Author's Note: Okay, I've had this story bouncing around my head for the last week or so and I just now found the time to type something up. Anyway, this was just supposed be a short teaser but I guess, the plot bunnies wanted me to do an entire chapter. However, I'm not entirely sure if I will continue this or if I'll have a lot of time to do so. In any case, I hope you do enjoy what I have written and will be patient enough to wait for more, no matter how long that will take.

I did use the script for the majority of the writing, so it follows along with the pilot episode. I just added some things to include Bella. In my story, you'll see that Bella will be the only character to have a role from Twilight. I did mention her parents and grandparents but there will be no other characters from Twilight in this story, as far as i can image (you know how the plot bunnies are).

But just in case, as a DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or the Walking Dead.

-AlyssaMcGrath-

CHAPTER ONE

Isabella "Bella"Swan was almost 18 years old the day she was in a near fatal car accident that killed her grandparents and put her into a coma. Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes and his partner, Shane Walsh, were the first to arrive on the scene. While it was obvious that the driver and the passenger in the front seat were killed on contact, everyone was shocked and a little relieved that the backseat passenger was alive, however she was pinned under a large piece of metal, which had dug its way into her abdomen.

Bella was the babysitter of Rick's 9 year old son, Carl. She also lived next door to Shane, with her grandparents, who took her in when her father, Charlie Swan, was sent to prison for child endangerment, neglect, and abuse. In fact, it was Shane and Rick who took the domestic disturbance call nearly ten years earlier, which led to her father's imprisonment.

In accordance to the will of George and Marie Swan, Bella's grandparents, Rick and Lori Grimes were now the guardians of Bella, even if she was almost an adult. Her mother died in childbirth, leaving her without a parent. As her guardians, Rick and Lori spent the majority of their time at the hospital while she went through surgery after surgery. Lori and Carl, visited everyday, keeping Bella company, hoping she would wake up. Lori takes care of her hygienic needs such as, washing her hair, giving her sponge baths, even clipping her nails and putting lotion on her skin. The doctors and nurses have even encouraged Rick and Lori to take over the daily physiotherapy Bella needs to keep her muscles strong and prevent muscle atrophy.

As time goes by. The doctor's are unsure of why Bella would still be in a coma, as her physical injuries have long since healed. They speculate that something mentally could be keeping her in a coma. Even so, without fail, the Grimes family visit Bella, praying it would be the day that she wakes up.

-Three years later-

Rick and Shane, are sitting in their police car talking and eating.

"What's the difference between men and women?" Rick asks Shane.

"Is this a joke?" Shane chuckles.

"No, serious." Rick looks over at Shane.

"I never met a woman who knew how to turn off a light. They're born thinking; a switch, it only goes one way. On. They're struck blind the second they leave a room. I mean every woman, I ever let have a key... I swear to God. Come home, house all lit up, and my job, apparently because… because my chromosomes happen to be different cause I then gotta walk through that house, turn off every single light this chick left on." Shane rambles on.

Rick smirks, "Is that right?"

"Yeah, baby. Alright, Reverend Shane's preaching to you now, boy." Rick smiles, "The same chick, mind ya. She'll bitch about global warming. That's when Reverend Shane wants to quote from the Guy Gospel and say 'Um, darling? maybe you, and every other pair of boobs on this planet just figured out that the light switch see, goes both ways, maybe we wouldn't have so much global warming.'"

Rick looks over at Shane, "You say that?"

"Yeah. Anyway, uh… Polite version… Still man, that… that earns me this. This look and loathing you would not believe. And that's when the exorcist voice pops out. 'You sound just like my damn father. Always, always yelling about the power bill, telling me to turn off the damn lights.'"
"What do you say to that?"

"You know what I wanna say. I wanna say, 'Bitch, you mean to tell me you've been hearing this your entire life and you are still too damn stupid to learn how to turn off a switch?' You know… I don't actually say that, tho." Rick nods his head, "That would be bad."

Shane nods, "Yeah, go with the uh… the polite version there…"

Rick nods his head, smirking at Shane, "Very wise."

Shane agrees, not seeing Rick smirking at him, "Yes, sir." pause. "So how's it with Lori, man?"

