No P.O.V
It took the three teens two months to get from Beacon Hills, California to Atlanta, Georgia. They had their plan mapped out from the beginning, the three drove to Ely, Nevada where they stayed a week visiting nearby towns and just feeling like they could finally breathe, From Nevada they went to Richfield, Utah. Then from there they travelled to Denver, Colorado to Wichita, Kansas to Rolla, Missouri and finally Nashville, Tennessee. They stayed in all of these towns two or three weeks, people would assume they were running from something, but they weren't, they were just... living. It was the 9th week into their trip that they heard of it. Mankind changing; eating each other, feasting on the living. Soon there were at the end of their final week and had left Missouri. Knowing this was what they had left Beacon Hills for; they headed to camping stores, Sports stores around Nashville where they could gather what they needed for the end.
Allison had asked the others multiple times if they should turn back, despite knowing they couldn't and with Grace standing strong that they should push on and continue to Atlanta. By Nashville things were getting worse. They stayed in Hotels and Motels where they could hear the screams of the locals as they or their loved ones were being feasted upon by the dead. On the first report of the attacks, the three thought a rouge Wendigo had been at fault and hunters would be dispatched but that wasn't the case.
People were getting sick and dying and from that fever they would reawaken and bite the next person they'd see, thus killing them and spreading the disease further until most of the human population had been infected. With the ciaos spreading on their way into Georgia, they had stopped for gas and it was there that one of their own was bit by the clerk behind the counter.
Grace McCall had went inside for Snacks at the other two's request, for a single second she glanced out of the window at the other two next to the car as they filled the tank and watched as they laughed. She had not been paying attention and didn't see when the reanimated corpse of the old man who ran the gas station grabbed her arm and sunk its teeth into her flesh.
She didn't scream, but she did let out the high pitched cry of the Phoenix that lay under her skin. That sound set Liam into a frenzy and Allison had frozen stiff. They had both turned to the window of the store to seen their Mate/ Sister yanking her arm from the jaw of the dead and fall to the floor, blood seeping from the wound.
Realization hit them and they had sprinted into the building. Liam Straight to him mate and Allison to the monster, sinking a knife into his skull, ending his undead life. The Huntress then ran to what can only be described as her little sister, crying in the arms of her first and only love whilst clutching her arm, drenched in her own blood.
As Allison knelt by the two she had gently removed Grace's hand from the wound as Liam tried to calm the shocked blonde. Allison examined the bite and was glad to see the bleeding had already stopped though the flesh wasn't healing as fast as it should have.
Assuring the other two that Grace would be alright, Allison had then set off to the health isle to retrieve bandages, aspirin and anything else they would need as she knew all the attacks would have just been the beginning of what is to come. She had then fixed a bandage around Grace's right forearm and with the help of Liam; they had lifted the Phoenix and guided her back out to the car, taking down any dead that had shown up at the recent time. After the gas station, Allison had drove further into Georgia occasionally passing the dead feasting or strolling around outside.
Scott and Stiles had called, a lot. At the beginning Grace never answered but that last phone call, the one before all technology shut down, she pressed answer. And it was the last time she heard her bothers voice, begging for her to come home.
Flashback
"Scott?" Grace asks as she puts the phone to her ear.
"Gracie, oh God. Where the hell are you three? Argent's freaking, Mom got transferred a few weeks ago to another hospital with Dr. Geyer and Liam's mom is pissed that the two of you just left"
"We're fine Scotty..."
"Where are you fine?" Stiles interrupts me, I guess I'm on speaker.
"Guys-"
"Grace please, just tell me where you are"
"Georgia, we're heading to Atlanta... This thing, it's why we left"
"You knew this would happen?" Lydia questions
"No, not exactly, just. Be safe, guys. I Love you"
"We're coming Gracie... we love you t-" the line went dead cutting the Alpha off. No signal. No way of knowing how our loved ones are, if they survived. All they have is hope.
Time Skip
Grace and Liam had taken up the back seats of the car, lying back, tangled together as they slept. It had been 8 days since the incident at the gas station and now the three where in the middle of a traffic jam leading into Atlanta. They had heard the message over the radio of the safe zone and with a nod from the others, Allison had driven their immediately.
After sitting for an hour and nothing happening, turning around in her seat, Allison shakes the shoulder of the young werewolf with the teenage girl lying half on top of him. Liam opens his eyes and looks over to the huntress in the front seat as he tries to not move as to not wake is mate up.
"I'm going to go and check thing out" Allison says to him and removes her belt "Wait here" she commands then opens the door and slides out of the car.
"Are we really going to listen to her?" Liam asks in the silence.
"She's strong, she can take care of herself" Grace says, tugging at the bandage on her forearm. The bite had healed mostly, now it was a simple bite mark that had scabbed over. Within a few days it would be completely healed.
