A/N: Howdy friends. Been a while. Working on Lil'Bit as well (er like 60% done with the next chapter ish). Leave me comments (I live and breathe by them). Thanks for reading, I love y'all! Stay safe!

Episode #06:

Graveyards

"no amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future." –unknown

Atlanta's skyline was no longer visible. Hadn't been for a while, but I still found myself staring out into the distance trying to spot it. After what had happened at the CDC, the group had booked it out of there. As tempting as it had been to stop and rest up, the noise and smoke from that explosion was going to attract walkers for miles and miles. The group camped out a good thirty minutes outside of Atlanta and as soon as the sun rose everyone was up and about getting ready to hit the road again.

The CDC was a dead end, so it was time for the back-up plan: Fort Benning.

I wanted to hang my hope on this plan as much as I had the latter, but after everything that had gone down in Atlanta it was hard to do that. What made Fort Benning any different than the CDC? Plus, with the parting gift Jenner had left me yesterday it was hard to have hope in any plan.

We were all infected.

I lifted my hands to rub at my face and tried to wipe away the exhaustion I felt. Last night was mostly spent just tossing and turning and wondering if it would be any better if I didn't know this. If I was still as clueless as I had been days before. Ignorance was bliss and all that.

T-Dog gave me a small wave and smile as he walked past me with Shane to siphon off the gas in the truck. We had too many cars and too little fuel. It made sense to lose some so the jeep and truck were getting siphoned to fill up the station wagon and RV. Daryl planned on riding his bike to save gas which was somehow clever and reckless all at the same time.

I glanced around the makeshift camp that was being packed up, seeing if anything needed to be done, but my eyes landed on Rick. He was standing beside Lori at the station wagon talking about something. Both of them looked tense, but it didn't seem like a full-blown argument. Not this time anyways.

A decision was made in my mind before I even fully registered the thought and suddenly, I was jogging toward Rick. If anyone here would know what to do it would be him. Rick would have an answer. He always did.

"Rick?" I called out. The couple glanced over at me, their conversation coming to a halt. Rick looked curious and Lori looked frustrated. He tilted his head slightly, urging me to continue, "Rick, we really need to talk."

"Of course. What is it?"

My eyes darted to Lori then back to him, "Um, can we talk alone?"

Lori took a step forward, her frustration boiling over, "Whatever you're saying to me husband, you can certainly say to me."

Her words made my stomach flip. Out of the 10 other people in this group, Rick was number one in my choice to talk to about this issue and Lori was literally number ten. It wasn't personal, but I trusted the woman about as far as I could throw her. She just didn't seem like the kind who would be able to be levelheaded about this. I clenched my jaw as my hands fidgeted with the edge of my t-shirt, "Rick, please."

"I'll be right back." Rick said to Lori who didn't seem pleased by his decision. He squeezed her shoulder lightly, his thumb brushing against her neck. Lori nodded once. Rick looked back at me and nodded for me to follow him. He led us out to the outskirt of the group where no one would be able to overhear us. Rick turned to face me, concern on his features, "Is everything ok? You look nervous."

With the way he stood, in front of me with his arms crossed and slightly leaning forward, it felt like he was a wall between me and the rest of the camp. Like he was shielding me from prying eyes, and I had to admit I took more comfort in that then I should have. I nodded once, "Jenner he—he told me something. I… I just don't know what to do with the information, I don't know— I don't know what to do, but I do know that I trust you, Rick."

"I knew he was hugging you for too long." Rick took a step forward, worry on his face, and lowered his voice. His hand came up to rest on my shoulder, "You've been tense and jumpy since yesterday and I know that's not like you. Victoria, are you okay? Was it… Was it something in your blood test?"

"It was something in all our blood tests." I whispered back. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, waiting for me to continue, but it felt like a had swallowed a stone. My mouth was dry as I forced out the rest of the words, "He said we're all infected. Everyone is. Whatever this is, it's already in all of us. He told me that it doesn't matter if you're bit or not… you come back anyways."

"Wh—What?"

"I could drop dead right now, not a scratch on me, and if you waited long enough, I would come back as a walker." I added in a rush.

Rick tore his gaze away from me, bringing it up over my shoulder and I watched as his face went pale. He brought his hand up to squeeze bridge of his nose, a habit I had noticed he tended to do when thinking or stressed. Guilt flooded me at the sight. This had been selfish of me to tell him. I had been so preoccupied with not wanting to bear this secret alone that I had added a burden to Rick's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry."

"Is it just us?" He mumbled, "Is it just us that know?" I nodded once and he clenched his jaw briefly before offering me a forced smile, "Thank you. For bringing this to me. Don't mention it to anyone else." As if I could bring myself to ruin someone else, to hurt them like I had just hurt Rick. "I'll handle it, Victoria."

"Hey!" Shane's voice called out loudly, "We're heading out!"

Rick gave my shoulder a tight squeeze before walking away. I had wanted to apologize to him again, but he hadn't given me the chance. The thought that Rick was on top of this though did make my own shoulders feel a little lighter but knowing the cost of that filled my stomach with a heavy guilt.

I walked forward with my feet set on the RV. Truthfully, I had wanted to ride on the back of Daryl's bike with him, but he had shut that down very quickly. I glanced over at him with a small smile and he shook his head again.

"Already said no, sunshine. Keep walkin'."

I chuckled and hurried on my way. According to him, my lack of experience on a bike would only put me at risk. Daryl was obviously concerned for my health and well-being. Granted, his exact words were, "Don't need you fallin' on your ass halfway down the road and holdin' us all up."

I read between the lines.

As I got closer my eyes landed on Shane who looked irritated. I followed his glare over to where Lori and Rick were talking. Lori's own gaze was leveled in a glare at me before she turned back to kiss her husband. I guess everyone was some kind of irritated today.

"Come on, Tori!" Glenn chirped from the RV door and I smiled at his demeanor. Glenn nearly always seemed to be in a good mood of some kind and that always made me happy.

I chuckled, "You can't rush perfection, Glenn."

"He ain't, he's rushing you." T-Dog roughed up my hair as he passed me, and I threw a laugh and curse in his direction while trying to fix my hair.

The convoy finally got its start once everyone was situated. Daryl led the pack on his bike followed by the RV which held Shane, Andrea, T-Dog, Glenn, and me. Right behind us was the station wagon with Rick, Carol, Lori, and the kids. We had about another 100 miles to Fort Benning and the drive wasn't all that terrible.

I spent most of it sitting on the floor between Dale, who was driving, and Glenn, who was riding shotgun, just talking to the both of them. T-Dog was passed out in the bed in the back which left Shane and Andrea at the small table.

After about an hour of cautious driving, I had settled with my back leaning against the side of Glenn's seat as I stared at the knife in my hands. A part of me hoped the longer I looked at it the more that would come to me, but it seemed like a dud of a plan.

"Looks complicated." Andrea said. I glanced up thinking she was speaking to me, but her attention was on Shane who sat across from her cleaning a table of guns. He was taking apart his handgun with ease.

"The trick is getting all the pieces back the same way." Shane chuckled. "Want me to clean yours? Show you how?" He set down his own gun as Andrea handed hers over to him. Shane glanced over at me and I wondered if he had felt my gaze on him this entire time. He nodded toward the table, "Get over here, Tori. Learn something."