Rick sighs, "She's good. She's good at turning off lights. Really good. I don't know why I sometimes forget."

"Not what I meant." Shane shakes his head and takes a bite of his burger. Rick sighs, "We didn't have a great night."

"Look, man, I may have a… failed to amuse with my sermon, but I did try. The least you could do is speak."

Rick throws done a french fry, "That's what she always says; 'Speak', 'Speak'. You'd think I was the most closed mouth son of a bitch you'd ever hear her telling."

"Do you express your thoughts? Do you share your feelings and that kind of stuff?"

"The thing is… lately whenever I try… everything I say makes her impatient, like she didn't want to hear it after all. It's like she's… pissed at me all the time, and I don't know why." Shane sighs, "Look, man, that's just shit couples go through. Nah, it's… It's a phase."

Rick sighs, he doesn't agree with what Shane is saying, "Last thing she said this morning?"
"Mm?"

"'Sometimes I wonder if you even care about us at all.' She said that in front of our kid." Rick shakes his head, dejected, "Imagine going to school with that in your head." Rick pauses and looks at Shane, "Difference between men and women? I would never say something that cruel to her. Certainly not in front of Carl." Once again, Rick shakes his head, "And it's not just that Shane. It's Bella, man, I think Lori has given up on Bella."

Shane looks over at Rick, surprised, "What makes you think that?" he asks.

"In the last couple weeks or so, she hasn't visited her. She used to go everyday."

"That doesn't mean anything Rick. She probably is just busy with Carl or something." Shane plays it off.

"I thought so too, but whenever I bring her up in conversation, Lori immediately changes the subject. It's like she doesn't want anything to do with Bella anymore. She doesn't even bring Carl to go see her anymore."

Before Shane can answer, a call comes over their radio, "All available units, high speed pursuit in progress Lincoln county units request local assistance. Highway 18 south GTAAD W217 243. Proceed with extreme caution." Shane puts the food in the trash as Rick drives the car.

While driving, Shane & Rick are listening to the caller on their radio.

"Suspects are two male Caucasians. Be advised, they have fired on police officers. One Lindon county officer is wounded."

They continue driving, Shane keeping an eye out for other police cars while getting ready to assist in anyway.

"Unit 1 Unit 3, please. 18, 2 miles west of Interstate 85 and we'll patch in Lindon County Sheriff radio."

They here another officer answer, "Roger that. We're 5 minutes out on the route 18 intersection." Rick stops the car and he & Shane gets out of the car. They set up the spike strips that will stop the felon when he drives by. "Dispatch, Unit 1, Unit 3, we are 10-97 in code 100. Highway 18, 85 Interstate, please advise." Shane and Rick move back towards the other deputies and aim their guns once they get out of their car.

"Sounds like they're chasing those idiots up and down every back road we got." One of the other police officers state, as they wait. Leon, the other officer asks, "Hey, we'll get them on one of those video shows, you know, like World's craziest police chases, what do you think?" Rick shakes his head, wondering how Leon got his job as an officer in the first place. He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

"What I think, Leon, is that you need to stay focused. Make sure you got a round in the chamber and your safety off." Leon looks down at his gun and realizes he didn't do that and corrects his mistake.
Shane smirks at Rick, "Would be kind of cool to get on one of them shows." only to be cut off when a car barrels down the road. It hits the spike strips dead on and ends up crashing after flipping multiple times.

"Holy Shit!" Rick exclaims. The deputies aim all of their guns at the men inside the car. The driver's door opens and he comes out with a gun. One of the police officers call out, "Gun, gun, gun."

"Put it down! Put the gun down!" Rick orders the man, but the man comes out firing. Several shots are exchanged and Rick is hit in the vest. The other deputies take him down. Another man comes out firing and they also take him down. Shane runs to Rick, "Rick!"

"I'm alright!" Rick yells out.

"I saw you get tagged, man, it scared the hell out of me." Shane tells him. Rick stands up, "Me too. Son of a bitch shot me. You believe that?" Shane nods his head towards Rick, "He got you in your new vest."

