New Meanings to Old Words: Safe
Hi everyone. I'm so glad you all are enjoying yourselves while reading this lovely little piece of my imagination. I can't believe we're at chapter 13 already. I really didn't think I'd make it here this quickly. This chapter finds our crew on the road to the CDC, but with a busted RV and a shit load of odd flat tires they make a pit stop…
My lovely reviewers, favorite story alerters, and author alert peeps. Keep me moving ahead, keep me thriving in this groove of creativity, and keep your feedback coming. I promise you all that there will be a pay off coming for all your patience with the build-up of Callie and Daryl… though now I hope that it will be worth the hype. Guess we'll just have to see huh?
As always, read, review and most of all enjoy!
~SWW
Note: I've put transmission on the CB in italics, so you don't get confused and start thinking they're all together when they aren't.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Callie and the crew of misfits (Danny, Miles, Jenna, Mike, Nina, Ben and Gracie).
Chapter 13: People Are Strange
"I spy with my little eye," Danny muttered from the passenger seat of the Hummer.
"Oh God, please shut up." Callie muttered running her hand down her face and rubbing at her temple. Danny chuckled and tapped his foot on the front consol as he blew a puff of smoke out the window. He turned to face her with a wide ass grin, his cigarette perched precariously on his lips.
"Something blue," Danny said with a chuckle his eyes sliding towards her.
"Fuck you're worse than all the kids combined. How could I forget how annoying riding alone with you was?" Callie muttered stealing his cigarette and taking a drag off of it before she flicked it out her own open window. Danny chuckled before settling his eyes again on the road before them.
"Come on, something blue?" Danny continued, his eyes angling back to the little girl curled up on her side in the back seat. Gracie didn't make a sound, her eyes flicking over Danny's face before she buried her head into her arms and snuggled deeper into her blanket.
"Daryl's truck," Callie spat as she tightened her hands on the wheel. "It's been Daryl's fucking truck for the past hour and a half. Pick a new damn game."
Ignoring Callie, Danny spun a bit in his seat and smiled right down at Gracie. "Callie's got a bit of a bug up her butt, huh?" Danny muttered with a smile. "But I think you like my game so I'm gonna keep on playin'. You get to guess next time though. Don't let Callie win just cause she's in a mood."
Gracie didn't reply, didn't even crack a smile. Callie shifted her gaze to the rearview mirror angled so that she could see the little girl in the back seat. She was huddled under that blanket, even in the stifling heat of the day. Snuggled in so deep that you could barely even see her. Callie and Danny had opened all of the windows and the sunroof in an effort to keep the girl from completely overheating.
"Danny, let her be," Callie said quietly to the man beside her. He turned forward and pulled another cigarette from his pack, and slid another halfway out of the pack for her to grab. She took it, placed it in her mouth and grabbed his offered lighter.
"We gotta keep tryin'," Danny said angling his gaze out over the mass of cars on the road. "Can't let her just go on like that. Ain't no way for a little girl to live."
"This world ain't a place for a little girl to live," Callie muttered, her cigarette bouncing on her lips as she tossed Danny's lighter back into his lap. She slid her gaze towards Danny's eyes and gave him a smile. "But you're right."
"Wow, that musta been tough to say." Danny chuckled as he took a long drag from his cigarette. He leaned back and looked at Gracie. "You are my witness, Gracie-girl. Don't let her go denying she said that now."
Callie let out a sigh and shook her head as she smiled. Her eyes returned to the back of Daryl's truck, some strange part of her believing that she could feel the man's gaze in his rearview mirror looking back at her. Watching her and Danny smoke with an envious glare.
They'd been on the road for over two hours, making a slow progress down the clogged highway towards the exit that would lead them to the CDC. Green lush forests passed on the left and the right hand side, while cars piled up and blocked their path every couple of miles. They'd had to stop about eight times so far to move cars out of the way so that they could make it past.
Each time they got out, Callie and Danny's eyes would roam over the cars on the road. Danny looking for his wife's car. That fucking Jeep her new man had bought her, with the bumper sticker he'd slapped on the last time he'd visited. The one that said "I hate bumper stickers". It was a joke, and he was pretty sure she'd probably taken it off by now. But he still kept looking, thinking that he'd at least be able to make out the outline of where it had been stuck on.
He'd used superglue to put it on after all. He was pretty damned sure that would leave a mark in the paint he'd be able to see.
A smirk rose on Danny's lips as he tilted his head and exhaled a puff of smoke to the highway. They weren't moving very fast, but gaining ground compared to when they'd started off. Callie's eyes were shifted a bit to the right, her cigarette held between the firm line of her lips.
"I spy with my little eye," she muttered, letting the cigarette bounce. "Something that's gonna ruin our day."
"Fuckin' stragglers," Danny said leaning over to look out the window. Walking in the grass ambling in the same general direction that they were heading was a Walker. Danny watched as Callie flicked her hand along the control to the high beams, flashing them twice at Daryl's truck in front of them.
Callie watched as Daryl's brake lights lit up just a bit, and he slowed enough to stick his head out a bit and look back. Her arm went out the window to point at their shambling slow moving friend and he angled his head in that direction. Danny's eyes continued to follow the straggler as they moved on.
"He's got a friend," Danny muttered slipping his seat belt off and spinning in his seat to look out the back window. Callie pressed her foot into the brake a bit and slid her gaze towards the side mirror where she could see the second Walker ambling not far behind them on the road. She let the car glide slowly down the road, almost coming to a stop as Danny turned the other way in his seat to see if he could find any more. Callie's eyes watched the one Walker that she could see, hoping to God that they didn't need to make another pit stop any time soon.
"And baby makes three," Danny said moving his head back from the open window and punching his fingers to the button that would bring the windows up. "Gah," Danny shot back in his seat a bit as the teenage Walker, looking no older than Jenna put his gore encrusted fingers to the now closed window.
Callie followed suit and put up the remaining two windows and even closed the sunroof. Her eyes shifted to Gracie in the backseat, and she smiled down at the wide-eyed stare of the girl. Her foot pushed just a little harder on the gas pedal. Danny let out a low groan of disgust as the teenage Walker's fingers slid loudly along the glass of his window and then the back. Danny's fingers made a grab for the CB radio and Callie tightened her grip on the wheel.
