I own nothing except my delusions.

Emma kept quiet most of the way back to the camp, ignoring the stern looks Mary Margaret kept shooting at her, along with Killian's flirty grins.

"Don't worry, lass," the oldest of the men, Liam, reassured her easily as they were about to pass the alarm system. "Knowing Killian, whatever he did, your actions were most likely warranted."

She hid a smirk at Killian's indignant look.

Henry ran to her as soon as they stepped back in the camp, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Kid, I told you I would be back soon," she reminded him, hugging him back.

"I know, but still," he replied.

She smiled, knowing her son was safe as she held him.

Watching as David introduced Killian to the rest of the group, Liam and their brother Ian beside him, she went to deposite the rabbits she was able to find with Fredrick to clean them before going back with Henry beside the rest of the camp.

Glancing around, she saw Neal looking at the newcomers, eyeing them disdainfully, particularly Killian. She rolled her eyes, knowing she had no interest in the dark haired man.

"We've been looking for a group to join," Liam told David after the introductions, his voice carrying the same accent as Killian's. "I'm afraid Killian and I aren't very familiar with the terrain. Ian is, and we're all willing to pull our weight here if we're permitted to stay with you."

David nodded. "We could use the numbers. We're willing to take in some new members. Do you have any vehicles?"

"I have something," Ian spoke up, his American accent clashing with his brothers'. "We left it further south. We didn't know if we would find anyone, so we didn't want to bring it up yet."

Mary Margaret grinned from her spot beside David. "Perfect." She turned to look at her husband. "I was going to tell you earlier, but we should do a supply run. We have enough, but we don't know how long it will be til we can find something else."

"There's a small town nearby," Killian said, looking between the couple. "We passed by it on the way here. There should be some things you can use from there."

She nodded, satisfied. "That will work. Would any of you be willing to go on a run?"

Killian nodded. "I'll go."

"Thank you," David said, smiling gratefully.

"How many other people will you need?" Mary Margaret asked helpfully.

"Probably just one other person I think," Killian told her.

Emma's stomach sank, immediately knowing what Mary Margaret was about to do.

"Emma," Mary Margaret called.

Emma briefly considered pretending not to hear her, instead going off and either managing the weapons or doing menial tasks, but knew she would just be dragged off anyway. She turned back from where she stood with Henry, apprehension plain on her face.

Mary Margaret smiled sweetly at her. "Can you do a supply run in the morning?"

Emma refused to look at Killian, ignoring his amused, flirty expression. "Why me?"

"Cause you're the best for when it comes to getting in and out of places," Mary Margaret replied simply.

Emma looked to David for help, who merely shrugged in agreement.

Sighing, she didn't look at Killian when she answered. "Fine."

Looking around the camp in the early morning light, Emma took in the few people doing chores as she moved to Mulan and Kathryn to grab an extra clip for her gun.

Mulan held up the object before Emma could ask for it.

"Thanks," Emma replied as she took it.

Nodding, Mulan looked up at her. Her voice was quiet as she spoke. "What do you think of the new people?"

Emma shrugged, kneeling down beside them. "They're trying to survive, same as us. But I think they'll fit in for the most part."

"I got to talk to Liam a bit last night," Kathryn added. "They've been out since this started."

The women watched as others moved around, including Killian, who was pulling together what he needed for their short trip.

"He's a shameless flirt," Mulan remarked, gesturing to Killian. She looked back at Emma. "I feel bad for you for this one."

Emma knew she was right, having watched Killian the previous night. He had flirted with all of the women in the camp, but was harmless, grinning when they all blew him off. She had to hold back a laugh as Liam attempted to reprimand him, to which he rolled his eyes.

Despite all of that, she felt his eyes always return to her.

He had only really backed away when Neal had decided to uncharacteristically sit close beside her, slinging an arm around her in a display that felt more possessive than affectionate to Emma.

"I can handle myself," Emma replied.

"Oh, we all know that," Kathryn chuckled.

They all grinned, the story of finding Emma holding her knife to Killian's throat having quickly traveled through the camp.

Quickly gathering what she needed, she left them, steeling herself to speak to Neal before leaving. She knew Henry would be safe, yet she always felt like she had to be sure, never completely trusting him.

"I'm about to head out," she told him as she neared where he stood, sharpening a stake for a trap.

"I thought you were already gone," he said, not taking his eyes off the knife scrapping at the wood. "Though I don't really like you going off with that pretty boy."

"Seriously?" she asked in disbelief. "I'm going out to do a run, not go on a date. I was going to ask you to keep an eye on Henry."

