November Rain

by pepper0324

A chance encounter on the side of the road leads Maggie and Tara on a lifetime of friendship and love. Starts before the apocalypse but will happen in the story. Tara/Maggie will be there for each other from the beginning. Other characters will appear as they do in the show. AU. Might be slow burn. Fluff. Sex in later chapters. Warning: Tara g!p so don't read if you don't like

36. Dust in the Wind

Howdy there. I'm here with another long chapter since it took me two weeks to update. Thanks again for your patience. This is a filler type chapter but next one is Alexandria! Yay! And I'm about half way done with the next chapter. :)

Dust in the Wind - Kansas

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Seventeen days. Seventeen days since Tara's group had started the journey to Noah's community in Virginia. The vehicles that they had been traveling in had run out of gas a few days ago so now they were on foot. So far they hadn't encountered any reliable cars. All the stalled vehicles that Tara tried to hot-wire were either out of gasoline or just didn't start at all. The road seemed never ending and endless as they walked on and on. The days were long as all the energy was zapped from the survivors. Tara was grateful that it wasn't summer so the heat wasn't unbearable but that still didn't make the journey any easier. Over the past couple of weeks, the group had traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Tara was happy to see the sign that invited weary travelers to the great state of Virginia. She glanced over at Maggie who was walking with Beth and Rosita. Her poor wife had been miserable the last few days, feeling nauseous and exhausted all the time. Maggie kept on though, keeping up with everyone else. Tara looked behind her where down the road, a small group of walkers were following. Rick determined that the walkers weren't a threat as long as they kept their distance.

Tara glanced up at the sky, the sun slowly setting on the horizon. She knew that they had to soon stop and rest up for the night. "Hey Noah, how far away from the state line is your community? It's gonna be getting dark here soon."

Noah paused his conversation with Charlie to answer Tara. "It's about maybe four or five hours by car. So if we start walking in the morning, we should be there by late afternoon or so."

"Hey Rick, I think it's time we stopped for the day. We've been walking for hours. Maggie needs some rest now and I'm sure everyone else does too," Tara called out to Rick who was in front of the group. Harley ran from person to person, jumping up to lick everyone's face. Somehow the dog had boundless amounts of energy even after traveling all day.

"Yeah, let's just get rid of those walkers and take a breather," Rick agreed.

"I'll start a fire and cook up these rabbits that Harley caught earlier today," Daryl started to gather up some firewood. Sasha and Carol went about helping him collect some twigs and sticks. The fall nights were cold so any kind of warmth was a blessing.

Tara, Rick, Abraham, Michonne and Glenn walked over to the small horde of walkers that had been following their group for miles. Tara took the lead, grabbing the first walker and plunging her knife deep into its skull. She let the dead body fall to the ground before moving on to the next one. Rick, Abraham and Glenn killed a few walkers while Michonne easily dispatched the rest with her katana. Harley let out a few barks as she joined the small group, killing the last walker by ripping out its neck.

"Good girl," Tara said, petting Harley behind the ears.

"Oh hey, guys! I remember there being a motel type place around here somewhere. Maybe a few miles down the side road in a town called Waxahachie. Can't hurt to look, right?" Noah spoke up.

"Well, it would be nice to have a roof over our heads for one night. Daryl, Noah, Rick and I will go check it out and make sure that it's safe. Everyone else can stay here and wait," Tara told her friends the plan and they all readily agreed. She had become the de facto leader of the group since Rick didn't want to deal with all the hard decisions that had to be made at times. He confided in Tara about how he was stressed out from everyone looking to him for leadership so she decided to take over for a while to give him a break. Tara still sought his guidance whenever she needed help though.

Tara made sure that Maggie was alright before she left. She was sitting with Beth and Rosita on the side of the road. Harley was seated by Maggie's side, keeping a lookout for danger. Poor Maggie looked beyond exhausted and Tara hoped that the motel would be a sure bet for their group.

Tara knelt down in front of Maggie. "I'll be back, babe. Hopefully, we'll have somewhere safe to rest tonight."

"I hope so. Be careful out there. I'm not the only one waitin' for you to come back," Maggie rubbed her stomach.

Tara placed her hand on top of Maggie's. "Peanut, be good for your mother. I love you, both."

"We love you, too," Maggie smiled as Tara placed a kiss on her stomach.

"That baby already has you wrapped around her little finger," Beth said.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for her mother," Tara leaned forward, kissing Maggie on the lips.

"Hey, Tara! Let's go!" Daryl yelled as he waited with Noah and Rick.

"Alright, babe, I'll be back soon," Tara kissed Maggie again before standing up and jogging to where her friends were waiting. "Abe, hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"On it, Marine," Abraham sent Tara a salute as she walked by.

Tara joined her small group, pulling a map out of her back pocket. "Alright, if we walk about three or four miles down this upcoming side road here then we should hit Waxahachie. Hopefully, the motel isn't too far into town."

"Let's go so we can get back before dark," Daryl started down the road. Tara quickly took the lead, leading her group down the empty side road.

"So Noah, when you left how many people were in your community?" Tara asked as she kept a sharp lookout for danger but so far, there was nothing but trees and pavement.

"I've been gone awhile but when I left there were walls, it was secure and we had about maybe thirty people living there. It should be safe and my neighbor was a doctor," Noah answered.

"Doctor, huh? That will come in handy when Maggie has the little one," Daryl said.

"Yeah, hopefully it's still around," Rick walked in pace with Tara at the front of the group.

"What if it's not there anymore?" Noah questioned. He didn't want to think about the possibility of his community and family being gone but he had been away for almost a year.

"If it's gone then we find a new place," Tara kept on walking, following the signs to the town.

They were silent for the rest of the journey. After a few miles, the four finally reached the small town of Waxahachie. The Motel 6 was at the entrance of the town and seemed intact with no broken windows or doors. There weren't even any walkers in the parking lot where a few abandoned cars were stalled. The motel was only one story with about twenty-five rooms.

"Alright, let's check all the rooms and make sure that they're all empty. It's a long shot but check around for any food and water also. Tomorrow before we hit the road, we can check out some stores for supplies," Tara directed her friends. Weapons drawn, they all started to open different doors and check the rooms.

Tara slowly opened the door to a room. She braced for any kind of danger but found nothing but emptiness. Tara glanced into the bathroom, checking the shower. She turned on the faucet, happy when some cold water came out. At least now, the group could take a shower and fill up their empty water bottles. Tara stepped out of the bathroom, checking the closet in the room and under the bed, making sure that no one was hiding. Satisfied that the room was empty, Tara then checked the mini fridge, surprised that some small bottles of liquor were still in there. She quickly opened the tiny bottle of Jack Daniels, drinking it all in one gulp.

Tara quickly checked a few more rooms, all of them empty. She also found a couple of boxes of stale cereal, some applesauce for Judith and a few packages of crackers. It wasn't much but at least they had some more food. After checking the rooms, she went out to the office area where the others were waiting.

"Anything?" Tara asked.

"Just a bunch of empty rooms. Some liquor, some food here and there. But it's a good place to rest up for the night," Rick said.

"Yeah, we can each take watch durin' the night. I can make a fire in one of these huge metal trash cans," Daryl grabbed one of the metal cans, dragging it to the parking lot.

"I found a bunch of candles in the office. So we have some light for the rooms," Noah held up a plastic bag full of small candles.

"Well, looks like we have a place to stay the night. Let's go get the others, clean up and then rest," Tara announced to the group.

"I'll stay here and make a fire. Keep an eye out. Y'all go get the others," Daryl offered.

Tara nodded in agreement as she, Rick and Noah started the walk back to their friends. They didn't say much to each other, more focused on any threats that might pop up. They made it back to the rest of the group where everyone was sitting around on the road. Harley was busy chasing a butterfly around on the pavement. Judith giggled with delight as she watched the rambunctious dog. The baby clapped her hands, sitting contently in Carl's lap.

"Hey everyone. We found the motel and it's safe for us to spend the night. We should get there by nightfall and tomorrow we can scrounge around for supplies in the town," Tara said.

"Sounds good. Let's get goin'. I'm lookin' forward to sleepin' in a bed tonight," Abraham jumped to his feet, ready to hit the road.

"Come on, babe. You need to rest as much as you can tonight," Tara helped her wife stand up. Maggie kissed her cheek, hugging her tight.

"This way," Rick held Judith as he led the way to the motel. Harley ran from person to person, licking everyone's hands and smelling the pavement. Beth jumped beside Tara, momentarily stopping her so she could get a hug.

"What's that for?" Tara wondered as Beth squeezed her tightly.

"I'm just happy to be here with you and Maggie. I'm so excited for the baby. I'm just happy," Beth didn't miss a beat as she wrapped her arms around Maggie.

"We love you too, Beth," Maggie chuckled.

After a few miles, the group made it to the motel where Daryl had made a fire in one of the large metal drum trash cans. He had dragged a couple of chairs to the fire, busily cooking up the rabbits that Harley had caught earlier that day.

