An; hey next chapter, trigger warnings for heavy angst and violence As we learn the strangers backstory. Please don't read if you are easily upset :)

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I do not own or Profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 25

"Let's get started."

Carol reached out to grab the fingertips of the stranger. She gasped as she was drawn in.

She saw the stranger driving in a truck, the radio was playing, their were warnings about the dead, his breath was catching in his throat in panic. His girls, he had to get to his girls.

He pressed the gas as he swerved in traffic. He could see one on the side of the road. A fucking zombie or whatever the fuck you called them.

He peeled into his drive, parking as close to the door as he could. Sarah said they would be ready. He wanted to be in and out. He pounded on the door and Sarah appeared with a knife in her hand. She opened the door in relief grabbing him and pressing a kiss to his neck.

"You alright baby?...your burning up." He asked in concern.

She nodded her eyes moist. "I'm okay...Girls! Let's go."

The door to the small bathroom in their house unlocked and he saw his daughters Isabella who was fourteen and Elisa who was sixteen come out. They were scared, their eyes fearful.

"Papi" Isabella yelled running to him and throwing her arms around him.

"Let's go..grab your stuff baby." He said pressing a kiss to Isabella's head. She was always the sweet one.

Sarah had packed only the essentials, as well as every improvised weapon she could find. He grinned when he saw his aluminum steel softball bat.

He went out first, throwing the gear in the truck then went back to grab the girls and Sarah. He went around to get into the truck when Sarah got out. A group of the monsters appeared on their yard, he wasn't sure their truck would make it.

"Sarah" he screamed "What are you doing...get in." The girls started to whimper Isabella hiding her eyes in Elisa's chest.

Sarah turned sadly and he gasped when she lifted her shirt showing a large bite on her back. "I'm sorry Ceasar...save my babies." She said before turning towards the group of the monsters in the yard. "Go!" She screamed.

He hesistated, but only a moment, it was long enough for Ceasar Martinnez to see his beloved wife Sarah torn to shreds.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ceasar had tried to keep to himself. He lived for his girls and their safety meant everything. Nothing else mattered Isabella and Elisa had to survive.

He'd kept to himself at the refugee camps, watching the girls like a hawk. When the camps fell apart he was left on his own with the girls.

Elisa wanted to help with watch. She was old enough she argued and he couldn't survive on no sleep, but he refused, trying to catch some sleep during the day.

He was so tired that night as he watched the fire, so tired, his eyes started to droop as he tapped his own cheek. He closed his eyes for just a minute, and then woke with a start, realizing his arms were tied. Wtf?

He hadn't heard the group infiltrate the camp. Carol recognized Randal to the side a gleeful grin to his face. She knew what this was suddenly and broke her hand away, she wouldn't make him relive his daughters assault and death.

He stared at her in shock his eyes filled with tears "Dios mio" he whispered.

Carol squeezed his hand, "I'm so sorry Ceasar...I lost my daughter too." She whispered. "I need to finish."

She touched his hand again and saw him waking up. Randal's group had left him badly beaten, they thought he was dead but he wasn't.

A man was crouched beside him, it was the one eyed man she realized with a start.

"I'm sorry friend..." He said shaking his head "Your daughters were beautiful girls...I ...I put them down for you, no man should have to do that to his own child...I'm Phillip."

He was unreasonably grateful, that Phillip had granted his daughters peace. He couldn't have done it, he thought as he watched Phillip's men lower their body in a grave under a tree.

He joined Phillip's group, he had no morale compass anymore. He would do whatever Phillip wanted and simply filled the days until his eventual death.

She saw Merle in memory and was shocked. Merle quickly disappeared, a thorn in Phillip's side to be removed.

He saw Phillip's insanity. He saw his ruthlessness. He didn't care. He dreamed at night of Sarah's face as she sacrificed herself for him and the girls. He failed them. He deserved to go to hell.

They'd been scouting out a prison, when he got seperated from the group. He'd seen him, he'd seen Merle. But he'd also seen a tall thin woman walking with a baby bundled in her arms. Fuck, he couldn't be part of that, his Sarah would be so ashamed of him if he took part in anything that would hurt a child.

He hadn't gone back. He'd wandered on his own, accidentally stumbling on T-Dog, Maggie and Glenn.

It was some great cosmic joke, he wanted to die but god just wouldn't seem to let him.

"Maybe because you still have work left to do." Carol whispered as she let go of his hand.