Chapter one

Alive

"Is this even legal?" I asked eyeing the needle as it pierced my skin.

"it's just a vaccination. It's perfectly safe," he assured me briefly meeting my gaze before injecting the clear liquid into my blood stream.

"For what, that flu going around?" I asked as my eyes wondered around the curtain drawn area that I was sitting in, landing on anything that would distract me. "What're they calling this one anyway? We already have swine and bird flu."

"This one doesn't affect animals, as far as I'm aware it's a type B not an A type." He stated extracting the needle and placing a piece of cotton over the tiny bleeding dot.

"So it's only transmitted through people?" I asked wincing as I moved to hold the cotton swab as he went to grab the tape,

"As far as we know, yes." He stated helping me down from the patient bed after the cotton swab was secured to my arm.

"So what, as long as no one sneezes on me I'm in the clear?" I asked scratching just above the bruise that was not doubt forming.

"Not exactly," he replied taking his glasses off to clean the lenses, "It's airborne." he stated finally placing his glasses back on eyeing my scratching with irritation, "would you stop doing that? You're going to irritate it." he huffed causing my movements to come to a halt,

"Right, sorry." I apologized half heartedly with a small smile and a roll of my eyes, he was always over reacting with the little things.

"I'll take your blood work tomorrow," he huffed changing the subject "we'll give the vaccine twenty four hours to start taking effect and then I'll be able to see its progress. Send James down on your way out, will you?"

"Progress?" I repeated the word that left a bad taste in my mouth, "what are we your test subjects?" I asked raising my eyebrow, it wasn't like him to use us at least not without him being completely up front about it.

"No, of course not. It's already been tested and proven to work, it effects everyone differently is all." He explained as he started to walk me out.

"You're talking about side effects, aren't you?" I questioned pausing by the door, as my eyes locked with his.

"I am, and if you feel anything out of the norm you know how to get a hold of me." With those parting words I exited his office.

*** Several Months Later***

I knew what I was doing when I opened my eyes, I even understood that I was in a dark cold room and that I was curled up on what felt like an unfinished cemented basement floor. But what I didn't know was where I was, or how I got here and if I was alone.

So I laid there confused and scared as my mind started to wander, I knew what I was feeling was pain my entire body seemed to hum with it as I withered on the ground unsure if I should attempt moving. A lot of time seemed to pass though I couldn't be sure how much or if it were night or day, when I finally managed to pull myself together and sit up I wiped at the moisture that covered my cheeks.

After turning in a small circle I paused when I spotted a faint light, it wasn't far ahead of where I stood but seemed to be up a flight of stairs. Biting my lip I moved slowly towards them with my arms wrapped around myself.

I cringed as they creaked with my added weight, on top of the pain that was shooting up my legs and pounded in my skull. It was strange but the only thoughts that rang out above the fear and the pain were 'I'm alive' repeatedly.

I made it to the top and froze, for some reason my hand trembled inches away from the door knob. "It's not right..." I whispered aloud as my eyes widened hearing the parched sounding words that tumbled from my cracked and dry lips.

Taking in a calming breath I squeezed my eyes closed repeating the thought 'I can do this' over and over again, moving forward I pushed the door open, and instantly regretted my choice to do so.

Blood. Lots of blood, splattered on the walls and the furniture as well as on the floor that had smeared drag marks, blood was everywhere. My hands shook as I brought one up to cover my mouth preventing any sound from escaping, the drag marks I was having a staring contest with led to the basement that I had just emerged from.

Glancing back over my shoulder I found myself wondering if someone else was down there, hurt or worse. I hadn't heard anything while I was down there. I reminded myself so I wouldn't turn back into the dark cold cellar.

Swallowing thickly around what felt like a very dry throat I stepped up on to the landing. I tried to not look around too much, but my eyes always found their way back to the blood that seemed to coat room after room.

When I had stumbled into a kitchen I rushed forward to the sink and twisted a tap as water started to stream from it I dunked my mouth under letting the water run down my throat and over my lips and down my chin. Pulling back I wiped at my mouth and turned off the water with a sigh, already I was feeling better.

Glancing up at the window above the sink I caught my reflection in it as I realized it was mid day out. The image that stared back at me had my hands reaching up to touch my face as a dazed feeling started to set in.

At some point I had stopped feeling the odd sense of déjà vu and just stared blankly at nothing. The world outside the window seemed to be at a standstill, almost like it was at peace but from the horror show looks of inside the house I couldn't help but to wonder what happened here.

