I do not own the walking dead or the characters in it, please enjoy!

Walking up to the doors I was all to familiar with just a year ago my heart races. I never thought I'd miss home so much. I remember when I was packing away for college last year this place was last on my list of things I'd miss. Well now I'm out for the summer and deciding to spend some time with my family. Setting my luggage on the side of me I ring the door bell once.

The only person that knows I'm coming is my mother, I told her to keep me a secret from my father and little brother. Hearing loud clanking like boots stomping the floor I can't help but smile widely as my father opens the door.

"Dakota?"

Taking in his police uniform my heart warms at the sound of my name.

"Hi daddy."

Pulling me into his arms I hug him tightly holding back tears.

"What are you doing here?"

Arms length apart he scans over me like his usual fatherly instinct.

"It's summer brake so I decided to come down and visit."

My father looks down at my bags, just noticing them he pulls me back into a hug.

"You're mothers going to be so excited!"

Giggling to myself I grab my luggage and follow my father into the house. Instantly the smell of my childhood hits me and I freeze in place. I haven't smelt baking soda and vinegar since I was 10.

"Carl!"

My moms voice yells from in the kitchen and soon a boy with my dark brown hair and blue eyes comes running out bumping right into me.

"Oh I'm..."

His eyes light up with excitement.

"DAKOTA!"

Throwing his arms around me I squeeze him tightly.

"Hey little brother."

Looking down at him I can't help but mess through his hair.

"When did you get here?"

He questions completely forgetting about my mother fussing at him.

"About a couple minutes ago."

glancing at my luggage he raises an eyebrow.

"You're moving back?!"

My mother walks into the living room.

"No, she's just spending the summer with us, so how about you go put her stuff in her room."

Smiling at me Carl grabs my things and heads for the stairs.

"I'm surprised you haven't turned my room into a gym."

I joke welcoming her hug.

"Oh believe me we tried but your father could care the least about working out."

"I wanted to turn it into a game room!"

Carl comes back down stairs holding a hand held gaming device. I pat the top of his head.

"You know if I had the time I'd work out Lori."

My father walks out his study and my mother rolls her eyes.

"Sure you would, we'll you might want to think about it after tonight's dinner, which is at Dakota's choosing."

The sound of my mothers cooking makes my mouth water, all I ate today was a bag of peanuts that I bought from a Gas Station.

"I've been wanting you're home made spaghetti."

Clapping her hands together she disappears into the kitchen.

"Hey dad?"

"What is it baby girl?"

Pointing towards the door I say.

"Can you come check out my car, it was driving kinda funny on the way over here."

"Let's go have a look."

Outside my dad pops the hood of my car and is looking around.

"What we got here?"

I hear a deep twang so I turn around.

"Aw, it's nothing, just needs a oil change."

My father wipes the sweat off his forehead. My father's best friend who I used to call my uncle stops and stairs at me.

"What? Don't recognize me?"

I joke but the look on his face shows no recognition.

"Shane its.."

"Dakota? Well I'll be damned miss smarty pants finally came down to visit."

Shane pulls me into a playful choke hold and messes up my hair.

"Easy Shane she's a women now, don't wanna get slapped by her death glares."

Releasing me I steady myself hiding my smile.

"Ah she'll always be my favorite tom boy, you still go hunting?"

Laughing I adjust my bangs.

"The last time I went hunting Carl was still in diapers and mom flipped because you bought me my own bow."

Both my dad and Shane chuckle.

"Then what ya do in that big school of yours?"

"I'm studying to be a biologist, you know, how the human body works and what not."

Nodding he gives me a tight side hug.

"We'll somebody has to do it."

Walking up I follow my new routine of walking over to my closet and actually caring about what I wear. Picking out a white sundress with yellow flowers I walk into the bathroom to see what I'm going to do with my wad of hair. Taming it a bit I pull on a floppy sun hat and sunglasses.

"Morning Dakota, would you like some breakfast?"

My mother ask once I enter the kitchen.

"No thanks, I'm on a diet."

Opening the fridge I grab a bottle of water.

"Well okay then."

She doesn't even attempt to question me because no matter what she says about me being skinny, she knows I wont listen.