"Yeah. Shane, you do not tell Lori that happened. Ever. You understand… Aah!" Rick lets out a pained shout as he is hit, in the shoulder, with a shotgun from a third man that came out of nowhere. Rick is laying on the ground gasping for air.

Shane calls out, "Rick! Rick! No, no, no! Shh, shh, shh. No, no, no, no… He's hurt! Leon! You get that ambulance down here, you tell them there's an officer down, you do it now!" He stays with Rick to comfort him. "Shh, shh, shh, hey, you look at me, stay with me, you hear me? Shh, shh. okay. Shh, shh, stay with me, you hear me? Shh, shh, ok? You stay with me, ok?"

-Nine hours later-

Lori sits in the waiting room of the hospital, Carl sleeping, his head on her lap. Shane steadily pacing, still in his bloody uniform, as they wait on the doctor for news about Rick. Their heads shot up when they heard a doctor call out, "Grimes, family of Rick Grimes." Lori gently lays Carl's head down on the seat she just vacated and heads to the doctor, Shane walking along side her.

"How is he doctor?" Lori asked.

"He made it out of surgery. Unfortunately, he is in a coma." he stated.

"A coma? Why?" Lori panics. Shane wraps his arm around her.

"Most likely, he is in a coma because of the trauma of the injury. We are not sure how long he will be in a coma. It could be hours or days." Lori buries her face in Shane's chest. "Now, we were able to place him in the same room as Ms. Swan. That way you don't have to separate your time between the two." The doctor tells Lori and Shane. Shane nods his head and asks, "When can we see him?"

"You can see him soon. We just want to get him all settled into the room and make sure everything is set up."

Lori cries as Shane hugs her close, as Shane nods to the doctor, "Thank you, Doc."

-4 weeks later-

Shane bursts into the Grimes' living room, startling Lori and Carl. "Lori, Carl you need to pack your bags and get what you can, that will last, from the kitchen!" he barks out.

"What? Why?" Lori asks.

"There's no time!" Shane shouts at Lori, he motions Carl to head up the stairs, which he does, "The virus has spread, the military have taken over the hospital." he moves closer to Lori, "I barely got out of there, Lori. The military were shooting at everyone, infected or not. Bella and Rick... their machines were shut off. Lori, I couldn't get a pulse from either of them. They're gone." Shane sadly states.

"No," Lori gasps out, shaking her head. Shane sighs, "We need leave now. Get your things packed." He wraps his arms around Lori, "It's gonna be ok. I promised to take care of you and Carl. I swear."

Lori nods her head and pulls away from Shane. She rushes to her room where she quickly packs a couple weeks worth of clothes, some toiletries and even packs up some family photos. Downstairs, Shane is packing as much non-perishable foods that he can. Carl appears in the entry way, "Shane hat's happening?" he asks.

"Carl, buddy. I need you to help me. Can you bring these bags to the entry way for me? Your mom and I will explain as much as we can in the car." Shane tells him. Carl nods and grabs a bag and drags it to the entry way, as its a little heavy for him. Lori appears just as he leaves the room.

"What are we going to do?" she asks Shane. He looks up, "There is talk about a Refugee Center going up in Atlanta. We'll head there and hopefully this all blows over in a couple weeks." he answers, handing Lori a couple bags, "Did you get everything? We need to get the Jeep packed and hit the road."

Lori nods, "Yeah, I grabbed what I could. I raided our medicine cabinet too." Carl walks back into the room, Shane heads out the front, putting their nags in the back of his Jeep. "Carl honey, where's your bag? Did you pack enough clothes?"

"My bag is in the entry way. What's going on? Where are we going? What about Dad and Bella?" he asks all at once. Lori hugs Carl close, "Oh honey, your dad and Bella aren't going to be coming with us. They are with the angels now. We need to stick with Shane, he's taking us to Atlanta where we will be safe." Carl cries into his mother's shoulder. Lori picks him up and carries him out of the house, locking the front door behind them. Shane looks up at them and ushers them into the car. He quickly finishes up packing the Jeep and hops in the driver's seat. He pulls out of the driveway, speeding down the street, bypassing all their panicking neighbors, and some of the infected that are attacking people. Carl cries himself into a fitful sleep as they speed down the highway, towards Atlanta, where they will hopefully be safe.

