I just wanted to take a moment to say that I really appreciate all the love and support you guys showed me last chapter. It means a lot, and to thank you here's another chapter. :)

"My turn." Angel says, taking a vile of blood from Eric. We collected about a pint or so of Spencer's blood so we really don't have any to waste. There's a lot of testing and retesting that needs to get done and there's no way in hell I'm putting Spencer through that again.

"We're not gonna have enough time to do this. Creating the antigen, isolating the cells, purifying it... with only six days left, there's no way." Eric speaks up.

"We'll figure it out." I tell him.

"Not without Dr. Johnson." He shakes his head.

"No." I mimic his actions. "I can't. He's not ready yet."

"Ashley he's right." Angel chimes in. "He worked here, maybe there's something he knows that we don't, maybe he can help us get this done faster."

I swallow the lemon in my throat. If I ask for Dr. Johnson's help, I'm going to have to tell him about Rebecca.

"We're trying to save the world here." Eric speaks up. "We have to put our personal feelings aside and do what's best for everyone." He adds. Suddenly, I don't like him very much. I mean he's right but...

"Fine." I sigh. "I'll get him." I add as I get up from the chair. I trudge my way down the hall to the room Dr. Johnson has been sleeping in. On a scale of one to ten... I don't think I can express how terrified I am right now. He's gonna blame me for this, I told him that they got her, that there was no way she'd turn into one of those things because I saw her, I saw her die. But I didn't. I didn't see anything really, I guess.

I knocked on the door once I reached it and received a faint come in. I twisted the knob slowly, taking as much time as I deemed necessary to gather myself.

"Oh hello, Ashley." Dr. Johnson greets me with a smile as he glances over the book he was reading.

"Hey." I smile a contrived smile. My heart is beating a mile a minute and I know I'm sweating. I can't do this, I can't do this. "I just came to see how you were doing." I say quickly and turn to leave.

"Something troubling you, my dear?" He asks before I can get out the door.

"Um..." I turn back to him and say. "I just...I need." I clear my throat and shake my head. "Nothing." I settle on and quickly leave the room before he can respond. I practically run down the hall. I can't be near him right now, or Angel and Eric. They all want something I can't give them right now.

"Whoa, where you going Speedy Gonzalez." Spencer steps in front of me, bringing me to a halt.

"I can't." I shake my head. "I just can't." I say again, feeling the tears building in my eyes.

"What is it Ashley?" She asks concerned. I probably seem like a real freak right now, a couple of hours ago we were having sex and now I'm crying. This isn't exactly my best moment.

"I...I..." I want to tell her, I don't want to keep things from her, but nothings coming out.

"Come on." She ushers me inside a room and sits me in a chair, taking the seat next to me. "Tell me what's wrong." She says sternly, wiping the tear that escaped my eye.

I shake my head. Where do I even begin? "I have to tell Dr. Johnson about Rebecca." I tell her, she nods in understanding.

"I can't though, it's more complicated than...he's gonna hate me when he finds out what I did." I say, squeezing my eyes shut tightly.

"What do you mean?" Spencer questions.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" I hear a different voice ask, one that I recognize. I open my eyes to see the two people we picked up from the hospital sitting in the corner. The boy looking down and the girl smiling.

"Really?" Spencer turns and asks the girl. She shrugs and looks around Spencer to me, waiting on an answer I guess.

"Shut up before I throw you two out to the walkers." I snap at her, standing up from the chair. She pretends to zip her lips. I roll my eyes at her as I pull Spencer out of the room.

"Can we get some water and food?" She yells at our retreating figures. Maybe later. Spencer and I walk into another room, shutting the door behind us. I look around to make sure there's no one inside.

"Ashley what did you mean in there about him hating you when he finds out, what happened?" She questions as we take a seat.

–

Eleven Months Ago

"Mom, dad!" I shout down the hall as I open the door to another room. People are running around frantically trying to get out of here to safety. The building is overrun now. The dead have come back they're taking down anything that gets in their way. They're hungry for one thing and one thing only.

Human flesh.

"Ashley we need to go, we're almost the last to-"

"I know." I snap, cutting her off. "I'm sorry." I turn to her immediately and say. "My parent's Beccs. I don't know if they're here. I can't get in contact with them."

"But you can't find them if you're dead Ashley. This is ground zero, we shouldn't even be here anymore."

"It's out of control, the dead are everyone, everyone needs to evacuate the building now!" A man screams over the intercom. I can see the panic in Rebecca's eyes. She doesn't want to leave me here but she's scared for her life right now.

"Beccs just go. Get out of here." I tell her firmly.

"I can't leave you, Ash. I won't." She shakes her head.

"It isn't safe here. It isn't right for me to put your life in danger just because I want to find my parents." I try to explain to her.

"My granddad." She says suddenly, like it just dawned on her.

"He's here?" I question. She nods.

"He get's flustered easily, Ash. He won't know what to do in all this chaos." She tells me, concern evident in her voice.

"We'll find him." I assure her.

"There's no time to search for my granddad and your parent's. We should split up." She suggests.

"No!" I shake my head firmly. "We need to stay together. I can protect you." I tell her.

"I want you to find your parent's, Ashley."

"And we will." I nod. "And we'll find your granddad okay?" She nods. "I love you." I whisper and kiss her lips.

"I love you more." Is her reply.

And then it happens. In an instant everything changes. They're pulling her back and she's screaming for my help.

Do I help her or do I run?

We were told that once you've been bitten there's nothing that can be done. You can't be saved. You'll change into one of those things. They have her; the love of my life. She's screaming for me and I can't do a damn thing to save her. I only have seconds to decide as they start to bite her all over. Do I risk it to save someone that can't be saved or do I run?

