"Hey, you two," A voice called. "Dumbasses." I jumped u so fast I saw stars. I looked around until my eyes fell on the radio in the corner. "Ya, you two in the tank. You guys cozy in there?" I grabbed the radio and scooted back over to my brother. "Hey, are you alive in there?" The voice asked again.

"Hello?" I called through it. "Who is this."

"There you are. You had me wondering." The guy said. Rick took the radio from me.

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, I can see you too. You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news." I yank the radio back.

"What's the good news then?" I asked.

"There's good news?" Rick asked over the radio.

"No." I rolled my eyes.

"Okay fine. Who ever you are is there any way we can get out here and get the bag we dropped."

"Oh man, you should see it from over here. You'd be having a major freak-out." I frown.

"Yes I get it, very bad, but can you find we can get out of here."

"I'd say make a run for it." My jaw dropped.

"Make a run for it?! Are you nuts? There has to be about a thousand of them out there if not more." I exclaimed.

"My way is not as dumb as it sounds." The guy said. "You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank, but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where that horse went down. You with me so far?" I looked over at my brother. He gave a nod.

"Ya we're with you. Be tough, but go on." I said.

"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now, while they're distracted, you stand a chance. You got ammo?"

"Got machetes, my brother got two pistols and plenty of ammo, but we have that bag out there with lots of guns and ammo."

"Forget the bag." The boy said with slight impatience. "It's not an option. Try looking for more. May need it." He said. Rick started searching the body as I replied back.

"Will do." I waited and Rick held up a grenade. My eyes widen. "Yup we're all good." I said and Rick chuckled.

"Okay, jump off the right side of the tank, keeping going in that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe fifty yards. Be there." He said and I sighed in relief.

"Thank you. I'm Grace, the guy's my brother Rick, what's you're name?"

"Haven't you been listening. You're running out of time." I nod and look at Rick. We needed to be ready for this.

As we opened the hatch I saw a walker on the roof, like the guy had said. I stabbed it with my machete and started climbing out slowly. Rick followed me out and jumped down first. He winced, it was defiantly further down than we thought, Rick held his arms and I jumped down in them. He gently place me on the ground and we got ourselves ready.

We started running where he told us to go, slashing at every walker that came my way, Rick firing off those he could. My ankle was starting to swell I could feel it, but I kept going, teeth clenched and limping, I kept going. Rick had to wrap an arm around me and help me run the rest of the way after awhile. I sighed as I saw an alley. We ran threw, Rick with gun aimed and ready to fire.

An Asian kid helped up his hands in surrender. "Whoa! Not dead!" He cried. I sighed in relief, but saw fear and panic fill his. "Come on, come on." He said. I looked back and gasp. We started running again. I was limping so much. I don't think I can keep going. My leg gave out.

"No way, Gracie. No way am I loosing you yet." Rick scooped me up and he ran with me in his arms.

"Faster!" The kid yelled.

"We're trying!" Rick yelled back, holding onto me tightly. "Just hold Grace. We'll get out of this mess, promise."

"Come on, come on." The kid screamed. We slowed as we saw a yellow fire escape scaling the right hand wall. The kid all, but threw himself at it as he started to climbed.

"You can do this, Grace. Don't look down and you'll be good. I'll be right below you in case you need help." I nod and grabbed a hold of the rungs. I started climbing. My ankle hurt, but I didn't slow down.

"Come on, get up." The kid grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He turned and pulled Rick up next.

"Shit that was too close." I said. Rick nod in agreement. I turned and hit Rick hard in the chest.

"Ow! Grace!"

"That is for not listening to me when I said I had a bad feeling about this place, you bastard." The guy chuckled as he watched us fight. Rick winced, but didn't dare talk back. He knew it was best to let me cool. I wasn't like Rick. I was selfless like him, but I was very hot headed, rather bossy, stubborn, and on good days very sweet and caring... on good days. Today was no way in hell a good day.

"Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood." The Asian said as he looked at my brother. "You're the new sheriff come riding into clean up the town." I snorted.

"Nice title bro." I said as I rubbed my throbbing ankle.

"It wasn't my intention." y brother said giving me a look. I smirked. "Your ankle okay?"

"Ya, just will need to rest it. Just twisted. Easy fix." I said.

"Ya, whatever. Yee-haw." He said with a glare. "You're still a dumbass." I sighed.

"Ya well no offense to your whole dumbass theory, but can we get off this balcony." I said as I peered down.

"Afraid of heights?" He asked. I turned and looked back at him.

"Deathly."

"Rick, thanks." My brother said and I smiled.

