SORRY GUYS THAT IT'S BEEN TAKING ME LONGER TO POST NEW CHAPTERS, BUT I'VE BEEN BUSY AND MAKING THE CHAPTERS LONGER. OK SO ANYWAYS THE SECOND HALF OF SEASON 3 STARTS TONIGHT SO THOUGHT I'D GET SEASON 1 FINISHED ALREADY… I REALLY WANT TO START ON SEASON 2 & 3 KNOWING THE RELATIONSHIP DARYL AND HARP ARE GOING TO BUILD INTO AND ALL THE DYNAMICS THESES SEASONS OFFER, SO AS ALWAYS REMEMBER TO REVIEW AND I'LL LET YOU PROCEED.

LOVE

J

SEASON 1 EPISODE 6: TS-19

CHAPTER 6: We're All That's Left

-We live as we dream- alone.

~Joseph Conrad

"GET EM' INSIDE!" Harper yells at Rick and Shane as her and Daryl take out a couple walkers that got to close for comfort, Darlene getting some exercise. She stands caving in one corpses head with Darlene when she feels a rough hand pull her away. "COME ON!" Daryl's gravely voice pierces through her ears as she follows him into the white light of the CDC.

Shane holds the door open for them as they make their way inside Daryl pushing Harper along and guarding her back. Dale issues to Shane to close the door and watch for walkers. Harper takes a breath being inside, but pulls out her 45. Cautiously waiting for something to spring out at her. The children's sobbing dies down sensing that they're safe. Glenn looks at her concerned. "You ok? That was close back there!" Glenn says to her. "Yea I'm fine Glenn. Keep your eye open and stay focused." She tells him before the group hears a voice.

"ANYBODY INFECTED?!" A man in clean clothes, combed hair, and carrying an assault rifle pointed at them steps out of the shadows of the stairs to their right. Daryl steps in front of Harper pointing his loaded crossbow at the man on the stairs. Harper didn't know whether this was a protective move by Daryl or whether he just was casually stepping in front of her, but whatever it was, it made her feel safe. "One of our group was. He didn't make it." Rick tells the man on the staircase.

The man asks them what they want and Rick replies with "A chance" and before long the man agrees to let them in with the small admission fee of a blood test. "You have stuff to bring in you do it know! Once this door closes it stays closed!" The man says lowering his rifle. Harper than realizes in her amazement at seeing the CDC she forgot her bag and the camera in the Dixon's truck. "Shit I forgot my stuff in the truck." She tells Daryl heading to the door. "Make it back quick!" Daryl tells her with slight worry in his voice.

Harper follows Shane, Glenn, Rick, and Daryl who volunteer to go out and get their food, ammo, supplies and what's left of their medicine in the RV. Harper makes it to the truck. No walkers can be seen so far, but she knows they're there. She opens the passenger side door of the truck where she had once been sitting and sees her stuff sitting on the floor boards. She sits Darlene down on the seat and rummages trying to round up her stuff quickly. Than she hears a bad sound. Glenn shouts. "HARPER WALKER!" But it's too late.

A walker grabs her hair through the rolled down window of the open truck door and pulls her back. She screams as it grabs her trying to make a meal of the flesh on her neck. She fights it, but in the awkward position she's in, she has no room to get a kill shot on it, luckily neither does it, the room to make one on her. She screams and fights it as her broken fingers scream in pain at the cause of her struggle. "YOU UGLY SON OF A BITCH!" She hears a rough gravelly voice before the walker releases its grip on her and she slides down the door panting and sitting on the ground.

She finds herself in a bit of a shock never having been in a situation quite like that. She hears Glenn's voice. "Is she ok?!" She hears footsteps running. "Please be ok." She hears a gravely voice whisper. Daryl makes his way around the door and kneels to her dropping his crossbow. She doesn't say a word to him. He grabs her arms checking them. "Are you bit?" Daryl brushes long strands of brown hair out of her face so he can see it. She doesn't answer him, his blue eyes grow with fear. "ANSWER ME!" He shakes her shoulders as Rick, Shane, and Glenn make their way to them. Daryl looks at her. "Are you bit?!" He repeats. Glenn looks pale as a ghost. "Is she- is she bit?" He says.

Harper shakes her head coming back to reality. "N—no-no… No I wasn't." She says weak. The men let out sighs of relief. "God damn!" Daryl says pulling her up to a standing position. She shrugs him off, her fingers ring in pain. "I- I'm fine." She says picking up her stuff and grabbing her bat.

"You sure?" Rick asks her. "Yea, let's get out of this shit hole." She marches past the men with her stuff in hand. They stand there staring at her in shock at the quick recovery she just made after just being attacked. "COME ON!" She yells at them. "You think he's the only asshole out here?" She points to the dead walker that attacked her with a knife sticking out of its head. Daryl marches to the walker and takes his knife out of its head smiling. "You heard the woman! Let's go!" Daryl says and they follow her back to the building.

