Author's note: I am so sorry this chapter is so late. This one was really kicking my ass with writing it for some reason. Hopefully you all enjoy it.

I own nothing except my delusions.

"Damn it," Emma muttered as she felt her Bug begin to sputter beneath her, the engine knocking.

"Mom?" Henry asked from the back seat. "What's wrong?"

"I think the car is dying," she said. "The engine, or something."

His tone turned nervous. "Can we fix it?"

"I don't know, kid," she said as she flashed her lights to tell the others to stop.

"Great," Neal muttered from beside her as they pulled to a stop behind David and Mary Margaret's truck. "Just what we need now."

"We might be able to fix it," Emma said.

"Or the car's time has come," he responded. "The car is old, Ems. Plus it's not the most reliable out here."

He got out, leaving her and Henry in the car.

"Will we have to leave the car behind?" Henry asked sadly.

"Maybe," she responded, her voice as melancholy. "It depends on if we can get it running again."

Emma was reluctant to abandon her car, having had it since she was seventeen. She knew it was sentimental, but the car had been one of the first things that was truly hers.

She and Henry got out, looking around.

They couldn't help driving through a small town, the road taking them there instead of through the forest like they had hoped. It was seemingly deserted, but they didn't completely relax, knowing walkers could appear at any second.

Brushing her hand over the gun at her hip, Emma looked over to the others as they approached her car.

"Why are we stopped?" Lance asked her curiously.

"I think the engine is about to die," she said.

"I can take a look at it," Ian offered. "I worked on cars before. I might be able to get her up and running."

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

He smiled in return before going to the rear of her car, opening the hood to examine the engine.

"Do you think he'll be able to get the car working again?" Henry asked her quietly.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I really hope so."

"We should look around here," Mulan said loud enough for everyone to hear. "We might be able to find some supplies."

David nodded in agreement. "We should."

"Actually, David, I was wondering if you could help me with the car?" Ian asked him.

Suddenly looking torn, David glanced at his wife before looking back to Ian.

"It's okay," Mary Margaret said. "I'll go with the group. I'll be fine, David."

"I know," David sighed. "But you-"

"David, I'm pregnant," she said patiently. "That's all. I'm not an invalid. Besides, the exercise will do me good."

"I'll be with her," Emma said.

Slowly, David nodded. "Okay. Just be careful, alright?"

Mary Margaret smiled daintily before reaching up to lightly peck his cheek. "You know I will be."

She turned to stand beside Emma, her bow in hand.

"Can I come?" Henry asked, looking over at his mother.

Emma looked back at him, debating. She knew Henry wanted to go with them on a run, having expressed his desire for some time, but she also wanted to keep him safe.

Glancing around, she knew most of the group would be looking around the town for supplies, that he was safer with the greater numbers. Glancing at Killian and Liam, he knew if her son wasn't with her, he would be with them, and that they would protect Henry at all cost.

"Alright," she decided. "But you have to stay with us, got it?"

He nodded, grinning. "Got it."

She pulled a knife from her belt, holding it up to him. "I'm giving you this for while you're with us. I know you know how to use it, but I'm just reminding you I want you to be careful."

His face suddenly serious, he nodded. "I know, Mom. I promise that I'll be careful."

Nodding once, she handed it to him, watching as he safely tucked it away.

"Okay," she said as she looked up, glancing at Mary Margaret and the rest of the group. "Let's go."

They all took off, leaving David and Ian behind as they began walking further it the town.

"Do you think we can possibly check for any books around here?" Henry asked quietly from where he walked between Emma and Mary Margaret.

"I don't see why not," Mary Margaret said, looking back towards Emma.

Emma nodded in agreement. "We'll keep our eyes out for any bookstores."

"Looks like there's a few stores up ahead," Liam called just loud enough for the rest of them to hear. "We might be able to find some more food and supplies."

Deciding to split up, Emma went with her son, Mary Margaret, and Lance toward one of the stores, leaving Liam, Killian, Mulan, Neal, and Tamara to raid another store.

Carefully sweeping the store for any of the dead, Lance moved beside Emma towards the back of the store, leaving Henry with Mary Margaret in the front where it was safer.