"Grace." I said with a small smile.

"Glenn and you're welcome." He said as he shook my brother's outstretched hand after a moment of hesitation.

I looked back down and paled. "Uh... guys." They turn and looked at me before looking down.

"Oh no." Glenn whispered.

I looked around trying to find a way out before seeing that the fire escape continued up. "The bright side?" Glenn said as he started climbing. "It'll be the fall that kills us."

"Not something you say to someone whose afraid of heights." I grumbled from behind him as I too started climbing. Rick gave me a sympathetic look.

"It'll be fine, Gracie, just don't look down."

"Don't look down! Don't look down! Both you need to learn what not to say a frecken girl afraid of heights?!" I whispered yelled.

I stood on my wendigo as I watched Amy head over to the Dixon boy. The kid was only 17. He looked it, but he also had the Dixon look that made him look a bit more rough around the edges. He was built, no doubt about it, he was also rather tall. Had that whole rough redneck look about him. His hair was just long enough that the kid could run his fingers through it when frustrated, but it was the eyes that really caught my attention. He had blue eyes like his father and uncle, but his eyes were more brighter, like lightning. His eyes held a softness that not the other Dixons had, but also a sharpness that came out with his temper.

I watched as Amy walked to him, no hesitation or fear, she didn't act like everyone else did to the Dixons. She accepted them, or more importantly Danny. Ever since we came here Amy had been pulled to Danny. As if she just needed to by him. Danny was the same way, he fought it more than once, even I can see that, but he still ended up close enough to her that he could watch out for her. He was always keeping an eye on her. As if he was afraid that if he didn't he'd loose her. It was rather cute if you thought about it.

The only thing was that Danny was still a Dixon and like them he wanted distant, something Amy refuses to give him, but he never snaps at her. I found it funny. The kid could bring even Shane down from his throne, but this one girl made him mush. She made him smile, laugh, and relax. Something I've notice only his father had been able to do. Danny fights the pull to Amy, like he's afraid of getting to close to her, but he won't be able to fight it for long, I can see it, he's too far in.

I watched as Amy sat next to something. She said something causing Danny to smile, showing his teeth and all. She brushes up against him, causing Danny to stiffen. I watched as he said something before standing and headed to the woods. Still fighting it. I shouldn't step in, but couldn't help as I yelled out to him. "Hey Danny!" I called, stopping him in his tracks. He looks up at me, squinting in the sun. "Now I don't want you go wondering off none, son. Your father would skin us all alive if something happened to you. Why not stay in camp, just in case." I said, hoping to not make him made. He scowled at me letting me know I had.

"You ain't my father and I ain't no kid. I can protect myself." He snapped before walking off through the woods, his footsteps a bit more heavy and angry than usual. Amy looked back at me and sighed.

"Go easy on him, Dale. Don't push him. He's still a Dixon. They don't like dealing with nonDixons. I'm surprise he puts up with even me." She said once she was standing just below him. I chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind Amy." I said and she nod before heading back to the bucket.

"I'm heading out to get more mushrooms, Lori just got back and so did Shane." I frowned as she said and Shane. I didn't like messing with people's businesses, but that woman has a 11 year old son. She shouldn't be sneaking around with her dead husband's friend. Especially when Carl is still hurting.

I shook my head and resumed my watch.

I carried the bucket through the woods before hearing a branch snap. I turn quickly and scanned the woods. "Relax, princess. It's just me." I scoff at the name as Danny walked out.

"Princess?" He smiled.

"Fits, I think." I crossed my arms.

"So what I'm some spoiled brat? Is that what you're getting at?" I snapped. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"What crawled up your ass." He said as he continue through the woods, I followed after him.

"I just don't like being called that." He shrugged, but didn't look back at me. "What's with your sudden escape to the woods anyways?" I asked.

"Wanted to be alone." The way he said it made me stop.

"Oh... sorry... I just came to get mushrooms... so I'll leave it to you." I said turning to walk away, heart heavy in my chest. I heard Danny sigh.

"Amy." I turned and looked back at him. "You sound like some rhino stomping around. Plus you can't tell which mushrooms to get. Come on." He said waving me over. I smiled softly and started back over. "Plus, think Dale would kill me if you got lost." I blushed.

"I'm not-

"You're a city girl, Amy. You'd get lost." He huffed, which only made that stupid grin on his face deepen.

"Shut up Dixon." I snapped. He chuckled.

"Sorry... princess, no can do." I glared at the back of his head.

"That's what you're going to call me now, princess?" He turned back and looked at me.

