Okay so sorry for the wait. I would also like to apologize in advance. I feel like this is one of my worst chapters yet it was struggle for me to get this one off the ground. With that I would like the thank DarylDixonfan03 for the help with this one! as always I love to hear what y'all have to say good or bad! Enjoy!
Two days. It took the Winchester clan two days to find a way off the highway and onto a clear road. It seemed like each way they tried only brought more traffic to get through and more infected to deal with. John had ordered Riley to rest even though she was feeling better. Once they found a road they could get through John drove North, away from the the city.
"Can I drive for awhile?" Riley asked once they found their way onto a back road with less cars and less infected. John thought it over for a minute before pulling the impala over.
"I could use some shut eye" He said.
"Yessss" Riley said excitedly. It wasn't very often she got to drive the impala so any chance she got made her happy. She pushed the back door open and skipped around to the front.
"Just until nightfall" He said to her taking her spot in the back next to a sleeping Dean.
"Ready Sammy" Riley asked smiling over at her big brother as she belted herself in.
"Petal to the metal kid" Sam said with a smile happy to see that his baby sister was acting more like her bubbly happy self.
The drive was uneventful, Riley only had to slow down and drive around a crush a few times. She tried not to look knowing it would be an infect trapped behind the wheel or the infected eating on the passengers.
"Oh god I must be in a dream still, Riley is driving" Dean grumbled from the backseat.
"Nope, dad let me drive" Riley said turning to smile at him.
"Alright alright eyes on the road." Dean said smiling back at his sister.
"You know you must not trust your driving skills very good because you're the one who taught me how to drive" Riley pointed out.
"But I wasn't the one who crashed into a light pole." Dean shot back.
"I bumped into, not crashed into" Riley pointed out to him.
"Same thing" Dean teased.
"Nooo, cuz if I would have crashed you'd have to fix the baby but I just bumped it and didn't even leave a mark" Riley said with a smile proud of herself for proving Dean wrong.
"And you're damn lucky I didn't have to fix anything on her" Dean said.
"Besides it was an accident De-" Riley started before slamming on the breaks.
"What the hell Riley?" Dean shouted.
"What's going on?" John mumbled from the back seat still trying to wake up.
"Look, lights" Riley said pointing up a long dirt driveway. Through a few scattered trees there was a double wide home with its lights shining through the darkness.
"Should we go up?" Riley asked out loud.
"No!" Sam said.
"Why not?" Riley asked turning to look at Sam.
"Because Riley, we don't know who these people are" Sam answered.
"Sammy is right, the world is different now, could be real bad people" John said.
"Yea like that one physco family that hunted people and kidnapped Sam." Dean pointed out.
"And they could be nice normal people hiding away from this" Riley rebutted.
"And what if they aren't nice normal people?" John asked his stubborn daughter.
"Then good thing we're tough enough to take em" Riley said with a confident nod as she began to easy off the road and down the dirt driveway. While Riley approached the double wide home slowly the Winchester men armed themselves with as many weapons as they could conceal. "Here" Sam said handing his sister a .380 pistol, it was little and easy to hide but if she needed it it would get the job done. The family slowly merged from the confines of the impala each taking a deep breath of fresh air before the screen door of the trailer slammed shut.
"Get the hell off my property" A younger blonde man shouted at them racking his shotgun.
"Look, we're not sick and not here to harm you" Riley tried to reason with the man. He looked to be about 25 years old and peering out the window was a young woman with darker hair.
"Sir" John said raising his hands in the hair to show the young man that they were not armed.
"We've been driving for days man, just needed to move our legs, get some fresh air." John said.
"Move them in the woods then, get the hell of our property!" He shouted again.
"We aren't here to cause you and your family harm" John tried again.
"Like my dad said, we've been driving for days, and you this house is the first sign of life we've seen in days, please" Riley said sweetly. The younger man studied the pack of Winchesters. "I'm Riley Winchester, these are my brothers Sam and Dean and my Dad John" Riley said again.
"Peter" The woman's voice echoed down to them as she came out on to the porch. "Let the poor people in" She demanded.
"It could be a trick, Rita!" He shouted back to her.
"Listen Peter, its not a trick I wouldn't put my children's live at risk just to take what you have. We have some food and water" John said. He hated telling strangers that they had valuable things but they all desperately needed a shower and Riley needed a real bed to get some rest in. "Wait, Winchesters, as in the hunters?" Peter asked lowering the shot gun.
"guilty" Dean said with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Just be quiet, those things are attracted to the noise" Peter warned helping the Winchesters with their belongings.
Once settled Rita handed Riley a towel.
"Go ahead get yourself cleaned up, just try to be quick." She said.
Riley took the towel from Rita gratefully and headed off to the bathroom. John glanced over his shoulder as Riley passed by with a towel in her hand.
