The Sheriff's Sister

by NovaMarieStark

Cindy Grimes is Rick's baby sister. A former Marine in the USMC. She came home on the day her brother got shot. She was part of a secret squad, called the White Wings, that specialized in High-Risk Operations. After the chaos at the hospital and being separated from Shane, she rushes towards her brother's house. Along the way, she stumbled upon a family who needed help and ended up

3. Chapter 3 - Tell it to the Frogs

[A/N] Sorry for the delay but here it is. Chapter 3. ENJOY!

— 5 years ago —

"Aunty Cindy, stop it," Carl giggled as his aunt mercilessly tickled him. He laughed as he squirmed around on the floor trying to get away.

Cindy laughed as she continued her tickle assault on her nephew, "No, not until you change your answer," she told him.

Carl laughed, "Ok, ok, ok. You're cooler than Uncle Shane," he told her and she ceased her attack and nodded in approval, satisfied with his answer.

Rick walked in, still dressed in his uniform. He looked at his son and his baby sister, still sat on the floor of the living room, "What's going on?" he asked with a laugh.

Cindy held up her hand before she began to speak, "This little weasel," she started, she poked Carl's cheek, before continuing, "Said Shane was cooler than me,"

"So she attacked me with tickles until I changed my answer," Carl added, causing his father to erupt with laughter.

Rick shook his head, "You two..." he said before jogging up the stairs to change out of his work clothes.

— Present day —

Carl woke up with a smile on his face, remembering his dream. His eyes adjusted to the bright light of the sun peering through the fabric of the tent. When they did, he remembered where he was, his smile then dropped when he remembered that both his father and his aunt are gone.

"Carl, honey. Time to get up," his mom's voice sounded from outside of the tent.

Carol was sat near the campfire, helping Carl and Sophia with math. Lori walked over towards her son after finishing folding the laundry.

"Hey sweetie," she said softly, she sat down beside him, "How are you doing?"

"Okay," he replied shortly. Lori ran her hands through her son's hair.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him, although she had a pretty good idea what it was.

Carl looked up at his mother, his bottom lip quivering, tears brimming in his eyes, "Do you think aunty Cindy is dead too?" he asked, the tears broke free from his eyes, like a dam had exploded.

"I don't know, sweetie." She told him honestly. She continued to comfort him, "I can't know for sure..."

"She got out," Shane's voice spoke suddenly from behind them, startling them both. Carl looked up hopefully at his dad's best friend. Shane crouched down beside him, "She's resourceful, she's smart. I bet she's on her way now. We left a note for her, remember?"

"To meet us in Atlanta, Shane," Lori reminded him, she was horrified by the thought that her and Shane had sentenced her sister-in-law to a slow, painful death.

Shane stayed silent, he didn't know how to answer that. He stood from his position and walked away. Lori's eyes followed him before they fell to her son, "Sweetie, finish your work, I'm going to cut your hair later," she told him.

The van was cruising down the road. Rick's thoughts centred around the man that they had left on the roof, wondering what happened to him. if he was alive or dead. Morales spoke up, pulling Rick from his thoughts.

"Best not to dwell on it, that Merle got left behind. Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back," he spoke, he tone of his voice suggested he was trying to comfort him, "Except maybe Daryl," he added.

"Daryl?" Rick asked him, turning his head from the road to the man beside him.

"His brother," he replied, Rick nods slowly then returns his eyes to the road ahead. They then heard a car alarm quickly approaching. Rick looked into his mirror to see the red sports car. Glenn was having the time of his life. Speeding down the empty highway. Miles of clear road ahead of him to enjoy the car to the fullest. To drive it the way it was meant to be driven, like an animal that needed to run. The engine purred as it sped over the asphalt. Cindy chuckled at the whoops that could be heard from the car.

"At least somebody's having a good day," Morales commented as they watched the red car speed by before quickly leaving their field of vision.

At the camp, Jim is hanging empty food cans between trees around the camp as an alarm system. Shane, Lori and Carl were sat beside the campfire. Shane is cleaning his shotgun while Lori is sitting behind Carl, with a comb and scissors in her hands, giving him a haircut.

"Baby, the more you fidget the longer it takes. So don't okay?" Lori said to him as she attempts to cut his hair. "I'm trying," he whined back to her in response.

"Well, try harder," she said as she continued to cut his hair. Straightening his hair with the comb and clipping the ends.

"You think this is bad? Just wait until you start shaving. That stings. That day comes, you'll be wishing for one of your momma's haircuts." Shane spoke up, still cleaning his shotgun.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Carl said, disbelief evident in his tone.

Shane chuckled at his reply, "I'll tell you what, you just get through this with some manly dignity and tomorrow I'll teach you something special." He said, Carl's face lit up with interest, "I will teach you to catch frogs." Lori looked up to at Shane and smiled.

"I've caught a frog before." Carl told him.

"I said frogs, plural. It is an art, my friend. It is not to be taken lightly. There are ways and means. Few people know about it. I'm willing to share my secrets." Shane said with his signature smirk spread across his face.

Carl snapped his head behind him to look at his mom, unsure of what to say, "Oh, I'm a girl. You talk to him," Lori told him, turning the young boy's head back to look at Shane.

"It's a one-time offer, bud, not to be repeated." Shane told the young boy, he smirked as he continued to clean his weapon.

"Why do we need frogs, plural?" Carl asked, he arched his eyebrow, confusion written on his small features.

"Have you ever eaten frog legs?" Shane asked the boy.

Carl scrunched up his face in disgust and squirmed in his seat, "Ewww." He groaned as Shane laughed.

"No, yum!" Shane argued.

"No, he's right. Eww," Lori agreed, as she resumed cutting Carl's hair.

"When you get down to that last can of beans, you're gonna be loving those frog legs, lady. I can see it now" Shane told her, "Shane, do you think I could have a second helping, please? Please? Just one?" he teased in a higher pitch, at an attempt to imitate Lori's voice.

"Yeah, I doubt that," Lori snorted as she shook her head with a laugh.

Shane chuckled and continued, "Don't listen to her, man. You and me, we'll be heroes. We'll feed these folks cajun-style Kermit legs,"

"I would rather eat Miss Piggy," Lori commented, she saw the amusement on Shane's face and nodded, "Yes, that came out wrong," she laughed, followed by a few laughs from Shane.

"Heroes, son, spoken of in song and legend. You and me, Shane and Carl." Shane and Carl laugh, their conversation is cut short when the sound of a car alarm, increasing in volume as it quickly approached the camp.

Shane stood up a rushed towards the RV, "Talk to me, Dale!" he instructed. Dale stood on his RV holding up his binoculars to his eyes, trying to find where the noise was coming from, "I can't tell yet," he replied.

"Is it them?" Are they back?" Amy asked him, eyes filled with hope. Dale continues to look through his binoculars and spots a red Dodge Challenger speeding up the hill.

"I'll be damned," Dale exclaimed as he lowered his binoculars to see if he really was seeing the red car approaching.

"What is it?" Amy asked the question everyone was thinking.

"A stolen car is my guess," he replied to the girl as the car slowly approached the entrance of the camp. Lori shields her eyes from the sun to get a look at the approaching vehicle.

Glenn pulls to a stop and gets out of the car, a big grin on his face, the alarm still blaring, "Holy crap, turn that damn thing off!" Dale yelled.

"I don't know how!" Glenn exclaimed over the car alarm.

Shane and Amy start talking, over each other, at Glenn. "Pop the hood! Pop the damn hood, please!" Shane ordered tapping hood as Amy continued to ask him about her sister, "My sister, Andrea-"

"Pop the damn hood!" Shane said raising his voice a little to be heard over the alarm and now Amy.

"Is she okay?"

"What? Okay, okay. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Glenn said to Amy as he gets into the car and leans over to press the button to pop the hood.

"Is she okay? Is she all right?" Amy continued her question filled assault on Glenn as he tried to listen to both her and Shane.

"Yeah, yeah" Glenn said as he got back out of the car, Shane opens the hood, "She's okay! She's okay!" Dale had climbed down from the RV and came to stand beside Jim and the car.

"Is she coming back?" Amy asked, Jim pulls a wire out of the engine and the alarms stops.

"Yes!" Glenn yelled even though the alarm had been disabled. He was a bit annoyed how people were just shouting all at once at him just moments ago.

"Why isn't she with you? Where is she? She's okay?" Amy maintained her onslaught of questions.

"Yes! Yeah. Fine. Everybody is." Glenn replied to her, voice rising as he got a little annoyed at being shouted out, "Well, Merle not so much." Glenn added sadly, the tone of his voice suggested something bad had happened.

Shane looked up angrily at Glenn still leaning on the car, "Are you crazy, driving this wailing bastard up here? Are you trying draw every walker for miles?" Shane questioned him, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"I think we're okay," Dale spoke up in Glenn's defence, having a quick look around.

"You call being stupid okay?" Shane asked, looking behind him at the older man.

"Well, the alarm was echoing all over these hills. Hard to pinpoint the source." Dale explained, Shane stood up from leaning on the car and shut the hood. His hands on his hips as he looked at Dale, "I'm not arguing. I'm just saying." He pointed at Glenn, "It wouldn't hurt you to think things through a little more carefully next time, would it?" he asked Glenn who looked down at the ground bashfully.

"Sorry. Got a cool car." He said quietly shyly. Amy stood up on her tip toes to get a good look at the car. Dale nods in agreement as he looks over the car. Slowly the cube van approached. Glenn smiled at the group and looked at the van as it pulled to a stop behind the red Challenger and a white Dodge Ram Wagon with the words 'Holy Cross Lutheran Church' written on the side.