I tucked the knife back into my boot and stood up. Shane shifted across the bench allowing me room, so I sat down beside him. Shane complimented the silver handgun.

"It was a gift from my father." Andrea replied proudly. Her face seemed to glow at the thought of it and I smiled. This was the first time I had noticed her smile since we left the CDC. Hell, since we buried Amy. "Gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to protect themselves."

"Smart man, your father." Shane nodded in agreement to the words. They continued talking, but their words blurred together as I stared down at the individual pieces from Shane's gun. He had taken it apart and left all the pieces neatly on the table to return to. As my eyes darted over it, I realized I could see where they fit like a puzzle.

There was a flash in my mind, the brief memory of a pair of familiar, large hands putting together a silver gun with a marble white handle. A rumbling laugh hung in the air and that warm voice dripped in my mind.

'We'll race. Last one to disassemble then reassemble pays for the drinks.'

"Tori?" My eyes snapped up as Shane's voice brought me back into reality. Him and Andrea were staring at me. The look on Andrea's face was annoyance, but Shane looked amused.

"Hmm? Sorry, I zoned out."

Shane chuckled, "You still with us?"

"Yeah I just…" My eyes darted back down to Shane's gun, "I think I know how to do this already."

"What?" Shane questioned.

Rather than answer him, I shifted over in my seat so I was right in front of all the pieces. There had been a small gap between the two of us, but now my leg was pressed against his. Shane shifted to try and give me more room, but he was already close to the RV wall. I paused with my hands over the gun briefly before diving in. Quickly, I let my hands work and kept my mind blank. This was muscle memory. This was years and years of practice ingrained in me.

I set the put together gun back down on the table and sucked in a sharp breath. Damn. I really did know how to do this.

"What the hell?" Andrea scoffed. I glanced up at her and immediately wished I hadn't done this. The two of us had been on thin ice since the CDC. I hadn't agreed with her decision to throw in the towel and give up at the CDC, but I understood that was her right. We had different opinions on that, and I wasn't going to get into it with her. Andrea though, for some reason, was ready to pick a fight with me. I could see it in her eyes. "Little miss perfect rolls up covered in scars, some creepy ass tattoo, and supposed memory loss yet here you are throwing guns together without blinking?"

"Back off, Andrea." Shane said tiredly.

"No." Andrea scoffed then continued, "Who the hell are you, Tori?"

So, she didn't trust me. That was the root of all this. I guess it was a good thing she never saw the bag of fake IDs. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, "I—I don't know, Andrea. Like I said I think, I think I was a hunter." There was that word again making my stomach roll. "My dad taught me."

It was a bold-faced lie. I couldn't remember my father in my broken head, and the memory flashes I did get, that voice, it sure as hell didn't come off as a father figure. Still this was easier, and I could tell it appeased Andrea for the time being.

"You can remember your dad now?"

I turned in my seat to see Glenn grinning at me in excitement. Lying to Glenn made me feel sick to my stomach. He was without a doubt one of my closest friends in camp and that was proved further with how happy he was thinking I was making head way on my memories. I nodded to him, "A little, yeah."

"That's great!"

Andrea scoffed again and Shane threw her a glare. He focused his attention on me again, "Now Tori, you can color me impressed, but I ain't gonna hand you a gun until I know you can shoot. And by shoot, I mean shoot well."

"No problem." I said quickly, "I really don't want a gun anyways."

With as murky as my past was the last thing I needed was to carry around a gun. I was scared it would open up doors that I wanted to keep shut. Shane looked curious at my blatant refusal, I guess he expected a fight from me, but before he could question me further Dale let out an annoyed groan as the RV came to a slow rolling stop.

"Well this is just great!"

I quickly stood up and then knelt down between Dale and Glenn again so I could look out the front windshield. The entire road ahead of us, for as far as I could see, was covered in broken and abandoned vehicles. Some looked like they were just left behind while others were turned over on their sides or busted in.

Daryl motioned for us to follow as he led the RV slowly through the maze as best he could. Glenn pulled out the map and unfolded it, "Maybe we should just go back? There's an interstate bypass—"

"We can't spare the fuel." Dale argued.

The convoy slowly made progress through the maze, but just when I thought that this was going well a sudden pop and cloud of steam over the windshield startled me. I rolled back into a pair of legs as the RV came to a sudden halt.

"You ok?" Shane grunted and pulled me up.

I rubbed my sore shoulder, "Just dandy, thanks."

Everyone climbed out of the RV and I spotted the station wagon's doors opening as well. We gathered around the front of the RV as Dale dug through the engine which was still spewing out steam.

"I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times." Dale pulled himself out of the engine and sighed, throwing his hands up, "Dead in the water."

"Problem, Dale?" Shane questioned, but based off his tone I could tell it wasn't a serious inquiry. He was staring out over the sea of cars while Daryl was already off to the side digging through the trunk of the closest one.

"Oh. Ok that was dumb." Dale nodded.

"If you can't find a radiator hose here." Shane shrugged.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl called out as he dug through a bag he had pulled out of the trunk.

T-Dog clapped his hands, "I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start."

"Maybe find some water?" Carol added as she glanced around, she had her daughter tucked under her arm tightly to her side.

"Food and clothes too." I chuckled and glanced down at myself. Losing my bag may have been a sign to move on from my past, but it also meant I had nothing but the clothes on my back. It would be nice to find a new bag and some extra clothes for when these started to get too rough to wear.

While I daydreamed about what I could find Lori spoke up, "This is a graveyard. I don't know how I feel about this."

It was silent as her words hit home. She wasn't wrong, but we were all too desperate to let this opportunity pass. People began to move around and get busy. Dale took to the top of the RV to keep watch with a pair of binoculars while Rick stood by the front of the RV with the rifle slung around his shoulder.

"You heading out?" Rick questioned as I began to pass him.

"Yupp. I need some more clothes and a bag. This", I motioned to myself, "Is all I have left. Besides, maybe I can find some weapons out here for us."

Rick nodded, "Just be careful."

"Will do, Officer Grimes." I gave him a mock salute that he chuckled at before turning on my heel and marching into the graveyard.

Lori and Carol were closest to the RV right now, digging through a small SUV with the kids. I kept walking through until I got to the next group which was T-Dog and Daryl who were in the process of trying to get gas out of some truck.

"Hey." Daryl called out in a muffled voice, I glanced over at him to see he was holding an arrow between his teeth. He pulled it out and pointed it at me, "Don't wander too far, sunshine."

"I won't!" I gave him a quick wave before pushing on.

The further I got from the RV, the quieter it became. It was unsettling to walk past so many abandoned cars. Each one told a story and each story was worse than the last. One car had all the windows broken, including the front and back windshield, and the interior was covered in just buckets of blood. The next car looked more put together than the one beside it, but in the backseat was an empty, bloody car seat and it seeing it felt like getting the air sucked out of my lungs.

I quickly moved past that car, deciding I couldn't loot from it, and settled on a dark blue truck. The back of the truck had a bunch of suitcases and bags under a tarp. Quickly, I ripped the tarp off and began to search. The first thing I found was a bookbag that was used for softball gear. I could tell because it still had the aluminum, pink and blue bat attached to the side. This could work. I dumped out the balls, glove, and other gear, but kept the bat. It could come in handy.

