Chapter 38: Distance


KPOV


~5 years ago~

~Day before Carl's birthday~

"Hey," Dad called to me, I was sitting on the table, Carl was still asleep and mom was making pancakes for breakfast. Looking at Dad, I saw he was in his white shirt and sleep pants. His blue eyes tired as he walked lazily and to the coffee maker, pouring himself a cup, adding milk and sitting himself next to me. "What you got there?" he asked me as he looked at my hands that was fiddling with a necklace.

"Nothing just..." I said as I was a little embarressed and nervous. Smiling to Dad, I sighed and looked down at the necklace that was clasped around my fingers. "Carl's present," I told him honestly.

"Oh," Dad sounded a little surprised. "What is it?" he asked me, taking a sip of his coffee and smiling curiously at me. A small smirk playing on his lips, his perfect brows raising in slight amusement.

"It's...this," I decided to show him instead of telling him. Considering we were both wearing matching ones but completely different ones. Mine saying one thing and his saying another. It's been years since I've given him that necklace. I'm surprised mom helped me get him that one. This one of Carls...is all my money and hard work I've put into my job.

"He always did want one like ours," Dad mused with a small chuckle. Looking at the necklace and turning the part that had the writing over and over. His fingers grazing it lightly. "Good choice," dad told me as he handed me the necklace back. His eyes light and happy as he looked to me in approval.

"I just hope he'll like it," I said shyly, looking at the necklace I was fiddling with between my fingers. Dad's eyes on mine and mom slowly turning to us. A plate of pancakes placed in the middle, the stack was high and all still clumpy with flour lumps. Guess mom's just never going to get better at making pancakes.

"He will baby girl," mom said as she placed her hands on my shoulders, massaging them and trying to make me untense. "Don't be silly," mom said as she leaned her head down and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Gonna go wake him," Mom said as she walked off. "Don't start eating them without us!" mom called out to us as we both looked at the stack of pancakes.

"Oh trust me...we won't!" Dad called out to her which made me laugh. Dad smirking and chuckling softly, his hands clasped together as he hid his smile behind it. He knew what he was doing and he knew it would make me laugh. Silly dad.


CPOV

~Carl's birthday~

Stepping out of class, I walked down the halls and left the building. It was my birthday and I was excited for what was to come of the day. "Hey," I said to Kat as I got closer to her. She was alone and she wasn't with Tom. "Are you all right?" I asked her curious. She looked slightly mad, slightly hurt and like she wanted to cry. "Where's Tom?" I asked her curiously. Tom's her boyfriend. He's meant to be here with her to pick me up.

"He's gone," Kat said to me quickly. As though she didn't want to go into further detail as to why he had left. "That doesn't matter right now," Kat told me rapidly and slowly lead me slightly forward. "Happy birthday baby brother," Kat stopped, she was clasping onto something and in a fist, she opened up her hand, placed mine underneath hers and that was when I felt something hard and cold hit my hand.

Looking at it, I saw it was the same type of necklace that dad and Kat wore. I had been asking for one for years. "Oh wow!" I said stunned as I looked to it. Reading it, I smiled and saw the words 'Super hero Carl' and then on the back it wrote 'I'm always with you, KG'. "Thanks Kat," I told her, hugging her tightly and then looked up at her bright blue eyes.

"That way you remember that I love you and that me and dad would do everything to get back to you," Kat said as she crouched down in front of me and smiled. Kissing my cheek, I smiled and looked down at the necklace in my hands.

"We're Grimes. We always find a way," I reminded her. We always do. Nothing can stop us from getting back to one another. Dad found her when she was a kid and Kat would always come for me. She loves me and I love her. I couldn't ask for a better sister in the world.

"That's right," Kat smiled warmly and giggled softly. Letting her bright blues crinkle a little at the sides. Her smile genuine and warming my heart. She knows how to make me happy. She knows what I like and she's always going to be my best friend.

"How are we getting back home?" I asked her as the sudden thought crossed my mind. If Tom isn't driving us home...then...how are we getting back? Unless Kat has some new found super power...I doubt we're leaving here so easily as that.

"Well..." Kat began as she started walking towards a cab. The man had the window down, his eyes on us as he waved for us to come closer. This...isn't exactly what I was expecting on my birthday. Guess beggars can't be choosers.

"Great," I mumbled sarcastically. Allowing her to lead me towards the car and getting in it with her. She helped me put on my necklace and I vowed myself to never take off the necklace. Never ever. I'll wear this until the day I die.


Present day...KPOV

We were in a small house together, taking camp for the night as we had searched it and saw that there was some food inside. No running cars or capable of use cars. We decided to stay in the house for the night, enough rooms and made sure walkers couldn't come in. "Hey," Daryl said as he walked towards me. "I didn't mean what I said earlier," Daryl said with a slight appologetic tone in his voice. "You know that right?" he asked me as he stood beside me, giving me a kind look as his eyes searched for my own.

"I don't know what I know anymore Daryl," I told him coldly. "Normally...I never think about myself and my own safety," I said as I felt slightly vulnerable. I was so worried for my life back in the car. "I always think of others before myself," I told him. "Today I thought of myself," I revealed to him. "I kept thinking 'What if I don't get out alive?' 'What if I die here?'" I went to continue the list but he stopped me.

"Don't," Daryl cut me off from finishing my sentence. "You know I'd never let anything happen to you...don't you?" he asked me as though I knew him. We know each other's pasts...our present and future but...things change. We both know it. "You're my friend and...besides," Daryl said, looking away from me like he had just said something wrong. My eyes looking to him curiously.

"Your dad would have my head on a pike if I took you out here with me only for you to suddenly die," Daryl pointed out which made me giggle. He's right. No matter how good friends Daryl is with my dad...I'm his little girl. If I died on a run with him...dad would kill Daryl the moment he got back.

"I don't want to die Daryl but...if I die while saving my family's life..." I thought of all the possibilites. If I had to sacrafice myself for Dad...for Carl...or even Judith. I wouldn't hesitate. I would gladly risk my life. Especially against walkers and any other threats that can't be stopped. "I would gladly do it," I told him honestly.

Daryl stood there silently beside me. Michonne then began to walk towards us, sliding her sword back where it was safe and looked at us curiously. Bob and Tyreese suddenly came around, they had double checked that we were safe and had made Daryl move away from me. Clearing his throat as he looked to the others who had now appeared. "We better have a look around, search for any meds or supplies," Daryl said as he looked to the trio.

Agreeing, we all split up and took seperate rooms. Checking anything and anywhere which could hold supplies or medicines. Walking into a room, I searched everywhere and only found empty boxes that once had flu pills. I suddenly saw a stack of comics. The same ones that were Carl's favourite. New issues. "What you doing?" I heard Daryl call to me, not hearing him enter as he slowly walked towards me. My body frozen on the spot as I zoned out and stared blankly at the comics.

"I-" I said as I turned to him a little afraid of what he would think of me. I was deliberating taking these comics or not. You know...for my brother to read. Screw medicine and the others. That's not me and I don't want to use up room for comics when I could fill it with medicine. "It doesn't matter," I told him with a small sigh, looking to my feet as I tried to hide the comics from his sight.

"It does," Daryl told me which made me look up at him. He was slowly stalking his way towards me. His hands gripping his crossbow as he walked to me. His eyes a clear blue as he walked closer. The sun was slowly setting and making it a little hard to breath. He looked angelic in the glow of the setting sun. Those wings don't know how true they are. He is an angel. My guardian agel. "Tell me," he told me as he got close enough to me. Not too close, like chest to chest or face to face. It was enough so that he could talk without raising his voice slightly.

"Nothing just...Carl," I said as I moved away a little and waved a hand at the comics. "He loves comics," I told Daryl, he slowly nods and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "I try to get him as many as I can whenever I go out," I explained as I felt my pulse quicken. He's going to kill me...isn't he?

"Take it," Daryl mumbled roughly as he gave a nod to the comics then drew his eyes towards me. They were kind and serious. Wait...

"What?" I asked him confused. My brows furrowing at him as I didn't expect those words to escape his lips. Did he really just encourage me to shove those comics into my bag? Surely he should tell me I'm being stupid.

"Put it in your bag and take it back to him," Daryl said as though I was being stupid. "No one else's got to know," Daryl told me with a small shrug of his shoulders. "Keep it between you and me," Daryl nudged me with a small smile. "I promise," Daryl told me honestly with a single nod.

Taking his honesty as true, I opened my bag and slipped the comics inside and saw how he went to turn away and leave me to my business. "Thank you Daryl," I called out to him, thankful for him to allow me to take something so foolish but meaningful back to my brother. "For everything," I said shyly as I thought about how we argued but that he had enough care for me to save me back by the car. Daryl looked away and glanced at me from the side of his body like he usually did. With a single nod, he turned away and left me.


RPOV

Kat hadn't returned from the run they had made. She didn't get back last night and I had slept alone. Waking up early in the morning, I bandaged my arm up how Kat showed me and I then wandered around in the cell blocks. Checking up on people and seeing how they were. I found myself wandering around where Karen and David had slept. The blood still on the beds, my mind recapturing what Carol had done to them. I can't have a murderer living here with us.