She is greeted by a running Sophia who hugs her waste. "We heard screams?!" Dale says worried. "Harper made a friend outside." Daryl says. "Nothing we couldn't handle." He looks at her and she mouths a "Thank you." Sophia's soft hazel eyes beam up at her. "Are you alright?!" Harper ruffles the little girl's hair. "Yea kiddo. No need to worry anymore." She says looking at the man who had previously held them at gun point.

The man looks at her than goes to the door swiping a card through a slot and speaking into a speaker. "Vi, ceil the main entrance, kill the power up here." He talks into the speaker. "Rick Grimes." Rick introduces himself to the man. "Dr. Edwin Jenner." He replies to Rick looking at the exhausted group.

"Come with me." The man tells them, leading them to an elevator. He swipes his card and it opens. He gets in and the group stands back mesmerized by the functioning elevator. "In." He tells them nervously. Harper gets bad vibes coming off the Dr. as if he is hiding something from them.

The group with no argument piles into the elevator. Harper stands in between Glenn and Daryl, being somewhat closer to the redneck. Sophia stands in front of them by Carl hugging her doll. Jenner stands by the door of the elevator as it goes down waiting for it to stop. Glenn looks over at Harper and Daryl standing next to each other. Daryl staring at the Dr. and Harper staring into space. Harper shifting her weight ends up slightly leaning on Daryl, Glenn sighs sadly and Dale puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl speaks up asking Jenner. "No, but there were plenty left lying around I familiarized myself with it." He looks back at Daryl. "Besides you look harmless enough." Jenner smiles at Carl. "Except for you, I'll have to keep my eye on you." Carl sheepishly smiles and Jenner smiles back, but Harper can see something sad behind his eyes as the elevator doors open up. Jenner leads them down a hallway not saying anything.

"Are we underground?" Carol asks breaking the silence. "Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asks her continuing to walk. "A little." Carol answers. The doctor sighs. "Try not to think about it."

They enter a large room full of computers and workstations that should have people sitting at them. Jenner shouts out to this mysterious "Vi" again. "Vi, power up the lights in the big room." They look around amazed as lights come on in the room. The group confused wants to know what has been passing through Harper's mind as well, where is everyone?

"I'm it. It's just me here." Jenner tells them, but they don't except it. "What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asks another question in Harpers mind "Vi?" Jenner speaks to VI again. "Vi say hello to our guests... tell them welcome." They all listen as an automated computer voice sounds overhead. "Hello guests, welcome." They all stare around the room in disbelief. "I'm all that's left." He tells them. Harper's hope of a cure washes away. "I'm sorry."

.o.o.

Harper sits in front of Jenner in a room with the group as a cold icy needle enters her vein. Daryl stands near; she looks away not being able to bare seeing a tube fill up with her own blood. "Afraid of a little blood?" Daryl says teasing. She rolls her eyes knowing she will never be able to live it down. She looks at Jenner once he is done. "What's the point? If we were all infected we would be running fevers." She tells him. "I've broke every rule in the book by letting you in here. Let me at least be thorough." He tells her as she gets up.

She feels light headed, but pays no mind to it as she looks at Daryl. "What was it you said about there being no rules?" She smirks, but all of a sudden feeling weak, she loses her balance and Daryl supports her, grabbing her side and shoulder. She latches onto his shoulder as Jacqui runs up and rubs her back. Harper thinks about the last time she had something to eat and recalls her first night at camp eating a stale bag of chips and drinking a bottle of water. That was the last time she had eaten.

"You ok?" Daryl looks into her eyes and she nods. Jenner looks at them. "What's wrong?" Jacqui comforts Harper and looks at Jenner. "She hasn't eaten in days, none of us have." Jacqui says and Daryl recalls that the whole time he has known this girl; he's never seen her eat. He worries not knowing whether she is in starvation mode or not.

.o.o.

After finding out that the group hadn't ate in a long while Jenner makes them a feast and serves them wine. Like the last supper, the group sits around a table in the CDC food court feasting, smiling, and laughing. Dale pours wine out to everybody except for Daryl and Glenn who have their own bottles. Dale looks at Carl and smiles suggesting that Carl should have some like the children in Italy and France do with their suppers.

The group laughs and Lori protests, but the group peer pressure's her into letting him have some. They all laugh including hot headed Daryl as Carl takes the wine glass from Dale eager to try it. The group gets silent as Carl takes a sip, waiting for his reaction. Carl pulls it back fast. "EWW!" The group laughs as Carl's face shrivels up. Lori pats him on the back. "That's my boy."

Shane chuckles telling Carl to stick to soda pop. Daryl chimes in. "Not you Glenn. Keep drinking little man! I want to see how red your face can get!" The group starts up more laughter. Harper looks at Carol and Sophia who sit beside her laughing and enjoying themselves.

Harper takes out her camera and aims it at the mother and daughter. "Carol, Sophia!" Harper gets their attention and they smile for the camera. She takes the picture and they giggle. This is the happiest Harper has been in months, even before the apocalypse. Rick stands up and taps his glass making it ring through the room. "It's come to my attention, that we haven't thanked our host properly." He says looking at Jenner who sits at a far off table.

