Hey guys! Welcome back! Sorry for the long wait, school's being a pain again with it getting to finals and too much homework.

And 311 reviews?! That's amazing! Thank you so much for being so supportive! Wow... as of April 6th, it's been a whole year since I published this story... it's come a long way since then.

ZombieGuy96, this chapter's for you! You're doing absolutely fantastic on your story Ruin To Redemption, by the way! Love it! Last chapter left me in suspense. I hope I can write this certain character correctly.

I'd like to thank Tess Carver for helping me out with part of this chapter. Thanks, girl! This chapter is also for you! I know you've been waiting for it for a long time. Sorry for the wait. Hopefully, this will make up for it.

I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. All rights go to their respective owners.

Only Anne Marshall belongs to me

Dylan's POV

I pulled the screwdriver out of the back of the walker's head and it fell to the ground. "It's dead!" I called to the group behind me.

"You know, we coulda drove around it or run it over." Nick deadpanned.

I looked over my shoulder at the older man. "If we did, it would probably break through the windshield like that one walker we saw in that car a couple weeks ago." I told him, referring to when we found the empty car that Kenny, Anne, Jane, and Clem rode in.

"It woulda done damage to its brain." Nick shrugged.

"I doubt it would do THAT much damage enough to take it out." I retorted.

"Boys, focus." Bonnie scolded us as she helped Tess back into the van. "Tess's back is straining, so we don't wanna keep her on her feet for long."

I sighed and picked up the fuel we had found when we stopped. "Well, lucky for her, we got enough fuel right here to get us going a long way."

"It better. We've been on the road for nearly two damn weeks." Becca muttered from the van. I handed the can of gas to Nick so he could pour some of it into the gas tank. He's gotten the hang of this after about three attempts this past week.

I slipped back into the van and took my seat. Tess sat in a comfortable position with her hands resting atop her large stomach. She seemed to cringe every now and then. Looks like the baby is really kicking up a storm in there. "You okay, Tess?" Luke asked her as he got into the driver's seat. She winced, but nodded slightly. "Y-Yeah... let's just keep going." she answered.

"You sure? Cause you really don't look okay..." Luke told her with concern.

"I said I'm okay. Let's just get going." Tess insisted. Nick was the last one to slip back into the van. He held Tess's hand reassuringly before Luke started the car up. I glanced out the window, hoping to find signs of our missing friends. I didn't see a trace of them.

With an exhausted sigh, I slumped down in my seat as Luke drove off away from the abandoned vehicles.

There was now an awkward silence between all of us. No one spoke a single word. Since no one was talking, I glanced out the window at the snow covered grounds we were passing by quickly. I can't believe it's been nearly two weeks since Anne, Kenny, Clem, and AJ went missing. Luke's been kind of depressed for a few days ever since we discovered Jane's body, but he seems to have recovered from it. We haven't found a single trace of them anywhere, and we were fearing the worst... were they dead? Captured? Or worst?

I prayed they weren't. I know that Kenny is a tough man, but he is also a broken man now that Sarita's gone. And with how he almost killed Arvo... who knows what he'll do next now. If they're alive... then the best thing Anne and Clem can do is keep an eye on that guy.

Tess suddenly began to groan, shifting in her seat. "I-I need to throw up!" she strained, coughing. My eyes widened at what she said. Aw crap!

Luke quickly stopped the car and we all moved aside as Tess opened the door and puked. After a few seconds, she stopped and sat back, wiping her mouth..

"It's so cold out there...so cold..." she whispered, using her fingers to massage under her eyes. Isn't that where the sinuses are?

"Tessie... You should get some rest..." I heard Nick whisper to her. Tess leaned her head on his chest, coughing. "I'm so sorry….I'm so so sorry I did it to you...I'm sorry, baby..." she apologized over and over, tears in her eyes. Nick held her close to him to try and comfort her.

Luke glanced back at them almost nervously. "Um... how about some tunes, guys? Found some, uh, CDs in the glove department in this thing."

Tess placed a hand on Nick's chest and smiled at the thought of music. "That'd be nice. Wouldn't it, guys?"

