Thank you all so much for the reviews! It seems pretty universal that everyone is worried about Liam. Me too!

Nelle07: you read my mind!

Dalonega Noquisi: Definitely. I don't think he's the only one either!

Emberka-2012: You'll have to wait and see.

Leyshla Gisel: Thank you for your continued support.

ZombieLoverWithWings: I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive my boys. They're not perfect, but they've been through a lot with River.

GatorGirl99: Thanks. I didn't want to rush into things with the two of them. I think it would be too OOC for Daryl, and well, I wanted to have a bit of fun with their differences in personality.

Chapter 14: Friendship, Fights and Forgiveness

The camp outside of Atlanta had been a safe haven. Now that it had been attacked by a throng of Walkers they would never look at it the same. The majority of the remaining survivors were on the move searching for a cure for Jim and some hope at the CDC.

Carol and Sophia were riding with the Grimes family. They had lost Ed during the Walker invasion. While that was undoubtedly for the best, Carol had still lost her husband and Sophia her father, even if he was a bastard.

Andrea was riding in the truck with T-Dog. Shane rode my himself in the little black jeep. Similarity Daryl was alone driving the pick-up with Merle's motorcycle in the truck bed.

Dane and Jason drove together in their jeep. It was quiet in the pumpkin orange beast without River. The two guys had been moving along in almost complete absence of speech.

"Tom's totally pissed with us, you know," Jason mulled, finally breaking the silence.

Dane sighed. "I know." He'd been stressed and tired and hadn't handled anything right. He knew it.

"You especially," Jason said, looking his brother straight in the eye.

"Eye's on the road," Dane reminded him without much enthusiasm.

Not diverting his gaze, Jason suggested, "You should apologize."

"She'll get over it," Dane said with certainty. His brother just continued to stare at him, making him antsy. "Fine. Whatever. Just please will you watch where you're going." They hadn't been on the road more than fifteen minutes and he was already regretting letting his brother drive.

"Hey JJ, how you holding up?" Dane asked his brother after another long while.

"It's hard," was all Jason was able to choke out.

Dane nodded sympathetically. "I know," he said, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Amy had come to mean a lot to Jason in the brief time he'd known her. They'd been so different, yet Jason had really liked her. He only wished he'd had more time to get to know her better.

"You going to be okay?" Dane asked, concerned. His brother was prone to slipping into deep depressions.

Jason was quiet for a while. "Life doesn't end, right?"

"Right," Dane nodded. They fell into silence again as they continued to drive. Life doesn't end just 'cause bad shit happens.

Dale was driving the RV while Glenn took care of reading the map. In the back Jaqui tended to Jim. The Walker bite he'd sustained was badly infected and causing him a tremendous amount of pain and discomfort. He was burning up from the fever despite Jaqui constantly sponging him with cool water and trying to soothe him.

No one talked. Thick was the air. Thick and heavy. Jim was dying and they all knew it. Yet everyone pretended as if they got him to the CDC he would be okay. They were all deluded, River thought bitterly to herself.

River paced back and forth down the length of the vehicle, always stopping short at the back. It was bad enough being trapped, but being trapped and having to listen to a dying man's screams was torture. On her next pass by the front of the vehicle she leaned around Glenn's seat.

"Are we almost there?" River asked. There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

Glenn smiled sympathetically remembering the trip they'd taken together in the cube van. "Sorry, not even close," he apologized.

Exhaling in defeat River cursed under her breath.

"Hey, language," Dale scolded from the driver's seat.

"Are you serious?" River gaped in amazement,

Dale turned to her, his face stern. "Yes I am. You and your..." he hesitated not a hundred percent sure of the relationship between River and the Jackson brothers, "guys need to be a little more cautious of what you're saying if you plan on staying. There's impressionable young minds."

River rolled her eyes at the old man. "Well they're not here right now are they?" The kids were in the Grimes' vehicle.

"Somehow I think you'll need the practice," Dale chuckled. "Besides, this is my RV. You ride with me, you follow my rules."

"We'll see about that," River grumbled turning to continue her pacing.

Suddenly the RV came to a halt. "Damnit!" Dale exclaimed. Twice he honked to let the rest of the caravan know to stop.

"Hey Dale," River sneered, as she turned back around. "Language," she gave the old man a wry smile.

Dale grinned back and laughed, "You got me there."

River bailed out of the RV almost before it had even stopped moving. All of the other vehicles were coming to a stop around them. The fresh air was a welcome change. It was stifling trapped inside the RV.

"What's going on?" Jaqui called from the back.

"Probably that radiator hose," Dale said as he made his way out of the vehicle. Sure enough, he was right. And since Merle had stolen the cube van when the rescue party had gone back to Atlanta they didn't have a replacement.

Everyone else was starting to mill about. Daryl paced back and forth with his crossbow, keeping watch for Walkers.

"I can see something up ahead," Shane informed them as he looked through his pair of binoculars. "I think it's a gas station."