Walking back, I found Carol and told her we needed to go on a run. That we were low on supplies. Best way to hook a fish in this case...is give them a live bait. A lie. She agreed and said she just needed to go say good bye to Lizzie. To check up on her. Fixing the car of gas, I then looked at the boot of the car and saw that there was a knife missing. Is this the one she used to kill Karen and David? She needs to go. I can't risk her killing me or my children if we were to get sick. If we were ever in danger. She needs to go.


KPOV

"This is Turner Creek, so Barnesville must be a few miles downstream," Michonne said as she was ducked down, looking at a map. We had awoken early, leaving the house and made our way towards a creek.

"Sounds like our best chance at finding a new ride," Bob said praisingly. I looked between Bob and Michonne, smiling to Michonne. I had a peaceful enough night's sleep and we all took turns to keep watch. I took one of the first times.

"Yo, Ty. Come on, let's go. VĂ¡monos," Daryl called down to Tyreese who was washing his shirt in the water. Cleaning it of the stains he had gained yesterday. He shouldn't have been so hammer happy. He could have lost his life if he weren't careful.


RPOV

"Maggie wanted to come, you know," Carol spoke up as we drove in silence. Her eyes darting from me, to the road and around her. She looked nervous. Could be the guilt taking over. Either way...I don't care. She has to go.

"Someone had to stay back, watch over things," I said to her bluntly. I'm not taking Maggie for a few good reasons. She's looking out for the prison. She's not going to sneak into A block and kill the sick and because...you are leaving us today.

"Someone you trust, you mean," Carol pointed out bitterly. Yes. I can trust Maggie. Unlike you. I don't even know who you are anymore. "They would have drowned in their own blood. They were suffering. I made it quick," Carol rambled, as she looked for a good enough excuse for her actions.

"We needed the bodies gone. We needed to stop it from spreading," Carol continued to explain, my grip on the wheel grew harder and I felt my knuckles strain against my flesh. "They were the only ones who were sick. They were a threat," Carol told me which made me clench my jaw. "I was trying to save lives. I had to try. Somebody had to," Carol said as her voice shook.

"Maybe," I agreed but disagreed. She may of needed to do something but...it wasn't right to do that. Without the council's concent and killing them out of fear of the infection spreading. She shouldn't have done what she did. Now she needs to pay for it.


KPOV

"Is that jasper?" I asked Daryl as I saw him stop to pick up a small mineral. Green. Smiling, I could hazard a guess why he would be picking it up. Is this for Miss Richards? Daryl squinted up at me and Michonne who stopped beside me.

"Mm-hmm," Daryl hummed with a nod. Daryl was on his knees, licking his fingers and rubbing off the dirt off the small mineral he had found.

"It's a good color. Brings out your eyes," Michonne teased which made me giggle. Looking between Daryl and the stone, I had to agree. But Daryl's eyes are bright enough. They don't need some silly stone. He's attractive. Just the way he is.

"When Miss Richards went into A block, we were leaving," Daryl informed Michonne as he squinted up at her. Not exactly finding her joke funny, but seeing me smile at him from beside her. He gave me a kind look and glanced back at Michonne. "Asked me to keep a lookout," Daryl told us as he gave a small nod.

"You're going to use it for her old man's marker?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow. He got to his feet and began to walk forward. Inspecting the mineral as he kept walking. Glancing to me and Michonne from time to time.

"Mm-hmm," Daryl hummed to me again. This man isn't really much for words sometimes. It's only when he's alone with someone he doesn't shut up.

"You two know all them back there?" Michonne asked us a little stunned. I didn't want to say anything as I knew Daryl was itching to tell her something. Please don't make this anymore awkward Daryl. Please.

"You stay in one place more than a couple hours, you'd be surprised what you pick up," Daryl told her while he continued to walk, thowing the mineral up in the air and catching it skillfully. Michonne sighed and nervously rubbed the handle of her sword, following after him as I waited a few seconds to follow after them.


RPOV

Parking beside a small group of houses, I looked to a car that looked full with supplies and was abandoned. Getting out, I saw Carol follow my lead as I opened the boot of the car and pulled out my empty backpack. "Think they're coming back?" Carol asked me as I stopped beside the car. Opening the door to the wheel, I saw that the keys were still in the car.

"Windshield's clean, wiped down. Can't have been here more than a day, maybe two," I informed her as I had observed the car before checking the inside. There were bags of supplies in the back seats and I knew that there must have been a couple who occupied this car.

"You mean Daryl, Kat and the others," Carol pointed out. "That's what this is, right? In case they don't?" Carol asked me worried for what my plan was for us being here. Is she asking me questions or is trying to get questions to come out of me? I don't doubt my daughter returning to me with the supplies. She's smart and she has Michonne and Daryl with her. She'll be fine.

"Until they do. That's what this is," I said as we both backed away from the car. We need escape plans, medicines in case they get there and there isn't anything to help the people in A block. "Medicine cabinets, first aid kits, anything that could help Hershel," I told her as I looked around and saw the houses surrounding us. "We get in, we get out. And if we can eat it, we take it," I spoke to her as I was giving out instructions.


DPOV

"You see something?" Bob asked me as we slowed down when we were reaching some sort of car, mechanic store or a gas stop. Or something. Fuck knows what this place is. Hard to see with a fucking tree on top of it, covering it all.

"I don't know. Maybe," I told them as we decided to clear a path, pulling off branches and greenery, slowly we revealed a car beneath all the leaves. Walking to the side, I opened the door and climbed in. Trying to see if I could hot wire it. Sighing it was no use. Needs a new battery. "We gotta find us a new battery," I told them as I climbed out. The others stopping their work on the tree and looking to me slightly surprised.

Walking to a window, I spat on my hand as I went to wipe clean the glass. I didn't need to even look as walkers snarling and clawing at the window made me jump back a little. Seeing Kat smirk at me from where she stood as she looked at me with a raised brow. "Got some friends inside," I informed everyone. Kat now thinks you're a pussy for jumping out of your skin like that. I heard Merle's rough voice say to me in my head. Merle laughed at the end and I could just imagine him shaking his head at me with that smile he wore when he wanted to make me feel stupid.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Kat teased as though she were still a teenager. "Sheesh," she said with a playful eye roll. A smile on her face as Michonne laughed softly at her, shoving Kat playfully for me as I smirked. Feeling the heat rise a little to my cheeks. Told ya. Merle said to me in my head again.

"Come on," I said as I picked up my crossbow. "Let's clear a path, see how many we got," I said as we began cutting down at branches. Pulling off and ripping leaves. Tyreese was grunting while he was hacking at the trees and leaves. "Hey, man, go easy. We don't know what we're dealing with," I warned him, worried of what he was trying to do and what he could end up doing to all of us.

Grunting we saw Tyreese struggle as his weapon got caught. A door rattling as I looked to him, pulling out the weapon forcefully, we saw him stumble and unwrap a wire it had caught. Wait. Isn't wire meant to-

This was when I jumped a little. A glass smashed as a walker's hand reached out at me and went to pull me inside with it or to eat me where I stood. Before I could kill it, Kat quickly sliced it's hand off. We looked to each other, panting as I felt my heart in my throat and the sweat of fear cover my body. "Ah!" I heard Bob scream as he too was grabbed by a walker. Michonne saved Bob by slicing the walker's head off.

Tyreese was struggling against a walker. Trying to pull it out and fight it face to face by how Tyreese was grunting and tugging at the walker inside the building. "Tyreese!" Bob tried to get his attention.

Using my knife, I killed the walker that once was trying to grab me and pulled my knife back out. "Ty!" I called to him, trying to get him to see reason and to stop acting so reckless. Kat was ready behind him, machete ready to slice and kill the walker that was gripping Tyreese.

"Ty, let him go," Kat growled at him but he simply ignored her. Both her and Michonne with their weapons at the ready. With a loud grunt, Tyreese successfully pulled out the walker and fell to the ground with it above him.

Seeing the pair struggle against each other, I grabbed it by the back of it's shirt and dragged it off of Tyreese. Laying it on the ground, Bob walked over Tyreese and shot the walker in the head. Offering Tyreese a hand up, he took it and gradually I lifted him to his feet. "Why the hell didn't you let go?" Michonne growled at him through slinted eyes.


KPOV

"You see something?" Bob asked as we rounded a corner, seeing some sort of car place ahead of us but covered in leaves and a fallen tree. God knows what could be under this. It could be a hidden mountain of walkers for all we know.

"I don't know. Maybe," Daryl said which made us all get to work. Pulling off branches, snapping off leaves and slowly revealing a car under all the shit the tree had fallen onto it. Daryl went to the side and opened the door. All I could see was his feet sticking out of the side, eventually he got out and looked to us with an exasperated look in his eyes.

"We gotta find us a new battery," Daryl informed us of what was wrong with the car. Making us stop our work and stare at him. Daryl spat on his hand as he made his way towards the dirty window. Just as he was going to wipe at the window, walkers snarled and made Daryl jump back. "Got some friends inside," Daryl said as though nothing had just happened, trying to act cool about it.

"Don't you know how to knock?" I teased. Pretending to be that annoying teenager who always wanted their parents to knock on their door before entering. We always knock before going in. It's common sense. "Sheesh," I said rolling my eyes, Michonne laughing and shoving me playfully. Daryl smirking at me as he too found my impression funny. I can see your rosy cheeks Daryl! Are you blushing?! Awww.

