ML54: Hello all, as I said in my last chapter, this one will be about the rest of the group in the prison.

Sophia:Then the next will be back to Duck and Clem?

ML54: That's how it works. And this will have the moment most of you guys have been waiting for.

Daryl: Other than killing Lori?

ML54: Yup, I don't own the Walking Dead in any format.

Safety Behind Bars?

"There's the prison!" Shane declared, relieved to have finally found the place. Looks like Lee was right, it was only a short walk from the train tracks...not that they'll be going back there after the attack.

The group looked up in surprise and relief of the short trip.

The prison itself was quite large and had two chain linked fences that separated it from the outside world. It was an unhindered structure, not even a dent in the walls as if it was untouched...

...but there was a problem.

"There's a whole lot of walkers in there." Carly mentioned, noticing the mass of zombies, wandering around the courtyard, desperate to find their next meal.

"Let's just get through the first gate, there are no walkers in between the two fences." Shane ordered, having to lead the group after Rick had lost his wife and, quite frankly, looked like a wreck. Rick's eyes were red and tears were still slipping out from time to time. He was sort of running on auto-pilot, not noticing anything going on around him.

"Let's move then, there aren't many walkers surrounding the complex. Once inside, we'll work out how to dispatch the ones past the next gate." Glen agreed, wanting to get out of the open.


A lone walker turned to the left upon hearing footsteps towards it. Then had it's head caved in by a mallet in the hands of Shane who led the group to the first gate, quickly opening the unchained opening.

Once everyone was through, Shane slammed it shut and Glen chained it up as walkers had started to throw themselves onto the gate, trying to get at them with no success.

Shane did a quick head count. Himself, Eliza, Lily, Rick, Carl, Glen, Daryl, T-Dog, Carol, Sophia, Charlotte, Doc, Lee, Kenny and Carly.

He was about to look around for the other four, but suddenly remembered what had happened. They had lost Rally and Lori to the Woodbury Army and the other two kids had fell out the train and they had no idea whether or not they'd be okay or not.

The cop sighed and looked out into the prison courtyard...there were about forty to sixty walkers out there to his knowledge. So, if Lee, Kenny, T-Dog and Rick were up to it, they may be able to clear the area.

"Okay, Kenny, Lee, T-Dog, Rick, Daryl, Glen, Lily and I will unchain the fence and go into the courtyard and start to mop up the walkers out there. The rest of you create a whole lot of racket outside the fence and get them to follow it, once there, start to pick them off with your knives. Once that's done, we'll move inside and start clearing a cell block."

The rest nodded in anticipation except Rick who just stared blankly at the ground. Shane walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, causing the man to look up at him. "It's okay if you want to stay outside. But I'm sure we could use the help in there."

Rick glanced at the walkers inside, his eyes hardening. It was their fault that his wife was dead, their fault that their lives had gone to shit...all of it was their fault!

He pulled out his knife and gun, walking ahead of Shane. Ready to deal with these monsters...even if he had to do it himself!


"One...Two...THREE!" Shane yelled, before Doc used a pair of bolt clippers, he found abandoned on the ground, and the chain that was holding the chained gate shut fell to the ground, allowing the group in.

Once the gate was open, Rick ran through and the first walker he saw got a knife through it's eye socket. Most the walkers in the courtyard all wore the same blue jumpsuit except the few that wore guard uniforms.

They all turned to their fallen kin and saw a potential meal. Now the walkers were all limping towards the group, but any that got too close were all struck down with a quick strike to the head.

T-Dog was struggling though. He had said he was up for this, but his gunshot wound was definitely nagging at him that he wasn't.

He swung the hatchet round on the closest walker and cried out, clutching it as blood started to seep out through the bandages, dropping his weapon in the process. He fell to his knees, shivering at the pain, before the situation at hand dawned on him, seeing three more walkers approaching him.

Kenny saw too, however, and rushed over to help him. He shot the first two down, about to shoot the third before the worst sound possible rung out...

...'click'.

"Ah fuck!" Kenny shouted as the walker pounced on him, his arms thrown out to protect his head and neck. T-Dog got back to his feet and grabbed his weapon, but Kenny managed to flip him and the Walker over, so now he was on top and pulled out a wrench from his belt, hammering it into the walkers head.

"You took everything from me!" He vented, jumping up and smashing the next walker's brains out. "You took my wife!" Smack, another one. "My son!" Crack, and another. "My whole, fucking family!" Another one's head was caved in. "I'll kill you ALL!" He screamed, seeing red and killing everything undead in sight.


"Come here you undead fuckers!" The other half basically called out, trying to get the walkers over to the fence which worked for the most part. It definitely thinned them out for the others. Then the walkers that got too close got stabbed in the head, courtesy of Doc, Carol, Carly or Carl. The others just protecting the ones inside.

Eliza watched her 'mother' stabbing walkers that got too close left, right and centre, sighing. She wanted to be like her 'parents'. Being brave and and strong enough to help the group like this. It was just so...cool.