After several minutes of silence the driver door opens again and Allison pops her head in looks in the back seat of the car at the two supernatural's "Looks like we're going to be here a while guys, come one, stretch your legs" She says as she takes her compound bow from the front seat and slings it over her shoulder along with her quiver.
Obeying, Grace grabs her jacket and slips it on to hide her bandages as she and Liam climb out of the car and meet at the front of the Toyota where Allison is standing talking to two older women with a little boy and a little girl at their sides.
"Grace, Liam. This is Lori and Carl Grimes" She gestures to a tall skinny brunette with a little boy next to her with the same colour hair. "And this is Carol and Sophia Peletier" She says pointing to a women skinny women with Grey short hair with the little blonde girl 'Sophia' at her side.
"Hi" Grace smiles to Sophia
"Hello Miss Grace" Sophia shyly hides behind her mother. Although her eyes shine to the teen as though Grace is a star.
"You can just call me Grace" she continues to smile at the little girl.
"Are we going to go soon?" Sophia asks her mother.
"I don't know baby, I sure hope so"
"I'm hungry" Carl turns to his mother.
"I know, Carl we all are"
"You know why don't I get him something to eat?" Carol asks "Ed's into all this survival stuff, we've got MREs to feed a small army" Carol says as she walks past Allison, Liam and I to the other side of her car.
"I sure appreciate it" Lori says, walking to Carl
"It's not trouble" Carol replies as she passes a man who was is standing behind Sophia, who must be 'Ed'.
The three teens watch as Ed follows Carol to the passenger door and slams it shut at the woman begins to open it. "What the hell did you tell her that for?" They here the man asks "we don't even know these damn people"
"The boy is hungry" Carol says and glances to Grace who gives her a small smile. "We can spear one box"
"It's called operational security. How long do you think this stuff is going to last if you keep running your damn mouth off to everybody we meet?" Ed asks
"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking" Carol replies and Grace looks to Allison and Liam who nod to her and she moves to the trunk of the car and pulls out a bag of blue Doritos then walks over to the kids as Carol apologises to Lori.
"Here you go guys" Grace hands the share bag Carl who smiles up at her.
"Thank you" Lori smiles to her as she walks to the car beside Grace's with a man in the front seat. "You getting anything?" Lori asks Shane.
"There's nothing" Shane replies to her
"Big surprise there"
"No I mean there is, there's nothing. Emergency broadcast System stopped, and that recording about the refuge centre. It's all gone" Shane says getting out of the car. "I'm going to go up the road, see what I can see"
"I'll come with you" Lori replies and walks to Shane
"Ed must have forgotten to pack those MREs" Carol stops Lori
"It's alright Grace gave them some chips, Listen do you mind keeping an eye on Carl for a minute?" Lori asks her and she agrees. The woman then turns to her son "Shane and I are going to scout up ahead a little bit and see if we can find someone that know what's going on"
"I want to go with you" Carl argues but Lori shakes her head
"Hey, we'll be back before you know it, okay little man" Shane says ruffling Carl hair then walks away
"Hold up, I'll come to" Allison stops Lori and turns to Grace and Liam "You two stay near the car" Allison points to the two" Grace just rolls her eyes and falls back into Liam's arms as he leans to the hood of the car.
"So, Grace. What made you decide to travel the country with your boyfriend and his sister?" Carol asks turning to me. Allison is Liam's sister?
"Uhh... town was too small, needed a change of scenery" Grace Smiles playing along in case Allison had told them of their 'connection'.
"Where you from?" Carl asks the teens
"California" Liam says and kisses Graces neck.
"Long way from home then" An old man says coming from an RV that is parked a few cars ways with two Blonde girls and an Asian at his side.
"Furthest I've ever been" Grace smiles to the old man and holds her hand out to him "Grace McCall"
"Dale Horvath" He replies taking Grace's hand and shaking it then he turns to Liam who introduces himself but leaves off his last name as he is unsure of what last name Allison used for the two if she told Carol they are Brother and sister "And this Is Andrea and Amy Harrison" He gestures to the two blondes behind him who shake the supernatural's hands "And finally..." He turns to the Asian.
"Glenn Rhee"
Before Grace shakes his hand three helicopter s fly over their heads in the direction of Atlanta. Moments later, booming sounds in the distance ahead making Grace and Liam share a look at the strict sounds.
"Dale is that RV yours?" Grace asks the man
"Yes, why?"
"Can I borrow the roof?" Grace asks and doesn't wait of an answer as she makes her way to the back and climbs up the ladder to the roof. Shining her eyes, she looks through the thinning trees towards the city as another wave of bombs are dropped into the streets.
"Grace?" Liam asks from the ground and, shutting of her eyes, the young Phoenix walks to the edge of the RV and looks down at her mate and the others.
