Falling into the Undead

Chapter Seventeen

What decision to take

Here is the next chapter! We're getting close to the end now. I hope you enjoy it!

We talked about making it

I'm sorry that you never made it

-Wires by The Neighborhood

The picture in front of Remington's eyes caused her heart to drop into her stomach. The grip on her gun was tight, and before the van had come to a stop she was climbing over Glenn, forcing the door open, and falling out into the night. She would apologize later for how her knees and elbows dug painfully into him in her struggle to get out of the van.

Behind her, she could hear Merle yell out, but nothing was going to stop her. Somewhere in the mess of screaming bodies and fighting figures, were her children.

She raised her gun, firing out a shot, causing the body to collapse inches away from Carol, and Sophia. Her eyes darted around, struggling to catch sight of the familiar faces she needed to see, but none of those around her were her kids. Carol sniffled, and cried, as she clutched tightly to Sophia, and Remington didn't have it in her to coddle the woman. Instead, she latched on tightly to her arm, tugging her to her feet, and shoving her toward the van. The other three men had exited the vehicle, and though Morgan had disappeared in search of his son, Glenn was quick to step forward to help.

"Where are they?" Remington asked.

"With Shane and Daryl," Carol cried as she shoved her daughter into the safety of the van.

"Stay inside," Remington commanded, not needing anyone floating around and distracting her. This Carol was not the woman who could take care of herself. Sophia even less so. They would be a distraction. One that Remington didn't need.

She felt as if her focus shifted, and nothing but what she needed to do became crystal clear. All other thoughts fled her mind. Merle's voice faded into the background and Remington jumped into the fray.

She shot and hacked away at anything that came too close and got in her way. Blood splattered her clothes, but she ignored the sensation, and the fear of the Undead, as she pushed through. Remington wasn't sure if Merle was still right behind her. His voice had faded away a while ago. She could have left him behind, or he had decided to save his strength for fighting. For a fleeting second concern over his well-being tugged at her attention until she spotted a familiar face by the fires.

Daryl. Next to him was Landon. The boy looked tired, as Daryl kept him pressed against his back, as they slowly backed away toward the R.V. The blade of the machete he clung to glinted red in the light of the fire. Remington's heartbeat sped up as she lunged across the distance between them.

A walker stumbled forward, eyes intent on latching onto Daryl's arm, and before the man could swing his bow at it, Remington was right there. She sliced down with the machete in her hands, tearing it through its head, as it came to an abrupt stop before collapsing to the ground.

Letting out a huff of air Remington shoved the hair from her eyes as she pushed past Daryl to grab at Landon. Her eyes did a quick survey, noticing how none of the blood was his own, and that he was fine, before turning to Daryl. She did the same to him, except she kept her hands to herself thinking he wouldn't appreciate that.

"Where's Maisie?" she asked, feeling surprised to see him back at camp already. He wasn't supposed to be back until the morning, but she felt grateful regardless. If he had been out in the woods when this all happened, she didn't want to think of what could have happened to him by himself.

"With Shane," he grunted as he spun to shoot another arrow at a Walker. His chin jutted out in the direction that he had last seen them. They were all supposed to make their way to the R.V. but Daryl and Landon had been cut off.

The security measures Remington had put into place had been helpful, but no one was prepared for the size of the herd that had pushed its way through camp.

Remington was looking on in horror at her surroundings. Was the herd meant to be this size? Hadn't it been a little smaller? She didn't remember it being this chaotic back in the show, but perhaps that's because she hadn't been the one living it.

"Head in that direction," Remington ordered, deciding to take control of the situation, as her mind came up with a plan. She still hadn't spotted Shane, nor Maisie, but now knew where they had been heading. Landon was now her priority, he was within her clutches, and it was better to make Daryl follow her than let him go off on his own.

Daryl grunted in agreement as he began to follow behind the woman on a mission. She looked to be a force best left alone. He hadn't spotted her until she was suddenly slicing through the Walker, and the expression on her face hadn't been one he had ever seen before. It was stony, and determined, and caused his heart to stutter a bit. She looked clear-headed, even while being surrounded by the turmoil that had fallen around them. The power that rolled off her caused whatever disagreements for her plan to fall away as he fell in line. It caused him to huff a little bit when he realized he must look like Landon.