"Hey, these rabbits should be done in a few," Daryl relaxed in one of the chairs.

Everyone relaxed by the fire for a couple of hours, telling stories, eating a small dinner of crackers and rabbit and just trying to rest after all the miles walked. Abraham kept his distance from Eugene, still upset about the Washington DC ordeal. Glenn, Charlie, and Noah cracked jokes with one another as Harley begged for leftovers which everyone gave her. Michonne and Rick kept Judith happy, feeding her the applesauce. Carl ripped some yellow pages from a phone book, throwing the paper into the flames.

Rosita and Beth were looking at the baby book that Maggie had picked up at the bookstore. Father Gabriel was away from the group, reading his bible and saying some silent prayers. Tyreese and Sasha were deep in conversation about Bob's passing while Carol and Daryl decided to take the first night watch together. Maggie rested her head on Tara's shoulder, letting out a little yawn.

"Alright, it's gettin' late and I'm gonna hit the hay," Abraham stood up.

"All the rooms are clear and the water works so take a shower," Tara called out to Abe as he walked away with Rosita following.

"Night y'all," Abraham threw a peace sign up before disappearing into a room. Soon the rest of the group started to turn in for the night, eager to get a shower and some much needed rest.

"I'm gonna go get ready for bed. Don't take too long," Maggie kissed Tara before going into the room that was directly across from the fire. Noah made sure to hand Maggie some candles before she disappeared into the room with Harley.

Tara stayed with Daryl and Carol for a few minutes, drinking a couple of the tiny liquors that had been found. Finally, Tara decided to turn in after checking up on everyone and making sure her friends were okay for the night. Tara strolled into her room, walking in as her wife was lighting up a few candles. Maggie's hair was damp from her shower and Harley was sleeping on a pillow in the corner of the room, the curtains closed.

"Hey, babe. I'm gonna take a quick shower," Tara kissed her wife before grabbing a change of clothes from her backpack.

Tara took a cold shower, letting the water relax her tired muscles. She used the small hotel soaps, the soft candle glow her only light. Afterwards, Tara strolled into the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel. Her plaid shirt was unbuttoned, showing her skin underneath as she glanced around at the candles that Maggie had set up in the room. Maggie was already on the bed, the soft glow lighting up her smile, her hair still damp from her cold shower. Tara noticed that Maggie was just only wearing a tank top and a pair of panties.

"Hey you..." Maggie said.

"Hey, how are you feeling? No bleeding or anything?"

"I'm doin' alright. No bleedin' or anything like that. I'm just tired but not sure if I'll be able to sleep," Maggie sighed as she stood in front of Tara.

"Why can't you sleep, babe?" Tara asked, concerned.

"Just worryin' and stressin' about everything. I'm tryin' not to because of the baby but it's so hard. I just hope that Noah's community is a sure bet," Maggie said sadly as she started to trace the scar tissue on Tara's side from the bullet wound.

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" Tara tried to ignore the feeling of Maggie touching her but it was useless as her dick twitched in her jeans. It had been awhile since the couple had been able to be intimate together so Tara was craving Maggie's touch.

Maggie slowly let her fingers trail down Tara's skin, smirking when she noticed the tent that was rising in Tara's jeans. "Hmmm...maybe help me forget about everything for a little bit?"

"You sure that's what you want?" Tara asked for consent as Maggie nodded.

"Please...make me beg..." Maggie practically pleaded, biting her lower lip to drive Tara wild.

"I'll make you beg alright," Tara growled as she roughly kissed Maggie. She lightly pulled Maggie's hair as she went in for another messy kiss.

"Tara..." Maggie moaned, her hands gliding over Tara's hot skin. She couldn't get enough as she caressed Tara's strong back, feeling the rough scars.

Tara pushed Maggie onto the soft bed, climbing on top of her, their passionate kiss never breaking. She grabbed Maggie's hands, restraining them at her sides. Struggling against the firm hold on her wrists, Maggie tried to get out of Tara's strong grip but to no avail.

"Be a good girl and keep your hands here. No touching," Tara ordered in a firm voice.

"Tara..." Maggie whimpered as she gripped the bed sheets, trying to follow directions. All she wanted to do was touch Tara, feel her strong muscles. Maggie was aching with primal need, her panties soaked with wetness and want. Tara smirked as she lifted up Maggie's tank top, feeling her dick hardening even more from the sight underneath her.

"Remember, no touching," Tara said before she started to kiss and lick Maggie's warm skin.

"This is torture..." Maggie moaned. She thrust against Tara, feeling how hard Tara's cock was for her.

"Just a little," Tara gently bit on Maggie's hard nipple, enjoying the little yelp from underneath her. Tara licked and sucked on Maggie's nipple, her teeth gently grazing. Tara's other hand pinched Maggie's breast causing her to moan in pleasure.

"Oh god, Tara..." Maggie's skin was on fire, tingling from Tara's torturous teasing.

"This damn shirt is in my way," Tara grabbed Maggie's tank top, tearing the fabric away from her body.

Maggie didn't care as her clothing was ripped and ruined. She was so turned on from Tara's dominating force, her hands still gripping the bed sheets. The bed made slight squeaking noises as Tara roughly thrust against the woman beneath her, the friction driving both of them crazy with arousal. Tara placed her knee between Maggie's legs, rubbing it against Maggie's pussy.

"Oh god...Tara...that feels so good," Maggie whimpered as she ground her body against Tara's knee. Maggie felt so turned on as she became soaking wet, a fire building up within her that needed to be released.

Tara could feel her jeans getting tighter with each passing second as she became harder. She could already feel the head of her cock rubbing against the denim of her rough jeans. She raised her hips against Maggie's, reveling in the body that pressed against her. Maggie reached down, slipping off her panties, revealing just how wet she was. Tara had to keep herself from coming at the sight, her body trembling with anticipation. Maggie reached between their bodies, unbuckling Tara's belt, eagerly pushing her jeans down her hips.

Tara watched as Maggie pulled her hard erection out of her jeans, stroking it firmly before grabbing her, needing Tara's body pressed on top of her own again. Maggie shrugged the plaid shirt that Tara was wearing off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Tara quickly stood up causing Maggie in whimper in frustration as she kicked off her jeans. Maggie could see how firm Tara was, her pussy getting more wet. Letting her hand wander down Maggie's soft skin, Tara could hardly breathe when she felt how wet her wife was just for her. Tara decided to tease some more, guiding her dick to Maggie's soaking pussy, rubbing the head over the heated skin, getting slick with Maggie's juices.

"Oh fuck, Tara..." Maggie moaned at the sensations that were coursing through her body. She wanted to feel Tara like never before as she opened her legs more. Tara teased her wife for a minute, rubbing her hard cock over Maggie's excited clit, eliciting small whimpers and moans from the woman underneath her.

Maggie dug her fingernails into Tara's strong shoulders, rising her hips up. "Please Tara, fuck me, please..."

"Shhh..." Tara said as she roughly pushed forward, letting the tip of her dick enter Maggie. She had to control herself, her tense body wanting to let go at how good and slick Maggie felt around the tip of her cock. She kept herself from going any further, wanting to tease Maggie some more.

"Fuck, you feel so good, Maggie. So tight..." Tara groaned as she slightly thrust again, pulling out and slipping just the tip back into Maggie's slick pussy.

Maggie thrust against Tara, trying to force more of the hard cock into her pussy. "Tara...fuck me please...I'm beggin' you."

Tara decided to stop the teasing, she roughly thrust forward, her thick, hard cock filling Maggie up. Maggie moaned in pleasure, wrapping her legs around Tara, pulling her closer. Tara's hips moved at a fast pace, ramming her dick into Maggie over and over again, almost punishing her.

"Oh god...Tara...fuck me hard!" Maggie almost yelled. She raised her hips up, meeting Tara's thrusts as they moved in a frantic rhythm.

"Gotta be quiet, babe," Tara immediately covered Maggie's mouth, trying to keep her silent. "You gonna be quiet?"

Maggie nodded as Tara uncovered her mouth. She didn't waste a second as she pulled Tara down, roughly kissing her. With every thrust that Tara delivered, Maggie shivered and moaned, her muscles tightening around Tara's hard dick. Tara began to move more powerfully, sliding her cock in and out of Maggie, shoving in to the hilt. Tara held down Maggie's wrists, keeping her in place as she continued to penetrate relentlessly.

"Oh Tara...I'm gonna come..." Maggie whimpered. She licked Tara's neck, nipping at the hot, sweaty skin. Maggie could feel Tara's sweat drop off onto her slick body; Tara's arousing scent all over her.

"Come for me, baby. Come for me," Tara ordered as she leaned down, biting down on Maggie's collarbone. The pleasure/pain mixture was enough to send Maggie into bliss as Tara continued to ram into her without any mercy. Maggie started to come as her pussy tightened onto Tara's hard cock.

