HOLY POOPBALLS its been a while hasn't it sorry! D: life has gotten in the way once again O.o i accidently uploaded my entire plot because i forgot to put it on a different page O.O i think i had a heart attack i just took it off! holy crap! D:

A/N I just wanted to take the time to tell all my readers and reviewers that I love them! And thank you sooo much Dalonega Noquisi, Davee, LadyLecter47, INFINITY TO BEYOND, HeavensWeatherHellsCompany , heartmitosis, Undertaker's Wife…for reviewing! Thank you acoats1, Angel Reckless, BlackLaceRaven, core013, HeavensWeatherHellsCompany, INFINITY TO BEYOND, Twistergirl14 for adding my story to their favorites! :D Thank you Alilley, Dalonega Noquisi, Davee, deisel jones, INFINITY TO BEYOND, kikyohater220, LadyLecter47, LittleMissBlackBoots, PaganButterfly, glara, ragna acanami, ruthie-r89, snm1991, The Clairvoyant, WeTheMonsters, XxAnimeTechnoFreakxX for adding my story to their alerts! :D thanks so much my lovely readers! And thanks to anyone else I missed love y'all

Dislcaimer: well sadly TWD and its characters/situations/place/anything that seems familiar is not mine …sadly but Phoenix is mine :D so keep ya paws off 'er…thanks!

"He…uh must've used a tourniquet. Maybe his belt…there-ah would be a lot more blood if he didn't." Daryl continued reigning in his emotions by talking his way through it and swallowing down his hurt in thick gulps. With that said Daryl took off and followed the droplets of blood.

Following after Daryl, Rick and Glenn murmured between themselves at a low hum so they wouldn't disturb the angry brother hunter.

"That's a lot of blood. Do you think Merle is still alive? He'll be pretty pissed to see us." Glenn whispered frantically eyeing forward to Daryl to make sure Daryl hadn't heard him.

"Merle's a tough son of a btich. Hell ya could feed 'em a hammer 'n he'd shit out nails!"

Glenn glanced at me a little surprised that the hunter could hear him. I shrugged my shoulders, I wasn't too surprised if he's the proclaimed hunter then he should have good ears.

"Anyone can die from blood lose." Rick said pessimistically.

"He's right." I earned a menacing glare from Daryl, "He will need medical attention right away when we find him." Daryl didn't say anything as we marched forward traveling deeper into the building and through what looked to be offices. We passed two dead walkers and Daryl huffed, smugly smiling back at us.

"Had enough in him to take out these bastards one handed"

"What's that smell?" Glen asked, his olive skin paling as we entered an industrial kitchen.

"Burning flesh. I had to work a small bit in the burn clinic at the hospital, you get used to it after a while." Not completely a lie, I had intermediate knowledge on burns but nothing extravagant needed to deal with life threatening burns.

"He cauterized the stump." Rick supplied while holding up a press the cook would use on meats. I reminded me of my first job a Joe's Burgers. That thing came in handy when rush hour hit, I could still smell the grease and hear the meat sizzling. I smiled as nostalgia greeted me like an old friend. Frowning, as the smell of cooked flesh wafted into my nostrils, I was reminded nostalgia would be nothing but a haunting memory. I would never have one of Joe's Burgers again. I would never have another one of my mother's sweet ice teas, or talk to my best friend Samantha, or hear her laugh. I would never see Luke either. I would never hear his laugh, or run my fingers through his hair, or feel his warmth again.

"Don't take that out on faith, Daryl anyone can die from blood loss." Rick argued, his voice firmly pulling me out of nostalgia's embrace. I must've missed what Daryl said initially.

"Didn't stop him from bustin out of here." Daryl stalked to a broken window.

I frowned, "Why would he do that? They can smell the blood. He's not very handy with just one hand." My input received yet another heated blue eyed glare.

"He's doin' what he's gotta' do. Survin, thinks he's by 'imself far as he knows." Daryl's Georgian drawl thickened the more agitated he got and my cheeks burned.

"So he's just wondering around the street with an injured arm, possibly passing out. Sounds like your brother ain't as smart as you chalk 'em up to be."

"Don't ya talk bout' my brother that way! 'Sides better than bein' lef' to rot by you sorry pricks!" I stepped back but narrowed my eyes. Daryl was dangerous and I wasn't about to prod his anger. He quickly sidestepped and cornered Rick anger seemed to roll off of him in waves.

"And you couldn't kill 'em. Not so worried 'bout some dumb dead bastard."

"What about a thousand dead bastards. Different story?"