"Where's mah brother?" he asked, as she moved in the direction he had indicated.

"Here." The answer was short and left no clues to his condition, but with her not looking distressed over it, and center, he decided to find out after. She looked as if she might bite his head off if he didn't let her finish her objective. He sometimes saw this in Merle, the soldier, it would peak through during moments of panic. He had seen it often when a deal would go wrong, and Merle would pull something out of his ass to get everything back on track, or he'd go full Rambo and beat them until they couldn't move.

He wasn't sure that Remington would do something like that, but she held a certain intensity to her that made him not want to push to find out.

Landon was quick on her heels as she took the safer routes, something Daryl was certain she hadn't done before the kid came along. Around them, the turmoil was settling, and the pack of Walkers was now just stragglers.

Remington spotted Maisie at the same time she caught sight of Shane. He had her thrown onto his back, her small arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, as he fired shot after shot into the Walkers around him. His face was pinched, set into hard lines, as he focused on nothing but the safety of Maisie and himself. Remington recognized this. The way his face looked. It gave her flashes of a man who sacrificed another man's life for a kid he cared about.

His eyes were glued to the dangers around them, but he was aware of the girl hanging onto his back. The way he shifted, and turned, always keeping Maisie out of the line of danger coming up around them, and never left her in easy reach of any Walker that got too close. He shot around Nala, who led the Walkers in a circle, her barks more tempting than the man standing in front of them.

It caused a stirring of unease within Remington, but she could see what this was. She didn't care as he was protecting her daughter and avoiding using her dog as bait to get them to safety. The Shane she had come to know in the show wouldn't have hesitated if it meant saving his own life and meeting his goal.

When the final gunshot rang out Remington was already racing across the dirt. Her hand was clamped around Landon, aware enough to know not to drag him, as she made her way as quickly as possible to Maisie. Within moments she had swung Landon up into her arms, ignoring the fact that he was far too heavy for such things, as she plowed straight into Shane. Her aim was for Maisie, but he was in the way, and she didn't mind much, having squished him into the middle of the hug. She began to pepper kisses against the faces of the two children, and she was uncertain, but she may have caught his cheek with one when Maisie's head popped up over his shoulder. Maisie pretended to be disgusted but she didn't try to get away, and Landon welcomed the affection with open arms.

Shane had wrapped his arms around the woman when she plowed into him, helping keep them upright, as he awkwardly tried to disengage right after.

Remington didn't fight him. One arm kept Landon firmly attached to a hip as she grabbed at Maisie. Shane pulled the girl off his back, helping Remington, watching as she struggled under the weight of the two kids, and with a sigh, feeling slightly uncomfortable kept Maisie firmly in his arms. He placed her on his hip, keeping her close to Remington so that she could whisper words of apologies, as she searched both kids properly for wounds. She couldn't bear the thought of not having them attached to her. Landon was glued to her side, and though Maisie wasn't properly in her arms, Shane stood incredibly close, so she didn't have to struggle. Exhaustion was pulling at her body, but Remington firmly ignored it.

"Thank you," she repeated, letting the words fall from her lips in a hushed whisper. She pressed her lips firmly against Maisie's forehead before doing the same to Landon as tears began to build in her eyes.

She hadn't been there for them. It had been Maisie's first real encounter with the undead and Remington hadn't been there. She didn't like to think about the fact that Landon had already seen what they could do. If it hadn't been for Shane and Daryl, her heart could have been ripped into pieces tonight, and when she tugged Shane into a hug, she had to force the tears at bay.

"Thank you," she said, letting the words fall freely. Her voice shook but as she pulled back, she took a deep breath and tried centering herself.

"No problem," Shane said. "I can't go letting anything bad happen to my shadow, now, can I?" She could see, even as he tried to smile, and ease her nerves, the situation was awkward for him.

Landon slid down, struggling, and quietly asking to be put down as he saw the desperation on Remington's face of wanting to be able to hold Maisie properly. It was almost like if she didn't then the girl wasn't really in front of her. Remington refused to let go of his hand, but the little boy was perfectly fine with that as he watched Shane hand the girl over. Maisie latched onto her momma tightly, tears falling freely down her face, as she whimpered.