They needed a new hose for the RV or some way to repair the one they already had. Otherwise they wouldn't be going anywhere. T-Dog agreed to go with Shane in search of anything that could work.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now," Shane warned. "I'll see what we can bring back."

Dane and Jason were the last ones to pull up. Shane and T-Dog were already on their way to the gas station. "What's going on?" Dane asked as the jeep came to a stop off the road near the RV.

"It's the damn hose," Dale told him, throwing his hands in the air.

Dane nodded barely hearing the old man. River was standing there, eyes narrowed, hands on her hips. Her icy stare was enough to chill his blood.

"Tom...," Dane walked towards her his hands up in surrender.

"Don't you Tom me," she shouted at him. "You're such an asshole."

"I know," he said lowering his head. "Look, I'm sorry, alright?"

"No, it's not alright," River squeaked at him.

Lori was watching the exchange. Having had her share of trouble with her own husband she wanted to see these two sort out their problems. River seemed a bit hot-headed, but there was no doubt she cared about Dane. And here he was trying to make amends. Unable to resist getting involved Lori walked over and placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"Hon, whatever he did, look at him," Lori gestured towards the pennant man standing helplessly before them. "He deserves another chance."

River glared at Dane and then glanced around. Carol nodded enthusiastically in agreement with Lori. Since when, she wondered, had she acquired an audience, and why the hell did any of them care about her argument with Dane. She argued with those boys all the time. It was inevitable when you spent as much time with someone as she did with them.

"You going to be okay?" Jason asked her, genuinely concerned. Somehow he'd made it out of the jeep and through the sea of people.

River eyed him up. "Life doesn't end just 'cause bad shit happens," she reiterated. Years of hearing it, it'd become a mantra of sorts. Dane and Jason both smiled, starting to feel better. "I mean, you didn't find me hanging from a tree branch or anything, did you?" It was a cheap shot to be sure.

"Autumn River Thompson," Dane scolded. "That was uncalled for. We were trying to apologize for Christ's sake."

River shrugged. She knew it was low. After all, she'd been the first one they'd called when Jason had discovered the body of their father. While Dane was on the phone with the police she'd sat on the ground cradling Jason in her arms. In the years that followed she was with them through all their ups and downs as they learned to deal with their grief.

"Feel better?" Dane asked grumpily.

River nodded thoughtfully. "A little, actually. Yeah."

If that's what it took, Dane thought. "We even then?"

"Sure."

"Look, I know Liam was important to you," Dane started. "I should have been more sensitive. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"Fuckin' right," River agreed.

"What'd we just talk about?" Dale said exasperated.

River bit her bottom lip and looked helplessly at the old man. "Guess you were right, I do need the practice, eh?"

"I'm human; I made a mistake," Dane admitted. "Can you forgive me?"

"Hell, when do I ever not?" River asked.

"That a yes?"

"Yes, I forgive you and your shit-head little brother too."

Dale just shook his head. He doubted River was even aware she was doing it.

"Good," Dane said, glad to have things back to normal.

Time passed. River started to get restless. Slinging her .308 over her shoulder she headed off down the road.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Lori asked as River passed by.

River looked over, surprised. Pointing down the road ahead of her she answered, "That way."

"Smart ass," Daryl muttered from where he was patrolling the perimeter.

"We could use you here," Rick told her. "Incase we get attacked."

"We could use all the guns we can get," Lori backed her husband up.

Rick nodded. "Besides, you proved yourself the other night when the camp was attacked. You're a good shot. We're lucky to have you around. All three of you."

Daryl scoffed, kicking up some dirt and continuing his patrol. No one ever said how they were lucky to have him around. No one ever said how they appreciated the food he provided, or acknowledged his part in protecting the group.

Jaqui burst out of the RV drawing everyone's attention. "Jim," she gasped. "It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." Dutifully Rick went inside to talk to the man.

"Shoulda jus' taken care of him back at camp," Daryl complained.

Lori looked at him appalled. "You're horrible."

"It's what I would want," River said thoughtfully. "If I were in his position, it's what I would want."

"What is?" Dane asked, dragging Jason along behind him.

"If I were bit, like Jim, I'd want someone to put me out of my misery," River explained.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Lori asked, horrified.

"You're not in that RV," River pointed out. "You don't have to listen to him."

Jason meekly added, "I wouldn't want to come b-b-back as one of those things."

Dane nodded in agreement. "Me neither."

"At least someone's got some sense 'round 'ere," Daryl drawled, nodding towards the three Canadians.

"If I'm ever bit," Dane told them, "you have my permission to put a bullet in my head."

Jason vividly remembered Amy coming back and trying to gnaw on Andrea. "before I turn," he added.

"Same here," River agreed.

"Promise me," Dane demanded.

"We promise each other," Jason amended.

"If ever one of us is bit," River finalized their pact, "whoever is left puts them down on the spot." The three of them put their hands together and shook on it, sealing the agreement.