Rick turned off the engine. His hands were shaking. He doesn't know why he was so nervous. Morales said he and his sister would be welcome here. Especially since he saved their skins. 'We're just staying the night to rest up and then we're going to look for our family. If they are alive. I hope they are. But what if they're not. No, Rick. Don't think like that.' He thought. Morales' voice brought him out of the warzone of his thoughts, "Come meet everybody." he placed a hand on Rick's shoulder before getting out of the truck and reuniting with his family.

Cindy moves to sit beside her brother, "You okay?" she asked. Rick sighed and nodded, Cindy gave her brother a sad smile, she knew exactly what he was thinking about, "You're lying. We'll find them. They are with Shane and you know he wouldn't let anything happen to them." She whispered as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Rick sits up in his seat and runs a hand down his face, "Yeah, you're right. As usual." He replied whispering the last part. Of course she heard it and gave him a playful shove in return.

Andrea gets out the back of the truck and immediately runs to hug her sister, "You scared the shit out of me." Amy cried into her shoulder.

Morales' family run up to him, "Papi," Morales picked up his daughter and hugged his wife. Carl began to cry at the sight of Morales being reunited with his family. He remembered all the times when he ran to hug his dad after came home from work. And Cindy too. When she was on leave she would come and stay with them. He hoped that they'd drive up the road and they could all be together again but his father was dead, his aunt was left alone. For all he knew, she could be dead too. He tried telling himself that she could handle it, that she was his badass aunt that could survive anything but there was no way to know. All he could do was hope.

Lori crouched down beside the boy as he continued to cry, "I'm sorry baby. I know you sometimes hope that they will walk right into camp, alive and well but your father is gone and..." she paused looking down to the ground before continuing, "And aunt Cindy, we know she's tough and can handle a lot of things but she was never trained for this. None of them were."

"I know. I just want them back." He cried as his eyes began to overflow with tears desperate to break out.

"I know, baby. So do I." she spoke softly to him.

Shane looked at the pair as Dale spoke to Morales "You are a welcome sight," he greeted as he gave him a hug, "I thought we had lost you folks for sure."

"How'd y'all get out of there anyway?" Shane questioned the group that had just returned, interrupting the joyous moment.

"Two new guys, they got us out." Glenn replied placing his hands on the door of the red sports car.

"New guys?" Shane questioned a little unsure about new people. He knew there were a lot of nasty people out there. Probably even more dangerous than the dead. He just hoped that they were good people and not a danger to the group. Especially to Lori and Carl.

"Yeah, crazy hermanos just got into town." Morales said with a laugh. He turned his head to look at the van they had drove there, "Hey, helicopter twins! Come say hello," he called. 'Helicopter twins' Cindy repeated as she chuckled, shaking her head whilst opening the door to get out of the passenger seat as her brother did the same, "One of them is a cop like you."

Rick came into view first. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Shane's facial expression turned to one of disbelief as his eyes landed on his best friend. Alive and well. Rick's expression mirrored Shane's as he realised who was standing no more than five metres away. Shane took a step backward, as if he saw a ghost.

Carl's small head turned to his left, and within a second his breath was taken from his throat as he stared at his father. Trying to figure out whether it was real or just his imagination.

Lori followed Carl's gaze and her eyes landed on her husband. Her face registered shock, looking at the man who she thought was dead.

Rick's eyes began to water when he saw them. He glanced to the side at his sister with a tearful smile. She nodded back to him, "Well? What are you waiting for?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

Rick pointed at them as he started towards them. Carl immediately reacted and ran at full speed towards him, Lori quickly followed, "Dad! Dad!" he cried, launching himself into his father's arms. Lori froze in shock. Cindy stood back and let them enjoy their family moment.

Rick hugged his son, gripping onto him as if he were afraid it wasn't real. As if he would disappear. He picked him up and made his way to his wife. As he started making his way towards her, Lori became unfrozen and started walking towards him, her pace increasing with every step she took.

Rick pulled her into his embrace, still a little in shock. Lori looked over Rick's shoulder at Shane. His expression not as happy as it should be. A few minutes of them hugging each other, Shane spoke up, "I thought there was two of them?"

Rick smiled and looked in the direction his sister was standing and back to his wife and son. She was watching the reunion of her family. He needed his own time with them. After all she had seen them more recently than Rick.

Rick looked to his son with a smile, "I've got a surprise for you," Carl's eye lit up like the 4th of July. A wide smile making its way onto his face. Carl muttered a quiet 'What'. Rick turned his head to look at his sister again.

She took this as her cue to join, she walked from beside the van and into view of everyone in the camp. Carl's smile returned to his face when he saw who it was. Rick placed Carl back on the ground, "Aunty Cindy!" he cried as he immediately ran towards her. She crouched down to the ground arms wide open as he ran into them. Carl returned her hug and then started to cry.

"I've missed you so much, Little Man," she said as she ruffled his hair. Carl smiled at her use of the nickname she gave him. It was way better than the first nickname she gave him 'Carly' and with enough whining on his part, she changed it.

"I missed you too, Aunty Cindy." He replied. Relief swept through the young boy like waves in the ocean. His family was back together. Everyone was alive and safe. Nothing could ruin this moment. He was happy. Completely, genuinely happy.

Later that night

The night was dead silent, besides the sound of crickets and the crackling of the fire. Everyone was sat round the camp after dinner, enjoying the warmth and the company of those around them. Rick was sat in the middle, Lori on his right, Rick's arm wrapped around her, his other wrapped around Carl, who was in his lap leaning against his chest as Lori ran her hands through his brown locks. Cindy sat on the other side of Rick. Carl's small hand in hers as if he was making sure she didn't go anywhere. Cindy laid her head on her brother's shoulder, enjoying this time with her family. She had a feeling that it wouldn't always be like this, so she wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

"Disoriented. I guess that comes closest. Disoriented." Rick started as everyone around the fire listened to him, "Fear, confusion... all those things but..." he pauses again as the sound of thunder echoes in the night sky, "Disoriented comes closest." As he finished the sentence his grip on his family tightened protectively.

Another voice spoke up, an older male that sat directly opposite the family, "Words can be meagre things. Sometimes they fall short." He put his drink down on the floor and looked at the faces around the fire.

Rick continued his view of the new world, "I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else. For a while I thought I was in some sort of coma dream, something I might not wake up from... ever," he said, his head turned to look at his sister beside him, "That is until after I found Cindy. At first I thought she was getting me back for the prank me and Shane pulled on her but when I realised she was serious... I just can't put it into words."

"I remember that." Cindy spoke up, Shane laughed as he also remembered the prank he pulled on her about ten years ago, "Asshole." she muttered, eliciting laughs from all the members around the campfire.

"What prank did they play on you?" Amy asked, she loved the idea of having a female her age to talk to in camp.

"I want to know too," Carl's small voice spoke up, his pleading eyes looking up at her like an adorable puppy.

Cindy nodded, agreeing to tell the story. Rick chuckled from beside her which she returned sarcastically whilst flipping him off. He muttered 'That's rude,' under his breath causing Cindy to shake her head.

"Well, it was about 10 years ago..."

—10 years ago—

Rick was stood at the front door of his old family home, waiting for his sister to come down the stairs. She was taking a long time to get ready. It was no secret to her brother that she didn't want to go, "Come on, Cindy. You're gonna miss your appointment!" he yelled up to her.

"That would be a shame!" Came her reply from upstairs. Rick rolled his eyes as his father came from the kitchen.

"She still not ready?" his father asked him, laughing at his daughter's attempt to get out of her appointment. Rick shook his head in response. He soon started to smirk when he got an idea, his dad's face screwed up in confusion, "What?" he asked his son. Rick held up his index finger indicating for his dad to wait a moment.

"Hey, Cindy. If you go to your appointment I'll buy you a car for..." As soon as the word 'car' left his mouth a door slammed and hurried footsteps patted on the ceiling above him then made their way down the steps. Cindy came to a stop at the bottom of the steps with a big smile on her face. Rick nodded, obviously pleased with himself, "I thought that would work," he told his dad, he looked at his little sister and motioned her to follow him. As he stepped out of the door, she hesitated and took a step backwards, "Ah, ah, no dentist, no car." He smirked.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" she asked him as she walked out the door and down the porch steps.

"Nah. Well maybe just a little." He said as he followed her towards his squad car. He laughed when his sister gave him the middle finger as she got into the passenger seat.

Rick got into the other side and started the car, reversing out of the driveway and making his way to the hospital, "There's nothing to be worried about, besides think about the ice cream you'll get to eat,"

"Ooh, ice cream," Cindy's mouth began to water as she could practically taste the triple chocolate ice cream, "So... what car are you getting me?" she asked, Rick chuckled at her directness and shrugged, "What car do you want?" he asked her, she smirked and placed her finger on her chin, as if she were deep in thought.

"Something expensive." She replied as she continued to think about the car she wanted.

"Don't push it." Rick said as sternly as he could although he couldn't help the smile that came onto his face.

"Hey, it's the least you can do. You're the one driving me to be tortured."

Rick rolled his eyes at how dramatic his sister was being, "You're not going to get tortured. You're just having your wisdom teeth removed."

"Tooth extraction is a known torture technique to either get information or inflict pain." She argued, Rick chuckled and shook his head. The random things she would come out with always put a smile on his face.

Not long after, they arrived at the surgery. Rick parked the car and stepped out. Cindy, however, stayed put. Rick threw his head back and sighed. He walked over to the passenger door and opened it, then leant on the roof as he spoke to her, "Come on, Cindy. You're 16 next month not six." She still didn't budge so he continued, "A brand new car," he said trying to convince her.