Callie again let her foot press just a bit harder on the pedal. She'd fallen a good bit behind Daryl's truck as they kept watch for anymore Walkers and had a good bit of distance to catch up yet. Her eyes on the rearview, Callie's hand shot out to stop Danny just as his fingers hit the button to talk to the others.
"Look," Callie said nodding her head a bit and again pushing slightly on the brake. "Something's got their attention."
Sure enough the three Walkers, teenage nightmare included, were cocking their heads towards the wooded area and slowly making their way towards something unseen. Callie and Danny watched in rapt awe as the Walkers moved their dead feet faster almost at a run towards the sun dappled woods. It was at that point that Callie really took notice of just how many cars were parked along the road. So many cars, parked in an odd arc, practically three rows deep.
Callie's foot pressed onto brake and she reached out her hand for the CB handset. Danny's eyes were narrowed on the woods, also taking in the odd arc of cars.
"Only thing that would get their attention like that is dinner." Danny said quietly, trying not to let Gracie hear him. Shifting his eyes to the back, he noticed that the little girl was now curled into a ball on the floor of the backseat settled behind Callie's seat. Reaching a hand back he ran his fingers through her tangled curls. "It's okay, Gracie-girl. We're safe."
Suddenly loud bangs, resembling gunshots reverberated around them and had Callie and Danny both looking forward. Daryl's truck had come to a stop, swerved slightly to the side near twenty feet ahead of them. Not far in front of him, Callie could see the front end of Jim's tow truck smashed into one of the many cars lining the road. Smoke was pouring from the front.
"Callie to Jim, come back." Callie said into the handset her other hand gripping her gun as she exchanged a glance with Danny.
"Don't move, keep the Hummer there," Daryl's voice crackled over the CB. Both Danny and Callie looked ahead to see Daryl peering out the small window at them.
"We're fine," Miles distorted, obviously pissed off voice crackled over the radio.
"What's going on? over." Callie said eyeing the man as he leaned his head down no doubt to say something to Ben in his passenger seat.
"Rick for Callie, come back." Rick's voice crackled and Callie shook her head.
"For fuck's sake, what's going on?" Callie practically yelled into the CB. "You shooting up there?"
"Flat tires," Rick said quietly through the static on the radio. "The RV, the wagon, Shane, and Jim's truck." He paused for a moment. "Daryl?"
"Yeah. Fuck." Daryl's reply was short and clipped, he was obviously pissed off. "Boy, I gotta get out and check the truck! Stop pulling on me!" Callie heard Daryl say to Ben, his finger not yet disengaged from the radio.
"I'll go," Danny said quietly. Callie tapped his shot gun sitting near the center console and he nodded. Opening the sunroof Danny slipped upwards and looked around, making sure the coast was clear of the Walkers that they'd spotted not too long ago. Slipping back down he gave her a nod. "Looks like whatever got their attention in those woods, got it good. I'm gonna go see if I can calm Ben down."
"Rick for Callie, come back." Rick's voice crackled over the CB again as Danny slid out of the Hummer and made his way towards Daryl's truck. He was moving slowly, checking his surroundings, his shotgun up and ready to go if need be.
"Go ahead," Callie said back into the handset as she unbuckled her seat belt.
"You good back there?" Rick said, the worry obvious in his voice.
Callie half smiled, and then slipped herself up through the sunroof of the Hummer. She looked down the road to where she could see Rick standing outside of the station wagon, one hand on his hip and one on the radio. His eyes were fixed back at them, and she waved her hand. Extending the CB handset to its limit she raised it to her mouth as she did a quick sweep of the area around them.
"Yeah, we're good," Callie said letting the button go. Grimacing she pressed it again. "Not really an ideal place to stop though. We had three stragglers back here minutes ago. One had its hand on our windows before—" she stopped let the button go. A deep breath and she pressed it again. "Rick something's not right here."
"Yeah," Rick's voice came back over the radio after a beat. "You guys got a flat?"
"No. We're good," Callie said sliding back into the Hummer. "We apparently stopped far enough back to miss out on the fun." She watched through the front window as Danny opened the passenger door of Daryl's truck and stuck his head inside.
"Why don't you all head up this way," Rick said then added. "Quickly. We can assess together."
Callie nodded her head and was about to put the CB handset down but her eyes went forward again.
"Daryl, can you see Miles and Jim?" Callie asked into the handset, her eyes trying to see past Daryl's truck.
"They're fine," Daryl spat back a slight crackle in the radio. "They're moving 'round. Pissed off like the rest of us."
Callie let out a breath and settled the handset back into place. Running a hand down her face Callie peered into the backseat, but she didn't immediately see Gracie. Not until the little girl poked her head around from behind Callie's seat.
Picking up her gun from its place in the center console Callie tucked it into the front of her pants and slowly opened her door. Shifting her gaze she saw Danny holding Ben's hand as they made their way towards the pacing Miles. Daryl was just getting out of his truck and settling his crossbow at his back. His eyes shifted to her for a moment before he began circling his truck. Callie moved to the back door of the Hummer and opened it, smiling down at the little girl curled into the small space between the seats on the floor. It was almost exactly the position that she'd found the little girl in months ago.
Reaching down Callie picked up Gracie and settled her small form at her hip. Grabbing her backpack from the backseat she shut the doors and began working her way towards Daryl.
Daryl was staring intently at the ground, and bent down to one knee just as Callie and Gracie got to him. Callie stared down at his sandy blonde head and bit at the inside of her cheek. He let out a huff of disgust and picked up something shiny from the ground, holding it up and letting the sunlight flicker on the long wire.
"Is that barbed wire?" Callie asked shifting Gracie on her hip and staring down at the man. Daryl gave the barest hint of a nod, his eyes following the trail to where the barbed wire seemed to originate. Turning her head Callie's gaze followed his, landing on the closest row of cars parked in that strange arc around the woods. She could see barbed wire wrapped around the closest car and flowing over to the next and so on for as far as her eye could see. "What the fuck?"
"Come on," Daryl said getting to his feet and pulling his crossbow off of his back. "Ain't safe to be standin' around here," Daryl flicked his gaze to her and Gracie at her hip. "You got her?" Callie nodded as Daryl cocked an arrow into his crossbow, ready to go if needed. He waved his arm, signaling for Callie to step up in front of him and she did without even a thought. With Gracie in her arms she was nowhere close to being able to take out a Walker if one happened upon them. Or anything else that might pop out at them.
"Ben okay?" Callie asked, turning her head slightly to Daryl at her back. He sniffed, and his face scrunched in what Callie could only assume was confusion.