Remington's gaze met Merle's and Daryl's as she turned to take the kids away from all the dead Walkers, and the few who had fallen during the attack. This may be their new world, but that didn't mean she needed to let them see it.

She paused, and not caring that she was about to make another person feel uncomfortable, walked straight over to Daryl. The man in question shifted uneasily as he watched her make his way over toward them. He had just watched her attack the other man in a bout of affection, regardless of if that was her intent at first, and wasn't comfortable with the notion of being next. Remington pretended not to notice.

Merle couldn't help the tired smirk that lit up his face. He looked dead on his feet, far worse than herself, and she mentally reminded herself to make sure he got some rest later. After she was no longer panicking over what could have happened to her children. Once her heart stopped racing, and her mind stopped planning, and they felt safe once more.

"Thank you," she repeated one last time for the night. "For protecting him." She hesitated, she was standing right in front of him, and Daryl looked like he might bolt at a moment's notice. She didn't want to make him run off. Especially with the state, her mind was in. For the next several hours Remington knew she would be constantly looking for all those she felt close to. Other than the children Remington knew she would be checking periodically in on Merle, Shane, and Daryl.

Shifting Maisie in her arms Remington leaned forward, settling on the idea with the least amount of physical touch for him, as she swiftly pressed a kiss to his cheek. It lasted for no more than a second before she went to back away and give him space. His body had stiffened and if he looked like a deer caught in headlights before he most definitely gave off that look now. She smiled softly at him before turning to Merle.

"Get some rest, okay?" she said, knowing that everyone would be busy come morning dealing with the aftermath. Reaching out she squeezed his arm in passing as she made for the R.V. where they were placing all the children. No one was going to get much sleep tonight. Remington knew it should be a fairly safe night, but she no longer trusted what she knew of the events that should be happening.

Her head spun with the idea of there being certain events that would take place no matter what it would seem, but even they had changed, regardless of how little that change may have been.

Maisie's head buried itself into her neck, and Landon gripped tightly to her hand, while his other fisted the cloth of her shirt.

She would think it over later. For now, all that mattered was her children.

․° °․

The next morning came earlier than she would have liked. The children were kept safely hidden away in the R.V while the adults cleaned up. Miranda, the wife of Morales, a woman she faintly remembered, stayed with them all to keep them occupied, and gave none of the more curious ones an opportunity to take a peek outside.

Remington found herself searching out for the three men she had started to think of as her own. Subconsciously they had become family and had entered her circle of those she would protect with her life. She never sought them out physically, the knowledge that her eyes could land on them easily at any time, was enough to remind her they were alive and safe. That was not the same when it came to her children. Every so often, after pulling a Walker into the burn pile, Remington would take a moment to duck into the R.V. and calm her racing mind with the sight of them. She would smile, and wave at Miranda, before closing the door back up. The scene never changed, but every so often her mind would twist it in her mind.

No one questioned her actions.

They didn't mention the frequent breaks, only glanced away, and allowed her to do what she needed to do. Remington suspected Merle, or one of the other two had spread the news over what she had, had to do back in Atlanta.

Not wanting a repeat of the drama that had unfolded when it came to what needed to be done to all the bodies, Remington suggested burning the Walkers, and burying their loved ones. It kept the fight from breaking out like in canon when Daryl had stated they should all be taken care of the same.

Remington felt relieved come morning and she hadn't seen Amy's body lying on the ground waiting to turn. It was another change, another life saved, and it helped soothe her soul over the two she had taken from this world.

In the middle of cleaning up, Remington remembered what was supposed to happen to Jim and quickly sought him out. He looked clammy, sweat building at his brow, as his skin turned ashen. He had still been bitten. Her heart sank, she couldn't believe she had forgotten his death and hadn't taken the measures to change it. Feeling miserable at the thought, she decided he deserved a calm announcement of what had happened to him. She didn't want everyone fighting over what to do and she wasn't sure she could take Daryl, trying to put an axe through his head.

Instead, she drug him a little way from camp. Her eyes were kind, her smile soft, showing comfort, as she asked to see the proof of what she already knew to be. The man had resisted at first, but her soothing tone eased him into pulling up his shirt to reveal the bite mark near his heart. Her next actions were all a blur. She had laid him down in his tent, wishing to keep him from prying eyes, as she made him comfortable, before seeking out Rick.

