option what do you have on you?"

"Hang on," Rick said and dropped the radio as he and Alice looked around "What do you got Alice?"

"I got my machete still," Alice said and helped Rick look around the tank and he found a grenade. "Umm why don't you wait to use that incase of extreme emergency," Rick nodded and put it in his pocket and went back to his gun and checked it.

"I got a Beretta with one clip 15 rounds and she has a machete," Rick said.

"Make them count," he said "Jump off the right side of the tank and keep going, there is an alley of the street maybe 50 yards be there,"

"Hey what's your name," Rick asked and Alice shook her head at Rick.

"Have you've been listening your running out of time," he said and Rick dropped the radio and picked up the shovel and he headed towards the top of the tank.

"Ready Alice," Rick said as he looked towards Alice and she nodded her head and clutched her machete and Rick opened the top part of the tank and hit a walker with a shovel before they both jumped off the tank.

Rick started to shoot some of the walkers that were in their way and Alice hit a few with her machete before they neared the alleyway. Rick aimed to take another shot but stopped when he realized it was the guy.

"Wooah not dead," he said and turned "Come on Come on faster," they ran after him and kept up as they neared a latter.

Rick got behind Alice and allowed her to climb up after the guy and Rick soon followed them up the yellow latter. Once they reached the top Alice leaned against the rail and took in a few deep breathes.

"Nice moves there Clint Eastwood, you the sheriff riding into town to clean it up," he said looking at Rick and Alice let out a small laugh.

"Wasn't my intention" Rick replied.

"Yea whatever yeeha," he replied "Your still a dumbass,"

"Rick, thanks," Rick said and held out his hand "That's Alice."

"Glenn, your welcome," Glenn said as they shook hands and turned to Alice and then they all heard some noise "oh no," the walkers were trying to climb the latter and they looked and saw another one "Well at least the fall will kill us, I a glass half full kind of guy."

"I hate heights," Alice said as she climbed the latter trying not to look down as they reached the top and began to run once again across the roof "Did you block the alley?"

"Someone did," Glenn said "Probably when the city was overrun, not many geeks can get through."

"Back at the tank why did you stick your neck out for us," Rick said as Glenn opened something on the roof.

"Foolish naive hope, that if I am ever that far up shit creek that someone might do the same for me," Glenn said as he got in and started to climb down "Guess I am a bigger dumbass than you."

"Could be," Alice said and Rick gave her a look as she got in after Glenn and started down the latter followed by Rick who closed the top and they finished and went down more stairs as Glenn took a radio.

"I'm back with guests got four geeks in the alley," Glenn said as they stopped and waited and a door opened and 2 guys came out with bats and smashed the walkers in the head leaving room for them to run inside and the door was closed.

Once they got inside Rick was grabbed by a women holding a gun to him.

"Son of a bitch I aught to kill you," she said and Alice then shoved her aside and glared at the women.

"Andrea back off," Morales said as he started to take of their vests.

"We are dead because of these stupid assholes," she said and still had the gun pointed at them.

"Andrea I said back the hell off," Morales said again getting closer while Glenn looked on slightly scared and Alice had her hand on her machete "Well pull the trigger," she then dropped the gun and Alice continued to glare at her. "We're dead all of us because of you,"

Alice didn't listen much to what Morales was saying to Rick as they walked down a corridor because she had her eyes on Andrea. Alice did not like her one bit, something about it made Alice want to either punch her or bitch slap the women. They stopped at the entrance and Alice could see the glass doors covered by walkers and they all hurried off away from the doors.

"The hell were you doing out there any ways," Andrea said.

"Trying to flag a helicopter," Rick replied.

"Helicopter man that's crap there ain't no damn helicopter," T-Dog said.

"I saw it took it was there," Alice said quietly.

"T-Dog try to signal the others," Glenn said as he fiddled with the radio.

"Got no signal maybe the roof?" he said and they all heard a shot.

