Alicia finds herself trapped between a wall and walker, and for the first time since this all started she thinks about the possibility that she's actually going to die. Her hands are shaking as she clutches the knife in her hand and stares at the fast approaching creature with dead eyes who's looking at her as if it only see's her as a snack. She's a human with a life worth living, but to these things, food is all she'll sever be.

She holds the knife up, her hands still shaking as she tries to warn the walker off. But it still stumbles towards her, it's eyes growing darker as it reaches out it's hand to try grab her. That's when she screams, pushing herself as close to the wall as possible as she clenches her eyes shut. Everything in her is telling her to try run, or to at least use her weapon to try hurt the thing, but she's paralysed by fear and when she opens her eyes it's face is closing in on her neck trying to bite her.

In an instant she pushes the knife into it's chest, using her other hand to try keep it far enough back from her so it can't hurt her. Her eyes are wide with fear and she plunges the knife into it's chest again, and again. Before she even realises it she's screaming in something caught between fear and rage. The walker just keeps coming at her no matter what she does and that's when she remembers the most important rule.

Aim for the head.

She stabs the decaying creature in the head, pulling the knife out and plunging it back in as hard as she can as it shrieks in pain. She keeps stabbing it, whimpering as she watches it's knees buckle and fall to the floor, her knife now stuck in its head and her trembling hand now griping thin air.

She feels sick. The nausea strikes and bile rises in her throat as a hand flies to her mouth to contain it. Her eyes don't leave the now dead man on the floor and no matter what she does she can't calm herself down. Her heart beat in pounding in her ears and she wants to scream as loud as she can so someone, anyone, can come save her from this mess.

"Alicia are you okay? I heard-"

Her eyes dart up at the sound to see Elyza standing there in the doorway, just staring at the sight before her. Alicia stares back, taking her trembling hands away form her mouth slowly in some attempt to try speak to the blonde. Elyza must realise how absolutely terrified the younger girl is because she slowly starts to take small steps towards her, her hands raised from any of her weapons in the fear Alicia will have a full on break down if she comes near her holding any sort of weapon.

Alicia's hands are still shaking when they reach to Elyza, finding the sleeves of the older girl's leather jacket and clinging onto them as if her life depends on it. She wants to pull herself together, stop shaking and act her damn age. But her body won't listen to her, and it's like her mind is too busy going over what just happened to obey anything she wants to even think.

"Alicia- Alicia look at me"

She does. Her eyes meet Elyza's and somehow even though she's just killed a man and is terrified out of her mind she feels a strange calmness come over her. She manages to take a shaky breath and nod, flinching slightly when Elyza moves a hand up to her cheek. She closes her eyes out of instinct, expecting some sort of pain, but she's surprised when she feels the blonde brushing her thumb over her cheeks bones and wiping away the tears she didn't even realise had fallen.

"You're okay. You did what you had to, and I'm proud of you" Elyza says slowly, her voice soft and comforting and Alicia feels she's able to breath once again.

She opens her eyes to see Elyza looking at her with a look she's only seen once before. She realises she doesn't know exactly what that look means, but it's how Elyza looks at her when she's hurt or scared. Maybe it's supposed to be a comforting look but all it's doing is making Alicia's heart pick up it's pace once again.

Alicia seems to snap out of her trance and realise how close they are, moving her head to the side and trying to take a step back, but realising she's still pressed up against the wall. Elyza see's the obvious discomfort and takes a step back herself, being careful not to stand in blood now pooling around the corpse at their feet.

"I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" Elyza asks jokingly, hoping lightening the mode will get Alicia back to her normal sassy teenage self, as this traumatised Alicia is sort of scaring her.

Alicia gulps, taking a quick breath before trusting herself to actually try use her voice "It's not my fault this asshole was in here"

"You should have scoped out the place before coming in here" Elyza says in reply, a hint of annoyance in her voice "What if there had been more?"

"Well sorry" Alicia snaps back, the fear she'd felt only minutes ago turning into a raw anger "You said you'd been here before. So I thought that maybe that meant it would be would be, you know, safe?"

"If you haven't noticed princess, this is a damn zombie apocalypse. Nowhere is safe anymore"

Alicia's feels an argument coming on, and has no idea where this anger is coming from but she feels absolutely furious.

"Why do you always have to be such an asshole?" She all but shouts "You always have to be right and be the smart one who knows best. Not everyone has watched every shitty zombie movie to prepare for this hell" Alicia practically growls, taking a step towards Elyza in some attempt to intimidate her.

Elyza squares up just as much as Alicia does before deciding it's not worth it and backs down, a small sigh escaping her lips before he looks at Alicia again. "We have to be strong, do things we don't want to do. We have to do them to survive. That has to be our way now"

Alicia is slightly taken aback by Elyza's words, she'd expected an angry shouting match but Elyza is looking at her with such a sincere look in her eyes and her voice is just so sort and meaningful.

"Maybe life should be about more than just surviving" Alicia says, her eyes meeting Elyza's once again "Don't we deserve better than that?"

Something in Elyza's eyes change. It's like there's a spark of recognition and her lips tug up slightly at one corner until she's giving the slightly shorter girl this sort of little half smile Alicia's never seen before.

"You know, maybe we do"

Time seems to stop around them, and for one tiny moment Alicia forgets the world has gone to shit and the living dead are their biggest threat. She misses having teenage worries like deciding what to wear to parties and how it feels to fall in love. Because now she's staring in Elyza's eyes and although the older girl has only just spoken a few words Alicia feels they are life changing. Everything seems to shift and for a second she manages to convince herself she's still a silly teenager leading her stupid, reckless life once again.

She doesn't notice Elyza moving closer until their noses softly brush against each other. She doesn't move, just keeps staring into the blonde's eyes and although Elyza has backed off slightly she's still looking back at Alicia with that same look. They both move towards each other and it's like some sort of gravitational pull wants them to meet in the middle. Alicia closes her eyes, her mind numb and all she feels is Elyza's hand gently touching her cheek and then the back of her neck before their lips meet.

The kiss is short and feels nothing like how Alicia's kisses with Matt felt. Elyza's lips are soft and smooth, and they seem to fit perfectly against Alicia's. They kiss and Alicia feels those same butterflies in her stomach that she hasn't felt for years. When she pulls back and opens her eyes, Elyza is staring at her with half lidded eyes and Alicia doesn't think she's even seen someone look so beautiful.

"What was that about?" she finds herself whispering, more to herself that anyone else.

There are a few seconds of silence before Elyza looks at her with that same sincere look again "Don't know, just felt right"

Alicia scoffs, ruining the moment completely because she can't believe the badass that is Elyza Lex has just come out with such a cheesy line "Who knew you were such a romantic?"

Elyza smirks, the sincerity completely gone and her usual know it all smug look is back. She ducks down to pick up Alicia's backpack and holds it out to her. "Come on sky girl, lets get going before your mum worries I've kidnapped you"

Alicia rolls her eyes this time, taking her backpack from Elyza's hands and swinging it over one shoulder.

As they walk out the shop, Elyza drapes her arm around Alicia's shoulders. Alicia goes to shrug her arm off but thinks better of it "And what's the arm for?"

"I gotta keep you safe princess" Elyza replies with another of her signature smirks "Wouldn't want anymore walkers trying to take a bite out of your pretty little neck now would we?"

Alicia tries to give the older girl her best death glare but finds herself smiling "Call me princess again and I'll feed you to the walkers"

Elyza simply laughs in response.