"He freaked out when I said we had a flat." Daryl said his eyes roaming the area as they walked. They passed Jim's truck, front bumper smashed into another car. Callie and Daryl's eyes both went to the ground as they walked, and both of them easily sidestepped the three visible lengths of barbed wire stretched out along the road. Daryl nodded his head and Callie spotted the barbed wire stuck to the front passenger tire of Jim's truck.
"Their parents were killed while changing a flat," Callie said quietly, her eyes moving from Gracie tucked in her arms up to where Ben was anxiously watching them approach. They boy's hand was pulling on Danny's, as Danny turned to talk with Shane, Dale and Rick. "He's done that every time we've had to change a tire. No matter how many times we tell him it'll be okay."
Daryl's eyes shifted from the side of Callie's face to where the little boy was practically dancing from side to side in agitation.
"Can't fault him for being cautious," Daryl said quietly and Callie nodded her head in return. No you couldn't fault that little boy for being cautious. Callie felt Daryl's chest bump into her back as he moved just a bit closer as they passed more cars, with more barbed wire wrapped around them. His hand settled in that familiar spot on the small of her back and she couldn't help but smile a bit. Idly she wondered if he even realized he was touching her half the time he did it.
No matter how hard this man wanted to push out his rough, loner exterior, he couldn't hold back his true nature. He was a natural protector. Alpha male.
"You can't really fault anyone for being cautious anymore," Callie said quietly, absently running her cheek along the top of Gracie's head. Daryl's hand slid off of its place at the small of her back as they came to a stop by Rick, and he shook it out as he came to the sudden realization that he'd been touching her. Ben bounced over towards Daryl with a worried frown, and Daryl roughly tussled the boys hair while turning his attention towards Rick, Shane and the others.
"See you found the barbed wire," Callie nodded to Shane's hand as she shifted Gracie on her hip. She felt a small hand on her arm and turned to find Jenna offering to take the little girl from her. Grown up talk, Callie loved that Jenna knew that without being told. Handing the little girl over, Callie pulled at her tank top sticking to her sweat covered back and turned her attention back towards the woods and the strangely parked cars.
Slowly her eyes shifted to the left where a little further up she spotted a concrete building with a turn-in. More cars were stuffed into the area, and one very out of place Army Jeep with a large red cross on the side. Callie's gaze narrowed and then she remembered something Felipe had said to her as they were leaving Heavenly Grace.
"Is this a camp ground?" Callie asked turning towards Glenn and Dale as they surveyed the road map. Glenn was shaking his head and pointing.
"No," Glenn said tapping his finger on the map. He looked up and met her eyes. "It's a pit-stop. You know one of those places with a little visitors center with maps, a couple of public restrooms and a little trail." Callie followed his gaze up to the large cement building. "It's a place to stretch your legs."
"Yeah, well we saw a few Walkers stretching their legs down the road a bit." Danny mumbled, not loud enough to go past the small group of them assembled between Shane's Jeep and the Peletier's station wagon that Rick was driving.
"This must be what Felipe was talking about," Callie said, her eyes yet again drifting towards the Army Jeep near the large visitors center. "As we were leaving he mentioned this friend, a doctor he worked with, who said that there was a group of people trying to get into the CDC. He said that they were going to get as close as they could and set up camp. This must be it."
Callie hadn't even realized she'd been walking towards that visitor's center until Rick's hand tightened around her arm and pulled her to a stop beside him. He looked at her from under the brim of his hat and she shook her head.
"So you think there are people in there?" Glenn was asking as he shifted his gaze towards the large building.
"This amount of cars," Danny said shaking his head and scratching at the back of his neck. "That'd be a shit load of people crammed into a fucking teeny-tiny rest station. Probably in the woods."
"We should check it out," Callie said quietly, her eyes still on the Army Jeep. Rick's gaze fell to her and then followed her gaze. Putting a hand to her shoulder he nodded his head.
"Let's figure this out first," Rick said his eyes skimming over their assorted group and then to the sky above. As Summer started to move into early Fall the rain seemed to start coming more and more often. The slow darkening skies seemed to have followed them as they drove for the last two hours, and now that they were at a standstill Rick was really hoping that this would be a short little burst when and if it came down. "Shane, you got a spare right?"
"Yeah," Shane said angling his head towards the Jeep. T-Dog nodded his head once and turned to start getting the spare off of the back. Shane returned his gaze to them his distaste for the situation obvious on his face. But he kept his mouth shut. Whatever his opinion, whatever he wanted to say about the decision to go to the CDC, he kept it inside that tight lipped mouth of his. And Callie couldn't help but smile a bit at him as he nodded at her. "What about you all?"
"I been riding on mine," Daryl said shifting his squinted angry gaze a bit to Rick. "Guessing you guys don't have one either?"
"No," Rick said while Jim shook his head and ran a hand over his overly sweaty brow. "But there are enough cars round that we should be able to find something to fit."
"That isn't going to help the RV," Dale said grimacing and pulling his bucket hat off of his head. "That hose," he shook his head sharing a glance with Jim. "The thing's more duct tape now than anything. I don't think we're going to be able to get it going again without an actual replacement."
"There's a station up the road a bit," Jim's voice was more than tired as he looked to Rick. He smiled a bit, sweat rolling down his neck and drenching the collar of his shirt. Callie's eyes shifted to Danny who was eyeing the man as he scratched at his neck.
"You're sure?" Rick asked a bit apprehensive of the idea of splitting up. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at the older man. It wasn't hard to tell that Jim was a bit shaken up, the day wasn't quite warm enough to account for the sweat pouring off of the thin man. Rick's eyes shifted to Shane who raised his brows and crossed his arms over his chest before looking around at the cars parked in that odd arc along the road.
"I've stopped there a couple times for parts before. They may still have something we can use. I got a jack in the truck," he turned to Miles as he wiped a hand under his hat. "Son, go grab it and come back. We can change Shane's tire, and he can take T-Dog and I to get the parts while y'all look for tires. Miles you can help Dale take a look at the RV and my truck see what's what."
Miles nodded his head and started back towards the truck. Danny gave Glenn a pat on the arm, and Glenn nodded following quickly behind Miles and placing a friendly smack to the back of the boy's shoulder when he caught up to him. Danny returned his gaze to Callie who was still eyeing the Army Jeep not too far off.
