Disclaimers here, of course.

Sorry for the spacious pauses between updates. As always, follow, review, tell me your lovely thoughts.

It don't take much to see inside my heart

I was never any good at telling lies

And it don't take too much to see there ain't too much of me

Here behind these eyes

I miss you when you're gone

Please don't stay gone too long

With shaking, bloody hands, Reagan pulled herself upright and tried to turn as a heavy, stinking body pressed against her back, pinning her to the railings. The man reeked of booze and death, it made her want to gag; she'd never give in to these kinds, never again.

The man covered her small form twice over, he was so large. The shots firing all around her forced her to flinch, as they were so close to her and she was unused to hearing them now. The man let out a gruff laugh, "Ye ain't got nothin' to worry about sweetpea...not yet." He laughed and laughed as the shots died out, one hand gripping Reagan's waist and the other over her own hand. He had her completely pinned.

Boots dragged across the bridge and shuffled towards her and the man, his people, she guessed. Hers should be far away now, Reagan thought grimly. She was on her own. Again.

"Look what we found, boys. A ripe lil' cutie, lost on her lonesome and wounded.." The man holding her chuckled out as the rest started to laugh. This isn't happening. Not again. It can't.

Taking their ranting and raving about killing and rewards for distractions, Reagan moved her one free hand from the rail and to her belt, grabbing her hunting knife Daryl had given her. Daryl.

Bringing her booted foot down onto the mans, he let out a cry and let go of her and back up a pace, giving her enough room to spin and bring the knife upwards. Driving it under his chin and into his skull, she watched as his eyes rolled up and back and the blood that ran over her dirty hands. Yanking the knife free, she turned sideways and threw it at one of the other unfriendly looking men, pinning him in the shoulder.

He screamed out as his gun raised and he shot blindly, aiming for nothing but hoping for death. Reagan dropped down to her knees and crawled towards a car, where she flattened her body out and rolled under the abandoned vehicle. Emerging on the other side, she started to stand and felt the ache in her leg dulling as she gripped the railings of the other side and heaved herself up.

Legs dangling she stopped for a moment, taking a few breaths in and out as she heard themed scattering and clambering around the cars she'd crawled under. Glancing back, she counted maybe six shapes before she dropped.

The water rushed over her the second she dropped, engulfing all the blood and grim from her. Stretching her arms above her, she's wam for the surface and broke through. The wind hit her at once, and she wondered if this is how people felt when they were reborn. Drawing in a deep breath, Reagan pushed forward towards the river bank, hoping that her group would meet her somewhere, some how.

She heard the loud crack before she felt the bullet sear through her shoulder, the force causing her to slip back under the surface as blood rushed around her. Swimming as far as she could underneath, she gasped and clawed towards the light above. She wasn't far from shore now,she just had to make it.

xxxx

Hearing the rapid firing was like steroids to Daryl's veins, pumping into him and forcing him to run faster. He could her Rick following behind him and wondered if anyone else was coming. He wondered, but he didn't give a damn. He'd go it alone if it meant finding her alive; he had no way of explaining why he ran, what drove him to care, but he didn't really mind anymore. It was like he was the Earth and Reagan was the moon, always needing each other to stay in perfect orbit.

The sounds of rushing water filled his ears as slowed and listened to a man let out a scream, followed by more gun shots then the sounds of disrupted water took over. Rick came to a halt next to him, breathing deeply and gripping his knees. "We need a plan, brother. We can't just walk into-" "I got a plan, shoot whatever dumb sum-bitch tried to touch her." Daryl growled out, raising his crossbow up and advancing forward quickly.

"Dad! What's going on!?" Carl half-shouted, half-whispered out, skidding in next to his weary looking father. Rick, in turn, shot a glance to his son and raised his gun. Placing a finger to his lips to since the boy. Carl understood perfectly, following behind his father and Daryl until he could see the water.

The sound of a gun one shot made all three halt for a mili-second, then they were bounding through the trees and weaving around branches till they reached the shore.

Xxx

"REA!" She heard Carl shout her name, and stilled her movements and began to twirl around in the water, trying to find his voice source.

Seeing Daryl, Rick and Carl standing on the edge of the water made her heart swell. Her plan had worked, they were alright. "Shooters!" She hollered back, they were on the opposite side of the river. She would have to swim back if she wanted to reach them now.

Watching Rick and Carl raise their guns up, she started to swim for them. Not stopping when she heard the firing start, she pushed on. Her veins burned and she felt that at any moment, she'd just stop and sink to the bottom.

