A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's….though I wished I owned the rest….*sighs*

A/N: Thank you everyone for the alerts and fav adds! I cannot thank all of you enough for this support!

A/N: I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this so please be kind :)

The sun was bearing down over the camp. Its merciless kiss scorched the ground and anything unfortunate enough to be caught within the deceitful swath of light as it marched across the sky. What clouds did cross overhead did little to provide any reprieve.

Jim was strangely calm as Dale and Alex approached. He lifted his head and looked through a pair of squinted eyes as Dale uncapped the bottle and rested it gently against his lips allowing for a thin but constant stream to pass into his sickly body. Jim greedily slurped and gulped each and every precious drop, coming close to choking from his hurried swallowing.

"We told the others you weren't feeling well," Alex watched as Jim slightly nodded.

"Said it was heat exhaustion which caused you to lash out like you did," Dale observed for Jim to signal he had enough water. "The last thing we need is for anyone, especially the children or the women, to panic or get upset over this."

Jim tilted his head aside indicating he was good. Dale replaced the cap but made certain it was readily available. The bound man caught the haunted expression that darkened Alex's strong features. He suspected it was from doing damage control over his peculiar behavior but couldn't be certain.

"Thank you," his voice was gravely and raspy but sincere in his gratitude.

"Jim, why were you digging those holes? You can tell us; we won't say a word to anyone else we promise. Isn't that right Dale?"

Alex flashed a cautionary stare in the older man's direction. With the camp on edge and half the group in Atlanta the last thing either one wanted was a full blown panic on their hands. There was no telling what sort of chaos would be unleashed which forced Dale and Alex on edge. Dale scanned over and around but no one had been witness to their little drama.

"Dale," Alex barked snapping the older man from his thoughts.

"Right," he nodded grimly though his eyes didn't match his voice.

"Thank you for not letting anyone get scared," Jim started out. His voice wavered as his breath stayed shallow. "But there I had a reason for it honest."

Something compelled them both to stay and hear the man out.

"Do you remember what it was?" Dale carefully implored.

"Not exactly," Jim heaved, "But I remember it had something to do with a dream I had. The boy, Carl, was in it and so was Rick. Carl was stricken with worry over where Rick was. But I told myself that Rick was a policeman and he was as tough as nails and he would come back from Atlanta with everyone."

"And we're not going to think any differently either," Alex tightly responded. She felt her lungs slowly imploding within themselves and quickly excused herself. Dale didn't get a moment to ask where she was going and watched as Alex charged around the camp and down the path towards the quarry.

Alex wheezed and hacked feeling with each step the air being rung from her chest and throat. Every breath was a literal struggle for precious oxygen. Her body was desperate for every gulp though this attack was mild in comparison to what occurred in Manhattan at the dawn of the Walker outbreak. Then her lungs had been the enemy: A set of flaming spongy tissue that nearly robbed her life by flooding every capillary and space with fluid and blood. The doctors had told her it was acute pneumonia which landed her in the hospital for two weeks. But Alex knew better. Pneumonia patients weren't put under quarantine with 24 hour surveillance and treated like they had Ebola or Anthrax.

She stumbled and fell on her face in the gravel, sensing the burning rising over her cheeks and forehead. Alex looked down at the ground and pounded the rough sharp stones with her fist. Blood coated the small and large stones in uneven blotches of crimson and rose. She lifted a hand which had tiny stones ground into her skin and dabbed gingerly at her lips. The strangled choking that filled her ears blocked out the hollering of Shane as he sped towards her.

"Damn it," she rubbed her fingers in the thick swirl of red and solemnly shook her head. "It's happening again."

"Alex!"

Shane hollered as he trotted down the trail.

"No," she winced and forced her body up and on her feet. Her feet blocked the blood that was drying on the rocks as Shane arrived. His face was dark with concern as his eyes went straight to her mouth then to her face.

"What happened?"

"I-I tripped," she was telling a half truth for Alex did fall but it wasn't the cause of the blood on her lips.

"Here let me look," Shane reached out to examine her lip but was instantly rebuffed by Alex's hand. Shane recoiled as Alex licked her lip leaving behind no trace of any blood.