"You're not gonna pay attention to anything until we go up there, are you?" Danny muttered falling into step beside her as she slowly worked her way towards the first row of cars covered in barbed wire. Callie shot a look over her shoulder at him, then angled her eyes over towards the group of men still discussing the plan for getting them up and on their way.
"You know me well, Mr. Murdock," Callie said with a smile. Before turning her eyes to the Jeep, her fingers fiddled with the gun tucked into her pants. "I just need to make sure."
"Well, let's go." Danny said shifting his gaze over his shoulder. "Before your boyfriend realizes you've left his side."
"I'm warning you," Callie said settling her fingers to the barbed wire on the driver's side door of a nearby Lincoln. Placing her hand flat on the hood of the car she pushed up and got her booted foot up on to the hood. The sound of the depressing hood as her weight hi it caught the attention of the men back near the RV.
"Uh oh," Danny said vaulting himself over the trunk of the car beside her. "Here comes the your boy. And he don't look happy. I'd start practicing my pouty lip if I were you."
Callie slipped her other foot up beside her, ignoring the both Danny's snide remarks and the yells coming from behind. The heated glare on her shoulders from Daryl as he rushed over to where she and Danny were sliding between cars was intense, and not something she really wanted to look back and feel the full force of. Keeping her eyes on the Jeep she pulled her gun from her waistband. Beside her Danny held his shotgun at the ready, his eyes shifting from left to right as they walked.
"Callie," Rick's voice was close and Callie shifted her gaze over her shoulder. Both Rick and Daryl were weaving between cars a few feet behind them, both with weapons drawn and ready eyes flicking around them and peering into cars that they passed. Callie kept moving, she watched Danny head a little past the Jeep his eyes taking in the small visitors center. "I said we'd check later."
"Sorry," Callie said, her hand skimming over the back of the Jeep as she tried to peer in the windows. "I –" she turned to face both men. "I just need to see." Rick's eyes were hard, but a slow understanding dawned on him as he nodded his head. Looking to her left Callie's eyes met the snarled expression of Daryl as he shifted his eyes between her and the Jeep.
"Well come on," Daryl said stepping forward. "Let's take a look."
Callie's hand slid along the Jeep skimming over the large red cross on the side of the door. She heard Rick and Daryl moving around behind her.
"Hey, dumb-fuck," Daryl's whispered voice held an edge as he moved slowly past the Jeep to where Danny was standing near the building. "What you doing?"
Daryl moved past Rick, his eyes sliding to the woods behind the building, over benches covered in blood and gore, and back to Danny. Danny's fingers were curled into the closest board covering the door in to the building. He was pulling slightly, trying to make a crack that would allow him to see inside the darkened interior. Rick was working to keep his eyes on Daryl and Danny, and on Callie so he settled himself between the two, eyes flicking from one to the other.
"Oh God," Callie's whispered voice was loud enough to carry as her fingers settled on the door handle and she peeked inside. The window was almost completely covered in dried blood, but she could see that there was a body in what looked to be Army fatigues settled on the front seat. It was slumped over the steering wheel half of the back of its head missing. She tightened her grip on her gun, her eyes skimming the seat, noticing the blood and gore covering the whole thing.
Daryl's eyes flicked back to Callie, watching as she looked into the Army Jeep. A part of him wished he'd stayed over there. He could see the shaking of her hand as she gripped her gun, see her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady her nerves. The creaking of the wood as Danny yet again pulled on the boards over the door pulled his attention from the woman, and put it back on the idiot.
"Stop that," Daryl spat coming to stand next to Danny. His eyes slid to the boards nailed haphazardly over the entrance to the building. "They're tacked up from the outside, dumbass. It occur to you why that might be?"
Danny's eyes slid to Daryl beside him, a smile on his lips. "I ain't never been afraid to check for the boogeyman behind a closed door. Didn't think you the type to be scared, Daryl."
"Ain't scared," Daryl said slipping closer and bending towards the break between the boards to try and peer in. "Just ain't stupid." The sound of the car door creaking slowly open caught the attention of both men at the building and had them turning to watch.
Callie pulled at the door slowly, stepping to the side to give it clearance. The smell hit her like a ton of bricks, and her eyes closed just for a moment as she fought the urge to wretch. She opened her eyes and saw the patch on the arm of the dead man. A red cross. A moving red cross.
The body slowly slid towards her and Callie let out a small shriek as she stumbled backwards. She felt an arm circle around her waist and roughly pull her backwards, her knees gave way and she fell to the ground with Rick as he pulled her away. Rick's gun was over her shoulder as the two of them hit the ground hard, his arm still around her waist pulling her away as the body slid out of the vehicle.
Shuffling and swearing from Danny and Daryl knocked Callie out of her stupor and she shook her head. Sitting on the ground between Rick's legs she raised her gun to the same level as Rick's.
"It's okay," Rick said moving his gun a little to the left to clear his vision. "I think it's okay. He just slid out." Rick's hand slid over her stomach and landed at her hip. He squeezed once, getting her to look at him over her shoulder. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Callie said nodding and patting his hand on her hip with her still shaking free hand. She let out a breath. "Thanks, sheriff."
Rick let out a huff that could have been a sigh or a laugh, as he removed his hand from her. Danny reached down and helped her up, giving her a good hard look before squeezing her shoulder. He turned from her then and reached a hand down to Rick. Callie's eyes ventured over to Daryl who was now kneeling down beside the body. A body of an Army medic with dark waving hair. Callie felt her heart stop as Daryl looked up at her, his free hand gripping the dog tags of the dead man.
"Rick?" Shane's voice yelled up at them. Rick turned away from Danny, and ran a hand down his face before waving his arm.
"We're fine," Rick shouted back, grimacing as it carried much better than he would have thought. "We'll be down in a minute." Turning his attention towards the Jeep he watched as Callie knelt down beside Daryl, wiping the back of her hand along her mouth.
"Ain't him," Daryl said quietly, the whisper of his voice carrying no matter how hard he tried for it not to. Callie lifted her gaze to his and he slid his thumb over the dog tags in his hand. "Says here his name's Howard, Dennis R."
"Denny," Callie said pain etched to her face as her hands reached out and began pushing at the body. Daryl helped her and together they pulled the body from the car and flipped it so that his face was looking towards the darkening skies above. Her hand went to her mouth and she covered it, shaking her head as she stared down at the man with a bullet hole between his eyes. "Oh, Denny."