She knew out of everyone he would be the most levelheaded about the subject. She didn't want panic to break out. After Rick confirmed her words, between the two of them, they calmly released the news of what happened to Jim to the rest of the group. There had been a small outcry, but having found that he was separated, and taken care of a massive outbreak of panic flooding the group. Their numbers were bigger than before. There was more to complain if it came down to it this time around, and Remington wasn't sure she could keep a group of people from doing what they wanted if it came down to it.

In the end, there were a few that wanted him taken care of immediately, the Dixons both didn't want him around to turn, and Shane, not agreeing with their approach, agreed that he wasn't comfortable with it. There were others that felt the same, but Remington spoke up on the behalf of Jim and said they would follow what the man wanted.

They weren't killers.

She felt like a hypocrite for saying this.

They would do what the man wanted.

Eventually, everyone settled down and allowed this to be.

Remington felt confident about the outcome and eased to know there would be a lot of arguing going on today. At least not until it was time to pick a place to go.

The funerals came and went. Everyone was present. Remington found herself seeking Amy out, feeling better about one outcome coming out brighter than before. Then people were packing, talking over where they should head, which turned into arguments. Many of the survivors that hadn't survived before opted to head out on their own. One after another they took off, deciding not to stick around longer than they had to, as no one felt safe in the quarry anymore. Remington couldn't blame them, but she also felt awful at the thought that they would more than likely perish on their own. She hadn't come to know many of them, but some were familiar faces, and she silently hoped they would make it.

Morales's family came up with their decision to leave quicker than in the show. They wouldn't leave right away. Miranda wanted to help everyone finish packing and they allowed the children to say their goodbyes to their friends.

Remington listened to how Shane and Rick fought over where to go. She had sensed the unease that clung to Shane any time he had to talk to his friend. It always caused her hackles to rise before turning to glare at Lori. It was tearing Shane up inside keeping this from his friend, and Remington worried he may still fall down the path he had in the show if it kept up. The two needed to talk or emotions would become warped.

She decided to file that as a problem to tackle in the near future. It wasn't her responsibility. She shouldn't feel worried about it.

Remington simply didn't know how to back down.

The stress of it all would probably kill her before a Walker ever did.

"Come on, Rick," Shane huffed, starting to show the irritation he felt over the subject. They had been hashing it out for a while now.

"The CDC is closer, would hold more answers, and could help Jim."

Remington calmly watched from her position against the nearest car. Since the conversation had popped up, she had been coming up with a plan. She didn't want to go to the CDC. She knew all the information they would gain from there and the idea of possibly getting blown up didn't sit well with her. It made her uneasy, but she also wasn't bought on the idea of Fort Benning either. She could only assume it had fallen when everything else had. It would just be another pipe dream.

Her goal was to get everyone to the farm. Without the loss of Sophia, or Carl getting shot, and dealing with how to get Hershel to let them stay on the way. She was a planner. Just leaving it for later, or to magically fix itself, wasn't something she was willing to do.

Except she knew if she spoke up and talked them into going toward Fort Benning that it didn't mean they would end up finding the Greene farm. It was possible they could take a different route because of the changes she made. What if something even worse happened because she decided to change it? Should she just give in and pray to God that the events played out exactly the same as they did in the show?

Could she willingly walk her children into that death trap of a building?

Remington wasn't sure. She felt that following the show might be best at this point, but it didn't help the rolling in her stomach. Had she changed too much up to this point for anything to stay relatively the same?

A presence appeared next to her, an arm jabbing into her side, and dragging her from her thoughts.

"Yah look like yah thinking ta hard," Merle said, settling in next to her. His arm brushed against hers as he leaned against the car. She found the warmth seeping from him was just as comforting as it was the night before. She shifted, just the barest of bits, to be closer to that warmth.

"Got a lot on my mind."

"Bout certain events?"

It should be surprising hearing him say that, but Remington was starting to realize that Merle had taken her words seriously, and he was determined to stand at her side. It amazed her. It was just another thing to add to the list of comforts Merle freely offered her.

"Yeah."

"They on ta wrong path?" He jutted his chin out toward where Rick and Shane were still talking. Sighing, Remington turned her attention back to them.