"Yup." He said with a smile. I pushed him back and started forward. "Amy don't." He grabbed my hand and pulled me back, my foot setting off a trap, but being pulled away before any harm could be done. Danny pulled me to him and right into his chest. My heart raced as I looked up at him. "One of my uncle's traps. Small bear trap, set up for any smaller animals wondering in. Would have taken your foot off if you went and set it off." He whispered, his breath fanning my face.

"Thank you." I whispered. My eyes fell to his lips before looking up back at his bright blue eyes. His eyes held some kind of emotion I couldn't read. He let go of me and stepped back a good three feet away.

"Um... right." He said rubbing the back of his head. "We should head back. It's getting late. Your sister should be back soon." I sighed, but nod.

"Sure." I said walking past him and headed back up. Every time I think I'm getting closer to him, he pushed back.

I jumped down and ended up in some alley. There was a bus parked there, preventing four walkers from coming through. "You the one barricaded the alley?" My brother asked.

"Somebody did. I guess when the city got over run. Whoever did it was thinking not may geeks would get through." Glenn said.

We sprinted across a roof top to a metal hatch. "Back at the tank, why did you stick your neck out for us?" Rick asked as Glenn opened the hatch. There was a small square hole under it that descended into darkness.

Call it foolish, naive hope." The guy said as he climbed down the hole. "That if I'm ever that far up shit creek, somebody might do the same for me." Rick and I started down the hole. "Guess I'm an even bigger dumbass than you." I frown. It wasn't wrong. He could have gotten himself killed, plus in the world we live in now... nobody is that selfless.

Once at the bottom of the shaft, I found I was in an office. The furniture was overturned, ceiling panels half collapsed, and there was so much paper strewn about that it looked like snow. It was like being in the hospital all over again. Glenn grabbed his bag, as I grabbed mine and the three of us rushed for the exit. As we came out of the office we saw a small flight of metal stepes that led down into the bus barricaded alley. Glenn pulled out his walkie and started talking into it. "I'm back. Got two guests plus four geeks in the alley." Glenn said into it.

Glenn backed up into us as the walkers started over. Just then the door in the wall behind the walkers, had burst open revealing two figures in police riot gear. They came charging out and started beating the walkers down with baseball bats. "Let's go!" Glenn cried out as he leaped down the last two steps. He and the rest of us raced the short distance to the open door. The two guys behind us closed it after themselves.

I turned around just as some chick slammed my brother into a file cabinet and a gun pointed right at him. "Son of a bitch, we ought to kill you." The girl snarled.

"Try having the gun safety off you damn bitch." I snapped as I ripped the gun right out of her grip. "And don't go pointing no gun at my brother, you got it, or you'll have a machete cut your head in half. We ain't done nothing." I spat at her.

"We're dead because of these stupid assholes." The girl said glaring at me.

"Andrea. Back the hell off." The Mexican guy said, I believe I heard the black man call him Morales.

"Listen, Andrea, if you are going to point a gun at a person than 1 take the damn safety off, 2 don't hesitate because you'll just have a repeat of what happened plus death, and 3 pull the goddamn trigger if you mean to, if not then put the damn gun away." I said as I pushed it into her hand. "Cause you ain't the type to shoot a gun at a living person." I said, my voice now more softer and gentler.

"We're dead, all of us, because of you." The girl said shaking her head at my brother and I as Morales stripped the riot gear off him.

"I don't understand." My brother said looking at her confused.

"Look, we came into the city to scavenge supplies." Morales said as he grabbed my brother's arm and mine and started marching us through the room. He picked up a flashlight and shoved Rick hard. "You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving. You know the key to surviving? Sneaking in and out, tiptoeing. Not shooting up the streets likes it's the OK Corral." He said.

"Technically he was shooting, not me." I said earning myself a look from Rick.

"Every geek for miles around heard you popping off rounds." The black guy said as he spoke with anger in his voice.

"You just rang the dinner bell." Andrea said coldly.

"Get the picture now?" Morales asked. I turned and saw the department store outside had a mass of walkers. All of them clawing at the windows blocking any sun and making rather monstrous shadows on the floors. I could hear the horrifying moaning and groaning even through the solid glass of the two set of doors. I felt a shiver take over me as the broken fingers scraped the glass, making the sound go right through me. I could see cracks in the glass in different places. I knew these walkers would get in eventually. I gasped as I saw a walker make his way through the others with a chunk of concrete in his hands. He slammed it against the door causing spiderweb cracks to spread out from the point of impact.

"Oh god!" Andrea cried as she backed away from the door. "What the hell were you doing out there anyway?" Andrea asked as the walker kept going, but very slowly.