"He is more than just our host!" T-dog raises his glass and so does Harper and the others. "Here's to you doc!" Daryl raises his bottle dancing around the table. "BOOYAH!" The group including Harper repeats Daryl. "BOOYAH!" They all laugh and smile internally grateful to the Dr. Than Shane butts in ruining the mood asking Jenner what happened here.

The happiness fades as Jenner tells them about suicides in the halls and people leaving to be with their families. The only reason he says he stayed was that he was "hoping to do some good." They all look at Shane now back into their normal state of depression and funk. "Man you're such a buzz kill." Glenn says partially angry at Shane for ruining their time. Harper is especially mad at him and shoots him daggers.

.o.o.

Jenner after dinner shows them to housing and all its luxuries, they have been missing for so long. They each have their own rooms, but after pleads by Sophia, Harper decides to room with Carol and her daughter. In their room is one small bed that Harper offers to Carol and little Sophia and a small loveseat in the corner next to an end table, where Harper will be sleeping.

The group takes turns getting showers letting the two small families, the Peletier's and the Grimes' go first. Harper decides to be the second to last, the last being Daryl. While waiting on the shower's to become open Harper explores the housing area that has a small rec room. She looks at the books, but by the size of them she could tell with all the time in the world she wouldn't be able to read them. She sits on the rec room couch letting out a sigh of relief.

She is tired and assumes its night by the way the sky had looked before they entered. Harper rubs her hand her broken fingers swelling again from the previous attack. "Eke-hem." She hears and turns to see Daryl standing drinking a bottle that's almost gone. "So is this our new campfire?" He asks her and she smiles rubbing her hand.

He notices her hand and sets his bottle down on the table and goes to her. "Damn." He kneels in front of her and takes her hand in his slightly touching it, her face showing pain. "It's swollen again… Why the hell did you take your wrap off?!" He asks her with slight anger in his voice.

"Got a little gory after the camp clean up, so I threw it away." She tells him. Harper stares at him while he keeps all his attention on her hand. "You get the Doc on this?" He looks up asking her concerned. She pulls her hand away feeling awkward. "No… didn't want to bother him with more of our problems." She tells him and he stands up and holds out his hand. "Come on… I think I got some wrap in my room." She takes his hand with her good one and he pulls her off the couch.

She follows him down the hallway, but is stopped by Carol and Sophia who are back from the showers in clean pajamas. "Harper the showers are open." She nods at Carol. "Alright." She looks at Daryl. "Think I ought to get a shower in before my hand's wrapped." She tells him. He nods taking a swig of his wine. "Kay, don't take to long." He tells her walking away.

.o.o.

She enters the CDC's warm shower water and watches as blood, grime, and gore flows down the drain off her body. The oil in her hair washing away as the lilac shampoo rinses it. She enjoys her time and takes longer than she expected. She dries her self off and throws on a clean silky large men's shirt that goes down to her mid thighs, as a replacement night gown and throws on boy shorts.

She looks in the mirror and sees the Harper she hasn't seen in a long time. She sighs as she sees the bruises and cuts that are more noticeable now that they are not covered by blood and dirt. She laughs to herself feeling an overwhelming sense of joy. "What you laughing at?" She hears a gravely voice that belongs to none other than Daryl Dixon. He startles her. "How long have you been there!?" She shouts at him. "Not long enough to see anything come on, we need to take care of that hand." He tells her.

Nervously Harper follows him, feeling uncomfortable with Daryl seeing her with this little of clothes on. He looks at her up and down as they walk making her even more uncomfortable, he takes notice to the bruises and cuts that she made while being held prisoner. "Damn… you did a number on yourself with those Mexicans." He says looking at her as they walk to housing. She smiles and waves her bad hand. "Yea well wasn't going down with out a fight."

"Sure as hell looks like it." Daryl says. "You know for a tough girl you sure do have a weak stomach." He tells her. Harper looks down embarrassed. "Yea, well I'm hemophobic." She tells him and he looks at her puzzled. "Speak English, please." Daryl looks at her. "I'm severely afraid of blood." She smiles at him laughing. Daryl starts to chuckle. "Well in that case, guess you do have some brass balls, carrying those bodies like you did." He smiles at her as they enter the hallway to the rooms. The way he says brass balls reminds her of Merle and that Daryl is in fact his brother, she had almost forgot.

They make their way down the hall, Daryl taking swigs along the way of his wine. Dale and Rick both pass them going down the hall. Dale smiling humbly in a bath robe and Rick drunker than a skunk. Almost to Daryl's room one of the door's open in front of them. Glenn steps out smiling at her, but than sees Daryl behind her and the smile goes away. Harper and Daryl continue to walk. Daryl passes her than Glenn telling him "To get out of my way little man!" Harper looks at Glenn and smiles as she passes him. He looks at her in disbelief.

"Where are you going?" Glenn asks her nervously. She raises her swollen hand showing him. "Daryl's gonna patch me up in his room." She tells him walking towards Daryl who is now standing in his doorway waiting for her to come in. Glenn stops her again. "Dale can do it if you want, we got some stuff for it." Glenn says trying to convince Harper not to leave with Daryl.