"Come on," Daryl said, picking up his crossbow from the side. "Let's clear a path, see how many we got," Daryl told us as we began to pull off branches. Slicing at random points with my machete, I took my place beside Daryl and Michonne. Standing in the middle as we all chopped random parts of the tree.

Tyreese was grunting while he was hacking away like a crazy man at the trees and leaves. "Hey, man, go easy. We don't know what we're dealing with," Daryl warned him as we all looked at Tyreese. Grunting while he stuggled to get his weapon out of something it was trapped on. A door rattling as we then heard something snap.

Tyreese's weapon was free and he was untying a wire that clung around it. I swear wires are used to- Just as my thought came it went. Glass smashed, walkers jumped out and grabbed both Bob and Daryl. In quick instinct, I sliced the walker's hand off of Daryl. "Ah!" Bob screamed as he struggled against the walker. Michonne rushed over to save Bob while Tyreese was trying to pull out a walker from the building. "Tyreese!" Bob called to Tyreese.

Daryl stabbed the walker in the head using his knife and looked to us. I was ready to kill the walker but Tyreese kept struggling against it. "Ty!" Daryl called to him, trying to get his attention and it did no help what-so-ever.

"Ty, let him go," I warned him, my machete at the ready as I was prepared to attack it. Michonne swaying on her legs a little, ready to slice the walker if it got too close to either of us. Tyreese ignored us and grunted while he pulled the walker out forcefully.

Panicking, we saw how it fell ontop of Tyreese and was trying to bite at him. Daryl grabbed it by the back of it's shirt and threw it to the ground. Bob stepping over Tyreese and aimed his gun to its head. Shooting it and making it officially dead. "Why the hell didn't you let go?" Michonne asked Tyreese angered after Daryl helped Tyreese to his feet.


RPOV

The door creaked as we opened it. Stepping inside, I looked around and found the bathroom. Opening cupboard doors and finding medicines of all kinds. Slipping them into my bag and stepping out. Heading for the kitchen, I saw heard growling and then saw a walker at the top of the stairs. Making its way towards us, Carol stood frozen staring up at it from the bottom of the steps. "Carol!" I shouted as I pulled her back, holding her closely to me and watching the walker fall down the stairs.

Carol then pulled out her knife and stabbed the walker in the head. A door opening slowly, making me raise my gun and cock it towards whoever or whatever was coming towards us. Stepping out from the room, we saw a young couple and the pair were holding fruit in their hands. My gun aimed up at them, my bad arm but it was good enough if I needed to use it to shoot them.

"Whoa, whoa. It's cool. We're-we're cool," the guy said a little nervous. The way he twitched and held himself made me think of something else. They're drug addicts. I can tell. I've seen to many of them in my time.

"We have fruit," the woman said as she offered us fruit. Her hands holding out the fruit for us to see.

"Yeah, we got apricots, peaches," the man listed to us nervously. "Here, catch," the man said as he lightly threw the fruit to us. The fruit bouncing down to us and landing beside the walker. My gun raised throughout the whole situation. "Or, you know, don't," the guy said with an awkward chuckle. Letting them come down, I lowered my gun and they came to sit down by the dinning table.

"How'd this happen?" Carol asked them curiously as she looked and pointed to the guy's injuries.

"Greenhouse around the corner," the man said as he looked up at Carol as she was beginning to clean up his wounds. Seeing scars that showed he had cut himself against some glass.

"We were looking for a place to crash. The roof's broken now and it's been getting rain, so it's full of fruit. We were there about a day and the skin-eaters showed up," the woman explained, thinking she was asking about the fruit.

The guy laughed while he looked up at Carol with a drugged up smile. "Killjoys, man. Jackin' it up for the whole world," he informed us. "I thought everybody was an asshole before this all went down. Now I love people," he said with a happy, drugged up smile. "You know...people who are alive," he said a little sadly. Well...as sad as you can get with a happy drug addict.

"How did it happen?" Carol tried again to ask him.

"When they were coming in through the door, I tripped crawling out the other side," she told him truthfully. "Pulled the glass out, but my shoulder-...it still hurts like a bitch," the guy said as he touched the skin of his shoulder. His bone was out of place from what I could tell.

"It's dislocated," Carol pointed out the obvious to him.

"Can you fix it?" the woman asked her curiously.

Carol was silent for a minute. "Here, lay on your back," she told him as she pulled the table cloth off of the dinning table. "Okay, scooch over to the edge. Just hold your arm..." she began as he did as she instructed. Walking off, I didn't want to see Carol be a nice person and help people. "Grab ahold of this bag. Hold on," she told him as he groaned. "And keep holding on," she told him but he began crying.

"No, that hurts," the man cried out to her. She won't make me change my mind. She's killed two people. Saving two people won't make me think she's a good person. Not after what she did.

"Keep holding," Carol encouraged him.

"I can't, I can't," I heard the man cry between panting.

"Keep holding," she told him, this was when I heard bone crackling, then groaning. The man gasping while his bone popped into place. "Sit up," Carol instructed as the man was panting heavily.

"Is it..." the woman asked the man as I walked back into the room. Amazed to see that Carol had actually put the arm back in place. Where did she learn to do that? Not everyone can put an arm back like she did. Especially not with that accuracy.

"Uh, yeah," the man said as he was relieved to be able to move the arm freely again. The woman smiling happily at him. Drug addicts.

"It's gonna be sore for a few days," Carol informed him.

"After the greenhouse, you came here?" I asked the man curiously. His blond hair stuck to his skin from the sweat he was giving off from the bone going back into place. His blue eyes glancing from me to his girlfriend.

"Yeah. We thought it was clear. We missed the deadie in the PJs, so we dove into the bathroom," the man told me as he laughed a little and looked between me and the girl.

"So how long were you up there till we showed up?" I asked them curiously.

"Like, two days," the woman replied to me quickly, kindly caressing her boyfriend's back in circles. So is that their car at the front?

"There was just one. You had guns," Carol told them a little stunned at their lack of attempt at securing the house.

"We have about 12 bullets. It usually take us about five or six to bring one of them down," the woman said as she looked to her boyfriend with a smile. Wow...they need target practice.

"But you have knives," Carol pointed out to them.

"To what, stab it in the head?" the guy asked us a little confused as he laughed.

"Yeah," Carol said as though this was a 'duh' moment.

"We got separated from our crew about a week ago. Been trying to play it safe since it's just the two of us," the man tried to explain to us.

"I have to with my leg," the woman said which made me look at her leg. It was bent inwards, a tatoo of a star on it as I made my eyes wander back up at the pair. Seems like she took on a lot of damage. "We were at a refugee center together and there was a fire. People were just trampling over me. Assholes. Sam saved my life," the woman said adoringly as she looked down at 'Sam'.

"We didn't know each other before. It didn't heal right, but it healed," the woman said as her eyes were glued on Sam. "And we found each other. It was worth it," the woman said with a smile. Her eyes focused on her boyfriend but would glance up at me.

"Where are you two headed next?" I asked them curiously.

"We just keep moving. We haven't been waiting for places to go bad," Sam informed us. "I mean, it's getting a little old," he said as he pointed to his shoulder with a drugged laugh.

"You guys look all right. What's your setup like?" the woman asked us.

"The 'skin-eaters'? We call them walkers," I informed them so they knew exactly what we were going to ask them the questions. I'm going to ask them the questions. Carol no longer has a say in this. "How many have you killed?" I began with the first question.


DPOV

"I'm going to go look for some supplies we can possibly use for the journey," Kat came towards me after we were about to enter the small shop. Looking at her, I could see she was still a few miles away from us. She's having a moment. All because of me. Wow. I was such an asshole to her yesterday.

"Alright," I agreed with a nod. "Just...hollar and I'll come," I told her as I looked between her and Bob. "And stay close!" I called to her, she had turned around and began to walk off towards the houses that were around us. "We'll be leaving soon," I informed her as she turned to look at me, walking backwards as she smiled at me.

"Whatever you say dad," Kat teased with me. Making my mouth form a small smirk, shaking my head and hearing her sweet giggle fill my ears. Looking to Bob, I saw him chuckle at the interaction between me and Kat.

Pointing to the door, I looked to Bob and acted like nothing had just happened. Focused on the task once again. Kat walking away from us and heading towards the houses that were on the same street. "Come on," I told Bob as he went in first, his gun raised and my crossbow aimed up.

Wandering inside, I found no walkers to be seen. Going further into the building, I found a car battery laying on a table. "Here we go," I tell Bob as I walked to it, checking the battery and it's condition.

"Hmm, cells look pretty dry," Bob observed as he looked at the cells. Popping the lids of them with my knife to get a better look of it on the inside.

"A little distilled water will clear that right up," I told him already knowing the solution to that problem.


RPOV

"We got about all we're gonna get here. We should move on," Carol said as she paced around the room, placing things into her bag and I was crouched down, taking all I could. Slipping them into my bag.

"So, did we pass your test?" Sam asked us as I had my back to him.

"We're in a prison eight miles north. If you come back with us, we can't guarantee your safety. There's an illness, a flu. It's bad," I warned them as I looked to Carol and saw she was okay with the pair coming back with us to the prison.