Sophia kept giving Carl sympathetic looks everytime he killed another walker. He kept getting this satisfied look everytime he threw his blade into one...it worried her.

Carol kept scanning the courtyard, making sure to warn the ones inside if any got too close, she was going to warn someone about T-Dog before Kenny rushed over, so she got back to the job at hand.


Soon, with their combined efforts, the courtyard was clear and they all got inside, Charlotte bolting the gate shut with a new padlock and chain that they actually had a key for.

They all went inside and cleaned out Cell Block B quite quickly, with the narrow corridors it was easy to dispatch walkers as they came.

Once they took the walkers out, they admired the new place. It was...well it was a start. "I guess it will do, I mean it's temporary after all." Doc said, off-handedly.

"We aren't leaving until we found Duck and Clementine." Carl declared, letting everyone know where he stood. "Well, I'm not at least."

"I'm wit' Carl..." Daryl agreed, having some sort of soft spot for the kids of the group. He doesn't know why, he just does. "We can' leave 'em ou' there."

"Alright." Shane agreed, Lee and Kenny looking up in hope. "We would have done the same for Sophia had she not found her own way back, it's only fair."

Kenny felt his spirits lift until he felt a pain in his side and grunted. Lee looked to his best friend in worry. "You okay, man?" Kenny nodded, lifting his shirt.

"Yeah, just a scratch..." Kenny looked and took on a face of horror, as did the rest of the group to see a chunk of flesh missing. "...just...a..." Kenny then fainted, Doc going straight to his side.


Doc was still looking Kenny over, even an hour later, as the rest of the group except Shane and Rick who went to clear some more of the prison, sat around. Carl and Sophia were a little ways away, Eliza was sleeping in Lily's arms and the rest were trying to talk...

...well console Lee at least.

The man had both his hands over his face in grief. He had already lost Clementine and Duck...now his best friend was dying.

Carly had her arm around him, trying to tell him that things were going to be okay, but how much of that was true? None of it. Their original group had eight people, herself, Lee, Lily, Ben, Katjaa, Kenny, Duck and Clementine.

Now it could possibly be just her, Lee and Lily.

She shook that thought from her head. "C'mon Lee, I'm sure he'll be okay."

"Yeah." Lily added, smiling comfortingly to her distraught friend. "You know how stubborn that guy is. He'll be up and looking for his son in no time." Lee let a small smile grace his lips. He was glad he had friends like these in times like this.


"Are you okay, Carl?" Sophia asked, looking at Carl giving her a 'what do you think?' kind of look. "Okay, dumb thing to say."

"I'm sorry...it..."

"You have no reason to be sorry, Carl." Sophia interrupted, grabbing his hand into hers, now noticing that he stood about two inches taller than her. "Have you gotten taller?"

"Huh?" Carl asked, looking to Sophia, now noticing that he wasn't looking up at her like he usually has too. "Oh yeah...must of had a growth spurt." Carl shrugged.

"Anyway, Carl I just want you to know that if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here." She replied, Carl having looked in her direction again. She then got up, before Carl tightened his hold on her hand.

"Wait..." He said, causing the Peletier girl to turn to him again, this time he got up as well. The rest of the group were now looking at the pair curiously as well. Shane and Rick just entering.

"What's u..." Her response was cut off when he put his lips to hers.

Her eyes went as wide as saucers at how...forward Carl was being right now. But she soon got into it and wrapped her arms round his neck, kissing back.


"That's my boy." Rick said, smiling for the first time since the train incident. Shane let a grin spread to his face when he saw his best friend smiling.

Daryl grinned as well, turning to Carol who was holding another one of her 'that's so cute' faces. "No need fa any more schemes then."

She nodded, sighing. "I wish Lori were here to see this. She'd have been so happy." She then paused before adding. "Well, if I'm wishing for stuff, I wish I had a camera as well." Daryl chuckled at the women's attempt at humour, and to be fair, it was quite funny.

Doc walked in as well, just as the two parted. "I have good news. Kenny's wound was just him cutting himself on one of the broken windows in the corridor." Lee heard this and thanked God for his mercy on their group.

"However, it's best if he rests for a few days, it could get infected and I'd rather that didn't happen." The rest of the group nodded, Lee and Carly going to see the man and tell him the good news.


Sophia was blushing quite badly when the two parted, having just realised that they had just kissed in front of EVERYONE! Well, everyone but Doc and Kenny, but still! "C-Carl...Why?"

"Well...I have liked you for a while Sophia..." Carl admitted, blushing timidly. "...I told my mom and...seeing her d-die...I realised that that could happen to any of us...I just...I don't want to die regretting that I never told you..."

"I like you too, Carl..." She breathed out, giggling a bit. "But you could have picked a better place to kiss me." She said glancing to the group. "Everyone else just saw us."

Carl glanced over and smirked to her. "Who cares?" He said, kissing her again. She thought about before shrugging. No-one, she guessed.


ML54: I thought it was about time I got them together. It has been long enough.

Carol: Cute!

Daryl: Review please, bu' no flamin' or I'll kick ya' ass!