I do not own The Walking Dead.

Previously:

Saying nothing as the blonde walked, turning quickly into a run, away, it occurred to Faye that the child may tell her father, and the father would come to scold her. She did, of course, tell his daughter she was going to die. But Faye regretted none of it, she merely said what needed to be said. Lizzie would be better off for it. She didn't like the idea of the girl dying in the arms of a walker.

Liar.


Zach had died on the run, Faye found when she found Daryl the evening before. The hunter seemed to be effected by the loss more than she did, but she supposed he knew the teen better than she did. After all, they had spoken every day, albeit sometimes only a few sentences, and Faye would only see him with Beth. It did bother her, though. Zach's death still left a twinge of sadness, he was cool.

But the time had passed where death would affect her, Zach had just missed his moment. Death was all around them. It would hide for a while, just long enough to become comfortable, but would raise its head soon enough and take you by surprise. The easier option was to never be comfortable.

Michonne was never comfortable. Michonne was leaving again.

"I'll be back before you know it." The woman said as they walked away from the cell block. She always said that, and then she'd be gone for who knows how long before returning, only to remain with them for a day or two. The cycle was repetitive. The cycle was worsening. Her lack of reply caused Michonne to frown. "You know why I do this, right?"

Faye avoided her eyes, a disgruntled tone to her voice. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"It doesn't matter whether we like it or not. It matters that he-"

Yes, he, the dreaded name no one speaks of.

"-isn't around anymore. I need to make sure of that. It's a risk we can't afford."

"We can't afford to lose you." Faye said, turning and meeting the older woman's eyes with furrowed eyebrows. At this, Michonne stopped walking. But the child wouldn't know if her words had any impact, as Glenn called to the two while walking up to them. He must have come from the watch tower with Maggie.

"Hey," He said, hands behind his back. His eyes went to Michonne first. "You heading off again?"

She nodded at this. "Yeah, can't stay long."

It looked as though Glenn wanted to protest to this, but changed his mind. Faye didn't blame him. Michonne was stubborn. "Yeah. Hey, Faye, I forgot yesterday after everything that happened, but I got you something."

Faye looked up, suddenly paying attention. "Really?"

"We were in the store, and I remembered you mentioning your Dad was a photographer, right?" At her nod of confirmation, he continued and brought his hands out from behind his back, revealing what she quickly recognised to be a camera. "Well, I found a load of these, so I brought back a couple. You can have this one."

A smile spread wide across the girl's face, and Glenn, too, looked happy with himself as he handed it to her. "Seriously?"

"Yep, all yours." He grinned. "And I challenge you to get a picture of every here."

Faye turned the object around in her hands. It was blue, and had a large light attached to it. That'd be helpful, what with the prison being poorly lit. "Challenge accepted! Thanks, Glenn!"

"You're welcome," He said, before beginning to continue on his way. "I'll see you later. Stay safe, Michonne."

The two carried on towards the stable, the child fiddling with the camera as they walked, before turning with a cheeky grin to her friend. "Smile for the paparazzi!" Michonne managed to stick her tongue out just in time for the photo. Faye cocked her head to the side as she wiggled the piece of card in the air, waiting for the image to show up. When it did, the girl pouted. "You didn't smile!"

"Smiles are for models, and models eat salad and celery." The woman said, patting the child's head. "Have you ever tried that stuff? Gets stuck in your teeth."

Together, they saddled the horse, which would have taken less time had Faye not included the hug goodbye to the animal. Michonne allowed her to hold the reigns, one hand still holding the camera, as they led the horse towards the gates. Smiling despite the circumstances of her friend leaving, Faye brightened up a little as Carl and Rick emerged at the top of the field. The four approached each other, Rick being the first to speak. "Be careful out there."

"Always am. Any requests?" She asked. "Books? Comics? Some stale M&Ms?"

Carl shook his head at her. "You're the one that likes stale M&Ms."

Michonne laughed as she spoke. "Then I'll definitely be looking for some. I'll look for some stuff you like too." She looked at him for a moment. "How come you don't wear your hat anymore?"

"'s not a farming hat." He replied, walking sideways. "See you soon?"

