Hi! What a mid-season finale! Speaking of that, though, I just wanted to let you all know that once this story passes the events that happen in the mid-season finale, I won't be basing the story off of what happens in the show anymore. So, when the show comes back in February, this fanfic will be COMPLETELY different from the show's timeline...hopefully that'll make it a little more...interesting ;) . With that said, this chapter is pretty important, as it sets up the next big story arc. Introducing some new POV's as well :) ~TheChuckles

KAT'S POV

I watch from a distance as Maggie and Sasha say goodbye. They hug tightly, Sasha wiping a tear out of her eye. It may be the last time they see each other, but at least they still have eachother. Everybody I knew before is dead now. My dad, all my friends, even Isaac. Sure, I know Maggie and Sasha and a couple others, but compared to the friends I used to have, they're nothing.

Abraham and Glenn finish loading the church bus, and call for the rest of us to get on board. Tara and Maggie walk in together, followed by Rosita and Eugene. I'm last, taking one of the seats at the very back, away from everybody else. The last time I was on a bus, my Dad was still alive. Isaac was still alive. It was before everything went to hell.

"Kat, aren't you gonna sit with us?" Maggie pats the seat behind her and Glenn. Tara's in front of them, alone, while Rosita and Eugene sit right behind Abraham in the driver's seat. "Nah, i'm not feeling too good. I think i'll take a little nap." Maggie nods, before going back to her conversation with Glenn and Tara. She knows why i'm not feeling well. She might have knew Isaac for a couple weeks, became friends with him perhaps. But I knew him in a completely different level. For nearly two years, we survived side by side. Other people might have come and gone, but Isaac and my dad were always my constants.

And anyways, doesn't Maggie have a sister? I remember her saying something about it when we were still at Jude's estate. I think she was on the Terminus cannibal express or something. Did she die? I think Tara was telling Alex something about her getting taken by the Termites or something?

Alex.

Even through my rage and aggression, I know I shouldn't blame him. He was just a kid looking for his friends, and I helped him, but at a huge cost. Meeting him led me to Maggie, who led me to Jude, who eventually led me to this whole group of people, who led us to Terminus. Which led to Isaac dying. If I hadn't taken him in, showed mercy on him and his siblings, I wouldn't be in this predicament. I wouldn't be alone. But how could I have known all of this would happen? Maybe I should've just shot him...no, that's evil. I should have just kept walking, but we needed supplies...

It's just too complicated.

I lie back on the bus seat, my feet resting on the floor. The others are all chatting away as Abraham starts up the bus. The loud hum of the engine is almost soothing, compared to walker growls and gunshots and other horrible noises i've grown accustomed too. Maybe we will get to Washington in one peace. Maybe Eugene does in fact know the cure. Maybe, a year or two from now, everything will be back to the way it once was.

I feel the bus start to move, and I fall asleep.

CAROLINE'S POV

The first thing I see when I wake up is a man with long, greasy brown hair staring down at me. He has just a hint of facial hair. It looks like he just shaved. He's wearing a sleeveless jacket, so I can admire his big arms. He looks hot. Only if I could see more...I try to sit up, say something smart maybe, but then my abdomen reminds me i've been shot. An explosion of pain in my stomach area sends me back down on my back grimacing.

"Whoa, take it easy there." A woman's voice says, leaning down to feel my forehead with the back of her hand. "You've been shot." She has short grey hair, tattered clothes on like Mr. Gorgeous standing to her left. I recognize her to be Carol. My heart sinks. What if they're together? Him and Carol?

"I know...I know...where's everybody else? Maggie? Everyone else? Where's my gun?"

"Maggie's fine, and we have your gun...But, uh...everyone else you were with died. I'm sorry." Carol says with remorse, but I just shrug.

"It's fine, I guess. Didn't really know any of them too good to be sad..what about Maggie's sister and Elijah? You guys find them yet?"

Carol looks confused, but Handsome next to her speaks up. "Maggie says they were taken by the Termites. We didn't find them, they're probably dead too."

"What happened to the Termites? Did we kill 'em all?"

"Yeah" is all he says back.

Switching back to Elijah and Beth... "Could they have escaped?"

"Maybe." He says, but it sounds like he doesn't believe it. I really hope they aren't dead. Eli's a good kid, so is Beth. I'm sure if I was still a Social Studies teacher and the world wasn't over and everything, they'd make great students.

Carol speaks up again. "We're gonna take you with us on a run, to find you some meds. You're stomach wound looks bad, Maggie thinks it might be infected, but she's not a doctor."

"Oh, okay...where's Maggie? She coming with us?"