"Thanks again" John said settling on the couch with the plate of food Peter offered to him.
"Yea thanks again, we really need this just to catch our breathes" Sam added.
"Yea I know what you mean, We live in the city but at first signs of the outbreak we headed up here. Got caught in some traffic took us nearly a day to get here, normally only takes us two hours." Peter claimed.
"You wouldn't believe the parking lot we were stuck in" Sam said making small talk.
"I still can't believe the Winchester's are sitting here, I mean my dad said you guys were legends" Peter said smiling.
"I wouldn't call us that" John said.
"Look a lot of other hunters weren't happy for awhile since you guys pretty much started the end of the world but you also saved it the world after that, damn near single handily too" Peter added.
"While not this time" John said sounding disappointed.
"What about your angel friend he give you any clue about any of this?" Rita asked from the kitchen.
"Cas?" Dean question. "No, been trying to reach him but he's MIA" Dean said rubbing a hand over his face.
"Oh my god, I feel one hundred times better" Riley said emerging from the shower with her blonde hair wrapped up in a towel.
"You look it too Nut" Dean said from the sofa. Her cheeks had some real color back, she looked healthy again. Riley plopped down on the couch next to her dad who handed her a plate of food. she stared at the food greedily, her stomach growling for the red meat that looked back at her. Riley began to shovel the food in like she'd hadn't eaten in days, really she hadn't and she was starving. Several bites in she looked up from her food to see the whole room was watching her eat. She finished chewing and swallowed down her food.
"What?" She asked innocently.
"Slow down, you look like a wild animal" Dean said with a smirk.
"I'm hungry" Riley simply stated.
"How long did y'all say you were on the road for?" Peter asked.
"At least two weeks" John answered.
"I couldn't imagine" Rita said passing out beers to everyone expect for the 18 year old Riley.
"BALLS" Came the undeniable voice of Bobby Singer from outside. Riley dropped her fork and shot up running for the door. Sam couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips knowing that Bobby had made it.
"Uncle Bobby!" Riley said running toward the older man.
"Riley" Bobby said hugging the youngest Winchester tightly.
"No offensive Bobby" Dean said from the porch "But I can smell you from here" He said taking his appearance in, he was covered almost head to toe in the infected blood.
"Little trick, cover yourself in their blood and they don't even know you're there" Bobby said.
"That's gross" Riley said stepping away from him slowly.
"Bobby!" Peter said also happy to see the older hunter.
"Peter, your old man?" Bobby questioned.
"He didn't make it" Peter said sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that"
"Come inside lets get you cleaned up" Rita said.
Months and months went by and the seven people turned into a family and pretty soon those months turned to years. They group was lucky enough to have each other but not lucky enough to stay in one place for to long. Peter and Rita's cabin worked for about year but then one day just like that a horde came through and they were forced to run and they've been on the run ever since, never staying in one place for to long.
"I haven't seen anymore of those terminus signs" Sam pointed out as the group moved slowly up the tracks in the blazing heat. Riley wore short jean shorts with her cowboy boots her sweatshirt tied around her waist he tank top a size to big for her but in this heat she didn't care.
"Do you think it's still there?" She asked her father.
"The signs look fairly new kept up at least, it has to be" John said shouldering the weapons bag.
"We can't keep this up much longer" Peter said holding Rita's hand as they brought up the rear.
"I'm going to duck in the woods see if I can find us some water" Bobby said.
"Careful" Dean told the older hunter.
"We'll go see if we can find anything to eat" Peter said as he and Rita disappeared into the tree line. The Winchesters slowed down their already slow pace but kept moving forward in hopes of something new and better. Riley fell in step with Dean resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. Dean glanced down at his sister and frowned at the defeated look on her face.
"I know nut, I know" He said wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Dad?" Riley question but never got to ask him what she wanted to ask when Rita's scream ripped through the woods.
"Rita!" Riley shouted as she took off toward the screams her family hot on her heels. The Winchester clan rushed through the brush of the thick woods slashing at the infected as they came skidding to a stop at the sight in from of them.
"No!" Riley cried hot tears quickly began to stream down her face seeing The dead tear into Peter as Rita stood fighting them off. John, Dean and Sam continued forward helping their friend take on the rest of the walkers. Riley stood shocked for a second before rushing forward, Peter screams pushing her on killing whatever was in her path. Once they cleared the area Rita dropped to her knees at Peter's side weeping .
"Rita?" Riley question slowly kneeling down next to her and Peter's dead body.
"Rita, we have to go" Riley said. "Our screams will bring more" Riley said lightly placing a head on her friends shoulder.
"I'm not leaving him" She whispered.
"Rita" Riley tried.
"I'm already dead" Rita said showing Riley her bite mark on her side. Riley's head feel to her chest in utter defeat.
"Leave me here" She whispered.
"Rita, you're my best friend" Riley said tears flowing freely now.
