Another chapter. Sorry for the delay.

Hope you enjoy it.


Chapter 28


Sookie POV

Two weeks later we had to abandon the cabin. The zombies showed up frequently – in small groups – but we couldn't venture to go into the woods under threat of being attacked at any time. We were too many to escape quickly, and endanger the lives of Pam and Felicia was not an option.

I will miss the life I had there, or at least when we were just four, but that doesn't matter anymore. No matter if we are four or four hundred, no one would be left behind.

"Are you alright?" Eric squeezed my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts, and bringing me back to reality. I looked into the back seat of the Jeep where Pam and Felicia were sitting, and saw them looking out the window, enraptured with the landscape. "We can stop for a while if you need to stretch your legs."

"No, Eric. I'm fine, don't worry." I breathed deeply. "Do you think we'll find a place to stay for a while?"

"It's possible."

"Kids need stability," I said, looking back at the girls, "and we could stop sleeping in the vehicles, don't ya think? I miss hugging you while sleeping at night, your hands caressing the exact place where our baby is."

"We'll find something, Sookie, I'm sure. Eventually, things will improve. I have to believe in it, for your sake, and mine as well. I'd end up losing my head if I thought there is no hope. A tiny but brilliant ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel."

"You know, the travel through that tunnel is getting too long, and I'd like to get to the end quickly." We chuckled, and though Pam asked what was so funny, none of them would understand.

"Oh fuck…" Eric muttered. He had get used to – or both of us – not to swear in front of the girls, but when I looked ahead, I saw we were screwed. "Don't make a noise."

There were cars everywhere – some with corpses or remains of them inside – that blocked us the way, and although empty spaces were big enough for us to go through, what we saw in front of us was even worse.

"I can't believe it." A huge tanker truck was overturned, blocking the road completely, and a sign painted red said 'Don't come in. Assured shot in the head.' "Eric, what are we gonna do?" He turned off the engine and opened the door. "Where are you going?" He said nothing, just got out of the car, and stood out there, staring at the truck.

"Hey, what's up?" Amy and Jessica came running towards Eric, and he just nodded at what was in front of us. "Fuck me!" Jessica murmured, and rightly so.

"Two weeks and this is what we find…" I heard him muttering, and kicking the front wheel. "Two fucking weeks! Is this a fucking joke?!"

I got out of the car and closed the door so the girls weren't afraid. "Eric, stop!" I yelled. "Hey, look at me. Eric, stop!" Grabbing his face he finally got to focus on my eyes. "You need to calm down, okay? Screaming like that will not help."

"We're trapped, Sookie! Like fucking animals!" He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Listen. This is not the end, Eric. We'll find another way to continue, I'm sure." Although I still didn't know how. "We should go back to the car, and take a detour. Maybe there's another way to go in." Eric nodded, but Jessica was very upset. "Jess, go back to the truck. Now." I didn't like giving orders, but I felt I had to. "Amy, get her out of here."

I saw them getting in the truck again, but Eric and I had to talk alone. "You can't do this. You can't yell that way because you'll scare everybody else, do you understand?" He nodded again, but quietly. "We have to keep calm, and think of a solution."

"Sookie, look at that truck." We both looked at it, but this wouldn't defeat us. "There's no way we can move it. And if, in some incredible way, we get it, how can be sure that they will not kill us once we've crossed over? That sign is a warning."

"I don't care!" I hissed in a whisper. "We don't have another choice than go ahead and risk ourselves at the other side. We have already seen what's out there, what we have left behind, and we can't return. So stop complaining, stop thinking this is the end and that we're screwed, because we won't give up." Maybe I was being a bit hard on him, but right now I didn't mind at all. "Now get in the car, and we'll be on our way. No matter if we have to detour, we'll get to the other side."

"Okay…"

It turns out it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The cars were stacked one behind the other, blocking the way, but moving them using the trucks was not too difficult. But what about the other truck? That wouldn't be so easy.

"Alright. I think we are going to spend the night here." Eric said, which caused murmurs, and feared appeared almost immediately. "Listen to me. We'll get the fuel out of the cars, putting it in the drums. If we want to move that huge truck," he added, pointing towards our target, "we'll need time. This path seems clear and secure. First thing tomorrow we'll use the trucks to break through."

"That's the big plan? Becoming bait?" Sophie-Anne snapped, that redhead who always tried flirting with Eric. "No offense, handsome, but that's a shit plan." Some of the girls were whispering among them, agreeing with her. "We should take care of that damn truck now, and move on. The less time we're on the road, the better."

