Safe and Sound

Chapter 2: Hope

"Never have I ever smoked weed." Grace said, holding up both of her hands-three of her fingers down.

"Really?" Amy exclaimed as one of her fingers fell down. "Not even one hit?"

Amy glanced over at Glenn, her eyebrows pulled together and her face bewildered. Glenn's cheeks blushed a light red as none of his fingers moved. Her mouth dropped open.

"Not even you?" Amy said. "What is this? The Camp of the Saints?"

"My dad was a preacher." Grace shrugged innocently.

"Oh god." Amy muttered. "If anyone had told me the world was going to end, I never expected to be sharing the rest of my life with a preacher's daughter."

Grace giggled, not taking it offensively.

"Well, let's hear your excuse." Amy said, looking at Glenn.

"I just…parents were really strict." He muttered out, rubbing the back of his neck.

Grace wanted to laugh at his little lie but restrained herself. Ever since she arrived at camp, her and Glenn had gotten really close. Being in the same tent, they would often talk about their past life or anything in general until one of them fell asleep. It was easier that way than having to listen to the noises from outside. Glenn had told her all about how he was bullied at school for being Asian and a pizza delivery boy. So she doubted he was invited to any parties were drugs and alcohol would be involved.

Amy rolled her eyes but let it go as Glenn and Grace shared a look.

"Glenn's turn." She said.

Glenn paused, thinking of what to say then smirked, "Never have I ever been to a Justin Bieber concert."

Amy looked at him questioningly, none of her fingers dropping, "Are you trying to prolong this game?"

Glenn just smirked as he looked at Grace and watched as she tried to discreetly lower her index finger. Amy turned on her, face shocked and then she groaned.

"Maybe you should go play with the kids over there." Amy picked at her. "No smoking, no drinking and now Justin Bieber concerts?"

Glenn let out a little laugh as Grace blushed, "In my defense, I was there because my parents made me take my little cousins."

Amy gave her a pointed look, not believing her story.

"What are you three doing over there?" Shane yelled out from a distance away. "Isn't there something y'all should be doing?"

Amy rolled her eyes.

"Here comes Deputy Do-Good to ruin all our fun." She muttered under her breath as the three of them stood up from their spot on the ground. Amy left to go into the RV to find her sister and Dale while Glenn muttered something about dirty clothes and ran back to their tent.

Grace stood in her place as she glanced at Shane to see him staring at her intently. She didn't know what he expected her to do. Lori and Carol were teaching the children some math for some reason or another. Ed and Jim were lounging around. Crossbow was nowhere to be seen (she still needed to figure out his name) and his brother was hiding in his tent with some suspicious looking orange bottles.

Grace had been at the camp for about a week and she still wasn't sure what her role here was. She was often helping the women with laundry or rationing food, taking inventory of all things. But they had just made a trip yesterday to the lake to do laundry and the rationing had been done early this morning. She sighed as she continued to look around the camp, hoping to find something to take up her time and get Shane's looming eyes off her back.

She looked towards the woods and realized half of the laundry was still dangling from the three ropes that they had made into a makeshift clothesline using the trees. With a small shrug of her shoulders, she walked towards Lori and Carol. The women greeted her kindly as they noticed her presence near them and she met them with a smile of her own.

"Figured I could take down the laundry from yesterday." She said, explaining why she was interrupting their lesson, "Is there a basket or something I could put the clothes into?"

"We keep the laundry baskets in the RV, dear." Lori answered her, "I'm sure Dale can show you where they are."

"I'll go bother him for them then." Grace smiled, "Thanks!"

The moms went back to their lesson as Grace began her walk over to the RV. The door to the RV was open once she made it up the small incline and she hesitantly stepped inside. She hadn't interacted too much with Dale since arriving, mainly sticking to either helping out the older women or messing around with Amy and Glenn. She should get to know these people more, she thought to herself. She was spending the end of the world with them and she was beyond grateful that they had taken her in. That thought also reminded her that she had yet to thank the Dixon brothers for finding her. She had noticed the way the rest of the camp kept their distance from those two and to be honest, she was a little scared to approach them. They also kept to themselves all the time.

Upon entering the RV, Dale glanced up at her from his seat at the small table next to the tiny kitchen. He put down his book with a smile on his face.

"Well hi there Grace, what a pleasant surprise." Dale said.

Grace blushed a bit at the attention, "Hi, Dale. Lori told me the laundry baskets were in here?"

Dale waved his hand in the air, brushing off her question, "Sure are, but why don't you sit with me for a moment. I haven't gotten a chance to welcome you to our camp yet."

Grace hesitantly took a seat at the table across from him, feeling a bit shy.

"So, how are you settling in here?" Dale asked, peering over at her.

