A/N: Damn, I'm on a roll. For no reason since you people DON'T REVIEW. However, I love you all anyway! Guess what?! This chapter actually follows the storyline! It's the end of the world! No, not really. But if it takes a zombie apocalypse to find me a sexy redneck, so be it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize! Just my dear ginger Scarlett!

Random fun fact: Scarlett had braces for five years.

10. I've Been Away for a Long Time, Such a Long Time That I Miss You There

"What the hell happened to you?" Glenn asked as I approached the RV.

"Daryl oh so kindly threw me into the fucking pond," I growled.

"Are you alright?" the Korean questioned.

"I'm all rainbows and sunshine over here," I answered, roughly sitting into a foldable chair. I was still soaked to the bone, and my hair started to curl up like it always did when it was wet.

"I'll go get you a towel," he said. Glenn disappeared into the RV, and then reappeared with a large green towel in hand. He tossed it to me, and I caught it when it was in reach.

"Thank you," I told him. I ran the towel over my legs and tossed my boots to the side. My arms were next to be dried off, and the feeling of being dry was magical.

"So…why did Daryl toss you into the pond?"

"Because Glenn, Daryl is a dick," I responded sweetly.

"I can imagine him throwing me into a pond for no reason, but there had to be a reason with you, Scarlett," Glenn said. I rubbed my hair between the edges of the folded-up towel. I proceeded to wrap the red locks up into it.

"Rednecks are unpredictable as hell as well as annoying. I majored in freaking psychology, you'd expect me to be able to read people like an open book but with him, all of that goes out the fucking window. It drives me off the edge of insanity!" I all but shouted.

"It's okay, Scarlett. Some people are just like that. C'mon, we need to pack up. We're off to the CDC," Glenn informed me.

Well, I didn't really need to pack up. All of my shit was in the Winnebago. My clothes (which consisted of like…six outfits and my boots) were all shoved in my backpack. I slept in the RV; the top bunk was mine since nobody really wanted it. I had a sleazy blanket and the hardest pillow I have ever felt. It was better than the ground though.

But if I had to choose really anything to sleep on, it'd be Daryl's lap. My palm met my forehead in record time. I did not just think that.

"Gun. Mouth. Now," I muttered.

"Something wrong, Scarlett?"

I jumped at the sound of Dale's voice. My hand was over my beating heart, and it felt like Thumper was kicking the shit out of it.

"Christ, don't do that," I breathed.

"Couldn't help but notice that you were a bit…depressed today," the older man commented. I shook my head.

"Not depressed. More like…aggravated."

"I'm going to take a guess and say it's over a certain Dixon boy?"

"I have not a clue what you're talking about," I replied in a sing-song voice. All Dale did was chuckle.

"You be careful, alright?"

"Always am!"

I stood from my seat, and Dale took my chair, folding it up. I watched the rest of the camp pack up everything, and loaded it into vehicles. According to the map, the CDC was a lot closer than we expected. It wouldn't be that long of a drive, if everything went smoothly.

Within ten minutes, I was being called into the RV. Glenn, Jacqui, and Dale were my other compadres, with Dale driving. We were in the lead, everyone else following us.

"Do you really think the CDC will have all the answers?" I asked, looking out the window. I was at the table, Jacqui sitting across from me.

"I hope so, honey," Jacqui answered.

"Speaking of the CDC, we're here," Dale announced. He pulled over, parking next to the curb. I was hesitant on leaving the RV. I knew about an incident with a CDC and it blowing up since a disease got out. Everything within a two mile blast radius was razed to the ground.

Glenn was the first brave soul out. He opened the door, shotgun in hand, and jumped out on the sidewalk. Jacqui was after him, weaponless. Dale motioned me to go next, so I did. My bow was loaded and my quiver was strapped on my back with about six or so arrows. Glenn held out his arm, signaling us to stay back.

The first thing that hit me was the small. I immediately wanted to throw up everything I have eaten in the past three years. I put my hand over my nose and mouth, in an attempt to filter out the smell. My god, the amount of flies was fucking unbelievable.

As the rest of the group caught up with us, they started to cough as well. Rick and Shane held brave faces as they led the way to the doors of the CDC.

"Alright everybody. Keep moving. Go on," Shane encouraged in a whisper, "Stay quiet. Let's go."

The smell was ridiculous. As was the body count. I stayed in the back with Dale, keeping a watchful eye on any movement that wasn't us.

Rick passed the checkpoint, and the smell just continuously got worse. "Keep moving. Stay together," our leader said, "Keep moving. Come on!"

Shane shushed us, trying to keep the sounds we make to a minimum. I stepped over a body and was hit in the face with a swarm of flies. I used the curve of my bow to knock them away, and Daryl pushed me ahead.

I heard Glenn mutter out an "Oh god."

"We can do this," I whispered, mainly to myself. Shane and Rick shushed me.