"Trying to flag the helicopter." Rick said.

"Helicopter?" The black guy asked. "Man, that's crap. Ain't no damn helicopter."

"But... we saw..." I frowned confused.

"You two were chasing a hallucination, imagining things. It happens." A sharp featured woman said as she held up her hands.

"No way.' I said shaking my head

"We saw it." Rick snapped.

"Hey T-Dog." Morales called. "Try that CB, Can you contact the others?" He asked.

"Others?" I looked at T-Dog in surprised. Maybe the refugee center was still up.

"The refugee center?" Rick asked hope clear in his voice.

"Yeah, the refugee center." The sharp-featured woman snapped a bit. "They got biscuits waiting at the oven for us." I frowned confused. This all didn't make sense. I mean I knew Shane was going to take Lori, Carl, Rick, and I to Atlanta, but he had to get Rick. When we got there he was dead. Shane said we had to go, but I refused to leave Rick, so we agreed to split up. I would go meet up with him in Atlanta when I was ready.

"Got no signal. Maybe the roof." T-Dog said as he fiddled with the radio. I jumped as I heard a loud gunshot overhead.

"Oh, no! Is that Dixon?" Andrea cried.

"What is that maniac doing?" The other woman asked sounding just as nervous and frantic. Everyone started heading to the other side of the store in a run. Glenn beckoned us to follow.

"Come on, let's go." He called. I glanced at Rick, who gave me a nod, and we headed after the rest.

I walked Amy back before heading back over to my camp. "Where have you been, mini-Dixon?" I was in no mood to deal with deputy dipshit.

"Ain't none of your business." I snapped.

"Oh I think it is my business, Dixon. The way I see it Andrea wouldn't be to please to hear you running off with her baby sister." I felt my hands turn to into fists and tighten. "That you're getting your dick wet in her virgin pussy." My breath had picked up as I tried hard to remain calm. My father wouldn't like to hear that I beat the hit out this dipshit especially because of Amy. "That you pounded into-

"If you keep going, I'm going to pound in your face, and you ain't going like it." I snapped.

"Why? Because I tell you what you want? I know you're to pussy to even try with Amy." I stood and glared at him.

"Now listen her cocksucker-" I was cut off by Dale.

"You two alright down there?" I glanced over Shane's shoulder and saw Dale looking right at me. His eyes went to Shane then me before beckoning me over. I raised an eyebrow, pushed past Shane roughly.

"We're fine Dale." I said, using his actually name instead of old man.

"Then you wouldn't mind sitting with an old man, gets rather lonely up here." He said. He was hinting at me. He didn't want me alone with Shane. It would help keep control. With a sigh I climbed up. "Getting at you again?" He asked? I simply shrugged and sat down on the roof of the rv.

"Doesn't know how to keep his damn mouth shut." I snapped.

"Mmm I've noticed." Dale said, causing me to glance over at him. His eyes remained on Shane. "He doesn't like anyone better than him."

"You saying us Dixons are?" I asked surprised.

"No. I'm saying your dad and you are, Merle..." He trailed off.

"Merle is a mean bastard." I finished. "I know. Always loosing his temper and making stupid racial and sexist comments. It's who he is."

"But it isn't who you are nor your father." Dale said. I simply shrugged. "I'm good at knowing people, your dad and you are good people. You bring us food and don't even complain. Not many would do that or stand that." I shrugged.

"Can't have people starving to death."

"And why not? We're not your problem nor your father's and yet you do it anyways." I looked over at him.

"What you getting at old man?"

"You and your father are rough around the edges, but you are good people. Amy sure sees it in you." I looked away and down at Amy. "You should-

"You don't know nothin' so stay out of it." I snapped.

"You won't be able to push her away forever, Danny. One day you will break." I looked over at him coldly.

"Amy ain't nothing to me. Just some blonde bitch." I snapped. I stood and headed down the latter.

"Keep telling yourself that kid." Dale called. I glared at him before storming back over at my camp. Damn old man knows nothin'.

We ran up a flight of stairs to the roof as the gunshots continued. Morales slammed opened the door. "Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?" He yelled. I heard a rather rough voice. Rick and I walked out onto the roof, squinting at the blinding sun.

I could see a man standing on the chest-high wall that ran around the edge of the roof. He was holding a scoped rifle, which must have been what he had used to shoot before. He was a rather built man that was sweaty and brawny. He was dressed in a black leather vest and jeans. His head was mostly shaved, only having a very thin layer of iron grey, which was darker than his stubble on his face. He turned and looked at us, laughing, before going and aiming at a walker, shooting it dead.