"As good as I can be." Grace answered, her fingers fiddling with Glenn's shirt. There wasn't much extra clothes to go around so Grace was currently wearing a pair of Lori's jeans and one of Glenn's t-shirts. The boy had promised to pick her up some clothes the next time he made a trip into the city.

"You know, I can't lie and say I wasn't surprised when I saw you come through those woods following the Dixon's." Dale laughed causing Grace to smile back at the older man, feeling a bit more relaxed.

"I'm very lucky that they found me when they did." Grace replied, "I was probably days away from death. I've been meaning to thank them for that, just haven't worked up the courage I suppose."

Dale nodded solemnly at the girl's mention of death, "I don't blame you. Those two are a bit rough around the edges and perhaps I, myself, had the wrong impression of them. Certainly didn't expect them to be the type to be looking out for people. They do their part around the camp. They've been a big help to us, despite how they keep to themselves. This has made me reevaluate my feelings towards those two."

Grace had to agree with Dale, "It's like my father always had this saying, 'Just because a book don't have a pretty picture, don't mean it ain't worth reading'."

"Got to agree with your father on that one." Dale said, "Sounds like a smart man. What did he do for a living, if ya' dont mind me asking?"

"He was our town's preacher." Grace answered, smiling softly to herself. She missed her parents more than anything in the world. She wished they could be here right now, safe at the camp with her. She was so lost here. Lost on what to do and how to navigate in this world. She was lucky to have found a friend in Glenn, who was in a similar boat to her. Orphans now.

"Well how about that!" Dale said, "I take it you're religious yourself then?"

Grace nodded quickly. That was the one part of her that she was still so sure of, even now, even after everything. Since the outbreak happened, she had struggled with her own beliefs but knew she would never fully give up on them. It was the last remaining part of her father she had with her and she was not going to let anything take that away from here. Not even this cruel new world.

"You know, if you ever feel up to it, I'm sure there are plenty of people at this camp that would love to talk things out with someone like you." Dale said, "I'm sure you've picked up on a lot of things from your father. I'm sure there are some here who would love some guidance with their faith during a time like this."

Grace stared down at her hands as she took in Dale's words. She wasn't sure she was the right person for that. She was so much younger than these people, hadn't even really had a chance to have a life of her own yet. What knowledge could she possibly have for them? Though perhaps knowledge isn't what Dale was hinting at. Maybe they just needed a bit of hope...a bit of faith to get them through these trying times. Dale was right, her father had taught her a lot of things. Most of everything she knew came from him. Maybe she could help these people in that sense. If only she could get her hands on a bible. This could be a way to keep her father's spirit alive.

She looked back up at Dale, smiling brightly. The man had just given Grace a new purpose, though when she caught the twinkle in his eyes, she figured he probably already knew that.

"I could do that." Grace replied, "I can ask Glenn to keep his eye out for a bible during his runs."

"No need to ask." Dale said, happily, then stood up from his spot at the table. He walked into the back section of the RV and Grace could hear him digging around for a second. When he returned, she could see a thick book in his hands.

He placed the bible down on the table and slid it over to her. It was a plain copy. The shell of the book a soft brown leather, the word 'Bible' printed in gold ink on the front. She hesitantly picked it up, gently opening the cover to see a name written in ink on the first page. Irma.

"It belonged to my wife." Dale said, as he noticed her opening the book, "I was never too religious myself, but my wife was. After she passed, I read that thing from front to back, felt like I owed it to her for never taking much of an interest in it when she was alive."

Grace smiled at him sadly.

"She died before all of this." Dale explained, "Cancer. I bought this RV to travel across the country with her, as her final wish. She didn't make it."

Grace slid her hand over his as the man looked downcast. She gripped it tightly.

"Thank you for this, Dale." Grace said lightly, "I'll be thinking of Irma every time I use this."

Dale smiled at her before patting her hand and standing up.

"Let me get you those laundry baskets." He said, "Lori's probably wondering where you ran off to."

Once Grace had left the RV, she made sure to place Irma's bible safely in the tent she was sharing with Glenn. She was a little bit relieved when she had entered and noticed the boy was off somewhere else. She had spent a bit of time there, alone, reading some passages to herself and crying. It had been a long time since she had the chance to cry. After the first few nights, she had neither the energy nor the time to cry over her parents. She was constantly on the run, hiding and searching for any bits of food or water she could find in the woods. But now that she had some semblance of safety, she couldn't help but cry more. Now not just over her parents, but for Dale's deceased wife. She knew nothing about the woman but holding the bible to her chest now, she couldn't help but feel like she was a long lost friend.