Luke put in a CD and some country music began to play.

Tess slowly closed her eyes, getting some rest as we drove on for another hour.

Everyone was quiet again...

Bonnie placed a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find her, Dyl." she assured with a smile. Before I could say anything back, Tess opened her eyes and sat straight up, gasping.

This got all of our attention. Luke quickly stopped the van and we all looked at her.

"T-T-Tess? What's wrong?" Sarah asked placed a hand on her belly, taking deep breaths.

"J-just a nightmare...I cramped up for a second." she informed. "I think I'm okay."

"We're safe, baby. The baby's gonna be fine." Nick assured, wrapping an arm around her. She hugged her belly and leaned into him, closing her eyes tightly.

Luke sighed, then he looked at something in the distance. "There's a shack or something up there. Could be somewhere we can rest in for the night."

"You sure? Cause you never know if there's a walker or crazy guy hanging out over there..." Chase pointed out.

"Well, I'm sure I wanna eat that big can of soup over a nice warm fire tonight." Luke commented. "Besides, I need to find some gas around here. Our supply is running low as it is."

Bonnie hummed as she leaned back in her suit. "Mm, soup sounds nice. God knows we need it." she agreed.

Emily began to rub Tess's back. "Tess needs it."

Tess pushed her hand away defiantly. "Do I want a bed? Yes..." she stated. "Do I want fire and a can of heated soup? Hell to the yes..."

"So... Who's gonna go check the shack out?" I asked. Everyone looked at me after I had said this. "Oh..."

Tess sighed and raised her hand. "I doubt anyone's gonna shoot a pregnant lady."

"Never mind. I'll do it. Anne might be in here." I volunteered as I started to get out, grabbing the screwdriver. "Besides, Anne would kill me if I let something happen to her best friend." I joked.

Tess smiled back, holding her belly. "Be careful, sweetheart."

"I'm always careful, you guys." I told them as I got out.

"By that, you mean 'never', right?" Chase joked. I rolled my eyes. "Fuck you." I retorted, earning some snickers from Nick and Tess, as well as a smirk from Chase, as I closed the door and began approaching the shack. I opened the door and was relieved to find it empty. There was a fireplace in the wall, so there was no worry for making a fire outside... the weather was really horrible as it was.

I signaled for the van to come closer. As it pulled up closer, I checked again for any signs of a walking corpse. Thankfully, none at all. At least we can sleep without worrying about walkers for once. Better than sleeping in that stupid van hearing Chase snoring. Better than nothing, but nobody liked to wake up to a sore back. Tess and the baby didn't need that...

One by one, the group emptied out of the van and came into the shack. Bonnie and Emily were supporting Tess, who was holding her back.

She walked next to Luke. "What kinda soup are we having?" she asked, waddling into the shack.

In response, he pulled a couple cans of chicken noodle soup out of his bag and showed them to her. "I was able to snatch these at the last place we stopped at." he replied as he set them down on a table. Tess licked her lips. "I'm starving..." she muttered.

"Me too..." Sarah said in almost a whisper. Nick shivered. "I'm gonna get a fire started. It is FREEZING in here." he complained, grabbing some nearby wood to put it in the fireplace. He used some matches to light a fire, which thankfully warmed up the place. Luke got a pot he had found out of a cabinet and filled it with water so it could be boiled.

Tess sat down in a plush chair, rubbing her belly. "Can't wait for that soup..."

I plopped down on a sleeping bag on the floor as I stared up at the ceiling. "Me either..."

All was silent for a few minutes as Luke and Bonnie fixed the soup. I then let out a sigh. "I miss Anne..." I muttered with sadness. Tess bent down to rub my shoulder. "Don't worry, honey..."

"Do you... Do you think she's alive...?" I asked softly as I looked up at her.

Tess sighed and leaned back, rubbing her baby belly. "I... well, sometimes I think she's out there striving like us, sometimes I think she's finally in a better place. Either way, I believe she might be out there. We can only hope." she told me before she stood up and tapped Luke on the shoulder. "I need to talk to you outside."