The next few minutes were spent with me rifling through the suitcases. The first smaller suitcase was filled with children clothes, but none of it looked like it would fit the kids of our group. Underneath a pile of it though was a bag of candy of all things. I laughed and dumped out the bag of lollipops. Most of it had melted together in a giant, inedible chunk, but there were two suckers that could be saved. I smiled. One for Carl, and one for Sophia.

The next suitcase must have belonged to a woman about my size and age. I grabbed two plain t-shirts from the bag along with clean underwear and a paid or jeans that were too long for me but looked like they'd fit around my hips. I also grabbed three flannel shirts in the suitcase.

I held the red and black one up to see how big it would be on me. I hummed in thought, "I like plaid. Why do I like plaid so much?"

Rather than pondering on that line of thought, I tossed all the clothes I had found into my new, dark bag and then pulled it onto my shoulders. I began the trek back to the RV with the plan to dump off my new stuff before heading out again to look for more things. This time things that would benefit the entire group rather than just me. I got halfway back when I noticed Shane and Glenn working on the engine of one of the cars. Probably looking for a radiator hose, whatever the hell that was. I made my way over to see if they needed help.

"Nice bat." Glenn chuckled as he glanced up at me.

I shrugged, "Might come in handy. You never know."

While I stood by Glenn, watching him work, Shane wandered away to a truck off to the side. I watched him curiously as he grabbed a handle on the side and lifted the metal covering to reveal a wall of water jugs.

"Were we short on water?" Shane laughed. Glenn glanced over and cheered while I dropped my bag then jogged over to check it out for myself. Shane popped one of the lids off and water poured out on top him. "It's like getting baptized!"

I ducked my head under the stream of water with a laugh, and Shane grabbed the jug to tip it so more would splash out on me. Glenn groaned as he continued to work, "Hey, save some for me!"

Quickly, I sprinted over to steal Glenn's hat and ran back to fill it with as much water as it could hold. Glenn saw what I was doing and squatted down so I could dump the hat back on top of his head.

"You're my favorite in the world, Tori." Glenn groaned as the water dripped down his neck.

Shane came back over with a chuckle, "Hey, I found it."

The two of them continued to work while I re-did my ponytail so hair wouldn't be plastered to my face. As I worked on that I let my eyes drift over the area. My entire body tensed when I noticed a figure in the distance. At first, my mind screamed walker, but as I stared at the dark figure I realized it was the same thing I saw in Atlanta outside the CDC. The longer I stared the fuzzier my brain felt and a sudden ringing in my ears made me flinch. The figure lifted its hand and waved me forward, pointing to a car.

"Tori? You good?" Shane questioned.

I glanced back to see him and Glenn staring at me. I looked back toward the figure, but it was gone. So was the ringing and the fuzziness. "Yeah I'm…" I began to say, but rather than reassure them I started walking toward where the figure had pointed to. "I think I saw something."

The car it had pointed to was a sleek, white convertible, and as I got closer I realized there was something on the hood. Someone. A hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back. Shane gave me a firm look, lifted his finger to his lips for me to be quiet, then he pulled out his gun.

"Back up." He tried to slowly get us back to where we were.

"Wait." I whispered. Something wasn't right about this. I pushed past him and he hissed something at me. "Just trust me."

I hurried to the car and my breath caught in my throat at the sight. Lying on the hood of the car was a man. He was out cold, or dead, and the hood around him was crumpled up like he was thrown into rather than just placed on top. Had this car hit him? The glass windshield behind his head and shoulders was smashed, but he didn't look as bloody and injured as someone should if they got hit by a car.

His tan skin was bruised, especially around his right eye, and there was a spot of matted black hair near the back that made me think he had a head wound. Plus, he also had a gash at his hairline that had blood dripping down his calm features. Despite the Georgia heat, he wore a full suit with a tan trench coat. As I took a step forward, he took in a raspy, shuddering breath.

Shane grabbed my arm and pulled me back, but I spun around on him, "He's alive! He needs help!"

"Tori!"

I pulled my arm away from him and rushed to check for a pulse. The guy had one, but it felt weak. I turned to Shane and gave him the best pleading look I could muster, "Please, Shane. We need to get him to the RV."

"Are you kidding me? He could be dangerous!"

I glanced back at the unconscious man's square shaped face. The one that looked tired even while he was out. No part of his face looked familiar to me. This was a stranger in every sense of the word, but as my eyes glanced down to his chest where a blue tie was something struck me. Maybe it was the shade of blue or the fact that it was tied incorrectly with the back side of it showing, but something seemed familiar.

"Please." I grabbed Shane's hand, "Please trust me. Please help me."

Shane paused for a moment before shaking his head while mumbling a curse under his breath. He tucked his gun away and grabbed at the guy's arm. I hurried to the opposite side and did the same so we could peel him off the hood of the car. I tried to hold up as much weight as I could, but the guy was heavy and Shane being taller than me made it even more difficult. We dragged him back to the main road where Glenn was gone, but Daryl and T-Dog stood at the truck unloading all the water jugs to take back to the RV. They heard us struggling and turned.

"What the hell?" Daryl cried out as he spotted us.

"He needs our help. Can you—?" I grunted and T-Dog jogged over to take my place.

Shane huffed in exertion, "To the RV."

They moved forward, this time much faster since I wasn't slowing Shane down. Daryl held out his hand before I could follow, a look of shock and disagreement on his features, "What are you doin'?"

"Helping him?" I replied in confusion.

Daryl scoffed, "You don't even know 'im! Guy could be dangerous, for all we know!"

"He's not." I said firmly and it surprised me how much I felt that in my gut. He wasn't dangerous. I was willing to bet everything on that. He meant us no harm. Daryl was still wary, but he didn't argue further. He just scoffed and moved back to the water jugs. I watched him for a moment before sprinting toward the RV.

As I got closer, I noticed most of the group had relocated to inside the damn RV. Dale still stood at the top and he gave me proud smile, "Good luck in there, Tori. Just know that I am 100% on your side."

His words were comforting, but they also hinted that I wouldn't have many people on my side about this. I bit back any hesitation I felt and just pushed my way into the RV past Carol and the kids who were closest to the door. The moment I was up the stairs the complaints started.

"There she is! Are you out of your mind?" Andrea snapped.

"Not particularly." I mumbled and squeezed by her with a roll of my eyes.

Lori scoffed at me as I tried to get by her, "This is ridiculous. We have no idea who this guy is. You found him in a sketchy area—for all we know he was dangerous, and his last group left him there. What is he wakes up and hurts us? Rick, what if he hurts the kids?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes yet again and finally made it into the back room where Rick and Shane stood over the stranger who was lying in bed. Shane rubbed the back of his head with a sigh, "Should've just left well enough alone."

"Well, brother, you didn't." Rick replied firmly. He turned to me, "Victoria, what is going on?"

The RV grew silent at the question and I crossed my arms in defiance, "He was hurt, Rick. We couldn't just leave him out there for there for the walkers."

"Why not?" Someone mumbled and I couldn't quite figure out who said it, only that they were female.

I spun around with a glare, "Because we're human!"

Rick clenched his jaw and motioned for people to get back, "Everybody get out. Go finish gathering supplies. Now."

I dropped my bag in the corner and grabbed Dale's first aid kit from the cabinet. Shane and Rick watched as I sat down by the guy's side and began to dig through the kit.

"See, I don't know how I feel about using our own supplies on him." Shane shrugged. "What if one of us need it down the line?"