"Please Tara...I need to hold you..." Maggie tried to get out of Tara's strong grip. Tara finally let go of her wrists, allowing her to touch. Maggie held on tight as she came all over Tara, her body trembling with immense pleasure.

"Tara..." Maggie whimpered as she surrendered her body to Tara's frenzied strokes. Tara felt all of Maggie's wetness gush all over her dick, knowing that she was close. Maggie only had a second to recover before the overwhelming feeling of euphoria started to build again.

"Tara..." Maggie moaned.

"That's it baby, come for me again," Tara finally let herself come. She let out a moan as she came deep inside of Maggie, filling her up with hot cum. Maggie came again, her nails scratching down Tara's sweaty back. Tara gripped Maggie tightly as their orgasms crashed into one another, exploding in a variety of sensations that sent them over the edge. Tara immediately fell on top of Maggie, all her energy spent. She rested her head on Maggie's chest, listening to the racing heartbeat.

"I love you so much," Maggie held Tara close, whimpering when Tara gently pulled out.

"I love you too, babe. I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" Tara rolled off Maggie, laying on the other side of the bed.

"No. It was amazin'," Maggie dreamily said. She glanced at her wrists that had some slight bruising from Tara's rough hold.

"Damn. Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to get carried away," Tara placed a few kisses on Maggie's wrists.

"It felt amazin' so don't apologize," Maggie yawned, closing her eyes and covering herself up with the blankets.

"Get some sleep, babe. I've got a few hours until it's my turn to take watch," Tara rested her head against the soft pillow.

"I love you," Maggie whispered as she fell asleep almost instantly.

"I love you too," Tara said. She let her hand rest on Maggie's stomach, closing her eyes to get some sleep before her early morning watch.

---

The next morning, Tara and the group searched through the town, finding some food and more water bottles. Afterwards, they hit the highway again, walking since none of the cars in town seemed reliable enough. A few hours later, Noah realized that the area was starting to look familiar and that they were close to Shirewilt Estates.

"Hey we're only about ten miles away or so," Noah announced excitedly to his friends.

"Alright, everyone let's stop here. We're gonna approach this community from the forest, just in case snipers are set up in the front. Just to be safe," Tara formulated a plan.

"I'm sure that's not necessary. They'll see me and remember me," Noah tried to insist but Tara shook her head.

"It's just to be safe. Just taking some extra precautions," Tara reassured Noah as he nodded after thinking it over. It would be safer to approach the community cautiously instead of showing up armed and unannounced.

Half an hour later, Tara, Noah, Tyreese, Rick, Michonne and Glenn were walking through the forest, their eyes peeled for any walkers or strangers. The walkie-talkie hanging on Tara's belt cackled to life.

"Are you guys almost there?" Carol's voice came through the speaker.

"Yeah, we're just a couple of miles away," Tara answered.

"If you guys don't come back in about an hour then we'll come looking for you. Understand?" Carol asked.

"We hear you loud and clear, Carol," Tara said before turning off the walkie-talkie.

"I hope I see my family at the community and that they're all okay," Noah sighed. He prayed that his mother and twin brothers were still alive and thriving at his home where he had left them.

Tyreese gently patted Noah's shoulder. "I hope so too, kid. I hope so too."

Noah turned to Tara. "I still don't understand why we gotta go through the forest. We have a back gate but no one really guards it. We just had a perch built onto a truck that a lookout used."

"Look, I'm sure it's safe but we're just being cautious. We've been through a lot of shit these last few weeks. I'm not taking any chances," Tara said as Noah nodded in understanding.

"Let's just hope for the best. After all, we need this to work out for Maggie and the baby," Michonne continued to follow Rick and Glenn through the woods with Tara and Noah in the lead. Tyreese kept to the back of the group, gun ready for any danger.

The small group walked until they came to a gated community that was surrounded by a red, tall brick wall. The roofs of the pristine houses still seemed intact but there was a stillness in the fall air. The back gates were left unguarded and a stalled truck blocked the entrance. On the brick walls, someone had spray painted in black "Wolves were here" and a large "W". They all heard the sounds of walkers staggering within the walls. Noah immediately ran to the gate, trying to open it but it was locked.

"Noah, wait!" Tara tried to stop the young man but he started to climb the gate, dropping to the other side.

"Noah!" Glenn yelled but he was ignored.

"Goddammit, Noah," Tara cursed as she glanced over at the others. She quickly climbed over the gate, her friends following her lead. Tara jumped down to the other side, landing perfectly next to Noah. Glenn, Rick, Michonne and Tyreese landed into the community, all of them shocked to see walkers roaming all around the streets. The doors to the houses were kicked open, windows broken and garages open, their doors vandalized. Car windshields were busted, tires slashed and engines practically torn apart.

Noah stood in shock at the destruction of his home then he fell to his knees. His shoulders trembling as sobs escaped his body. The tears fell when he realized that his family was gone. Tara placed her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

Tyreese stepped forward. "I'm sorry, son. Everything's gonna be alright, though. You're with us now."

"I'm really sorry about what happened, Noah," Tara comforted the sobbing young man. She was totally unprepared as he stood up and hugged her, crying into her shoulder.

"We'll take care of you now. You're one of us now," Glenn reassured Noah, stroking his back in a comforting manner. Noah let go of Tara, wiping away his tears. So far, the walkers hadn't taken notice of the small group as they continued to stagger aimlessly around.

Tara turned on her walkie-talkie. "Hey Carol. This place is gone. We're gonna take a look around, try to find some supplies but we'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Okay. What are we going to do now, Tara?" Carol asked.

"We'll keep going. That's all we can do," Tara answered.

"You have two hours. If you aren't back then I'll go looking for you," Carol lightly threatened.

"Got it. Two hours," Tara ended the conversation, hanging the walkie-talkie onto her belt.

Tara glanced at her small group. "Alright guys, let's explore this place and see what we can find. Be careful. We don't know who might still be hiding out here."

"I'm gonna go check my house. Maybe my mom left a note or something. Maybe she and my brothers got out," Noah started to walk toward his house.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Tyreese said, following Noah into the direction of a large blue house.

Tara watched the two walk away before she guided Rick, Glenn and Michonne to an abandoned house. The small truck in the driveway had been destroyed and the garage door had been busted open. Tara and Glenn searched the garage for anything useful while Rick and Michonne took the house.

"Hey the keys are in this car. And it's not all busted up. It might work," Glenn stuck the keys into the ignition, the small SUV coming to life.

"Too bad we can't fit everyone in it," Tara sighed as she picked up a baseball bat that had been left in the driveway. So far, they only found a few bottles of water in the garage and a small bag of dog food. Michonne and Rick joined the rest of the group, a few cans of fruit in their hands.

"Not much, but it's somethin'," Rick said.

"So what are we going to do now? This was supposed to be our sure bet. We just can't keep walking for miles on end. We'll die out in the open," Glenn asked. The situation that the group was in seemed hopeless now.

"We find a new place. We can't give up. We have to keep going," Michonne tried to keep their spirits up even though she felt pessimistic about the whole thing.

"We'll continue on to DC. Eugene said it was the best possibility for survival. Maybe he was onto something. Maybe that's our chance," Tara answered.

"Let's hope so," Rick said as he walked to the next house, peering into the garage. Tara and Glenn kept busy killing a few walkers that had spotted them. Michonne glanced at the ruined community, shaking her head at the dismal situation.

Meanwhile, Tyreese followed Noah to the large, blue house. They walked down a few blocks, making sure that no surprise walkers sprang up on them. Noah tried to keep his tears quiet but failed.

Tyreese put his arm around Noah's shoulders. "It's gonna be alright, son. This isn't the end."

"Who have you lost?" Noah asked, wiping his eyes.

"Well, my parents before the turn. They died in a car accident when I was in college. But more recently, I lost my girlfriend, Karen. I really loved her a lot but I've been persevering, surviving without her," Tyreese said sadly as he thought about Karen.

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend," Noah felt his heart race as they got closer to his house.

"It's alright, son. It's not the end," Tyreese said.

Suddenly, Noah spotted his house in the distance. The windows were busted and the door stood ajar. Noah didn't think twice as he ran toward the house, praying beyond hope that his family was alright.

"Noah! Wait!" Tyreese ran after the younger man. Noah didn't listen as he ran as fast as he could.

Finally, Noah reached the house, running through the door. His heart stopped when he saw his mother laying on the living room floor dead, her head bashed in with some type of blunt object. Noah dropped to his knees by her side, sobbing hard once again.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry…." Noah cried, inconsolable.

Tyreese ran into the house, stopping when he saw the heartbreaking scene in front of him. He sighed sadly and could feel his own eyes water. Suddenly, Tyreese heard a noise from a bedroom upstairs. He knew Noah was in no condition to investigate so he slowly walked up the stairs, gun drawn. Tyreese checked the first bedroom which had been a little boy's room by the decor. He saw the photos on the wall of Noah with two little twin boys. There were also pictures of Noah's parents, the family happy, their smiling faces captured for all eternity.