Luke rose an eyebrow, but he complied and stepped out with her. Chase then sat next to me on the floor. "You miss her too, huh?" he asked.

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah..."

He patted my shoulder and sighed. Then he smirked. "Wanna eavesdrop on Tess and Luke?" he suggested. I gave my brother a look. "You really have a knack for getting into trouble, don't ya?" I deadpanned.

He only smirked in reply and dragged me over to listen in on the conversation. I swear, my brother has no common sense.

I could see that Tess was rubbing her large, pregnant stomach as she stood outside with Luke. "I'm sorry about Jane..." she told him. I could hear Luke sigh. "She... She saved our asses twice... We won't be able to repay that, now..." he said softly. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's in a better place, Luke. It's okay." she assured. Luke gave her a small smile before it faded. "Did you bring me out here just to coddle me on Jane?"

Tess sighed and took her hand away from his shoulder. "No... I... I didn't tell Nick about... what happened between us."

Luke blinked in surprise. "Are you referring to... That one night...?"

I blinked in confusion as I hid behind the wall. What night?

"Yes, Luke!" Tess snapped, holding her belly. "That one night!" Then she quieted her voice. "I can't tell him, I can't. He'll... He'll KILL me and you!"

Luke gulped backing away a step. Tess rubbed her eyes. "Fuck... I'm just praying it's his baby..."

"Let's just pray it is... Nick already went through a lot..." Luke whispered to her.

Wait... the baby might not be Nick's?! HOLY SHIT!

"We all have, I know, I know." Tess sighed out. "I'm just, I'm scared that I'll end up like... Rebecca."

"Don't be afraid, Tess..." Luke told her softly. "We're all here for you..."

Tess looked away, sniffling. "I-I'm sorry." she apologized, wiping her nose. "It's just that no one has experience and with Carlos and Kenny gone..." She looked back at Luke. "I... I'm SCARED, Luke. I'm scared to death. I... I don't wanna end up like Rebecca did... I want to be there for my child..." she sniffled. Luke rubbed her back, sighing. "Nick and the rest of us will be there to take care of him."

Tess rubbed her belly, smiling down at the large bump. "You think it's a 'he', too?"

"Yeah, I do." Luke nodded.

"I guess that's, uh, really sweet." Tess commented, looking away awkwardly. There was an awkward silence between them. She cleared her throat and turned her body away. "I need to- my back is killing me. Mind helping me inside?" she requested. Aw shit!

Chase yanked me back and we quickly headed back to our spots, trying to act casual as Tess and Luke came back in. Tess sniffed the air as she waddled in. "Mmm, I can smell that soup!" she commented as she sat on the chair. I tried not to think about everything I just heard just as the smell entered my nose. I almost started drooling from it... oh god, it smells so good!

Bonnie chuckled as she stirred the soup with a ladle. "Yeah, it's gonna be a good meal tonight. Nick, get the bowls?" she requested. Nick was already on it, grabbing some plastic bowls from a cabinet. Tess smiled as he handed the bowls to Bonnie. "You're gonna be a good daddy." she commented. Nick smiled in response. "You sure you don't wanna name him Nick Jr?" he joked. "Come on, man. Last thing we need is another YOU running around." Luke retorted, snorting laughter as Nick punched his shoulder. "Shut up, man!"

Chase looked like he was about to laugh as well. Becca smirked a bit, but her smirk quickly fell, probably thinking about Shel. Tess sighed and crossed her legs. "Let's just eat this soup so we can get to sleep..."

Luke smiled in agreement. "Nothin' nicer than a nice bed to sleep on." he commented.

Nick glanced at the only two beds in the room. "Uh... Luke?"

Luke blinked, then groaned. "Oh..."

"I'll sleep on the floor." I volunteered. Tess blushed. "I can take the floor for once..." she offered, sighing. "Tess, you know your back ain't up for that." Bonnie pointed out. "I can take it. You guys are spoiling me too much." Tess remarked, trying to stand up, but Nick stopped her. "Tessie... Sleeping on a hard floor ain't gonna be good for your back..."