"No, she left with some others for Washington D.C. One of our guys knows how to end all of this."

"For real?" The prospect of a cure to all of this sound amazing. Almost too good to be true, in fact. "You know he's not lying? What is it?"

"Classified." Both Carol and the man say at the same time, both with whimsical smiles. "C'mon, let's get you into the car." The man says. Together, they manage to lift me up without causing me too much pain to my abdomen. They gently set me down in the backseat of an old black car that's stuffed with pillows. It's hot, even with the windows rolled down. The car smells musty and old. Maybe we can find some car fresheners along the way. They hop into the front seats, and we take off.

"You never told me your name.." I say over the sound of wind blowing against the car.

"Daryl Dixon at your service, miss Caroline." The man, Daryl, says, looking back with a smile. He's the one driving. "Carol, do we got any CDs? I'd love to hear something else than the wind."

"You have the pleasure of my company." Carol says grinning.

"Oh, stop." Daryl rolls his eyes.

Carol checks the glove compartment, pulling out a handful of CD cases. She sorts through them impatiently until she finds one she smiles at. A couple seconds later, smooth saxophone music starts up. Daryl groans.

"Are you kidding me?"

Carol pats him on the shoulder. "Don't like it, Pookie?"

SASHA'S POV

"How long are you gonna be gone?"

"Just a couple hours, Bob. Calm down, i'll be fine." I say, kissing him lightly on the forehead. He groans. "Do you even have to go? Rick has Tyreese..." I shush him by placing my finger on his lips. He frowns.

"Shh. Rick needs me. Gabriel doesn't have the first clue on how to kill walkers, and even if he did, I doubt he actually would. Besides, you have Michonne and Carl. You'll be fine." Bob tries to say something back, but I cover my ears and walk away slowly, a playful grin on my face. If Bob could get up, he'd come after me. But since he was shot in the leg yesterday, he's out of commision.

"You ready?" Rick asks once I join him and the others outside the church.

"Yeah, let's roll." Michonne closes the church doors, waving goodbye. Even with the doors closed, I can still hear Judith crying from inside, which isn't good. Tyreese told me last night that her cries gave away where they were hiding. But she's in safe hands, so I guess it's okay. At least we aren't camped out in the open.

Father Gabriel leads the way, followed closely by Rick. Tyreese and I walk a couple yards behind them, scanning the surrounding forest for threats. I can't wait until we take off for Washington, and meet up with Maggie and the rest. I've seen enough forest for a lifetime. Only if Abraham could've wait a couple days. But I guess when you're this close to saving the world, you don't want to sloth around very much.

I wonder what's up there, too. I can't imagine that the whole entire city is still intact. Probably just the White House and that whole area. I wonder if the President is even still alive? Do we still have a Congress? Do they have electricity up there? Eugene wouldn't let anything slip about what's going on up there.

After an hour of uneventful walking, we arrive in a small town. One of those towns where it's just Main Street and a few scattered houses around it. No McDonald's arch in sight, not even an Wal-Mart in the distance. The Father leads us up to an old thrift store. Surprisingly, it looks untouched.

Racks of used clothes dominate the space inside. Rick pushes ahead with Gabriel and Tyreese while I do a little shopping. Not for myself though, for everyone back at the church. I would never dare replace my leather jacket and Superman tank top. Thinking about my attire reminds me of where I got it. It seems like so long ago, that day Maggie, Alex and I went searching for Glenn. We had prepared to be gone for weeks, but seeing the Terminus cannibal caravan of doom heading towards the estate radically changed our plans. Although, if we never headed back home, and Maggie and Alex never infiltrated the Termites, we would have never met back up with Rick and everybody else.

I spot a decent looking pair of black jeans with a rip in the knee. Upon further inspection, they look like they just might fit Alex. Just in case they don't, though, I grab a couple extra pairs of pants that look to be his size, although I don't actually know if they'll fit or not. All he has is cargo shorts right now, and it'll be cold soon. I find an insulated jacket, the kind Rick has on, and I dump it into my bag. If it's too big for Alex, Bob can wear it.

I'm looking at a nice pair of boots for Michonne when Rick calls out for me. "Sasha, come here. We've got a problem..." Oh no, what happened now? Cautiously, I walk up to him, a backpack full of clothes on my back. There's a huge gap in the floor, and he's looking over the edge with a disgusted face. When I peek over the edge, I see shelves and shelves of canned food and other goodies. But that's not all that's down there. The area is flooded, and several walkers wander around in the murky water, all bloated and disgusting. The smell is awful. Yuck.