Tyreese was so distracted by the photos on the wall that he didn't realize that the walker version of one of Noah's twin brothers was stalking him. He didn't realize until it was too late, the bite on his arm surprising him. Tyreese yelled out in pain as he grabbed his forearm where blood was seeping out of the wound. The walker boy kept advancing, biting him again on the upper arm but Tyreese was in too much pain to defend himself. He closed his eyes, waiting for the walker onslaught. Suddenly, there was the loud sound of a baseball bat hitting flesh. Tyreese opened his eyes, surprised to see Noah, standing over the now dead walker boy. Noah panicked when he realized that Tyreese had been bitten.

"Stay right here! I'll go get the others and be right back! Hang on!" Noah ran out of the house as fast as he could. He didn't pay any attention to walkers as he ran down the streets, looking for his friends.

Tara was busy searching through another garage when she heard Noah's screams for help. Tara glanced at the others before racing toward the cries for help. They found Noah cornered by a group of walkers, trying to fight them off with a baseball bat. Tara immediately grabbed one of the creatures, stabbing it in the head. Glenn, Rick and Michonne helped Tara kill all the walkers that had Noah cornered.

Noah grabbed Tara's arm, dragging her toward his house. "Tyreese was bit! We gotta help him!"

Nothing else was said as the group raced to the house. Tara didn't stop for a second as she ran up the stairs to the room where Tyreese was. He was sitting against the wall, his arm bleeding from the two big bites on it.

"We need to amputate to stop the infection! Hurry!" Tara grabbed Michonne's katana. Tyreese mumbled a few incoherent words as Rick held his hand, trying to keep him still. Glenn and Michonne told him some comforting words as Tara raised the katana in the air, swinging the blade down and amputating his arm. Tyreese screamed in pain before he passed out from the pain and shock. Noah grabbed some shirts, trying to cover the wound and stop the bleeding.

"Glenn! Go get that car we found earlier and get to the front gate. We need to get to Rosita. She's the one with the most medical experience. Let's go!" Tara tried to hold the shirts to the wound but it was useless as blood continued to pour out. Glenn sprinted as fast as he could, racing toward the car.

"Let's get to the front gate! Come on!" Tara grabbed Tyreese's other arm. Rick and Michonne quickly grabbed his legs as all three carried him down the stairs and out of the house with Noah leading the way to the front gate. Tara could feel Tyreese's blood soaking into her clothes but she didn't care as they raced down the streets, ignoring all the walkers.

They finally reached the locked front gate, the entrance blocked by a small horde of walkers. They placed Tyreese on the soft grass beside the pavement. The injured man was in and out of consciousness as he mumbled incoherently about Lizzie, Mika and Karen. Tara grabbed the metal baseball bat from Noah. Using all her strength, she smashed the locks off the gate, opening it. The small walker horde started to advance but Tara easily took out a few, swinging the bat into their heads. Rick and Michonne helped kill the rest as Noah tried to keep a shirt on Tyreese's wound.

Glenn raced the car to the front gate, thankful that they had enough gasoline to get back to the rest of their group. They laid Tyreese in the middle seat with Glenn and Michonne as they tried uselessly to stop the bleeding, the blood soaking the leather seats. Noah jumped in the back while Rick took the passenger seat. Tara hopped in the driver's seat, pushing the gas pedal to the max. She raced down the road, easily swerving to miss stalled cars and wayward walkers.

Tara pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Carol! Tyreese got bit and we had to amputate his arm. Tell Rosita to get ready to cauterize the wound, have all the supplies ready. We're a few minutes away."

"We'll be ready. Hurry up and get here!" Carol answered.

"Estimated time of arrival about five minutes," Tara said before she shut off the walkie-talkie.

"How is he?" Tara asked.

"He's bleeding so much. It's not good," Glenn said.

Tyreese slowly opened his eyes, he squeezed Glenn's hand as he glanced out the window, watching the sunset for one last time. Tyreese took his last breath, a small smile on his face as he saw Karen, Bob, Mika and Lizzie once again. Glenn started to cry when he felt Tyreese's hand go limp in his own. Michonne checked for a pulse but found none.

"He's gone…" Michonne sadly said, her eyes misty.

Tara immediately stopped the small SUV as everyone piled out, distraught from their loss. Tara bent over, hands on her knees as she tried to calm her breathing. She could feel her post traumatic stress disorder trying to take over from the traumatic event, but she closed her eyes, steadying herself. Glenn and Noah leaned against the car, both wiping away a few tears. Michonne and Rick pulled Tyreese's deceased body out from the car and onto the road. Michonne closed her eyes and sighed as she stabbed Tyreese in the head so he wouldn't turn.

Tara pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Carol...he's gone. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay…" Carol didn't say anything else.

Tara walked over to where Tyreese was laying. She knelt down by the body, placing her hand on his heart. "I'm sorry, brother. I really am."

Everyone stood around in shock for a few minutes until Tara noticed that night would be approaching in about an hour, so they needed to get back to the rest of their group.

"Come on, guys. Let's get back," Tara wiped her tears away. Glenn and Rick helped her load up Tyreese's body into the back of the car. Michonne covered him up with a blue tarp that had been in the trunk. Nothing was said as they drove back to their friends, all their hearts heavy.

Tara stopped the car when Carol and the rest of the group came into view. She noticed the gas gauge on the dashboard light up, signaling that the car was low on gas. Tara just sighed. They never caught a break. Tara jumped out of the car, searching for Maggie, needing her comforting touch. Daryl had built a fire and everyone was gathered around it. No one greeted the returning members, all of them still in shock over their recent loss. Even Harley was more subdued as she walked over to Tara, licking her hand. Tara saw that Maggie was comforting a crying Sasha. Suddenly, Sasha caught sight of Tara and immediately stood up, marching over to her. Tara felt her heart break at the sight of Sasha who was sobbing, tears running down her face.

"You were supposed to make sure everyone got back! That was your job, Tara!" Sasha yelled as Tara just glanced down at the ground. Tara felt like she had failed a mission. It was her responsibility to make sure that everyone got home safe but she had failed Tyreese.

"I'm sorry, Sasha. I tried to save him. I tried to get him back here. I didn't leave him behind. I tried..." Tara said. She knew nothing could make this situation any better for Sasha.

"Tyreese is dead!" Sasha screamed in anguish. No one had time to react as she slapped Tara hard on the cheek. Tara barely had time to register what had happened, her cheek stinging, before Sasha started to hit her on the shoulder. Daryl and Abraham both stood up, ready to grab Sasha but Tara motioned for them to stand down.

"I'm sorry," Tara repeated as she let Sasha hit her a few more times to let the anger out. After a few more hits, including one that landed on her face, Tara wrapped her arms around Sasha, stopping the assault. Sasha surrendered into Tara's embrace, holding tight as tears ran down her face. Maggie watched as Sasha cried into Tara's shoulder, sobs racking her body. She felt horrible for Sasha since Bob had been lost not too long ago. Tara comforted Sasha for a few more minutes.

"I'm sorry for hitting you," Sasha apologized.

"Don't be. Everyone get some rest. We start traveling again tomorrow after we bury Tyreese," Tara said as she made her way to Maggie. The mood around the campfire was somber and melancholy as no one said much.

"Tara…" Maggie noticed all the blood on Tara's clothes. She knew that Tara was trying to keep from breaking down. Tara was trying to be strong for everyone since they all looked up to her for guidance.

"I'm alright, Maggie," Tara didn't say anything else as she walked away from the group to a secluded area. She leaned against a tree, her arm resting on the bark, her face hidden away in the crook of her arm so no one could see the emotions. Tara finally let the tears fall as she mourned her fallen comrade.

Maggie found Tara against the tree, her back towards the world. Maggie cautiously approached, wrapping her arms around Tara's waist, holding her close. Maggie rested her head on Tara's back, allowing her own tears to fall. It was always hard when they lost someone. They had lost a part of their makeshift family.

"Sorry…" Tara sighed.

"You don't have anythin' to be sorry about, Tara. You're tryin' your best," Maggie placed a kiss on Tara's back.

"I lost someone on the field. That's never an easy thing," Tara turned around so that she was facing Maggie.

"I know…" Maggie continued to hold Tara. "Let's just stay here for as long as you need."

The couple comforted one another for about an hour until they decided to join the others. When they got back, most of the group was already sleeping in different areas. Daryl and Sasha were seated by the fire, both of them silent, glancing at the flames.

"Tara, get some rest. I've got night watch handled and Abe's got the next round," Daryl said.