-Two weeks later-

Rick wakes up and looks to his right, he sees Bella, laying there but it looks like she is moving a bit. "Bella?" he calls out, but doesn't get a reply.

He looks over on the table and sees dead and dried out flowers. "Lori? Shane, you in the john?" The clock on the wall has stopped at 2:16. Confused, he decides to get out of the bed. He is very weak from not having any food or water as well as his injury. He falls out of the bed and onto the floor.

"Nurse, help. Nurse. Help!" Rick calls for the nurse, but nobody answers. Rick gets up on his own and heads into the bathroom. He gets the water running and takes a long drink. Stepping out of the bathroom, he once again checks on Bella, this time he knows for sure that she was moving. It was almost like she was tossing and turning in her sleep.

"Bella? Bella? Are you awake?"he rushes over to her side. Leaning over her, he watches as her eyes open for the first time in three years. Blinking, Bella looks up at Rick confused, "Mr. Grimes...?" she asks, her voice raspy from disuse.

"Hey Bella. How you feeling?" he asks.

"Confused. Where's my grandparents?"she asks. Rick looks at her and answers truthfully, "I'm sorry Bella. You were in a bad accident and they didn't make it."

"What? When? How?" She rapidly asks, trying to sit up.

"Whoa, take it easy Bella. You've been in a coma for a long time, longer than me, it appears."

"Coma?"

Rick nods his head and helps her sit up, with her legs hanging over the side of the bed, "Yes, its been about three years now. I'm not sure what day it is so I don't know how long I've been here." he replies. Bella looks up at him, "What happened to you?" she asks.

"I was shot. The last thing I remember was getting a call about a high speed chase that ended up with Shane, myself, and two others firing our weapons at the suspects as they open fired at us." Rick answers. He slowly helps Bella stand, "Now, I think we need to see what's going on. I tried calling for a nurse but no one answered. It doesn't look like someone has been in here for some time now."

Rick and Bella slowly make their way out of their hospital room into the deserted hallway. Both are shocked at the state of the hospital.
The lights are flickering in the hallways, There are several overturned beds and papers laying everywhere. They shuffle down the hallway, coming to a desk, Rick picks up the phone, but he is unable to get a dial tone.

In one of the bins, he finds a pack of matches. He picks it up, shows it to Bella before lighting one to make sure it works. They continue to walk down the dark hallway and Rick looks through a door. On the other side on the floor is a dead woman that is missing her abdomen and her entrails are hanging out of her stomach. Disgusted, Rick continues down the hall, steering Bella away from the door. They both see bullet holes and blood stains littering the walls.

They slowly walk toward a door that says, "Don't open, Dead Inside." Keeping Bella behind him, he approaches the door as it starts to push open but the lock and board that was placed on it prevents it from opening. Hands that look pale and dirty reach out to try to get at Rick, but he runs away from it, pulling Bella with him. They try to get inside the elevator, but it isn't working. They run into the stairwell next to the elevator, but it is so dark inside that they cant see anything. Rick lights several matches and they begin to walk down the stairs. They finally reach the bottom of the stairs and make their way to the door. Light blinds them as the push the door open.

Once they adjust to the brightness, they walk down into the back parking lot. Hundreds of bodies that are all strewn across the parking lot. The majority if them have been wrapped in body bags and they are both shocked and disgusted by the sight of the dead bodies and flies buzzing around them. They make their way up an embankment where there is a helicopter, military tents and vehicles set up. The place has been destroyed and abandoned.

Still unsure of what has happened, Bella and Rick, walk around the carnage and away from the hospital. Walking down the street, Rick finds a bicycle. He picks it up and they both notice the mutilated corpse near it. When Rick moves the bike, the corpse actually turns to them. Bella gasps, it's a dead woman that is missing her legs. Said dead woman, starts crawling towards them but he jumps on the bike, Bella riding on the handle bars and speeds off. When he reaches his house, he helps Bella off the bike and starts running around yelling for Lori and Carl, "Lori! Lori! Carl! Carl! Lori! Carl!"

They are nowhere to be found and Rick falls onto the ground sobbing. Bella falls to her knees next to him.