I scoffed and shot him a glare, "Fine. Pretend the stuff I'm using is on me. Next time I'm hurt I just won't take a band-aid."

Shane shot me a look, an annoyed one that said, 'that isn't what I meant', but I didn't lessen my glare. He helped me drag the guy here and I appreciated that, but his snide comments weren't doing any good. Rick waved at me, "Victoria. Fix him up."

Glenn came into the RV and Rick turned to shoo him out, but Glenn lifted his hand in a peace offering. He had a bowl of water in his other hand with a rag, "Though you might need this, Tori."

"Thanks, Glenn." I stood and took the bowl from him, giving him a firm smile. What would I do without him? Shane motioned for him to head out and I went back to trying to evaluate his injuries. Using the wet rag, I began to wipe away the dried blood that had crusted on his skin. "I… I think I recognize him."

"What?" Rick pressed and even Shane looked surprised.

I shook my head, "Not…all of him. I just—I think I recognize his tie."

"Anybody could wear a blue tie, Tori." Shane argued.

"Not the tie." I set down the rag and set my hand on the tie which had splattered blood stains on it that had set a long time ago. "The way it's tied, it's backwards."

I let my eyes trace his features again, desperate to recognize something, but still nothing came to me. Suddenly, his eyes snapped forward. My eyes widened at the vibrant blue eyes that were staring up at me. I opened my mouth to react when he grabbed my collar and threw me beside him on the bed. It caught me off guard as he rolled over on top of me with a silver blade held to my throat. I could feel the sharp pinpoint pressed against my skin.

The sound of two guns cocking filled the air as I stared at the man in shock. His gaze was hypnotic. There was a strange energy in his eyes, an old wisdom, that seemed to pierce into you. His lips were drawn in a tight line.

"Get off her, now." Rick growled, each word snapped out with an emphasis that couldn't be ignored. It was only then that I noticed Rick was standing over us, one knee on the bed, and the end of his revolver pressed against the man's skull. As the guy slowly sat up, I took notice of Shane who stood in the corner with his own gun trained on the man's movements.

I rubbed at my neck as Shane came over and grabbed the guy by the back of his jacket collar. Rick reached out for me and when my hand grabbed his he quickly pulled me off the bed and into his side.

"I apologize." The man said slowly, his voice was gravely and deep. "You startled me."

Rick looked to Shane, an unspoken agreement flashing between them, and then Rick put his gun back in his holster. He pushed me to stand behind him and stepped forward to snatch the silver stake of some sort out of the man's hand. It was long, maybe about a foot, and made completely of silver. One end was rounded while the other was sharpened into the stake form.

"Who the hell are you?" Shane barked.

"My name is…" He paused and his eyes narrowed, as if he had to grasp for the information, "Castiel." It was an odd name and I found no recognition in it. He lifted a hand making Rick and Shane flinch, but he just slowly set his hand on the side of his abdomen, "I am in pain."

The statement came out as one of surprise. As if he didn't understand the concept of it. He pulled his hand back and it was wet with blood. With wide eyes, I pushed past Rick who tried to grab me again. I gave him a smile, "I'm fine. I just startled him is all, let me fix him up. Please."

Rick looked like he wanted to argue, but Lori's voice cut through the air, "Rick! Shane! Come here!"

"I'm fine. I have my knife." I nodded. Shane took my word for it and ran out of the RV. Rick hesitated a moment before taking out his revolver and holding it out to me. I raised an eyebrow at him, "Rick, you need it."

"For an emergency. I got my rifle outside and I'll be back for this in a minute." Rick said firmly. I took the heavy gun from him, weighing it in my hand, and Rick turned to Castiel who was still standing there with a look of pained confusion on his features, "If you hurt her—"

"I understand." Castiel replied.

"Rick!" Lori called again.

Rick gave my shoulder a squeeze then ran out. I set the revolver on the edge of the bed and began to help Castiel out of his trench coat and suit jacket. He didn't fight me on this and slowly sat down when I motioned for him to.

"Where are we?"

I unbuttoned his shirt as he just stared at me, "A good bit outside of Atlanta. We got stuck on a highway, I found you lying on the hood of a car."

It grew quiet between us as I focused on his wounds. For the most part, he wasn't injured too badly. He was well built in a slim way and my eyes narrowed in on the gash on his right side. It wasn't too deep or too long. Stitches wouldn't be needed, thank goodness, but it definitely needed cleaning. I murmured a warning before pressing against the wound with an alcohol-soaked rag. He hissed sharply but didn't flinch away.

"Sorry." I mumbled and put a bandage over the wound, so it'd stay clean. Castiel hadn't mentioned anything about knowing me which really was a huge bummer. I don't know what I expected or hoped for, but this wasn't it. I guess a part of me thought maybe he'd wake up and recognize me somehow. My eyes darted to his other side where he had a dark tattoo. It was on the smaller side, a phrase of some sort, but the lettering looked similar to the shapes on my knife. "This tattoo…" My fingers brushed against it and he flinched. Quickly I pulled my hand back, "What do the symbols mean?"

"I have a tattoo?" He questioned and glanced down at himself.

"You don't… remember?"

"I'm finding it difficult to remember a lot of things." Castiel's face scrunched up in frustrated concentration. I watched curiously as he stared off into nothing a look of worry starting to settle over his features.

I cleared my throat, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was…" Castiel began but he flinched in pain, his hand lifting to grip his temple, "I don't know. I do not know where I was or… what I was doing. Why… Why can't I remember anything?"

There was fear in his eyes, panic, and it made me feel…wrong. I didn't know why, but I didn't like seeing him so lost. Without hesitation, I moved to sit beside him, my leg pressed against his. He looked up at me, eyes narrowed, but he didn't move away.

"I can't remember anything either. I woke up in the middle of nowhere, wounded, and disoriented." I admitted. "I thought… I thought I recognized you, but from the looks of it you don't know me or… or you can't."

Castiel shook his head again but didn't speak up. He just continued to stare at me. His magnetizing, dark blue eyes studying me intensely. He was unfamiliar, but his gaze didn't feel uncomfortable. There was a nagging at the back of my brain, like a scratch I couldn't quite reach, that told me something was off here.

"When will I get my weapon back?"

I blinked it shock at the sudden question and shrugged, "Um, whenever we know we can trust you. Can't blame us for being cautious."

"Did you take something else from me?"

"Er, no?"

Castiel lifted his hand to his person, his confused look growing, "I am not complete. Something is missing."

I hummed, "Vague." It seemed like there were no more wounds on him that were actively bleeding or needed stitches, so I helped him back into his shirt. I cleared my throat, "If anyone asks you about us knowing each other, or me recognizing you, just ignore it. I think that's for the best."

"Why?"

"So, we can focus on surviving." I chuckled humorlessly, "Apocalypse is rough enough without this sketchy situation adding to the danger."

Castiel paused in buttoning up his shirt, "Apocalypse. That sounds familiar."

"Uh, yeah. Walkers. Dead rising and eating people. The world ended. Do you remember that?"

"No." Castiel shook his head and continued to fix his shirt. I let out a huff of air and stood up. He was just like Rick and I, and something was telling me that wasn't a coincidence. It was too weird to be a coincidence. There was something fishy about all of this, but I didn't have all the puzzle pieces to put together what the hell was going on.

