A/N: Finally getting back into the swing of things with this story. I do realize that there was probably some things I missed in the last chapter, but the first season was riddled with so many tedious details that I didn't want to waste time or words in describing certain things, so yeah. Don't wanna extend the chapters for more than what they should be.

Chapter Genre: General

Chapter Rating: T

Rating Content: Brief Coarse Language

She didn't know how long they had been barreling down the tracks for, but one thing was for certain that if they continued to do so, they would end up crashing!

"Uh, Kenneth!" Marianne shouted. "Roadblock up ahead!"

Kenny winced, trying to see whatever she was seeing. His eyes then widened. "Oh, shit. Hold on everybody!"

He slammed onto the brakes, nearly throwing Chuck and Marianne off of the front of the train. Marianne groaned loudly as she collided with the railing and Chuck shouted at Kenny for the sudden motion.

When the train finally came to a stop, she slowly climbed down the ladder and sat against the train, moaning at the immense pain in her pelvis. That was definitely going to bruise!

She then cringed as Kenny cursed loudly at the obstacle in front of them. "Language..." She muttered.

Ben shrunk back slightly at the older man. "Maybe we could walk?"

"That's fucking stupid, Ben."

"I'm just sayin'..."

She didn't know where it was going to stop; first, they had to be holed up at the Inn. And then, the train was their problem, and then the train became a solution, and now this bloody tanker was a problem that couldn't simply be pushed through. What else was going to happen?!

Chuck was the last one to get off the train. "Hmph." He huffed. "I ain't got much experience about y'all's fortitude, but we could probably deal with that." He then patted the metal machine beside him. We got a goddamn train!"

"That thing's not full of milk, Charles!" Kenny snapped. That's probably gas or diesel; something that could explode."

Marianne finally stood up and gently rubbed at her hips. "Look, Kenneth, Ah know ye lost some people, but ye need tae pull yerself together, lad! We're a crew, we can do this!"

The fisherman slowly approached Marianne in a threatening manner, but she didn't back down. "We ain't shit, right now!"

"We-"

"Yo! You keep screaming like that, you're gonna get your face chewed off!"

Everyone looked up at the bridge to see two people standing at the edge. A man and a woman, the man being somewhat shorter than the woman. The man had short brown hair and was wearing a dark brown jacket. The woman had longer brown hair that was put into a bun (smart) and she was wearing a purple sweater coat.

They didn't look too dangerous.

"Are you guys going to be trouble?" The woman asked. "Because we could've just kept walking."

Lee carefully approached the bridge and addressed the two strangers. "No, we're friendly!" He called up to them.

"That's what everybody says..." Marianne heard the woman mutter.

The two strangers could be seen conversing before the man asked, "You got a problem with your train?"

"Yeah," Kenny replied. "You're standing right in front of it."

The man shrugged slightly. "Dude, it's a wreck; it's not so bad from up here! Maybe send your buddies up to have a look."

Marianne allowed for the adults to converse among one another and she walked over to a dead tree, taking off her back pack and leaning heavily against it. "Lord, please, Ahm beggin' ye, let these strangers be patient an' kind ones..."

She saw Clementine approaching her and she forced a small smile. "Hey there, lass."

The young girl looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

Marianne waved a hand dismissively. "Och, aye Clementine. Ah just bumped into the railing when the train stopped. Ah'll be fine." Her smile then disappeared and her face was filled with worry. "How are ye feelin'?"

A frown over came Clementine's features and she rubbed her arm, looking down at her feet. "Duck and Katjaa are gone..."

She bit back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Aye, Ah know..." Was all she could say.

Clementine stood there for a few more moments before she looked up at her. "I'm going to go with Lee."

She jogged over to the bridge, where Marianne saw Lee on top of with the two strangers. Their conversation looked friendly, so she assumed everything was going to be alright. Aside from the tanker blocking the way, of course.

Ben decided to keep watch on top of the train while Kenny was brooding at the front of the train. She didn't blame the man, of course, him having just lost his son and his wife. He didn't have the time like she did to mourn for them. Chuck was playing the guitar (an almost melancholy tune) and Carley was sitting down beside him. So many people gone, so many people dead. How did they lose so many people in such a short time?

She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking those things; not now! She sat down and, unzipping her back pack, took out her Bible and began to read more passages she had highlighted over the years. She remembered when she had first gotten her Bible, when she was graduating from the eighth grade. She was a reading machine as soon as she opened it; highlighting her favourite verses and highlighting the verses that her mother and father had shown her. Her Bible was one of the few things she had left of her parents; her Bible, and her necklace. She would be sure to treasure both items until she breathed her very last breath.

Which, if things continued the way they currently were, wouldn't be too much longer.

She read her Bible in silence for several minutes, slowly flipping through the thin pages. Nobody had bothered her or disturbed her, most likely because she wasn't really needed. There wasn't much that she could do, other than swing an axe and fire a crossbow. She couldn't fire a gun, not that she really wanted to anyways. Marianne absolutely despised guns. They were loud and they were just death weapons. They were more dangerous than an axe or an arrow; one shot could kill you. Or damage you for life.

That, and the last time she tried to use a gun, she ended up giving herself a bloody nose due to the kickback.

Marianne heard someone approaching her and she looked up to see Carley walking towards her. "Hey, Maria? We may have found a way to get that tanker down."

A ghost of a smile spread across her lips. "That's good. Now, where's the 'but'?"

Carley chuckled. "The 'but' is that we actually need a blowtorch of some kind to cut it down. Lee says that the station house down the tracks could have something."

Marianne made a face. "An' what're the chances o' finding one o' those?"

Carley shrugged. "Beats me. Lee and Clementine are going to check the station. If they don't find a blowtorch, there could be other things that are useful in there."