"Nick, come on..." she pleaded. "It ain't gonna-you guys deserve e d more than me, okay? You work so hard, but you never get the good stuff..."

"Tessie, we're fine..." Nick assured her.

"Yeah! I slept on the floor dozens of times, so I can do it again!" Chase remarked from his spot on the floor. "Yeah, and his head is so thick that if he hits his head if he falls off, it won't get any more damaged." I smirked.

"Yeah- wait, what does that mean?!" Chase asked with a frown. I simply stuck my tongue out in response. Tess looked hesitant. "Are you sure..?" she asked. "Sure we are!" Bonnie optimized, handing her some soup. "Here, eat up."

Tess hesitantly ate the soup while we all relaxed and ate our own soup. It was pretty quiet the entire time... the others should be here eating with us... it's all because of that stupid snowstorm they're not with us right now...

I was yanked out of my thoughts when Tess suddenly winced, leaning forward as she held her stomach. "Oh god...!"

I choked on my soup in surprise as I fumbled with my bowl of soup and looked at her. "W-What is it...?!" I coughed.

Emily looked at Tess. "Tess?! What's wrong?!"

She began to take deep breaths, trying to relax. "I think I just had a contraction...!"

CONTRACTION?!

"W-W-Wha-WHAT?!" I spluttered in shock. Did I hear her right?!

"Contraction!" Tess repeated, this time sounding more pained. I scrambled up to my feet at this. Rebecca had contractions before she...

OH SHIT!

"Oh fuck, does that mean what I think it does?!" I asked. Nick knelt down to Tess, rubbing her back. "Baby, are you sure?" he asked with concern.

"Ye-EEEES!" she screamed, her voice going shrill as she clutched his hand. She's going into labor?! Shit, shit, shit!

Tess began to breathe erratically, her eyes starting to water. "Oh god, oh god, help me!" she pleaded, holding her stomach and cringing. All of us rushed to help her as Bonnie helped her onto one of the beds in the shack.

Nick sat in a chair next to the bed as he held her hand, which she immediately squeezed tightly. She suddenly cringed again. Crap, it be another contraction. "I-Is the baby coming?!" Sarah asked worriedly. Tess let out another groan. "I-I don't know... My water isn't breaking..." she winced. Tess suddenly gasped. "Oh god... Oh shit!" Tess cursed, widening her eyes. "My water...!"

It just broke?!

"Fuck!" Luke swore.

"Now?! Seriously?!" Becca asked. "Dylan! Get some towels!" Emily ordered me. I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the cabinets. Shit, shit, shit, where are they?! I hurriedly opened up a cabinet and a stack of old towels fell out onto me. "Got 'em!" I exclaimed as I rushed back to them. Emily practically yanked them right out of my hands.

Tess suddenly tensed up, trying not to scream.

"Oh god... Oh god..." she panted.

Emily and Bonnie helped get her pants off while Luke covered her legs with a couple towels.

Nick began to look lightheaded. "H-He's coming...?"

"Or she!" Bonnie exclaimed. "This ain't the time to argue over what the gender is!" Luke told them. Chase looked sick. "What do I do?!"

"Stay in the van! Make sure there's enough gas or something!" Luke exclaimed, shooing him away. "Or make sure that no walkers come nearby!"

Tess held Nick's hands sweating heavily. "GET THIS BABY OUT, GET IT OUT OF ME! GAH! SON OF A-!"

"Tess, listen to me, I need you to PUSH!" Bonnie told her. Tess clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as she did. "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!" she screamed, panting. I cringed at this as I headed over to the windows to keep an eye out for walkers. Damn, does childbirth hurt THAT much?!

"Okay, you're good... You're doing good..." Bonnie assured her. Tess took another deep breath before she pushed again. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!" she screamed.

I tried to ignore the screams as I kept an eye out for any walkers outside. Surprisingly, there were no walkers anywhere near this shack, so we're safe for now. Nick cringed a bit as Tess squeezed his hand so tightly it started to look pale. "You're doing good, Tess!" Bonnie assured her. I gathered some more blankets for when the baby came, which hopefully would be soon. With all this screaming, if it kept up, walkers were bound to show up!