Harper looks at Daryl who is waiting on a decision than she looks back at Glenn. "No I'm fine. Thank you though." She says to Glenn entering Daryl's room. Daryl nods his head at Glenn as he takes a swig of wine and shuts the door behind Harper. Glenn stands in defeat.

Harper stands in the entrance of Daryl's room and looks at his bed wishing almost that she had gotten her own room, so she could get a good nights rest knowing the couch probably wasn't the softest. Daryl walks past her after shutting the door and hands the bottle to her as he goes to the couch and digs through his bag.

She leans on the wall and takes a big swig of the wine, the soft carpet tickling her bare feet as she stands. Daryl watches her as she looks around the room leaning on the white wall. Daryl notices all the curves on her body with the little clothes she has on and feels uncomfortable, but can't help looking. She finally realizes he is looking at her and he quickly looks away nervously stumbling through his bag. He grabs the stuff he needs. "Got it." He says fast and nervous.

She stops leaning on the wall and stands straight up drinking the wine. He walks up to her and takes it. She wipes her lips off with the back of her hand. He goes and sits at the edge of his new bed with his bottle and the stuff to help her hand. "Here, sit." He says pointing to the bed.

She silently freaks out with the awkward situation and brushes her damp brown hair behind her ear nervously before joining him on the edge of the bed. He holds out his hand. "Let me see your hand." She looks at him than the bottle. "Let me see the bottle." She says smiling. He hands her the bottle and she puts her swollen hand into his hand. He pokes at the fingers a bit and she takes a swig of the bottle to hide the pain. He notices a small tattoo of a heart on her ring finger, but decides no to ask her about it.

"You really smashed them up good. You probably shouldn't of been lift'n nothin' and your friend outside probably didn't help much." He tells her. She finishes the bottle feeling buzzed before talking. "Yea well, you can't rest nowadays, even if it's a couple fingers." He looks up at her as she tosses the bottle aside. "You're lucky I have another bottle otherwise you'd be walking your sorry ass back down to the kitchen and getting me one." She smiles and he smiles back as he pulls out gauze to wrap her fingers with.

He takes her fingers gently not saying anything and careful not to cause pain. She watches him wrap them and smiles and he looks up slightly smirking. Daryl not paying attention starts to wrap them to tight and she winces in pain. He quickly goes back to her hand. "Sorry." He says finishing it. "There you're done." He says quickly getting up nervous and uncomfortable. She smiles and slowly gets up. "Thanks." She tells him.

She stands in front of him and they stand in an awkward silence for a moment than she turns for the door. "There's always that second bottle if you want a glass." He tells her before she can leave. She turns around letting go of her grasp on the door handle and smiles. "Sure what the hell."

.o.o.

Harper wakes up her head pounding under white sheets and blankets. She feels panicked not knowing where she is. She raises slowly her head beating on her like a drum. She blinks her eyes and recognizes the place as Daryl's room. She panics not remembering what happened the night beforehand.

She looks down quickly and feels that her night clothes are still on, Thank god. She than wonders as she looks around why she's in his bed. She pulls the covers quickly off of her and rushes to find the side of the bed. She stumbles as she gets up and notices three bottles empty on the table.

She looks around her head spinning and her eyes come across the couch. She sees a sleeping Daryl curled into a ball trying to fit his whole body on the couch. She notices him wearing his same clothes and his boots are still on. Something is off she thinks to herself. She goes and grabs a pillow off the bed and throws it at Daryl who jerks awake. "Hey asshole!" She yells at him.

He rises up. "What the hell!" He yells back at her obviously feeling as hung over as she is. She grows angry. "You mind telling me what the hell's a matter with you?!" Daryl shouts. "You mind telling me what the hell I am doing here?!" She shouts back. He slowly gets up. "A glass turned into you going and getting two more bottles." He says angry. "You could barely walk so I let you take the bed and I took the couch wasn't about to carry your ass to your room and let you make a fool of yourself in front of a little girl." He says angrily and all of a sudden Harper feels like a complete ass.

"Sorry to get your hopes up princess but nothing happened! Kay?! So now if you don't mind why don't you get the hell out of my room and let me sleep!" Daryl shouts harshly at her. The words bite and she feels terrible on top of the hangover and quickly marches to the door as her eyes start to fight back tears. She opens it looking back at Daryl once before slamming it and leaving.

After she shuts the door she leans against it and takes a deep breath and fights tears feeling her eyes becoming glassy. She slides down the door and sits on the ground putting her head on her knees hung over and feeling like a total bitch. She hears footsteps coming down the hall looking up barely to see Dale smiling. "Another victim of the wine!" He says chuckling looking at her.

He kneels down noticing that there's more wrong with her than just the wine. "Dear, what's the matter?" Dale asks her concerned. "Besides the hangover, I just made an utterly and complete ass of myself that's what." She puts her head on her knees while Dale rubs her back. "Is it about last night and your whereabouts?" Harper looks up at him than back to her knees. "Glenn said he saw you go into Daryl's room last night." Harper keeps her head down and sighs. "Yea well that's where I woke up."