"You know him?" Rick's said as he settled himself on one knee at the head of the man.
"Yeah," Callie said quietly her fingers hovering over the dead man's face. "We—" she shook her head and clenched that hovering hand into a fist. "He was a friend of Bobby's. They joined up together. We were close." Her eyes lifted to meet Daryl's for a second and then slid to Rick and Danny.
"Don't mean anything, Cal." Danny said eyeing their surroundings.
"He ain't bit," Daryl said gaining the attention of the group again. "No where I can see anyway."
"So he shot himself," Danny said shrugging. "Seen a lot of people opting for the easier way, Daryl. Not really surprising."
"Ain't no gun in that Jeep," Daryl said his eyes sliding to the Jeep and then back to glare at Danny with a raised brow. The look he was giving Danny said it clear as day, 'dipshit'. The word was practically hanging in the air and Callie was surprised when Daryl didn't actually say it out loud.
"So someone shot him," Rick said slowly making his way to his feet, his eyes making a sweep of the area.
"Yeah," Daryl said watching as Callie slipped the dog tags off of the dead man and pocketed them. "Someone shot him, and left him in here to rot."
"Let's get back to the others," Rick said quickly, his eyes sliding to the building. "Anything over there?"
"Boarded up from the outside," Danny said shouldering his shotgun and smiling at Rick. "Deputy Daryl there, figures that's a sign that something's locked inside. So we decided not to pry too much."
"Probably right," Rick said sliding his gaze to Daryl who was scowling at Danny's remark. "Callie," Rick's voice had her pushing to her feet and wiping her hands on her jeans. Her eyes hadn't left the dead man's face yet. Rick reached out a hand to touch her elbow and she jumped a bit. "I'm sorry. Do you need more time?"
"No," Callie shook her head, taking a couple deep breaths and making sure that the tears clouding her eyes didn't fall. She shook her head again, glanced one more time at Denny's body at her feet and then up into Daryl's eyes. "No. I'm good. Let's get back to the others."
They made their way slowly down towards the others. Callie's hand patted at Denny's dog tags in her pocket and she kept repeating what Danny said in her head. Don't mean anything. Her eyes slid back to the Jeep and met Daryl's hardened gaze as he brought up the rear. He ain't bit, echoing now. Followed closely by Rick's voice darkly stating a fact that made her sick to her stomach as she lifted herself up over the hood of the car and back to the road.
Someone shot him.
Shane, T-Dog and Jim had been gone for nearly a little over an hour now, and Dale was literally pacing a hole into the top of the RV. His binoculars were focused on the spot down the road where the sky seemed to meet the land, the last place that he'd been able to see Shane's Jeep before it disappeared. His eyes slid to the sky above and he inwardly cursed at the clouds beginning to ebb away at the sun.
Lowering the binoculars he looked to the road, watching as Jenna sat beside Andrea trying to coax the woman into speaking. He saw Andrea's mouth move, saw her sad eyes slide to Gracie, saw her work at smiling but failing miserably. The little girl was still in shock, her body curled up in between the two girls, her eyes staring at her boot covered toes. And Dale knew that her presence was just a reminder to Andrea of Amy's passing. His heart hurt for both Andrea and Gracie as he stared down at them.
Jenna and Carol had managed to finally get Gracie into actual clothes that Callie had brought back from the Hummer. And Jenna placed a protective arm around the little girl as another shiver shook her tiny form, a shiver that had nothing to do with the weather outside. The darkening skies had brought a wind with it that helped to cool what had once been sweltering air. It was still hot as hell, Dale mused as he wiped at his brow under his hat, but at least it was a bearable heat now.
His eyes slid a bit further, watching as Rick and Glenn worked to change the tire on the station wagon. Finding the tire to fit the Peletier's car had been the easiest, getting it off of the almost identical station wagon settled in what Danny had dubbed 'the car mote' had been the hard part. Rick stood up, cracking his back and speaking to Carl who stood close by his father's side. The smile on Rick's face was contagious as he placed his campaign hat atop his boy's head.
"Hey Dale," Danny's voice crackled over the radio and Dale couldn't help but smile as he lifted the handset to his lips.
"Go ahead, Danny." Dale said as he lifted the binoculars to look down the road to where he could just make out Danny's form. Danny, Callie and Miles were milling about the cars closer to where Jim, Daryl and the Callie had stopped. They were siphoning gas from some of the cars. From the looks of it they'd finished with Daryl's truck and were now beginning to work on Jim's tow truck.
"Did I ever tell you the story about the first time Callie and I siphoned gas?" Danny's voice was a pleasant blast through the radio. Below Dale heard Glenn remark something about Danny's perpetual happiness being a front for something. Rick shook his head and smiled slightly at Glenn, then turned his gaze up to Dale.
"No," Dale responded looking at Danny's form in the distance. From here he could make out Danny turned back towards the RV looking at him. "Don't think you did."
"It's a good story," Danny said chuckling a bit. In the background Dale picked up Callie's voice saying something along the lines of 'Danny I swear to God-' before Danny cut her off. "Remind me to tell you sometime. Pretty sure Ben's got a picture of it in that pack of his." Danny let go of the button for a moment, and Dale stared confusedly at the man still looking at him. "In the meantime, stop with the fuckin' pacing. I can hear you all the way over here and it's goddamned annoying."
Dale let out a laugh and shook his head as he let his binoculars slip down. He lifted his hand in the air waving at the man before turning his back.
"Did you just flip me off," Danny's voice crackled through the radio and had Dale laughing a bit more as he sat himself into his lawn chair and settled his eyes back on the horizon. "I'm taking your silence as a yes, Dale. I gotta say I'm disappointed in you young man. That was highly inappropriate."
Dale continued to laugh, hearing Glenn chuckling below as he and Rick lowered the station wagon back to the ground. That man was something else. Shaking his head Dale lifted his eyes to the gathering clouds above. Settling his binoculars around his neck he let his shoulders slacken and his body relax a bit. Danny was right. Worrying about them wasn't going to bring them back any faster.
Down the road Danny settled the handheld radio into his back pocket and smirked at the man now sitting on top of the RV. Dale was good people, but he worried too damn much. Not far behind Callie smirked at Danny's back as she placed the gas can she was carrying on the ground. Putting her hands to the trunk of Pontiac she leaned on to her elbows and ran the back of her arm across her sweaty brow.