"We've lost a lot. Kids, too," Carol informed them further.

"Yours?" the woman asked Carol who just looked at her, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"No, thank God," Carol said which made me look at her surprised. Yes she has. Why is she lying? She's lost Sophia back at Hershel's farm. "But one of my girls, she's got it," Carol said refering to Lizzie.

"I'm sorry," the woman said sadly to her.

"She's strong. She'll make it," Carol said firmly. Convinced that Lizzie would pull through. I hope so.

"You got fences and walls?" Sam asked, making me nod my head at him slowly. "We're in," Sam told us as he walked a little towards us.

"Yeah, whatever you need us to do," the woman said slightly pleading of us.

"For now, sit tight. The two of us will circle back for you before dark," I told them, making set rules to myself and them. I need to deal with Carol first.

"Or you could help us sweep the rest of this neighborhood," Carol suggested, only prolonging the chance of me getting her packed and gone out of our lives.

"We can do that. I can check the greenhouse, see if it's clear, bring back more fruit," the woman suggested willingly.

"And I can hit some of the houses," Sam suggested his own plan that he could follow.

"Well, it's nice of you to offer, but your shoulder's barely-" I went to protest.

"As long as I don't put too much weight on this arm, I'm good," Sam tried to tell me as he cut me off mid sentence.

"And I can still move pretty fast," the woman said as though she truly meant it. Is she high right now? Are they both high?

"I just don't think-" I tried to protest again.

"We won't take any chances. We'll look. And if it's cake, we'll do it. If not, we'll just roll. I mean, you don't look so good yourself, man. Are you a righty or a lefty?" Sam asked me as he tried to make it seem okay. His eyes on my hand. Fuck.

"We'll cover more ground. The sooner we get back..." Carol said to me, drifting off as she walked towards the exit.

"You can't carry us, man. It doesn't work that way," Sam tried to convince me further.

"Please, we want to help," the woman pleaded to me.

"You fire a shot, we'll come running. Let's meet back here in two hours," I told them as I handed the pair of them guns. Slipping off my watch, I gave it to Sam and gave him a quick nod. "You'll need this," I told him as he took it from me slowly. My favourite watch. The same one Lori gave me on my birthday. I've had it for over 6 years now...if my accuracy in time is correct.


DPOV

"That's puke," I pointed out as I shone my torch over the puke that laid on the floor. All old and discolored. "Those douchebags in the vines took themselves out, holding hands, kumbaya style," I told Bob as we were looking for anything else we could use for the battery or car.

"They wanted to go out together same as they lived," Bob told me as though he was understanding of them. "That makes them douchebags?" he asked me criously as to what I thought.

"It does if they could have gotten out," I growled. They could have gotten out. Saved themselves. Saved others and survived. There's always a good reason to keep fighting.

"Everybody makes it, till they don't," Bob said as though he knew this from experience. "People nowadays are dominoes. What they did, maybe it's about not having to watch them fall," he told me as I picked up what we needed for the cell.

"Right," I said with a nod, looking down, I saw there was a raspy breathing walker. Clawing at us as it tried to reach us. "Come on," I told him as we saw that the walker was trapped beneath the shelves, wriggling my finger for Bob to follow behind me closely. I heard a grunt come from behind me as we went back to the battery and took it to the car.


KPOV

Wandering towards a house, I knocked on a window and saw a few walkers make their way towards the windows. Clawing at it and making me sigh. There was no exact idea of how many there were. Deciding to go in, I sneaked through the back, climbing over the fence and sneakily opening the door. Taking slow steps, I had my knife between my fingers, my bow up and an arrow in place.

My heart pounding, my breathing quiet as I tried to take in what was happening and listening for walkers. A walker turned to me, shooting it down with the arrow, I went to place another arrow into place and was suddenly grabbed by a walker. It was trying to push me up against the wall, dropping my arrow, I threw the walker to smash it's back to the wall and pierced it's head with my knife that I clutched between my fingers.

Another walker was making it's way from the window, stumbling as I picked up my arrow and saw it was getting too close. Grabbing the arrow, I waited until it was close enough. Holding the walker by the neck, I slammed the tip of my arrow into it's head. Letting it drop to the ground and rushing into the living room, only to see two other walkers.

Kicking one back, I grabbed my machete and sliced one's head off. The other that I had kicked stumbled towards me, and went to grab me. Hitting it's leg, I made it break and caused it to fall to the ground. It's head on the ground, I used the tip of my machete and watched as it no longer moved. Heading towards the stairs, I saw another walker stood there and when it saw me, it went to go down.

The walker stumbled and fell down the stairs. Tumbling as it rolled around, causing me to move back and watch her reach the floor. Her body slamming against the hard floor as it clawed up at me. Ignoring her struggles, I took the chance and stomped onto her head. Her brain splattering everywhere on the ground and making a puddle.

Whistling I heard another walker coming up behind me, dodging it's attempt to grab me, I grabbed its arm and wrist. Snapping it and pressing it's head to the wall. Smashing it's head into a pulp against the wall. Dropping the body, I walked up and checked for any other walkers. Quietly, I stayed silent and moved around. Avoiding anything that could squeak and entering rooms.

Seeing that there was one door that was sealed shut. I took a step back and gathered enough strength. Enough anger and channeled it. Kicking down the door with one hard hit and watched as it flew open. Machete raised as I was ready to kill. It was empty. Stepping in, that was when I saw it. Two women laying on the bed. A blonde and brunette, holding hands and both decaying. Guns laid on the floor as they had both shot themselves while holding hands. Oh my God.


DPOV

"You never told us about the group you were with before," I made conversation with Bob as he was leaning against the building, both of us having a smoke as I was fixing up the car.

"Which one?" Bob answered me with a question of his own. "You know, when you found me out on that road, I almost kept walking," he told me honestly.

"Why is that?" I asked him curious by what he meant. Why would he walk away from us?

"'Cause I was done being a witness. Two times, two different groups. I was the last one standing. Like I was supposed to see it happen over and over, like it's some kind of curse," he informed me. Damn. That sucks. "But, when it's just you out there with the quiet...used to be I'd drink a bottle of anything just so I could shut my eyes at night," he told me truthfully.

"Figured the prison, the people, thought it'd be easier," he told me as I picked up the bottle of distilled water, I had done what I needed to for the car and there was enough left to drink. "The run to the big spot, I did it for me," he told me as I took a sip of water.

"You gotta keep busy," I agreed, knowing what it was like for a recovering alcoholic.

"No. I did it so I could get me a bottle. Of anything," he told me. "I picked it up, I held it in my hand, but I put it down. I put it down so hard it took the whole damn shelf with it," he told me truthfully. "That's what brought on the walkers, and that's what got Zach killed," he told me with all the regret in his tone.

"That's bullshit," I grumbled out to him loudly. If it is his fault...it don't matter. I can tell he regrets it and that he didn't mean to do that. "Why don't you get in there and try the engine? It's a red and a green wire. Go on. It ain't rocket science," I told him as he just stood there. "Give it some gas," I told him as he tried to get the car running. The engine starting as it rumbled to life. Clapping with pride as I was happy to see it working.

Whistling Michonne and Tyreese over from where I could see them. I expected Kat to stand up too and bring stuff with her like Michonne and Tyreese were doing. "Sasha and me picked that spot. We took you with us. There ain't no way anybody could've known. You ain't gonna be standing alone, not no more," I told him as I tried to make him not feel guilty anymore. "Let's go," I told the other pair as they were bringing their stuff with them.

"No Kat?" I asked Michonne as I realized it was only her and Tyreese sat around the corner. Where the hell is she? Is she in trouble? Fuck. If she is...what the hell am I going to do? I wouldn't be able to fucking live with myself if something happened to her.

"Nope," Michonne told me, popping the 'p' as she made her way towards me and Bob. Tyreese slowly walking towards us. I noticed how his eye was gradually getting better. The swelling wasn't as bad as it was yesterday. He'll be back to normal in no time.

"I'm gonna go look for her," I told them as I sighed and grabbed my crossbow. "Which way did you see her go last?" I asked them and Michonne pointed in the same direction as Tyreese. They told me she hadn't exited that house in a long time. Fuck. Please let her be okay. Let her be fine.


RPOV

"It's all expired by at least a year," Carol complained as we were searching more houses for medicine and anything else we could take with us.

"Better to take it. Let Hershel decide what he needs," I told her as I was picking up pill bottles from the cabinates. "Did you think it was right?" I asked her after deliberating if to talk to her about what we had done with those kids. "Letting those kids come back with us?" I asked her curious as to what she thought.

"I think it was the humane thing to do," she told me which made me want to laugh. You killed two people in their sleep. In their beds. Where they had hoped to be safe. To sleep and survive for another day. To fight off the flu.

"But did you think it was right?" I tried again, turning and looking to her. Her back to me while she let the drawers slide open and closed. Looking for any useful supplies.

"Look at us. Digging through drawers, hoping that...a couple of cough drops and some disinfectant might be the difference between dying and living a couple of more hours," she told me as she turned to look at me, getting onto her knees and looking inside smaller drawers beside the bed. Throwing pills onto the bed while looking at me. "If they're strong enough to help us survive this thing, yeah, I think you made the right call," she told me truthfully, her blue like grey eyes glancing up at me and holding my gaze.