Dale looks at her shocked. "You-you didn't—"Harper looks at him. "No I didn't." She tells him and his shocked look dies down. "I couldn't make it back to my room so he let me sleep in there, but of course when I woke up I didn't remember anything and I—I was rude and—and… like I said before I acted like an ass." Dale nods. "That's what got me here, he screamed at me than kicked me out." She tells him. Dale smiles. "Ahh yes, well don't beat yourself up too bad, Daryl's not the nicest himself."

Dale smiles and stands up grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. She feels somewhat better at the old man's statement. "Why don't you go get some fresh clothes on and join us for breakfast? T-dog made some eggs." Dale says patting her back. "Should I get Daryl?" She asks. "Why don't you just leave the boy to his hangover… that was probably half his problem." Dale tells her and she smiles giving him a hug before heading to her room.

She gets to the door about to enter when it opens for her. Sophia and Carol stand in front of her in the doorway. "Harper!" Carol says shocked to see her and hugs her. She releases the hug. "Where were you?" Sophia asked. "Being stupid." Harper answers smiling at the little girl. "We didn't know where you went and when you didn't come to bed we assumed the worse." Carol tells her. "Well I am here now." Harper says rubbing the little girl's head. "Sophia why don't you head down to breakfast so me and Harper can talk." Carol tells the little girl. Sophia skips her way down the hall leaving them.

"She seems happy here." Harper says smiling. "Yea, but what about you?" Carol asks concerned. Harper sighs. "Long story that I'm sure you'll hear about at breakfast." Carol hugs her. "Alright well as long as you're fine, would hate to lose somebody now." Harper nods. "Would hate to lose somebody any day." Harper tells her.

Carol pats her on the back and leaves her to get dressed. Harper enters the room shutting the door behind her sighing as the headache grows. Right now Harper wants to crawl into the bed sitting five feet from her, but knows she needs to go to breakfast to settle the now spreading rumors of last night. Her? Sleep with Daryl Dixon? These people were out of their minds if they thought that she would ever sink that low. She thought to herself, but than again, these people barely knew her. Five days though and she felt like she had known them for a lifetime.

She walks to her bag that presently sits on the couch and pulls out her clothes. She puts on a slim brown tank top and a red flannel with dark jeans. After getting dressed the massive headache pounds on her head making her lose her balance and she starts to fall but catches herself on the couch with her bad hand causing pain to shoot up her arm. She looks at her wrapped hand and remembers Daryl's generosity the night before making her feel even more guilty. The man doesn't do much caring for the group so when he does you don't knock him down for it. Harper knows she needs to apologize and thank him before it's too late.

She listens to Dale's advice and decides not to bother him before breakfast, but afterwards it's her mission to talk to him. Harper makes her way to the food court slowly and painfully. As she nears the room she hears the group talking and slows to listen to them.

"So you think they?" She hears Lori say. "No, I talked to Harper." Dale's voice chimes in making Harper like the old man even more. "Did what?" She hears Sophia's little voice. "Nothing, eat your eggs." Carol tells her daughter. "Are you sure though?" Glenn's worried voice comes in. "Just the thought of those two, togeth—it kinda makes me—"The sound of Glenn barfing comes in, he is suffering from a hangover too. "I think Harper's a smart girl, even if they did, it wouldn't be our business." Dale says. Harper decides to enter the room to kill the conversation before it makes her sick too.

She enters rubbing her head and they all stare at her. "Morning." Dale says. "Here sit." He pulls out a chair and than helps her to it. "Looks like Glenn isn't the only one suffering." Jacqui says to her rubbing Glenn's back, a bucket sits next to him. T-dog walks a plate of eggs to her. "Thank you." She tells him rubbing her aching forehead. She notices the group still staring at her, searching for answers. It makes her slightly angry and she decides not to tell them anything. "What?!" She says angrily to the group taking a quick bite of her eggs. The group looks away and Dale pats her back as she looks down.

Rick enters looking just as hung over as the rest of them. He looks over at his wife and son. "Morning." Carl looks at his father smiling. "Are you hung over? Mom said you'd be." Carl asks smirking. Lori looks at him and so does Rick. "Mom is right." Lori chuckles. "Yea mom has that annoying habit." She smiles at Rick. T-dog hands Rick a plate of some eggs boasting about them being good, which Harper has to admit they aren't that bad. Glenn moans loudly with his hand on his head. T-dog tells him to eat that "Protein helps the hangover" and they giggle at a moaning Glenn.

"Don't ever ever ever let me drink again." Glenn says as Shane walks in. Harper notices him ducking his head as to not be seen. Rick asks him if he feels as bad as he does and he answers with "Worse." Harper watches him fix coffee and T-dog walk up to him. T-dog's eyes get big upon seeing Shane. "Man what happened to you? Your neck?" T-dog asks as Shane turns around revealing claw like scratches going down his neck.

"Don't know must've done it in my sleep." He says suspiciously sitting down. "Never seen you do that before?" Rick says concerned. "Me neither. Not like me at all." He exchanges glances at Lori, but she quickly looks away. Harper comes to the conclusion that maybe the group shouldn't of been worried about her and Daryl, but instead Lori and Shane.

