Zoe sat with her back to the front door, tears rolling freely down her face. This was her fault. Her father was dying and it was her fault. Alex and Tobias told her what would happen and she didn't listen. She thought she knew better. Now her father was dying. Nothing was stopping her from leaving. She wanted nothing more than to run and hide right now, but the guilt shackled her to the floor and squeezed at her throat until it choked out a sob.

Betty had tried to offer some comfort but Zoe remained in her position. Knowing that her father was slowing fading away in the house next door, she could do nothing more that stare blankly at the wall opposite. The minutes ticked by agonisingly slow leaving Zoe's head swim with taunting voices.

This is all your fault.

They warned you, you stupid girl.

All you had to do was listen

You couldn't just keep your mouth shut, could you?

A faint rap on the door behind her brought her back round to her senses. She stayed still. If she didn't move, if she didn't respond, she wouldn't have to accept it was real. The knock came harder this time, growing impatient. Zoe still didn't move.

Betty entered the hallway and silently offered her hand to the girl. After a brief pause Zoe placed her hand into the older woman's and let herself be pulled to her feet. She stared at the floor. The locks clicked and Betty opened the door to Tobias.

"They sent me over to get you guys." He spoke softly "I think Vincent is ready to...umm... He wants to say goodbye."

The tears continued to stream down her cheeks as Betty began to steer her through to the house next door. She could have ran, she could have protested. But she didn't. Instead, when the door was opened to her father, she stood and watched.

Vincents face was sunken and grey but his cheeks were glowing red with fever. A film of sweat coated his skin. His lips were parted allowing sharp shallow breaths to escape with every heave of his chest. At the faint creak of the door, his eyes fluttered open and he attempted a smile for his daughter. He shifted, appearing to try and sit upright, but a fit of coughs racked his body followed by a groan and grimace from the struggle.

You did this to him.

"Zoe." Vincent murmured "Come here, darling."

She walked towards the couch and knelt down besides him, gripping one of his hands in both her own. With the other hand he took her face and used his thumb to wipe away tear. His hand was clammy but Zoe sobbed and nestled her face into it none the less.

"Hey, it's okay. You're gonna' be okay. Zoe, please look at me. Everything is going to be just fine."

"Can't we clean you up? It doesn't look that bad, I'm sure we can just clean it up and it'll be okay. You'll be okay." She babbled through the tears.

Vincent shook his head.

"Look at me Zoe, this isn't just a wound we can bandage up and go on with our lives. You were at the gate with us when the Sargent told us what getting bit means."

A tear began rolling down his cheek and he made no move to wipe it. Zoe scrunched up her face and buried it into her dads chest as he patted the back of her head in comfort.

"Now I'm not sure how long this takes, but I'm not going to become one of those things. Not while I still have the choice."

"Dad please. This is all my fault, I'm so sorry. Please don't go."

"None of this is your fault. Do you hear me? None of it." Said Vincent, his voice weak yet stern. "You did the right thing telling me, I was stupid out there and I was bitten. This is no ones fault but my own."

Alex shifted in the corner of the room.

No, it's my fault.

She kept asking you to not go, but you didn't listen.

You knew how dangerous it was out there and now Vincent is dying for a few cans of beans.

Death wasn't as beautiful or peaceful as she had previously imagined. Vincent had been writhing and groaning for an hour, his body trying to burn out the infection pumping through his veins. He was already a corpse and they were just waiting for his pulse to stop. He was in so much pain. Every breath, every slight movement, caused a murmur of agony. Vincent was suffering and it never seemed to end.

Alex had never lost anyone before. Yes, there had been distant old relatives and family pets, but nothing like this. Vincent was her fathers best friend- there were old pictures of Vincent holding her in the hospital on the day she was born. He wasn't gone yet but Alex's was already mourning the summer days she spent in Zoe's back garden when they were children. Vincent would chase them with a hose pipe as they fought back with water pistols until he surrendered and dropped to the floor when they shot him.

Now they had real guns and Vincent was really dying.

Her chest felt tight as she watched Zoe sob into Vincent's chest and more tears began streaming down the dying mans face.

You did this to them.