Neal finally looked up at her, his eyes sharp. "You know I can take care of my own son, especially when you're going off with some guy who keeps checking you out."

Emma bit back a retort, knowing it would just start a fight. "Look, just watch him until I'm back, okay?"

She turned on her heel before he could respond, seeing David and Mary Margaret had heard the entire conversation. They both nodded, silently telling her they would watch over her son. She nodded back gratefully, trusting them more than her own son's father.

Knowing she could no longer put it off, she walked over to where Killian was with his brothers, his eyes following her as she neared.

"You ready, Swan?" he asked as he stepped toward her.

"Lead the way," she nodded

She followed closely behind him to the southern edge of camp, moving through the trees toward wherever the brothers had left their car.

She noticed immediately how he had fallen back slightly, walking beside her instead of in front of her.

It had taken her by surprise with the ease he did it, clearly not worried about watching her. Though he was still leading them, he was treating her as an equal, instead of walking ahead of her, something she was used to with Neal.

They were mostly quiet as they trekked through the forest, listening for any walkers nearby.

Despite herself, Emma found Killian's company easy. He knew when to focus, alert to any sounds that would indicate danger. She found herself feeling both completely uneasy and relaxed around him, something that scared her.

Breaking through a small group of trees, they reached a large dark gray Jeep, both exhaling that it was still there. Killian unlocked it, allowing them to climb in before he turned the key.

"I know it wasn't the smartest decision to leave it here over night, but we weren't about to retrieve it in the night," he told her as he turned the vehicle around.

She shrugged, understanding his reasoning. "It's stupid to go out at night."

His eyes flashed to her briefly before turning back to the road. "It sounds like you know that from experiance."

Sighing, she nodded. "Once. Some of the people decided to go out in the middle of the night. They came across a small herd, and they were slaughtered. We had to grab what we could and leave."

He nodded solemnly. "Aye. My brothers and I learned quickly to be careful. We've had a few close calls."

"So it's just been you and your brothers so far?" she asked, her curiousity getting the better of her.

"Aye," he confirmed as he pulled onto the main road. "Since all of this started, at least."

She quirked her brow curiously, but he didn't elaborate.

"I know that you were only with a couple of people when this all started," he redirected.

As she looked at him sharply, wondering how he knew, he shrugged.

"You're somewhat of an open book," he said by way of exlaination. "You've been alone most of your life, and have very few people who you trust. You care about your son above all else, and you tolerate your boyfriend, which I'm guessing is for your son's sake."

Emma felt the breath leave her lungs, knowing that even if she denied it, he was right.

"Open book, love," he said, something akin to understanding in his voice.

"Well what about you, then?" she challenged. "Since you seem to know so much about me."

He gave her a rueful smile. "My mother died when I was very young, and a couple of years after, my father left me and Liam."

Her eyes wide, she looked apologetically at him. "I'm sorry."

His eyes softened when he glanced back at her. "It's alright, love."

She was silent, not wanting to make him speak anymore on the subject. She knew the pain of growing up an orphan.

She also noticed that the youngest brother, Ian, was absent from his story.

Soon after he pulled them into a street leading into the tiny harbor town, stopping the car beside one of the abandoned shops. Reaching back, he pulled a couple of packs from behind and handed one to her.

"Come along, Swan," he said as he climbed out of the car.

Following him out, she slung the pack over her back, stepping out into the briny air.

Killian and his brothers were right about the town, finding everything they needed, even returning to the jeep to make a second trip. They worked together easily, surprising Emma.

Having decided to check the docks, they walked by the boats, looking for anything useful.

Emma watched as Killian crouched down, picking up a shining steel hook from a pile of rigging.

"Seriously?" she asked, her brow raised. "A hook?"

He looked up at her, squinting in the sunlight. "You've never been on a ship before, have you?"

"No," she responded, looking up as she heard staggering footsteps and raspy groans approaching.

Three walkers stumbled forward, their flat dead eyes trained on Emma and Killian.

Emma pulled her knife as Killian stood up beside her, the hook in hand.

As the first walker neared, he jumped forward to take it, plunging the steel through its cranium. As the walker fell, Emma lunged to get the second one, quickly dispatching it with her knife as Killian swung the hook at the last one.

The walker's head snapped back, staggering before it came at him again. He quickly pulled his own knife, sinking it in the walker's head.

She saw him looking at the hook after, happily admiring it before wiping it and his knife clean and hiding them away on him.

"I don't mean to alarm you Emma, but I do think we make quite the team," he said as a bright smile curled his lips.