It wasn't nearly as hot now as it had been earlier in the day, the clouds rolling in overhead had helped with that. But it was still hot enough to make any kind of physical labor uncomfortable. Part of her wished it would rain, just to help cool them all the way down. Danny continued to weave his way through the cars, and Callie shifted her gaze towards Jim's truck.
Miles was sitting in the driver's seat while Daryl pushed the car backwards away from the truck that it smashed into. Callie watched as the muscles in Daryl's arms flexed as he pushed. Watched as he ran the back of his arm along his forehead wiping away the dripping sweat. He placed his hands back on the front of the truck and pushed again. Shaking her head, Callie let her gaze shift to Danny, in her head she could feel him eyeing her and hear him laughing at her. Surprisingly he wasn't looking at her at all. She let her forehead fall to the heated metal of the Pontiac she was resting on.
Shit. If Danny had seen her watching that man she would never hear the end of it.
"Alright, I'm gonna go get the jack," Daryl said to Miles his voice carrying over the stillness that surrounded them and causing Callie's head to lift back up. Surprisingly her eyes rose and met his gaze and for a second she felt the unmistakable rush of a blush fill her cheeks. His brow narrowed, and she was thankful that she was far enough away that he couldn't see that fucking blush. "Y'all good?"
Callie lifted her thumb to the air, and tapped at the gun in her waistband. Miles got out of the truck and held up his bat waving it dramatically at Daryl. Daryl rolled his eyes and shook his head as he worked his way away from them.
"Hey, Miles," Danny called from somewhere up ahead. "Come here. Think I may have found one that'll fit Jim's truck."
Callie watched Miles shut the door to the truck and shoot her a look as he maneuvered himself over the barbed wire on the vehicle closest to him. She smiled at him and waved, the all clear signal. She watched him go, and couldn't help but realize just how much the boy had grown up since they'd been at the camp. Callie ran a hand over her face, and rubbed at her eyes a bit before once again settling down on her forearms and surveying the area.
'The car mote', as Danny dubbed it, was an interesting piece of ingenuity on someone's part. Callie shifted her gaze over her shoulder and looked at the woods behind her. The hair's on the back of her neck told her that there was something in there. Someone in there was watching them. Slowly she lifted her arms and turned, settling her butt against the car. Crossing her arms over her chest she continued to stare at the woods. There were Walkers in there. That much she was sure of. She and Danny had seen them disappear into those dark depths only a half hour or so ago.
Someone shot him.
Rick's words echoed in her head as she shifted her gaze a bit to where the Army Jeep sat in the distance. Poor dead Denny laying on the ground.
"Danny!" Miles' panicked voice rang out and startled Callie from her resting place against the car. Her eyes wide, she searched up ahead to where Danny had been. "Danny! Fuck!"
"Miles!" Callie shouted pushing off of the car. Not even thinking about it what she was rushing into she began to run. She ran full tilt and grabbed the boy by the arm, turning him from his mad dash towards the woods. "What happened? Where's Danny?"
"Fuck if I know," Miles practically screamed, his wild eyes sliding towards the woods. "One minute I'm checking out this tire, the next he's going on about a bumper sticker and running off into the fuckin' woods."
"A bumper sticker," Callie repeated, her eyes going to the cars around them. She spotted the Jeep not far off. "Shit. His wife's car." Callie's eyes went to the woods for a second before grabbing Miles by the arms pulling him close and catching his eyes. "Go get Daryl and Rick. Tell them I went after Danny."
She pushed him away and slid her eyes towards where she could see Dale on the RV looking at them. Her eyes shifted to see Daryl and Rick both looking towards them.
"Damnit, go, Miles!" Callie said turning and taking off into the woods.
Callie slid between the cars around her and broke into the brush. The cloudy skies above didn't fully prepare her for the darkness of the forest, and her steps stuttered a bit before she came to a complete stop. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering in through the branches above and she stood listening for a minute, her head moving from left to right.
In the distance somewhere she heard Danny yelling names. "Leslie! Jake!" Her heart hammered in her chest as she took off into the woods. Her legs were carrying her through the trees, branches slapping at her bare arms and debris crunching under her booted feet. She didn't know how long she'd been running, or how far from the road she was when she yelled out.
"Danny!" Callie yelled as she rounded around a tree and worked her way up a steady incline. Cresting the hill, her feet skidded to a stop in the underbrush. Her eyes went wide at the sight of tents, a lot of tents, scattered about before her. She took a few tentative steps forward, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness of the woods. Her nose picked up the smell of rotted flesh like some familiar and completely unwelcome memory. Slowly she moved forward, her feet crunching in the debris scattered about her, echoing in the emptiness.
She couldn't hear Danny anymore, the blood was rushing in her head too loud. Something was hanging from one of the trees closest to her. Taking two more shaking steps forward, her hand clapped over her mouth.
A man, hung upside down, bloated arms reaching towards the ground. His face was purple and eyes clouded by death, and as the wind blew it turned him around so that she could see the exit wound that obliterated the back of his head.
"Callie?" A voice sounded and Callie turned fast pulling her gun and pointing it without hesitation.
"Jesus Christ, Miles!" Callie lowered her gun and grabbed at the boy dragging him close to her. His eyes were wide, just staring at the body hanging down from the tree. She shook him as she moved him away and got his attention back on her.
"What the hell?" Miles was saying as he looked around, a white knuckle grip on his bat.
"Miles," Callie said shaking him again. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you to get Daryl and Rick."
"They were already headed towards us," Miles said idly looking around, his feet carrying him a bit further into the small campsite that they had stumbled upon. "I followed after you. Figured you'd need back up." He kept walking, shaking off Callie's hands as she tried to pull him towards her. "What's tied to that tree?"
Callie worked her way up behind him, her eyes shifting to the tents. Each one's unzipped flap moving in the breeze. She heard the beginnings of rain as it hit the leaves above and spared a single glance up feeling a small drop hit her head. Putting a hand to Miles' arm she moved him slightly out of the way so she could see past him, her gun raised and ready.
Another dead body. This time tied to the base of the tree, it's hunched decaying form sitting on the ground, arms and torso held to the tree by three layers of thick rope.
"What the fuck is going on?" Miles' voice was a harsh whisper. "We need to get the fuck out of here." His voice reminded her of a scared child warning of the boogeyman under his bed, or hiding in his closet.