"One more big push!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, I heard another wail fill the room.

"WAAAAAAAHHHHH! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

I froze hearing these wails. Emily and Bonnie gasped. Tess gasped for air as she fell back against the bed. "Oh my god..." she panted.

Bonnie had tears in her eyes as she held up a crying baby with a shocked Nick cutting the umbilical cord. "It's a GIRL!"

A girl?! Then... they were wrong about the gender!

Tess gasped for air as she reached out to the baby while she was being wrapped up in blankets. "My little girl... please, give her to me!" she pleaded in a soft voice, holding her arms out to reach for her. Bonnie gingerly placed the newborn into Tess's arms as it wailed. I stumbled away from the window to see the newest addition to our group. She had black hair, just like Nick's...

"My little girl..." Tess whispered as she held the infant close to her chest while a tear slid down her cheek.

"Our little girl..." Nick told her, stroking her hair. The baby opened her eyes, revealing them to be blue, just like Nick's. "WAAAAAAHHH! WAAAAAH!" she wailed.

"Shh... it's okay, mommy and daddy's here..." Tess comforted her as she cradled the baby. "WAAAH! WAAAaaa..." the wails slowly died down as the child calmed down for her mother. Tess leaned her head back on the pillow looking exhausted belong belief. "You did it, Tess... you did it..." Nick whispered to her, earning a soft smile from her.

I leaned against the wall as a small smile graced my lips. This has got to be one of the only good thing that has happened to us since we were separated from the others. If Anne was here, I'd bet she'd be so happy for Tess...

We've got another reason to keep going now; to protect those we care for.

Anne's POV

I laid on my side feeling drowsy as I tried to get some sleep near the fire and tent. Not much had happened today. Clair had been nice enough to let us stay for a couple more nights if we didn't cause any trouble... which I'm pretty sure will be hard for Kenny. Thankfully, AJ managed to have his formula today. He wasn't going to go hungry. We could rest easy knowing that.

Slowly, I closed my eyes as I felt exhaustion beginning to consume me. Some sleep would be nice...

Then, I heard a twig snap, followed by Clementine's cry of surprise. "Wha- hey! What're you doing?! Get away!"

"I'm taking you somewhere safe! You'll be safer with me than with him!" I heard a male voice whisper softly. What the fuck?!

My eyes snapped back open at this as I bolted straight up and looked around frantically. I gasped seeing a skinny man with black hair under a dark green beanie with a light stubble on his face that wore a dark blue coat with dark pants. He had this constant panicked looking expression on his face as he was trying to get Clementine up. "That beard man is a bad man! He can't be trusted with you!" he whispered.

"KENNY! ANNE! KEN-!" Clem tried to yell, but the man covered met mouth, muffling the rest of her words. "MMPH!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I yelled as I jumped to my feet reaching for my gun, but it was near my bag! Damn it! The man looked at me with wide, panicked eyes. "You'll be safe, too!" he insisted.

"Get the fuck away from her!" I growled. "Please, I'm doing this for her safety!" The man whispered. "I'll take you and the baby with us, too. Away from the bad man."

I reached for my hunting knife. "You're not taking anyone anywhere. Now let her go." I growled again. "Please, I'm trying to save her!" he pleaded.

This guy is obviously screwed in the head!

Then, Kenny's loud voice boomed throughout Clair's camp. "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

The man's expression turned into a slightly more panicked one as Kenny stormed right out of the bushes like a fox stalking its prey with an absolutely furious look on his face. Right on time!

"It's you! The crazy man!" the man exclaimed with fear as he tried to run away. However, Kenny was faster and tackled the mysterious crazy man to the ground, pinning him down and restraining him. Kenny then took his gun out and held it at the man's temple.

Clair slipped out of her tent and jumped seeing the sight. "Kenny, no!" I yelled.