I made my way around the house but found very little left laying around, there wasn't any food but I found a few empty water bottles that were scattered around the house, sure they had blood on them but nothing that couldn't be washed off.

I had found a purple tiny bag that had no doubt belonged to a child with its 'My little Pony' writing on the front as well as a group of ponies embedded on to it.

Shrugging my shoulders I grabbed it anyway, it was either deal with the childish bag or carry everything and by everything I meant five water bottles and the stack of butter knives and forks that I emptied from a drawer in the kitchen, by hand.

Packing the beg up I swung in onto my shoulder taking a quick look around me, something had caused that bloodbath, and I would be damned if I stayed and waited for it to return, brandishing a butter knife I stepped outside.

Leaves and sticks crunched and snapped under my bare feet as I stumbled through the woods, holding the pitiful excuse for a knife tightly in my hand as I winced when a twig stabbed the delicate flesh of my foot.

Occasionally I would look up making sure I was still as alone as I had started off as, and I was or at least I had thought that I was.

"Walker!" the word spread like wild fire as my head snapped up to see people pointing guns, baseball bats and various sharp objects as well as a single cross bow aimed at me.

Ducking behind a tree before they fired, I couldn't stop my mind from swarming me with thoughts.

They were human, they were alive like I was.

But still I kept hidden behind the thick tree trunk with my eyes tightly closed with the poor excuse for a knife raised just about my chest level, my heart pounded so loudly in my ears I could barely make out the words that the others were throwing around.

Four stuck out making its way in to my jumbled mind,

"Human,"

"Alive"

"Girl"

"Scaring"

My breathing quickened as I made the decision to run, it was either that or stay put and wait for them to surround me. Dashing out from the tree I ran away from the group, "Hey! Wait! We can help you!" A man shouted as I glanced back making what could have been a fatal mistake I tripped.

An eerie moan filtered through my mind and had the hairs of my arms standing on their ends as I glanced down to see what I had tripped over. A scream echoed around my ears as I started to kick and thrash my legs at the still moving half of a corpse of a man that was snapping its jaw hungrily trying to get at my ankles before it was impaled with what looked to be an arrow to the back of its head.

Not alive, dead, that...is dead. The words echoed in my mind as I tried to catch my breath.

"Are you alright?"

"Did it get you?"

"Are you scratched?"

"Bit?" questions were thrown at me before I knew it I was more or less being surrounded by men.

One man, wearing some type of uniform bent down beside me raising his hand causing everyone to go silent. "Ya hurt?" he asked after catching my eye, swallowing thickly my eyes were wide as I repeated his question, was I hurt?

Damn straight I woke up hurt! Did the fall or that dead thing hurt me? "No more then I was already." I whispered softly flinching away from his hand when he offered it.

"just going to help you up." His tone was calm and face only showed his concern, nodding I accepted his hand letting him help me to my feet."My name is Rick Grimes," he stated before eyeing my clothing then lifting his skeptical gaze back up to meet my eyes. "What's your name?" he asked causing my mind to flounder looking for a response.

"I'm alive..." I whispered the first thing that seemed mildly suitable.

"I can see that." Rick stated giving me that same skeptical look that he had given me a moment ago, "do you have a name?" He repeated taking a step slightly closer as he kept his voice low I shook my head, if 'I'm Alive' wasn't good enough for him I honestly wasn't sure what would be.

I watched the silent exchange of looks that Rick sent the other men before his eyes landed back on me, he took a step back and nodded slowly as if he were thinking, "alright, are you alone?" he asked glancing around placing his hands on his hips.

"Yes." I answered sounding breathless as my mind continued to reel looking for the right answers to his questions, "I don't know you." I stated without thinking before looking at the rest of his men, "any of you." I clarified as my mind began to try and find a familiar face but the only one I could bring to the forefront of my mind was my own.

Biting my lower lip I stopped the words 'no one' from falling from my trembling lips, suddenly feeling exposed.

"That's alright, we're good people. We can help you, we're heading to the CDC looking for a safe haven. You're welcome to join us. We'd have ta have one of the woman take a look at you first, make sure you ain't bit." He stated

"I ain't bit," I tried to tell him shaking my head.

"I'll still need one of them to take a look." Meeting his gaze head on I gave him a single nod before he bent and picked something up, "ya dropped this." Rick stated handing over the small purple back pack.

"Thanks," I replied grabbing for it without failing to notice the tiny smirk that faded to a frown just as quickly, I couldn't read the questions that were hidden behind his eyes but I knew they were there all the same.