After some time, she fixed herself up and set out to do what she originally had planned, deal with the dried laundry. By the time she had made it over, Lori and Carol were done with their lessons for the kids who were now off playing nearby. Once she had started taking down the clothes from the line, the two women had joined her. They worked in silence for a couple minutes. She glanced over them every once in a while, noticing how tired they both looked.

"You know, if you ever need help with the kids, I'm more than willing to look over them." Grace said suddenly, causing both women to turn to her, "I used to run my church's youth group."

"We could definitely use the help." Lori replied, "Thanks Grace, I'll keep that in mind."

Grace nodded at her and returned to her job of folding clothes.

"We used to go to Church every sunday, me and Sophia." Carol said, "Might be good for the kids to do some bible study, give them a bit of normalcy in this world, maybe even some hope."

"I would be happy to do that." Grace smiled at the older lady.

Lori looked over at the pair of them for a brief minute and then nodded her head, "You're right, might be good for the kids. We can set something up."

This is what Grace wanted...what she needed. She wanted to feel like a part of this group, wanted to contribute something, anything. Kids were easy. Grace had always had an easy time with kids, they always clung to her in some way. This was a good start, she decided, a good start to finally finding her place in the group. Some might consider it useless during this time, but Grace felt the opposite. People needed faith to get them through darkness. Even if they weren't religious or from the same faith, they still needed hope to cling to. Her dad had taught her that.

Grace folded the last shirt that was dangling from the line she was working on and placed it into her basket. She noticed the other two women were about done as well. She stared into the pile of clothes, wondering who they belonged to so she could drop them off. They were all men's clothes, she realized. Mostly flannels with the sleeves torn off.

Lori noticed her looking at her basket, "I believe those belong to the Dixon's."

The two women began to laugh as they noticed the look on Grace's face at her realization.

"Don't worry, they're more bark than bite." Carol reassured the girl, "Just drop it off in front of their tent. The younger one usually returns the basket or leaves it by the RV."

Grace nodded at her and hesitantly picked up the basket. Her heart was pounding in her chest for some reason. She thought back to her talk earlier with Dale. She had no reason to be scared of either of the Dixons. They looked rough but had never done anything to earn them the reputation they had. She still needed to thank them, a week had already passed. She gripped the basket tightly in her fingers and began the walk to their tent which was on the other side of the small hill, still the farthest away from everyone.

Merle was nowhere in sight as their tent finally came into Grace's view. The younger one, who she still hadn't learned the name of, was sitting on a log outside of their tent, a pile of dead squirrels next to him. He appeared to be skinning them. She grimaced as she took in the bloody sight of them. She started closing the distance between the two of them. He never looked up at her or even acknowledged her presence, but for some reason, she knew he knew she was there.

She set the basket down by their tent, "I, uh, I'm just dropping off your laundry."

The man still didn't bother looking in her direction but she did hear a very small, mumbled 'thanks' from under his breath. She gazed at him for a second. He was a lot cleaner today compared to when she had first seen him from up in the trees. His short sandy blonde hair contrasted with his heavily tanned skin and his intense focus was making his jawline prominent. Even so, without all the dirt, he looked younger than she had previously thought he was. She walked up to him, feeling a bit braver now but didn't say anything.

She stood in front of him, trying to find that last bit of courage to finally speak to him.

"What the hell do ya' need?" He garbled, annoyed by her silence, "Can't ya' see I'm busy?"

She fiddled with her clothes, feeling less brave, "I just wanted to thank you, you know, for bringing me here. I don't know if I'd even be alive still if you and your brother hadn't stumbled across me."

He looked at her, the emotion behind his cobalt eyes unrecognizable. He let out a small scoff in her direction before turning back his attention to the squirrel he was working on. She glanced behind him to spot the string of a dozen or so squirrels, all waiting to meet the same fate as the one currently in his hands.

Unnerved by the silence, Grace spoke again, "I was just wondering why you always go hunting for squirrels."

"Why else would I go?" He asked, looking at her as if she was dumb, "So everyon' has sumthin' to eat so they shut the hell up."

"I meant, why don't you hunt for deer or something?" She asked, remembering how her father sometimes brought back dead deer and shriveled her nose.

"Ya' all sorts of dumb, aren't cha'?" He said and she glared at him.

"No need to be so rude." She bit back, "I just meant, there has to be more than squirrels out there."

She gestured to the forest behind them. This forest was much larger than the one behind her house and her dad managed to find deers there.

"Well if ya' think so, why don't ya' go out hunting?" He said harshly.

"Maybe I can teach you how to set up some deer traps." She said, feeling a little insecure because of his tone.

He dropped his knife and looked up at her; his eyes unfriendly.