"This fucker tried to kidnap Clem! You want me to go easy on this guy?!" Kenny growled as the look he had when he was holding Arvo hostage appeared on his face. He returned his attention to the man and held him at gunpoint. "Who the fuck do you think you are trying to kidnap a little girl?! Answer me, goddamn it! Or I'll put a bullet in your head! WHY DID YOU DO IT?!"

"I-I-I saw you kill that woman! You're crazy! They're not safe with you!" the man said in a panicked tone. "You're a psychopath!"

"You what?!" I asked. "How did you see him-?!"

"I-I-I saw you at the r-rest stop. I saw him kill her! He's dangerous!"

Wait... If he saw... and if he found us... then...

"You were stalking us?!" I asked angrily. I was sleeping with this crazy guy spying on us as we slept for at least two weeks?! UGH!

"N-No, I was following you so I could save the kids from this psycho!"

Kenny punched him, earning a grunt of pain. "Shut your mouth! I bet you have a group ready to attack us, huh?!"

"I swear, it's just me! Don't kill me!" the man pleaded. Kenny seethed as he kept the gun trained at his temple. "You ain't gonna try to take Clem or AJ away anytime soon..."

"Kenny, don't shoot!" Clair exclaimed. The older man glared at her with his good eye. "Listen here, girl, I don't take kindly to people who mess with Clem or AJ! They pay for that!"

"See?! There's the psycho I saw that killed that woman!" the mysterious man exclaimed. "Why were you trying to take them?!" Clair asked as she got her bow ready. "And Kenny killed someone?!"

"I can save them! They'll have a better chance than with this psycho! He killed this lady while they tried to stop them-!" he said quickly, but Kenny silenced him. "Fuck you! I didn't mean to kill her! She wanted a fight! She tricked me into thinking AJ was dead!" he roared at him, punching him at least three times, earning grunts of pain from the man.

This is just like the Arvo situation all over again! I rushed to stop him as I tried to pull his arm away. "Kenny, that's enough!" I gritted out, but he yanked his arm away. "Beating him isn't going to help anything!" Clair added.

"Kenny, stop!" Clementine exclaimed. "We're going to attract walkers with all this noise!"

Kenny punched the man one final time, giving him a bruise on his cheek. "Who the fuck are you? Answer or I'll use this!" Kenny growled as he got his gun back out.

"I-I-I-It's P-Perry..." the man stammered as he tried to crawl away.

"Kenny, don't kill him! Remember what happened with Arvo?!" Clementine exclaimed. "Yeah, that Russian fucker shot you!"

"But you don't need to beat this guy." Clementine reasoned. "We could tie him up. Maybe get more information about why he did this out of him." I said. "But Clem is right. You're going too far with this."

"H-He's crazy! You can't trust him!" Perry stammered.

"Shut up!" Kenny scowled before he spat at the ground before getting up. "Clair. You have any rope to tie this fucker up with?"

Clair frowned at him slightly, but sighed. "I do. But Kenny... I don't think I can trust you now."

Great... Just great.

Kenny simply scowled, but his expression calmed down slightly. "Just tie him up..."

I sighed and took some rope with Clair and we bound Perry's hands. Clair helped him into a sitting position. "Someone watch this asshole. I'm gonna go see if the noise drew any walkers." Kenny muttered as he stalked off. As soon as Kenny was out of sight, Clair sighed. "Why didn't you two tell me that he killed someone?" she asked me.

Sighing, I answered, "Because he was trying to make up for it. He says he didn't want that to happen, but he was so angry... We've been keeping an eye on him ever since then."

"You do that, then, because I don't think that I can trust him anytime soon with what he's done." Clair told me as she crossed her arms before looking at Perry. "What do we do about him?"

"I'll keep an eye on him." I volunteered. "I guess we'll take shifts watchin'..."

Clementine went to comfort a whimpering AJ. "I'll keep watch until Kenny gets back." Clair told me before she walked over to her tent. I heard her muttering to herself, "Geez, I really need to find a different campground. Who knows who'll show up next..."

Sighing again for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day, I sat down on the cold ground and looked at Perry, who simply sat on a log looking at me with that same paranoid look in his eyes before looking back down at the ground.

Something tells me I'll be up for a while watching him tonight...