"Okay," she stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her.

They were sat there for about twenty minutes before someone called her name, "Cindy Grimes," the lady spoke.

Cindy started to get really nervous and Rick immediately reacted and gave her a hug, "You'll be fine, Cindy. I promise." Cindy nodded and followed the woman out of the waiting area and into a room.

Rick stayed seated in the waiting area. He sat there in silence for a good thirty minutes until Shane walked through the doors. Immediately Rick thought there was an emergency and he had to go to work but when he saw the smirk on Shane's face, he knew his best friend was up to something.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked him when he sat on the vacant chair beside him.

"I just couldn't miss this opportunity." He replied vaguely, his smirk still situated on his face.

"Why? What are you up to?" Rick questioned, which is returned by a hearty chuckle, Shane looked at his best friend "Just go with it, Rick. It'll be good" He told him. His eyes were sparkling with both amusement and mischief.

Rick didn't know what Shane was up to but he had a feeling he would find out soon.

An hour passed before the door opened and a very lost but fascinated looking Cindy being wheeled through the double doors of the waiting room, "Wheeee!"

Shane burst out laughing immediately, hunched over and completely red in the face as if he'd forgotten how to breathe, "It's already so good," he said after he'd finally regained his breath and composed himself.

The nurse then wheeled the teenager out of the surgery and into the car park, towards the car. Rick helped his sister get into the car and thanked the nurse. She smiled and walked away taking the wheelchair back in with her.

Shane clapped his hands together, "Right. We need to get out of here." He said. Rick furrowed his eyebrows at his best friend, Shane smirked at his best friend's confusion and continued, "We need to go before the aliens get here."

"What aliens?" Cindy slurred, the cotton in her mouth muffling her voice a bit, "Like Martians or E.T"

"What are you doing?" Rick whispered to his best friend.

"Oh, come on Rick. It'll be good. I promise." Shane said trying to convince him. Rick knew he wouldn't let this go he also knew that there would be hell to pay when Cindy was in her right mind again. He just hoped he was around to watch when she decided to kill Shane.

"It's your funeral, she will kill you for this." Rick warned him, Shane just shrugged and stated that it was 'worth it.'

Shane got into the back of the squad car as Rick climbed into the driver's seat, "It was on the news. Aliens have landed and they've been taking children to turn into their little workers. Ages 20 and under."

Cindy gasped, "I'm under 20," she cried, she looked out of the window as trees and buildings went by, looking out for any sign of aliens coming to take her away, "I don't want to be taken away." Tears were rolling down her eyes as she spoke. Rick looked into the rear-view mirror and shook his head at his best friend. Shane just snickered and carried on teasing the poor girl.

"Yeah, we have to go to a safe place. Food, protection. We'll be safe. We just have to get there." Shane said, it wasn't long until they pulled back up into the driveway. Cindy was still in tears.

"Why are we here? It's not safe." Cindy told her brother. Her features showed severe panic.

"Come on, Rick. We have to get out of here." Shane said, pretend fear laced in his voice.

"Wait... I need to get my pet unicorn." Cindy said as she attempted to get out of the car without undoing the seatbelt which amused both Shane and her brother. Shane found it funny whereas Rick found it kind of adorable.

"Cindy, you don't have a unicorn," Rick replied carefully as if not to upset her.

"Yes I do. I want my unicorn." She cried, her salty tears dampening her face as a waterfall flowed from each eye, "I can't let the aliens eat her."

"Shane come on. This isn't funny." He whispered turning his head to look at him.

"Hey, I said nothing about no unicorn." Shane said in his defence. His hands up in surrender as he shook his head.

— Present Day—

Everyone around the campfire laughed as the girl finished her story, glaring at Shane opposite her. He tried to feign innocence but Cindy wasn't having any of it.

"The most upsetting part was finding out that I didn't have a unicorn." Cindy told the group, a smile on her face as she recalled the memory.

"Did you kick Uncle Shane's ass?" Carl asked looking up at his aunt. She opened her mouth to respond but before she could Shane interrupted, "She came at me with a wrench."

"I did try to warn you," Rick pointed out with a chuckle which had a domino effect around the fire.

"I was sitting at the dinner table, this man was telling me all about what's happening in the world, which I didn't believe. Not at first. Then we heard a thump from upstairs and who comes trotting down?" Rick asked as he turned his head to his baby sister.

"Well, I had to get in somehow." She stated simply with a shrug, "The doors and the windows downstairs were barricaded shut. How else was I going to get in?" Cindy questioned. One that she didn't really require an answer.

There was a moment of silence before Carl broke it, "Mom said you died." He told him as he looked up at his father.

Rick looked at Lori before looking down at the boy in his arms, stroking his hair as he replied, "She had every reason to believe that and don't you ever doubt it." Rick was always so understanding and sympathetic. It made Lori feel about 3 ft tall as guilt swept over her, she stole a quick glance at Shane through the fire as she thought about what they did not even 24 hours ago.

"When things started to get really bad... they told me at the hospital that they were going to medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta... and it never happened." Lori said a little bit distraught and relieved that it didn't happen. His chances of survival in Atlanta would have been slim to none especially now the city belonged to the dead.

"I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell," Rick looked around the campfire at the other survivors. Realising that this is actually real. It is not a dream. He keeps hoping it's a dream but it's not. His sister had come to terms with it. Now he had to do the same. To protect them. To protect his family, "and by the looks of that hospital it got overrun."

"Yeah, looks don't deceive. I barely got them out, you know." Shane spoke as he looked at Rick.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to you Shane. I can't begin to express it." He replied to him, Cindy nodded and smiled at him whilst still attached to her brother's shoulder. She couldn't express her gratitude enough either.

"There go those words falling short again. Paltry things," Dale spoke.

"Rick, I was there. I told you what happened, remember?" Cindy asked her brother, picking her head up from his shoulder to look at him.

Cindy watched as a cogs turned inside her brother's head eventually turning on a light bulb, "Oh, yes. I remember."

Cindy looks down at Carl and pokes her brother's temple, "See, this is what happens when you get old." She joked, Carl giggles in response which amplifies when he saw the look on his dad's face.

"I. Am. Not. Old" Rick said, emphasizing every word he spoke. Which only caused more giggles to erupt. The sound of wood clanged not far from where they sat alerted them. They all turned to see Ed throwing more wood into the small fire he and his family were sat around. Away from the others.

"Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?" Shane questioned him although it was more of a suggestion. The tone of is authoritative, showing himself as the unspoken leader of the group. As a former cop, he knew how to shoot, how to protect, everyone naturally felt safe around him.

"It's cold, man," Ed said as he lazily threw his head back, all eyes were on him. Cindy raised her head from Rick's shoulder and looked at Ed. She could tell something was about to happen. She looked at the woman and the young girl also sat at the fire. Curled up into balls as if they were afraid of something. Or someone. Her eyes returned to the man who was currently centre of attention and she studied him. Closely.

"The cold don't change the rules, does it? Keep our fires low, just embers so we can't be seen from a distance, right?" Shane questioned him again. Rick silently watched the conversation. His eyes watching both Shane and Ed.

"I said it's cold. You should mind your own business for once," Ed fired back at Shane.

Shane got up from his seat at the fire, T-Dog held out his hand to stop him but he was already gone. He approached the smaller fire and stood in front of the man, trying to intimidate the man without actually doing anything, "Hey, Ed. Are you sure you want to have this conversation, man?" his voice, a little bit more serious than before but still not too threatening. He let his towering figure do that.

"Go on. Pull the damn thing out," Ed ordered Carol, looking at her, to quiet the man tall above him. Carol's gaze flickered between the log and her husband, "Go on." He repeated. She stood up, placing her blanket on her chair and pulled the log out with her hands.

Cindy did not like this guy at all. Controlling. Fear evident on the woman's face as she did what she was told as if something bad would happen if she didn't. 'So possibly abusive' she thought to herself. The gaze then shifted to the young girl, Sophia. Her sad eyes followed her mother's every move. To Cindy it seemed that Ed's abuse wasn't just focused on Carol but the young girl too.

"Christ," Shane muttered as Carol placed the log on the ground away from the fire. The wood crackled on the ground, Shane stomped on it to put the fire out. Shane then crouched down and looked at Carol and Sophia, "Hey, Carol, Sophia, how are y'all this evening," he asked them softly.

"Fine. We're just fine," Carol replied quickly, she gulped as she glanced at her husband, a scowl carved on his face as he stared at his wife, "I'm sorry about the fire-" she apologised but was cut off by Shane.

"No, no, no. No apology needed," Shane assured her with a small smile ignoring the huff of annoyance coming from the man behind him, "Y'all have a good night, okay?" Shane bid them before he stood up, "I appreciate the cooperation," Shane told Ed as he walked past him, sarcasm and a tinge of anger dripping from his voice. He walked towards the towards the larger group and sat back down in his spot.

"Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon?" Dale asked after a moment of silence. Daryl, the younger Dixon brother, who mostly kept to himself or was with Merle and he didn't talk much. He was more the strong, silent type. An expert hunter and tracker. He often went out hunting for food for the group, mainly as an excuse to get away from the group. Merle however threw countless insults towards members of the group, especially Glenn and T-Dog. Daryl voiced some insults but overall, it was the eldest Dixon that caused the trouble, making some of the survivor's uneasy.

"He won't be happy to hear that his brother has been left behind." Dale finished, 'Well, no shit he won't be happy.' Cindy thought to herself. 'If Rick was left chained to a roof to be ripped apart. I'd be a little pissed too.'