"Oh god was that Dixon," Andrea said and they all ran to head to the roof.

"Damn it Merle," Morales said

Once they got there Alice noticed a man that she would call a redneck, well more of a racists bastard called Merle. She knew by the look that he probably wasn't as bad as he could be. She had met a lot of people brining their kids to the library that looked very different from how they acted. Alice had zoned out and realized now that Merle had a gun to T-Dog and Alice scolded herself for not paying attention to what was going on.

Suddenly Rick took the rifle Merle had and hit him across the face causing him to fall to the ground. Alice mad a sound of protest because she knew that it could cause him to break his jaw, since she had seen a few cases of it. Rick then handcuffed him to the pipe running along the roof and Alice let out a frustrated sigh.

"Rick you can't leave him cuffed to the pipe," Alice said.

"Alice you stay here with T-Dog," Rick said "In case something happens."

"What do you mean," Andrea said.

"The sun is blazing and there is no water he could get heat exhaustion," Alice said and everyone just looked at her.

Soon T-Dog and Alice were alone with Merle, and truthfully Alice didn't mind too much since she didn't have to try and figure out a way to get past the walkers.

"Come on man let me go," Merle said as T-Dog just looked at him "There aint no reason we can parlay and work together as long as there is mutual gain involved, so about that hacksaw," he then smiled at them both.

"I guess you want me to get that rifle took so you can shoot that cop when he comes back up huh," he replied.

"Hey you sweet cheeks how about you letting me go," Merle said and turned his attention to Alice and gave her a smile.

"My aren't you trying to be the charmer," Alice replied with a laugh.

Soon Rick came up saying that he needed T-Dog for something and Alice nodded and stayed with Merle to keep an eye on him.

"So sweet cheeks just you and me up here alone," Merle said and Alice laughed again.

"I'm sorry Merle I don't have the keys" Alice said

"Aww come on baby don't be like that," Merle said as they heard a rumbled and both of them looked up.

"Rain," Alice said as it started to downpour and she was thanking the gods her tank top though white had double layers so it wouldn't show through.

"Such a shame that you are wearing a white shirt," Merle said with a smile.

"Sorry to disappoint Merle but my shirt is not going to show anything, it has double layers," Alice said.

"Damn," he replied and they sat there in the rain and it started to stop.

Alice thinking that it had been long enough got up and was going to give Merle the hacksaw at least it would give him something to do and her something to watch. But suddenly someone came running up and Alice didn't get a chance to see who it was before she got hit on the back of the head and fell to the floor like a brick.

The next time Alice opened her eyes she was in a truck with a massive headache. Her put her hands to her head and looked around.

"Who the hell hit me?" Alice said and no one looked at her "Seriously what the fuck,"

"It was an accident," T-Dog said and Alice just glared at him and realized something.

"Where Merle?" she asked and no one wanted to answer her "Son of a bitch you guys left him."

"I dropped the key," T-Dog said and Alice just shook her head.

"That's cruel," she replied as the truck came to a stop and they all started to get out.

Alice went towards the side of the truck towards the driver's side and smiled at Rick.

"Hey come on lets go see the new people," she said and Rick nodded

"Hey helicopter boy come out," Morales said and Rick got out of the truck with Alice behind him.

Soon Alice looked and noticed Rick was looking at a guy that had curly hair and was wearing a shotgun and then he saw a women and a kid. His family, Alice thought and a smile made its way to her face as Rick moved forward and Carl came running to him.

"Dad Dad!" Carl screamed and Alice smiled as he bent down to hug his son and they fell to the ground and he walked over to Lori and she moved and hugged him as well.

Alice was happy that even after the crap they went through in Atlanta that Rick was able to find his family. Alice looked over to who she guessed was Shane from Rick telling her about him and noticed something in his eyes. It was the same look she got a lot while she worked at the library and she knew from watching people. Something clicked in Alice as she looked at Shane an uncomfortable shiver went through her body. Shane was not to be trusted.