"Keep it together! Come on!" Rick told the group. He made it to the door, and fiddled with a lock.

"Nothing?" Shane asked. He then proceeded to try to lift up the door. After that brilliant plan failed, Shane started to pound on it.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog said.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick pointed out.

"Walkers!"

Thank you for that lovely news Daryl. They all started cocking their guns, and either Carl or Sophia whimpered. A Walker that used to be an army man started to approach, but met its quick end as Daryl shot it straight in the forehead.

"You led us into a graveyard!" the redneck shouted, marching up to Rick.

"He made a call," Dale reasoned.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl yelled back.

"Calm the fuck down!" I told him, only to get glared at by him and the mothers.

Shane pushed Daryl back. "Just shut up! You hear me? Shut up. Shut up!" the policeman ordered, then turned to me, "You too! Keep your damn mouth shut!"

"Rick, this is a dead end," he proceeded to tell his friend.

"Where are we going to go?" Carol cried, holding onto her daughter.

"She's right, we can't be here, this close to the city after dark," Lori panicked.

"Fort Benning, Rick—still an option," Shane tossed out.

"On what?" Andrea growled, "No food, no fuel. That's a hundred miles."

"One hundred twenty-five, I checked the map," Glenn corrected the blonde.

"Forget Fort Benning," Lori cut in, "We need answers tonight, now."

"Well, think of something," Rick said, voice strained.

Everyone then started voices their opinions of "Let's get out of here" and pressuring poor Rosco beyond belief.

"Everybody!" I shouted, not caring that Walkers could possibly hear me, "Just shut the hell up! He's doing his damned best! I don't see any of you trying to come up with a plan!"

Shane shot me a glare before announcing, "Alright, back to the cars. Let's go. Move!"

My eyes landed on Rick, who was staring at an outside camera. We saw the same thing—the device moved.

"The camera—it moved," Rick announced.

"It did, I saw it too!" I added on.

"You imagined it," Dale said.

"No, it moved!" I argued.

Shane started arguing with Rick, saying this place was dead. I saw it move, somebody was controlling it. I walked straight past Shane, who was pulling his friend towards the vehicles, and stared straight into the eye of the camera.

"Please, let us in!" I begged. I wasn't faking the kicked puppy look on my face; I was actually feeling it.

Rick joined me, and started banging on the door. His wife was trying to convince him that nobody was there.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me," he began, "Please, we're desperate! Please help us, we have women" –he motioned to me—"children! No food, hardly any gas left. We have nowhere else to go. If you don't let us in, you're killing us!"

Our leader started to pound on the door again. I looked into the camera again.

"Please, I'm begging you!" I tried, "We need your help! Please!"

Shane pushed Rick back, and Daryl started to drag me along too. I fought back. There was somebody in there. Everyone was shouting, it was too much.

"You're killing us! You're killing us!" Rick shouted over everybody.

"GODDAMN IT FUCKING HELP US PLEASE!" I shouted.

Daryl was still pulling me back when the door opened, and a bright light consumed us all. It was like Heaven's Gates had opened, allowing us a sanctuary. When the lights shut off, that's when we moved.

"Daryl, cover the back," Shane ordered.

"Hello?" Rick called, his voice echoing, "Hello?"

"Close those doors, watch for Walkers," Shane commanded.

"Hello?" Rick tried again, only a little louder. That's when we heard the gun cock. All weapons were raised to the origin of the noise. A man was holding on to a really big gun.

"Anybody infected?" he demanded.

"One of our group was," Rick answered, "He didn't make it."

Rick, why in the hell would you tell him that?

"Why are you here? What do you want?" the man asked, not pausing between questions.

"A chance," our leader answered. It was the most honest answer I have ever heard in my life.

"That's asking an awful lot these days," the man commented, coming closer to us, but not lowering his weapon. My bow was pulled back and an arrow was ready to let loose at his chest in case he did fire.

"I know."

"You opened the doors," I pointed out, slowly letting the string rest at its original position, "You must have considered helping us, otherwise you would've left them shut."

The man didn't respond; instead he examined our group. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

"We can do that," Rick agreed.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed," our savior told us. Most of us ran out to our vehicles, grabbing the necessities and rushed back inside in record time. T-Dog and Dale closed the glass doors while the man pressed some numbers on a machine.

"Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here," he told the machine. The steel door closed, and the lights went out.

Rick walked up to him. "Rick Grimes," he introduced.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner," the man replied.

We were safe.

For now.

A/N: Wow, two in one day! I deserve a reward *cough* REVIEWS *cough* So, how do you like my following the storyline now? Yes, TZSG will sometimes stray off from the actual TWD storyline, but that's how it's intended to be. IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS I WILL BE WATCHING THE SEASON THREE PREMIERE FUCK YEAH! :D

As always, review please~