Chapter 25: Sort Things Out.

Harriet wandered down the corridors. Lizzy was running off ahead of her, her small hands tangled with George's. They were heading back to the cells after visiting the library.

Harriet looked through the open door and saw Wayne sitting down on the bench in the shower block. Harriet shouted out to Lizzy to carry on without her and she walked inside the shower block. She walked over and sat down silently next to Wayne.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. They'd both barely said a word to one another since Wayne returned and she knew they didn't leave on good terms on the night of the fire.

"Hi," Harriet whispered and Wayne pulled his head out of his hands and looked over at her with tired eyes. He stared at her blankly and she sighed, diverting her eyes from his gaze. "Ally's okay," She said.

"Good," He muttered and he continued to stare at the side of her face. "You can look at me."

Harriet coughed and she slowly turned her head to look at him. She gulped and stared at the hard expression on his face. She admired him so much and she wished they'd never argued on the farm. They'd only ever shared a few kisses and he'd never pushed her into taking things further, because he knew about her husband and the things he used to do to her. That's why she liked him so much, he wasn't like other men.

"I-I'm sorry," Harriet stammered.

"For what?" He asked.

"The things I said back on the farm...I didn't mean any of it. I was just scared, you scared me, because you weren't like other men I'd met. They either wanted something from me or they were perverted men after my Lizzy and...you're not like that...I shouldn't have even made the accusation...you're one of the most kindhearted people I've ever met," Harriet tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and she looked away from him.

She felt him grab her by the chin and he turned her head back towards him. He pulled his sheriffs hat from his head and placed it on the bench. For the first time in a while, Wayne smiled.

Harriet searched his eyes and he glanced down at her lips. He reached up his other hand and cupped he cheek. He lent down and pressed his lips against hers. Harriet groaned at the contact and she placed her hands against his firm chest. She let herself relax into the kiss and she opened up her mouth letting his tongue slip inside.

Harriet was glad and she hoped this meant he forgave her. At the end of the day she just wanted someone to be with, someone who would protect her and Lizzy, and not hurt them. And in Wayne, she felt that and she knew he'd never do anything to hurt them.

Roxana took in a staggering breath and ran a hand through her dark hair. She walked along the balcony of the guard tower and she continued to walk in circles. She muttered cursing words under her breath.

She never meant for it to happen and she felt bad for Ronny. She never meant to kiss Derek, but she'd liked him ever since he came to the prison and she never thought he was going to make a move and when Ronny admitted she liked her, she thought she'd be with him.

Now, she wasn't sure who to choose and she needed to tell Ronny, because she couldn't keep something like that from him. She cares about Ronny a lot, they've been through so much together, but with Derek, it's something else. He's a bit older than her, he has a son and she knows that Ronny lost his son and his wife, but Derek reminded her of a soldier. A strong and powerful one, and it made him really attractive.

"Hey, Rox," Ronny stepped out onto the balcony and Roxana looked at him with wild eyes. "You alright?"

"We need to talk," She whispered and she rested her shaky hands on the railings.

"What about?" He asked.

"Back at the military camp...me and Derek kissed."

"You what!" He snapped and she bit her bottom lip. "Tell me your joking!"

"I'm not...I'm sorry Ronny, I never meant for it to happen," She explained.

"Do you like him?" He asked and Roxana looked into his eyes.

"I do," She whispered.

"We've been through so much together-"

"I know! I know that and I care about you so much Ronny, but I liked Derek before we got together and I thought he was never going to make a move and then we kissed...I thought this was the right thing, but now...Ronny you're like a big brother to me, and I don't want anything to happen to you...I still want to be friends."

"Your breaking up with me?"

"Yes...Ronny I still want to be friends. It's just my mind is telling me to be with you...b-but my heart...my hearts telling me to go with Derek and when we kissed...my head started spinning and I couldn't think straight."

"Does he make you feel good?" He asked and she slowly nodded her head. "Even though he doesn't have a hand?"

"Ronny! It's not about that! I love him for being him!" She shouted and Ronny gasped.

"You love him?"

"Yeah..." She whispered. "I do."

"Your happy being with him?"

"Yes."

"I only want you to be happy," He replied.

"Do you forgive me?" She hiccuped and he nodded his head. "Are we still friends?"

"Of course we're, now come here," He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace.

Alice was sat down in the infirmary. Cal was working around her and doing a medical supply check. Alice actually came here to talk to him, seeing that they were both doctors, but she was to scared, he intimidated her. He was at least ten years older than her. Alice was only twenty-five.