Jenner walks in and they all tell him good morning, but Harper notices Dale and Andrea exchange glances and nod. "Doc, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing, but—"Jenner interrupts him. "But you will anyways." Andrea looks at the doctor. "We didn't come here for the eggs." Daryl than enters the room in new clothes and showered, looking fresher and bushier tailed than most of them. Harper looks at him and watches as a gleam of anger flashes through his eyes when he sees her. She looks down and avoids his gaze as he makes his plate.

.o.o.

"Man I'm gonna get shit faced drunk… again." Daryl says leaning on some computers in the big room putting both his hands to his fore head. The group pulls themselves back together after seeing the turning process on a wide scaled monitor. They have come to the CDC to get answers, but the answer they got was there is no hope left.

Harper wipes away a few stray tears in private not wanting the group to see. Watching the process over again and finding out there is no cure is a lot to handle even for her. She watches Daryl pull his thoughts together as well knowing it bothered him too. Dale's curious soul continues to ask Jenner more, his question being as he points to a countdown on the wall. "What happens at zero?"

The group not noticing it before begins to stare at the clock. "The basement generators, they run out of fuel." Jenner tells them. Harper now grows angry as the doctor doesn't tell them anything else. "And then?" Harper asks, but doesn't get an answer. Rick looks up at the ceiling. "Vi, what happens when the basement generators run out?" VI's computer generated voice rings out telling them that "When the power runs out facility wide decontamination will occur."

.o.o.

"That's pretty Sophia." Harper tells the little girl who shows her another drawing as Carol and them sit together on the floor of their room. Harper's mind wanders somewhere else though. She's worried about how Jenner acted and what facility wide decontamination meant. She also wonders on how Daryl is holding up remembering what he said about getting shit faced drunk, "Again."

She gets up deciding to talk to him needing to make her apology anyways. "Where you going?" Carol asks concerned as Harper rises. "Just going to take a walk." Harper says heading towards the door. "Don't go too far, Rick should be back soon." Carol tells her. "Don't worry about me. Why don't you guys pack your stuff, I didn't like how Jenner sounded." Harper says. "Why?" Carol asks concerned. "Just trust me ok. It's just for preparation, plus this room is getting pretty cluttered." Harper tells her and Carol nods as Harper leaves the room.

Harper makes her way to Daryl's room sighing not knowing what she's going to say when she gets there. Finally at Daryl's door she stands and looks at her feet for a moment, before knocking on the wooden door. Daryl swings the door open with another bottle in his hand. He sees it's her and goes to slam it, but she stops it with her bad hand making her cringe in pain. "Damn it girl!" He tells her as she holds her hand in pain.

"I came to tell you I am sorry for this morning." She tells him. He scoffs. "All that's going on. The world ending, a half an hour before decontamination, and you're standing here apologizing to me? I thought you were a hell of a lot smarter than that." He tells her taking a swig. "Yea well this is a problem I can fix, the other two I can't. So yea I am sorry." She tells him looking into his blue eyes as the gleam of anger vanishes from them. He nods taking a drink. "We're cool."

All of a sudden they hear the air conditioning shut down and Harper watches the lights in Daryl's room behind him shut off. He turns around marching into his room. "What the hell?! He says waving his hand in front of the ceiling vent. Harper walks to him concerned. "What's going on?" She says a hint of fear in her voice. He stares into her frightened blue eyes. The same eyes he had seen with the Vatos and the night of the camp attack. He grows angry thinking that he'd never have to see those eyes again. "It's the power. It's gone." He tells her as they hear voices in the hall.

They walk to the doorway, Daryl still holding the bottle. Carol and Lori march behind Jenner. "Why is the air off?" Lori asks him and he continues to walk ignoring her. Everyone spills out of their rooms. Daryl looks at everyone. "What's going on? Why is everything turned off?" He asks. Jenner than walks by him and steals the bottle from his hands. Daryl marches after him. Harper follows closely behind Daryl now feeling the same unsafe feel she had before the CDC.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner says as the whole group follows him. Sophia latches onto Carol scared. "Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale asks panicked. The hallway lights shut off surrounding them in darkness. Fear creeps up on Harper and she sticks close to Daryl. "Zone 5 is shutting itself down." Jenner tells them as they follow his lead as he takes swigs of Daryl's bottle. "Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?!" Daryl says, Harper grows worried sensing fear in his voice as well.

They enter the big room and Daryl speeds up besides Jenner with Harper close behind him. "Hey, man I'm talking to you!" Daryl yells at Jenner looking back to make sure Harper is behind him. "What do you mean it's shutting itself down?! How can a building do anything?!" Daryl asks angry. "You'd be surprised." Jenner tells him as they walk further into the big room. Rick, Shane, T-dog, and Glenn run into the room from another entrance. "Rick?!" Lori yells to him worried. "Jenner what's happening?!" Rick walks to Jenner as he makes his way to the computers.