"And if they're not?" I questioned her while she got to her feet, moving to another drawer and giving her back to me again. That girl has got a busted leg. They both are drug addicts and...who knows if they're mentally stable without drugs.

"Let's hope they are," Carol said a little upset that I would even claim them being unfit to continue living, especially with us and helping us with this flu. What if they're a threat. What if they're crazy and will try and take over our prison?

I sighed softly and looked down. "Yeah," I sighed out quietly, turning my back and crouching down. Searching for anything else we could use in the cabinates below. The smaller ones. Shoving things out of the way and looking to find anything useful.

"Rick...I killed two people and you haven't said a word about it," Carol told me, walking to me and stopping to clutch the door frame. Keeping her eyes on me and watching for anything changing on my expression. My jaw clenching tightly shut for a second before I relaxed.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked her in slight defeat, looking up at her and stopping my search for anything we could bring back with us.

"It's not about what you say. It's about facing reality," she pointed out to me like this was the answer to everything. "It always comes for us and over and over again we face it so that we can live," Carol told me truthfully and looked me directly in the eyes.

"'So that we can live,'" I repeated what she said, knowing full well what she meant by it. Only us. The close knit group we started with is all she cares about. What if it was Kat or me that was sick? Would she kill us? Kill Carl or Judith?

"That's right," Carol agreed with my repeat of her words. "That's what it always comes down to. You can be a farmer, Rick," she pointed out to me. "You can't just be a farmer," she said to me, spitting it at me a little. "You're a good leader," Carol told me as she crouched down to get to my level. "Better than I probably gave you credit for," she told me honestly. Even she had doubts in me. It doesn't surprise me. I doubt myself every single day.

"I never murdered two of our own," I growled at her. Not when I was the one in charge. She took over and then killed people without consultation. I know Kat would never agree to what Carol has done.

"Just one," Carol pointed out to me. Shane.

"He was gonna kill me," I remembered, looking away from Carol. I could see his face, that crazy look he had in his eye. The way he wanted to take my place. To steal my family. To have my wife in his arms again. I couldn't stand it. I would do anything for my family. I'll keep surviving. For them.

"So were they," she told me like it was a fact. "They were gonna kill all of us," she explained what she believed.

"You don't know that," I stated to her coldly. It's not the same as what happened between me and Shane. He had it in for me. Those people were innocent and it wasn't their intention to try and get us sick.

"If you thought it would save Judith, Kat or Carl, would you have done it then?" Carol asked me but continued her questioning quickly. "Or would you have just gone back to your crops and hoped it'd all be okay?" she asked me making me feel angry. Who am I angry with? Her or myself? I don't know what to do. But I need to do something.

"You don't have to like what I did, Rick," she told me firmly. "I don't," she said with slight regret on her face. "You just accept it," she stated as though this would solve the problem. Tyreese and the others wouldn't be able to accept it. No one would.


DPOV

"Kat?" I called to her, stepping inside and seeing a few walkers laid out on the floor. Double checking that they weren't still alive, I kicked them and saw they were froze. Dead. Counting them, I took note that Kat had killed 7 walkers by herself. Damn. "Kat!" I shouted for her a little worried. If walkers have eaten her...they can come here and eat me too. Walking upstairs, it was silent. No walkers. No one. When I looked inside a room, I saw Kat stood there staring at something.

"Ah, there you are," I said slightly relieved to see she was fine. She didn't turn her head to look at me. She just stayed where she was and acted like she couldn't hear me coming towards her. "Why didn't you answer me?" I asked her a little confused. "Oh..." I said, stepping in and seeing what she had been staring at.

There were two figures on a bed. Clutching hands. Guns on the floor as they had shot themselves and died together. Their corpses rotting away together but faintly, you could tell one was a blonde and the other was a brunette. She's thinking about Lori and Andrea. Isn't she?

"They were good people," I said standing beside her, I too looked at the corpses and rested my crossbow over my shoulder. Staring at the two figures but refering to Lori and Andrea as I spoke to Kat. "You know...Andrea and your mom would be proud of you," I told her, knowing that this was something she would probably be wanting to hear.

"You've stepped up," I pointed out to her. "You've done what's right," I stated. "You've made changes to who we are and what to do," I kept the list going. Hopeful that she would realize that all I had said about her before wasn't true. That this was her. She's the real deal. The true and strongest survivor. She's been though so much but she hasn't let it change her.

"You're one of the stongest people I know," I told her, staring at her as she kept her blue eyes glued to the two figures. "You're smart," I said. "Kind," I pointed out. "Caring," I told her as I thought of how she was like towards others she barely knew as well as she did others. "Loving to your family," I reminded her.

"Selfless," I spoke to her. Making a long list for her to hopefully remember when she ever felt down. She doesn't think of herself first. Never. Even when she thought she did, she didn't. She worried about her family. Not herself. "You know how to defend yourself against walkers," I stated as I knew how she could handle them.

"I should have more faith in what you chose to do," I told her as I looked down and sighed. You're being such a pussy around her. Showing her all your thoughts like this. "I just can't help the feeling that...maybe you shouldn't risk it and become reckless like your father was," I reminded her as I thought of her father and what he was like when he lost Kat and Lori.

"It's not always about taking chances," I spoke to her truthfully. "Sometimes it's best to be safe," I thought of how she needed to think of herself sometimes. That maybe it wasn't always her best choice to go out there and get herself killed from being kind to Michonne or to try and gain as much knowledge as she could.

"So...what I said was wrong," I said to her as I looked to her again. Great. Why don't you tell her you like her too. Merle's small voice in my head told me which made me tense up a little. "You're none of those things," I stated to her. "You're stronger and wiser than anyone I've ever known," I said, knowing full well that she could take it as a compliment if it pleased her.

"They'd be proud but...they'd want you to play it smart," I began, hoping she would stop me with my rambling. "And to protect the ones you've been searching for, after all the time you've been away from them," I told her as I remembered the day that we found Kat. How she was with Rick and how they both looked like they could have cried from happiness.

"I know...I just can't help the feeling that maybe sometimes they aren't as proud of me," Kat said as she too was struggling for words. She sighed and looked down, pulling her eyes away from the two corpses. "That maybe I should have done something a little more different," Kat said with a shrug. "That maybe I could have done more to keep them safe too," Kat told me which made me frown a little.

"Sometimes...there's nothing you really can do," I told her as I remembered Merle and how I had found him as a walker. "You just gotta keep going and keep your head up high," I said as I remembered how hard it was to go back to the prison after killing Merle like I had.

"Live each day like it's your last while doing what needs to be done to keep the ones you love alive," I said as I hoped she didn't ask me what I had meant by that. I ain't in love with her but...would I do anything for her? Yeah. I would. "They'd be proud," I told her as I looked to her. Her blue eyes gazing into mine for a moment. "I know it," I said with a gut feeling telling me I was right. I truly believe they are proud. Wherever they are.

Kat gave me a small sad smile, she looked away and back to the bodies. Her blue eyes sad but understanding. She's coming back. I can see it. Tensing, I felt her hand slip into mine slowly. Carefully lacing our fingers in this gentle touch. Taking a shaky breath, I relaxed and allowed my fingers to lace the same way her did with mine. Her hand was warm, soft and gave me a weird sensation. What is this feeling?

"By the way...you're forgiven," Kat told me as she smiled sadly at the two figures. She was speaking to me and I knew she was. Her head turned towards me, her bright blues light and staring into mine. "I too said some stupid things but...we're living in the moment right?" she asked me with a small shrug and smile on her face.

"Yeah," I agreed giving her a small, tight lipped smile. Her hand still holding mine as she gave it a little squeeze. "We'd better get back," I tell her after a few moments of us looking into each other's eyes. "Let's go," I suggested, giving me a nod she let me lead her out the house and all while our hands were still connected. What a weird feeling. I can't seem to want to let her go.


KPOV

"Looks like we're getting closer," Daryl said as we were walking around a town. Keeping quiet and having to kill a few walkers along the way. The sun was still up high and we were being told where to go by Tyreese.

"The building we want is just up ahead," he told us. Gradually we got in, opening doors quietly and taking down one or two walkers in each room. Reaching a hallway, we found a room filled with medicines and other things. It was a classroom.

"All right, let's make this quick," Daryl ordered us as we all grabbed whatever we could and placed it into our bags. Seeing Bob hide away behind curtain of what looked like bed covers and a desk hiding whatever else he was doing. Shaking my head, I followed the others into another room and heard Bob rush behind me, keeping close and folling after us.


RPOV

"Let's hit the houses across the street," Carol suggested while we were walking along a small clearing of grass. Seeing a few plants growing behind a few trees and growing on the trees. Maybe we could get some good fruit from them.

"Hold on," I told her, stopping her in her plan and walking over to the plants. "How'd you put his shoulder back before?" I asked her as we both began picking at the fruits that grew on them. "You learn that from Hershel?" I curiously questioned her.

"Internet," she informed me. "It's easier than telling an ER nurse I'd fallen down the stairs a third time," she revealed to me. Placing tomatoes into the bags as I looked to her. Nodding once as I understood what she had meant. Ed. He did beat her and he was vicious to both her and Sophia. I'm glad he's dead.