"N-No I'm fine Shane; honestly it looks worse than what it is. See…"

"Well your face and hands are scratched up," he took her hands in his and examined the pebbles that were still lodged in the rips across her knuckles and tops of her hands. "We should get these cleaned out before they get inflamed or infected."

"I have a first aid kit in the tent," she knew Shane wasn't going to stop fussing over her unless she caved in and let him check her over. He always was protective of her in high school; even when she and Rick had launched their failed attempt at a romantic relationship. But still, Alex couldn't but help to find Shane being cute as he mindfully cleaned each hand, careful not to inflict any further discomfort for her.

"They look superficial," he took on his cop persona. Alex felt the urge to lean into his touch but refrained. "But the scratches on your face are deeper."

His fingers ghosted across each cheek as the gauze slowly slid down the open scratches, sweeping away the minute pieces of limestone and gravel from exposed skin.

"You know you don't have to do this for me," her protest held no bite.

"Alex," Shane threw the soiled pad aside then continued by applying the ointment. "I know I don't have to but I want to. Now I know you Alexandra and even though you aren't telling me vocally, I can see it in your eyes that you've been through Hell."

"Damn," she snorted but it came out as a light laugh. "You know me too well."

Shane smiled and finished the final dab of cool gel on her injury. Alex swiveled around coming face to face with the lawman.

"Thanks," she gathered his hands into hers. "You can't begin to imagine how great it is seeing you and Rick alive. I was beginning to think everyone I left here didn't make it out alive. I'll be honest we did go back home before finding the camp. I didn't see Leon or Lam anywhere but I saw so many dead just strewn about left to rot in the sun."

"Rick shot Leon because he had been bitten," Shane confessed. "He put a bullet to his head at the sheriff's office."

"No one's safe," Alex lamented. "First chance I get I'm taking my team to Atlanta. We're sitting ducks here."

"Hey now," Shane cut her off. "What's wrong with you? You've been jumpy and acting like a caged opossum ever since you arrived here."

Alex wanted to confide everything she knew but couldn't. It wasn't that she didn't trust Rick or Shane but rather who they were keeping company with. Until she accomplished her mission, her secrets would remain locked away. Failure or worse yet chaos was something she couldn't afford.

"Alex," his hand carded through her windswept locks. "What is it you're not telling me?"

"Nothing you don't already know," she smiled sadly feeling disgusted with herself for holding back from him.

"Alex," he rested his forehead to hers. "Talk to me; please…."

They sat there looking directly into one another's eyes, waiting for the other to flinch first. Shane felt his heart racing being so close to Alex after she had left King County all those years before. Just a few days before he was carrying on with Lori like a carefree teenage couple but now everything had been drastically shifted. Now he was inches from her, close enough to lean in towards her mouth.

Alex was holding her breath, hoping another fit wouldn't interrupt this moment between them. She had found herself thinking about Shane after she left yet had not tried contacting him more often.

"I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you," she admitted. "I should've called or written more often than I did."

"It's alright," he couldn't lie to himself as he had missed the feisty brunette more than he cared to admit. Shane felt himself drawing closer to her until he felt her lips pressing against his. Alex felt him gently push against her before he hastily drew back. Shock penetrated his eyes as he sat frozen beside her.

"I'm sorry, I-I don't know what got into me."

"I think you do," she countered with a playful smile. Her hands slipped up the sides of his face drawing him back to her waiting mouth. Neither one moved for several seconds instead staying relaxed together. Shane nervously opened his mouth like a teenager kissing for the first time. Alex inhaled sighed into his parted lips feeling his arms scooting her over the cot to where he sat.

"Alex!"

Shane and Alex abruptly broke apart with Alex letting Shane hold her face as he gave off the impression he was looking her over. Morales swung the flap back and poked his head in the ten.

"Andrea and Amy fished the quarry dry! We will have all full bellies tonight! My family will not go to bed hungry!"

"Thank you Morales," Shane kept a surprisingly straight face as he turned to cap the ointment and replace it in the first aid kit. He flashed the older man a thankful smile before Morales happily took off. Alex let the brewing laugh loose once he was out of hearing. Shane couldn't but help to chuckle at the near miss they experienced.

"Maybe next time we should wait until the adults have gone to bed," Alex winked. Shane said nothing and instead planted a long meaningful kiss on her.

One of my readers wanted to know when they would at least K-I-S-S and well I delivered!