"Oh, jeez." Andrea snapped annoyed.

"Hey!" The guy yelled as he faced us once more. His rifle waving in our direction. I didn't like it. Not one bit. He gave me the creeps. "You ought to be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh?" Defiantly not a good person. He jumped down as he said. "Only common sense." T-Dog pushed past us and stormed right up to the man.

"Man, you wasting bullets we ain't even got! And you bring 'em all down here on our ass, man. Just chill!"

"Hey, bad enough I got this taco-bender" The guy said as he gestured to Morales. I glared at the man not liking him at all. "On my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you." He started for T-Dog, every step filled with aggression. "I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day."

"That'll be the day? You got something you want to tell me?" T-Dog asked with anger as he trust his hands at the man then back at his own chest.

"Hey, T-Dog, man, just leave it." Morales said.

"No." T-Dog said as he pointed to him without even looking. I sighed and started for T-Dog, even if the other man scared the crap out of me, doesn't mean I'll let him beat T-Dog up.

"It ain't worth it." Morales said again. "Now, Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble."

"Do you want to know the day?" Merle grinned and it was anything, but pretty.

"Yeah." T-Dog said, refusing to back down.

"T-Dog we have walkers from miles after us. Don't go having yourself die from this son of a bitch. What would that say?" I asked softly as I rested a hand on his arm.

"I'll tell you the gesture, Mr 'You'" Merle made a mocking gesture with his hands. "It's the day I take orders from a nigger."

"Mother..." T-Dog pulled his arm free from my soft grip and lunged at him.

"T-Dog!" I screamed as Merle slammed the butt of the rifle into T-Dog's face. I glared at the man.

"Hey! Come on, Merle! That's enough." Morales shouted, but he still didn't come to help T. It was so stupid. All these men too afraid of this Merle guy to even help their friend.

Merle grabbed T-Dog by the shirtfront and punched him. I grabbed a hold of his arm. "Back the fuck of!" I growled. He eyed me over and it made me sick. "You gonna get us all killed, bastard. So fuck off!" I growled and I saw surprise in everyone's face, but I'm not the type to let some dick beat a poor innocent guy up. Especially this hick.

"And what you gonna do sugar tits." He did not just call me that! I growled and went for my machete. I was going to chop this guy's head off, but he had seen and pushed me back hard. I fell and hit my head against a pipe. My vision going black. I couldn't hear or see anything, my head was spinning. I held my head. When my vision started clearing up I pulled my hand back to see blood. I looked over just in time to see Rick slam the rifle right into Merle's face. Merle fell to the ground and gave a startled yelp. Rick crouched over him and pressed his knee hard down on the side of his face. He handcuffed him to one of the thick metal pipes.

"Who the hell are you, man?" Merle yelled.

"Officer Friendly." Rick said sarcastically as he got Merle's handgun. "Look here, Merle. Things are different now. There are no niggers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred, white trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart."

"Screw you man." Merle sneered at him.

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." Rick said as he looked down at the cuffs.

"Yeah? Well, screw you twice." Andrea helped me to my feet.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved." She said quietly. I glared at her.

"At least I tried to help. What did you do, stand around and watch your friend get beat. I get you were scared, but T-Dog is a human, You stick up for friends and humans. There ain't much left of humans." I said coldly, I shrugged her off and I started walking beside my brother.

"All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son." Rick said, his voice low in an almost growl. "Anybody gets in the way of that is gonna lose." I looked over at Rick. "I'll give you a moment to think about that, but remember this, touch my baby sister again and it'll be the last thing you do." Rick said as he studied the redneck. He started going through Merle's pockets until he found a small thing of cocaine. "Got some on your nose there." Rick said, flicking Merle's nose.

"What you gonna do? Arrest me?" Merle sneered. He gave a chuckle before Rick lead me away from him and to the edge of the roof. "Hey!" He called after us. "What are you doing? Rick let the cocaine packet go and fall down to the streets below. I giggled, knowing it would piss the redneck off.

"Man, that was my stuff. Hey!" Merle roared. "If I get loose you'd better pray! You hear me, you pig? You hear me?" The man yelled as he rattled his handcuffs, trying to break free.

"Yeah, your voice carries." I giggled and lean against my brother, suddenly very exhausted.

"Do you hear me, you filthy pig?" Merle kept up yelling. We leaned against the wall farthest from Merle, my head on his shoulder. "You're not Atlanta PD. Where you from?" Morales asked as he looked at Rick and I.

"Up the road a ways." Rick said.

"Huh. Well, Officer Friendly from up the road a ways, welcome to the big city." I smiled softly. I had been a long day.