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


Alex didn't sleep as she stayed at Austin's grave despite Shane's reservations about more Walkers appearing.

If they do come, those undead bastards will get a bullet between their cold soulless eyes!

So he stayed and kept vigil alongside her through the rest of the night, ever watchful of the woods. Shane watched as her eyes remained deprived of any emotion while they watched the flames contort and twist in ribbons of orange and yellow. It was difficult for him to sit by, unable to do nothing for her aside from being her bodyguard and friend. He wasn't sure if she would react to any offering of solace so he sat still alongside her.

The rest of the camp continued their mournful wake of gathering the bodies. The Walkers outnumbered the survivors which taxed the strength of each able bodied man and woman.

"They should burn," Alex muttered hatefully.

"What?" Shane turned his head towards her.

"They need to burn every last one of those sons of bitches!"

Without warning Alex shot up and marched straight towards Dale's RV. Shane scurried to his feet and raced to catch up as she searched the vehicle and found what she sought.

"What are you doing?"

"Sending them to Hell." Alex's eyes burned with something Shane had never seen before: Cold rage. It made him shiver slightly for all the years he had known her, Alex never displayed the level of fury as she did standing there. The hand clutching the gasoline can curled tighter around the handle forcing vein and tendon alike to swell beneath her skin.

Glen took a step back from the heap as Alex brushed by.

"Alex what are you doing?" Alex stayed tight lipped while popping the cap as she hovered at the edge of the pile. The others stopped what they were doing and watched with curiosity and apprehension as the petite woman casually set the can down and retrieved a pick axe that sat nearby. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes before unleashing Hell. With a scream that resonated through the air and woods, Alex swung the axe against the bodies, hitting skull, thigh, torso, and rib with indifference. Morales shielded his children's eyes from the gory scene while Lori blocked Carl though he peered around her side. Sophia cried against her mother as the sickening sounds of metal ripping through flesh couldn't be blocked out. She carried on with her grisly task, letting her hatred fuel her body. Her throat grew raw from the shrill high pitched shrieks that she unleashed but Alex didn't care. This macabre show continued for several blood minutes before she stood back and let the handle slip through her hand. Blood, visceral, and flesh clung to the either side of the axe as it slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.

Alex then returned her focus on the can and ripped the cap away. She proceeded and soaked the bodies until the final drop splashed on the heap of decayed flesh and rotted skin. The stench had been drowned by the overpowering fumes causing some to cough and cover their mouths.

"Say hi to the others for me," she lit the Zippo then tossed it in the middle of heap, finding the flames strangely cleansing but comfortless and empty at the same instance. It wasn't going to bring back Austin or any of the others she had lost along the way. It wouldn't turn back the clock to when things were better and brighter. It wouldn't bring her family back.

"I'll be in my tent," she retreated from the growing fire, letting the others take in what closure or comfort they could garner from it.

"Shane," Rick caught his friend alone. "What the Hell was that about?"

After watching Alex's fitting send off of the Walkers, he had spied her face as it was twisted in the same rage Shane had witnessed. What happened to their friend? Where did the girl who would sneak out of her parent's house, party till the sun came up, and slipped in undetected before the rooster could crow?

"She's angry," Shane simply answered. "She lost her family. Alex feels alone."

"But she's not! She has us!"

"I'm aware of that but she doesn't see it that way Rick."

Shane felt bad for snapping at his best friend and quickly backtracked. "Look I'm sorry Rick. I didn't mean to bite. It's just…."

"I get it. You're worried about her."

"Yeah," Shane didn't argue. "I'm gonna try to talk to her."


Alex felt numb; like someone had ripped the warmth from her body and injected ice into her veins. She wanted to cry for her friend but the tears refused to materialize so instead she sat in the center of the tent, cross legged with a bottle of Jack resting between her legs.

"Alex," Shane called out before stepping in.

"I need to go to Atlanta," she said out of nowhere. Shane could detect a slight slur in her speech.

"No you don't," Shane shook his head. "Not like this you're not."

"And who's gonna stop me? You?"

She took a hearty swig of whiskey then glared at Shane with a nasty stare.

"You're hurting Alex. You're not thinking straight."

"Says the cop who screwed his friend's wife," she retorted. "I heard that conversation you know, down by the quarry."

Shane winced at her stinging words but held his ground. He knew it was the alcohol talking.

"Alex," he dared to reach in and snagged the bottle away from Alex's reach. She snarled and dove for it but fell flat on her stomach and face. "This isn't going to bring him back."

"Don't talk about him like that!"

She staggered to her knees but started shaking before she fell back to the floor of the tent. Shane rolled her over until her back was pressing against his chest. To his surprise, Alex didn't offer up any resistance to his actions. She was eerily silent as the whiskey trekked through her body.

"I know you're hurting and you're angry and you blame yourself for what happened but you have to stop it."

"They're dead you know," Alex drunkenly announced.

"Who's dead?"

"Ash and the others," Alex hiccupped a few sobs. "They didn't come back."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do! Yes I do Shane!"

Shane strengthened his resolve and wrapped his arms across her waist. Though Alex didn't say it, she needed him. She had to know she wasn't alone in this world.

"I'm a lousy leader…."

"No, no you're not."

"I'm sorry….I'm sorry for yelling at you….I didn't mean it…I didn't mean to scare anyone..." Remorse set in as the whiskey continued its tumultuous path.

"It's alright Alex. I know you didn't mean any of it and everyone understands."

Shane shifted around until he sat face to face with Alex. He could see the deep distress that settled in her eyes, distress that robbed the beauty from her mocha rings leaving them dull and lifeless. The burden had weighed Alex down but Shane wasn't going to let her slip through his fingers.

"Come on," he hoisted her up to her feet using his body as support. Alex blinked and felt her eyes turn heavy but could see where he was going. "You need rest."

"You're not leaving me are you?"

She pleaded with Shane to stay.

"I didn't plan on it," he slipped behind her and curled up against her back.

"Thanks," she felt his arms wrap back around her offering support and more importantly the feeling of another. Shane could hear her breathing star to level off to deep rhythmic breaths.

"You're not alone Alex," he whispered to himself.

Can we say drunken rage? A lot of that had been building since the time Alex fled Manhattan which explained the deep seated explosion everyone witnessed...

On another note...I am against Shane and Andrea pairing up...Anyone else agree?