Tara didn't argue as Maggie led her away from everyone else. Tara shrugged off her plaid shirt that was full of Tyreese's blood. She quickly walked over to the fire, throwing the shirt into it. Tara watched it burn for a few seconds before returning to where Maggie was sitting. Tara laid down on the ground, glancing up at the stars in the sky. Harley snuggled up against Tara's side, rolling into a little ball to keep warm. Maggie carefully laid on top of Tara, resting her head on her chest. Tara wrapped her arms around Maggie's body, trying to keep her warm.

"How's the baby doing? Did you have a hard time today?" Tara asked.

"The usual. Feelin' exhausted and all the mornin' sickness. I can't wait 'til Peanut decides to calm down with all that," Maggie nestled closer to Tara. She had missed Tara a lot while she had been gone. Maggie knew it was only for a few hours but it had seemed like an eternity.

"Well, hopefully she'll settle down soon," Tara kissed the top of Maggie's head.

"So what are we gonna do now since Noah's community was a bust?" Maggie questioned.

"We're gonna try to get to Washington DC. It's still a long way away but it's our best shot," Tara answered.

"I hope so…" Maggie yawned, closing her eyes. A few minutes later, Tara felt her wife's breathing even out as she fell asleep.

Tara stayed awake for a while, thinking about the day's events, thinking about the long upcoming trip to DC. She knew that their supplies were low but hopefully they would be able to find some on the way. They had been through so much already, she didn't know if they could endure anymore hardship.

---

A few days later, the group was walking down a lonely country road, trying to conserve their energy as much as they could. They were all hungry, thirsty and tired but they kept on walking. Harley had caught a few squirrels but the carcasses only yielded a few scraps of meat for everyone. Tara had ended up giving Maggie her share, reminding her about the baby.

Tara, Glenn and Daryl were walking side by side, the morning sun having no mercy as it shined bright in the sky but gratefully the fall day was still somewhat cool. Tara lazily held her semi-automatic rifle in her hands, not paying attention to anything. Every once in a while, she would make sure Maggie was alright. Maggie was walking ahead of her with Rosita, Beth and Carol. Harley was right by Maggie's side, keeping guard of her owner.

Groans filled Tara's ears as she turned to see that some walkers were following their group. They had encountered the herd of walkers a couple of hours ago, but Tara decided that the creatures posed no threat if the group kept their distance. Plus, she didn't want them to unnecessarily waste their energy on killing the herd. They needed to preserve as much energy as they could since they didn't know when they would find more food and water. Suddenly, Tara felt a presence next to her side. She looked over to see Rosita who was handing her half of a granola bar.

"You need to eat something. You didn't really eat anything yesterday," Rosita admonished Tara as she held out the granola for her to take.

"We had some pecans. That's good enough," Daryl muttered. He knew Tara felt the same way as he did when it came to the food rationing. They both wanted the others to have enough to eat before them, especially Maggie since she was pregnant.

"Here...take this. Please," Rosita begged as Tara finally took the bar. She took one bite before handing it back to Rosita.

"Give the rest to Maggie and tell her that I said to eat it for the baby. Judith, Carl and Maggie are the top priorities right now so make sure they get enough," Tara told Rosita who nodded in agreement.

Tara watched as Rosita went back to where Maggie was, handing her the rest of the granola bar. She watched as Maggie tried to refuse it but finally relented and ate it. Tara smiled to herself as she watched Maggie from the back of the group. Maggie was finally starting to show with a little baby bump since she was almost twelve weeks pregnant. It wasn't very noticeable unless someone really looked for it but Tara had definitely noticed earlier that day. Tara had to make sure her child was healthy and if that meant she had to eat pecans for the rest of the trip then so be it. Tara watched as Carl slowly jogged until he started to walk in step with Maggie.

"Hey Maggie, I have something for you and the baby. I found it in my motel room. I thought you might like it," Carl shyly handed Maggie a music box. She opened the box which revealed a little dancing figurine.

"Carl, this is beautiful. Thank you so much," Maggie leaned over to hug Carl.

"It's broken but maybe Tara or Daryl can fix it," Carl shrugged.

"I'm sure they'll be able to fix it. Thank you again," Maggie ruffled up Carl's hair before he jogged to catch up to his father and Michonne. Suddenly, Maggie felt nauseous as she ran into the forest with Harley following close behind. Tara felt horrible for Maggie since the morning sickness bouts always left her extremely exhausted.

"I'll go make sure that she's okay," Beth followed Maggie into the woods. The group kept walking at their slow pace to keep the distance from the walkers that followed. Tara stayed at the back with Daryl and Glenn, waiting for Maggie and Beth to reappear. After a few minutes, the Greene sisters returned to the road.

"How much longer 'til we get there?" Maggie wondered out loud.

"About sixty miles," Sasha answered and was met with some groans. She was still dealing with the death of her brother and kept herself closed off from everyone else. Sasha was angry about her loss and her group's predicament but she had no one to blame so the hostility festered within.

"I don't know if I can make it another sixty miles," Maggie admitted.

"We gotta try. We gotta try for the baby. I know we barely have any food or water...but we gotta try," Beth tried to keep everyone's spirits up but it didn't do much. They kept on walking, trying to ignore the pangs of hunger and dehydration.

"What do we have left?" Rick asked Michonne who kept the food rations in her backpack.

Michonne stopped momentarily to take a look. "We've got a few granola bars, some applesauce for Judith and few cans of dog food for Harley."

"Hopefully, we can make it last for the rest of the trip. Or find some towns on the way," Rick sighed. He ran his hand through his beard which had grown quite a bit over the past few weeks.

"I think I need to take a rest. I'm startin' to feel a bit lightheaded," Maggie said.

"Alright, babe. We'll take a breather and rest for the night," Tara glanced back at the walkers that were still trailing behind. She knew that they needed to kill the walkers in order to get some undisturbed rest on the side of the road.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really tired," Maggie apologized to her friends.

"Don't apologize. We need you and the baby to stay healthy. Plus, it was about time for us to stop for the night anyways," Michonne said, glancing at the sunset in the distance.

"Yeah. Whenever you need to rest, just let us know," Glenn added to reassure Maggie.

Tara spotted an overpass up ahead that had a deep ravine on each side. She called up ahead to Michonne, Rick, Abraham and Sasha. "Hey guys! Let's deal with these walkers. Lure them to the side of this overpass and then push them off. That way we use less energy and conserve what little we have left. Sound good?"

"Yeah easy does it," Abraham said as he, Glenn, Daryl, Rick, Michonne and Sasha walked to the back to help Tara take care of the small horde.

"Be careful…" Maggie leaned over to kiss Tara's cheek.

"I always am, babe," Tara kissed Maggie briefly on the lips before joining her small walker dispatch group.

"Alright guy, let's just take it easy. Push the walkers off the overpass. No weapons...uses too much energy," Tara directed as she caught the attention of the small horde.

"Steady…" Tara lured a couple of walkers to the side of the overpass. Using what little energy she had left, she pushed both off the side, watching briefly as both walkers tumbled down the ravine below. She didn't have much time to admire her handiwork before another walker started to stalk her.

Tara shoved the walker over the edge. Alongside Tara, Michonne, Rick, Abraham, Glenn and Daryl followed her lead, pushing walkers off the overpass. Sasha decided that the method was useless and slow. Plus, she wanted to kill something to get her anger out. Sasha had wanted to take care of the creatures earlier but Michonne had told her to wait. Sasha had tried to argue but Michonne told her that the group needed to conserve energy and bullets. Sasha glanced at her friends who were pushing the lured walkers off the overpass. Without thinking, Sasha moved forward toward the small horde. About half of the walkers had been thrown down the ravine but there were still a dangerous number left.

"Sasha! Stop!" Michonne yelled but Sasha kept marching to the horde.

Sasha grabbed a walker and then stabbed it in the head. She immediately killed another as the walkers noticed that human flesh was near. All the walkers started to gang up on Sasha as she tried desperately to kill as many as she could. Tara realized that her overpass method wouldn't dispatch walkers fast enough to save Sasha.

"Alright, let's kill these things. Weapons out!" Tara yelled as she pulled out her knife. She ran to where the horde was, pushing a walker that was about to bite into Sasha's shoulder. Tara killed the creature, kicking it away before focusing on the next one.

Abraham, Rick, and Glenn all stabbed walker after walker, using up what energy they had left. Michonne's katana swiftly took out three creatures at once while Daryl shot walkers with his crossbow. Sasha was blindly stabbing at whatever was in front of her, lost in a rage. She stopped herself at the last second, nearly stabbing Michonne on the side. Sasha shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. The anger took over once again as she killed the last of the walkers. Sasha was too far gone, thinking that she was killing a biter as she accidentally cut Tara on the forearm with her knife.

"Goddamnit!" Tara yelled out in pain as the cut started to bleed. She realized that it was pretty deep and would probably need a couple of stitches. Sasha immediately came out of her trance, glancing at the blood on Tara's arm. All the walkers were soon just dead heaps on the road.

"What's wrong with you? You could've hurt someone! We had a plan and it was going well until you went rouge. Hell, you cut me up pretty bad. Next time, follow the damn plan," Tara reprimanded Sasha.