"It's shit either way. Probably safer to go along with Rick, but no less dangerous."

"Somethin' gonna happen at this CDC?" Remington shifted again, growing uncomfortable, seeing how he was leaning on her for answers, and to know what to do. She had sensed it. She knew it might happen. Remington wasn't sure if she could take the responsibility of having anyone rely on her, but she also wasn't willing to dislodge the foot she had shoved into the doorway. She couldn't just walk away and leave it to the others either.

"If it does, we should all be alright."

"And if somethin' changed, darlin?"

"I don't want to make this decision." She shoved herself away from the car. Her hands were shaking. "Let me know when they decide on something. I'm gonna go check on Jim." She hurriedly walked away from Merle and his searching gaze.

If Remington could change one thing, to make it better for one person, she would do it. If that meant asking Jim what he wanted sooner than before maybe it would help soothe her soul.

She missed the way Daryl wandered over to his brother after she left. A questioning look covered his face as Merle waved him off and kept a watchful eye as the woman disappeared into the tent.

"Hey," she whispered, coming to drop to the ground next to Jim's cot. He looked worse than an hour ago when she had last stopped by. The only difference was his eyes. They were clearer than they had been all day. There was a sharpness, an awareness, that he had lost as the fever settled in. "How are you doing?"

"Feel like shit," he said hoarsely. Reaching over for the cup of water Remington helped him drink it. He greedily gulped what remained in the glass. "They figure out what they want ta do with me yet?"

"That's for you to decide," Remington said gently. "No one's gonna force anything on you. You get to decide how you want to go." She left it open-ended that either way would mean his death, but the man seemed to understand.

"I wonder if this is the way my family would have gone if given the chance." His eyes fluttered shut in pain, whether it was the change going on in his body, or the memories, Remington wasn't sure. "I can still hear their screams in my sleep, but recently they've begun to haunt me while I'm awake."

"I'm sorry," she said, not sure exactly about what. Sorry for his family, or sorry that she hadn't tried to stop his death? Either way, she felt horrible.

"I've seen the way you watch over this camp." His words caused her to frown in confusion. "Yah cared. Way before you even knew we existed. I noticed it the first second you stepped foot into this camp. That look in your eye. How you could have cared for any of us that soon is beyond my understanding, but you'll take care of them. You'll do right by them just like you're trying ta do right by me."

"How?"

"You're one of the good ones. Don't let that spark get snuffed out by this new world. Leave me here, when you all leave. I wanna go meet my family." His words toward the end came out slowly, as he seemed to drift off, but was trying to hold on. "I miss them." His eyes fluttered shut. A peaceful expression clouded his face as he fell asleep. Remington bit her lip. The damp rag in her hand moved to mop at his brow as she thought over what he had just said.

It didn't feel right just leaving him here, but Remington was certain it hadn't felt right leaving him on the side of the road either. She wouldn't go against his wishes. He should be allowed to get what he wanted, and he wouldn't be a threat to anyone in the group.

Standing to her feet Remington decided to tell the others what Jim had opted for himself. They could come to say their own goodbyes. As Remington left the tent, she felt the weight of his words settle over her shoulders.

Would she do right by everyone?

Only time would tell.

As she stepped from the tent Pixel nudged her hand with his snout. He had waited calmly outside for her to rejoin him. She took the time to scratch behind his ear. Nothing needed to be hurried. Jim's wishes would be carried through and they wouldn't need to do anything more than make him feel comfortable. There was nothing else to be done at this point.

As she neared the others, she noticed the odd sense of calm that had settled over the camp since she had spoken to Jim. Shane and Rick were no longer fighting, instead, Rick was with his family, and Shane had begun to tear down his tent.

So, they had settled on a destination.

With Merle out of sight and Daryl avoiding looking in her direction Remington wandered over toward Shane. He looked irritated and was taking it out on his tent. Stepping closer she reached out to touch his shoulder, steadying his frenzied hands. He looked like he would rip the tent at any second at this rate.

"You think it's a good idea too then?" Shane asked, his voice surly, annoyed. She raised her eyebrow moving to pull a stake out of the ground that he seemed to have missed.

"What idea?"

"Going to the CDC."

"Ah." She bit her lip as she moved to help him fold the tent back up. "I'm not entirely bought on either idea." He sent her a withering glare.