Three zombies are headed towards me now. I have to decide quickly. I shut my eyes tightly as the tears stream out, then I turn on my heels and run, I run as fast as I can; through the stairwell door and down the stairs.

I just left her.

I left her and now those things are probably eating her.

They had her and I didn't do a damn thing to save her.

"Ashley." A voice startles me, almost making me miss a step and tumble down the stairs.

"Dr. Johnson." I turn to see him standing in the doorway to the third floor stairwell.

"Have you seen my granddaughter?" He questions. It takes everything in me not to break down right here and now.

"They got her." I tell him as I start to cry again. "I couldn't...it all happened so fast. I couldn't save her. She's gone." I tell him. He drops his head and nods. Not bothering to respond. He just walks away. I watch as the door closes behind him. But I can't stay any longer. I know those things are everywhere. I have to get out of here. I ran out of the building as fast as I could to my car. Both my parent's cars were no longer in their spots. I'm praying that's a good thing.

"Mom, dad!" I shout as I burst through the front door."

"Ashley!" My dad says as he, Kyla and my mom emerge from the kitchen. He engulfs me in a hug.

"Dad, you're burning up!" I shout, he sits me down quickly.

"It's nothing." He steps back, shaking his head.

"Dad that's-"
"It's nothing, Ashley!" He half shouts, cutting me off. He turns and gives my mother a look. I turn to her and I can tell she knows what's happening. What's going to happen. And if it happens to my dad then it's only a matter of time before it happens to me too.

"I thought we were safe from this." I say as I feel the tears building in my eyes once again.

"Ash." Kyla says, a look of pain in her face. She's too young to be going through this. She shouldn't have to grow up in a world like this.

"Everything's gonna be fine." My mother pulls me into a hug.

"Rebecca's dead." I croak out through tears. My mother only pulls me in tighter. "She died right in front of me. I couldn't do anything to help her. I just... I ran. I was so scared that I ran." I admit. Kyla walks up behind me and hugs me.

"It's gonna be okay, Ash." She whispers. "Everything is gonna be just fine."

–

"Wow." Spencer breathes out when I'm done.

"Yeah." I shake my head as I stare at the floor.

"This isn't your fault Ashley. You couldn't have saved her. She was a goner either way." Spencer tries to assure me.

"But maybe if I hadn't of ran I could have given her my blood. I could have stopped her from turning."

"You didn't even know that your blood-"

"Still." I cut her off. "I should have done something. I shouldn't have just left her. I left her to die to save my ass and I can't even be changed. They could have gotten me and I'd still be alive but I left her there and now...now she's-"

"You're gonna save her. You're gonna find this cure and change her back. You couldn't have known that this would happen Ashley. You have to stop being so hard on yourself all the time. You can't control everything. The sooner you figure that out, the less stress you'll feel."

"I have to tell him." I sigh out and look up at her.

She gives me a small smile before she nods. "Yeah. I'm sure he'll understand. He's not gonna hate you, Ash." She says giving me a reassuring smile.

"Okay." I nod and stand. "If I'm gonna do this, I need to do it now while I have the nerve." I tell her.

"You can fight off a room full of zombies but you're scared to tell a sixty year old man that his granddaughter is a zombie?" She questions with a raised brow and a smirk.

"Well, zombies don't cry when I deliver the bad news that they're gonna die, they just try to eat me. I'd very much prefer that right about now." I reply, trying to chuckle but failing miserably.

"It's gonna be okay." Spencer rubs my shoulder.

"Maybe we should just go kill some zombies instead." I suggest with a hopeful smile.

"No." She shakes her head and laughs at me. "Not a chance." She turns me towards the door and starts pushing me to it.

"But but but..." I protest. She's not hearing it though.

"Na un. You're going Ashley." Once we reach the door I turn around to face her. Fighting against her trying to push me out.

"If it were your granddaughter..." I pause as she stops pushing. "...would you want to know?" I question. She looks off in thought for a moment before turning back to me.

"Yes." She nods. "I would want to know."

I close my eyes and sigh. This is happening. I turn towards the door and reach for the knob to open it. "You wanna be my girlfriend again?" I turn back to Spencer and ask. She smiles and shakes her head.

"I'm gonna hit you in the face." She chuckles.

"What?" I question. "I'm just asking a simple yes or no question." Is my witty reply.

"We're not doing this right now Ashley. I know you're just trying to get out of what you're supposed to be doing right now."

"Am not." I say, poking out my bottom lip.

"Are too. And put that thing away." She says pushing my lip in.

"I need a good luck kiss then." I demand, puckering up my lips for her to kiss.

"Fine." She says and complies. The kiss quickly becoming heated. I spin us around so that she's on the door. A moan escaping her lips when her head gently slammed into the glass. I slip my hand into us, reaching the buttons on her jeans, trying hard to hold her hands above her head with one hand and unbutton her pants with the other. We all know how multi-talented I am.

"Hey!" A bang on the glass opposite of us breaks us out of our trans. Fucking hell. "Can we please get some water?" The girl asks, staring through the glass at us.

"I'm gonna shoot her." I whisper into Spencer's neck as we both struggle to catch our breath.

"No you're not." She says and I can hear the smile in her voice. "You were just stalling anyways." She adds, gently pushing me off her. "You need to go tell him Ash. Now."

"Ugh, fine! Fun ruiner." I pout.

"You know that's not a word right?" She asks with a raised brow.

"And?" Is my reply. Clever right? I reach behind her to open the door.

"I'm gonna get them some water and food for them. Come find me when you're done, okay?"

"Yeah." I nod. She gives me another quick kiss on the lips before scurrying off down the hall.

I sigh as I turn towards the room Dr. Johnson is in. I really don't wanna do this...