So just a heads up! I had decided to change the story line a bit. I am hoping to keep all the big events in this story but alter their course a little bit. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 14:

Aster had fucked up. She had said some things she hadn't necessarily meant in the heat of the moment. It made her head throb just thinking about it. But that's what these days were, each and every one was 'heat of the moment'. No one really thought things through the way they probably should. It was hard to when any second could be your last.

Her hand rose up as she smacked her cheek roughly. Mosquito's were all over her by the small puddle that lay randomly by the cement wall. She stopped a moment and stared at it... She wasn't sure where it had come from. She hadn't intended to fall asleep alone with no one watching her back. But there it was, it couldn't be undone. But she shrugged it off this time. She maybe even figured she deserved a little break after the day they'd had back at the farm.

It was clear to Aster just who was in charge now. Her friends joined this group in the hopes of staying alive just a little longer. For her it even meant having other people to talk to that weren't Bill and Kenzi. She loved them in her own way but being around then 24/7 was certainly stressful. She hadn't thought about someone else making the calls for her. She would have to put her life in Rick's hands. Did she really want that?

Daryl watched her crawl her ass up off the dirt floor. She staggered a little before looking into the wood for walkers. Her hand flew up and smacked herself right on the face causing Daryl to stifle back a small half smile. She really did deserve a good smack he figured. They all did.

He still wasn't sure how they had allowed themselves so much comfort back at that farm. Eventually when everyone lay dead in the cities the dead would come for what was left; what was hiding. Secluded towns, even houses weren't safe anymore. There was no where to run...

Aster rejoined the group an hour later. She had to build up her nerve and face them again sometime. She had to make sure Kenzi was alright. But it seemed like she had chosen an awkward moment. "Why is everyone standing around?" She whispered, grabbing a bottle of water and twisting the lid off. Kenzi sat upright against the back of the truck bed.

"They just found out that we all have it. Apparently it's taken them until now to figure that out." She coughed, lifting her arm up to cover her mouth. Her face was cold and pale and she could feel her lips were dry and cracked. Her arm hurt every time she moved and it was beginning to piss her off.

"And you just decided not to say anything to us?" Carol asked, crossing her arms over her chest and moving towards Rick.

"Would it have made a difference?" He asked her.

"It's not your call!" Glenn snapped. "Okay.. Look. When I found out about the walkers in the barn I told you. I told everyone."

"Ya well.. I thought it best to keep it to myself." Rick sighed, defeated. He tried his best to do right by them. At the time he wasn't so sure telling them would do anything but cause more sadness. He turned and walked away, passing Aster as he went.

"Wasn't aware you didn't know." She told them.

"It's alright hon. It's not your fault." Carol said softly, touching Aster's shoulder.

"He decide what's next? Where we are going?"

"We just keep moving."

One week later:

"This is just great." Kenzi muttered, slamming a cabinet grumpily. "Another empty house."

"Ya well... Wouldn't know if we didn't check." Bill answered, grabbing her good arm as she swayed on the spot. "You gotta take it easy. Your pushing to hard."

"Agreed. Calm the fuck down." Ace replied, pulling a can of mystery meat down from the back of a dusty shelf.

"We can't catch a break." Beth said, pulling herself up onto the counter. "Most of us can barely sleep. We are all exhausted. How can we keep doing this?" Her nose scrunched up as Aster threw the food to her. It smelled awful, but she dug in anyways. "This is definitely dog food."

"Beggars can't be choosers. Food is food." Kenzi mumbled, a low growl in her voice as she took the can from Beth.

"She's right you know." Glenn sighed, leaning against the wall. "We need something, just one win." Maggie gave him a half smile as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It's getting colder Rick. We can't keep doing this." Carol understood that Rick was the leader. She had come to terms with that. She even felt safe with him. But it seemed like if they didn't speak up that they would just continue to go in circles. "We need a plan." Her eyes trailed to Daryl for a moment. Why did she always hope he would speak up? He seemed like a survivor.

"This seriously tastes like that shit you get in the tank." Kenzi winced, shoving the can back to Aster. "You remember that night we got wasted. We must have polished off that two six of southern comfort in like an hour." The happy memory rushed back to her. At least she looked at it that way now. They hadn't been getting along horribly well. Of course who would get along with the girl sleeping with your current boyfriend? Not many.

Aster and Kenzi had decided to talk it out. They ended up debating whether a drink in a bar would do more damage to their wallet then an entire bottle of southern comfort from the local liquor stop. Of course the bottle had won and they ended up wasted on the sidewalk outside a small strip mall.

Someone called the cops when the two began singing the very wonderful hit: Meat Sandwich. Anyone who has heard this would know it can be a little loud. Evidently loud was not wanted on a Tuesday night in the burbs. They ended up in the cities jail so fast their heads spun. How they got there had been the topic of conversation for days after. Needless to say they had spent a lot more out on the street with their bottle then if they had stayed safely inside a local bar.

Aster played the night over in her head as she shoved the spoon of dog food into her mouth and swallowed. She did remember. She remembered getting into a small fight with some crack head over a cot. Her hand rubbed her wrist softly. The soft remains of a hand cuff scar lay there, reminding her she mostly likely shouldn't have drank so much. She remembered banging her hands on the plexi glass, trying to get out. That shit was made to handle many blows...

"I swear I will never drink like that again." Kenzi said, smiling softly. At least she could smile at the past.

"Kenzi." Aster whispered.

"Uh yeah?" She raised a brow as she watched Aster move away from the counter. "Earth to Aster."

"You're a genius." Ace bent down and unzipped her back pack, her hands moving very fast as she searched. Finding the small folded book she ripped it from the bag and smacked it down on the nearby kitchen table by Rick, Daryl and Glenn. She unfolded it and scanned it's greens and whites. "Here." She said excitedly, pointing at a large brown square.

"What is it?" Glenn asked her, noticing Rick's eyes widen a little in realization.

"It's a jail." He muttered, his finger going down to trail a path from the small road they were on to the brown square.

"But that's Atlanta. We were there, it was over run." Glenn said, worry in his tone. It had only taken a few seconds for them to get surrounded at the CDC.

"Don't you get it? That herd we ran into came from this direction. That must have been a few hundred dead." Aster's heart was pounding as she spoke. This could be a place to wait out the winter. "Look. Bill you are right." She turned to look at her quiet friend, "You always say that the dead aren't who we need to worry about, right?"

He shrugged at her, not really getting what she was trying to say.

"The cards could be in our favor here. If the dead are moving out of the city, even if it isn't all of them... Then we have a good chance at getting here safely. And if there are still hundreds around then other people will be staying away right? So say we go there..."

"We wouldn't have to worry so much about bandits." Glenn realized what she was saying, her plan sounding a little more sane.

"Yes, exactly. This building is pretty locked down. Even with a few hundred walkers outside we could hold out long enough to make it through winter." That is if it was empty of course.