Chapter 6

That evening passed quickly, they'd all eaten with the rest of the survivors. They seemed a bit strange, a little hostile at first. Kay had planted herself between Tara and a man who'd been leering a little too long. She was tense again now that they were around the others, and Abraham and Glenn didn't seem much better. Mary had greeted them kindly once again, with a warm smile and a fresh plate of barbecued meat.

They all ate everything they'd been given, because in this world you never knew when the next meal was going to be. Meat was hard to come by, mostly you had cans of soup, or a bit of squirrel, or rabbit here and there if you were lucky. Kay looked over to the brunette, her blonde hair falling into her eyes as she did so.

"Do you think they have a farm somewhere?" She asked, an eyebrow raised as she ripped another piece of meat from it's bone.

"They must do. That's probably why they need people to do chores. You can't run a farm with only a few people" Tara spoke quietly in-between licking drippings from her fingers. Her dark eyes studying the younger girl who's gun was hung across her chest, bag on her back and knife tucked into it's holster. She looked ready to bolt, but again, she didn't. She looked content to stay, a small smile tugging at her sun burnt and chapped lips.

"Maybe that's where we'll be sent tomorrow then" Kay reasoned as she polished off what was on her plate. The little courtyard began to empty of it's inhabitants as they started filtering off to bed in pairs and threes.

Their group was definitely the best armed, and Abraham watched the others keenly. He didn't seem like he trusted the place as much as he'd have liked to. Glenn and Maggie were whispering between one another, and Rosita and Eugene were both staring in Tara's direction.

Soon dinner was over, and they headed back up to their little make shift rooms. Well fed and watered, Tara leant herself up against Kay. Her knee still giving her grief when she put too much weight onto it. The blonde still didn't make a big deal out of it, and any passer by would just assume they were a couple leaning against one another as they walked.

The stairs were difficult, but they made it in the end just in time to say goodnight to their companions on either side of them. Abraham was busy securing Eugene, but he nodded their way. Glenn and Maggie seemed eager to get some privacy and Rosita was leaning against the wall between the opening of their little rooms.

"You two have a good night" She spoke with a coy smile that sent a deep crimson blush up Kay's neck and cheeks. Tara just smirked, and shrugged as if it was no big deal before replying with, "We'll have an amazing night as long as you two keep it down" She stated simply, with a nod aimed towards where Rosita and Abraham would be sleeping.

"I'm not sure we're the ones who you need to worry about there. Glenn and Maggie definitely had a fire under their asses getting that sheet shut on them" The woman in the cap stated, shaking her head as she laughed lightly.

"That's disgusting" Kay piped up, looking totally put off. Her nose scrunched and her lips pursed before she disappeared into their little room to make sure it was clear.

"I'll better be getting in as well, that nap did nothing but make me even more tired" Tara stated with a small smile before nodding and moving to shut the metal sheeting that served as their door.

"Goodnight you two" Rosita called as she too disappeared into the small room she shared with Abraham.

"Night!" Kay yelled as the sheeting came to a close, clicking the padlock into place and locking them in for the night. The sun was low on the horizon, and most of the little room was cast in heavy shadows. Tara had moved to look out the window, it faced the back side of the depot, and more than a few empty train cars sat unused. It was a bit eerie, but she guessed beggars couldn't really be choosers. They'd be gone in a few days, and get back to their lives on the road.

Kay moved to stand behind her, close enough to make the hairs on the back of the brunette's neck stand on end. She stood there for a moment, just hovering behind the smaller woman; not quite touching her. "What do you think those are for?" She asked quietly, keeping her voice low.

Tara thought for a moment before she answered, examining the train cars as best she could in the dimming light. "I think they're empty" She finally spoke, leaning into the taller woman's front.

"I don't like it" Kay stated simply, "I don't like this place. They're hiding something" She spoke even quieter still. Keeping her voice from filtering out of the metal sheet, from filtering through the thin walls that separated them from the others.