"I'm sorry," I appologized sadly. I shouldn't have asked. I should of just told her she did a good job with that. Not pry into her business like I just did.

"Don't be," Carol told me as our eyes met for a second. "Just fixed what needed fixin'," she told me with a small smile. "I actually convinced myself I was happy with him. Which wasn't all that hard to do considering my idea of happiness then was just not being alone," she told me which made me feel sorry for her.

"Made a decent living. He was charming when he wanted to be, especially those mornings after he'd come home piss-drunk and..." she trailed off as she threw herself in and out of that memory. "Stupid. Stupid," she muttered to herself as she realized something about either herself or her husband. "I didn't think I could be strong. I didn't know I could. I already was," she pointed out, already knowing herself now and before.

"Why don't you say her name?" I asked her. I know I found it hard to say Kat's name when I thought she was dead but...I had no idea she was even alive. I did say her name. In my sleep. In my dreams and in my nightmares. Picturing her as a walker every night. Or laying there on the floor like the first ever walker I had encountered.

"She's dead, Rick," Carol reminded me. "Sophia," Carol said it with ease. "Dead," she told me with a shrug, the pair of us stopping our picking and looking to one another. "Somebody else's slideshow," she spoke sadly as she looked away from my gaze.

"Some mornings I still wake up half-expecting Lori to be there," I told her truthfully. "Reminding me to pick up Carl after school," I said as I remembered the things she would remind me to do. "To go wake up Kat, or telling me breakfast is ready," I said as I continued to pick off tomatoes from the plants.

"Every Sunday she'd make us these pancakes that were just...God-awful," I told her as I chuckled softly to myself. Remembering the times we woke up and me and Kat would secretly joke about the pancakes. "Clumps of flour that weren't mixed in right. Thing was...she knew it was bad," I told Carol as she smiled and giggled softly at my story.

"Why'd she keep at it?" Carol asked, a smile plastered to her face and her hands out, holding a bag out for me to place tomatoes into them.

"Well...she wanted us to be the kind of family that ate pancakes on Sunday," I told her. Remembering the small conversation I had with Lori about it once. We've been having pancakes ever since Kat was born. Walking back to the houses, we saw the fruit laying on the ground. Blood marks all over the floor that lead to a white door. Opening the door, it creaked and revealed the woman's injured leg that was now separated from her body.

In the distance we saw walkers munching on a new found meal. It was the woman we had seen with Sam. She's dead. "We should get back," Carol spoke, pulling me out of my thoughts and making me look at her. "Sam's probably waiting," Carol told me, as she turned back she looked sad and walked away from the scene. Following after her while we both stayed silent on the way back.


KPOV

Myself, Michonne and Bob were looking in cabinates for medicine which we could take back and would save people back at the prison. Picking them out and placing them in our bags. "Anything ending with 'cillin' or 'cin', 'C-I-N', grab it. We'll dissolve the pills in the IVs, put 'em right into the bloodstream. Dosage will be tricky but considering the time we lost..." Bob told us as we grabbed the pills and shoved them in the backpacks.

"How'd you do?" Bob asked Daryl and Tyreese as they walked back to us with bags full of equiptment for the medicine we would be using. Daryl's blue eyes flashing up to meet my own while Michonne had her back pressed up against mine slighly, checking the cabinates and passing me some more to place in my bag.

"Bags, tubes, clamps, connectors," Tyreese listed to us. "Everything on the list," Tyreese told us as Daryl lowered his crossbow down on the table and placed the bags onto the ground. His bright blues dark in the shadow of the dim lighting in the room. Shying my eyes away while pushing pills deeper into my back pack.

"What about y'all?" Daryl asked us roughly, Michonne double checking any cabinates and handing me the last few bottles of pills to me. Putting them inside and shutting it loudly. Daryl's eyes glued to me as I glanced up and caught his gaze. Is he still sad about what he said?

"Yeah, we got it all," Bob told them.

"Yeah. We're good," Michonne agreed, giving Daryl a nod and giving us all time to slip our bags back onto our backs. Grabbing our weapons and trying to find a way out.

"All right, let's roll," Daryl told us as he lead the way. Tyreese coming in second, myself coming in third and Michonne coming up behind me. Bob was following after Michonne. All of us silent while we walked down the halls. "Whoa," Daryl repeated as we slowed down, looking into a room I then heard snarling. Walkers.

Looking inside, that was when I saw the face. Blood pouring down its eyes and mouth. It's infected. Running down the hall quietly, I looked up and saw there was an exit to the stairway. "Up ahead," I instructed. The growling and snarling following after us.

Entering a small hallway filled with cages, the door creaked and slammed a few times. "Hey! Door's busted," Bob told us which made me and Michonne give way for Tyreese and Daryl to go back and help seal the door shut.

"Oh. Hold up," Daryl told me and Michonne before we could take another step further. Walkers growling and snarling as they tried to slam the door opened. Tyreese and Daryl helping Bob push cages in front of the door.

This was when I heard a growl of a walker echo around the small hall we were in. "I don't think we're alone in here," I told them as I flashed my torch around the room. Michonne looking to me worried and slowly we walked forward. "Stay alert," I told the others as they were making their way towards us. Following after us down the small hall.

"There," Michonne whispered, making us look to the 'Stairwell' sign that led to doubles doors. Jumping a little when I heard snarling, a thump and then grunting. A walker had grabbed at Tyreese. Tyreese used his hammer and smashed the walker's brains out.

A walker had found it's way in and this made us rush towards the double doors leading to the stairwell. Michonne looked at the lock and tried to see if it would come off by itself. The rattling alerted walkers, making them slid their hands out and try to grab us. Trapped behidn the doors, hands everywhere.

"How many?" Daryl asked as he shone his torch on the hands that were grabbing on us. Bob looking worried at the other door that had now opened and walkers were at both angles. Trapping us inside here if we didn't find an exit quickly enough.

"I can't tell," Michonne told him, her hand gripping her sword and my hand had already brought out my machete. Raising it over my head a little, I saw Bob behind me raising his gun and aiming it at the walkers that were tumbling over the cages in their way.

"We can take 'em," Ty said while the walkers were beginning to come in.

"No! They're infected. Same as at the prison," Bob shouted at us, refusing to kill the walkers and still raising his gun on them. "We fire at 'em, get their blood on us, breathe it in. We didn't come all this way to get sick," Bob complained.

"How do we know the ones in there aren't any different?" Tyreese asked him, asking him loudly over all the growling and snarling from the walkers. Making it a little hard for any of us to hear each other.

"We don't," I told them as Michonne looked inside, trying to see if there was any indication any of them were sick or not. Worry crossing my mind but pushing it back while I looked to the others. We all need to get out of this. Alive. And well.

"Well, it's gotta change sometime," Daryl grumbled as he picked up a chair and began to break off a leg. Stomping on it and slowly hearing it snap off the chair. Dropping his crossbow to the ground lightly, picking it up and slinging it over my shoulder. Michonne slid out her Katana and was ready to kill whatever was lurking behind the doors. Let us be fine. Please. "Ready?" Daryl asked us, placing the leg between the locks and all of us stepped back. Reading to kill the walkers that stood behind the doors.

"Do it!" Tyreese shouted to him. He just wants to kill as many as he can. Daryl grunted as he opened the door. His arms flexing in that way that would make me drool if it weren't for the circumstances. Growling and snarling stepping out from the door while we killed them quickly. Watching them drop to the floor and thankful none of them were infected.

"Come on," Daryl told us as he took his crossbow from my hands and lead the way out. Running up the stairs as the walker that were infected were gnawing at the air. Snarling and growling while they followed after us. All of us panting, our heart beats fast and our eyes searching for a way out.


RPOV

Tapping my gun that was in the holster, I looked around and waited for Sam to return. There was no sign of him and we had been waiting for at least half an hour. "It's been too long," Carol told me, sitting down at the dinning table and keeping her eyes on me or to the wall opposite her.

"We should give him a couple more," I said as I had hope he had survived. That he would be back with whatever he found and with my watch. I want my watch back. Lori gave it to me. It means something to me.

"He might be fine. He really might be," Carol said as her head was turned to me. Looking at me from the corner of my eye. "But it doesn't matter, because he's not here and we have to go," Carol told me while getting to her feet and holding onto her backpack. "It was a nice watch," she appologized a little with a sad look, turning to leave and making me sigh to myself.


KPOV

Walkers were following us as they had reached different hallways, running behing Michonne and seeing her kill a walker using her Katana. Running past her, I saw a door to the far right, turning the doorknob it wouldn't open. "Back!" Daryl told me as he went to kick it but saw it was no use. Bob throwing things to the ground to block the walkers from getting too close to us.

"Don't have an exit," Michonne said a little panicked as she ran back to try and get the walkers away from Bob.

"Then we make one," Daryl growled, climbing onto a block that was under the windows and trying to find a handle. We're stuck. We need to get out of here. Right now! They're getting too close! Using my machete, I killed a few and kept my distance as I did so.

"Get down!" I heard Tyreese shout, a grunt escaping him and then the sound of glass breaking. Turning around, I was surprised to see that Tyreese had successfully smashed down the window and made us an exit.