"Whatever," Sasha answered defiantly before marching away.

Michonne stood next to Tara. "Sasha's angry about Tyreese. She's still dealing with it all."

"I understand. I just hope her anger doesn't get herself or someone else killed," Tara sighed. The blood from her cut started to drip onto the pavement. "I better clean this up. Rest up for a bit."

Tara and Michonne joined the rest of the group. Everyone was seated on the side of the road, trying to ignore the starvation and dehydration that consumed them. They had been able to eat a few small bites of granola bars each. Judith enjoyed half a cup of applesauce while Harley scarfed down a can of dog food. A small fire was burning as Tara sat down next to Maggie who immediately noticed the cut on her arm.

"What happened?" Maggie asked. She looked through Rosita's backpack, pulling out a washrag and a bandage roll.

"I got cut by accident," Tara answered. She watched as Maggie wiped up the blood, most of it dried on her skin. They didn't want to waste any water so Maggie bandaged the cut without cleaning it.

"There. Don't get hurt anymore," Maggie said as she leaned over to kiss Tara.

"That'll never happen. Tara's always gettin' hurt," Beth teased.

Tara glanced over at Abraham who was sitting away from everyone. He was drinking a large bottle of whiskey, taking gulp after long gulp.

"Hey, Ford! Might wanna tone it down some!" Tara called out to Abraham.

"Helps me get through the day, Chambler. You want some?" Abraham secured the top onto the bottle then tossed it to Tara. She caught it effortlessly, glancing at the bottle for a second before opening it and taking a long drink.

"Thanks," Tara tossed the bottle back.

"No problem, Marine," Abraham said. He resumed drinking more liquor from the bottle.

Tara turned to Rosita. "Abe's just making the dehydration worse. He needs to tone it down some."

"He knows that. He's just dealing," Rosita shrugged. She tried to ignore her growling stomach or how thirsty she was.

"Abe knows what he's doin'. Tryin' to make the best out of a hopeless situation. And the situation can't be worse than it is now," Eugene said. He took a tiny sip out of a water bottle that Charlie had handed to him.

"It can get worse. And it will get worse," Rosita sighed.

Suddenly, a chorus of growls filled the air as a vicious pack of coyotes stepped out of the woods. There were about ten coyotes with wild rage in their eyes. The pack was starving and the people in front of them seemed worth the risk if the canines got a meal. Everyone was tense as they stared at the pack, the coyotes stepped closer, ready to attack. Tara pulled out her knife, ready for a fight, trying not to make any sudden moves. She knew these wild animals meant business. Tara slowly stood up, making sure that Maggie and Beth were behind her, protected. Harley immediately stepped between her people and the coyote pack, letting out ferocious growls, the hackles on her back straight up. The coyotes ignored Harley's warning as two pounced on her, a vicious dog fight breaking out.

"Harley!" Maggie cried. She watched helplessly as the coyotes attacked Harley. The pitbull/boxer mix fought back though, drawing blood from her wild counterparts. Tara and Daryl ran to the brawl, keeping an eye on the other coyotes that were still growling, ready to pounce. Sasha stepped forward with her rifle.

"I've got this," Sasha raised her weapon toward the fighting canines.

"You can't shoot! You'll hit Harley!" Beth barely had time to say anything else before Sasha shot at the dogs. The other coyotes immediately ran back into the forest. The ones that were fighting with Harley were hit. One ran off, wounded while the other was shot dead. Harley's only wounds were a few scratches and dog bites. The tip of her ear had been torn off, the injury bleeding.

"I told you I had it," Sasha glared at her friends before she sat down away from everyone. Tara checked on Harley, content that the dog would be alright. Rick said the coyotes hadn't looked rabid or anything like that. Daryl picked up the coyote carcass, inspecting it.

"Well, it's about fifteen pounds of meat. Not much but can hold us for tonight. I'll skin it," Daryl started to skin the dead animal while Rick snapped some sticks in half to make some skewers to cook the meat. Daryl offered some of the meat to Noah who looked like he was going to be sick.

"I can't...it's still kinda a dog," Noah grimaced.

"Don't think, just eat," Tara tried to help him out.

"Just pretend it's chicken," Charlie tried to be helpful but Noah just shrugged.

"I don't think I'm gonna make it," Noah sighed dejectedly.

"Then you won't. Don't think, just eat," Tara repeated firmly. Noah closed his eyes as he put a piece of meat in his mouth and slowly chewed.

Father Gabriel stared at his piece of food before he ate it, trying not to vomit. He shook his head, tearing off his clerical collar and tossing it into the fire. He couldn't believe anymore after everything that happened.

Maggie rested her head on Tara's shoulder, trying not to feel nauseous after the whole coyote meal. She had forced herself to eat the canine meat since she was starving and surprisingly hadn't thrown up yet. She was exhausted as she closed her eyes, almost instantly falling asleep against Tara. Harley was laying right next to Maggie, snuggled up against her. Tara felt Maggie shiver against her, the night temperatures dropping steadily. Tara shrugged off the hoodie that she was wearing, draping it over Maggie.

"You're gonna be cold…." Maggie sleepily whispered. She didn't stop herself as she wrapped the hoodie around her body.

"I'm fine, babe. I don't want you to be cold. Now, go to sleep. I'm here. I've got you," Tara kissed the top of Maggie's head.

"Mmm…." Maggie mumbled, smiling in her sleep. Tara leaned against the tree behind her with Maggie nestled into her side.

Beth sat down at Tara's other side. "Can I rest my head on your shoulder and sleep? You're comfy."

"Go for it, Bethy," Tara said. Beth leaned against Tara's side, falling asleep after only a few minutes.

Tara watched the happenings around her. Her friends started to find their own sleeping places, laying down for another uncomfortable night. Tara wished that she could promise them a better tomorrow but she couldn't. Carl had Judith snuggled against him on a blanket, both fast asleep under Rick's protective watch. Glenn and Daryl sat down at the fire pit, across from Tara. They had checked the perimeter to make sure that no strangers or walkers were lurking about.

"You doin' alright?" Daryl asked. He knew that Tara was stressed about the baby, keeping Maggie healthy, and getting to DC with their limited supplies. Daryl knew that the whole group was worried about Maggie having another miscarriage from all the stress and limited nutrition.

"I'm surviving. Just dealing with everything. Trying to keep everyone alive," Tara sighed, both Maggie and Beth were sound asleep on her. She wasn't sure if she would be able to get any sleep that night since her protectiveness was on overdrive.

"We'll get to DC...all of us. We can make it together...but we can only make it together. We need each other," Glenn said.

"I know. The two most important people to me are right here and I'm gonna do whatever I can to make sure they both make it. Maggie and Beth are my everything," Tara didn't say anything else as she continued to stare at the fire.

"Try to get some rest," Daryl stood up after a few minutes to stand watch for the night.

Tara wasn't able to get any rest that night. Just as she would close her eyes and surrender to the tiredness, Tara would hear a sound in the distance, her alertness causing her to wake up. She hoped that there was something out there other than starvation and endless walking. There had to be more…

---

The next day, Tara was walking with Maggie, both were exhausted after hours of travel. Tara noticed that Maggie seemed worried about something but kept quiet for now. There were a few cars on the road up ahead, some members of the group searching through the vehicles but finding nothing of significance. Maggie opened the door to one of the cars, her heart stopping when she saw a car seat full of blood in the backseat. Next to the car seat was the half eaten corpse of a baby. Maggie immediately slammed the door shut, her eyes full of tears. She didn't want to think about how many babies had met a horrible end during the apocalypse. Maggie thought about the child she was carrying, wondering if the baby would even survive the trip to DC. She had been so happy at the hospital when she found out that the baby was alright but now, with no end in sight to their suffering, Maggie was worried about miscarrying.

"Maggie! Are you okay?" Tara ignored all her tiredness as she ran to Maggie, alarmed that her wife was sitting on the ground, crying.

Maggie wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. I just freaked out because there's a dead baby in this car."

"What?!" Tara yanked open the door, discovering the corpse. She glanced down at Maggie who was still crying. Tara knew that the baby was a sensitive subject for Maggie.

The dead baby corpse didn't phase Tara much. Unfortunately, she had seen many dead children while serving in Iraq. The air strikes were daily and sometimes innocent civilian villages were hit. Or the Taliban terrorists would bomb up a school or supermarket. A few times a week during her deployment, inconsolable parents would shove a small limp body into Tara's arms, shouting at her to help their child. She then had to explain to the parents, in her limited Arabic, that their child was dead.

Tara slammed the car door shut and knelt down in front of Maggie. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Maggie leaned over, hugging Tara close. "I'm scared that I'm gonna lose our baby. We barely have enough to eat and all this walkin'..."