Emma liked Lance. He was someone they could rely on, even before their new world began. She had met him through Mary Margaret and David, quickly learning that he was responsible for helping them get married despite David's stepfather's wishes. That reason alone had been enough for Emma to like the man, but he proved to be someone she could call upon for help, even if it was to just occasionally babysit Henry if Mary Margaret and David couldn't and she had to work. Like her other friends, he had not been taken with Neal when he had found Emma, truly wanting what was best for her and Henry.

"What are you gonna do if Ian can't get your car up and running?" Lance asked her in a quiet, curious voice.

"I really don't know," Emma sighed, checking around the corner of an aisle.

"Well, you know you and Henry are always more than welcome to my sedan," he offered helpfully. "Plus you know our resident Snow White and Prince Charming will offer you their's, too."

She smiled gratefully. "I know. And thanks."

He suddenly gave her mischievous grin. "Plus I'm pretty sure a certain Jones brother will be more than willing to offer you a spot in their car."

Emma couldn't help releasing a small groan.

"He has quite the crush on you," he remarked.

She pushed away the image of bright blue eyes and dark hair from her mind as she turned to look back at Lance.

"It really doesn't matter," she said firmly.

He turned back to look at her, his dark eyes completely honest. "You know you deserve better, Emma. I'm just saying."

"It doesn't matter," she repeated, her voice less strong.

He shook his head slightly before moving ahead.

"All clear," he called a couple seconds later, loud enough for Mary Margaret and Henry to hear him.

Henry and Mary Margaret soon appeared by them, each carrying an empty pack.

Emma went to search for anything they could use, Henry close beside her as they filled their bags.

"So, this is what they always ask you to do?" Henry asked.

"Most of the time," she told him. "I get other things than food, too."

"I know," he said.

She ruffled his hair as she moved past him. "Just be happy there aren't any walkers."

Finding what they could, the went out, seeing some of the other group gone.

"Where's Neal and Tamara?" Mary Margaret asked.

"They went to check out another store," Mulan said. "Did you have any luck?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "You guys?"

"Not as much as we hoped, but yes," Liam responded.

"It's better than nothing," Mary Margaret replied.

"There's more places to check," Mulan said, glancing around.

Emma nodded, making sure to keep Henry close. "Then we go."

She moved to walk away, Mulan with her and Henry.

"Have you found any walkers yet?" Emma asked her curiously.

"Just one," Mulan replied. "Killian took it out pretty quick."

Emma couldn't help giving a small snort. "I'm guessing he used that hook he carries around?"

Mulan shook her head. "No, a knife."

Shrugging, the blonde looked ahead to their destination, soon pushing open the shop's door. She knocked loudly on the door, hearing a shuffling from the back followed by a moan.

She moved further into the shop, watching as the walker came into view hobbling towards her. She pulled a knife, easily burying it in the walker's skull and making the corpse collapse.

"All clear," she said after a moment of complete silence.

Henry and Mulan quickly followed, joining her inside, Henry peering down at the fallen walker, clearly uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," Emma reassured her son. "It's dead."

"I know," he replied, his eyes still on the walker.

She nudged his shoulder. "C'mon. We have a job to do."

He nodded, going with her to gather more food for them.

Just as with the first store, they took what they could, filling their bags until they were finally full.

"Can you carry that okay?" Emma asked, eyeing Henry's pack.

"It's heavy, but I can do it," her son confirmed.

"If it's heavy, it means we have food," Mulan said.

"She's right," Emma confirmed.

Henry nodded.

They moved back to where they met the rest of the group earlier, ready to wait for them.

Killian and Liam returned to join them first with Mary Margaret and Lance following close behind.

"Where's Neal and Tamara?" Mulan asked, peering off down the street.

"Um, I'm not sure," Mary Margaret said, looking down as she spoke.

Emma knew how Mary Margaret couldn't lie or keep a secret, and that she knew exactly where and what Neal was doing. She wasn't completely surprised, he had done it before when Emma set the grounds they were only to remain together for Henry.

Half tempted to go rip them apart so they could return to the cars, she stepped forward, only to be stopped when Mary Margaret grasped her arm.

"Emma, don't," she whispered. "You don't want to see that."