"I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me," T-Dog said, eyes never leaving the fire. It was obvious that T-Dog blamed himself for the abandonment of Merle, the guilt stained his features.

Rick shook his head at the man as he spoke, "I cuffed him. That makes it mine."

"Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy," Glenn pointed out. T-Dog still wanted to tell him, "I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from him," reruns of the events of the past few hours replayed in his head. Torturing him, it was his fault he was left behind so he thought he should be the one to tell Daryl and endure his anger.

"We could lie," Amy suggested from her spot beside Andrea, the two have not let each other go since the group came back from Atlanta.

"Or tell the truth," Andrea countered, despite the fact she tried to shoot Rick, she firmly believed he did the right thing when he cuffed Merle to the roof, "Merle was out of control. Something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed," Andrea looked at Lori when she added the next part, "Your husband did what was necessary. And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault but Merle's." she finished, a moment of silence followed as the group weighed in their options

Everyone, for the most part, agreed with Andrea's statement. Everyone besides Dale and Cindy. She felt that if it was one of her loved one's that were up on that roof, it wouldn't matter what way she was told, she'd be pretty pissed. Cindy soon realised she wasn't the only one who doubted the past suggestion when Dale spoke up, "And that's what we tell Daryl? I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you?" Dale asked everyone stayed silent as the older man looked around the fire.

"The way I see it?" Cindy asked the older man, looking up at him. She wasn't expecting an answer, she was merely signalling to the group that she was going to voice her opinion. Dale nodded at the young girl to continue, "It doesn't matter what way you tell him. The result stays the same. One pissed off man." She stated with a shrug, "I mean, I know if it were Rick and if he was all I had left. There would be hell to pay." Cindy gave a small smile to Dale before settling back in her seat.

Dale spoke up with the girl's words in mind, "We're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt."

"I was scared and I ran," T-Dog's voice shivered as he spoke, the terrors of the day taunting him, "I'm not ashamed of it." He admitted. Cindy was confused as to where he was going with this. He didn't need to be ashamed. Of course he was scared, his life was on the line. Run or die.

"We were all scared. We all ran. What's your point?" Andrea spoke up, asking the question on everybody's mind.

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against it at any one time. It's not enough to break through that. Not that chain, not that padlock. My point...Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us," T-Dog informed them he stood up and headed towards his tent.

The revelation that Merle was still alive on that roof got the siblings thinking. Cindy wanted to go back, so did Rick. Neither of them wanted the other to go. All that Cindy knew, is that if it were Rick on that roof... Nothing would stop her from going after him. She had a feeling Daryl would do the same.

Silence fell on the group and all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. It wasn't long before everyone else started to head to bed.

The Grimes' went to their tent, where there were two different cots. One for Carl and one for Lori and now Rick, "Cindy, I'm sorry... I completely forgot. I'll go and see if..." Lori began to apologise and walk past the girl. Cindy grabbed her arm and shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, I'll sleep on the floor for tonight," she told her, not wanting to bother anyone, especially now because they were going to sleep.

"You sure?" Lori asked, she didn't want her sister to sleep on the hard floor.

"Yes, mother, I'm sure," Cindy replied with a smirk as she settled down on the ground, she looked up at Carl, "Night, little man,"

"Night, Aunty Cindy," he said back, pure joy in his tone. Rick was sat beside him tucking him in.

"I found you, didn't I?" Rick asked gently the young boy as he stroking his head.

"I love you, Dad." He responded to his dad before letting out a big yawn.

"I love you, Carl." Rick replied in a serious tone. Rick kisses him on the forehead before Carl turns over to go to sleep. Lori reaches her hand up from the bed and takes Rick's. He lays down beside her kisses her, "I found you both." He told her after he settled under the covers.

"Yeah." Lori whispered, barely audible.

"I knew I would." Rick told her which made Lori smile.

"You're getting cocky now, a little bit." Lori told him, her smile still shining on her face.

"No. No, I knew." Rick continued

"He really did," Cindy interjected, from the floor causing the two adults to look at her and laugh.

"Walking into our home, finding an empty house, both of you gone." Rick added, remembering when he went back home and finding nobody.

"I'm so sorry." Lori spoke, her voice breaking. She felt guilty she left him but she thought he was dead, she wasn't at fault.

"I knew you were alive." He told her, reassuring her and silently telling her that it gave him the will to fight.

"How?" Lori asked, wondering how he could possibly have known that they were still alive. It was the same situation they had with Cindy, they had no idea whether she was alive or dead or... undead.

Thunder rumbled outside as Rick replied to his wife's question, "The photos were gone, all our family albums." Lori smiles in return and chuckles. She kissed his hand and reached for the album that is sat beside the bed.

"I told you so." He said with a smug look on his face.

"Now you're getting cocky, huh? A lot." Lori laughed as she opened the photo album to look through it. Landing on a picture of her, Rick, Cindy and Carl with a birthday cake. The one beside it was of Cindy and Carl with frosting all over their faces. Rick sits up and reaches into his pocket and to show Lori the photos he'd carried with him. The two from his squad car. He placed them both in the album, "They belong in here."

"Baby, I really thought I would never see you again. I'm so sorry... for everything. I feel like– when you were in the hospital I just—I wanted to take it all back—the anger and the bad times. But the mistakes..." Rick kisses her to stop her rambling. Cindy mentally rolls her eyes, 'That's one way to shut her up.' Cindy thought.

"Maybe we got a second chance. Not many people get that." Rick whispered to her, He leans down and kisses her again. She pulls out her the locket and his wedding ring circled around the chain, "I wondered where that went."

"Do you want it back?" Lori asked, her voice breaking as if she feared he would say no.

"Of course." He replied to her with a smile. Lori had always been who Rick wanted. He was devoted to her. No matter how many arguments, fights, bad memories he never, ever wanted to give up. He couldn't live without her.

Lori takes the ring off the chain and puts it on his finger. They kiss with passion, emotion. Rain pattered down onto the material of the tent. Lori reaches over and turns off the lantern. Rick looks over at Carl, checking if he's asleep.

"He won't wake up." Lori told Rick. Cindy's brows furrowed in confusion. 'Why would they be worried about that.' Seconds after that thought she realised what was going on.

"Oh, god. I'm happy for you, seriously I am but if you two are going to start screwing can you please keep it down." Cindy gagged, disgusted with very words that left her mouth. If it weren't raining she'd sleep outside.

The couple giggled at her words as Rick moves under the covers...

Shane is on guard duty, sitting on top of the RV, under the umbrella but his eyes were firmly placed on the Grimes' tent. He adjusts his hat and settles further into the deckchair. 'That should be me in there.' He thought to himself, jealousy invading his thoughts.

The next morning, Cindy woke up early, like she usually did. Lori was gone. Carl and Rick were still asleep. Cindy was surprised she never noticed Lori leave. Usually she could sense movement. She got dressed and walked out the tent. Immediately spotting Lori and the two blonde sisters and made her way over to them, "Good morning, ladies." She chirped to them.

"You're very cheerful today," Lori noted as she continued her chore of hanging up clothes on the line.

"Why shouldn't I be? I've got my whole family back." She spoke happily. She couldn't stop the smile on her face. It was like it was permanently painted on her face like a tattoo. Cindy's eyebrows scrunched up when she thought about how to approach the topic she was thinking about last night, "I was thinking, and Rick would definitely object to this but... the man we left behind..." Cindy trailed off awaiting her reaction. Lori shook her head at the girl as she threw another piece of clothing on the line.

"You want to go back?" Lori questioned the girl, Andrea and Amy both stopped their actions when they heard this, shocked that the girl would even think about entering that city again.

"I can't leave him like that, Lori. Believe me, I know he's an asshole but if I leave him up there, what does that make me?" Cindy asked, her tone as serious as her steel features. As a marine, she protected the nation and it's people. Why should now be any different? "I spent years defending this country, protecting our people. Just because the world ended, doesn't mean I should stop." Cindy's views from a few days ago changed. She used to think that her role in the corps meant nothing anymore but after leaving that man on the roof, she felt she had a duty to help him. She realised that her job mattered now more than ever.

"Ok," Lori spoke to her softly. Lori knew she couldn't force her to stay but she didn't want her to go. She just got back. She'd feel a lot better knowing she was around.

Cindy smiled and walked away towards Glenn, who she saw standing a few metres away next to the sports car. She stopped beside him, smiling until she saw the look on his face as if he were mourning then Cindy's face changed to one of concern, "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"They are going to strip it for parts." Glenn replied sadly, eyes never leaving the car. Cindy's eyebrows raised as she looked at him as if something he loved had been taken away from him. Cindy couldn't help it, she burst out laughing causing everyone, including Glenn, to look at her.

"I'm sorry, but you're mourning a car?" she spoke when she finally stopped laughing and caught her breath.

"It's a cool car," Glenn argued gesturing to the sports car in front of him.

"I agree it's cool, but it's a car." She said, highlighting the word 'car' to illustrate her point.

"I know, but it was cool," he repeated, Cindy shook her head and walked away towards the woman who was sat at the smaller the night before.

"Hey, I'm Cindy," she introduced to the woman with a smile.

"Carol, and this is my daughter, Sophia," she replied, her smile mirroring Cindy's. Sophia however, shrunk further into her seat. Poor thing looked terrified.

Cindy smiled at the young girl and made sure not to startle her, "Do you need any help," Cindy asked the older woman.

Carol smiled at the young girl, "That would be great, thank you,"

"No problem, I'm just going to get Rick's clothes. I know for a fact they need washing," Cindy replied, gaining a laugh from Carol.