"There's still a couple of hours of daylight," I hastened to say, "it is not long enough. If Eric believes that staying here is the right decision, we will stay." I felt the anger in Sophie-Anne's eyes, but I wouldn't allow it to affect me. "If someone wants to keep going, then do it." I know it's cruel, and none of us was crazy enough to go walking, but the redhead's anger towards me increased exponentially. "If we've finished arguing, we better get to work."

Amy and Jessica were in charge, along with the rest of the girls, of finding anything useful in the cars, while I stayed with Pam and Felicia, close to Eric.

"Compton, you and I will take care of fuel." Eric said, earning a cold look from Bill. "Move!"

"Why? Would should I help? I'm just a prisoner."

"You want to wear cuffs?" The sarcasm was evident in Eric's tone of voice, and I had to suppress a giggle. "Because I'm sure I might improvise something."

"Fuck you, Northman!"

"Shut up, Compton," Eric replied with absolute calm. "Do as I order and don't say a word." He looked at me briefly, grinning, and pushed Bill toward the nearest car.

"Girls, we'll stay near the car, okay?" They both nodded, but I saw Pam clutching the knife. "Calm down, honey, nothing will happen." I assured her, though in reality I was as scared as her.

"Do you think we'll get to move the truck?" I wanted to say, 'yes, of course' but I had never told her a lie, and I didn't want to start now.

"I don't know, Pam. But we'll do everything we can." I'm not sure if that answer helped or just scared her even more, but I didn't know what else to say.

"We might get through with the Jeep." She said no more.

"What?"

"The Jeep might go through that gap, but not the trucks. We'd be able to get across if we were alone."

"But we're not alone, Pam." I reminded her. I didn't like she thought that way, but she was right. If it were just us, we'd already be far from this place. "We are lucky to have found more people who have managed to survive, Pam, and we must care for one another. I know it won't be easy, it's never been, but would you be able to abandon them to their fate?"

Pam remained silent, as if considering the possibility, but she finally refused shaking her head. "The weapons are to kill zombies. Eric taught me that."

"That's right, honey. And I'm proud of you."

"But what will we do if we can't move forward? I don't think going back is a good idea, and the zombies will attack us." I hugged her tightly, and kissed her forehead.

"We'll be alright, Pam. I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"At least we were lucky with the fuel," Eric whispered, stroking my cheek.

It was already night, the others were inside the trucks, and I was sitting on Eric's lap in the Jeep. Pam and Felicia slept, wrapped up with a blanket, while we enjoyed the reigning silence.

"I know it's not okay to be happy about these poor people, because they had no chance to escape, but today finding gas is like finding gold in a river." He kissed me gently on the lips, and for a moment I enjoyed that kiss like it was the last one. "I love you, baby. And I want you to know that we'll get over this. I will get rid of that truck if I have to do it with my own two hands."

"I know you will."

I was falling asleep. Eric's hands never stopped drawing circles on my back, and I felt so relaxed that I might even have been able to sleep through the whole night.

"You should rest too. Tomorrow will be a very long day." I mumbled half asleep, eyes closed, hugging his neck. "We're gonna need you at one hundred percent…"

"I will, don't worry." I felt the warmth of his soft lips kissing my forehead, and I hugged him even more. I had missed this so much that feeling his body close to mine again was a blessing. "We're going to get it, baby. Tomorrow we'll continue our way."

"I know, Eric."

I was fast asleep, comfortable and warm. What more could you ask for? It was like sleeping in a bed again, although I was inside a car, clutching my future husband to me, the father of my baby, and with my two adopted daughters.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The screams alerted me, and before I could realize, I was sitting on the passenger seat, and Eric had already left the Jeep without even saying a word.

"Eric!" I yelled, but he was too far.


Eric POV

It promised to be a quiet night, until I heard the screams. I put Sookie on the seat before running out.

"What is it?" I yelled, but I wasted no time, and instead of waiting for answer I followed the sounds. I ran and ran, but saw nothing, at least until the lights of one of the trucks suddenly turned on.

A woman was being chased by two zombies, and they would catch her soon. I recognized her as a member of our group – I don't think there was a lot more people in here – but I couldn't even remember her name.

"I'm going to help you!" I shouted, but guess she didn't hear me.

"HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" The screams were desperate, but when I was close to her and got rid of the zombies, it was too late. The woman – I still couldn't remember her name – was laying on the ground, motionless. Her eyes were open, and as I knelt beside her, she blinked.