Chuckling slightly, she returned his smile.

They took in the last of what they were able to scavenge, including a copy of Aesop's Fables for Henry, sitting on a bench beside the docked boats. Despite their situation, she felt herself relax slightly, the cool breeze and sound of the tide soothing.

"My brother and I were on our own after our father left," Killian said quietly.

Emma looked up at him, startled, realizing he was telling her more of his past despite his previous reluctance.

"It was hard, but we managed, and we stayed together," he said, his fondness for Liam clear. "As soon as we became of age, we joined the Navy. We made it and were able to make something of ourselves.

"Then we received a call from our father about a month before all of this began," he said, his tone turning bitter as he waved his hand dismissively. "Turns out the bastard had left Ireland completely. He had fallen ill, and he suddenly wished to make ammends with us. Liam was willing to go to hear him out, to see why he did what he did, but I didn't want anything to do with him. We argued, and Liam won, so we came here to hear him out.

"When we saw him, we found out he had another son," he continued. "Apparently he felt remorse for leaving us, so instead of looking for the children he abandoned, he named his new son after them, Liam Killian Jones. He never even knew of us until Brennan was on his death bed.

"Apparently he couldn't handle Liam and I after our mother died, and he had done something, so he fled the country. We were furious, as well as Ian, who knew nothing of our father's past.

"Brennan died a couple days after," he said, his tone turning grim. "This was maybe a couple of days before the first reports of what was happening. We weren't prepared at all. We were all in the room with him with the doctors while they were calling the time of death when he began moving. Before we knew what was happening, our father was moving, trying to grab onto anyone he could, but he wasn't alive. He bit one of the doctors before he was put down."

Emma felt a sharp pang of sympathy for him, knowing that his past was filled with as much pain as her own. She couldn't fathom how a father had left his sons like Brennan did, just to save himself.

She noticed his story filled in the blanks for the brothers, providing the answers for Ian's different accent and clear age difference.

"The one good thing about all of that was that we have another brother," Killian said, trying to lighten the melancholy atmosphere. "He fell right in with Liam and I."

Offering him a small smile, she nodded before her curiousity got the better of her. "What did your father die of?"

"Heart failure," he answered simply. "I know what you're wondering, if he died by whatever made all of this happen in the first place." He turned his eyes on her, his expression suddenly grave. "We may not have joined another group before, but we have seen others die when we were getting out. They all turned unless something affected the brain. If the brain isn't effected, everyone that dies, turns."

Feeling like her body was submerged in ice, she watched as his face softened, turning apologetic as he looked at her surely lost and fearful expression. They hadn't known, assuming the only way to turn was to be bitten. The new knowledge, that she could very well turn out like one of those things even if she wasn't bitten, terrified her.

"I'm sorry, Swan," he said quietly, his voice sincere.

She nodded, tearing her gaze away from his and back to her pack as she stood. "We better head back. We got everything we could, it will last us for a while."

Emma kept Henry close to her as they sat around the fire with the rest of their camp, taking part in having a portion of the spoils she and Killian had brought back.

She noticed the brothers had fallen in easily with the group, chatting with those around them.

Much to her amusement, she saw David casting small distrustful looks toward Killian, all because of her introduction to him.

Glancing down toward Henry, she felt her chest warm as she saw him laughing from beside Mary Margaret. She was insanely grateful for what friends she did have, knowing they looked out for Henry, that he had a family, even with the life they were forced to live.

Mary Margaret turned away from Henry apologetically to speak to David.

"I need to go check the perimeter to make sure nothing can get through," she told him, reaching toward her bow and quiver.

"I can go," Phillip offered from across the fire with Aurora. "I needed to get something from our tent anyway."

Mary Margaret nodded gratefully as she settled back down, David slinging his arm around her.

After quickly kissing Aurora, Phillip got up and left, disappearing from the fires light and into the shadows of the trees.

Noticing Henry getting drowsy, Emma placed her arm around him, drawing him further into her side, where he leaned his head against her shoulder as he fought sleep.

She ignored Neal watching them a short distance away as her eyes traveled over the people around them, seeing most everyone enjoying themselves. Though they knew they had to remain quiet, they talked in low voices, multiple conversations being passed around the small camp.

Her eyes briefly paused on Killian, noticing he wasn't conversing like his brothers, instead dazing softly at her and Henry, a small smile playing at his lips.

Hearing a scream coming from the trees, her head snapped up, everyone looking to the forest, recognizing Phillip's scream, closely followed by raspy breaths and groans.

As the first of the walkers broke through, they clawed at the nearest people, teeth gnashing as more followed.