Cindy went into the tent where Carl was wide awake, "Should I wake him up?" Carl asked, gesturing to Rick. Cindy shook her head.

"Nah, he needs his rest. Old people tend to sleep more." Cindy joked as she looked around the tent for her brother's bloody garments. Spotting them on the floor she picked them up and stepped out of the tent, Carl giggled as he followed her.

Carl immediately went to play with Sophia. Cindy smiled at the sight. Despite everything going on, they could still act like children. Sure there were restrictions but they looked happy.

She held up the shirt to Carol, "It's supposed to be white," she told her. Carol giggled at the sight of the shirt that was stained with blood, "This'll take some time to clean, maybe I should charge a labour fee," Cindy joked, gaining a smile from Carol.

About an hour later, Rick stepped out of the Grimes' tent, fresh clothes and well rested. He walked around camp, greeting members as he passed them. He noticed Cindy next to Carol who was pressing his shirt that Cindy had managed to get clean, "Morning," Carol greeted Rick as he approached.

"Morning," he replied with a small nod of his head.

"Morning brother," his sister greeted him to which he responded with a hug.

"They're still a little damp. The sun'll have them dry in no time," Carol informed him, looking up from the ironing board for just a second before returning to her chore.

"You washed my clothes?" Rick asked her, his voice full of amazement. Surprised someone would take the time to do that for someone they barely knew.

"Well, best we could. Scrubbing on a washboard ain't half as good as my old Maytag back home," she tells Rick. Saying that, her mind started list all the other things she missed. She shook her thoughts away and focused on the new members. Especially the girl she had recently befriended, "Your sister helped. Would have taken twice as long without my assistant." She joked, 'That's the first time I've joked in a long time.' She thought to herself. She smiled when she realised that the girl beside her had made her feel like the old her. The one with so much happiness and joy to spread, the one who could joke and laugh, the one who was free.

"That's very kind, thank you," Rick told her with a smile, Rick was very grateful for her to make the effort to iron his clothes for him.

The clanging of tools can be heard from behind Cindy and Carol. Dale and Jim were still in the process of tearing the red car apart. Using it for fuel and additional things that the other vehicles may require.

Rick made his way over to Glenn and the car. Glenn hadn't moved from the spot Cindy left him for over an hour, "Look at 'em. Vultures. Yeah, go on, strip it clean." Glenn said disappointment in is voice.

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. Sorry, Glenn." Dale apologised to him.

"Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days." Glenn whispered to Rick.

"Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday." Rick said to him as he patted him on the back and walked over to where Lori is hanging clothes on the line.

"Morning, officer." she said with a small smile as he approached.

"Hey." he replied, Andrea and Amy were still there helping Lori with the newly washed clothes, they share a smile as they watched the couple that so obviously loved each other.

"You sleep okay?" she asked him as she folded another piece of clothing.

"Better than in a long time." Rick replied to her, she chuckled, never once deviating from her task.

"Well, I didn't want to wake you. I figured you could use it," Lori stated. Rick didn't respond he just looked at her, wondering how he was going to tell her about what he was thinking, "God, what?" she asked, when she noticed there was something on his mind.

"I've been thinking about the man we left behind." Rick told her, Lori's smile falls as the words left his mouth.

"You're not serious." Lori asked, hoping that he'd say that he wasn't but she knew that wasn't the case, she began to chuckle slightly. Rick just looks at her, confused, "Like two peas in a pod," she told Andrea and Amy. Rick's confusion only grew larger when she said that. As if reading his mind, Lori answered his question, "Cindy was thinking the same thing about an hour ago,"

A car approaches the camp and the conversation is temporarily paused when Shane gets out of his jeep, "Water's here, y'all. Just a reminder to boil before use." Shane nods to Rick who nods back in response.

Rick turned back to Lori, "Are you asking me or telling me?" she asked as she continued to fold clothes.

"Asking," Rick replied simply.

"Well, I think it's crazy. I think it is just the stupidest way to break your son's—" Lori began to tell him but was cut off by a woman's piercing scream.

"Mom!" Carl's voice echoed through the trees, Cindy immediately sped into the woods towards the sound of her nephew's calls. Lori, Rick, Shane and a few other's followed quickly after.

"Carl?" Lori called as she ran quickly through the woods. Shane runs toward Carl, shotgun in hand.

"Dad!" Carl's screams became more frequent as his fear increased, "Cindy!"

"Baby!" Lori cried, hoping to god nothing happens to her little boy. Lori ran through the trees, dodging obstacles calling her son's name.

"Mama! Mommy!" Came the sound of a girl's cry. Possibly Sophia. Her and Carl were playing together earlier. Maybe they strayed too far from camp.

"It's okay. I got him. I got him." Jacqui reassured when they finally found them.

Lori crouched down in front of Carl, checking him for injuries, "Nothing bit you? Nothing scratched you?" Lori asked him frantically. When she found nothing, she sighed in relief and pulled him into a hug.

The group came to a clearing where they saw a walker chewing on a deer, the deer had arrows embedded in it. The group circled the deer drawing the walker's attention to them. It began to rise to it's feet and turned towards Rick. It growled and lunged at him. Rick held up his spear whacks the walker with his spear. The walker keeps attempted to get up so Morales, Glenn, Rick, Jim and Dale continue to hit it like it was a piñata.

Cindy rolled her eyes and pushed Rick and Morales aside. She swung her bat at it's legs knocking it over on it's hands and knees. Cindy nodded to Dale, signalling him swing the axe in his hand. Dale swung the axe and sliced the walker's head clean off.

Everyone looked at the woman a little shocked, she looked around at their faces and confusion fell onto hers, "What? Were you waiting for it to spit out candy?" she asked, gesturing to the corpse that lay at her feet. Everyone stayed silent for a moment.

Dale broke the silence, worry in his tone when he looked at the dead walker, "It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain,"

"Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what," Jim stated, the sound of a branch snapping and rustling bushes put the group on high alert. Cindy edged closer to the sound, her hands twisting around her bat. Shane came to stand beside her, shotgun at the ready.

A man with a crossbow appeared from behind a tree and Shane immediately put his shotgun down, "Oh, Jesus," Shane grumbled to himself. Cindy lowered he bat slightly but not completely. Yeah Shane put his weapon down but still, Cindy remained on her guard. The man looked down at the deer that had been chewed on by the walker and it angered him.

"Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it all gnawed on by this," he groaned as he started to kick the walker, "Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"

"Calm down, son. That's not helping," Dale said, which angered him more, he paced towards the older man.

"What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "on golden pond"?" the man teased him getting up in his face. Cindy placed her hand on Dale's shoulder and guided him back and wedged herself between the two.

"Daryl Dixon, I assume," She speculated as she looked at him.

The man then looked down at the young woman and glared at her, "Who the hell are you?"

Cindy never shifted her gaze, "I'm someone you want as an ally not an enemy." She responded. Daryl just laughs at her. To him she's just a little girl trying to act tough, but she doesn't shift eye contact, "You don't touch him. You hear? Or anyone else. It's about time you grow the fuck up and change your attitude."

"No one has ever spoken to me like that!" he growled, pointing his finger at her, stepping closer to tower over her, trying to be intimidating, she's handled worse, much worse. She could handle Dixon. Besides she wasn't that much smaller than him.

"Obviously someone should." She retorted, she picked up her bat placing it behind her neck resting it on both her shoulders before walking back towards camp.

The group looked at the dazed Daryl she left behind, as he watches her walk away. No one has ever spoken to him like that, especially not a little girl. Shane had a smirk hidden on his lips. Daryl shakes his head and returns his attention back to the deer, "I've been tracking this deer for miles." He told them as he yanks his arrows out of the remains of the deer. "Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" he indicated with his arrows, leaning over to trace a line around the hole the walker had left.

"I would not risk that." Shane said, his shotgun resting behind his neck, much like Cindy's bat.

Daryl sighs as he stood upright, "That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel, about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." He told the gesturing to the squirrels hanging on his shoulder, all attached to a piece of string. The head of the walker starts snapping it's teeth.

"Oh God." Amy groaned in disgust, Andrea put her arms around her sister and guided her away

"Come on, people. What the hell?" Daryl said as he aimed his crossbow. He shoots it straight through the eye. He walked over to the head and placed his foot on it and pulls the arrow out, "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?" he asked as he walked past. Rick looked at him, observing his behaviour. Trying to figure out the best way to tell him about Merle.

Shane followed behind Daryl, taking the matter into his hands as the unspoken leader of the camp. The group followed closely behind.

"Merle! Merle!" Daryl called as he made his way over to the RV, "Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel!" he placed his crossbow down against a pile of wood, "Let's stew 'em up." he said as he continued his walk towards the RV

"Daryl," Shane called, gaining Daryl's attention. Shane placed his shotgun in the front seat of his jeep, "just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you," Daryl slowed to a stop and looked at the man.

"About what?" he asked, Shane walked around him, between Daryl and the RV.

"About Merle. There was a- There was a problem in Atlanta." He started, as he stopped in front of him. Daryl looked around the camp, all eyes were on him.

"He dead?" he asked, Cindy kept her eye on Daryl, watching for any signs that suggest he's going to attack. Lori stood in the doorway of the RV watching the interaction, Carl was behind her, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

"We're not sure." Shane replied to him, there was no way for anyone to know for sure. No one in this camp could tell him anything different.

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl yelled, his anger quickly rising at the fact he wasn't getting a straight answer.

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick spoke up as he walked over to Daryl and Shane. Daryl turned to him.