The sound of the RV opening made me glance back just in time to see Andrea come in. She paused by the table to glare at me and Castiel before sitting down to tinker with her gun.

"She doesn't look happy." I jumped in surprise at the closeness of his voice. Castiel had risen and was now standing right behind me a little too close not that he seemed to notice.

"Um, yeah no." I turned around and took a step back, "Not many people were happy with the decision to bring you in. They're worried and on edge just—just lay low for a little while, ok?"

Castiel nodded, "I understand. Thank you."

"Fixing you up was nothing."

"Thank you for taking me in." He clarified. "For helping me. I am in your debt."

I reached out to brush my hand against his stained shirt and trench coat, "We need to find you some new clothes. You look like shit." Movement from the side window caught my eye and the sight of a stumbling figure made it feel like the air had been sucked out of my lungs entirely. "Walkers. Andrea."

Andrea heard my whispered panic and she threw herself to the floor. Castiel turned curiously, but I grabbed him by the coat and dragged him to the floor with me. He opened his mouth to speak, but I slapped my hand against his mouth and pleaded with my eyes for him to not make a sound. I watched Andrea crawl into the bathroom then slowly I reached forward to close the curtain of the bedroom so we'd be hidden further.

I moved to grab Rick's gun but hesitated. It hadn't just been one walker lurching past us. I had spotted at least three, and the sounds of the groans from outside made me think we had a mass of them surrounding us. If I fired this gun, it would catch the attention of every single monster in the vicinity. The moment a bullet left this gun I'd be signing the death certificate of every human on this highway.

Decision made, I left the gun on the bed and grabbed the knife sticking out of my boot. Castiel gave me an odd look then his eyes landed on the blade and widened in some form of slight recognition. Did he recognize the weird markings on my knife?

The sound of a gurgling groan interrupted any thought I had. Dragging footsteps got louder as a walker made its way onto the RV. Andrea never closed the main RV door when she came in. I bit my lower lip and pressed my back against the wall where Castiel and I sat hidden. With every shuffled footstep the panic in my chest grew. The tinkling of metal hitting metal was lightly heard between the shuffling and I realized Andrea was doing something in the bathroom. It sounded like she was trying to put her gun together and I prayed she'd stop before it got us all killed.

The curtain I pulled close began to bulge out as something pushed against it. It was coming in. The walker was stepping into the room, and with a few more inches the curtain would shift to the side and it would see us cowering in the corner. My grip on the knife tightened in anticipation as I forced myself to a standing position. Castiel followed my lead and I wondered if his legs were shaking as badly as mine.

Something metal fell against the tile floor of the bathroom and the walker whipped around. The curtain fell back into place as the walker slammed itself into the bathroom door with a growl. Andrea let out a cry of fear as the walker tried to get at her. Before I could move to help, Castiel snatched the knife from my hand and rushed forward without hesitation.

I followed behind him as he slid the curtain open and dove forward, burying the knife into the walker's head all the way to the hilt. The walker crumpled to the ground and Castiel just stood there staring at the decaying body. I pushed past him to slide the bathroom door open. Andrea was sitting on the floor trying to calm herself down, parts of her gun scattered around her. I reached my hand out to her, "Are you alright?"

She nodded and I pulled her to her feet. We tried to stay as quiet as possible. The groans surrounding the RV had disappeared, but they couldn't have gotten very far yet.

"Thanks, Cas." I breathed.

"I do remember this." Castiel hummed in thought. "These creatures."

I scoffed and tried to calm my racing heart. The adrenaline from the situation was still racing through my veins, "Yeah, the dead that don't stay dead."

"We call them walkers, sometimes geeks… Thank you." Andrea was facing Castiel now. Her features softer than I had seen them in ages. She gave him a broad smile that I raised my eyebrow at. "My name is Andrea."

She was friendly now. I couldn't even find the energy to let any thoughts go to it. At least this had won Castiel some trust. That's be helpful in the long run. While she continued to thank him, I walked back to grab Rick's gun so I'd have it on me at the very least. Then I went back to the body to get my knife.

"I am Castiel and these are the forgotten souls." He replied with no nonsense. I gave him a questioning look while pulling the knife out of the skull of the dead walker, flinching at the disgusting sound, and he continued, "The souls were left behind, they are rotting."

Andrea and I shared a skeptical glance. She gave a small shrug before looking back to him, "Well, everyone calls them something different I suppose."

Silence had fallen again as we just stood there collecting out thoughts. The quiet disappeared as quickly as it had come. A sharp, shrill scream of what sounded like a small girl ran through the air. My heart stopped.

Sophia.

I didn't wait for Andrea or Castiel. Instead, I sprinted off the RV to where I had heard the scream come from. It was down the road in the distance. There were no walkers in my line of sight, and I could hear Castiel and Andrea running behind me.

Finally, I made it to where the rest of the group had gathered by the metal railing separating the road from the dense Georgia forest off to the side. Lori was holding onto a hysterical, sobbing Carol. Dale stepped up beside me and it was only then that I realized he climbed off the top of the RV to follow us.

"What happened?!" Andrea demanded.

"My baby!" Carol continued to sob into Lori who was still unsuccessfully trying to console her.

"Two walkers chased after Sophia. Rick is running after her." Lori explained with a shake of her head. Her eyes trailed over us and they hardened when they landed on me. There was a sudden anger in her gaze that I didn't understand until she spoke, "You have his gun!?" I glanced down at my hand where I held his usual weapon. "He's out there without a weapon now!?"

I shook my head, a lump forming in my throat, "I didn't… He gave it to me for emergencies. He said he'd come right back for it—he said he had his rifle."

Lori let go of Carol to point to Glenn, "You mean that one?!" I glanced over at Glenn to see he was indeed holding the rifle that Rick had assured me he had. A sudden sick feeling rose up in me. Rick was out in the woods trying to save Sophia and he didn't have a weapon. Granted, the gun was a bad choice right now, but it was better than nothing. It'd be worth the risk of using if it meant saving poor Sophia. Lori stormed over and snatched the gun out of my hand, "I can't believe how selfish you've been today."

The insult took me by surprise, and I couldn't even form a coherent response. Castiel stepped forward and I noticed he stood partly in front of me so Lori couldn't glare down at me. He spoke firmly, in his gravelly voice, "This Rick, he gave her his gun because of me and he has my blade."

Lori turned her attention to him and looked like she wanted to yell at him as well, but Shane stepped forward with a shake of his head, "Everyone calm down. Lori, he couldn't use a gun right now anyways. He fires a shot and that herd would come back with a vengeance." Shane gave her a hardened look before tilting his head toward Castiel, "Now the doc's little patient is right. Rick took some silver looking stake from the guy and it was sharp. Rick could do some damage with that if he needed to."

"Shouldn't we go out there after them? What if they need help?" I found my voice again.

"You volunteering?" Andrea sneered.

It was the last straw. My hands balled into fists, one still holding my knife, and I pushed past Castiel heading straight for the metal railing. Before I got far someone was calling out to me. Everyone turned at the sound of Daryl's voice.

"Hey, I need help." Daryl was half dragging T-Dog toward the group. My eyes widened at the sight of a pale T-Dog who was covered in blood. He held his arm tightly, but his hand didn't hide the long, deep gash from wrist to elbow.