Glancing back, Emma saw the suspicious looks of most of the rest of the group, all guessing what she knew.

"Look, I just want to get out of here," Emma said. "I don't want to wait for them."

She yanked her arm back, pulling away and moving in the opposite direction.

"Mom?" Henry asked tentatively. "Can we check out that bookstore we passed earlier?"

Feeling her features softening, she nodded. "Yeah, kid."

"Might as well leave the packs here," Mulan said. "It's no use carrying all that weight around for now."

Emma nodded, shrugging her pack off as the others layed their down.

"Would you like some backup?" Killian asked helpfully.

She knew Henry would appreciate his company, making her nod. She knew if she were honest with herself, she would feel better with him, that he was someone to watch her back.

He grinned meekly, moving to follow her and Henry to the small bookstore they had passed.

"Did you find any walkers at all here?" Killian asked curiously.

"Only one," Emma replied. "You?"

"Aye, only one," he said, glancing around them for any walkers.

"Hopefully there aren't any more," she muttered as the stood in fron of the shop.

He flashed her a bright grin. "Now what fun would that be?"

He brazenly stepped into the shop, his voice loud as he spoke. "C'mon you rotten gits. You hungry? Come and get it."

Eyes wide, Emma watched him as he easily stepped deeper in the shop.

"Mom, is Killian crazy?" Henry asked wearing a matching expression.

Sighing, she shook her head, unable to help being slightly impressed by the man's lack of fear. "No, he's just showing off. Don't worry though. He knows what he's doing."

Killian turned back to then, shrugging slightly. "It would appear that it's empty."

Henry quickly stepped in, beginning to look around the dusty shelves.

Quietly, Killian stepped closer to Emma, both of them keeping an eye on Henry as the boy scanned the selves.

"Are you alright, love?" he whipered, his voice laced with concern.

Emma nodded surely. "I'm fine."

"You mean to tell me though that he was mad you wouldn't be with him, so he goes and finds someone else?" he questioned in disbelief, his voice low. "How is that fair?"

"It's not the first time it's happened," she said. "I can handle him, okay? You don't have to worry about me, Killian."

He didn't respond, merely letting her step forward so she was closer to her son.

"You see anything, kid?" she asked.

Henry pulled a book as she spoke, nodding. "I just did. One Thousand and One Nights."

"That's a good one," Emma smiled.

He smiled in return, tucking it away in a small nap sack that he slung back over his shoulders.

Killian looked over at them as they approached from his spot guarding the entrance. "Find what you were looking for?"

"Yep," Henry told him happily.

Smiling back, Killian nodded. "Good."

Emma took the rear as they exited the shop, ready to join the rest of the group. They slowed as they came into sight, noticing the number of people had more than doubled.

"New group?" Emma asked quietly, standing beside where Killian and Henry paused.

"It appears so," Killian confirmed. "Best proceed with caution."

She nodded in agreement, resting her hand on Henry's shoulder. "Stay close."

She kept her hand on her gun as they again began walking forward, eyeing the newcomers. There were nine in total, all men that were just below average height except one, who towered over everyone else. They all carried pickaxes, giving them the appearance of miners.

The noticed Emma, Killian, and Henry, keeping their relaxed stances as they approached.

Mary Margaret waved them over. "They're okay. They were passing through the town, just like us."

"And yet those pickaxes say otherwise," Killian muttered just loud enough for Emma to hear him.

Emma shushed him.

"This is Emma, Henry, and Killian," Mary Margaret introduced before looking back at them. "Guys, this is Leroy, Walter, Cameron, Asa, Ron, Rudy, Calvin, Chase, and Anton."

Each of the men nodded as they were introduced.

"Where are you headed?" Emma asked, her eyes on the new group.

"Away from here," the man named Leroy said. "We're just passing through. We were planning on to keep heading north. Figured maybe the cold slows the biters down."

"So in other words, where we're headed," Lance confirmed. "We offered for them to travel with us."

"Do you have some sort of vehicle?" Killian asked.

"I have a Miata," Asa responded. "Leroy and Cameron have a car, too."

"Littered with tissues," Leroy muttered unhappily. "He's allergic to damn near everything."

As if on cue, Cameron sneezed.