"Who are you?" he asked impatiently.

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes," Daryl repeated mockingly, "You got something you want to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there." Rick told him truthfully. T-Dog came into the camp, his arms full of firewood, quickly realising what was going on. What they were talking about.

"Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!" Daryl yelled, anger burned through him, making his blood boil.

"Yeah." Rick admitted quietly, taking the blame for T-Dog. He didn't want to rat him out.

Daryl grunted as he threw the rope of squirrels at Rick. Cindy ran towards him and extending her arm out to the side catching his neck and throwing him on the ground. T-Dog drops the firewood and steps forward, "Hey." Daryl then pulled out his knife and goes after her. "Watch the knife!" T-Dog warned the girl.

Daryl started swinging his knife. Cindy ducked under his arm, twisted it, knocking the knife out of his hand. She hooked her ankle with his and pulled it from beneath him. She then quickly ran behind him, putting him into a chokehold, "What did I just say to you" she asked him, "Huh?" she questioned, everyone around camp watched the scene, taken aback, that the girl dared to go head to head with Daryl when he was pissed and unpredictable.

"You best let me go!" he yelled at her, trying to pry her arms from around his neck.

"Nope, don't think so," she replied, gripping her arms tighter around him.

"Choke hold's illegal," Daryl protested, grunting as he continued to attempt to escape the hold.

"Well you can file a complaint. My brother's a cop." She replied sarcastically, "Although it might be a while before you hear anything." She looked up at the two "Officers" that just stood there like a couple of barbie dolls, "Either of you want to talk to him or do you want to just stand there looking pretty?" Cindy asked them, whilst still keeping a firm grip on Daryl.

Rick crouched down in front of Daryl, "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Rick got closer to him, looking him dead in the eye, "Do you think we can manage that?" Rick asked him again when he didn't reply. Rick looked up at Cindy and nodded at her, silently telling her to release him. Cindy nodded back to him and dropped Dixon on the floor.

Daryl looked up at, Rick. Panting to get his breath back, "What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others," explaining his reason for handcuffing Merle on the roof in the first place.

"It's not Rick's fault," T-Dog spoke up, making everyone look at him, especially Daryl. Cindy shook her head at him, mouthing, 'We got this,' T-Dog smiled at the girl but he didn't want to hide from what he did. He didn't want them to take the blame for something that was his fault, "I had the key... I dropped it," he admitted to Daryl, who was still sat on the floor.

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl asked, confusion crossed his features, not understanding why T-Dog couldn't pick up a lousy key.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain," T-Dog added sadly, a shadow of guilt flooded onto his face.

"If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't," Daryl said as he got up, tossing dirt and small stones that he had grasped in his hands. About to walk past him and to his tent, T-Dog's voice and next statement stopped in his tracks.

"Well, maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof. So the geeks couldn't get at him...with a padlock," he told Daryl

"It's gotta count for something." Rick spoke from behind him. Daryl wipes tears out of his eyes before. 'He's not that bad, he just wants his brother,' Cindy thought. Daryl didn't come across as an asshole to her. Something deep within his eyes suggested to Cindy that he was a misunderstood, tortured soul. Something haunted him and it wasn't the world going to shit.

"Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so's I can go get him." Daryl demanding and a little desperate. Anxious to get his brother back.

"They'll show you. Isn't that right?" Lori asked, still leaning on the door frame of the RV. 'They?' Cindy thought. As far as she knew, she was the only one thinking about going back. Everyone looked at Rick, awaiting his reply. Cindy however looked around the group of people staring at her brother, she shook her head, 'No, don't say that you're goi-' her thoughts were cut off by Rick's voice.

"I'm going back." Rick announced, Cindy mentally groaned, she ran a hand down her face, 'Damn it, Rick' Cindy thought. Lori's face fell, she had hoped he had changed his mind but the whole confrontation with Daryl only gave him more reason to go back.

"Me too," Cindy spoke up from beside her brother. He was about to protest but Cindy held up her hand and cut him off, "No arguments, Rick. I'm going. You should stay, with Carl and Lori. I'm sure me and Daryl can handle it," she gestured to herself and the younger Dixon.

"Not a chance, if you're going, I'm going too," Rick protested, Lori, hurt and angry, climbs into the RV. Carl flops down onto the couch, upset, heartbroken that his father was leaving just a day after he got back. Not only that but is aunt was going with him.

Daryl walked over to the unlit campfire and sat down to clean his arrows. Rick made his way to the tent, "I'm just gonna get changed," He told his sister as he walked past, Cindy nodded in acknowledgement and made her way over to the fire and sat beside Daryl.

"I'm sorry we left your brother," she told him sincerely, he paused his current action to look up at her. She sent him a small smile, his gaze softened for just a moment, she would have missed it had she not been looking, "You okay?" she asked him softly.

He didn't know how to respond, how to talk to her. So he just shrugged his shoulders. She was much gentler than earlier, sensitive. It was like she truly cared about his feelings. He was silent, millions of thoughts twirling through his mind. The words that came out of his mouth shocked both himself and Cindy, "'m sorry I came at ya with a knife,"

Cindy smiled and looked to the ground, "It's understandable, you were upset. I mean, I'm pretty sure I would be if it was Rick," she said, the end of the sentence becoming a whisper.

After a few minutes Rick reappears from the tent buttoning up his uniform. Shane was waiting for him outside the tent, "So that's it, huh? You're just gonna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?" he questioned.

"I'm not saying to hell with anybody. Not you, Shane. Lori least of all." Rick told him seriously as he walks up the hill towards the cube van.

"Tell her that." Shane called to him, Rick turns back to face Shane.

"She knows." He replied, with a raise of his eyebrows. He turned away from him and walked away, Shane following after him.

"Well, look, I-I don't, okay, Rick? So could you just- could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked as they've walked up to the now cooking fire where Daryl and Cindy were waiting. Shane's choice of words didn't sit well with Daryl.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl warned, standing up straight as he glared at Shane, angered that he had insulted his brother.

"Oh no, I did. Douche bag's what I meant," Shane said as he looked at Daryl, then back at Rick, "Merle Dixon- the guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst." He kept switching his gaze between Rick and Daryl as he spoke about Merle, glaring at Daryl as if he were the exact copy of him.

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst. Me. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." Rick said, continuing to explain his reasons for wanting to save Merle.

Shane still wasn't budging, he wanted to leave Merle, just as he did with the others who were trapped. So Cindy added some words of her own, "We can't just leave him there, Shane. It's not right, it's not human." Shane sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do to change their minds.

"So you two and Daryl, that's your big plan?" Lori questioned them sceptically, her eyebrows raised looking between the siblings. Rick turns and looks at Glenn with an expression silently asking him to come with them.

"Oh, come on." Glenn groaned, he didn't want to go back especially with a group after what happened last time. He took his cap off for a second to run his hand through his hair before placing it back on his head.

"Rick, no." Cindy told him, it was unfair to ask him to risk his life. Rick didn't listen, he felt he needed Glenn to guide them, he thought he'd know the safest route, hiding spots, exits.

"You know the way. You've been there before. In and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask, I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too." He said gesturing to Lori. Glenn looks over Rick's shoulder at Lori and Carl.

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk four men, huh?" Shane questioned, anger bubbling in his throat.

Cindy cleared her throat, holding her hand up in the air, "Woman," she said, correcting Shane's sentence.

"Five." T-Dog stepped forward, Daryl huffed, still messing with his arrows.

"My day just gets better and better, don't it?" he muttered sardonically.

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog asked as he glared at the man.

"Why you?" Daryl asked, Cindy punched him in the arm. He looked at her with a glare.

"He's just trying to help," she whispered to him.

"That's five," Dale confirmed, joining the conversation. Looking around at the five people returning to the city.

"It's not just five. You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that, Rick." Shane spoke sharply as he ran a hand down his face, "Come on, you saw that walker. It was here. It was in camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back, we need every able body we've got. We need 'em here. We need 'em to protect camp."

"It seems to me what you really need most here are more guns." Rick said, hoping that it would sway Shane into accepting the group to go and save Merle.

"Right, the guns." Glenn thought aloud stepping forward to stand beside Cindy.

Shane's eyebrows jerked up in confusion, "Wait, what guns?" he looked between both Rick and Glenn awaiting their reply but another voice answered and his head snapped towards them.

"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns." Cindy listed, Shane looked her and then Rick when he began talking.

"We cleaned out the cage back at the station before we left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when we got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up." he told Shane, trying to urge him to change his mind. His expression changed to one of interest.

"Ammo?"

"700 rounds, assorted," Rick replied, making him step back with a nod. Shane knew that those rounds would be valuable. The trip would be worthwhile for those guns.

"You went through hell to find us. you just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?" Lori spoke up, still questioning Rick's decision to go back.

"Dad, I don't want you or Aunty Cindy to go," Carl told him quietly, Cindy looked down at her feet and nodded.

"To hell with the guns, Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in." Lori voiced, her voice became distressed, she stood to come face to face with Rick, "Tell me. Make me understand." She pleaded.

"I owe a debt to a man I met and his little boy." Rick told her, Lori looked down at Carl silently asking, 'What about our little boy,' Rick cut her off from her thoughts as he explained,"Lori, if they hadn't taken me in, I'd have died. It's because of them that I made it back to you at all."

"They took me in too. The initial outbreak which," Cindy spoke up, pausing to look around the group, "I'm sure we all remember. Panic, people running in every direction. There was loads of them. It was a bloodbath, they didn't have to take me in but they did."