Glenn settled his hand on my shoulder, "Rick is ok. T-Dog needs you here though."

I sucked in sharp breath and stepped toward them, "We gotta get T-Dog to the RV now." Glenn rushed to Daryl and grabbed T-Dog's opposite side so they could drag him to the RV faster. It was a mirror to what happened earlier today almost. "Cas, you're with me."

While the guys got T-Dog settled on the ground outside the RV, I ran in to grab the first aid kit. When I jogged back out Castiel was staring down at T-Dog who looked on the edge of blacking out.

I dug through the kit as I moved forward, "I'm out of suture material."

"Sunshine, you kiddin' me?" Daryl scoffed.

"Your name is sunshine?" Castiel questioned. It dawned on me only then that I had never actually told Castiel my name. He hadn't asked for it either though. Things were just happening so fast today. Daryl stepped away from T-Dog to get into Castiel's face with a glare. He must have taken Castiel's comment as one of mocking. Castiel stared at Daryl in confusion, "I—I don't understand. Why is he staring at me like this?"

"Just stop." I shoved them apart and set the first aid kit down. I glanced around and when I found no spare rag, I instead grabbed my knife to make a cut on my shirt and then tugged on it as hard as I could. I ripped the lower half of my shirt off, leaving my midriff bare, and used the baggy, spare cloth to tightly wrap around T-Dog's arm.

"You have a problem with keepin' your clothes on or somethin'?" Daryl questioned with another scoff. The pressure was lessening the bleeding though so me wrecking my shirt had some advantage. Another loud wail from Carol could be heard from down the road. "Damn it. They're gonna bring back all the walkers."

"That was Carol." Glenn said softly, in pain. We shared a look of knowing. That wail hadn't been a good one. It was the kind you'd hear after terrible news.

Seconds later, Rick and Shane were running to the RV. My eyes widened at the sight of Rick. Shane spoke up first, "Daryl, Glenn, let's go. We need to track Sophia down."

Rick's face was worn down with grief and dread. His eyes landed on T-Dog and shock mixed with the other features, "What happened?"

"Never mind that. I have it covered, find Sophia." I said firmly to reassure him. "Lori has your gun."

It took Rick a moment to grasp my words, but once he did he nodded and turned to run off with the other three men. Now it was just Castiel and I trying to keep T-Dog from dying of blood loss. I took a steadying breath and turned to Castiel, "Ok, Cas I need your help right now."

"Of course, sunshine. Anything."

"Tori. Call me Tori." I groaned. "Now, I need you to dig around the cars in this area and look for dental floss or fishing wire. I need to suture him up once the bleeding stops a little more."

Castiel narrowed his eyes, "I'm not sure I know what floss is."

"Do you know what fishing wire is?"

"I think so."

"String, just find me something string like, Cas."

He nodded once and then turned to run off. I turned back to T-Dog, beyond exhausted, and pulled the shirt away from his wound to take a look at it. T-Dog chuckled weakly, "That guy is something else."

I laughed alongside him. He needed to stay conscious with me, "Yeah. His name is Castiel. Cas for short."

"Weird name." T-Dog's eyes fluttered, but he kept talking, "Cut myself on a ripped car door. Can you believe that?"

"Accidents happen." I comforted him. The wound was ugly, but luckily it wasn't as deep as it had originally looked. It also seemed like he had somehow managed to miss the vital vessels thankfully. Hell, if he had hit one of them, he would've died before Daryl ever got him to me. This was manageable. This, for the circumstance, was the best-case scenario. Castiel jogged back up after a moment with a light blue bedsheet in his arms. "Cas?"

"I couldn't find any string like material, but you tore your shirt for cloth. I thought this might suffice as a substitute for now?"

I blinked in thought, "Actually, it might."

Castiel helped me rip the sheet into long strips. After cleaning T-Dog's wound as best I could, I used the strip to tie up his arm in intervals to prevent the wound from hanging open.

"Listen, T, this is the best we can do for now. As soon as we get the materials, I'm gonna fix you up, but until then you need to be careful."

T-Dog's eyes were closed, but he was awake, "That's fine. I feel better."

"Well, you're not better yet." I emphasized. Castiel helped me get T-Dog into the RV so he could lie down on the bed and rest. While in the RV, I grabbed the bag I had taken off the side of the road and quickly changed into one of the new t-shirts. When I stepped outside, I realized Castiel was still running around in his bloody clothes.

I nodded at him, "You need to go find yourself some new clothes." A gut call was made in that moment and I pulled my knife out of my boot to hand to him. He stared at it in surprise before cautiously taking it. "Head back out to the cars and find you something. Stay close and be careful. And please—" I furrowed my brow at him, "Don't make me regret putting this much trust in you this fast. I can't have this bite me in the ass."

"I won't. Thank you, Tori." Castiel gave me a soft smile before heading toward the other cars.

Dale came over and gave my shoulder a tight squeeze before walking into the RV saying he was going to watch over T-Dog. Some others had drifted toward the RV as well. Lori still stood with Carol, one arm over her shoulders, as the older woman stared out over the cars waiting anxiously.

Shane and Glenn came back and everyone watched as they stopped to talk to Carol quietly. She began to cry again, burying her face into Lori's shoulder. The guys awkwardly walked toward where I stood with Andrea and Carl.

Glenn nodded at me, "T-Dog?"

"He's gonna be ok. I couldn't suture him up, but I did what I could. We need to find some medical supplies soon so I can fix him up right." I sighed. "Plus, if we could get our hands on some antibiotics that would be ideal. Whatever he cut his arm on couldn't have been clean." I glanced over at Shane before looking back to Glenn, "Sophia?"

The question wavered as it came out of my mouth. Glenn shook his head, but Shane was the one to speak, "Everything is fine. Rick and Daryl are still looking." Shane motioned to the rest of the group, "All y'all, Rick and Daryl are gonna find Sophia and once they do we need to get outta here. Let's go back to scavenging. Get the RV ready to travel."

While others began to move around, Glenn leaned down toward me, "Where'd that guy go?"

"Castiel." Andrea interrupted, "His name is Castiel."

Shane suddenly turned on me, as if just remembering the stranger, "You let him outta your sight?"

I sighed, not feeling up to this specific argument, "He's just looking for some clothes. He's a good guy."

Lori scoffed, "You can't know that. Not for sure."

"He saved Andrea." I pointed to the blonde and she nodded in confirmation, "And she helped me take care of T-Dog. He doesn't mean us harm."

Shane let it go and slowly people went back to work. I rubbed my face with my hands and tried to will away the headache I was beginning to get. Glenn gave me a reassuring smile that I briefly returned before looking out amongst the highway we had taken place in. Maybe Lori had been right about this place. Maybe it was a graveyard.

Hours had passed. The skies shifted from a vibrant blue to a warm, amber as the sun began to sink below the horizon. The group on the highway had worked hard during the hours pushing cars out of the RV's way while Glenn and Dale worked on the RV's engine itself. Carol stayed in the same spot the entire time just waiting for Rick and Daryl to come back with her little girl. It was painful to watch her suffer.

After helping Shane push one last car off the road I came back to stand with T-Dog and Castiel who watched Dale and Glenn work. Andrea, Lori, and Carl were inside the RV last I checked.