Jenner tells them that the building is designed to keep the computers running as long as possible and that it has started to shut everything down as they approach the half hour mark. They look to the clock as it reads thirty one minutes. They all stand silently in fear as Daryl takes the bottle away from Jenner. Jenner tells them that the French were the last ones to hold out. Rick looks at everybody knowing Jenner is not stable. "Lori grab our things! Everybody, get your stuff! We're getting out of here now!" They all turn to run as Jenner makes his way to a panel. They are stopped by a loud buzzing alarm. Harper looks at Daryl with fear. "What's that?" She asks him and he shakes his head, no answer.

"30 MINUTES TO DECONTAMINATION." VI's robotic voice rings through their ears. "DOC WHAT'S GOING ON HERE DAMNIT!?" Daryl yells at Jenner after seeing Harper's frightened eyes. Shane speaks up. "Come one ya'll you heard Rick! Get your stuff and let's go!" Daryl pulls on Harper's arm. "Come on now! Let's go!" He tells her and she runs with him. Than the unexpected happens.

Harper and Daryl watch in front of them as large metallic doors spring up in front of the entrances closing them in. "Did you just lock us in?! He just locked us in!" Glenn shouts first at Jenner than to the group. Harper looks at Daryl and her eyes glass up with more fear than ever before. The children shout for their mothers and cry. Daryl looks at Harper's eyes and is infuriated. He marches fast and angry to Jenner. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Daryl charges Jenner.

Harper and Shane run after him. "YOU LOCKED US IN HERE!" Daryl screams about to smash the bottle to Jenner's head. "Daryl! Stop! No don't!" Harper yells as he grabs the doctor's collar who sits at a computer. Glenn, T-dog, Shane, and Harper reach him and hold him back. "YOU LOCKED US IN HERE!" He yells fighting against the restraints. Harper yells to calm the angry redneck down. "Daryl! Stop it! Now!"

Rick marches to Jenner. "Hey Jenner open up that door." Jenner looks at him and refuses saying that there's no point that the entrance is locked down. He tells them "It's better this way." Harper looks at the doctor. "What is? What happens in 28 minutes?!" Jenner ignores her. Rick yells at him to get him to answer. "WHAT HAPPENS IN 28 MINUTES!?" Jenner returns yelling at him about what the CDC is and what it's programmed to do. As he yells Harper goes to a frightened Carol and Sophia and hugs them. Jenner tells them that in case of something getting out or the power goes out HITS are deployed to stop it.

The group looks puzzled not knowing what HITS are. "VI Define." Jenner tells the computer. "HITs-high impulse thermobaric fuel-air-explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear." VI defines as Carol and Sophia begin to cry. Harper hugs her friends fighting tears to stay strong for them as VI continues. "The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired." Lori, Carl, and Rick hug. Daryl watches as a tear falls down Harper's petrified face.

"It sets the air on fire." Jenner says hauntingly.

.o.o.

Harper sits with her arms around a crying Carol and Sophia her face dry of tears as they listen to glass shatter against metal. Daryl throws the wine bottle at the doors blocking their escape. "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" He yells to Jenner. "Out of my way!" Shane says running to the door and hitting it with an axe. "Daryl!" T-dog yells throwing an axe to the redneck who than proceeds to hit the door with Shane making no dents. Carl and Sophia sob. "You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier." Jenner tells them.

"Easier for who?!" Lori asks angry. "You know what's out there. A short brutal life and an agonizing death." Jenner says than turns to Andrea talking about Amy. Harper kisses Sophia's head as she sobs. "Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him." She whispers into the crying little girls ears. Shane comes up out of breath Daryl still hammers at the door not giving up. "Can't make a dent." Shane says.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner tells him as Daryl comes charging with his axe. "WELL YOUR HEAD AIN'T!" Rick and Shane hold him back once again. "Daryl! Daryl! Just back up! Back up!" Rick yells at him. They push him away and he once again calms down. Jenner stands up and tells the group how Rick said that it was only a matter of time before they all died. The group looks at him shocked. "I had to keep hope alive didn't I?" Rick tells them.

Jenner answers saying there is no hope, but Rick refuses to hear that. Andrea agrees with Jenner. "This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."

"YOU BASTARD!" Harper yells at him holding Sophia and Carol. "This isn't right." Carol sobs. "You can't just keep us here!" Jenner looks at Harper and Carol. He tells them about how quick it will be "One tiny moment." "My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol sobs and Harper comforts her. "You son of a bitch." Harper says to him. "This isn't human!" Harper gets up with Carol and Sophia to get them away from this man's crazy talk.

Shane cocks a gun and aims it at Jenner. Rick yells at him to calm down. "Open that door." Shane tells him putting a shotgun in Jenner's face. Rick informs him that if Jenner dies they all die. Shane angrily yells and starts shooting computers before Rick hits him and pens him to the ground. "Are you done now? Are you done?" Rick asks him. "Yea I guess we all are." Shane tells him as he gets up.

Hope drains from all their faces as they stand around. Harper stands with Carol, Sophia, and Daryl her new found friends knowing they're going to die. She looks at Daryl with watery eyes that tell him she's not ready to die. Neither is Daryl. He takes his axe and goes to the door continuing to try. Harper goes with him and helps; if they're going to die it's not going to be standing alone.