"Then kill me, please, after I kill him, don't let me turn" She begged clutching onto Riley. Riley swallowed hard looking back to her dad who was standing closest to her looking like he just lost one of his own kids.
"Please Riley, I don't want to turn into one of those things" She begged crying. "Please you're my best friend and I don't want anyone else to please" She begged clutching Riley's shirt collar.
"Okay" Riley said just above a whisper.
Dean huffed and walked away not wanting to see any of this.
"I'll give you a minute" Riley said slowly backing away from Rita who was now hunched over Peter's body blood still leaking from his stomach that was tore open.
"Riley" John tried as his daughter approached him.
"Don't Dad" She said holding her hand up to him. "You've always said to be strong and brave, to keep my head held high and shoulders held back like I wasn't going to let anything defeat me so please don't!" Riley said her hand shaking as she reached for her weapon on her side. "Or I might just break" She finally added letting her head drop for a single second.
"Riley" Rita's shuttered voice echoed and just like that Riley's shoulders steeled and her head raised high. She bent down hugging Rita tight whispering things to her that John couldn't hear and one single gunshot echoed through the woods and she turned and brushed past her father and Sam ignoring their tears as Riley fought her own that threatened to fall. Dean was pacing back on the tracks the first sight of Riley his shoulders fell.
"Oh no, Riley No" He said reaching for her knowing it was her who ended Rita's life.
"Don't" She muttered angrily as she brushed past him moving forward. She just kept pushing on not even noticing that Bobby had appeared and disappeared again peer anger and grief keeping her moving not one word spoken between the Winchester men as they kept an eye on the youngest ahead of them. They came to a crossing a town.
"Riley stop" Dean called but she ignored him.
"Riley Abigail" John boomed stopping his daughter in her tracks.
"What" She snapped.
"We need to stop, it's going to be dark we need food and water" Sam said looking toward the town.
Riley sighed. "Fine" She said heading off the tracks toward the town gun still in hand. Riley rounded the corner disappearing from sight only to come face to face with five men.
"Well aren't you pretty" One growled taking a step toward her Riley stepped back but didn't make it far as she slammed into Dean. She looked at him her eyes wild.
"Why don't you drop the gun pretty lady" The other in a rose vest said. Dean pulled Riley behind him so she was in the middle of her dad and brother.
"Why don't you drop your weapons and we'll all just keep moving." Dean replied.
"See that seems like a good idea but that's not going to happen. You have weapons and we need them, you also have her" He said peering around Dean to Riley who was readying herself for a fight.
"See Now that's not gonna happen" Dean said his gun trained on the man in front of him.
"I think it might" The leader of the group said. Then it all happened so fast the Winchester men each falling to the ground knocked out cold some how some way these men got the drop on all of them. Sam, Dean and John all laid unconscious at Riley's feet. The men who knocked her family out beginning to close in on her. She tried to run but was quickly stopped. Riley was always hit over the head but no hard enough to knock her out. She fell to the ground clutching for her dad's leg as someone grabbed onto her leg and started to pulled her away. She grabbed onto his pant leg tightly.
"DAD!" She screamed holding on to his pant leg for dear life.
"She's a strong little bitch" She heard one say as she was ripped away from her dad.
"DEAN! SAMMMY!" She screamed trying with all her might to get them to wake. "DAD!" She screamed again.
"You keep screaming like that you'll bring the dead right to them" The one bent down picking her up now. She struggled in his grasp but he was just to strong for her weak hungry body. Bobby, he was still out there, he was alive.
"BOBBBY!" Riley screamed as loud as she could but nothing happened. Bobby didn't appear from the woods to save the day, to save her.
"Let me go" Sh threatened.
"Or what?" One man laughed.
"I claim her first, she's a fighter I like that" another hissed near her ear. Then just like that they were crossing the tracks Riley fighting every step of the way to get free.
"Damn give it up already" The leader said. He then smiled.
"Damn two for one" He said pointing to a figure sitting in the middle of the road. One of the men finally set her down but she could barely walk on her shaking legs as they approached this man sitting in the road. He was dirty, like he'd been out here for to long. His crossbow laying at his feet, He looked defeated, tired and sad Riley noticed maybe he could help her, maybe he would. She was shoved forward falling to her knees in front of him. He looked up at her and she pleaded with her eyes for help but instead he stood punching the leader in the nose. Riley's head hung low as she finally realized no one was going to help her. She heard their conversation barely something about being a bowman.
"I'm Joe" The leader said.
The man in the black leather vest just stared at them for a long minute his eyes drifting toward Riley.
"Daryl" He said and just like that she was being pushed forward, he legs threatening to fail her but her dad's words echoing in her head. "Be strong Riley, hold your head high" So that's what she did, on shaky legs she held her head high not willing to let Joe and his men see her crack.