"Lori! Carl!" He continues to call out, panicking. "Is this real? Am I here?" He starts to smack himself. "Wake, wake up!"

He walks out, Bella silently following him, onto the steps of his house and sits down in frustration. Neither of them have idea how to take all of this in. Rick looks over and sees a man walking down the street. Rick and Bella stare at him, confused, before Rick starts to motion for him to come over. Unknown to them, someone walks up behind Rick. When Rick turns around, he is hit in the face with a shovel, a kid has hit Rick.

Bella screams, "What did you do that for?"

The kid ignores Bella, hollering, "Daddy, daddy!"

"Carl… Carl? I found you…" Bella hears Rick calls the kid by the name of Carl thinking that it's his son. "Daddy, I got this sumbitch. I'm gonna smack him dead." The kid's father, runs over and shoots the other man in the street in the head, startling Bella.

"He say something? I thought I heard him say something." He looks over to see Bella cradling Rick's head in her lap.

"He called me Carl." the kid answers.

"Son, you know they don't talk." He notices Rick's bandage. "Hey, mister! What's that bandage for?"

"What?" Rick and Bella answer at the same time.

"What kind of wound? You answer me, damn you! What's your wound?" Rick doesn't respond but Bella screams, "He was shot, it's a gun shot wound." Once again, she is being ignored.

"You tell me! Or I will kill you." Rick passes out. Bella once again screams, "Don't kill him! He was shot!" She too passes out, the stress of the day, especially since she has been in a coma for three years, has caught up to her.

Sometime later...

Rick wakes up in a house and sees a kid with a baseball bat.

"Got that bandage changed out. It was pretty rank. What was? The wound? The girl said it was a gun shot wound." Rick nods, "She's right, it was a gun shot." Spotting Bella on the bed next to him.

"Gun shot? What else? Anything?" The man asks. Rick chuckles, "Gun shot ain't enough?" The man sighs, "Look, I ask and you answer. It's common courtesy, right? Did you get bit?"

"Bit?" Rick asks confused. The man nods his head, "Bit. Chewed. Maybe scratch? Anything like that."

"No, I got shot."

" Just shot? What about the girl?" The man asks.

"As far as I know. Bella, she was in an accident three years ago. Been in a coma ever since." Rick answers, looking down at Bella. He smiles softly, noticing that she looks peaceful. The man startles Rick, by reaching for his face, "Hey… Just let me…" he watches as the man places his hand on his forehead, feeling for a fever. "Feels cooler now. Fever would have killed you by now."

"I don't think I have one." Rick states, as he watches the man touch Bella's forehead as well. "Be hard to miss."

The man pulls out a knife and shows it to him. "Take a moment, eh? Look how sharp it is. You try anything… I will kill you with it, both of you, and don't you think I won't." Rick stays still and the man cuts them free. "Come on up when you're able. Come on." The man and his son leave the room as Bella starts to wake up.

"Rick..?" Bella calls out softly.

"Hey, I'm right here." he replies, helping Bella sit up. "Where are we?" She asks Rick, "I'm not too sure. Are you okay?"

Bella nods, "Yeah, I'm fine. Where is that man and his kid, the one that hit you?" Rick nods his head towards the door, "Downstairs. You feeling okay to stand up and walk?" he asks as he stands up. Bella nods and takes his hands, when he offers them to her. Together, they make their way down the stairs, Bella leaning on Rick a little. They find the two getting their supper ready. Rick looks around, finally realizing where they were, "This place… It's Fred and Cindy Drake's."

"Never met them." The man states. Rick shakes his head, "I've been here. This is their place."

"It was empty when we got here. I'm Morgan, this is my son Duane." He points at his son. "Rick and she's Bella," he tells the man, he now knows as Morgan. Rick goes to peel the blankets on the windows back, but Morgan stops him.

"Don't do that. They'll see the light. There's more of them out there than usual. I never should have fired that gun today. The sound draws them, now they're all over the street. Stupid… using a gun… It all happened so fast… I didn't think."

"You shot that man today." Bella cuts in.

"Man?" Morgan asks in a disbelieving tone.

Duane mumbles, "No man…"

"What the hell was that out of your mouth just now?" Morgan snaps at Duane, who corrects himself, "It wasn't a man."