"Found it," I stated biting my lip taking a wild guess at what his question was. Rick nodded before leading the way back towards where I had originally seen him and his people on the side of a road.

"Lori's my wife," Rick stated as we made it to the road gesturing to the thin brunette who stood behind a boy with her hands resting on his shoulders keeping him in place. "This is our son Carl." Nodding I sent the two a ghost of a smile, before Rick continued speaking.

"Lori I need you or one of the woman to take," he stopped glancing over at me with a grimace "her, into the RV check for scratches, bites."

"Why?" Lori asked eyeing me in the same skeptical way Rick had earlier.

"She's going to be coming to the CDC with us." Rick informed his wife who clenched her jaw but nodded anyway walking towards the RV.

"This is embarrassing..." I whispered catching the woman I had learned was Jacqui in the eye, as I stood in front of her with my arms wrapped around my chest standing clad in my underwear.

"I know sweetie, they just need to make sure you weren't bit or scratched, I'll be quick." And she was for the most part until she froze looking at my legs, I watched as she sent me a worried look. Standing she took a step back, "You look like the same size as Amy, I'll see if Andrea can give us some of her clothes." She stated turning to walk away.

I hadn't looked at my clothes until I was removing them, even the sight of them scared me, what had been a pair of white cargo pants was now covered in blood stains and were torn from the knees down, hanging in ribbons around my caves, my shirt hadn't been in much better condition, though it could be washed and saved, the pants would have to go.

Jacqui had come back with a white tank top and blue jeans, as well as a pair of running shoes. "Try these on, when you're done I'll be just outside this door." She stated after placing everything on the bed, she sent me a smile and walked out.

I didn't waste any time before slipping into the clean clothing, and stepping out of the bed room. Jacqui straightened when she saw me step out as she took a step away from the blonde who had been sitting at the kitchenette table when I had come in. Jacqui didn't have to say anything as she led me out of the RV into the awaiting street full of people.

"Wait here, I'll go find him." Jacqui stated as she headed towards a car parked near the front of the line of vehicles.

"She could be dangerous Rick," a woman's voice hissed nearby, lowering my eyebrows in confusion I took a few steps towards the rear of the RV trying to find the source.

"So you want me to just leave her here to fend for herself?" I could hear Rick's response as I bit my lip. I shouldn't have been spying, it felt wrong, but it was definitely me they were talking about and if I was about to get the boot I had a right to know.

"You know, I understood going back for Merle Dixon, I didn't like it but I understood that you felt responsible for leaving him there. But you're not responsible for this girl, Rick." Who I assumed was Lori stated calmly.

"She's just a girl, Lori. I'll make sure she isn't a threat to anyone, alright?" Rick trailed off as my attention was pulled elsewhere.

"It isn't polite to spy." A man's voice had me spinning with my mouth hanging open,

"I..." I trailed off not seeing a point in denying it. The man nodded understandingly, as his eyes moved from me to the back of the RV where I had been staring.

"Rick mentioned you couldn't recall your name, must be a serious case of amnesia." The man stated,

"I...don't know..." my voice was quiet but my mind was anything but, who was this man? Was he going to tell Rick I had been eavesdropping on a private conversation? Did he want me to leave like Lori obviously did?

"it's alright I'm Dale," he stated a moment later as I nodded. "You know, everyone should have a name, do you mind if I call you Jane?" he asked kindly with a small smile.

"Jane?" I repeated testing the name out on my tongue, that didn't give me any sort of feeling good or bad.

"until you get your memories back of course." Dale stated as his smile faltered slightly it was obvious that he was wondering how I lost them in the first place.

"Ok, sure. It's better than 'her' or 'that girl'" I laughed lightly as Dale smiled and nodded.

"I suppose it would be."

"Oh, there you are." Rick stated rounding the back of the RV with Lori at his backside, "how'd the exam go?" I cringed at the word 'exam' as shivers ran down my spine and the image of a man pricking my arm with a needle came to the forefront of my mind, pushing the thought away I answered.

"Doc says I'm golden." I stated

Rick who looked down at me with amusement parted his lips to speak, "golden huh?" he mused causing a ghost of a smile to reach my lips as I nodded.

Sending a quick glance over at Lori who was staring holes into my clothing had me shifting uncomfortably. "Jacqui said it was ok that I wore these," I stated gaining the woman's attention who said nothing but strode away heading over towards where her son was playing with a little girl.