Emma jumped up, knowing her knife was pointless, and pulled her gun.

She pulled Henry beside her before firing at the first walker's head, forming a protective barrier around him with Mary Margaret and David.

Shouts, screams, and gunshots filled the air as chaos surrounded them, the ground becoming littered with blood and fallen walkers.

After shooting one walker through the head, Emma didn't notice one of the others nearing her side until it was a few feet away. Just as she went to push it away from her, a bullet went through its head, bits of blood, brain, and bone flying out of the hole.

Eyes wide, she glanced over, seeing Killian looking towards her and quickly nodding before aiming his pistol to fire at another walker.

Emma continued to fire at walkers, only pausing when she heard Kathryn's scream before it was abruptly cut off.

Quickly turning, she saw a walker sinking its teeth into Kathryn's throat, ripping out a mouthful of flesh. Blood poured from the wound, darkening her shirt. Emma fired at the walker as Katryn fell down, her body still.

She continued to fire off at the dead, dropping them and moving onto the next before Lance took out the final one just as it broke through the trees.

Catching her breath, Emma saw some of the bodies of the people she knew laying amongst the fallen walkers. Her chest felt heavy, seeing Fredrick lying near Kathryn with part of his neck and shoulder torn apart. She glanced around, seeing more dead, and knowing that Phillip was amongst them.

She looked back at Henry, pulling his pale trembling form to her and hugging him tightly.

"Are you okay?" she asked him quietly, gentle as to try to calm him. "Henry, are you hurt?"

He nodded stiffly as he clutched her tight. His voice was shaking as he hugged her back tightly. "I'm not hurt."

Knowing he was terrified, she continued to hold him, nodding at David once to let him know they were okay.

"We're going to take care of our dead and leave in the morning," he announced to the entire camp. "We're no longer safe here."

"Then why the hell don't we leave here right now?" Neal asked, irritated.

"We have to take care of our dead," Mary Margaret replied, leaving no room for argument. "We can't just leave them out here to rot. That isn't right."

Huffing, he turned away, moving to the tent Emma and Henry shared with him.

"We'll be okay," Emma whispered to Henry. "We're gonna get out of here, and we're gonna be okay."

He nodded into her stomach, still scared.

She felt herself physically hurt knowing her son was so terrified, wanting to do anything to chase away his fear and keep him safe.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aurora glaring at Mary Margaret, pure fury and hatred in her eyes, but the brunette remained silent, instead turning on her heel and walking away.

"Go take care of Henry," Mary Margaret said quietly. "We'll handle things out here, Emma."

"You sure?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret nodded. "Take care of your son, Emma. We've got this."

Slowly, Emma nodded, glancing once more around the camp before meeting Killian's eyes.

He silently asked her if she and Henry were alright, worry in his eyes as he looked back at the boy. She nodded in reassurance, telling him they were alright and noticing his relief before turning away to go back to the tent.

She didn't know why she felt a connection with Killian, even if he annoyed her, or why he seemed to want to look out for her. She wondered if it was because they both knew what it was like to be abandoned and alone.

She led Henry back to their tent, closing the flap behind them and finding Neal was hastily throwing their stuff together to leave.

"We should leave here tonight," he said unhappily, not looking at her. "It's idiotic to stay here."

"And it would be even worse if we left now in the night," she argued. "Everyone is on alert now."

"And just wait for more of those things to come?" he persisted.

Closing her eyes, Emma forced herself to remain calm for Henry's sake. "If you want to go, then go. I'm going to make sure Henry is safe and leave with the group in the morning."

Neal huffed in annoyance, realizing she wasn't going to give in. He turned his back and went to his cot, drawing the blankets over him, blocking her completely.

Huffing slightly, she moved her focus away from Neal to Henry.

"C'mon, kid," she said quietly, guiding him to his own makeshift bed.

Henry hesitated, looking nervously at her.

She nodded in understanding, going to her own bed and scooting over to make room for him. He snuggled into her side, finally relaxing.

"Henry, go in your own bed," Neal said, not even turning as he adressed their son. "You're ten. You shouldn't be going to your mom when you're scared."

Angered, Emma glared at him, her tone sharp. "He's fine. In case you didn't see what happened out there not even an hour ago, he has a good reason to be shaken up."

Clearly annoyed, he didn't say anything else.

She was grateful he didn't, not wanting to fight with him again.

After a while, Henry fell asleep, but she was wide awake. She listened to the sounds of everyone outside clearing the camp of the dead, knowing sleep would evade her.

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