She just sat there in an awkward silence and she fiddled with a pair of medical scissors. She clicked her tongue and she glanced over at Cal. His face was scrunched up and he looked stressed. So, Alice decided to break the ice.

"Something wrong?" Alice asked, sheepishly. Cal didn't even acknowledge her. "Fine...jackass," She grumbled.

Cal continued to rummage through the pills on the shelf and Alice rolled her eyes and got off the chair and walked over to the door.

"Would you have killed her?" Cal asked and Alice froze, turning around to face him. He was now leaning against the desk and staring right at her, but Alice felt like he was staring into her soul.

"Killed who?" She returned.

"Ally, if she'd have died. Would you have put a bullet in her head to stop her from coming back?" He pushed and Alice shook her head.

"I've never killed a human before...I've never killed a zombie before," She admitted and he smirked. "Hey! It's not funny...have you killed people?"

"Yeah, had too. It was me, Ronny and Roxana for a long time...met a lot of bad people," Cal turned away from her and continued to go through the things.

He reached up to grab something from the shelf and the sleeve of his shirt rode up and Alice sore a small red dot on the inside of his arm, and her eyes widened slightly. She walked over and grabbed his arm.

"Is that a needle mark," Alice gasped.

"Get off me!" He snapped and he pulled his arm away from her hold.

"Have you been injecting yourself! Have you been injecting DRUGS-"

"Hey! Hold up, I'm not a fuckin' druggy!" Cal hissed.

"Then...What have you been doing with a needle?" She asked and she reached out for his arm again and he moved away from her.

"Taking my blood," He murmured.

"Why?" She pushed and he looked into her eyes and she swears she's never seen such a bright blue color before in her life. She suddenly got lost in his gaze and he looked away from her.

"I have O negative blood," He whispered. "You know what the means?"

"Obviously, I'm a doctor. It means you can give blood to anyone. So, what? You've been storing your blood incase there's an accident and someone needs it?" She questioned and he shook her head.

Alice searched his eyes for an answer, then suddenly she worked it out, She worked it all out.

"Oh," She gasped. "Jess did get bit by a creeper with venom, didn't she? Your the one who's immune to it."

Cal stared back at her and he slowly nodded his head. Alice stared back at him and she couldn't believe it. He was immune to it, and he'd used his blood to save Jess.

"W-Why haven't you said anything?" Alice asked.

"I don't want people to know, but I'll save them if they get bit, like I did with Jess," He explained, then sat down on the chair. "What if we meet more bad people and they find out, I'll be taken and then what if whilst I'm gone someone get's bit or scratched, they need me and they don't even know it."

"What you did for Jess...was a very heroic thing to do," Alice whispered. "I'll keep it a secret for now, but promise me you'll tell everyone soon."

"Not soon...when I'm ready," He replied.

"Okay," Alice smiled at him and he halfheartedly returned it and Alice felt her heart beat faster.

...

Once in a lullaby,

Once was a boy,

On the blue moon,

A new love will swoon.

Oh, once in a lullaby,

It's all just a lullaby,

And my little boy,

You'll reach up for the sky,

In your heart I'll always be,

And in a lullaby I'll be.

Ally sung to Nathan, whilst she wrapped him up in a lot of blankets and she picked him up. She limped out of her cell, her leg injury had healed up a bit, but not fully. She kissed Nathan on his head and she made her way down the metal staircase, making sure not to be seen by the others.

It had been a few days and she was sick of bed rest. She loved everyone, but she was tired of them telling her to sit down and relax. She just wanted to go for a walk with Nathan, and enjoy the peace and quiet for once.

Ally wasn't sure where her and Austin stood. Every time she approached the subject of what happened, he'd cut her off and tell her to relax. She just wants to sort things out, because they weren't the same as they were before. He seems to have this look in his eyes, and Ally recognized it as a look of mistrust, he doesn't trust me.

Ally wanted her Austin back and she hated that he didn't trust her. She continued down the dark corridor and she hummed to Nathan, as he stirred in her arms. This was her family now and Austin was...well, Ally didn't know. That's why she needed to sort things out between them, but back when everything was fine before, she couldn't refer to him as her boyfriend...he was just...her's.

Ally walked into the cafeteria and through the open metal door, and into the kitchen. She saw Julie chopping up some vegetables and Lexi was sat on the metal island in the middle, playing with a plastic cup.

"You should be resting," Julie said.

"I just wanted to get out of my cell," She replied and she reached out her hand and ruffled Lexi's hair.