"Come on, move it!" Daryl shouted to us, Michonne pushing me ahead and Daryl took my hand. Moving me to climb out the window and not get cut in the process. Being the first one he gave the instructions to. "Jump down to the walkway below," Daryl told me as I did as he said. Waiting for the rest of them as I saw Michonne follow after me.

"They're here!" I heard Bob scream.

"Let's go! Go, go. Move," Daryl told us as though this was the military base. Tyreese following Michonne, then Daryl and then Bob. When Bob got out, he tripped and fell. The bag almost hitting the ground and was being clawed by walkers. All of them snarling at him as they were reaching for him but some took hold of the bag.

All of us screaming for him to let go of the bag. Taking hold of him wherever we could and pulling him from the walker that were trying to bring him down with the bag. Bob was being stubborn. Keeping hold of the bag and trying to get the walkers off of it.

"Let go of the bag, man," Daryl growled at him, that was when the walkers finally let go and the bag flung across the roof we were stood on. Making a clinking noise, which made all of us look at him surprised. Straightening up, I watched as Daryl looked at Bob with a curious look in his eye. Pills don't clink like whatever it did in his bag.

Daryl got to one knee, pulling out whatever was in the bag and revealing a bottle of alcohol. "You got no meds in your bag? Just this?" Daryl asked him a little angered. His body tense and his eyes dark while he looked to Bob. "You should have kept walking that day," Daryl snarled at him. A guilty look on Bob's face. He's an alcoholic?

Daryl went to throw the bottle across the courtyard. Far away from us. "Don't," Bob warned him. His hand going to his gun as though he was going to shoot Daryl if he went to throw the bottle. Daryl grunted as I saw his entire body tense up, like he was ready to beat the shit out of Bob. Daryl rushed to Bob, pressing his forehead to Bob's, intimidating him. Pushing him back with the impact and strength Daryl had.

Daryl was proving he was the strongest male. The alpha from his animalisic way of scaring people. Of proving their strength. Daryl took out Bob's gun and saw he was defenceless. Weak. Bob's eyes never meeting Daryl's. Grabbing him by his shirt as the two bumped heads together. Daryl breathing heavily, glaring at Bob while Bob hid his eyes away from Daryl.

Worried, I went to pull the two men apart and felt Michonne's hand reach for my own. Holding me and pulling me back. Shaking her head at me silently. My heart pounding in my chest. Worried for Daryl. "Just let it go, Daryl. The man's made his choice. Nothing you can do about it. Just gotta let it go," Tyreese told him which made Daryl let go of Bob, pushing him back and taking a step back from him.

"I didn't want to hurt nobody," Bob told us, his expression sad and his voice depressed. Daryl pacing around, getting up close every so often to show Bob he wasn't afraid of him. To think Daryl saved him...only to not save the people we have back at the prison. Being selfish and storing a drink rather than meds. I know I packed comics but it was for someone else. Not for myself. "It was just for when it gets quiet," Bob made the excuse up sadly.

Daryl slapped the bottle to Bob's chest angrily, getting into his face again and glaring at him darkly. "You take one sip before those meds get into our people, I will beat your ass into the ground," Daryl threatened him, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. "You hear me?" Daryl questioned him, not expecting an answer as we all saw Bob quiver under the intensity of Daryl's behaviour.

My mind was in a slight haze. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes glued to Daryl as my mind was suddenly in the gutter. What the hell? My mouth dry as I felt that growl run through every fiber of my body. His animalistic behaviour made me feel like squirming from attraction. He just threatened to beat the shit out of someone and I'm here becoming sexually frustrated! This is not the way to go. Out. Out of my head. This instant!

Shaking my head clear of my thoughts, I saw Daryl turn around and make his way towards me. His eyes on the ground as he walked towards us. Snapping out of my trance, I felt the heat flush to my cheeks and looked down. Daryl picked up his things and we made our way down. Heading back to the car and to drive back to the prison.


DPOV

Rushing down the hallway, we found more walkers making their way towards us. Bob blocking our way, Michonne killing a walker and Kat trying to open the door with no success. "Back!" I shouted, trying to kick down the door and noticing there was no way of opening it. Locked. Fuck.

"Don't have an exit," Michonne told us, worry in her voice as she ran back and tried to save Bob. Climbing up, I tried to see if there was a way out through the windows.

"Then we make one," I growled. Searching for any handles and finding none. Shit.

"Get down!" Tyreese screamed to me, ducking I saw he had a fire extinguisher in his hands and over his head. Grunting, he threw it over my head and the glass smashed.

"Come on, move it!" I ordered to the others when I saw Kat turn and look at the window wide eyed, stunned. Michonne pushed her forward and she ran to take my hand. "Jump down to the walkway below," I instructed to her, watching her climb over the window and jump down onto the small roof.

"They're here!" Bob shouted, seeing walkers make their way towards us. Getting Michonne's hand and leading her up and over like I had with Kat.

"Let's go! Go, go. Move," I shouted. Helping Tyreese up a little and climbing through after him. Bob climbed over, tripped and fell. Walkers reaching up for him as they snarled and were clutching to the bag he was holding onto. All of us ran to him, dropping my things to the floor and grabbing anything I could of him, trying to pull him up as he didn't let go of the bag. All of us screaming for him to let go of it.

"Let go of the bag, man," I warned him, this was when the bag flew over him and it crashed against the roof. A clinking, bottle like sound echoing in my ears. Straightening up, I looked to the others and then to the bag confused. Opening it up, I found a bottle of alcohol in his bag. Rage building up inside me as I thought of this fucker drinking this. Risking our lives for a bottle of shit.

"You got no meds in your bag? Just this?" I questioned him. Holding back everything in me not to just punch the shit out him there and then. We could have died because of him. He's reckless for a 'bottle of anything'. I thought he learned. Lying fucker. "You should have kept walking that day," I snarled at him, spitefully.

I went to fling it across the sky. To let him watch it smash and break into tiny pieces. "Don't," he warned me. His hand going to his gun. Did he just threaten to kill me over a bottle of alcohol? Making my way towards him, I bumped my head with his. Making him grunt as I kept all the anger inside me under control. Trying to not beat the shit out of him with Kat and the others around.

He didn't look me in the eyes. Getting up close and personal to him made him intimidated. It was something Merle had taught me. Something he told me would make any man either pussy out or attempt to beat the shit out of you. Only if they're faster than you lil' brother. I could hear Merle say to me.

Pulling out his gun, I watched as he hid his eyes from me. Guilt and fear on his face. Grabbing him by the shirt, I made sure he got the message that I ain't afraid of him and that he would do fuck all to me. "Just let it go, Daryl. The man's made his choice. Nothing you can do about it. Just gotta let it go," Tyreese told me. My eyes glaring at him as I could feel the tension in my body slowly ease itself.

"I didn't want to hurt nobody," Bob said sadly. "It was just for when it gets quiet," he tried to make the excuse. He could of had more room for meds. Instead he was selfish and an asshole. Thinking only of himself and not listening to us. I thought he changed.

With all my bottled up anger, I shoved the bottle to his chest and restrained myself from throwing it to the walkers. "You take one sip before those meds get in our people...I will beat your ass into the ground," I treatened him, my voice low and evil while I glared at him. "You hear me?" I questioned him.

Turning my back, I didn't look at anyone. Kept my eyes to the ground and picked up my things. Leading the way and wanting to get back to the others as quickly as possible. There are people to save. For all I know...Ass-Kicker, Rick, Carl and Carol could all be sick too. I ain't gonna let them die. Not because of some asshole who likes to drink.


RPOV

I had locked the car doors. Carol and I placing things into the back of my car. She went to open the passanger seat door, the handle clicking with every pull she did. "They might have lived," I started. Making her look to me a little expectantly. "Karen and David, they might have lived, and now they're dead," I informed her.

"That wasn't your decision to make," I stated to her. She had no say on if they should live or die. That was wrong of her. "When Tyreese finds out...he'll kill you," I pointed out to her blankly. "He damn near killed me over nothing," I reminded her.

"I can handle Tyreese," she told me, her hand no longer on the handle of the car door. Yeah...you might. You might not. But we won't be able to find out.

"When the others find out, they won't want you there," I told her, knowing the others and how they would all think. "And if they don't make it back, if everybody dies of this thing and it's just the two of us, with Judith, Kat and Carl. With my-with my children..." I said as I thought of the possibilites. "I won't have you there," I told her with a shake of my head.

"Rick, it's me," Carol told me as she looked into my eyes. No. This isn't you. The Carol I know would never murder someone. Especially not in cold blood. "No one else has to know," Carol pleaded to me. "I thought you were done making decisions for everyone," Carol pointed out.

"I'm making this decision for me," I growled at her. This isn't about the others. This is about me and my children. The reason I keep living. Keep fighting. Without them...I have nothing.

"I could have pretended that everything was gonna be fine," Carol said as she began to cry, wiping the tears away from under her eyes. "But I didn't," she told me. "I did something. I stepped up," she said firmly. Like this was a good thing. "I had to do something," she spoke a little firmly, sadly and pleading all at the same time.

"No, you didn't," I told her. She didn't have to kill them. She didn't know if they were going to be a threat to us. If they were going to die or get us infected. She didn't know. She couldn't have known.