"They said they'd follow us to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap we did if we don't warn them." Rick added, trying to explain to her why the bag of guns meant so much to him. He couldn't turn his back on Morgan, neither could Cindy. She may have gone on all the supply runs and risked her life for them but they gave her something more valuable. They gave her a reason to keep fighting. Something worth fighting for.

"What's stopping you?" she asked him softly, looking to the ground for a second then back at Rick for his reply.

"The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer," he explained, she was starting to understand a little why Rick had to go back.

"These our walkies?" Shane asked from behind Rick. He had now sat down on the bumper on his jeep. Rick turned his head a little to the side but kept Lori in the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," Rick replied.

"So use the C.B. what's wrong with that?" Andrea asked, trying to help find a way for him to communicate without having to risk his life in the city. She knew exactly what it was like there, having her close call just the day before.

"The C.B's fine. It's the walkies that suck to crap. Date back to the 70's don't match any other bandwidth. Not even the scanners in our cars," Shane explained in a way that the people in camp would understand.

"I need that bag," Rick whispered to her, tilting his head silently begging her to understand. Lori didn't respond, just looked at the ground, defeated. Rick walked around Lori and crouched down in front of Carl, "Okay?" he smiled in return and nodded. He looked up at Cindy who smiled back at him. Everyone stood up and got ready to leave.

Glenn got into the cube van and turned it around, reversing back up the track. Rick and T-Dog make their way over to Dale, beside his RV, "Rumour is you have bolt cutters," Rick stated as he come to a stop.

"Maybe," Dale replied loosely. Not liking where this conversation was going.

"Yeah, we get to that roof, we'll need to cut that chain and the handcuffs." T-Dog explained to him. Daryl paced around in the cube van, impatiently waiting for the others to climb in.

"I never like lending tools, last time I did," Dale looked at T-Dog and pointed at him, "And yes, I am talking about you. Let's just say your bag of guns wasn't the only bag that was dropped. My tools got left behind. With Merle." He told Rick, obviously upset with the loss. Daryl paused his pacing and glared at the older man, who seemed to care more about tools than the life of his brother.

In the corner of her eye Cindy saw Shane. He gestured for her to come over, she nodded and held up her index finger, "I'll be back in a sec," she whispered to her brother. Rick nodded in return and Cindy made her way over to Shane.

"You sure about this, Cinderella?" he asked her, looking for any uncertainty in her features. She nodded with a laugh.

"Yes, Shane. I'm sure. I'd probably be dead if it weren't for Morgan. Duane reminded me of Carl, so full of life." She smiled as she remembered her new friends. Her smile slowly fell when she started to think about how she wished they were here, where she could protect them.

"Cindy, I'm so sorry I left yo-" Cindy shook her head and cut him off.

"I'm glad you did. I was afraid I'd find your body when I went back to Rick's room..."

—Flashback— (1 Month, 17 days ago)

Wednesday 15th September 2010

"Afternoon Cara," Cindy greeted the receptionist as her and Shane walked through the front door of the hospital.

"Afternoon Cindy, officer," she greeted back with a cheery smile.

"Afternoon beautiful," Shane flirted, causing both Cindy and Cara to roll their eyes. She grabbed Shane's arm and pulled him away, she mouthed a 'Thank you.' causing Cindy to giggle, "Hey, I was talking to Carla," Cindy scowled at Shane for using the wrong name.

"Her name is Car-a." Cindy stretched out the name slowly, trying to get it into his head, she dropped his arm and continued towards her brother's room, "Besides, you're not her type."

"Oh yeah? What is her type then?" Shane challenged. Cindy knew what Shane was like. Never had a girlfriend more than a month, apart from Patricia. She knew he would hurt her, break her heart. Cindy was friends with Cara's older brother. Had been since they were very young. In a way, Cara was her baby sister too. So naturally, she wanted to protect her. Cindy liked Shane but sometimes he was a real asshole.

"I don't know, someone with a brain," she remarked with a shrug of her shoulder as she turned a corner and began to walk down the corridor.

"Actually, I think you'll find that I'm very intelligent. Maybe smarter than you," he argued, following closer behind her. Cindy stopped on the spot and turned to look at Shane with her arms crossed.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes glowing with amusement. Shane's smirk matched Cindy's as he nodded at her, she scoffed, "And I'm the queen of Mars," she remarked as she continued walking down the corridor.

Shane followed after her, "You heard about the biters?" he asked her.

"Yeah, on the news. Said that people were getting bitten by other people," she shook her head at the thought. Why would you bite someone. That's just weird.

"Don, got bit. On the neck," Shane told her, Cindy's eyes widened as she looked at him.

"Is he okay?" she asked. Concerned about the man that her brother had worked beside for many years.

Shane shook his head at her, "Got him good. Died from blood loss in less than a minute," he told her, his voice low. His mind running back through the events of the day, wondering whether he could have done something to save him.

"Something strange is happening. It's big, whatever it is," Cindy spoke, voicing her opinion. She knew something was happening. Hundreds of people are getting bitten by others. Why? No one seems to know. Or at least no one is telling the public. They soon came to Rick's door. Cindy entered first, holding the door open for Shane, "Thank you, princess."

Cindy rolled her eyes at the nickname, "I was raised to respect my elders." She joked back, her smirk making its way back onto her face.

"Hey, I'm not old." Shane groaned as he sat down in the seat beside Rick's bed. He took out his phone and started texting, presumably Lori, telling her that he and Cindy had arrived at the hospital.

Cindy walked over to the other side of the bed, taking her brother's hand in hers, "Hey Ricky." She grazed her thumb over the top of his hand and smiled at him, she leaned forward to whisper, "You have to come back. Shane is annoying me, so much I wanna shoot him,"

"I heard that," Shane spoke from his seat not looking up from his phone. Cindy sat up straight and looked at him.

"You were supposed to," she shot back at him. Shane raised his eyebrows as he looked up at the girl. He put his phone away in his pocket.

Shane reached into his back pocket and pulled out some money and handed it to her, "What's this for?"

"It's your turn to make the coffee run and you clearly need some." Shane replied, Cindy groaned, throwing her head back.

"I'll be back in a bit," she told him as she walked out the door. She made her way back towards the canteen near the entrance.

She walked down the corridor, nodding and saying 'hello' to those she passed. It didn't take her long to reach the canteen and get into the queue. The canteen was almost full, mostly nurses on their lunch break and others were visiting their loved ones. Cindy absentmindedly looked around at her surroundings when she spotted multiple military vehicles parked outside. Armed soldiers jumping out and wasting no time entering the hospital. Her eyes widened when they raised their guns and began shooting at everyone.

She instinctively rushed to take cover. She was scared. Her, a marine, was terrified. The military were supposed to protect these people, why the fuck were they shooting them.

"Remember the mission. Shoot everyone. Don't let no one leave." A man's voice spoke. A chorus of 'yes sir.' followed shortly after and footsteps scattered away. Cindy grabbed her phone and texted Shane.

'Get the fuck out of here. The military are shooting everyone.'

'Nice try, princess.' came his reply. She screwed her hand into a fist and then typed back furiously.

'Shane I'm serious.'

Cindy inwardly growled in annoyance when no reply came. Why can't that man just listen for once? Cindy knew she had to get back to Rick's room fast but quietly. She couldn't risk getting killed, for whatever reason, the military were executing people. She had heard about a virus causing the infected to become aggressive and bite people and the numbers kept increasing.

Smoke floated in the air around her, as she crawled from her cover. She crept towards the receptionist's desk at the entrance. Looking for Cara, hoping she was okay but when she reached the desk she found her lying on the floor, bleeding out, "Cara," she slide beside her, placing her head in her lap.

"I hurt," she cried, tears of pain, fear travelled down her cheeks. Cindy nodded in understanding. She had been shot a couple of times, not pleasant.

"Shh, you're gonna be fine," she comforted her. Truth was, she knew she wouldn't be. She couldn't exactly call for help, she'd get killed. She didn't know what to do. So she just stayed beside her, running her hand through her hair, "You'll be okay," she repeated.

Cara held up her arm, starting to fiddle with her bracelet, soon enough the bracelet was in her hand. She grabbed Cindy's hand and placed the bracelet in her palm, "T-to remember me," she trembled. Cindy looked at the jewellery in her hand. It was the bracelet she had given her as a graduation present.

"Do you think I'd ever forget you? We spray painted Shane's car. Remember? Turned it pink?" Cindy giggled, shortly joined by Cara, "You just think about that, Shane's face when he found his car," Cindy continued to run her hand through Cara's hair, trying to relax her as best she could. Cara closed her eyes and visualised the day that Shane found his car covered in yellow spray paint. A genuine happy smile appeared on her face as she did.

It wasn't long before Cara stopped breathing. Tears poured down Cindy's face, as she held the young, lifeless body. The girl she had known most of her life, just died in her arms. Cindy placed her forehead against Cara's, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whimpered, she kissed her forehead and gently lay her down on the ground. Cindy clasps the bracelet around her wrist, glancing at Cara one last time. She wiped her eyes and looked around her. She had to get to Shane.

At the sight of no one around, no one alive that is. She stood up slowly, keeping an eye on every direction. She can hear gunshots and screaming coming from the direction of Rick's room. She took a deep breath and began down the corridor.