"It's gonna be okay, Maggie. Our baby is gonna be fine and I promise you that I'll find us a community. We'll get to DC...you know I would do anything for you and our baby," Tara placed a few kisses on Maggie's cheek.

"I know…" Maggie held Tara close, already feeling a little better about the seemingly hopeless situation.

Daryl walked up to the couple. "Hey Tara, sorry to interrupt but I saw some signs for a creek nearby. We should check it out...maybe there's still some water in it."

"Yeah we can check it out. Maggie, are you gonna be okay?" Tara asked.

"I'll be alright. I'm gonna walk with Beth and Rosita," Maggie kissed Tara briefly on the lips before they stood up. "Be careful out there."

"I always am," Tara gave Maggie a wink and a smile. Maggie felt some butterflies in her stomach, still reacting to Tara even after being with her for over two years.

Tara knelt down on knees, placing a kiss on Maggie's stomach. "Be good for your mom while I'm gone, Peanut."

"Spoiled already," Daryl said with a grin.

"Just a bit," Tara replied, giving Maggie another goodbye kiss.

Tara informed Rick that she and Daryl would be back in about an hour. She hoped that they would find some water since the group only had a couple of bottles left. Tara and Daryl walked through the serene woods, searching for the creek. They spotted some mud on the ground, hopeful that there was water nearby. They walked through some more trees and bushes until they came upon a creek bed which was dried up. There were dead fish and frogs, the carcasses rotting into the dry soil.

"Goddamnit! We can't ever catch a break!" Daryl yelled in frustration. Tara sighed in disappointment as she leaned against a tree, needing a quick rest.

"Just about fifty more miles…" Tara tried to remind herself.

"If we can even make it. We're more beat up than buzzard bait at this point," Daryl said as he pulled out a package of cigarettes. "Want one?"

"Yes please," Tara immediately lit up the cigarette with her lighter. They both sat in silence as they smoked, both lost in their thoughts. Daryl stared ahead, trying to focus on a clearing beyond the trees. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not but he thought he saw a barn.

"Hey, I think there's a barn up ahead beyond the trees. Let's check it out," Daryl jumped up, extending his arm to help Tara stand.

They walked through the forest until they came upon a clearing in the woods. There standing in the center of the clearing was a barn with a small gravel road that led to the main road. The barn was a few miles away so it was hard to spot from the road that the group was traveling on. The barn was old and run down. It seemed like no one had stepped foot in it for years. Daryl and Tara searched through the barn but found nothing except old barn tools.

"Guess that was a dud. Let's get back to the others," Tara said.

Daryl glanced up at the sky. "By the looks of these clouds, there could be rain later."

"I hope so. Maybe then we can get some water," Tara replied.

The duo traveled back to the main road where they spotted their group staring at something in the middle of the road. As Tara and Daryl got closer, they saw that there were a couple of gallons of water and some water bottles filled up. On the bottles was a note attached that read 'From A Friend'. Harley was busy sniffing the bottles, curious about the strange human scent she picked up off it.

Tara's alertness went into overdrive as she glanced around, searching for any strangers. "Someone's been following us."

"This could be poisoned for all we know. I don't trust it," Rick said as he stared at the bottles. He wished that he could take a long drink from one of the bottles but he couldn't risk it.

"I don't trust it either," Tara agreed. She ignored the dehydration that she felt, wanting nothing more than a cold drink.

"Someone's gotta test it, right? Quality assurance, right? I think it's from someone who means well. I'll test it out," Eugene quickly grabbed a water bottle, twisting the top off. Just as the water was about to touch Eugene's cracked, dry lips, the bottle was knocked away by Abraham.

"You idiot! That could be poisoned," Abraham said angrily. Eugene shrank back behind Rosita and Maggie, surprised that Abraham had stopped him. He thought Abe couldn't care less about him since barely two words had been spoken between the two since the DC fallout.

There was some thunder in the distance and lightning flashed through the sky. Maggie became a little hesitant as she moved closer to Tara. Thunderstorms always made her uneasy. Suddenly, the heavens opened up and heavy rain started to fall. Everyone was shocked for a second, almost not believing their good luck for once.

"Everyone fill up the empty bottles," Tara said as she opened an empty bottle, filling it with sweet rain water.

Father Gabriel fell to his knees, praying. "Thank you, Lord! I won't ever doubt you again, my Lord!"

Rosita laid down on the road, enjoying the rainfall. Harley jumped on top of Rosita, licking her face and shaking more water onto her. Tara savored the water as it soaked her clothes and hair. She glanced over at Maggie who was smiling as she pulled Tara's hoodie closer since the water was freezing. Beth was filling up her water bottles with a big grin on her face. She felt like things would be okay now, despite everything.

Suddenly a huge clash of lightning and a heavy rumble of thunder shook the ground, alerting everyone. Tara glanced in the distance, seeing black clouds that were heading their way. The wind started to pick up to dangerous levels and she knew that a tornado was possible in these conditions.

"We need to get off the road," Glenn almost had to yell to be heard over the thunder and high winds. Tara felt Maggie inch closer to her, jumping a bit with each clash of thunder. Tara wrapped a comforting arm around Maggie.

"We found a barn not too far from here. It should hold through this storm. Come on," Tara led the group to the old, rickety barn that she and Daryl had discovered earlier. The old barn had definitely seen better days but at least it was shelter for the night from the violent storm. Tara entered the barn first, followed closely by Rick and Daryl. They did a quick walk through just to make sure that no one was hiding in the dark corners. Harley ran through the barn but spotted no danger.

"Alright, everyone get in here!" Tara yelled to her friends who were waiting outside. They were all grateful to have somewhere to sleep out of the rain and cold.

Abraham locked the barn doors while Rick opened up a couple of the windows to let some air in. The wind was blowing the opposite way so no water came in through the open windows. Daryl and Tara went to work building a fire with some wood planks that had been found in the barn. Beth, Maggie and Harley were nestled together, cold from the rain. Rick, Carol, Daryl, Michonne, Glenn and Abraham sat around the fire, not saying much. Father Gabriel sat in the corner of the barn, reading his small pocket Bible in the dim light. Rosita and Eugene were seated together against the wall while Noah and Charlie kept watch near one of the windows, on the lookout for any danger and watching the storm. Carl had managed to find an old blanket in the barn and was rocking Judith to sleep but she was fussy. Sasha stayed away from the group, secluding herself in a dark corner.

The fire warmed up the barn some as Maggie tried to lay down to get some sleep. Harley was snuggled up against Maggie and Beth was on Harley's other side, both trying to keep warm. Tara went to check on Maggie, smiling at the cute sight of both sisters cuddled up with Harley.

"Hey babe, I'm gonna stay up for a bit. You feeling alright?" Tara asked as she leaned down to kiss Maggie.

"Just really tired, no mornin' sickness," Maggie answered.

"Get some sleep," Tara gave her another kiss. Maggie nodded, trying to ignore the sounds of thunder rumbling outside and the violent winds.

Tara sat down at the fire next to Glenn and Daryl. She glanced at her friends, all of them tired, literally running on little to no food. They barely had any supplies left except for the clothes on their backs and their weapons. They were a downtrodden bunch who had survived so much but weren't sure if there was anything left to live for. Tara knew she had to try to keep them fighting. They still had so much to fight for. Judith was still crying in the background as Carl tried to shush her.

"Hey let me try to get Judith to sleep," Tara said to Carl. The teenager handed his little sister over to Tara. She gently cradled the eight month old in her arms, trying to comfort her. The baby was probably hungry, having only a meal of applesauce all day.

"You're alright, you're good," Tara rocked the baby in her arms, whispering comforting words to her. Maggie couldn't help but smile at the sight. She knew Tara would be amazing with their child. After a few minutes, Judith quieted down and fell asleep in Tara's arms. Abraham offered Tara a drink from his whiskey bottle which she accepted, taking a long gulp of the dark liquor.

Rick chuckled, glancing over at Judith. "We've been through so much. Lost so much. Lost family and friends. I think kids have it easier nowadays. They get to grow up in this world...Judith, Carl, eventually your kiddo, Tara. This whole thing won't phase them in the least because it's their world. It's the only thing they know. It'll be nothin' to them. It's us. The adults who have to get used to all this. We've been at this for two years and we still ain't used to this world."

"This isn't the world. It can't be. There has to be more than this," Michonne insisted.

"It is until we see otherwise," Abraham sighed as he drank some more whiskey. The family's motivation was at an all time low as everyone thought about Rick's words.

Tara decided to tell a story about how she survived her tours of Iraq and how it might help them in the dire situation they were in now. She continued to rock Judith in her arms as she cleared her throat before beginning:

"My family has a long history of serving in the military. My grandfather fought in WWII, my father fought in the Vietnam War and I was in Iraq. My grandfather wasn't a pleasant guy. He was always drunk or high on whatever drug he could get his hands on. My father never lets us visit Grandpa much because the bastard was abusive also. There were a few times when I was a kid, that I was beaten within an inch of my life by the man. Gramps always had a radical idea of discipline. I never understood why he would act that way. Then I served and I realized that he had seen so much shit and it got to him. He couldn't deal," Tara glanced around at her friends and realized that everyone was paying attention to her story. Maggie was awake, her heart breaking at the abuse Tara had suffered from her grandfather. Tara had never told Maggie much about her grandparents, she guessed that was the reason why.