"If you think I'm going anywhere without Lizzie and Mika-" she went to say. As though this was a threat or a reason to come back to the prison. I won't let her take them with her. If things were different...maybe. But they aren't.

"If you want them to leave, to go out there with you?" I asked her a little incredulous that she would even think I would let her take them with her. "Lizzie's sick," I snarled, trying to make her see sense. "Mika is 10 years old," I pointed out. They wouldn't survive. Mika is too young and Lizzie would die from the flu.

"Please, you can't," Carol pleaded to me, tears running down her face as she sniffled. Wanting nothing more than to take those girls with her. She said so...they aren't her girls. Sophia is dead. She'll never be able to replace Sophia. I could never replace Kat. I wouldn't. Those girls are not her priority.

"We'll keep them safe," I reassured her of the girls she had left behind at the prison. "You're not that woman who was too scared to be alone, not anymore," I pointed out, using the same words she used when we were picking tomatoes. "You're gonna start over, find others, people who don't know, and you're gonna survive out here," I said to her, sounding more like an order. "You will," I said, believing it and trusting my gut. She will. She's strong enough to survive out here.

"Maybe," Carol replied with a shrug, walking away from her, I began to split the supplies for her to take with her and she looked to me sadly. Expectant for me to change my mind and let her come back with me. That won't happen. I won't allow it.


KPOV

We were all staring at the map, trying to see the fastest and hopefully the less amount of walkers route we could utilize. "That's where I was traveling, Highway 100," Tyreese said as he pointed to the map and indicated where we could go.

"Then it will take about seven hours to get there. We're gonna need more gas," Michonne pointed out as she handed me the keys. Looking between them, I pictured the map and saved it to my memory. No way am I letting Michonne drive with her foot like it is.

"But we'll get there," Tyreese said hopeful. Bob was wandering around, pacing as he took a smoke. I didn't even want to look at him. Daryl was in the car, sat at the front seat, taking shot-gun. He was fiddling with the jasper mineral we had found on the way here.

"Taking Highway 100," I told him as I sat down and shut the door. The others all climbing into the back, Daryl playing with the Jasper mineral, looking at it blankly and the others shutting the doors behind them. He's being a little pissy. Wonder what's going on in that head of his.

"I heard," Daryl grumbled as he kept fiddling with the Jasper in his fingers. His eyes glued on the green mineral. Whatever it is...it ain't pretty. And it sure as hell doesn't look happy. At all.

"You were right, what you said before," Michonne began as she leaned in to look at Daryl between the space that she was squeezing in through. "About the trail going cold," Michonne reminded him. "I don't need to go out anymore. We don't need to go out there anymore," Michonne said as she gave me a small and sad smile.

"Good," Daryl grumbled, shutting the door loudly and lazily. Putting on my seatbelt, I waited for everyone to do the same and turned the key. The engine starts and I drove us back to the prison. Getting some guidance from Tyreese from time to time.


DPOV

"That's where I was traveling, Highway 100," I heard Tyreese say as he was pointing to the map they had laid out on the car. Completely uninterested with whatever was going on outside. Bob in the corner of my eye, pacing around and smoking by himself.

"Then it will take about seven hours to get there. We're gonna need more gas," Michonne said as Kat was squinting at the map. Possibly to engrave it into her memory. Every so often, I would glance up to look at her and would look away just before she noticed me staring.

"But we'll get there," Tyreese said hopeful. My mind kept wandering back to what happened on the roof outside the building. To Bob being an asshole. To possibly losing Carol, Ass-Kicker, Rick, Carl and maybe even Kat. Without the ones we love...we would be lost.

"Taking Highway 100," Kat informed me as she got into the driver seat. Her hands on the wheel, my own on the Jasper we had found on the way here. Fiddling with it and thinking of all the infected we had left behind. How they could all be dead by the time we get there.

"I heard," I mumbled to her, not wanting to be mean but knowing that there was a lot going on in my mind. Part of me wanted to kill Bob now. Part of me didn't want to harm him. Another part of me wanted to kill him if we had found everyone dead back at the prison. Everyone climbed into the back and the doors all closed.

"You were right, what you said before," Michonne began, leaning in and squeezing into the space between me and Kat. "About the trail going cold," Michonne told me, reminding me of the conversation we had earlier in the other car. "I don't need to go out anymore. We don't need to go out anymore," Michonne told me while looking to Kat with a small smile.

"Good," I grumbled, shutting the door loudly and like I didn't give a fuck. Not looking at anyone while I held the Jasper between my fingers. Kat slipping on her seat belt and then waiting for the others. Turning the key, the engine came to life and she drove us back to the prison. Guess two good things happened today. Kat and Michonne no longer need to search for the Governor and we've got medicine.


RPOV

Carol was holding out a gas can to me. Offering for me to take it with me. "Take it," I told her. She'll need it more than me. That way she can get as far from us as possible.

"Ed gave this to me on our first anniversary," Carol said as she began to walk back to me. Holding out a small watch. "Please," she pleaded for me to take it with me. "I should have given it away a long time ago," she said as I took it from her. She got in the car and started the engine. I watched as she drove away. She drove back and didn't turn back. Getting into my car, I glanced at the watched and placed it into my pocket.

She needed to get rid of the watch. Set herself free at last. No memory of her husband or her daughter. A fresh start. She's stronger than I ever could be. She proves it. She'll be fine out there. I know she will. Driving off, I made my way back to the prison but couldn't help myself to glance back at the road in the rearview mirror. Did I do the right thing? Or was this wrong?...


Hope you liked this chapter! It was a mistake! We still have 1 more chapter until the Governor attacks! I promise! Now...I need everyone to review as quickly as possible! I'll be writing up the next chapter as quickly as possible! So please, please, please, PLEASE! REVIEW! 10! I won't post until the 10 reviews are given. So the longer it takes...the longer it will take me to write. The longer it will be until we get to the Govenor's attack!


Now...questions to be answered in reviews!

1) What did you think of the chapter? What was your favourite moment in this one?

2) What did you think of the moments between Daryl and Kat?

3) How and when do you think they'll kiss? Try and picture it! Let's see if you get it right! Where is it? When? Tell me your predictions!

4) What did you think of Kat entering that house and Daryl coming in to find her staring at the two women?

5) How would you feel if Kat got a fatal wound when the Govenor attacks? Like...a shot wound?


Replies to reviews!

Fangirl1510: I'm glad you love it! I love, love, love that you reviewed this chapter!


EastDenise: Sadly, he doesn't see it yet! Long chapter are a lot of hard work. Believe me. It takes me hours to write these long chapters! But it's worth it when I get the reviews I ask for! Haha! Romance can sometimes be over-rated. I'm making it as real and believable between these characters. Two characters who have very different and similar views to love. Seeing as they don't know the love two people can share...yet! Thanks for the review sweetie!


boo1403: I'm glad you think this is all in character and that they are developing a love for each other slowly. It takes a lot of planning and rough ideas as to where to go with their relationship. I know when and where its going. We might need to wait for season 6 to come out for me to continue my writing soon! Which really worries me! Thank you for your review dear!


Panboa: Haha! Well...they have sort of kissed and made up. More like held hands and said 'Okay' but...it means something. Right? I'm glad you like the pacing between Kat and Daryl. I know about the stories where the OC and Daryl get together is really unrealistic. It makes me sad sometimes because Norman has said it. He would have him play the awkward guy, liking a girl and doing stupid things. Laughing, blushing and getting embarressed about it all. That is how Daryl is meant to be played. It's wrong to play him as a fast loving, romantic and continuously protective type. There are times where Kat needs help but she can fend for herself and Daryl knows that. When it comes to the Governor's attack. Don't worry. Spoiler alert, Michonne will kill him but...of course Kat will try and aid her father! I'm giving so much away so...let's keep it between you and me huh? She won't be involved in rape but...this is a crazy world. She's bound to see some sickening things. It might not exactly happen to her but...she can't escape some things that might happen to her and possibly the ones she loves. As for you writing your own OC fic, inspired by my work. I am very honoured to hear that. I'm very thankful that you find my work and efforts inspiring. I hope it all goes well for you! Thank you for your review! I love long reviews! Makes me see more of what people want and like. Gives me an insight.


Guest: Thanks for the review! We'll just have to wait and see won't we? Although...I do know where and who is going with who. I have plans. Big plans. And it doesn't involve cucumbers!


Complete-Global-Saturation: Thanks for the review! Thank you! I'm sorry for scaring you like that! I didn't mean to! We'll just have to see. I'm full of surprises. Let's just hope Kat and Daryl survive. Yes?


kayley . docherty: Not yet. I shall decide when they kiss and it isn't any time soon. Thank you for your review!


Guest: I'm glad you like the daughter and father moment. They're always so sweet. Glad you want flashbacks. I don't know if I'm glad that you're glad that they argued. Just wait and see!


Guest: Here you have it. Thank you for the review dear!


Guest: I had to make that moment. So you could see their closeness and understanding of each other. I have a few ideas of what the flashbacks could be about. Daryl feels guilty with anything he says or does to Kat. He's falling for her, it's normal! We'll see what happens! Thank you for your review!


Until I get all the 10 reviews. I won't post. I mean it. So hurry, that way I can fire the next chapter as quickly as my fingers will allow me to type!

Much love!

HeroJustInTime90 xxx