"You can't blame yourself." He said, raising his daughters head to look her in the eye. He then turned his head to Alex. "And you, I can see it on your face. You can't blame yourself either. Going outside the fence without telling us was stupid, but the way you handled yourself out there wasn't. You and Tobias kept us fed. Kept us alive. You saw the way things were way before any of us did. So, whatever happens next, neither of you can blame yourselves. This was my mistake and I'm paying the price."

Zoe's arms tightened around her father as she nodded silently. Alex's head was pounding and tears threatened to spill over but she kept her composure by nodding.

"Dan, mate. Remember when we were back in high school and we read that story about the man who killed his best friend because there was a mob of people out to try and kill him? And the guy knew that he couldn't stop them killing his friend so he shot him instead, because he knew that they wouldn't have given him a quick death. It would've been slow and painful."

"And after that we promised each other that if the other was ever suffering that bad, we'd end it for them." Daniel finished sadly "Yeah, I remember."

"You're my best friend. I love you like the brother I never had." Vincent choked out through the tears "I can't let you do something like that, not while I still can do it myself."

"And I love you too mate. I'll stay with you, I promise."

"You don't have to do that. But please, promise me you'll look after Zoe. She's your God daughter and she won't have anyone after I'm gone."

Zoe sniffled at her fathers words.

"Of course we will. We're her family and she'll have us to look after her."

"And Zoe, darling. I am so proud of you, sweetie. I remember the day I found out we were having you and I was terrified. I was so terrified that you'd be just like me and I'd never cope. But you were so much more. You are so much kinder and smarter and gentler than I could ever be. You and your sister became the reason for breathing and I never want you to forget how much I love you. I love you so much."

Vincent was crying freely now with Zoe in his arms.

"I love you too, Dad. Please don't go, I'm scared."

"Hush now. You'll be just fine here with the group. They'll look after you and keep you safe. And I know you're scared, I'm terrified. But you have to promise me you'll keep going. When I was out there and looked into the dead eyes of a walker I realised that the world will never snap back to what it was a few weeks ago. You're scared and upset but you'll have to turn it into something else. Keep learning how to shoot. And keep looking out for one another. You need each other more than anything now."

Vincent's voice had began to trail off and his eyes had drifted shut once more.

"Hey mate, try to keep your eyes open." Peter said, squeezing his good shoulder.

"I think... I think it's time for me to go." Vincent whispered.

"No Dad, please! Please no, please don't go" Zoe begged, almost in hysterics while clinging onto his shirt.

"Zoe, please. I have to do this, I can't become one of them. I have to die while I'm still me. Please."

Alex took a shaky breath and stepped forward.

"Come on Zoe, lets go sit in the garden. We don't want to see this."

Zoe whipped round to Alex causing her to stumble back. She was on her feet and for a second Alex thought Zoe was going to hit her. But instead, she threw herself into the taller girls arms and continued to sob.

Vincent caught Alex's hand and mouthed 'Thank you.'

"I'm so sorry this happened to you. If it weren't for you then we'd both be dead. You saved us."

"Please don't be sorry. The fact that you and the boy are both alive and safe shows that I made the right decision by following you. And I'd do it again. Ten times over."

"Thank you." Alex said, allowing one rouge tear to escape as she squeezed Vincent's hand.

It didn't feel like enough. She wanted to thank him for all the happy memories and scream about how this world wasn't fair. She wanted to breakdown and cry with Zoe. But she needed to be strong. For Zoe and for Vincent. Vincent didn't want his daughter to be witness to the events that were to follow, and Alex needed to be there for her friend.

Zoe kissed her fathers head and Vincent then kissed hers back. They both mumbled a final 'I love you' before Alex guided Zoe out into the garden.

They sat on the step outside holding one another. Zoe cried violently while gasping for air. Alex just stared blankly ahead, rubbing her friends arms in comfort. Peter and Daniel promised to stay with Vincent in his final moments to say there own goodbyes. They were losing a life long friend.

The seconds ticked by once more.

The garden was peaceful. Too peaceful compared to the horrors unfolding inside the house. Flowers still grew in the flowerbed and a bird still flitted between trees. Mother Nature wouldn't stop to mourn the loss of just one person. People die every day.

Any minute now.

This was different. This was one of their own. A life cut short because two teenagers thought that they could save the group and face a world of monsters on their own.

Then there's was a gunshot.

And just like that, Vincent was gone.