Outside I place a blanket under a shady tree and plant myself down on top it. Opening my book I start to get lost in it's romantic mysteries when Carl plops down on the side of me.

"Hey Dakota, wanna play a game?"

Looking out the corner of my eye I see him playing with a deck of cards.

"Did Shane teach you how to gamble?"

Joking I set my book aside.

"No, I was just going to ask if you wanted to play Go Fish."

Taking the cards away from him I shuffle them up.

"How about I show you something even more fun."

Excitement fills his face as I deal the cards.

"This game is called Slap Jack."

Beating me for the 5th time Carl gathers the cards to shuffle.

"I'll go easy on you this time."

He smiles making me chuckle.

"Oh? Well I guess we'll see who wins."

Carl starts to deal out the cards when a police car pulls into our yard stopping crookedly in the grass. Shane steps out, alone, a look of worry and guilt on his face.

"Wait here Carl."

I tell him standing up, Shane notices me and quickly looks away.

"Where's ya mother?"

He says once I approach him.

"Inside cooking, where's my dad?"

My heart begins to race as the possibilities run through my head.

"I need to speak to ya mom."

"What is it Shane?"

We both look towards the door where I see my mom standing there with her "kiss the cook" apron on.

Shane glaces at my mom then me and sighs.

"Is he?"

My mother can't finish her sentience, quickly I go to hold her steady.

"He was shot, we where on a chase and they had one hiding in the trunk, I'm sorry Lori it was my fault, should've been more careful. He's in the hospital, doctor says he's in a comma."

Grabbing my mother tighter my lip quivers.

"How will I tell Carl his dad's been shot?"

Shane glances over at Carl who's looking at us curiously.

"I'll do it."

He goes to walk away but my mother heads towards Carl.

"You alright?"

Shane ask me putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah."

I reply with a shaky breath, I'm watching my mother now on her knees talking to Carl. When she breaks the news he begins to cry breaking my heart.

Clenching my fist to stop the tears I bury my face in Shane's chest not able to hold back my sobs.

We all get into Shane's cruiser as he turns on his sirens and we speed to the hospital my mother in the passenger seat and me holding a shaking Carl in the back.

"He's going to be okay, dad's a strong guy."

I repeat over and over again, hoping to god he makes it.

At the hospital we gather around my father making small talk with one another. The doctors say he'll live, we just have to wait for him to wake up so we are all relieved.

Grabbing a hold of his resting hand I kiss the back of it whispering a story about the time when we went hunting and the feather to my bow nearly took two of my fingers off and all that him and Shane did was wrap some duck tape around it until we were able to go to the hospital. My mother was so mad...

It's been almost about a month my fathers been in the hospital, we still visit him but we're getting tired of waiting.

Shane still comes over, every night to check on us. Honestly without him we'd be in an even worst situation.

Monday July 5th,

So I've been get calls from the Biology center at my college. Something about a virus they want me to go check out.

I told them about my father and that I need to be here for my family.

Wednesday July 7th,

There's something strange going around, the news said something about a deadly virus.

I tried to get in touch with the Biology Center but no one seams to be picking up.

"Hey Dakota, can we go play outside?"

Carl approaches me in the living room so I set down my medical book and scan him. His face is pink and eyes are moist, good.

"Sure but under one condition."

Carl raises an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"How are you feeling?"

Placing my palm to his forehead he cringes.

"Again? I told you I feel fine."

Rising to my feet I mess up his hair. The news said to look for symptoms of extremely high fever and hallucinations, I just want to make sure.

"Can't we do something besides go outside?"

I ask holding up his hand held game.

"Like a video game or something?"

Dragging out a sigh he inches over to the door, tugging me with him.

"No, you got me sick of playing video games, I get what you're trying to do, so now I want to go play outside."

This isn't about me teaching him to go play outside like a real kid should, believe me in any other occasion it would be, but this time I'm actually scared to go outside. I'm scared of what might be outside.

Finding the bottle of hand sanitize I stuff it under my arm in defeat.

"Fine, but only for a little bit."

If I see any sings of someone being sick, I 'm not hesitating to drag him back inside.