"Take a tally, do whatever you want. I'm gonna get him." As Daryl went to move Rick gently raised a hand against his chest causing Daryl to jump back like Rick's hand was on fire.

"Keep your handsoff-"

"Look we'll help you look for Merle, but only if we keep a level head." Daryl nodded, swallowing whatever he was going to say. Rick's cop-gaze bore into Daryl. "Think you can do that?" Daryl nodded eyes glaring back, defiant submission swirling in each blue eye.

"We need to get those guns first, we'll be better prepared to find Merle and treat him if he's in any kind of trouble." Rick and Glenn nodded while Daryl just glared.

"So much as for gettin my brother first." He spat eyes narrowing even more than what I thought was possible.

"The circumstances changed the moment your brother decided to chop off his hand."

"Look I can do this I'm quick on my feet. In and out. If we are in a group we are noisy, and slow." Glenn explained adamant about the quick grab and go plan he mapped out on the tilted floor. Rick seemed hesitant at least and repeated again that Glenn should consider taking someone with him.

"Fine. Here's the plan. Daryl and I will be in this alley and you and Pheonix will go to this alley, I sneak around here grab the guns." Glenn explained tracing the map.

I tensed when Glenn announced Rick and I would be alone in an alley. "Why that alley? Why do I have to go with Rick?" My heart started to beat faster as the images once again haunted me through closed eyes.

"Your knives are quieter, and if things go bad your rifle will give him more ammo. That way I have two quiet weapons in each direction if I need it."

"Yeah, but why do I have to go with-"Daryl quickly interrupted me earning a curt glance from me.

"If it's 'bout bein' quiet, I'll go with Rick n' the Girl can go wit' you." We eyed him questionably. Is he really spearing me? Daryl merely shrugged seeming to be unconcerned with the whole situation. " 'sides I can shoot farther wit' my crossbow. Ya gonna need that if your runnin' from em'. The girl's a short range, n' if it gets real bad ya got ta' fence. Could close them n' get them through the holes."

Glenn nodded before standing up and dusting off his jeans. Daryl moved his hands steadily glued to his weapon toward the window and looking up.

"Okay let's make this quick. Let's get the guns, Merle, and get back to camp." We all nodded agreeing with Rick. I held back a bit waiting until Rick and Glenn were a little ways ahead of Daryl and I, before I hesitantly tapped him on the shoulder. Daryl turned his head quickly and eyed me. His blue eyes were turbulent at best, twisting and growing darker with each second that passed.

"I just wanted to say thank you again. For trading spots and saving my life." He just grunted, before turning back. I frowned.

"I was expectin' at least a your welcom'." I mumbled only half hoping Daryl had heard me.

"Don't expect anythin'. I don't give no your welcomes so don't ask fer one." He shot back voice low and hard. It reminded me of nothing of whiskey then. It only reminded me of fish, I always hated fish. Not the taste, the feel.

My heart was racing, as I hesitantly stepped down onto one of the many rungs of the fire escape ladder. I had always hated heights.

"Well on the bright side if the Walkers don't get us then the fall will." Glenn antagonized my fear further with his 'glass half-full' attitude. I was prone to believing that everything, no matter how screwed up the situation was, would be okay sooner or later. I would ever dare go as far as saying that even this would turn around. Though, I wasn't as delusional to believe that nothing would be changed, everything would. Knowing that nothing would be the same as before helped keep me on edge and sane.

"You know you're not really helping my hatred for heights." It was true I wasn't really scared, I just hated heights. I stared at the bright blue sky as I made my slowly made my way downward. Glenn laughed then apologized.

"You're almost there; just a few more and you'll be kissing the ground."

"Let's just hurry up. I don't mind going up, I just hate going down." A sudden fit of laughter caught me off guard and I glanced down to find the Asian hunched over desperately trying to hide his laughter. Curiosity quickly conjured my hatred for heights and in a matter of seconds I was beside Glenn.

"Shhh! What are you laughing at?"

"You said 'going down'." He rasped face glowing redder and redder. Lightly slapping him on the shoulder, he turned apologizing with a grin stretched across his face.

"Sorry again, let's go." We quickly surveyed the area, luckily no walkers heard Glenn giggle fit, and crouched behind a dumpster. Hitching my rifle higher on my shoulder, I listened and nodded as Glenn reiterated the plan. "Just make sure, to cover me."