"Calm down! You're going to be okay…" I whispered, holding her hand. "It's okay, you'll be fine." But then I saw the bites. They were everywhere, as if those damn zombies hadn't wasted time. Her right arm was completely covered in blood, and in some areas I was even able to see bone. "Look at me. Look at me!" Her eyes met mine, and all I could do was smile. "You're going to be fine. We'll help you." But I might do nothing for her except shoot her in the head, and save her from suffering.

"I…I…"

"Shhhh, don't talk." I muttered. "Somebody comes here!" Seconds later Sookie appeared before me, gun in hand, and froze watching the scene. "You must stay strong. What's…what's your name?" Her hand clutched mine, like she was clinging to the life that would end very soon. "What's your name?"

"I'm…my name…"

"Stay with me. Stay with me!" I shook her, but it was useless. Her body didn't move, her eyes were closed, and her hand slipped from mine, leaving a trail of blood on my skin and the asphalt.

"Eric, she's dead."

I got up slowly, but didn't turn around. I could hear voices and sobs behind me, but I wasn't ready to face it. This woman had died before my eyes, and I could do nothing to save her.

"Oh my god…it's Arlene."

"We have to take care of her now. It'll be worse later." I muttered. I knew they'd hate me for what I was about to do, but we had no choice. Within minutes or hours she would rise, not as human but as a monster that would try to attack us, getting it maybe. "I should do it alone." But no one moved.

"Arlene was our friend, our partner. We'll stay."

"As you wish." I pulled out the gun and pointed it directly at her head. I had done this many times, perhaps too many, but it was always just as hard. "I am sorry you died, and I am sorry I could not save you. I guess you understand why I have to do this. I know you can't hear me, that you have no idea of what I'm saying, but trust me. This is the only solution to keep your friends safe." I grabbed the gun tightly, trying to stop my shaking hand, and pulled the trigger.

Arlene. That was her name. The same name I couldn't remember when I ran to help her.

Arlene. I'm sure now I'll never be able to forget it, and what happened tonight will haunt me for the rest of my life. But why did she go outside? Why didn't she remain inside the truck as we agreed?

"Eric, I am so sorry. I know you've done everything you can to save her, but…"

"I didn't get in time."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I wasn't going to leave her laying there, so I grabbed a shovel from the trunk, and began digging a hole along the road nearby trees. Her body would not remain outdoors, at the mercy of animals or the weather. No, I wouldn't allow it. I had left her to die, but her body would not rot under the sun or the moonlight and stars.

"Arlene was…" Amy began, after they decided to say a few words about her. "She was a good person. She did not deserve to die like this, none of us deserve it, but unfortunately, when the time comes, we can't do anything to change it. Arlene…"

"Arlene was a fool!" Compton snapped. "If she hadn't left the fucking truck, she'd still be alive. I don't get that we are out here, at zombies' mercy, saying shit about a dead idiot." I clenched both of my fists, digging the nails into my palms. How dared he to talk to a person who had just died in that way? "Do you think this will be useful?" He asked, pointing at the circle we had formed. "We should have gone long ago. This wouldn't have happened otherwise…"

It was just too much, I was unable to hold back, and grabbed him by the throat, knocking him down and trapping him between my body and the ground. "Fuck you, Compton! You're a fucking monster and you'll pay for everything you've done!"

"I…I did not…I did not kill her," he muttered, trying to breathe and talking at the same time. I had not released him, my hand was still wrapped around his neck, and all I could think about was pressing a little more, and end up with a stupid problem named Bill Compton. "Let…let me go!"

"Why should I?!" I pressed again, making his eyes to open wide. "Give me one reason I should let you live, and I will." I was unable to look away from his face, I was enjoying every second.

"I…I know the way back to the mansion." He muttered, and seeing the faces of the women, I freed him, but not before kicking him in the ribs to teach him a valuable lesson.

"Everybody needs to get in the trucks now, and don't go out, okay?" I ordered, and fortunately, my order was obeyed. "Come on, I'm sure Pam and Felicia will be scared at hearing the screams."

Back in the Jeep – and after checking both of them were still sleeping – Sookie hugged me and I burst into tears like a child.

"Get it out, Eric. Get it out." She whispered, and I cried and cried until there were no more tears to shed.

"It wasn't your fault, I hope you understand. You couldn't know she'd get out of the truck, and none of us, not even you, might have been able to save her." I nodded, but I kept thinking I'd have done more. "Arlene knew it was dangerous to go outside, and still she did. You can't control everything, Eric."

"I killed the zombies, and I thought I had saved her." I muttered in a small voice. "But then I saw her arm bitten until the bone was visible, and I knew it was the end. I wouldn't save her, and I lied to her."