Tara simply raised a brow, wondering if this was what was making the blonde so tense. She spun around to lean against the window, cocking her head slightly to the side to look up at the taller woman. "What do you mean?" She asked, keeping her voice just as low as the blonde had.

Kay furrowed her brows for a moment, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth to chew on for a second. Her features contorted in thought. "They just accepted us without question. We could all be insane murderers and they wouldn't know. Any of our guns would shoot straight through any of these metal sheets. Yet, they asked no questions?" She explained, shaking her head slightly as she pulled away to turn and flop onto their cot. It squeaked under her weight and Tara just watched.

The blonde had a point, and that just made her want to leave this place even more. With a shrug of her shoulders in an attempt to brush it off. Kay had all but gotten in to bed when she sat up to look round. "Are you getting in bed or not?" She stated smirking up at the brunette who'd just stood there.

Tara rolled her eyes as she knelt to undo her boots. It was a little harder than usual with her knee playing up, but she managed it on her own. She climbed into bed with the blonde, and with a little rearranging they managed to get comfortable. Kay insisted she slept on the outside, and Tara didn't argue. Nothing would be getting into the room without alerting them first, and their guns and knives weren't even a foot away.

Kay seemed to content to wrap herself around the smaller woman, and Tara herself was so tired she didn't complain a bit. As the sun dwindled low on the horizon, it cast a warm orange glow through their room and it was the most comfortable they'd both been in months. Tara herself hadn't had to spent many nights roughing it, but she hadn't felt as safe as she did in that moment. They were locked in twice over, and they were high up. There was nothing to worry about, not really.

Kay's body was warm against her back, and the camp bed was soft under her body. She smelt nice, and felt fresh and clean. The sheets were mostly clean, and provided a warmth that a sleeping bag and tarp just couldn't. It felt almost as if they'd returned to some semblance of normality.

Sleep gripped her finally, with an intensity and a deepness that was unwavering until morning. When both women were awakened by someone beating on the metal sheeting that acted as their door.

"Who is it?!" Kay yelled, her gun already firmly in her grip, pointed at the sheet.

"It's Glenn. You both need to get up for breakfast" he called through to them, and Kay calmed right away. Tara herself was reluctant to get up, feeling the fatigue and exhaustion for the first time in a while.

The blonde must have noticed, because as she climbed out of bed to pull her boots on she looked up with deep dark eyes. "You come down for breakfast, then we can bring you back up. Lock the door behind you and sleep some more." She almost ordered, much to Tara's displeasure.

"I'll come with you." The brunette stated flippantly as she got out of the cot, throwing the sheets off of herself as she moved to get out of the bed. Her knee was weak, but she was determined to prove to the blonde that she didn't need to be looked after. She could feel Kay watching as she tried not to limp over to her boots, and that did nothing but annoy her more.

"You know, you act like I'm trying to baby you" The blonde started, and Tara just rolled her eyes. "I'm not. I just don't think you need to strain your knee. You'll be more useful fully healed up." She stated, and when the brunette turned to glare at her, she was just smirking.

"What's so funny?!" Tara snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw tight as she watched the girl who seemed way too amused.

"Just that you like to think you need to prove yourself. You've already done way more than that." The blonde continued to grin a lopsided grin as she slung one of the guns over her shoulder, and holstered her knife.

"I do not need to prove myself to anyone" The shorter girl stated a little self ritiously, her voice bouncing off the walls.

"Then, why don't you let me do your chores for today, and come back here and crash? You need the rest for no other reason than you've been hurt." Kay reasoned, her features softening as she said it. Her stare remained intense, as her dark doe eyes bore into the shorter woman.

Tara hated it, she hated not being able to go and help, hated having to owe someone; even the girl she'd gotten so attached to. Owing someone in this life got you killed, one way or another. She hated the fact Kay was right the most though.