"Anyways, when I was a kid, I would ask him if he killed any Germans during his time. He would never answer. Sometimes, he would smack me on the head but I kept asking because I was a curious kid. I would ask if the Germans tried to kill him and he would get upset and leave the room. Finally, Gramps told me how he survived the war…" Tara stopped for a second, trying to remember her grandfather's words.

Tara continued. "Gramps said that he was dead the moment he stepped onto enemy territory. Everyday, that man woke up and said to himself, 'Rest in peace, now get up and go to war'. After a few years of pretending that he was dead, Gramps made it out alive. My father did the same for Vietnam. And I did the same for Iraq. I think that's the trick. We do what we need to and then we get to live. No matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be alright. This is how we survive, we tell ourselves that we are the walking dead."

Tara concluded her story as everyone stayed silent and let her words sink in. The wind continued to whip around the barn, rattling the walls. Tara handed a sleeping Judith over to Carl who continued to rock her gently.

"Sorry your grandfather was a piece of shit," Rick stated.

"Don't be. The whole thing taught me how to be better. Gramps was abusive to his wife, kid, grandkids. My father wasn't the abusive type but he had his own demons. He was a good man but the war took a toll on him. I'm trying to deal with it better than they did and so far, I'm okay I think. Just surviving as best as I can," Tara replied.

"Maybe we'll make it after all," Glenn said in a hopeful voice.

"Maybe…" Daryl muttered as he stood up. Listening about Tara's abusive grandfather reminded Daryl of his own father and he needed to step away for a moment. He paced by the entrance of the barn when a noise caught his attention. Daryl could barely hear the noise in the chaos of thunder and thought he was hearing things. Suddenly, Harley ran to the barn doors, growling, the hair on her back straight up.

Daryl looked through the crack between the locked doors, a flash of lightning illuminating the outside darkness for a moment. Daryl felt his heart race when he saw a horde of about fifty or more walkers making their way to the front doors through the heavy rain. There was a heavy crash against the door as Daryl threw his weight against the door, using all his remaining strength to try to keep it from opening from the added walker weight.

Maggie and Beth who were closest to the entrance, noticed that Daryl was struggling with the advancing walkers as they both ran to the entrance, adding their weight against the walker onslaught. Maggie held Daryl's hand, signaling to him that they were in this together. Harley started to bark, getting everyone's attention.

The crash and bangs against the weak door caused everyone to rush to the entrance, throwing their weight into the fight for survival. The walkers kept advancing, trying to reach the meals that were just inches away. The family kept fighting to keep the doors shut, fighting for their lives. Tara took Maggie's spot by the door, wanting to be one of the first to encounter the deadly walkers if the biters were able to break in. Maggie threw her weight against Tara's body, using all her strength.

Carl put a crying Judith on the ground, giving her a kiss on the forehead before he ran to the door, adding his weight against Rick and Michonne. The door inched open, the weak lock reaching its breaking point as the survivors pushed back, desperation running through them. Even Harley seemed to know what was going on as she leaned against Rosita's legs, adding her strength to the fight. The storm continued to rage on as the family and the walkers fought each other through the rickety barn doors. Everyone was giving their all, using all their energy, to not let the herd knock the door down.

There was a huge rumble of thunder as the storm worsened, the winds picking up to tornadic levels. The weak walls rattled and lightning flashed as hail started to fall from the sky. Just when Tara felt like her strength was going to run out, the weight against the door started to lessen more and more as the high winds whipped around. Finally, there wasn't anymore walker weight against the door as everyone was beyond exhausted, grateful that somehow the walkers were gone. Trying to keep the walkers out of the barn had zapped everybody's strength as they all finally settled in for a restless night, the storm still raging on.

---

The next morning, all was peaceful as the beginnings of dawn filled the sky and birds could be heard singing outside. Maggie woke up, feeling a bit nauseous, trying to push the feeling away. She glanced over to see Tara still sound asleep, holding her close. Maggie quietly extracted herself from Tara's embrace before looking around. She saw that everyone was still asleep except for Daryl who was sitting against a wall, petting Harley.

"Hey," Maggie said quietly as she sat down next to him.

"Hey, the baby okay?" Daryl yawned. He hadn't slept much during the night, his protectiveness on high alert.

"Yeah for now. You should get some rest. It's okay to rest now," Maggie said.

"I'll try but I fixed your music box last night," Daryl handed Maggie the music box that Carl had given her for the baby.

"Thank you. Now, get some rest," Maggie hugged Daryl before standing up. She felt really nauseous now and wanted to get outside. Maggie noticed that Sasha was now awake.

"You wanna come outside with me? I'm feelin' sick and I really don't wanna throw up on here," Maggie asked. Sasha nodded as she stretched her tired arms and legs. Maggie helped Sasha stand up before they quietly exited the barn with Harley following right behind them.

Maggie could barely believe the sight in front of her. The storm's fury and power had either killed or incapacitated all the walkers. Many were crushed or impaled by uprooted trees, pieces of walker bodies were spewed everywhere. One of the trees had been dangerously close to toppling on top of the barn, landing just a few inches away. Sasha was taken back by the destruction, amazed that the barn hadn't been hit. By the looks of the debris, it seemed as if a small tornado had passed through the area, completely missing the structure. Maggie and Sasha sat down on a downed tree and watched the sunrise together. Harley ran around, taunting the walkers that had been torn in half.

"We should have died last night," Sasha observed as she took in the destruction.

"I know. My Dad always said that things happen for a reason. Maybe us survivin' is the reason. We need each other to make it," Maggie held her music box as she glanced at the sunrise in the distance.

"The other day, Noah said he wasn't sure if he was going to make it. I feel the same way," Sasha admitted.

"You will survive, Sasha. You're a survivor."

"How are you dealing with the loss of your father?"

"I'm gonna be okay. It helps to have Beth back. How are you dealin' with losin' Tyreese?" Maggie asked.

"I'm dealing as best as I can. It's hard but I'm trying to push through. Tell Tara that I'm sorry about cutting her the other day," Sasha gave Maggie a small smile. They were silent for a couple of minutes.

Sasha noticed that Maggie had her hand on her stomach. "How's the baby?"

"She's doin' alright for now. Not givin' me any trouble for the time being," Maggie replied.

"Definitely Tara's kid if she's giving you so much trouble already," Sasha laughed. "So you're sure that it's gonna be a girl?"

"I just have a feelin'," Maggie said with a smile. She was pretty sure that she and Tara would be welcoming a baby girl in a few months. Maggie tried to play the music box but found that it was still broken. Sasha couldn't help but laugh as Maggie joined her.

Suddenly, Harley stood in front of the women, growling and guarding them. They were confused about Harley's changed behavior until they noticed a man walking towards them with his hands in the air. The man looked to be about thirty years old with brown hair and a clean shaven face. There wasn't a speck of dirt on his clothes and he seemed to be well fed. He had a warm smile that could put anyone at ease. Harley's growling lessened but she still stood guard of her people.

Sasha and Maggie immediately pulled out their guns, the music box forgotten as it fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry to startle you. My name is Aaron and can I please speak to Tara?" the man asked.

"How do you know Tara?" Maggie asked with confusion.

"I know most of you in the group. And I have some good news," Aaron answered, hands still in the air.

"What news?" Sasha interrogated, her rifle still raised.

"News that I need to talk to Tara about. But I also have news about her sister and niece, Lilly and Meghan. And I have food and water to share," Aaron replied. Maggie felt her heart race with hope when he mentioned her sister-in-law and niece by name. Maybe they were still alive and this man knew where they were. She prayed that was the case.

Sasha and Maggie glanced at each other, not sure if they should trust the stranger in front of them. Harley started to sniff the man's jeans, trying to determine if he was a danger to her owners. Suddenly, the music box on the ground started to play its sweet melody as if to signal that something good was on the way.

---

Another chapter down! Like I said, mostly a filler but next one has Alexandria. And Lilly and Meghan will show up. :) sorry, they didn't show up in this one. Just so everyone knows, Tara isn't dying in this fic. I think I've tortured y'all enough with other stories. And I haven't abandoned my other fics...I'm just so focused on this one and time is limited. :)

Anyways, thanks for all the encouragement, love, reviews, views, reads, and all that. Thanks for taking the time to read what I write. I love y'all. Y'all make this Texas gal happy. :) Sidenote: I've been watching the Women's World Cup and go USA! I love soccer and I've been waiting 4 years for this. :) We are on a roll! Sorry to my French readers for your loss. :( and to my England readers...may the best team win! :)