"We're not going to Atlanta" she says to him as she flips of the edge and lands perfectly two feet from them. Screams erupt around them as more and more people discover the news of the supposed 'safe zone'.
"Grace?" Liam asks as she just stares at the people in front of her
"We need to leave, now" Grace demands as she walks over to her car and pulls open the back door, grabbing her baseball bat from Stiles.
"Why?" The girl, Amy asks her as they watch her.
"CARL?" Lori's voice calls over the ciaos.
"Mom!" The young boy yells as she nears and runs to her as Allison moves over to the Grace and Liam.
"We need to get out of here, now" Allison says to the Phoenix.
"I don't understand" Andrea mumbles.
"Kid's right" Shane says, coming up to stand next to Lori and Carl "Those... things, they're drawn to noise..."
"What do you hear?" Grace asks the people around her.
"Screaming, crying, car horns" Glenn lists
"I hear someone ringin' the dinna' bell" A man says behind Grace and she turns to see two men leaning against a blue pickup truck with a bike parked between Grace's car and them. One man, the oldest has greyish-blue eyes, short brown hair resting above his wide forehead. Next to him is a slightly younger man in his late thirties- early forties with eyes the same shade as the man next to him, only his hair is a little darker and longer than the other, with a crossbow peeking over his shoulder.
"Yes, thank you Mr Rifle Man" Grace replies to him, seeing the weapon by his side and turns back to the others. "Those thing are going to be drawn here by the noise" Grace says, the shuffling of leaves and a familiar moan has her stepping back, closer to the line of the woods as she lifts her bat to her shoulder as she looks at the people in front of her. "And I'm not planning on being some dead dick's main course" Grace continues and sees everyone's eyes widen as the thing breaks through the trees.
Before anyone can react, the blonde girl spins on her heel and slams the bat straight into the side of the dead man's head. He must have been a hiker who died from the fever, judging by his clothes and the lack of any visible bite marks on his skin and no blood.
Stepping back again, she waits for the thing to begin to lift itself back up again. Once it is half way up, Grace brings the bat back down on the dead guy's head repeatedly until its head cracks open, blood and brain staining the pavement and it stops moving all together. Wiping the blood and dead flesh clean off of her bat onto the corpse's shirt, she turns back to the group of people who stare at her wide eyed, all except for Allison and Liam who just stand there shaking their heads and attempting to hold their smirks.
"Was that necessary?" Lori hisses to the young blonde as she buries Carls face into her body.
"Would ya prefer for the thin' ta eat ya boy?" the crossbow man asks making Carl whimper at the harsh words and Lori grip him tighter.
"Where do we go?" Carol asks looking at everyone.
"We?" Andrea asks looking to her.
"We're safer in numbers, safer in a..."
"Group?" Liam cuts Shane off
"Where do we go?" Asks Amy.
"There's a quarry not far from here, I saw it on the way in" Glenn informs them. Deciding it's best to stay in a group the people start splitting off into their cars. Grace being the last to leave as Allison gets into the passenger seat and Liam gets into the back. Looking around she sees the Asian man, Glenn taking to an African-American guy sitting in a church van. The man in the van looks over to Grace and smiles when Glenn gestures to her and she smile back with a nod, obviously he and whoever else were in the church van would be joining them. Turning back to her car, Grace looks over the hood at the two men.
"You coming? Or are you just going to stand there and be a meal?" Grace asks the two Rednecks.
"Ya' very bossy ain't ya princess? Besides ya don't want me around any china men or nig- " the older man asks
"You can call me Grace" she cuts him off before he can finish the word.
"Nah, like Princess better" He smirks and steps forward, throwing his leg over the bike "Merle Dixon. That's ma brotha' Daryl" he waves his hand lazily to 'Daryl' as the man throws a finished cigarette to the ground and nods to the Phoenix.
"Merle Dixon, I have a feeling you're going to be great friends" Grace says and climbs into the car, shutting to door behind her then driving off, following the other cars as they lead everyone to the quarry.
Three weeks later (Now)
Grace P.O.V
The street below is filled with the dead as I fly above the building of Atlanta, searching for something, someone. But all I see are the dead. Everyone is dead. So many innocent lives lost. Landing on top of a low building I look at the faces of the dead that stare back up at me, reaching towards me as if they can reach. Getting a closer look, the faces become more recognisable. Scott, Stiles, Mom, Liam, Lydia, Allison, Mason, everybody I know, knew they all stare at me with dead eyes as they snap their jaws at me. my head becomes light and I begin to saw until I finally tumble of the edge of the building into their grabbing hands.