"Look here, girl" He said, "You ain't got nuthin' ya' can teach me. So why don't ya' run along and go play with them kids or sumthin'."

After his rant he went back to gutting his catch while Grace felt her face grow hot. She wasn't used to being talked to like that and she felt tears of embarrassment pooling in her eyes. She turned away from him and started walking back into camp eager to get away from the cruel man.

She was so lost in her train of thoughts that she hadn't noticed Glenn coming down towards her and she nearly ran straight into him. He noticed the look on her face and steadied her with his hands on her upper arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Grace nodded and tugged her blonde hair out of its ponytail. Glenn didn't look convinced and he glanced behind her to see Daryl watching them from his place in front of his tent.

"Did Daryl say something to you?" He asked.

Grace was confused for a moment, not knowing who Daryl was. She turned to follow his gaze and saw Crossbow glance at her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the squirrels. So, his name was Daryl, she assumed. Daryl Dixon.

"No." She lied, "I'm fine."

"If you're sure." He said, still unconvinced, "Look, if Daryl did say something to you, just ignore him. He's not very nice. Racist, sexist, and just plain mean."

Grace nodded and muttered, "You can say that again."

Glenn chuckled, "Yeah. Anyways, me and a few others are going into town for some supplies soon. I'll look for some clothes for you while we're there. Anything I should look out for?"

Grace paused in thought, "I'll take anything you can get your hands on. Particularly a pair of shoes."

She looked down at her worn, bare feet. No one had any extra shoes on them and she only had her silver high heels from homecoming.

Glenn nodded, taking another glance at Daryl's tent behind her before moving his arm around the girl's shoulder, "Alright, let's head back. Maybe Shane's off doing his rounds in the woods and we can get back to our game with Amy."

Grace laughed and let the boy drag her back towards the main camp.

Grace laughed as she danced alongside Abby, her hips swaying to the music and her blue dress flowing with her movement. So far, the dance hadn't been particularly spectacular. The theme this year had been "Midnight Renegade" and some lights had been strung along the gym ceiling and a dj was stationed on a platform somewhere. Other lights lit the floor in colors of purple, red and white. Her school couldn't afford much else for a dance, so she supposed this was the best they could do.

But being here surrounded by her friends, she was having the time of her life.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Bobby standing off the dance floor, his gaze catching hers. She smiled lightly and whispered to her friends that she would be back, but she doubted they heard her over the music. They didn't appear to care as they continued dancing with each other as she walked off. Bobby met her halfway, taking her small hand in his.

"Having fun?" He asked, casually.

She nodded with the same small smile, "One of the best nights."

"I'm glad." He said, and then rubbed the back of his neck looking unsure.

Grace looked at him a little confused, wondering what he wanted to say to her.

"Is there something you wanted to say, Bobby?" She asked lightly, and her voice seemed to give him a little bit of courage.

"Look Grace, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." He said, looking straight into her eyes. She nodded at him to keep going, feeling her heart rise and butterflies come to life in her stomach.

"Ever since I saw you, I've always thought you were the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He said his voice low.

She smiled at him but didn't say anything as she knew he had more to say.

"And I've always wanted to have the chance to talk to you, to get to know you." He said. "And I'm happy I had the chance to do that this year."

Her smile grew a little bigger.

"And after all this time, I began to realize something." He said, "I-"

Suddenly he was cut off as the music shut off and people began screaming. Both Grace and Bobby looked around in shock and fear as people began running. Suddenly a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Please remain calm and report to the underground shelter for tornados." The voice of her principal said. "I repeat, please remain calm and report to the underground shelter for tornados."

"What's going on?" Grace yelled over the commotion, her hand still in Bobby's.

"I don't know." He said.

Suddenly someone screamed from nearby them and she looked over to see a person grabbing a girl from her science class and biting into her neck. Blood spilled out from the wound and splashed onto the floor. Grace looked back at Bobby, eyes wide in fright. He looked scared as well.

"Grace, come on." He said. "We need to get out of here! We need to get to the shelter!"

He tugged her along as he began weaving through bodies. All Grace could hear was painful screams and heart-chilling moans. Suddenly something cold grabbed her free arm and she turned around to see one of those…things trying to bite at her. She screamed in fright and Bobby whirled around at the noise. He yanked her free of the things hold and pulled her along as fast as he could to get away.

Suddenly, with everyone trying to get out the door, she was pushed in the crowd and she felt her hand slipping from Bobby's.

"Grace! Hang on!" He yelled over the tops of people's heads.

She tried to hang on as tight as she could but her hand slipped out from his as she was pushed roughly.

"Bobby!" She screamed.

"Grace!" She heard him yelling but she was pushed from the doors and lost sight of him.

The last thing she heard from him was her name being screamed.