"How are you feeling?" Julie asked.

"Better, my legs a little sore, but I'm fine," She said and she rocked Nathan in her arms.

"Has it sunk in yet, that you're a mom?"

"Not really, I still can't believe it. I'm not even sure Austin quite believes it," Ally responded and Julie smiled at her.

"Have you and Austin spoken about it yet?" Julie wondered and Ally shook her head.

"We're not the same as we were before and I want to fix that, but he seems reluctant to talk things out," Ally explained, with a sigh.

...

Austin dropped his crossbow on the table in the main room and Wayne looked over at him. Austin looked exhausted from hunting and he'd brought back a few rabbits and gave them to Harriet and she'd left to go to the kitchen. Austin collapsed onto the chair and buried his face into his hands.

"You should get some rest," Wayne said and Austin grunted in response.

"I'm fine," He grumbled.

"ALLY'S GONE!" Lizzy came racing into the room and Austin flew up from the chair. "I went to check on her and she's gone! With Nathan!"

Austin felt his heart drop in his chest and he took off towards the cells. He ran up the metal staircase and into Ally's cell. He saw that it was empty, along with the cardboard crib, that Nathan was meant to be in.

Austin felt his anger flare up inside of him and he hands clenched into fists. He stormed out of her cell and he looked around. He stormed down the stairs and he walked down the corridor, ignoring Wayne, yelling him to come back. His feet stomped against the solid ground and he was so close to punching the wall.

He flung open the door to the infirmary and Cal looked over at him. He narrowed his eyes, then slammed the door shut, and continued on his war path down the corridor. He opened every door he passed, and then he saw the cafeteria doors up ahead. He threw them open and he heard someone cry out in shock. He saw Julie and Harriet in the kitchen, through the window and he walked over, his body pulsing in rage.

"Austin?" Julie said and he looked around.

"Where is she!?" He yelled, then he heard a baby's cry. Ally stepped out from the storage room, Nathan in her arms. He looked up at her face and he felt his body flood with guilt. The look on her face...she looked heartbroken.

"We'll give you two a moment," Julie picked Lexi up and Harriet walked over and took Nathan from Ally. They left the cafeteria and when the door shut, Ally looked away from him and walked over to the counter and began to chop the vegetables Julie had left.

"Ally," He whispered, and he reached out to grab her arm, but she dropped the knife and pushed him back.

"YOU! You actually thought I'd leave!" She yelled and he sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Ally-"

"I know I fucked up, but I promised you...and you think I'd leave with our son!" She spat and as Austin took as step towards her, she took a step back.

"Ally, look I'm sorry. I just jumped to conclusion," He explained.

"You don't trust me do," She whispered and tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Of course I do," He responded.

"I can see it in your eyes...don't lie to me," She hissed and he blinked blankly at her. "Just say it!"

"Fine...I don't trust you...what do you expect! You left me! You abandoned me! You crossed the goddamn line!" He yelled, his chest panting in anger. "Hell! I know I've done stupid shit in my life, but I'd sure as hell never abandon you!"

"Austin-"

"No! I think I've held it in long enough! You don't get it do you, this isn't your prissy princess lifestyle anymore, you can't cry and go running to daddy anymore! You need to stop being so fuckin' selfish, and think about the people around you! Some of us actually had a hard life before the world went to shit! You need to pull your head out of the clouds and realize that this isn't a goddamn fairytale! I'm not some knight in shinning armor, which you seem to think I am! You could've died, Nathan could've died, I could have died...heck what would you have done if any of the other children died...we almost lost Jess! You acted like a selfish cow, and deep down inside of me...I'm not sure if I can forgive you for that, even though I want too!"

Ally stared back at him and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. A tiny whimper escaped her lips and her heart was aching. She looked away from him and tried to ignore his burning gaze.

"See, you can't even fess up to the mess which you've caused. You don't get it!" He snapped.

"No...You don't get it," She whimpered and she looked back into his eyes. "I know...of course I know that what I did was wrong, I don't know how dumb you think I actually am...and you really think I was a prissy fuckin' princess before the outbreak? Huh? C'mon, my dad was an alcoholic...he was a vile alcoholic...my mom was raped, whilst I was locked away in the bedroom! My life was just as shit before the outbreak, as the next guy! I admit my head was in the clouds for a while, but I...I'd just found out that I still had some family left alive, and I wasn't going to give up without a fight. W-When you got shot...god Austin when I came out from the alleyway and I saw you there on the ground...m-my heart shattered...the pain physically hurt me...that was my wake up call...Austin I don't think your my knight in shinning armor, you're far from it. Your arrogant, rude, fuckin' mean a lot of the times. You have the biggest attitude I've ever known and you act like a goddamn animal all the time-"

"Thanks..."