Halfway down the corridor she noticed a group of people running towards the exit, rushing past her. Running for their lives. She continued down the corridor, keeping an eye on every door she went past. She stopped when she heard someone barking orders up ahead, seeing a group of soldiers she quickly ducked into a room. Where she found a man munching on a woman, "What the hell?" she asked aloud, causing the man to look at her. His eyes were grey, dead. He growled and stumbled towards her. Cindy instinctively backed away from him. She asked him to stay back multiple times but he kept coming at her, he grabbed her arms pulling her towards him, his mouth aiming for her throat. 'He ain't going to stop.' She thought to herself. She grabbed her knife and rammed it into his skull. His body dropped to the white floor. "What the fuck just happened?" she asked herself. Unsure if that just happened or if she had imagined it. She looked at the monitor next to the woman and there were no signs of life.

"The biters," she whispered. Everywhere around the world there have been reports of people biting people. She had almost got bitten. Some broadcasts even spoke of people coming back from the dead. Cindy, however, thought that was a load of crap. But then again. The guy who just tried to eat her looked dead, smelt it too. Could it be true?

If so she had to be careful. They turned somehow. She poked her head slightly out the door. Scanning the corridor. A groan come from behind her. Her breath hitched in her throat as she whipped her head round. The woman was alive. Cindy scrunched her eyebrows and cautiously stepped towards the woman. She was still on the bed, "Ma'am? Are you... are you alright?" she asked, Cindy mentally facepalmed at her question 'Of course she isn't alright, you idiot. She was chewed on by this freak.' The woman didn't reply just looked at her with the same dead eyes as the man who tried to bite her.

Cindy's eyes widened, 'It is true. She's dead.' she looked down at the man she had killed not too long ago. She nodded to herself and walked towards the woman, knife at the ready, "I'm sorry," she whispered before pushing the knife through her forehead.

She pulled the knife back out and headed towards the door, she still had to find Shane. She understood now why the military were here. They must think it's airborne. She reopened the door and slid out, back into the corridor, continuing her journey towards Rick's room.

She got to Rick's room with no more trouble to see a hospital bed in front of it. She moved it out the way and entered her brother's room. He looked the same as he did before. Thank god. She sighed, she had to get out of there. Cindy felt as if there was a chance that Rick could wake up, so she wrote him a note and left it on the side table.

She kissed his forehead before leaving. She had to get back to the house and fast. She never saw Shane on the way out. Relief washed over her as she exited the hospital doors, she quickened her pace. Seeing two soldiers by the trucks, she carefully tiptoed around them. She began to run as soon as she was out of their range.

—Present Day—

"I'm glad I didn't find your stupid ass on the floor," Cindy told him with a smirk.

"I'm glad I didn't find you dead too. Even though you are rude to me," he replied, his face mirroring Cindy's for a moment before his expression turned serious, "Be safe, yeah?" Cindy smiled and nodded.

"I will. I'll bring them all back," she promised him, looking at the group who were getting ready to leave. Cindy had always been like a little sister to Shane. They'd bicker, pull tricks on each other and just annoy the shit out of each other.

Shane opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the sound of a horn blasting, "Come on let's go!" Daryl shouted catching the attention of T-Dog and Rick who were still talking to Dale.

Cindy smiled at Shane, she turned around to head over to the van when a small hand stopped her. She looked down to see Carl looking up at her, "Hey, little man. You okay?" she asked him, he look up at her with sad eyes.

"Will you come back?" he questioned in a small, sad voice. He looked scared, probably thinking that something might happen to Rick and Cindy. Cindy crouched down to his level, taking his hands in hers.

"Yes we will. Safe and sound," she told him, her voice soft but serious.

"Promise?" he asked, his bottom lip beginning to quiver.

Cindy nodded and held out her pinkie to him, he clasped his pinkie around hers, "I promise your daddy will come back," she promised. This made Carl feel a lot better, Cindy never ever broke a pinkie promise. Carl threw his arms around Cindy's shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"Cindy, you ready?" Rick called from beside the van. Cindy nodded as she stood up, ruffling Carl's hair.

"Be back soon, little man," she told him as she walked away towards the group waiting for her. She reached the back of the truck, about to climb in when a hand reached down to help her. She looked up and saw the younger Dixon standing over her. She smiled and grabbed his hand. He helped her up into the truck then returned to his seat, "What a gentleman," she joked trying to distract herself from the warm feeling she had gotten from the contact. 'Don't start, Cindy. You can't go through that again. That pain.' Cindy looked behind her back to Carl. He was still crying. Cindy shook her head at him and held up her pinkie. Carl smiled and held up his as well.

"Hey Rick," Shane called, coming to stand beside him at the back of the van, placing his bag on the edge of the van, "Got any rounds in the python?" he asked

"No," Rick replied, he used all of his bullets in the city yesterday.

"Last time we were on the gun range, I'm sure I wound up with a few loose rounds of yours," Shane told him as he sifted through his bag.

"You and that bag, like the bottom of an old lady's purse," Rick joked as he waited for Shane to finish his hunt through his bag. Shane chuckles at his friend's joke.

Shane pauses his task his face turning serious, "I hate that you're doing this, man. I think that it's foolish and reckless but if you're gonna go, you're taking bullets."

"I'm not sure I'd want to fire a shot in the city. Not after what happened last time." Rick told him, mind rewinding back to the events of yesterday.

"That's up to you. Well... five men five rounds," Shane said as he held the bullets in the palm of his hand, "What are the odds, huh?"

"Woman!" Cindy called from above Shane and her brother. Shane looked up at the girl.

"Well, I don't have any pink ones." Shane told the girl, who in return flipped him off and turned to sit down, "Let's just hope five is your lucky number, okay?" he finished, dropping the rounds in Rick's palm.

"Thank you." Rick told him. He walks away and gets into the passenger seat. Loading his python with the bullets Shane had given him. Daryl closes the sliding door as Glenn starts the truck and drives away. The survivors watch as the van leaves the camp.

Lori walks into the Grimes' tent to find Carl lying on his bed. She's trying to keep her tears at bay. For Carl. The thought of her husband and sister-in-law risking their lives scared her. She should be used to it with their past jobs but it feels different now. There were more risks now, more dangerous scenarios.

"Hey." she began, sniffling as she spoke. She sat down beside Carl's bed and continued, "You know, I bet they'll be just fine."

"I'm not worried." His small voice told her, "Are you?"

"Yeah, a little." She admitted.

"Don't be." He told her calmly.

"Why?" she asked, wondering how her son could be so calm about this.

"Think about it, Mom. Everything that's happened to dad so far; nothing's killed him yet and aunty Cindy won't let anything happen to him. She promised." Lori chuckles, her tears ceasing to fall. She takes Carl's hand and thinks about what he had just told her. Thoughts still swirled around her head 'I hope you're right baby boy,' Lori didn't know whether she could handle losing Rick again.

In Atlanta, Glenn pulls the cube van up along some railroad tracks.

"He'd better be okay. It's my only word on the matter," Daryl threatened, his eyes glued on T-Dog.

"I told you the geeks can't get at him. The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us." T-Dog told him. Cindy rolled her eyes.

"Would you two stop?" Cindy snapped causing both men to look at her, "We all need to be focused if we are going to survive this. Cus if not, you may as well just kill each other right now. It'll be less painful." What she said was true. If they didn't work together they would fail and failure resulted in death.

The brakes squeak as Glenn pulls to a stop, "We walk from here," he told them. Looking at each face in the van. They all exit the van and follow the tracks into Atlanta.

Cindy rushed to the front of the group, "Stay close and stay quiet,"

"Who put you in charge?" Daryl asked rudely. Cindy stopped in her tracks and walked straight up to him. She was not going to stand for his snarky comments while they were risking their lives for his brother. They needed to work together, they needed to be on their guard. They needed to not get killed.

"How many stealth missions have you commanded, huh, tough guy?" she asked him, getting into his face. He didn't respond to her. In fact the whole group were silently watching her, "I didn't think so. 37. We do this by working as a team. If you go rogue, I will knock your ass out and drag you back to camp," she looks around the group and continues towards the city, "Come on, let's go,"

They came to a stop by a fence, they cut open the fence and stepped through, Rick turned to Glenn, "Merle first or guns?" he asked. Before Glenn could answer, Daryl butted in.

"Merle! We ain't even having this conversation," he shouted at Rick. Cindy glared at him to which he responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Glenn knows the city better than anyone, it's his call," Cindy told him, she turned her head to look at younger man, "Glenn?"

"Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back," Glenn told them as he lead them through the city to the department store.

"Merle's first then," Cindy stated as she followed Glenn, keeping as close to him as she could so she could protect him if anything attacked.

As they entered the store, Rick and Cindy walked up in front. Ready to take out any walkers that may remain in the store. Rick looked at Daryl and nodded towards the walker, silently telling him to take it out. Daryl crept up, stopping in front of it and raising his crossbow, her looked at her as she growled at him, "Damn... you are one ugly skank," he insulted her just seconds before releasing and arrow into her forehead. She fell to the floor with a thump that echoed around the store.

Daryl walked up to the now dead walker, ripping his arrow from it's head. Blood and slices of brain clung onto it, he wiped it on his pants and took off towards the stairs. There were no walkers when they made it to the door, to which they were relieved. T-Dog cut the chain on the door and Daryl wasted no time kicking the door open. They all rushed out onto the roof, "Merle! Merle!" Daryl shouted as he ran across the roof, in search of Merle. But all he found was Dale's hacksaw, drenched with blood. Handcuff still dangling from the pipe. Below it a hand sat in a puddle of blood. Merle's hand.

Daryl was in tears, pacing backwards and forwards but his eyes never leaving the chain or the hand, "No! No! No!" he cried. Cindy looked to the ground, guilt tearing through her like a knife as she looked at what was left of the man that she had left behind. There were very few things that could make Daryl cry and this was one of them. Losing the only person he had left in the world. His brother...