"Don't mind her, it's fine. I'm going to see who has room for you." Rick stated about to walk away,

"She can ride with me." Dale stated causing Rick to pause mid step as he nodded, I was surprised but grateful, at least I knew his name already and had briefly talked with the man.

"Alright," Rick nodded again thanking the man, "I'll let everyone know we're going to head out again." Dale nodded as we watched Rick walk away, I couldn't help but let my eyes linger one the man he intrigued me.

I watched silently as he approached a man who met him half way and starting talking animatedly pointing towards Dale and I, obviously irritated with the situation. "I guess I have less fans then I knew about," I stated watching the interaction.

"That's Shane, he's probably trying to figure out what's going on." Dale stated leading me back towards the front where the door was located.

I glanced from Shane to Dale "are you sure he's not plotting to kick me out too?" it was an honest question, one that I believed could be the case.

"Give everyone time to get to know you, I'm sure you'll fit in nicely here." Dale stated comfortingly as we entered the RV where the blonde still sat staring out the window.

"We can't be picking up strays man, we don't have the food to feed our own people." Shane snapped once he was standing in front of Rick.

"She's just one girl, she doesn't even know who she is she might not know what's going on in the world around her." Rick stated knowing the feeling all too well, "I know what it's like to wake up and not know what's out there Shane." Rick stated holding Shane's gaze not missing how his best friend clenched his jaw in annoyance.

"You have to admit it's pretty damn convenient that she can't remember anything." Shane stated scowling in the direction of the RV irritation clear on the man's face.

"What're you saying?" Rick asked lowering his eyebrows trying to figure out where this conversation was heading.

"That she's lying to us," Shane stated trying to keep his calm and convince Rick of his unsupported suspicions.,

"and why would she do that?" Rick sighed placing his hand on his hips officially not buying it.

"We don't know what she's done Rick, she was covered in blood man how do we know she didn't kill the last group she stumbled upon?" Shane stated pointing his finger in the direction of the girl and then towards the woods she had stumbled out of.

"Even so, why would she lie about not being able to remember who she is, seems a little farfetched if you ask me." Rick stated.

"That girl seems a little farfetched, man." Shane snarled glaring at the RV where she was now, "there's something off about her."

"I don't know, until she gives me reason to doubt her then as far as I'm concerned she is just a scared girl who didn't have anyone ten minutes ago." Rick stated crossing his arms and leaning slightly away from his friend, "give her a chance, Shane."

"I'm going to get everyone back into their cars, we have to keep going if we're planning on making it there by nightfall." Rick stated changing the conversation.

Heaving a sigh Shane glanced up towards the sky, "yeah, we'll be cutting it close." He stated before they separated to get everyone ready to keep moving.

Instead of sitting up front with Dale and the silent blonde I ventured into the back where I had changed and sat on one of the two single beds, it wasn't long until we had started moving or until the knots in my stomach started to twist as I watched the trees slowly passing us by from the window.

"Dale said we're supposed to call you Jane?" a familiar voice interrupted my silence, glancing over I watched Jacqui sit on the opposite bed. I nodded in response, "I can't imagine what you must have went through out there, own your own." she stated clenching a book in her lap.

"I wasn't out there long before you guys found me." I stated glancing down tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"I don't understand, it's been about two months since the outbreak." Jacqui stated lowering her eyebrows in confusion, leaning back against the cool walls of the RV I asked the question that had plagued my mind since I had woken up.

"Does the outbreak have to do with all that blood?" I whispered my eyes instinctively going to the place where my clothes had once been.

"You really don't know, do you?" Jacqui asked looking at me with a distant look in her eyes, shaking her head her facial expression softened even more then it had already been, if that were possible.

"You poor girl," she stated before looking out the window behind my head, "I couldn't begin to know how confused you must have been, must still be. To answer your question, yes more than likely the blood on your clothing did have to do with the outbreak."

Her brown eyes flickered back to mine, as I watched her have an internal battle, her decision was made when she clenched her jaw. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it." she stated eyeing me to give me a chance to prepare myself for whatever bad news was headed my way.

"Most of the world, the people are dead now. A few days ago our group was easily double the size it is today, when you die if you get bit or scratched you come back as one of them." She firmed her trembling lower lip as she trailed off again glancing out the window, as if she was taken to another place.

"One of them, what?" I asked basically on the edge of my seat.

"A walker." she stated quietly causing my eyebrows to furrow,

"that's what they called me." I stated as the image of the men drawing their weapons came to play in my mind.

Jacqui nodded, "yeah, you gave us a good scare stumbling out from behind a tree, to only dart behind another one. It was a good thing to, if you hadn't moved when you did...well they would have put you down."