"BUT! I love you Austin...I love you so so so much and I'll love you regardless of your flaws, just like you should love me! I can't imagine my life without you Austin. I almost died...I almost died and every memory I had of you and everyone here, flashed before my eyes! You saved me, you brought me back! I love you that much, that you're carved deep into my subconscious and I need you to breath and I need you to just wake up every morning! If you don't feel the same...if you can't trust me, then this...I don't even know what to call us...your not exactly my boyfriend, you weren't before I fucked everything up...it doesn't feel right calling you my boyfriend, because you mean so much to me and your my other half...your my air I need to breathe...but, if you can't trust me...if you can't even trust me to go for a walk with our son...then I don't think it's a good idea for us to be together anymore...I mean I'll love you till the day I die, but we have a son now...our son..."

Silence fell and hot tears were burning in Austin's eyes. He didn't want to cry, he didn't want to show her that she's his weakness. Ally brought her hand to her heart and her fingers curled around her shirt, like she was trying to pull her heart from her chest. She closed her eyes and she slowly fell to the floor, leaning against the metal cupboards. She brought away her hand and she brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in the gap.

Austin stared down at her and he finally let his tears fall. He didn't make a sound, whilst he silently cried. He stepped forward, unsure whether to get closer. Then he felt something burning in his back pocket. He dug his hand in there and felt what is was, his heart suddenly began to beat faster and faster. He looked back at her, then walked over, sliding down the cupboards.

"You know..." His voice was raspy, he gulped, then reached out and placed his hand on her knee. "You know, I love you too...now, there ain't nothing that's going to change that...do you remember the time we searched the hospital for supplies and you called me coldhearted...when you stood up to me...god Ally when you stood up to me, I knew that you were the one I wanted to be with...you make my cold heart, warm."

Ally slowly brought her head away from her knees and her eyes fluttered over to his. Her eyes were bright red from her warm tears and she bit her bottom lip.

"You're right...we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend...I don't think we ever were, but I tell you what you are to me...you're the missing piece of my heart...the reason why I got scared, just a moment ago...is because I can't lose you Ally, and when you were giving birth and you stopped breathing...god...I wanted to die to, I wanted to throw myself out of the truck, but I looked at our son and he was the light I needed to stay strong...he's our light to stay strong...and he deserves a family...he deserves a mom and a dad...we both deserve that..." He reached into his back pocket and pulled the object out. "I got this a few days before you left."

Ally stared wide eyed at the ring in his hand. She looked into his eyes, then back at it. Her breathing hitched in the back of her throat and she sniffled.

"I trust you..I do, but you gotta' understand, it's a new kind of trust, we need to build on it, until it becomes strong again...but we'll get there, because we can make it anywhere we wanna' go, when we're together...it may not be much, it may not be a huge proposal...we may not have a huge wedding, but if you wear this ring...we'll know what we can call each other...I can call you my wife...I can call you mine..." He grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart. She felt how fast it was beating and she looked into his eyes. "I love you so much Ally...feel how fast your making my heart beat...you mean everything to me."

Ally let her silent, happy tears fall. Her fingers curled around his tops and she could feel his hot breath flush up against her face. She ran her tongue along her bottom lip and she sniffled.

"Ally...please, will you be my wife," He whispered.

"Austin...yes...of course I will," She whimpered and he grabbed her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. She looked into his eyes and he grinned at her. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. It seemed like it was so long ago since the last time they kissed and the heated passion between the pair was shown through the kiss.

He reached up and buried his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer to him. She rested her hand on his rising chest and she moaned quietly into his mouth. She pulled away and rested her forehead against his forehead.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I think he wants his mommy," Harriet said, whilst she cradled Nathan who was crying in her arms. She walked over and handed Nathan to Ally, then left.

"Hey," Ally whispered and she rocked Nathan.

"You know he looks like you," Austin said.

"I think he looks more like you," Ally retorted with a smile and she snuggled herself into Austin's side, and rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too."

AN: Hi! Sorry about the wait, it was my first week back at school and its been a hectic week! This chapter is more of a filler, and then in the next chapter you'll all find out the next branch I'll be taking this story, as my other plot starts to take off! I hope you liked the part between Cal and Alice :) I also know some of you wanted a part about Wayne and Harriet, so I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, love you all :)

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