Castiel had changed clothes entirely, he now wore plain jeans with a t-shirt and a button up shirt open over it. The heat didn't seem to bother him all that much. He didn't bother rolling up the sleeves of said button up shirt. I think he had even found a pair of boots to wear, thought he mentioned they were a size too small. Still better than dress shoes.

"It's getting late. What's taking them so long?" I whispered so Carol wouldn't hear me worry. She didn't need to add anything to her own fears.

T-Dog, who looked significantly better since my patch job, shrugged, "No idea. Hopefully, they found Sophia and now they're just trying to get back." He glanced at me and put on a weak smirk, "You worried about Daryl?"

Castiel spoke up, "I believe she is concerned about them all."

"Yeah, T-Dog. I'm worried about them all." I replied firmly, choosing to ignore the tone at which he had asked his original question. T-Dog took any chance he could to mock me about my friendship with the redneck. Not that I could even really call it a friendship. What do you call a relationship where one person just barely tolerates the other? T-Dog snickered to himself, shaking his head, and I narrowed a glare at him, "Don't shake your head at me, mister."

There was a comfortable silence for a minute before Andrea tore out of the RV looking irritated and worked up. Good Lord, now what? She stormed to the front of the RV where Dale was elbow deep into the vehicle and Glenn was holding a box of something for the older man.

"Where's my gun? You have no right to take it." She snapped. Dale stopped his work casually and just gave her a curious look. Glenn, on the other hand, wordlessly back stepped away from the situation until he was standing between me and Castiel.

I chuckled, "Nice escape."

Glenn gave me a sheepish smile. Dale cleared his throat, "You don't need that just now. Do you?"

"My father gave it to me. It's mine."

"I can hold onto it for you."

"Or you can give it back to me."

The back and forth was dizzying, Dale's voice was soft and tried to offer comfort while Andrea's was sharp and angry. It was a blunt contrast. Dale's tone only seemed to work the woman up more though. Shane suddenly made his way over with his hands in his pockets.

"Everything cool?" Shane questioned in a way that screamed 'I used to be an officer of the law'.

Andrea crossed her arms, "No. I want my gun back."

"I don't think that's a good idea right now." Dale replied back.

Shane nodded once, "Why not?"

The older man sighed and turned to face Shane entirely, "I'm not comfortable with it."

Andrea let out a loud scoff while Shane looked back and forth between the two. The ex-officer grunted before continuing, "The truth is, less guns we have floating around camp the better."

"You turning over your weapon?" Andrea asked him smugly.

Shane chuckled, "No. But I'm trained in its use. That's what the rest of y'all need is proper training, but until that time I think its best if Dale keeps them all accounted for."

Andrea rolled her eyes and stormed away. I had to bite back the urge to scoff aloud at her behavior. Shane was right. The last thing we needed was guns in the hands of people who had no idea what they were doing with them. Especially since we now knew that walkers liked to gather in hoards like the one that passed us. I glanced back to Dale to see a look of hurt on his features. My heart ached for him. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the older man cared for Andrea almost like a daughter. I hated seeing Andrea scorn that care.

"Mind telling me what that's all about?" Shane asked Dale. Before he could reply, Carol let out a small cry and we all turned to see two familiar figures come into our view.

Any relief I felt was quickly diminished when my mind registered only the figures of two grown men. There was no small girl with them. Carol began to sob heavily but between her breaths she spoke, "You didn't find her?"

Rick's white t-shirt was covered in dirt and dark blood. His face was drawn in tight exhaustion with regret painted over it, "Her trail went cold. We'll pick it up at first light."

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods!" Carol pleaded. The imagery of Sophia alone in the dark, thick Georgia woods made me feel ill.

Daryl shook his head, "Out in the dark's no good." His dark green sleeveless button up was just as filthy as Rick's clothes. "We'd just be trippin' over ourselves. More people get lost."

"But she's 12!" Carol cried again, "She can't be out there on her own! You didn't find anything?"

"I know this is hard but—but I'm asking you not to panic." Rick held his hand out desperately, "We know she's out there."

Daryl nodded, "Tracked her for a while."

Rick continued to reach out for Carol, who Lori was now holding tightly, "We have to make this an organizedeffort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."

Carol didn't immediately reply. She looked back out into the forest briefly then back to the men. Her eyes widened, "Is—Is that blood?"

Rick paused, hesitant, "We took down a walker."

"Walker?!" Carol gasped, fear overcame her yet again and she nearly collapsed in Lori's grip, "Oh my God."

"There was no sign it was anywhere near Sophia." Rick said firmly.

Andrea's skeptical voice pitched in, "How can you know that?"

Daryl took on the question, "We cut the sum bitch open."

Carol sat down looking more lost than I've seen anyone before. It hurt to see her in so much pain and I couldn't even bear to try and put myself in Sophia's shoes. The poor girl has to be so terrified.

"How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" Carol's voice snapped me out of my haze. I blinked in shock at the statement. She was hurting. She was scared. Her child was lost, and I could understand that, but blaming Rick would bear no positive outcome. "How could you just leave her!?"

Rick ran after Sophia. He was out there before anyone else, and I had no doubt that he did all that he could. I watched as his face fell. He looked devastated with guilt.

"Those two walkers were on us." Rick's voice was desperate. "I had to draw them off. It was her only chance."

"Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane chimed in.

"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own?" Carol demanded. Rick knelt down in front of her, it almost look like he had collapsed, he continued to look up at her in pain and regret. "She's just a child. She's just a child!"

"It—It was my only option. The only choice I could make."

Shane set a hand down on Rick's shoulder, "I'm sure nobody doubts that."

Rick stood back up quickly, rubbing at his face as if trying to wipe away the stress of the day. Carol began to sob again. Her words, 'my little girl got left in the woods', sounding like a haunting wail in the air. Rick turned on his heel and stalked away without a sound. I glanced around the group to see no one seemed to care that Rick was going off to bury himself in more unnecessary guilt. My eyes landed on Lori who rubbed Carol's arm. It was good she was there for Carol, but Lori hadn't said a single word in her husband's defense. I clenched my jaw in frustration.

I turned to Castiel and gave him a tight smile, "I'll be right back. I'm gonna get you your weapon back."

"What?"

I could feel some eyes on my back as I marched in the direction Rick had left in. It took a minute or two, Rick had put a good bit of distance between him and the group, but I finally found him leaning against a gutted SUV with his face buried in his hands.

"Rick." I said softly.

His head snapped up in surprise, the exhaustion even more pronounced, and he shook his head at me, "I didn't hear you coming."

"I'm light on my feet." I replied and came to stand in front of him. I leaned against the car behind me so we were only a couple feet apart. Rick didn't acknowledge me again. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed and sucked in sharp breath. I crossed my arms, "I came for Cas' weapon."

"Cas?" Rick questioned. He opened his eyes and I watched as realization came over his face, "The guy you saved."

I nodded, "His name is Castiel. Cas for short. He's a good guy. Saved Andrea, helped me with T-Dog." I listed the same things I had told the group then added, "I…I trust him."

"He's lucky you found him." Rick gave me a small smile. It didn't reach his eyes. He reached behind him and pulled out the long silver stake that he must have been keeping in his belt. It was an odd weapon, but it looked useful.

Rick handed it over to me and as I took it from him, I watched as the last of the sun's rays bounced off the reflective surface. I cleared my throat, "Rick, none of this is your fault."

"Victoria."