"Come on!" Harper's voice quivers as she yells hitting the door sending pain through her fingers. She feels a tear running down her cheek and quickly wipes it away. "Come on!" She yells at the door as they hear Jenner and Rick talk back and forth. "Come on! You son of a bitch!" She yells cringing in pain and feeling more tears come. She gives up on the axe and starts hitting the door with her hands yelling. Daryl drops his axe and grabs her hands to stop her from hurting herself and turns her facing him as he yells. "HARP!" He gets her to calm down and look at him. She cries. "I'm not ready to die." She sobs looking into his deep blue eyes.

He holds her hands and is about to pull her in when they hear the door open next to them. Daryl looks at her than to the group. "COME ON!" He yells than leans down and grabs his axe. Harper quickly wipes her face and grabs her axe. "Sophia, Carol, hurry!" She yells to them and they come running to her. Daryl goes running ahead and the three follow. They find the group running behind them as they shout to get out.

They make their way to the rooms. Harper grabs her pack, Darlene, and slides her 45. Into its rightful spot on her belt. She helps Sophia quickly slide her backpack on and hands the little girl her doll. Daryl comes in the room with his bag and crossbow at hand. "COME ON! HURRY!" Daryl yells at them. Carol picks up Sophia and Daryl grabs onto Harper's arm pulling her out of the room. They run down the hall with the rest of the group. They make it to a flight of stairs and speed up it as fast as possible reaching the main floor. T-dog gets ahead of them and runs to the doors of the entrance.

"GET THEM DOORS OPEN!" Shane yells at T-dog. Harper stays close to Carol and Sophia comforting them as the rest of the group floods the CDC lobby. "IT DOESN'T WORK!" T-dog yells. Daryl and Shane get to the large windows and hit at them with their axes, but the glass doesn't bust. "Come on! Come on!" Daryl yells at the windows. "Stay close sweetheart." Carol tells Sophia. Harper notices the absence of Jacqui, Andrea, and Dale. "Jacqui, Andrea, Dale!?" Harper asks Lori. Lori shakes her head no and holds Carl close. Harper fights tears back at the thought of losing more friends.

T-dog tells Shane and Daryl to move as he slams a chair into the glass. It doesn't break. Shane cocks his shotgun and yells for T-dog to get down before he shoots the glass, but it has no effect, the glass doesn't break. "The glass won't break?!" Sophia's little voice quivers and Harper hugs her. Harper watches Carol who gets an idea. Carol digs into her bag. "Rick I have something that might help!" She shuffles into her bag looking for something. "Carol I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane tells her. "Your first morning at camp when I washed your uniform…" Carol pulls out a grenade. "I found this in your pocket."

Rick takes it quickly and heads to the window. "Everybody get down!" Shane yells at the group. Carol takes Sophia and ducks by the stairs leaving Harper standing. Daryl runs to her and grabs her. "COME ON! Get down now!" They duck next to Carol, Daryl holding Harper acting as her cover. They hear a loud boom and shatter as Rick dives a few feet away from them.

Harper looks up as Daryl lets go, seeing a busted out window. "Come on!" He says and pulls her up. Carol and Sophia run ahead. Harper watches as Sophia drops her doll. Sophia cries. Carol pulls her along not letting her go back for the doll. Daryl pulls on Harper to come on, but she doesn't go instead she grabs the doll and runs back to Daryl. "Let's go!" Daryl yells at her. They head out the window seeing walkers ahead who most likely came due to the grenade boom.

Harper stays close behind Daryl wielding Darlene as they make their way to the abandoned caravan. A walker comes awful close to grabbing Harper, but pays the consequence as Daryl takes its head off with one swift swing of his axe. As they near the cars Harper trips over a body landing in rotting guck.

She panics, but than feels the strong familiar grip of Daryl pulling her up. He marches her along to the truck opening the door and shoving her inside and than following her getting in the truck as well. He goes to duck, but she stops him pointing out the window. "Andrea! Dale!" She watches as the old man and blonde duck behind sand bags.

"Get down!" Daryl tells her as he hugs her pulling her down; knowing the explosion of the CDC was imminent. He holds her head covering her ears and providing cover over her small figure. She holds onto him scared as an explosion rings through her ears, Daryl's hands not being of much use against the loud noise. Harper panics knowing how many walkers it must've attracted.

Daryl releases his grip on her, but she doesn't as she looks up frightened and needing comfort even if it's from a hotheaded redneck. The horror of burning rubble lights up Harper's eyes. There is no longer a CDC, VI, Jenner, Jacqui, or hope. Tears run down her face as she feels the heat of the burning rubble. The tears on her face are wiped away, not by her this time, but by Daryl's rough, but soft hands. "You ok?" He asks. She nods releasing her grip on him and moving away into her seat. He starts the truck as he sees Andrea and Dale make their way into the RV.

The RV soon starts and their caravan moves out towards Fort Binning 125 miles in the opposite direction.

.o.o.

TO BE CONTINUED:

NEXT CHAPTER WHAT LIES AHEAD