Rick jumps in, "You shot him. In this street, out front, a man."

Morgan chuckles, "You need glasses. It was a walker."

"Come on. Rick sighs. Him and Bella are confused. Morgan takes pity and sighs, "Sit down, before you fall down. Here. Eat."

Rick and Bella sit down at the table with Duane and Morgan. Before they can eat, Duane interrupts, "Daddy… Blessing…"

Morgan nods his head at his son, "Yeah."They all hold hands as Morgan begins the blessing, "Father, we thank thee for this food… Thy blessings… We ask you to watch over us in these crazy days. Amen."

"Amen." Duane repeats and they start eating. After a few bites Morgan asks, "Hey, mister, do you even know what is going on?" Rick and Bella look at each other, "I woke up today, same as her. In a hospital. Came home, that's all we know."

"But you know about the dead people, right?" he asks, they nod their heads, but it's Rick that answers, "Yeah, we saw a lot of that. Out on the loading dock, hauling trucks."

Morgan shakes his head at Rick, "No… Not the one's they put down… The one's they didn't. The walkers. Like the one I shot today. Cause he would have ripped into you. Try to eat you, take him some flesh at least. But I guess if this is the first you're hearing, I know how it must sound…"

"They're out there now, in the street?" Bella asks, a little scared. Morgan looks at her, with a sad smile, "Yeah. They're even more active after dark sometimes. Maybe it's the cool air or… Hell, maybe it's just me firing up that gun today. But we'll be fine long as we stay quiet. Probably wander off by morning. Well, listen… One thing I do know… Don't you get bit! We saw his bandage and that's why we were afraid of. Bites kill you. The fever… burns you out. But then after a while… You come back."

Duane quietly states, "Seen it happen…" Rick and Bella share a look as they continue eating quietly.

After supper, they move into the living room, Duane is sleeping next to his father, While Bella and Rick share the other bed. Bella lays her head on Rick's lap, as Morgan asks Rick, "Carl… He your son? Duane… He said his name today…"

Rick nods his head, patting Bella's head, "He's a little younger… than your boy."

"And he's with his mother?" Morgan asks, Rick sighs and rubs his face, "I hope so." It's quiet for a few minutes, Bella quickly falling asleep, before Duane speaks up, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ask him?" Morgan chuckles and asks Rick, "Your gun shot… We got a little bet going. My boy says you're a… bank robber…" Rick lets out a little laugh and replies, "Yeah… That's me. Deadly as Dillinger. Kapow. Sheriff's deputy."

"Aha." A car alarm outside starts going off, startling Bella awake. Morgan moves to calm Duane down, who woke up in panic.

"Hey, it's ok, daddy's here. It's nothing. One of them must've bumped a car…"

"You sure?" Rick asks after soothing Bella back to sleep. Morgan nods his head, "Happened once before. Went off a few minutes. Get the light, Duane." Rick gently lays Bella's head down on a pillow before standing up and heading to the window. They dim the lights and look outside. There are several of them walking around outside.

"It's the blue one, down the street. Same one as last time. I think we're ok."

"That noise… Will it bring more of them?" Rick asks.

Morgan rubs his face, "Nothing to do about it now. Just have to wait 'em out till morning." Duane looks outside and sees a female walking close to the house. "She's here."

Morgan ushers Duane away from the window, "Don't look. Get away from the windows. I said go! Come on!" Duane starts to cry and Morgan comforts him. Bella is startled awake by the sound of Morgan's voice. Rick realizes that it had to be Duane's mother and Morgan's wife. Morgan cradles Duane's head in his arms, "Come on, quiet. Shh, shh…" Bella silently watches as Rick slowly walks towards the door looking out of the peephole.

"It's ok, here. Cry into the pillow. Can you remember? Shh…" Morgan continues to comfort his son, holding the pillow to Duane's face as he sobs into it. Rick sees a woman look at the door in confusion and seems to be staring right at him. She then starts to turn the doorknob left and right, but it doesn't open since it's locked up. Rick moves to sit next to Morgan.