"What do you mean?"

I looked at Sookie's eyes, praying she didn't hate for putting a bullet into Arlene's dead body. "I told her she'd be fine, and then I shot her. Why did I lie to her?"

Sookie took my hands in hers, still caressing them. "You did it because it was the right thing. She was suffering, what else might you have done? At least she did not die alone, she had you. You were with her until the end, Eric, and that matters. It matters more than you think."

"I wasn't even able to remember her name." I said no more, hitting the steering wheel with both hands. "I don't know why but I tried remembering it all the time. I got rid of the zombies and killed them, and while I did I kept trying to remember her name, but I was incapable. It was as if my brain was blocked, and…"

"Eric, enough." She put her hands on both sides of my face, forcing me to look into her eyes. "You can't feel responsible for others' acts. Arlene should have not left the truck, it's true, but she did. She was wrong and paid the price. She didn't deserve to end like that, true as well, but you and I know that outside is dangerous, so we take precautions." She was stroking my cheeks with both of her thumbs, wiping the tears at the same time, and I could only focus on the touch of her soft skin against mine. "You can't carry all the weight of the world on your shoulders, Eric. Don't do that, or you'll end up insane."

"You think I'm insane?" I asked, staring into her eyes. "Because sometimes I believe I am. Well, I talk to my dead brother, I got my girlfriend pregnant in the middle of an apocalypse, and I'm leading an army of women who have not held a weapon before. Anyone would think that I've lost my mind, because we don't have a chance against Victor Madden and his men." I couldn't have been positive even if my life depended on it. "We are going towards a war we can't win, Sookie, and we just lost one of our members."

"There are casualties in war, Eric." I was surprised by her reply. Sookie is sensitive, she lets carried away by her feelings and emotions, but now she was proving to be much stronger than me. "We can't look back, we can't allow panic or sadness to rule our lives when we are willing to kill to stay alive. We must stay focused, forget everything else, and remember those we left behind when this is over. Then will come the moment to weep, get angry, and even remember the fallen as they were when alive. We will miss them, all of them, but now is not the moment or the place to do it. Focus on what we have in our hands, teach these girls to grab a gun and defend themselves," she said firmly. "Become the leader you should be, Eric Northman."

"What if I can't be that leader?"

She smiled but didn't reach her eyes. "Then this baby will grow up without a father." A tear slipped from her eye to her cheek. "If you give up now, you will get nothing. None of us will survive, and Victor Madden will win."

"I won't allow it," I growled.

Sookie gifted me a wide smile, and kissed me on the lips. "I know you won't, so it is now when we need you more than ever. Rest, Eric, and you'll see things differently in the morning. Sunlight will help you understand what happened was not your fault. Tomorrow morning we are going to move the truck, and we'll go from here, to never return."

"I'll end with Victor Madden and anyone else who gets in my way."

"That's the Eric Northman I know and love."

I am aware that if it hadn't been for Sookie's words I'd be insane by now, or I'd have given up. Seeing those two zombies devouring Arlene made me lost my mind, as if suddenly I felt insignificant and unable to do anything about it. It was a flashback, a memory of the past when my brother and I played and fought together. I always tried to beat him, but he was stronger than me. I felt inferior in every way, until one day I defeated him, and a feeling of power and freedom washed over me.

That, of course, was nothing more than child's play, something completely innocent and different from what we were facing in these days. I miss the simple things in life, when the world was safe, at least in part, and habitable.

"Sleep, Eric."

"I don't think I can. Every time I close my eyes I see the fear drawn on Arlene's face. I can't get rid of that image." I rubbed my eyes with the palm of my hand, trying to erase that memory, but it wasn't working.

"I know it's difficult, or impossible, but you have to try to forget and move on." I was trying. "We all suffer, Eric, but we knew this would not be easy. Danger is always out there, so we must be stronger, and stay away of it."

"How can I move on, Sookie? After what I've seen and done tonight, how can I look at them in the face?"

"All of them know you did the right thing." She answered firmly. "And I didn't see many volunteers either to take care of what was necessary to do. Arlene would have turned into a zombie, and she'd have attacked us. You pulled the trigger, true, but we all knew that was the only solution."

I was surprised hearing her speak so coldly, but deep down she was right, and I was the only one who held the gun. No one else volunteered.

"Get it out of your mind, Eric, or you'll end up insane." I had lost count of how many times I had heard those words, but even if it hurt me, I had to forget once and for all.

"Tomorrow we'll be getting out of here, Sookie." I said, one hundred percent sure of myself.


Hope you have a nice week.

Thanks for reading.

:K