Bullets danced across the water and above her as she neared them, finally feeling like things were going to be okay. Getting to the shallow banks, she began to stumble through the water as Daryl cut her off and grabbed her arms, dragging her into him and helping her out of the water.

Not stopping to catch her breath, the four pushed back into that trees for cover as the men continued to ran bull lets down on them. Carl had only just healed up enough to not hobble from his last encounter with a gun, and here she was, dragging him...them all into another death scenario.

When Rick determined that they were deep enough into the woods again, he stopped and reared back towards her, as Daryl lowered her form to the ground. Sitting next to her, Daryl leaned against a tree as Reagan toppled backwards into the dirt, laughing.

"Wha's so funny, girl?" Daryl mused out, looking at her from under his fringe and biting at his nails. "S'always us, isn't it?" She turned her head, grinning at him as she saw the glint in his eyes spark. Rick knelt in front of her, grasping her hands and pulling her upright as Carl leaned against a tree, watching them all.

"We gotta keep moving, camps not far. Can you walk?" He asked, still clutching her hands in his, oblivious to the stares of his son and Daryl. "Yeah...I think..slow, but yah." Reagan muttered, touching her calf and checking to see if blood still oozed. Finding none, she stood and pulled Rick up with her.

Turning the Daryl, Rick offered his hand out, grinning. The hunter pushed his hand back and smirked at his friend.

The journey back to camp was quiet, once Reagan filled them in on the men on the bridge and the fact that she ran out of arrows, forcing her to cut her arm to keep the walkers following, they fell silent.

Michonne was the first to see them stumbling into the make shift camp, swinging her sword back into its sheath, she moved for them. Grinning wildly at seeing Reagan walking upright and holding her shoulder, the older woman hugged her tight, then Carl and Rick. Turning to Daryl, who had his crossbow raised, "yah gonna shoot me, Dixon?" She laughed out at him, waving her hands in front of herself as a mock surrender. "If it means no hugs, yes." His guff voice was laced with amusement, though.

The small commotion was enough to draw over more of the group, who all looked shocked upon seeing Reagan standing before them, all four looking relatively well and happy.

The laughter died out quickly as Carol shoved through the crowd and handed baby Judith to Rick, who smiled to broad and gushed to his baby girl. Carol marched to Daryl and stopped, causing him to tilt his head in confusion, until Carols dug across his face. Wide eyed and pissed, Daryl shoved her back. "The fuck, Carol!?" He shouted, face growing red with anger as the woman moved from him to Reagan, turning around wildly, she pointed at Reagan, "You left us, both of you, for her! She's a danger to us all! How dare you two march back in here, smiling like nothing happened!" Carols screamed out, looking wildly from Rick to Daryl.

Handing Jude over to Beth, Rick approached Carol with caution, reaching a hand put and speaking calmly he spoke, "She's one of us, we don't leave people, Carol. She's not dangerous-"

"You saw how quick she was, Rick. How she all but said she felt them getting closer. No one can do that, Rick! She can't be here!" Carol continued on, arms waving frantically around as she spun between Rick and Reagan. "What are you saying then..?" Reagan finally spoke, calm and fragile as she moved to stand between the two longtime friends.

"I'm saying you're dangerous, and you can't be anymore. Or I'll do what I have to, to keep my family safe." Carol spoke, her voice sharp. Each word cutting Reagan like a knife, stepping back, she watched as Carol closed in on her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her sleeve up, past her elbow. "She's a junkie! We can't hold her blood true for a cure!" Shouting out as Reagan flinched backwards, pulling her arm away from Carols grasp. "Used to be. Ain't been in a long time.." Reagan whispered, covering her hands with her sleeves.

Carol moved on her again, Daryl stood by tree, keeping his bow at the ready incase things got violent or walkers came. He'd always suspected she'd had a history of drugs, it takes one to know one, after all.

"Are you threatening me, Carol?" Reagan breathed out, pushing silver-white hair from her face, her eyes a shade darker than normal. "I'm saying that if it comes between saving my family, and your "cure"...I'll pick my family. " Carol was deadly now, hand on her gun and standing only a few feet from Reagan. Rick began to move closer as Reagan did. Stepping into Carols space, Reagan looked up, her whole demeanor changing suddenly.

"You wouldn't be the first person to try and kill me, Carol. But I promise you, you won't be the one who takes me down."

Rick reached for Reagan as Daryl moved between her Carol, things weren't about to get this ugly this quick. Not again.