"Pretty soon." Michonne said before tapping Faye on the shoulder to hurry her along. "Come on."

When they got to the gate, the girl looked up as Michonne mounted the horse. "Come back quickly and in one piece, will you? I don't want you to die out there."

"That makes two of us then." She reached down, her hand on Faye's head again. "Don't worry about me, I always make it back just fine. Keep an eye on Daryl and Carl."

"I always do that just fine." Giving the horse a final rub, Faye stepped back with a wave. "Be back soon."

The child headed back up the field after a farewell from Michonne, choosing to walk rather than run. She looked to her left to see Carl stood by a crouched down Rick. Faye didn't pretend to know what they were doing, some farmer-y job. However, it could be seen as a perfect photo opportunity. What harm would some practice do? Raising the camera up, she shouted to them. "Hey, Carly!" The boy raised his head, Rick following suit. "Strike a pose!" The camera snapped with a click, and Faye laughed loudly as she walked along. "Gorgeous, ladies!" In the picture, although not a close up, Carl had a confused, and perhaps a hint of annoyed, look on his face while his father's adorned an amused grin.

Carl looked like he was about to come over and inspect what she'd done, so she waved and jogged out of his sight. Carol had been expecting her after she had said goodbye to Michonne, so she head towards the breakfast tables set up outside, where she usually met the woman. As she approached, Carol looked up. "What've you got there?"

Faye lit up at the mention of her new found favourite object. "A camera! Glenn found some on the run and got me one." She held it up to her face. "Say cheese!"

Lamely, the woman complied with the saying, but smiled all the same. "Satisfied?" She asked, seemingly only mildly entertained. Carol wanted something, Faye knew that look.

"Most normal picture so far." Faye confirmed.

"I'm happy with that. Now-"

Here comes the lecture.

"-we need to talk."

The child frowned. "What about?"

"About you telling Lizzie she's going to die."

"Oh. That." Faye shrugged awkwardly, leaning against one of the posts. "That's not all I said."

"You shouldn't have said anything. She's twelve-"

"So what? When I was twelve I shot Andy and my Dad!" The girl snapped, continuing before Carol could scold her for her tone. "And she's twelve and she's naming them! I had doubts about the walkers for the first couple of months, and she's still having them after a year! If she carries on like that and somehow ends up outside the prison – she will die. There's no question to it, you know I'm right."

Carol stood straight, putting down the bowl she was holding with a little more force than usual. "Faye. Listen to me. There are ways of doing things, and there are ways of not doing things. You can't go up to a child and tell them they'll die and expect a positive response. I'm teaching them to defend themselves against walkers. If she somehow ends up outside the prison she'll know what to do."

"See, that's where you're wrong too! It won't work!" Faye threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "You're teaching them to use knives, but you're also letting them play with walkers. So, tell me, who it is you're teaching them to attack?"

"I'm teaching them to survive. And I'm going to continue to teach them to survive." Carol said, softening her voice slightly as if trying to calm Faye down as well. "At least, I will, if you and Carl don't tell anyone."

Suddenly, the booming sound of a gunshot rang through the air, followed quickly by another one. Faye dropped the camera on one of the tables before darting towards the sounds of a yelling Lizzie and Mika. "Help! Help!"

Ironic, of course, that it's them.

"Please! Come quick!" Mika shouted, and while Carol gathered them into her arms, Faye darted on them, ignoring Carol's calls for her to stop.

Bursting into the cell block was like having a bucket of ice thrown over Faye's head. The room was in disarray, with screams of agony echoing against the concrete walls and gunshots firing and the snarls of walkers ever present. Faye quickly pushed past someone rushing to get out, and the adrenaline quickly building up didn't give her time to ask if they were bitten.

She could see Luke and Molly far back at the end of the room, in a blind panic that clearly showed any thought had left their heads, and the girl quickly made the decision to run to them with hope that the adults struggling around her had enough sense to survive. Faye pulled out her gun, the safety flicking off easily as she first pushed Luke behind her and turned to face the walker, rearing its head towards her with blood coating its neck from the leg it had been chewing on. She didn't know his name.