This group was different, they were powerful, each and every one of them in their own way. But not one of them looked down on her, not one regarded her as anything less than an equal. That was new to her, something she hadn't quite had time to adjust to. With her sister in the apartment, she'd taken charge but never felt she accomplished much. She hadn't even worked out how to kill a walker, she'd just shoot at them from a distance and get lucky a few times.

It wasn't until the Governor showed up that she'd found out, and even then he'd treated her like a kid. Like an invalid who was just lucky to have been in a safe place at the right time. She'd had to talk herself up, but really she was afraid; petrified even. She had known he'd sussed her out, but the act stuck as she followed him and her sister to the camp.

That's where she met Alisha, and the games really started to begin. Alisha was brash, and she had to compete just to keep her attention. She had to big herself up, and act like she knew exactly what she was doing. When really, that's all it was. She'd gained some knowledge by that point, but they still treated her like some insignificant squaddie. Even at the prison, Alisha had told her to run, and hide. Like she couldn't handle herself.

Mentally she laughed at the thought, she was the one who had made it. She hadn't run, and she hadn't hidden. But she hadn't killed any of the innocent either, she had pulled out of the attack, and that was that.

Kay cleared her throat then, bringing the brunette back to the present. Dragging her consciousness from the depths of her thoughts with a single noise. The blonde wore a kind smile, as if she understood what was happening, and Tara's anger turned to thanks as she crossed the room and embraced the taller girl.

The difference between this group, and the one she had come from was huge, but ever so subtle at the same time. It was morality, and kindness. It was the acknowledgement of them all being survivors, and in a hell once only shown on tv screens. The acknowledgement that they needed each other, whether or not they wanted to or not, that they'd all made it this far, and could make it further with each others help.

"Come down for breakfast" Kay started, her voice quiet and soft. She drug her fingers down the smaller woman's back as she stood there. "But come back up here." She finished just as quietly. Tara just nodded, and for the first time since the end of the world, she found a peace she never knew existed, one that involved herself solely.

-x-x-x-x-

Breakfast was long since over when Tara was awoken by a quick knock at their sheet. She grabbed the gun she'd been left with, and called out "Who is it?" Loud enough to be heard through the metal.

"Kay" The blonde's voice filtered through the sheeting, and Tara didn't hesitate to unlock the padlock and slide the metal up with a screech.

Kay was quick to bolt inside, and even quicker to slide the sheeting back down. There was something wrong with the way she was holding herself, something wrong with the way she was fumbling slightly with the lock. She was breathing heavily, almost as if she was keeping herself from throwing up.

"What is it?" Tara asked as she stepped back, her dark eyes trained on the taller woman. Worry began to creep it's way through her body as she flicked her eyes to the window already looking for a possible escape.

"Shh" Kay hushed her as she turned around quickly. She was pale, and covered in sweat as if she'd run from wherever she had been. Her eyes were wide and panicked but the shorter woman could tell she was already formulating a plan.

"We need to get out" She said so quietly, but so firmly Tara didn't think to question it. "We need to get the others, and get out. Now." She stated, her cheeks taking on a green hue as she pushed the confused smaller woman towards the cot.

"What's happened?" Tara asked, "have the walkers gotten in?" She pushed, her dark eyes now full of dread. She couldnt understand what was so wrong.

"Worse. That meat, it wasn't from any kind of cow. They haven't got a fucking farm" Kay whispered harshly, grabbing her pack to sling onto her back.

"What do you mean? They've got to have a farm, where else would they get it?" And as she was speaking, it dawned on her. She shook her head almost violently, her jaw setting as her stomach threatened to spill it's contents all over.

"They're butchering fucking people, they're chopping them up! I saw it! I took a wrong turn, and I saw it and they didn't see me" she started, panic laced through her tone, gesturing wildly with her hands. She looked like she wanted to cry, or scream. But she didn't, she just kept on.