The young girl raised an eyebrow. "Ye know, Ah think tha' Lee is good fer ye, Carley."

She sputtered. "Wha- don't be ridic-"

Marianne held up her hand. "Ahm no' going tae say anything tae anyone, but Ahm merely saying; he's good fer ye, an' yer good fer him." She smiled fully, then. "Keep each other close, aye?"

A small frown overcame Carley's features. "Yeah, Lee's good, amazing really, but this isn't really the time for that kind of stuff, you know?"

Marianne nodded. "Mhm, aye, keep 'er going."

"He already has Clementine to worry about, I shouldn't be part of that mix. Maybe once everything is over, things could-"

She finally looked down to see Marianne smiling oh-so-smugly at her, her elbow on her knee and her chin resting on her hand. "Aye, things could what, now?"

Carley tsked. "Never mind. It's just not a good idea, is all."

"Carley, lass; since when is anything a good idea, anymore?"

"Good point."

/ / /

They spent the rest of their time talking with each other about almost anything; the weather, the colours of the trees, why there wasn't much colour on the trees, wildlife (or lack thereof), and there was a bit of conversation about their lives before the outbreak started. Marianne learned about this man, Doug, who had saved her from getting attacked by Chompers. Unfortunately, he had died before they were able to get anywhere that was safe. Lee had to choose to save either she or Doug.

The choice he made was already apparent.

Carley had asked about her home back in Scotland. She didn't remember too much about it, but the details she did remember, she told Carley about. Marianne silently wondered what it was like back home now. Was it under just as much chaos, was it under control, or was it even happening at all?

"Looks like things went well." Carley stated.

Marianne looked to see Clementine, Lee and the woman, Christa (as Carley had told her), returning from the station. And they had a blowtorch.

Thank the Lord!

"Well, now we're makin' progress!" Marianne exclaimed. She stood from her spot on the ground and stretched out her limbs. Pelvis was still sore... "How long do ye think before tha' tanker is cut down?"

"Probably not too long."

"Well, Ahm just going tae be back oan the train; no telling when we'll be moving again."

Marianne swung her back pack over her shoulder and then walked back to the train, climbing up the ladder and leaning against the railing. She watched as Lee and Omid (whom of which she assumed was Christa's partner) made their way up the ladder on the bridge. Hopefully nobody got hurt during all of this; the last thing that was needed was a near-fatal injury.

Lee began to cut at the link between the tanker. He better be careful, she thought, or he could end up getting smothered!

The tanker suddenly moved and Omid barely pulled him out of the way in time.

Marianne held a hand to her racing heart. "Bloody glaikit..." She muttered. She then chuckled slightly as she watched Lee dangle Omid over the edge of the bridge to cut the rest of the link off of the tanker. He didn't look too impressed.

"Guys... there's something coming!" Ben shouted from atop the train.

Marianne looked around the train and, shielding her eyes from the sun, looked off into the distance.

At first it just seemed like a giant cloud of dust; sand storm? Did they even have those things in Georgia?

"We gotta go!" Ben shouted again.

Marianne's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her; it was a herd. She had remembered seeing a herd before meeting Lee's group, but it most certainly wasn't that size! "Everyone oan th' train, now!" She hollered at the group. Jumping off of the front of the train, she ran and scooped up Clementine, running back to the box car. "What about Lee?" The young girl asked.

"He'll be fine, lass!" She replied, lifting her up into the box car. Chuck, Christa, Carley and Ben all jumped into the box car and Kenny ran for the controls. Just as everyone was boarded, the tanker was finally cut loose.

Just when Marianne thought things would be alright, the tanker crashed into the ladder that lead up to the bridge. Her heart immediately sank.

"Kenny, go!" Lee shouted.

"How are they going tae get down from there?" She asked herself.

They heard one large thud on the roof of the train. Where was the second one?

The second thud came shortly after, but was immediately followed by a sharp cry of pain.

"Shit!" Christa cursed. Before Marianne could stop her, the woman jumped off of the train and ran to pick up Omid. "What're ye doing, lass?!" Marianne shouted.

She watched from inside the box car as the two people ran to try and catch up with the train. Marianne held out her hand to Christa, who gratefully took it. Then Lee grabbed Omid's hand and pulled him into the train.

"Lee!" Clementine exclaimed. "Are you hurt?"

"No, we're fine."

"Speak for yourself; my leg is fucked!" Omid snapped.

Carley looked out from the box car and shook her head in disbelief. "How did there get to be so many of them? Why are they in such a big group?"

"Marianne and I have seen that before." Ben said. "They come in herds, sometimes."

"Aye." She agreed. "An' th' train is loud. We probably passed enough o' them tae attract the lot. An' we stopped long enough fer them tae catch up as well."

"But Walkers don't track." Carley stated.

"Tell tha' tae them, then!" Marianne snapped.

"Okay, just calm down!" Lee stood from the ground of the box car. "We're all tired and have had a rough couple of days. Just rest up until we get to Savannah, then we'll move on from there."

Marianne shook her head and sighed. She would feel a lot safer if they were to move to the country, where it was easier to fend off Chompers and easier to spot them. But, if Savannah was where they were headed, then she would have to deal with it. But that didn't mean making some plans for after they were through with the city.

Once she had the chance, she would talk to Ben about it. If he was open to leaving the group and heading out to the country side, then that would be fine by her. But if he wanted to stay... then there would definitely be some problems. Ben was the last friend she had, and she wasn't ready to lose him.

If they did leave the group, would they really be able to survive on their own? They were just a couple of teenagers; would they be able to defend themselves against a herd, or a group of hostile survivors? Would they be able to find food on their own?

She shook her head again. Once things got to that, then she would think about it. But for now, she needed to rest. No telling what they could run into once they got into Savannah.