"We need some answers. Safety. We gotta go somewhere."

"True. The way I see it the CDC is gonna be a short-term stop. Without fuel it isn't gonna run for long and we're not going to want to get caught in that mess. For Benning. I don't know what to tell you Shane, but I feel like it'll be just as overrun as everywhere else. The idea that somewhere hadn't been affected seems farfetched."

She didn't like the way his face fell.

She didn't like the fact that she had been the cause of it.

"You lost hope or something?"

He began to shove the tent back into its bag, using more force than necessary, but she didn't stop him this time.

"No. I'm plum full of hope. I just believe we've gotta be the ones to make a place safe, find somewhere we can call home. We're gonna have to work hard, and it won't be easy, but I'm an optimist." She paused, taking in his appearance, and wondered if they needed to have another heart-to-heart soon. She could see something was weighing heavily on him still, and she hoped it wasn't Lori.

"Where do you suggest we hold up at then." Tilting her head, she glanced up at the sky. It was only now nearing midday. They would have time to finish loading up and head out to the CDC. She ignored the way it caused a pinch of fear. It was for the best to just follow what had happened. At least for now. She hoped it was the right call.

"First a farm, then a prison, and finally a sanctuary." She smiled at him, wide, and open, as amusement over what she had just said shined through. Shane looked confused. She could read it clearly on his face. He didn't have to say anything for her to realize to him it sounded random and insane. "And we should avoid any crazy people in between."

"That's oddly specific."

"You'll find that I'm full of oddly specific tasks."

"Why does it sound like you've got all this planned out already."

"Cause you're beginning to understand me, deputy. I'm a planner down to my core." Shane scoffed, but she could see that their conversation was easing any mixed emotions he had been experiencing.

"I'm starting to think you're the one we should all be following."

Startled, Remington smiled a little dazedly at him. That's not what she had been expecting to hear. At all.

"Why do you say that?"

"Just this gut feeling I've got." He snatched at his hat that had fallen to the ground during his initial frenzy of pulling the tent down. He froze mid-action of putting it on. He eyed her standing there, looking confused, and a little frazzled at his words. Stepping forward he noticed the way she didn't flinch away, only giving him that hesitant, small smile that so often showed on her face. He lifted the cap over her head, placing it snuggly down, before adjusting the tightness.

"What's this for?"

"You've done a lot for us, haven't you Solace." He gave her a strange look. Like he was just now clearly taking her in. It hadn't mattered that he already had a revelation about the woman. He knew she was the one to follow. If she was willing to follow Rick on this trip to the CDC, then who was he to argue? It wouldn't get him anywhere, anyway, and he noticed the way she watched them all. As if she was the only thing standing between them and danger.

But who watched over her?

"You'll outlast us all. I'm calling it now." He flicked the tip of the cap on her head.

"I don't want to do that." He pretended she hadn't even spoken.

"You've wiggled your way under our defenses. Don't try to deny it now." He chuckled a little, the sound short, and full of wonder. "There's not a damn thing we can do about it but let you in. You're like a disease."

The conversation was taking an odd direction, but Remington couldn't help but want to stick it out until the end. Shane seemed to be trying to say something.

"All I want to do is protect you all."

"Yeah, I'm seeing that. Strange, cause I could have sworn that, that look on your face hasn't changed much. Almost like that's been your goal since the moment yah met us." Remington didn't say anything. He was still crowded in her personal space. She wasn't paying attention to that. He was dangerously close to figuring something out, and Remington knew it wouldn't be the truth, but it could be all changing regardless. "Funny, how a stranger would care so much about people she didn't even know."

"That's just who I am."

"Yeah. True. You're that rare kind." He took a step back. Allowing her to breathe. The intensity fled from his face as he suddenly smiled. "Looks good on yah." He jutted his chin toward the cap. "Yah shouldn't allow yourself to get lost in that goal of yours. Who's taking care of you Remington Solace? Sometimes even the hero of the story needs to lean on somebody."

He turned on his heel, lugging the tent onto his back, as he walked toward his jeep.

Remington wasn't sure what had just happened, but it at least sounded like Shane was in her corner.

Now all she had to do was make sure they survived the CDC, or it all wouldn't matter.