"No." I cut him off firmly. "It isn't. You chased after her. You were the only one who chased after her, and like you said you did the best you could in that shitty situation you were handed."

Rick rubbed the back of his neck, "Maybe I shouldn't have left her, like they said."

"Yeah, because it would've been safer for her to run alongside you as you single handedly tried to fight off two walkers." I shook my head and pushed myself off the car to come a little closer to him. "I know as the leader of this makeshift little group you think you have to shoulder everything." I glanced down at my feet guiltily, "And I know I made it worse and added more to the pile when I told you about what Jenner said to me."

"That's not—"

"But this guilt doesn't belong to you." I cut him off again.

Rick stared at me for a long moment before nodding once in appreciation, "Thank you. Thank you, Victoria." He pushed himself off the SUV to stand straight. Rick sighed, "The Jenner thing though, I'm glad you told me. You shouldn't have to deal with that alone."

I smiled, "You're right. I'll keep coming to you with things like that if you promise to come to me with the stuff you shouldn't have to deal with alone too."

Rick chuckled, "Deal."

"Now, come on." I tilted my head toward where the RV was in the distance, "You should get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is gonna be a really long day."

"You're probably right on that." Rick walked alongside me.

"I'm right about everything, Rick."

The sky was thick with smoke. Not the black, noxious clouds of a fresh flame, but rather the cool gray wisps of whatever was left over. It stained the aqua colored sky as much as the gaping, charred hole in the ground below scarred the ground.

The Winchesters hadn't been in Atlanta when the explosion occurred. Hell, they hadn't even been near it. Gabriel had forced them down a side road to investigate a small town in the far outskirts of where they should've been. By the time they did get around to Atlanta they had lost a day and a half of time they could've spent looking for Madison.

"What the hell even happened here?" Dean asked aloud as he pulled the Impala up to the edge of the street. He stared out at the warzone.

Sam cleared his throat and motioned out the front windshield where a large 'Center for Disease Control' sign sat by a gate. It was untouched by the fire, but it looked like debris from the explosion had taken out the security booth by the gate.

"Well, why's the CDC a crater in the ground?"

"They're rigged to blow when completely out of all back up power. Get rid of all the dangerous samples inside."

Dean gave his younger brother a sneer, "How do you know things like that?"

"Discovery channel." Sam replied quickly then pushed himself out of the car, "Did Gabriel say he was gonna meet us here?"

Dean scoffed and stepped out himself, a machete in hand and his pistol tucked into his jacket, "The dick didn't say anything."

The moment they had gotten into Atlanta, Gabriel bailed on them. He said something about the city being covered in traces of an unusual power and then ran off without another word. Luckily, Dean was used to not being in the loop of what was going on with archangels and those of that sort. It didn't bother him all too much. Especially since it left him with time to do what he wanted to do.

He had two items on his to-do list: Find Madison and find Castiel.

Dean pointed to the side with his machete, "You check the outskirts, I'll look closer to the crater."

Sam watched as his brother stalked off without another word. He heaved a sigh and slipped his gun into the back of his pants before beginning to look around. Sam let his gaze drift over the various burnt corpses on the ground. At least these bodies weren't getting up and trying to eat him. His mind wandered as his long legs carried him over the burnt, messy lawn. Thoughts of Madison and Castiel made his chest ache so he let his mind drift over facts he had learned from the CDC documentary he watched literal years ago.

His mind was so distracted that he almost walked right by a burnt bookbag without a second glance. However, at last minute he recognized a half-burned patch on the bag. He only knew of it because he had been the one to help the woman iron it onto her bag. In a panicked frenzy, he dropped down to a knee and dug through the destroyed book bag.

A pack of fake IDs scattered across the ground when he dumped the bag out. Most were melted and burned beyond what he could recognize, but there was one fake driver's license that he could make out. The picture showed a young woman with her dirty blonde hair tied up into a high ponytail. Her gray green eyes glowed as she beamed into the camera. Only Madison could look this good in a license. The fake name on the card was Sara Lee.

He held the half-destroyed item in his large hand. Gabriel's words had offered him some comfort, but this felt like a punch in the gut. Had she been here when the CDC exploded? If he looked closer at these burnt corpses, would he find his good friend amongst them?

'Come on, Samsquatch! Hand it over!'

Madison's voice echoed in his skull and he tried not to let his mind fall into one of the many memories he had. The sound of a low gurgling made him glance back to see one of the dead reaching for him. Sam grasped for his machete, but a blade was buried into the top of its skull before he even touched his own blade.

"What the hell, Sammy?" Dean barked in annoyance. "You let a lurker creep up on you?" Sam didn't reply, and when Dean recognized the look of defeat on his baby brother's face, he felt panic settle in his gut. "What? What is it?"

Sam stood up and held out the ID. Dean's eyes widened, and he snatched the card away from him, "She was here, Dean."

"Do you think—" Dean began, fear in his eyes, but he never continued. Instead he shoved the card into his pocket and turned around, "Gabriel!" Sam flinched at the volume, but Dean didn't stop. "Gabriel! You prick! Get your featheryass here now!"

It was silent and Sam didn't think the unorthodox prayer was going to work, but after a moment the sound of wings greeted them. They both whipped around to see Gabriel digging through the burned objects of the bookbag. He grabbed a rock off the ground and Sam narrowed his eyes at it. He hadn't even noticed it before.

"Madison. Was she here!?"

Gabriel stood up, his eyes stuck on the rock, and as Sam watched him look it over, he realized it was half of the tablet Crowley had stolen from him. Sam's eyes widened and he hit his brother in the chest with the back of his hand to try and get him to focus on that. Dean wasn't having any of it though, he stepped forward, "Was she here!?"

"Obviously, you dumbass." Gabriel snapped, looking up from the half-broken tablet. He lifted it up, "Was it always like this?"

Sam shook his head, "Half is gone."

Gabriel groaned in irritation and Dean shook his head, "Is she ok?"

"Deano. How the hell would I know that?" Gabriel scoffed and Sam had to hold his brother back. The archangel rubbed his eyes then shrugged, "Listen, I hope she's ok. I hope my little brother is alright. I hope they're both hanging out somewhere safe in the demented warzone that Georgia now is, but—as bad as this sounds— there are bigger things at hand."

Dean shook his head, "No. That's where you're wrong. I don't give two shits about that damn tablet or what has already happened. We have one priority and it's finding Madison and Cas!"

Gabriel glanced between the two of them. He hummed in disappointment, "Well, I wish you two morons the best of luck."

"What?" Sam questioned, but Gabriel disappeared in front of them with the tablet and he no longer questioned the statement. Dean barked out a curse and Sam dug through the debris to see if there was anything else salvageable. When he didn't find anything, he motioned to the Impala, "Let's hit the road. She was here, if she left after the explosion then we aren't too far behind."

Dean watched his brother walk off. He pulled the ID card out of his jacket and stared down at the photo again. He remembered this day. He remembered making this ID.

'You put my name down as Sara Lee? Did you seriously name me after a company that makes pie? You have a problem, Dean.'

His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes in disappointment. Madison's voice drifted into his head against, this time a different memory.

A more somber one.

'You'll always have my back. Right, Dean?'

Dean snapped his eyes open and stuffed the ID back into his pocket before moving back to his car. His lips were drawn in a line of determination. He promised to always be there, and like hell he was going to like that damned tablet stop him.