Don't worry. That just makes killing him easier.

Faye pulled the trigger and blood splattered onto the floor. She didn't miss the loud gasp from Luke, but paid it no mind as she gripped his shoulder and pushed him along with her. He was just another traumatised child joining the rest. "Karen!" The girl called to get the woman's attention, her head snapping around instantly. "Take him into the cell!"

"You too, come on!" She said, almost a shout to be heard over the noise.

The child shook her head. "I have to get Molly!"

Turning around, Faye dashed towards the younger girl, who was scooting back closer and closer to the wall. A female walker with curly hair was staggering towards the child, and, without noticing Faye coming up behind her, was soon sent stumbling to the floor. Its head collided with the hard stone with a crack, and the girl wasted no time in jumping over the writhing body to stomp its skull in with her foot. Molly, in front of her, shrieked again as she smashed the remaining head again with the heel of her boot to be sure it was dead, the blood splattering near the child's feet. Faye looked up, and didn't doubt how scary she must have looked to the nine year old, with her wide eyes and bloodied clothes and gun. "Are you bit?!"

"I'm sorry, I forgot, I forgot!" The child cried.

"What?" Faye stepped forward, bending down slightly to reach the eye level of the panicked girl. "You forgot what?"

Molly's face scrunched up with tears. "Everything Carol taught me!"

The older girl sighed heavily before wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders and pulling her towards the cell Karen was hiding in. Carol had apparently made her way into the cell block and took the distressed child out of her arms. She realised now that Rick, Daryl and Glenn were all in the room, and with trust that they had the bottom floor covered, Faye bolted towards the stairs to check the upper level.

As she reached the top, the girl heard a shout from Rick. "Are we all clear? Are we safe?"

We're never safe.

The adults in the room confirmed his question and she heard the clanging of footsteps on the metal stairs. Gun raised, Faye peered into the cells as she tread quietly along the pathway, the hunting trips with Daryl coming in handy. There were only dead bodies – unanimated as of yet - on the floor that she had seen as of yet.

There's always one.

You can play hide and seek! Is it behind this one?

Softly, she pulled the curtain back of one room to find it empty, the inhabitants having fled the room.

Or maybe it's behind this o-!

A walker leapt out, grabbing Faye by the shoulders with a snarl. The girl reacted quickly, putting all of her strength into pushing one side of the walker and it fell to the ground with a thud. She grunted as she yanked her right arm out of its tight grasp with just enough time to raise her gun to its throat and fire before its nails dug into her skin.

Looks like you win the game.

The boom of the gun rang through her ears and she soon found herself brought back to her senses by a large hand pulling her off the newly dead body, the voice of Daryl filtering through the ringing. It took a few moments, and she missed some of his words – which could easily be guessed as 'are you bitten' – but she tuned in on his final, gentler, words. "It's Patrick."

Congratulations.

Faye looked up to see her friend, face and neck coated in the dark blood that dripped down onto his t-shirt. His lack of glasses almost made her have to blink and recognise him all over again, the glasses being a part of his character. The girl wished he had been wearing them, because they would have obscured the glassy pink shade his entire eyeball was, open without seeing. When she moved out of his grasp, Daryl didn't stop her from moving forward to his face, tracing the gaping bullet wound she had inflicted through his neck.

It would have given some relief had Faye cried, but no tears came to her eyes. All she had was the aching feeling in her chest. She shot Patrick. She killed Patrick.

But he was just another body amid the chaos.


Author's Note:

Sorry, shorter chapter than last time, but I'd rather get something out than make you wait another week. We'll have some interaction with the usual favourite characters next chapter, which I know you like from the lovely reviews!

As for one for something mentioned in one of the reviews - Faye doesn't completely dislike Lizzie. It's just that one part of her wants to try and be her friend because she still has some hope left, and the other part couldn't care less because she thinks Lizzie isn't going to last. Two very different thoughts - and two different outlooks on the world in general but I won't go into detail 'cause that'll be developed later in the story!

Please review, I love to hear your thoughts and advice.

Thanks.

Cobalt Flame.