Bolting up right in the tent, I clutch at my chest trying to slow my beating heart. Looking to my both of my sides, I see the other half on my double sleeping bag is empty where Liam should be and on my other side, the single bag that belongs to Allison is also empty. Not liking the fact that I'm alone, I quickly change from my matching black silk shorts and cami into a pair of jean shorts, a cargo green vest top, a pair of socks with street foods on and lastly black Dr. Martins. Finally I pick my belt up from the side of the tent and step out of the hole as I slip it around my waist, fastening it at the front and adjusting the gun holster on my left and the knife on my right along with one of three radios, Liam and Allison have the others.
"Good morning Grace" Carol smiles as I walk up to her and she hands me a bowl of mystery food. It's better to eat and not ask questions than to know and not eat at all.
"Morning, where is everyone?" I ask, noticing the lack of some members.
"Glenn, Andrea, Morales, T-Dog, Jacqui and Merle went into the city this morning and I think Daryl went hunting" she replies to me with a smile.
"That's going to end well" I say sarcastically and walk over to Amy when I see her carrying an arm full of sticks, quickly finishing my food, I thank Carol and hand the bowl back to her then follow after the blonde.
"Morning" She says as I meet up with her.
"Morn-"
"Hello?Hello? Can anybody hear my voice?" crackling from the radio lain out to the side interrupts my reply. Dropping the stick, I follow Amy as she rushes to the device.
"Hey, hello?" Amy asks
"Can you hear my voice?" The man asks again
"Yes, I can hear you; you're coming through, over"
"If anybody reads, please respond. Broadcasting on an emergency channel, will be approaching Atlanta on highway 85, If anybody reads, please respond"
"We're just outside the city, damn it" she replies but the man doesn't answer "Hello? Hello?" She asks again. "He couldn't hear me, I couldn't warn him" she says to Dale
"Try to raise him again" Dale says to her then turns to Shane "Come on, son. You know best how to work this thing"
Passing me, Shane slams the blade of the Axe he is holding into the stump of the tree the radio is sitting on, we all stand and watch as he crouches down and the CB and begins to speak
"Hello, hello, is the person who calls still on the air? This is officer Shane Walsh, broadcasting a person unknown, please respond" Shane replies and we wait for the man on the other side to say something but he doesn't " He's gone" Shane give up and drops the microphone
"There are others" Lori says across from me as she looks down at Shane. "It's not just us" She shrugs
"Yeah, we knew there would be, right, that's why we left the CB on"
"Lots of good it's been doing. And I've been saying for a week, we ought to put signs up on 85 to warn people away from the city"
"Folks have got no idea what they are getting into" I add as I walk over to Lori.
"We don't have enough time" Shane argues standing up
"I think we need to make time" Pushes Lori.
"Yeah, that, uh... That's a luxury we can't afford. We are surviving here. We are day to day"
"And who the hell would you propose to send"
"I'll go" I but in as Lori opens her mouth
"Nobody goes anywhere alone, you know that" Shane says looking between Lori and I knowing she was about to say she would go to.
"Yes sir" Lori replies and walks away. Shane looks at me for a waiting for an answer but I don't say anything, I just nod and look down to the ground.
Carl gets up and goes to follow him mom but Shane stops him "Hey, hey, hey, come on, take a seat, buddy. You're alright, go on, you're alright" Shane tells the boy and then follows after Lori.
"Glen and that went into Atlanta this morning, right?" I ask Dale.
"Yeah why?"
"Maybe they'll come across the guy there" Liam says from behind me as he comes over with more wood in his arms. "Hey sleepy head" he leans in as he reaches me and kisses me on the lips.
"Ewww" Carl whines as Sophia giggles next to him. Winking at the two, I take half of the sticks in his arms and follow him to the growing pile for tonight's fire. Walking past Dale I hear him mutter something to Amy about 'young love' making me smile brightly.
"Where's Allison?" I ask looking around for the huntress.
"she said something about checking Daryl's nearby traps" my mate replies
"Alone?" Carol buts in
"She can handle herself" I assure her and turn back to Liam "Feel like a run?"
"Shane said no one leaves the camp" Amy interrupts me.
"I meant an actual run, as in fitness" I smile to her then turn to Liam again
"Anything to get out of here, this place makes me feel..."
"Caged?" I question and lead him to the tent where we change into some sportswear that we each ironically packed, but leaving on our belts with our guns and knives. Stepping back out of the tent, Liam and I take of immediately leaving my radio with dale and keeping Liam's on his belt in case they need to contact us
No P.O.V.
About an Hour later
Over in Atlanta Officer Rick Grimes sits in a tank surrounded by the dead in the middle of the city, leaning his forehead against the length of his gun. Thinking of giving up until static noise and beeping comes from a radio next to him followed by the voice of a young man.
"Hey, you, dumb ass. Hey, you in the tank. Cosy in there?"