"You mean they would have killed me." It wasn't a question, but the thought still left an undesired taste in my mouth.

Jacqui nodded before her eyes drifted towards the floor, "your legs, they're pretty scared up. You don't remember what happened to cause that, do you?" Blinking a few times I bent over and rolled up the bottom of one of my pant legs.

"oh! Uh, sorry. I'll come back later." A man stated as I glanced up to see an Asian boy backing up from the doorway.

"It's fine," I stated watching him as he froze, before turning my gave back to Jacqui "the only thing I remember is being stuck with a needle. Other than that, everything else isn't there it's not even a blur it's just sort of blank." I stated before continuing to explain,

"I mean I know that I'm sitting on a bed in an RV, that I woke up in a strange house that looked like it came from a horror show. But I don't know why I was there," I stated with a shrug, "or my name hell I don't even know my age." I laughed without humor as I leaned back after pushing down the pant leg.

"I'd say you're no older than twenty five." Jacqui stated trying to hide her frown,

"definitely not a teenager." The mysterious Asian chimed in, bringing my eyes back over to him.

"Jane, meet Glenn. Glenn, Jane." Jacqui waved between the two of us as the boy offered a small smile.

"Hi, Dale wanted me to check and see how you were doing." Glenn stated keeping his eyes locked with my own.

"Better now than I was doing a half hour ago," I replied with a ghost of a smile, "I'd be better if I could find some food." an awkward silence settled between the three of us, before I broke it "sorry, maybe that was rude?" I asked glancing from Glenn to Jacqui,

"no sweetie, of course it wasn't. It's just..." Jacqui trailed off with a sigh and a sad expression when Glenn picked up where she left off,

"we ran out yesterday, none of us have eaten yet either." he explained before trying to lighten the mood "We have water though,." He stated

"thanks," I smiled "I have a few bottles in my bag." I stated before frowning, where the hell was my bag?

"It's up front," Glenn stated pointing over his shoulder, guessing at my thoughts, I nodded but made no attempt to fetch it. "Do you want me to get it?" he asked shifting on his feet

"no, no." I shook my head with a small smile, "I'm alright, how much longer until we get to...where ever we're going?" I asked changing the subject.

"Not for awhile still, if you want to kill some time Dale has a few books." Jacqui offered,

"or we could play cards." Glenn offered pulling a deck out from his pocket, with a grin. Jacqui raised her eyebrows at the boy, but I couldn't help to grin, cards sounded like more fun than reading did.

"You'll have to teach me." I advised as he shrugged,

"that's fine. We can start off with something easy, like go fish or crazy eights."

The woman I had been introduced to as Andrea hadn't said much, or even acknowledged me, but had moved into the back bedroom so Glenn and I could use the table none the less. Jacqui was sitting in the back room with Andrea, while Dale played old country music cds.

"You've really got the hang of this," Glenn stated as he was about to lose his second game of crazy eights, we had moved on from go fish a half hour ago when he felt like I could use a harder challenge.

"It isn't hard." I stated with a shrug laying my last card down, while Glenn was still on twos.

"Yeah well for a girl with no memory, you sure catch on quick." It wasn't a jap I realized instantly while he grinned, so I rolled my eyes.

"Just because I have a case of amnesia doesn't make me slow. Unless you start quizzing me on my past, but that's another story." I stated with a small grin,

"You two having fun back there?" Dale piped up sounding amused, meeting Glenn's grinning face I couldn't help but match his.

"Yeah I think I've met someone who doesn't want to kick me to the curb." I stated lightly only half joking,

"Like I said, give everyone time you've been in the RV for an hour and you already made friends." Dale laughed shaking his head, "looks like we're here." he stated as the RV was coming to a slow stop.

(alright so I'm ending it here, I know 'boo no Daryl' go ahead let me hear it. But in the next chapter of 'I am Human, I am Alive' Jane gets to meet the rest of our survivors! Yay! I mean she still has so many people to meet, not sure how I'm going to do them all. Except for TDog I have a fairly good idea what they're going to bond over :) stay tuned to find out. Oh and if you're really nice and leave a review and would like a teaser trailer let me know in the review.)

(Author note: Big thanks to Eminemchick19 -or Crazy Pink Penguin, as she now goes by- for all her advise and motivation that went in to getting this story up and running! Check out her amazing WD fanfic 'Extinction' and to my best friend Bry for sticking by me and indulging in pre-reading chapters to help with grammar/flow issues!)