Outside Carl and I sit under "Our" little tree, the tree where we found out our father had gotten shot. Carl likes to think if we stay under this tree maybe Shane would drive up all crazy again and tell us he woke up. I like to think of it as a sign of back luck but what do I know, I can't win jack on anything.

Though, today I have a bad feeling about this tree, about being outside. Rubbing my hands with hand sanitize I force Carl to put some on as well.

"You're weird you know that."

He smiles up at me rubbing up his arms and around his neck like Ii told him to.

"Do you want to be in the hospital too?"

I warn playfully flicking his nose, he giggles.

"That's what I thought, remember you are the man of the house till Dad gets back."

"No, Shane is."

"Shane's just doing the things you can't do like fix things and bringing food to our table."

"Well once I'm old enough I can do those things."

Carl scratches at his eye and I tense up.

"Well by then Dad will be back, you're feeling alright?"

Pulling him into a hug Carl slightly struggles against me.

"Dakota was that you!"

Carl laughs pulling away harder, I let him go.

"What are you talking about?"

Suddenly the smell hits me and it's all to familiar, as if I've teleported into the dissection room, all I smell is something rotting.

"That's not me! something must have gotten hit on the road."

Slowly I turn around expecting to see a possum lied out on the road but instead I see a man walking over to me with a limb.

"Isn't that Mr. Rulles?"

I ask Carl who has his shirt stuffed up his nose. He nods.

"Are you okay Sr."

I walk over to him, Carl right be hind me. Mr. Rulles groans, stepping closer I get a wiff of him and nearly vomit.

"Carl, go in side the house."

I command slowly backing away I bump into him.

"What wrong with him?"

"I said GO!"

Mr. Rulles grabs a hold of me and tries to bite my neck so I scream.

"MOM!"

I hear Carl scream as I try and keep Mr. Rrulles off of me. What is this? Why is he so cold?

"DAKOTA!"

I hear a deep voice and soon the man is off of me. Shane shots him right between the eyes and Mr. Rrulles falls dead.

Screaming I drop to my knees.

"Your Killed him!"

I sob as Shane runs over to me, examining my body.

"Listen Dakota, you're the only one Who'll under stand this. He had the Virus, the virus kills you then brings you back into something that just want to feed.

It's all over at the hospital, people where getting shot,"

Blinded by my tears my voice cracks.

"Dad?"

"I tried to bring him out but the Military were every where, the machines stopped working and he had no heart beat. Before I left I blocked the door so that

nothing would get him."

Helping me to my feet Shane leads me towards the house. People are drying and coming back to life...but how? It doesn't make any since. My fathers dead...this isn't true.

Inside the house my mother runs to us, Carl latched to her side.

"Shane what's going on?"

Looking at me I give him a nod.

"Carl, go with Dakota and pack you're bags, now!"

"Shane."

My mother starts so I grab Carl and lead him up stares.

"Dakota, where are we going, what's going on?"

Tearing open Carl's closet I grab his biggest bag and start pilling clothes into it.

"Remember that movie we watched last weekend, with the Zombies?"

I try my best to make it so that he understands.

"Yeah."

"Well that's what's happening right now, so like in the movie we have to leave."

Carl sits there baffled, if I could barley understand what's going on I can't about imagine how he feels.

Done with his clothes we go into my room and I pack my things. I thought the next time I'd pack it would be to go back to school, never would I ever imagine it be for something like this.

Down stairs my mother waits wit her luggage, eyes puffy and red. Crap, Carl doesn't know about Dad. Grabbing Carl's bag I help Shane load our things as my mother explains to my little brother that our dad is dead.

"You have to be strong Dakota, for you mother and Carl."

Shane squeezes me tightly once he notices me zone out. I just give him a nod.

"In the car now!"

Shane hops in the drivers side next to my weeping mom, Carl and I hop in the back.

"Where do we even go if it's everywhere?"

My mother pulls herself together.

"The news keeps saying there's quarantine in Atlanta."

Shane swerves to miss bodies on the road. Taking Carl I hid his face in my chest so that he can't watch.

What has become of this world.