"She, uh… She died in the other room, on that bed… Nothin' I can do about it here… That fever, man… Her skin gave off heat like a furnace… Should have put her down, I should have put her down, I know that, but… You know what… I just didn't have it in me… She's the mother of my child." Morgan explains, in tears. Rick and Bella exchange heartbroken glances. They look at the doorknob and it continues to turn left and right.

Rick motions for Bella to move over and he lays next to her, encouraging her to fall back asleep. It doesn't take long for her to fall back into a restless sleep. She dreams of faceless beings, coming after her and trying their hardest to bite her or gouge their fingers into her skin. She awakes with a start. Rick right next to her comforting her, his soothing voice, bringing her out of her dream.

After a uneventful breakfast of plain oatmeal, Rick and Bella follow the father and son out of the house. Morgan decides to teach them how to kill the dead, or walkers, as Duane calls them.

"Are we sure… they're dead?" Rick asks.

"You have to ask, just one more time. They're dead. Except for something in the brain. That's why it's gotta be the head." Morgan explains to them one more time. They see one of the dead lying up against a fence post, at the end of the driveway, just waiting for his meal to come. Rick decides to go first, pushing Bella back behind him, he slowly steps closer to the walker. Bella jumps as the walker gets up and starts making its way towards Rick. Rick brings the bat up before repeatedly swinging it down, smashing the walker's head in. The walker falls to the ground dead, Rick with it, holding onto his side, breathing hard. Bella rushes to his side, "Rick, You alright?"she asks. Rick nods his head at her, "Just need a moment."

A couple hours later...

"Conserve your ammo. Goes faster than you think. Especially at target practice." Rick explains to Morgan as Bella shuts the trunk of the patrol car. All of their gear pack up.

Morgan nods his head at Rick, "Duane." he calls out for his son. "Take this to the car." Rick and Bella watch Duane run a bag to Morgan's car. Rick puts and arm around Bella's shoulder, pulling her close as he asks Morgan, "You sure you won't come along?"

Morgan shakes his head and answers, "A few more days… By the end, Dwayne will know how to shoot and I won't be so rusty."

Rick gives Morgan a walkie-talkie. "You got one better. We'll turn ours on, a few minutes every day at dawn. You get up there, that's how you find us." "You think they're here?"he asks Rick.

"Can't afford not to. Not anymore."
"Look, just one thing. They may not seem like much one at a time… but in a group all round up and hungry… May you watch your ass, both of you." he pointedly looks at Bella, who nods. "You too."she replies.

"You a good man, Rick. I hope you'll find your wife and son. Keep an eye on this one." Morgan states, wrapping his own arm around Duane, pulling him close.

"Be seeing you, Duane. Take care of your old man."Rick crouches down to look Duane in the eye.

"Yes, sir." Duane replies. Before they can leave, Morgan looks over and sees a walker, who rick recognizes. "Leon Basset? Didn't think much of him. Careless and dumb, but… can't leave him like this."

"You know they'll hear the shot." Morgan states. Rick nods and ushers Bella to the patrol car, "Let's not be here when they'll show up."

"Let's go, son. Come on." Duane and Morgan runs to their car, while Rick approaches Leon. He pulls out his Colt Python and shoots him in the head, killing him.

Somewhere outside of Atlanta...

Rick is driving down the road and broadcasts on the radio over an emergency channel. "Broadcasting on emergency channel. We'll be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. Anybody reads, please respond. Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice? Anybody out there? Anybody hears me, please respond. Hello, can you hear my voice?"

Bella sighs, "I don't think anyone is there Rick."

Rick looks over at Bella, "We'll never know, if we don't try."

Once again Rick calls over the radio, "Anybody who reads, please respond. Broadcasting on emergency channel. We'll be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. Anybody reads, please respond."

He does this every couple hours, Bella long since fell asleep, her head leaning against the window. Eventually, they run out of gas. Rick, nudges Bella awake, "Bella, time to wake up. We're out of gas."

Bella nods her head and starts to stretch, hoping to wake herself up a little more. She watches as Rick pulls a photograph, that he has of his family, off of the visor in front of him. They get out of the truck and look around before Rick starts walking down the road, Bella trailing after him.

They need to find some gasoline to continue their ride to Atlanta. After about ten minutes, they come upon a house.