"We need to get out, there's too many of them. If they know we know then who knows what they'll do. Obviously they've deemed us useful, so they're not going to go and eat us anytime soon. But if we try and get out quietly, say we've decided to end our stay and be off then maybe we can get away" She whispered, her dark eyes wild and scared.

"Wait, wait until the others get back. We'll explain it all to them. Then we'll get out" Tara whispered, trying to ignore her stomach turning and rolling with the thoughts flooding her mind. The idea of what they'd eaten made her sick. The thought that people could do it willingly, knowingly made her feel even worse. If Kay hadn't of offered to do her chores, is that where she'd have ended up? As breakfast? Just the thought made her taste acid in the back of her throat and feel the need to heave.

Kay sat there nodding, pulling both feet up onto the bed, ready to spring up at any noise. She was shaking uncontrollably, and Tara wondered just what exactly she'd seen. What in this world could invoke such a reaction, when every day is like living in a horror movie. It must have been bad, and that thought in itself made her want to wrap Kay up and sit there for a while. That's exactly what she did, wrapped the taller woman up, and rocked.

The rattle of the sheet next door brought them out of their senses, and Kay seemed better for having explained it to someone. She was up in a flash, undoing the pad lock in seconds. It was an afterthought, when she turned to Tara and stated something the brunette was already prepared to do.

"Act like you know nothing" She spoke, her voice grave. Her pack was on her back, and they were completely ready to go on their way. With a screech she shoved the sheeting up again, coming face to face with Glenn and Maggie.

"Hey there" She spoke in a false chirpy tone, "Can we join you? Tara has been working on a plan for when we leave while we've been busy."

The rest of the group seemed to take the information just as Tara had. With shock and a slightly green tinge to their cheeks. They all agreed on the fact they had to get out, and quickly. The longer they stayed, the more chance they had of something going wrong. Abraham joined Kay in saying they figured something was wrong, and Glenn nodded along with them. The three of them hadn't relaxed at all since arriving each of them had remained tense. With a sigh she shook her head, her knee was throbbing as she made her way down the metal steps. The little group had decided on finding a way out of the complex. Whether or was nicely or secretly they didn't care.

The halls were busy with people getting finished with their chores. This was either going to prove helpful or hindering. They made their way through the labyrinth of halls, around unfamiliar corners. They were so close when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Leaving so soon?" Mary asked, moving along with the crowd. She seemed to be leading some newcomers through to the living quarters. Two men who were so skinny they looked as if they were going to disappear completely. They didn't seem to want to stop, and Kay sympathised.

"Unfortunately so Ma'am. We've got an important mission and we've stopped too long already." Abraham spoke, stepping forward to square his shoulders. His own rifle held firmly within his grip.

"But won't you stay for one last supper? You all must be starving" She smiled warmly, but there was something about the,way she was looking at them that has Tara unsure. Her eyes lingered far too long on each of their features. It was making her stomach turn.

Kay was glad for Tara being so close, her weight keeping the blonde grounded as they were scrutinised by the welcome woman. She fought to keep her features neutral as Glenn spoke up.

"We've got to find a good van before it gets dark. Nobody wants to be wandering around at night" he smiled, almost as if he knew nothing. Kay found herself briefly wondering what the others looked like.

"You must stay for Dinner" She smirked, and the smirk soon turned to a sneer.

the blonde could feel the others tense up and before she knew what was happening she was being grabbed. Panic rushed through her body as her hand was yanked from the brunette's. The sounds of fighting now echoed through the emptying halls. Everyone was doing what they could to get away. Fists were flying guns were being fired. Kay tried to keep her eyes on Tara, throwing off the man who had been holding her. She threw her head back and with a sickening cracking the man released her with a groan of pain.

She didn't have a chance to look around to assess the situation before a rifle stock slammed into her skull. Blinding pain shot through her head, and then her face made contact with the floor. Everything faded out, and then nothing. Darkness filled her world.