Author's note: Sadly I still do not own any aspect of The Walking Dead, but I do own the oc, who sadly still does not have a breed or name. I got more votes for the breed though! Just like before, the list of potential dog breeds will be at the end of the chapter, with the number of votes the breeds have next to them. Readers please enjoy and review; it makes me happy when you do!

Don't Worry Pup…

I don't know what to do. I-I can't feed the pup; I can't take care of her on my own. She only avoided going hungry last night because we found an old farmhouse that had some human food in it. I almost failed to provide for her. She had to sleep cramped in a cabinet because I didn't feel the house was secure enough for her to be anywhere else in it. She woke up in pain, her back and neck hurt! I had to rush the pup out of the house before the pain went away because walkers started to swarm it. I wouldn't have been able to save her if they overran the house before we left. I'm a horrible protector. I couldn't stop my former master or his mate from dying, hell I lured his mate straight to her death, and I can't provide for this pup much longer. I-if she dies it will be entirely my fault…

Stop! Stop pitying yourself! You have to focus! You have to take care of this pup! The pup will NOT die, because you won't let her! Now think girl think!

Alright the pup needs to be taken back to her mother. How can I do this? T-the road! If I get the pup back to the road we can find her mother! Will the pup be able to make it there? She looks like—

"A-are you okay girl? You look very upset." Why? Why are you worried about me when I'm the one failing you? You must still be hungry and you're away from your mother! This heat must be getting to you, because it sure as hell is getting to me. My former master would by yelling at me for being so pathetic, but you ask if I'm okay! My former master was right, I'm a horrible dog.

"I know, I'll tell you about my group." Group? Does she mean a pack? I thought it was just her and her mother. "Let's see you already know about my mama…So let's start with Mr. Dale. He's an old man that likes to wears a silly hat and tells funny stories, and he's super nice too. Don't tell him I said this, buuut I think he looks like Santa." She's giggling? Is, is she trying to make me feel better? "Then there's Carl, he's my best friend, and his mommy and daddy, Mr. and Mrs. Grimes. Mr. Grimes is a police officer and likes to wear his uniform and hat a lot. Oh he's also our leader." Uuuummm, okay? "Oh! Can't forget T-Dog and Glenn, they're both really nice and funny! You know, I don't think I've really seen Glenn without his hat, maybe a few times here and there but that's it." Huh, never heard of a human with 'dog' in his name; and what's with these humans and hats? Oh well may as well head towards the road while she talks, she's actually calming me down. "And then there's Officer Walsh, he's Mr. Grimes' best friend, and Andrea. They're okay but have started acting differently. Andrea's little sister died awhile back so that's most likely her reason. Officer Walsh…well I don't know what's wrong but he acts weird now. It's like he's always angry and sad."

Sounds like I should keep an eye on those two…Wait, where did THAT come from! I'm not planning on staying with them! I'm just returning the pup! That pack is NOT my responsibility! "Finally there's Mr. Dixon. I-I don't really know him that well; I think I heard Officer Walsh call him a 'red neck' before. I don't think Mr. Dixon liked that." Who would? "A lot of people in the group don't like Mr. Dixon, they think he's mean, but I don't think he is. In fact, I think he's a good guy." Is that so? "If he was mean he wouldn't get food for everyone, he wouldn't have stayed with us, or protected us, for so long." Why would he help them? It doesn't sound like the rest of the pack appreciates him. Suddenly the pup giggles again and looks at me. "You know, you remind me of him." I don't get it…Wait; the pup actually calmed me down. Hm, it's…nice have her around.

"Ugh, it's so hot." I know pup, I hate how hot it gets when the sun is this high in the sky. I promise I'll take care of you; we're almost to the road. You just need to hold out a little bit longer. Looking ahead of us I can smell a couple walkers, which means we're going to have to take a detour. Great! Another setback, just what we fucking needed! Damn walkers can't just let me get the pup back to her group. I sigh and guide the pup to go right; I'd rather not waste the energy killing the walkers right now. It may take longer to flat out turn right, instead of just veering, but it will give more distance between them and us. Besides we're pretty close to the road so it shouldn't make that much of a difference. Once we're far enough away from the walkers I'll guide the pup back to the road.

About twenty minutes later I feel comfortable heading to the road. I don't hear or smell too many walkers this way. Our walking led us to a steep incline, but I could see a shiny railing at the top. This must lead to the road. Why is something telling me not to take the pup up there? I can smell and hear them, humans. Living breathing humans, they're up there but something feels off. I can feel my fur rising, my ears press flat against my skull. I look over at the pup, she looks so happy. I have to bite onto the back of her shirt to stop her from running up to the road.

"What's wrong girl? We're here, my mama is up there." I can't let her go up there, not yet. This feeling, it's the same one I got before my former master came home in a particularly bad mood. Those were never pleasant days. Something really, really bad is going to happen if I take her up there, I can feel it in my bones. I have to drag the pup into some underbrush, growling at her to hide and stay put. It took a while but she settled herself in there. I start heading up the slope; I periodically glancing back at the pup to make sure she didn't move, she didn't. She's well hidden; I have to rely on my hearing to make sure she's still there when I reach the top, that's good. Especially if things go the way I think they will.