"Hello? Police officer out here. Can I borrow some gas? Hello? Hello? Anybody home?" Rick calls out, Bella can obviously tell that there wasn't anyone around. She stands back as Rick instructed her to, watching as Rick looks inside a window. He gasps at the sight he sees but won't let Bella look. Walking back to Bella, he spots a tuck, just sitting in the driveway, He tries the doors, they are locked and there are no keys. Now frustrated, he starts to walk back, Bella following but stops as he hears something. Walking to the side of the house, Rick and Bella see a horse. Rick looks at Bella with a smirk on his face, chuckling at her when she starts shaking her head at him, "There is no way I'm getting on that. I mean, I haven't been on a horse in three years!" she argues.

They eventually make it to the outskirts of Atlanta. They share a worried glance as one side of the highway is empty while the other side of the highway is packed with several cars that have been wrecked or abandoned. "I'm not liking this, Rick." Bella says, holding onto him tighter but Rick just continues to ride down the empty side of the highway to enter Atlanta.

In the city, the streets are abandoned and there is trash everywhere. Rick leads the horse down the street where there are helicopters, cars, and even a tank wrecked along the road. They ride past a bus and Bella sees that there are walkers inside, gasping as the walkers themselves notice them passing by. They watch as the walkers start to walk toward them. While Bella begins to panic, Rick doesn't, "Steady. It's just a few. Nothing we can't outrun." he whispers to the horse, trying to calm it down a little. Rick rides past them and goes to ride down the street.

"Okay, whoa whoa whoa." the horse settles down. They both look up on the tank and sees a dead body that is being pecked at by crows.

"Gross." Bella whispers.

Rick continues to ride past the tank and they both look up in the air. A Helicopter is heard and they can't believe their eyes as they see the helicopter fly over them. Rick starts to ride in the direction of the helicopter, but when they turns at the corner, there is a mob of walkers.

"Shit." Rick says at the same time Bella says, "Fuck."

All of the walkers, at once, turn their heads to them and start to shuffle after them. Rick tries to go another way but once again, they are cut off by a mob of walkers. They're trapped as the horse freaks out and both Bella and Rick are knocked off of the horse. They crawl away, as they watch some of the walkers start eating the horse. While Bella was able to hold onto her bag, they both notice that Rick has dropped the gun bag and are unable to retrieve it because its blocked by the walkers.

Together they crawl under the tank from earlier, shooting at the walkers that are trying to catch. Bella, while panicking, notices a hatch located above them and points out just as she hears Rick say, "Lori, Carl, I'm sorry."

"Rick! Don't! Look up!"Bella yells at him. HE stops and looks up, seeing the same hatch Bella noticed and he begins to crawl into the tank, quickly pulling Bella inside with him. Once inside, Bella smacks him, "What the hell do you think you were doing?"

Rick grabs her hands and looks around the tank, "I'm sorry." he replies. Bella looks at him incredulously, "Sorry?!" she yells, "You were about to kill yourself and leave me behind!"

Rick looks back at her before continuing his search of the body of the dead soldier. The same soldier who turns out to not be so dead. Before it gets the chance to do anything, Rick takes his Python and shoots him in the head, which was stupid as the shot echoes throughout the tank, temporally making them lose their hearing.

Rick crawls to the top hatch and looks outside, he spots his bag of guns, out of his reach. He watches as the rest of the walkers start to converge on the tank and he closes the hatch before they can get to him. Rick brings Bella into his arms, as they both think this will be their last moment on earth. There was no way, they would be able to survive in the tank with what they had on them. Which wasn't much.

"I'm sorry." Rick mumbles into her hair. Bella is sobbing as she holds onto Rick.

Just then, the radio in the tank starts to make static sounds. They both hear a voice on the other end start talking. "Hey, you. Dumb Asses. Hey, you two, in the tank. Cozy in there?"

Author's Note:
Thank you for giving this a chance, feel free to leave a review, follow and favorite this story. I'm hoping I'll have some more time to write up some more. I'm probably gonna stick to a "Chapter=Episode" but I'm not entirely sure yet as this came out to be really long and I still had to skip over a few scenes.