Before she could voice her concurrence, loud crunching was heard. It was the distinctive sound of footsteps. Fast, heavy footsteps, somewhere close. Miles' eyes went wide at the sound and he turned with his bat. In an instant Callie felt an impact, jarring her arm causing her gun to fly off towards where the body was tied to the tree.
"Shit!" Callie yelled as she was pushed aside and hit the ground on her hands and knees. The large black mass was heading for Miles, who stood his ground brandishing his bat ready to strike.
Callie watched in horror as the figure grabbed Miles' bat as it arced towards it, a large fist moving and colliding with the boy's shoulder. The figure, obviously male, grabbed the bat and twisted it from Miles' grip. The bat hit the ground and the man made another jab for Miles, connecting again. Callie heard the boy scream out. Heard the distinct crunch of bones, and she felt her feet begin to move.
Miles wasn't one to take a single hit and be done. Miles was a fucking survivor. He scrambled towards his bat, while Callie scrambled on her hands and knees towards where her gun had fallen. The rain filtering through the leaves faster now and making the ground slick, hindering both of them.
Where the fuck was Daryl and Rick? Callie thought as her hands moved over the ground searching for her gun.
Miles made it to his bat, and turned around to smash the unknown man. The man was on him, one hand on his arm the other on the bat. The man's mouth crashed into Miles' forearm, tearing the flesh. Miles screamed and Callie forgot about the fucking gun. She turned and saw the man's mouth on Miles, her eyes went wide with fear. Without a second thought Callie was running full tilt and tackled the man.
Her fist came down hard on his face three times, her legs straddling his large form as her arm continued to pummel the man. Her breathing was heavy as she stared down at the man, his head tilted to the side, her fist raised and ready to strike again.
"Fuck!" Miles swore, breaking whatever spell Callie was under. Callie scrambled off the man and slid her way through the debris towards Miles as he stood up slowly, cradling his damaged left arm to his body. "Oh god!"
"Miles," Callie put her hands to his arms, her eyes sliding to the still unmoving figure on the ground. "Miles. Look at me." Miles' eyes, wide with panic and fear, met hers. His lip was trembling as he moved his mouth.
"Oh god," his hushed whisper was full of every fear that he'd ever had, and caused a lump to form in Callie's throat. She held tight to his good arm, and shook him once.
"Miles! Callie! Danny!" Callie could hear Rick's voice somewhere off in the distance and she let out a breath of relief.
"Miles," Callie said calmly, holding her nerves in check. "Miles, I need you to go find Rick. Can you do that?" She shook him again and got his eyes off of the bleeding bite on his left forearm. "Miles. I need you to find Rick. I'm going to hold this guy here, but I need you to find Rick."
"He bit me," Miles said shaking his head. "He bit me."
"Miles, he's a fucking lunatic. He's not a Walker." Callie said giving the boy another shake. "You're fine."
"You don't know that," Miles said his wide eyes going to her. Callie shook him again and let go, moving to grab her gun now visible by the base of the tree. Picking up her gun she turned to look at Miles still staring at his arm.
"And you don't know either," Callie said giving him a push. "Go. Find Rick." She held his good arm and pulled him away pushing him towards where she could hear the men in the woods. "We'll deal with it when and if we have to. Until then, you are fine. You get me?"
Miles nodded his head slowly, and finally shook it. He shifted his gaze between Callie and the man laying on the ground. She checked her gun and moved towards the prone man, raising her gun just enough to point at his head. She smiled at Miles and nodded, watching him make his way slowly at first and then at a dead run.
Callie slowly moved towards the man that had attacked them, her eyes now taking in the sight of the dirty green Army fatigues. His face was bloodied, covered in a graying beard. More dirt and grime and blood distorting his features. His clothes were no better. She settled beside him, her feet wide as she stood between him and the body tied to the tree base not far off. She kicked at him once, his arm sliding off of his body limply, revealing the name embroidered in his fatigues on the upper left breast pocket.
Whitmore.
Her eyes slid off of his name for a brief moment, angling downward to a small badge protruding from his left breast pocket. Lowering herself to one knee she took one hand off of her gun, letting her gun fall slightly as she put a trembling finger to the small piece of plastic she could see. Her fingers hit it, her eyes sliding to the man's face to assure herself he was still out cold. Slowly she slid it free from the pocket, her eyes going wide.
The man's fist lifted so fast she had no hope of preparing herself for it. She felt the impact with her shoulder, and her gun once again flew from her hand as his massive frame came down on her. She felt the breath rush from her lungs and tried to scream as he pushed his hand into her mouth. He tugged at her hair and twisted her up and off the ground, maneuvering her body like she was nothing more than a rag doll. He turned her around, one massive arm around her torso holding her arms to her body, the other hand tangled in her hair. He pulled her body so that her back was flush with his front, and he walked her forward.
"I thought they sent you," the man, Whitmore, said into her ear. His hot breath smelling of something awful that Callie couldn't quite place. "My mistake there." He was moving her now, his legs pushing against hers and forcing her to take steps.
"Let me go," Callie said through clenched teeth, his hand in her hair disengaged and he worked his massive forearm around her neck, angling her head up to look at him.
"No," Whitmore said smiling. "You're a survivor. Just like me. You should know." He nodded his head and kept moving them forward, their feet sliding in the damp forest bed. "I've got to share the truth with you. You'll like it." He pushed again at her legs causing her to fall to her knees in the mud before the dead man tied to the base of the tree. "They die."
Callie's eyes narrowed and she tried to hold her breath as the smell of the decaying man tied to the tree before her wafted up at her. She gagged but held it in, trying to turn her head away. Whitmore removed his hand from around her neck, switching it to her torso to free his right hand. His right hand slid to her thigh and she jerked up against him.
"They die." He repeated, his right hand slipping the hunting knife from her thigh holster. "Sort of. They go to sleep. They decay. They can't survive without us. Without food." He was rambling, his hot, putrid breath fanning over Callie's skin. She watched in horror as Whitmore lifted her knife into view, the steel blade glistening in the rain and the dim light filtering down from above.
"Get the fuck off of me," Callie said trying to twist her body out of his powerful grip.
"But if you give them just a taste," Whitmore moved the knife in his hand, the blade now pointing at Callie. Her eyes went wide as he moved the knife towards her, his lips moving against her ear now. His right elbow was tight against her right shoulder as he spun the knife a bit in his hand. "Watch, honey, it's almost mesmerizing."