I step onto the road, they're close. The human are close, the bad feeling is getting stronger. It's telling me to go back to the pup and run that these humans are bad, but I continue forward. They're on the other side of the car I'm next to, I hear laughter, crying, and skin meeting; I'm not going to confront them. I craw under the car until I see them, oh dear god! Wh-what are those men doing to those girls?! They're hurting them! The girls are begging them to stop, b-but they won't! I-I-I want to help b-but I won't stand a chance…there's too many of them, thirty at least.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BASTARDS! YOU FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU ALL!" It's an older man who's tied up. Ar-are they forcing him to watch?!

"Hey Randal, shut that old fuck up. He's pissing me off." A boy, Randal, walks over to the restrained man and hits him in the jaw with his gun. H-he broke the man's jaw, I heard it break.

"Aren't you setting a bad example using that kind of language in front of your daughters?" D-daughters? No, they're forcing him to watch them as, as they—I can't even finish that thought. He's crying, the old man is crying.

"P-p-please stop…please…" One of the girls begged, the men just laugh. They continue what they were doing, taking turns. When they're done they kill the girls, right in front of their father. They weren't even quick about it. They beat, cut, and tortured the girls until they died. Their father could do nothing but watch. They cut the man loose. I watch him as he craws to the girls, tears streaming down his face. He's begging them to forgive him for not protecting them. One of the surrounding men throws a knife at the older man. He looks at it, picking it up he does something I didn't expect. He drives it into his own throat, killing himself.

"HA! Pathetic ol' man!" They're laughing, these monsters are laughing! I back away; I have to get the pup as far away as possible! Backing out from under the car I accidentally bump into something making a loud banging noise, SHIT!

"Hey what the fuck was that? Whose out there?!" Some of the men round the car spotting me.

"Well ah'll b' damned! Et's auh fuckin' mutt! Ah ain't seen one of dem in a long while!" Crap, I have to get away! "Haw much yew awl wanna bet ah can hit et in one shot?" The man raises his gun while his pack starts cheering. I can't die; I have to get back to the pup! She doesn't know these men are here! I have to get them away from her!

Without thinking I jump at the man. He fires his gun and I feel red hot pain shot through my front leg. I force myself to ignore it, sinking my teeth into the man's throat. Then I ran. Ignoring the shouts, gun shots, and sound of boots meeting pavement behind me and ignoring the blinding pain in my leg I ran. Rounding cars to avoid bullets; I feel some hit me, causing new waves of pain to flow through my body, but I can't let that stop me. I had to walk off more pain then this living with my former master. I lure the men as far away from the pup as I can. I draw closer to the railing as I did so. Then I leap over it, losing my footing and painfully tumbling down the slope. I only stop when I slam into a tree. Gritting my teeth, I get up and hobble through the bushes, I can't rest. If I do they'll get me. If they do who will take care of the pup?!

"Where da' fuck did tha' mutt go?! I don't see et!"

"Fucking shit!" That was Randal, I recognize his voice. Their yells fade into the distance. I don't stop when their voices grow faint, I can't. I force myself forward. Everything hurts. I want to stop, b-but I can't. If I do I may not start moving again. I have to keep going. I have to keep moving until I get the pup somewhere safe, I have to.

It took me a while but I finally reach where I left the pup. She stayed…she's such a good pup…she always listens to me. I limp over to her, at first she smiles when she sees me, she must have been worried, but then a look of pure horror takes over her features. She runs over to me and tries to examine my wounds. I nudge her to move back into the woods. We can't stay here, those humans will see us, and they will hurt her. I can't take her to the road. That is out of the question. Besides if those humans were there, her pack most likely isn't.

We need to move walkers will be attracted to the smell of my blood, and in my current state I won't be much good against them. I hope that pack on the road was loud enough to take walker attention away from me. I don't want to put the pup in danger. The sun's starting to go down. We'll need to find a place to hind for tonight. Then tomorrow we'll head back to the stream. Now that I think about it, that stream seemed more like a river; yeah it was a river… Focus! I need to find a place for us to rest! There! That brush looks like it will be decent enough for one night. It looks thick and I could probably shift some of the branches to hide us from view, but I'll need the pup's help. Guiding the pup there we make it suitable for sleep. When we're done I collapse to the ground gasping, everything hurts too much to move. The pup raps her arms around me, s-she's crying.

"P-please don't d-die…p-please…y-y-you can't die…" I won't die pup, not from this. I won't even sleep tonight so you'll know I'll be up in the morning. Just wait and see. Tomorrow we'll head back to the river. I think you lost your doll there. You'll get your doll back. Then, then we'll find your pack. You'll be happy when you get back to them. You'll be safe, because I won't rest until you are. So you have to don't worry pup, I'll live and you'll be safe…I promise…

Another chapter finished. Please do not forget to review and help me decide the dog's name and breed. I've gotten breed votes but no name suggestions, and I don't want to disappoint people by picking something that sucks. Here are the breed choices and their number of votes…

1. Pit Bull—0 votes

2. Doberman Pinscher—0 votes

3. Rottweiler—2 votes

4. Boxer—1 vote