"Asa's also a doctor," Mary Margaret said happily.

Knowing how valuable the man's profession was, Emma nodded. "Well, looks like David and Ian are in for a surprise."

"We've already raided the eastern part of the town," the tall one, Anton, said. "We have supplies."

Mary Margaret and Lance shared a look before both nodding.

"We're just up the road on the western part of town," Mary Margaret said. "We'll head back and you guys can meet us."

The group of men nodded, turning to go back to their own cars.

"Is this a good idea?" Neal finally spoke up, having rejoined the group while Emma was with Killian and Henry. He looked slightly rumbled, confirming what Emma knew she had been doing.

Emma had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. "Is what a good idea?"

"Taking in this large of a group," he said plainly. "How do we know we can trust them?"

"How do they low they can trust us?" Liam questioned back. "There's safety in numbers. That group can help us, and we can help them."

"Or they could rob us blind," Neal said.

Annoyed, Emma stooped down to swing her pack back up on her shoulders. "Not everyone is untrustworthy, you know. Some people are actually honest. And I don't think any of them were lying. They all seemed like they wanted to travel with us."

Neal snorted. "Your 'superpower'? C'mon, Ems. You know you put more stock in that than you should."

"Or maybe Emma's instincts are right and they truly don't wish to harm us," Killian said calmly, trying to diffuse the situation. "If they try anything, we have the numbers to match them, though I doubt they'll do anything."

Agitated, Neal grabbed a pack, slipping his arms through it without pause as he began striding back.

"It's gonna be a long drive," Emma muttered.

"You're more than welcome to ride with us if you want," Mary Margaret said as she came up beside her.

Emma nodded. "Thanks."

The trip back was uneventful, Emma worried about her car the entire time.

She relaxed some when the cars came back into view, knowing they were nearly back.

David immediately went to Mary Margaret as soon as he saw her, hugging her tightly.

"Please tell me you were able to fix the car," Emma said as she stepped by where Ian waited.

Eyes full of regret, he shook his head. "I'm really sorry, Emma, but I couldn't. It is the engine. If I had a couple days and the parts, I might be able to do it, but with how we can't stay here too much longer..."

Sadly, she nodded. "Well, thanks anyway. I mean it."

Ian nodded in return. "Sorry about this. I know you've had this car a long time. You're welcome to ride with my brothers and me, along with Henry."

"Thanks," she replied, diving him a small smile.

He nodded once more before going to meet Killian and Liam.

"Henry," Emma called.

Her son quickly came, noticing her stoic expression. "The car can't be fixed, can it?"

"No, it can't," she said, shaking her head. "We need to get what we need out."

Climbing into the back, Henry began to pull his things out. "Who will we be riding with?"

"Whoever you want," she said. "I'm going to go in with David and Mary Margaret, but you can go with whoever you want."

"Even the Joneses?" he asked hopefully.

Unable to help herself, Emma smiled. "Sure, kid. You just have to ask them, first."

He smiled widely.

Emma felt wrong as she removed her things from the Bug, feeling like she was losing a friend.

"We've had a good run," she lamented quietly as she rested her hand on the dashboard.

Knowing she couldn't stall any longer as the new members of their group showed up, she finished pulling her possessions from the car, including her keys.

She smiled sadly at Mary Margaret and David as she loaded her bags in the bed of their truck.

"Henry's riding with the brothers," she told them, glancing back to see her son with the men, happy to be riding with them.

"He should like that," David said fondly. His light expression slipped. "And Neal?"

"In one of the other cars," she replied carelessly.

David didn't push the issue.

As the rest of the group began pulling into the cars to leave, Emma followed Mary Margaret and David into the truck, ready to continue on.

She saw the yellow Bug grow smaller and smaller as they drove, leaving it behind.

Author's note: Some characters' names will be changed in this fic based on whether or not they work as actual names. For example, Mulan and Aurora got to keep their names as they are real names, but the dwarves had to have some changes. Here's a little key for you all so you know who is who in here:

Grumpy- Leroy

Sneezy- Cameron (Mr. Clark needed a first name)

Doc- Asa

Happy- Ron

Sleepy- Walter

Bashful- Rudy

Dopey- Calvin

Stealthy- Chase

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Review?