"Don't worry, kid I got ya'." He smiled and slipped around the corner. I was waiting for Glenn to get back when a soft shuffling caught my attention. Jumping into action I turned knife poise and ready to strike into the soft decaying flesh of a walker's brain. However I didn't meet the decomposed gooey flesh of a Walker, I meet a thinned tanned face of a young boy. He was startled; eyes wide and a fresh sheen of sweat coated his paling face.

"Oh, I'm sorry I thought you were a walker." I slowly lowered my knife, but his eyes stayed on the rifle still clinging to my back. No sense in using a gun so close to the city when I have a knife. "Hey! Did you happen to see a Redneck around named Merle?" The man backed away as I advanced afraid I would hurt him.

"¡Ayúdeme!"

"No, No it's okay!"

"¡Ayúdeme!" He yelled again. I approached him fast quickly clapping a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up! Do you want to attract every walker in the city?" I hissed. He was really pissing me off being so loud. Suddenly I was thrown back, my back hit the corner of the large metal garbage container. I cried out in pain, I could feel thin ribbons of hot blood roiling down my back. Someone pulled me back up gripping my upper arms painfully. The man was most definitely Hispanic, which quickly became evident when he was yelling at me in Spanish. I couldn't even make out what he was saying because the pain in both my arms and back blacked out my hearing. While the other man was helping the boy up and speaking rapidly again in Spanish, I noticed the startled face of Glen.

"Oh shit!" Glen was frozen for a brief second before he jumped on the man that had me by the arms. He climbed on him like a monkey, lean arms and legs wrapped around the Hispanic man. The second Hispanic man quickly leapt into action beating and pounding on Glenn. Still half dazed my eyes locked onto the forgotten bag of protection. Guns and ammo are more valuable now than ever. We needed them. Lurching forward I grabbed the bag, but just as my fingers grazed the handles I was pushed forward. The squealing of tires caught my attention, behind me one of the Hispanic men shouted for them to hurry up.

"Pheonix!" Glen shouted just as I was thrown over the shoulders of one of the large men. Before I knew it I was thrust into the back of a car. I fought against the grabbing hands until one man knocked me unconscious.

If there was one thing you would want to avoid now a days it would be being unconscious. Now taking a long unintentional siesta could mean your death. A nasty walker could sneak in and just take a large chunk out of your leg before you even remembered the dead were walking around. I was relieved to wake up in a room with a view, a view of an elderly lady mumbling about to herself and shuffling from bed to bed. I moved to sit up, the room dove in drunked directions, but before I could fall backwards the old women noticed me.

"Estas Bein?"

"Sí me siento muy bein."

When she asked me if I was okay I quickly told her that I was feeling fine. She nodded and moved away at the same time a young man entered. He rapidly asked the elderly women when I had awaken and if I said anything, but I beat her to the punch.

"Not too long ago, I was dizzy but that passed. Where am I? Where are my friends?" A look of shock passed over his handsome but tired face. The elder women quickly left sensing a moment to be alone was needed. "I worked a few years at a local clinic for the poverty inclined; I picked up some Espanol there. It's a little rusty though…since well you know."

"I'm glad to hear you're feeling better its bright news in a dark world." He sat down at the edge of my bed. I shrunk back against the headboard. I didn't quite trust him. "You're at a retirement home."

"A retirement home?"

"Si, it's as secure as we can make it. We've fought for it. Our families are here, mi abuela, mi familia. My cousins grabbed you as ransom for the guns your friends were stealing."

"So I'm going to live. You can't have a dead ransom."

The man laughed then speaking so fast and broken Spanish that I couldn't understand. "We only kill those who try to take a bit out of us."

"I think we can all relate to that motto."

Suddenly a little girl came running through the hall and into the small room.

"Uncle, abuela dice que está aquí!"

"Ir con los otros, Sobrina."

While they talked I studied the little girl. She had her hair neatly braided in two braids on either side of her head. I smiled when I recognized the pink hair ties that resembled the ones I used to wear in my own hair when I was her age. She had an upturned nose with wide chocolate brown eyes. She was dressed like she was ready for school; pink shirt, cute white skirt with pink leggings underneath, and a neat small Dora the Explorer backpack strapped over her shoulders. She was adorably average and if it wasn't for the haunted look in her eyes I would've almost believed that the world hadn't ended. The little girl glanced at me briefly before nodding and scampering away.

"My friends are here aren't they?" He nodded his head as an answer. "Can I see them?"

"Only if you think that you can convince them to give us those guns. Protection is what we need."

"We need that too. I'll see what I can do…" I paused waiting for his name.

"My names Guillermo, but my friends call me G."