Whitmore stabbed the knife into Callie's left shoulder and she screamed. She screamed loud and long. The knife didn't go in far, just far enough, and he shook her to get her to stop screaming.
"Watch!" he yelled. Her eyes opened, and she watched the eyes of the body tied to the tree slowly open. "Watch," the heated whisper in her ear had her shaking. Whitmore was smiling as he slowly sliced Callie, the tip of her knife moving easily through her skin right under her collarbone.
The pain was excruciating and Callie realized she was still screaming when she heard them enter the campsite.
"Fuck!" Daryl's voice was a boom of thunder and Callie's eyes widened.
Whitmore laughed as he let the knife slide out of Callie's skin. He held it out in front of him now, leaning them closer. Letting the now awake Walker lick her blood off of the knife. He leaned her forward, and she felt the rush of the Walker's breath on her face. She turned away, a pathetic whimper falling from her lips. The arms of the Walker were lifting as it's jaws snapped furiously. Whitmore dropped the knife, his large hand coming to her chin, forcing her face to look at the Walker.
"Let her go!" Rick yelled. He trained his gun on the back of the man holding Callie. He couldn't see past the man's hulking fame but he could hear the moans.
"I can take him," Daryl was yelling, and Rick shook his head. Motioning Daryl to flank around to the other side. They needed to see what was going on.
"I said let her go," Rick's voice, calm, cool and collected did not match the wavering of his arms as he held his gun. He'd made it to the side of the man now, was able to see exactly what he was doing. Rick's jaw clenched as he watched the blood roll down the front of Callie's shirt. Watched in horror as the Walker reached undead fingers towards that wound, jaws snapping. Callie's breathing was short and shallow as she stared at the Walker in front of her. "Dear God."
"Let her the fuck go!" Daryl yelled advancing a bit on the man, his crossbow raised at the man's head. He could take the shot. He could take the fucker out.
"I'd hold there, boys." Whitmore said leaning Callie a bit closer, his large hand around her neck now. She felt the fingers of the Walker like a feather over the air, so close to her almost touching her bloody shoulder. "Unless you'd like to watch her get her face torn off."
"Oh God," Callie whimpered feeling the breath of the Walker on her, the touch of its fingertips on her raw cut skin. "Oh God."
Daryl's eyes lifted from Callie to Rick, both of them taking a matching step backwards. Daryl's eyes went back to Callie, his jaw clenching and hand tightening around his crossbow. Her breathing was shallow, tears flowing down her cheeks, blood flowing freely down the front of her from a gash in her shoulder. His mouth worked in frustration as he watched the man smile as the Walker made futile attempts at getting her.
Once again he sighted down his crossbow, watching as Rick did the same. Both men's eyes met over the head of the man each one knowing that if they shot him, if they took him out, they would probably lose Callie. She was just too close to the fucking Walker for them to be able to get to her in time.
"Callie," Daryl's voice was calm, almost soothing and it had her eyes sliding to him. Daryl's jaw clenched as he watched drops of rain mixed with her tears slide off of her chin and fall to her blood soaked tank top. He let his gaze wander to Rick who was stepping a bit closer. A single nod from the former sheriff let Daryl know it was now or never. "Ain't never known you to be the type of woman who would sit there and take shit like that from no one. 'Specially some dumbfuck that just busted up one of your kids." Daryl smirked, his gaze returning to the broken woman. "You ain't the type to go out like this, darlin'."
Callie's eyes held his for a brief second. He held her gaze, and willed her to do what she needed to do. Callie's jaw clenched and her eyes went back to the Walker in front of her. Pawing at her. Touching her. Fucker. She moved fast, tilting her head forward and then crashing it backwards. She felt the impact and heard the satisfying crunch of bone as the back of her head came in contact with Whitmore's nose. She felt the searing pain of fingernails scratching into her flesh, as Whitmore's grip broke. She fell forward, her hand coming up to her neck.
Daryl ran forward, catching Callie in his arms and pulling her back from the Walker tied to the fucking tree. Both of them scrambling backwards on the wet ground. His hand went to the wound at her shoulder, and without thinking he pulled off his shirt and placed it to the wound. Pressing the fabric hard into the cut he held her back to his chest as he looked to Rick. Callie curled into him, her body shaking. Rick smashed his gun down on the man's head, knocking him unconscious with one blow. But felt the need to smash him one more time, a fact that had Daryl nodding his approval. The man's body fell in a heap to the wet ground. Rick's gun was pointed at the man's head, ready to take the shot.
"The Walker," Callie mumbled as she lifted herself away from Daryl a bit. She was settled on the wet ground between his legs, her right arm wrapped around his, their fingers interlocked as her hand held his hand to the gaping wound along her collar bone.
She made a move forward, going for her gun or her knife. Hell, he didn't know. Didn't fuckin' care. She wasn't going nowhere.
Daryl pulled her back and lifted his crossbow with his left hand. He sighted down and let the bolt fly, hitting the money shot right between the dead man's eyes. He felt Callie's body slacken and he dropped his crossbow to the ground using his now free left hand to tighten his hold on her shaking form. Her forehead dropped to his raised knee, a rattling scared breath leaving her and he settled his left hand on the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her damp hair. Shifting his gaze he looked at Rick still eyeing the unconscious man laying at his feet.
"Do it," Daryl growled causing Rick to look over at him. Daryl snarled and moved Callie's body closer shifting on his ass so that he was facing Rick. "Take the fucker out!"
"No!" Callie yelled, her head lifting from its resting place on Daryl's knee as she tried to sit up in his arms. He held her tight to him but let her move a bit as he raised a questioning brow at her. "His pocket. His ID badge."
Rick looked over at Callie for a second, before moving forward, placing his foot on the man's neck. His eyes went wide as he looked down at the ID badge hanging from a small clip under the name Whitmore. Even in the dim light filtering down from above, the bright blue of the CDC logo stood out in striking contrast to the darkness of man's fatigues.
"Son of a bitch," Rick said under his breath, running his hand over his rain dampened hair. "Son of a bitch."
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When your strange
When your strange
~People Are Strange / The Doors
AN: Well, I hope that was a fun little chapter for you. As you can see we're moving slightly out of the realm of actual Season 1 stuff. I can only hope that this is as entertaining to you as it is for me to write. Next chapter should be fun…especially since Danny is still out in the woods somewhere, Miles has been bit by a psycho…a psycho who is from the CDC. Read and review people I'd love to hear what you're thinking.