All I really have to say here is here's the next chapter, so here's the next chapter!

After seventeen chapters, do I really need a disclaimer anymore?

Enjoy!


The creek was cold, but having wet feet was preferable to leaving a trail for the other group to follow. The current was weak and the water only up to the top of his boots, but Carl had a bit of difficulty moving properly through the creek due to his injured leg. Blake had wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him upright for the duration of their walk through the water.

The air was cold as the sun set, and the only sound that reached the group's ears was the splashing of their feet in the creek and their visible clouds of breath. None of them could feel their toes and the cold water seeped into their boots, soaking their socks.

After about an hour, Daryl decided they were far enough away from the house and could walk through the trees. Hopefully they would find a house or car to hole up in overnight, they had left Blake's neighborhood behind by about forty five minutes, and there were no houses within their immediate vision.

Rick followed closely behind Daryl-who seemed to know exactly where he was going. Blake and Carl walked hand in hand behind Rick; both holding their blades at the ready. The fact that Blake used her left hand for machete kills was helpful, the two could hold hands and not fumble for weapons if a walker came out of nowhere, as they sometimes did. Michonne took up the rear, katana poised for any type of threat that may have shown up.

The snap of a crossbow string and the thump of an arrow making impact with flesh rang out, causing everyone to prepare for a fight with the dead, but no snarls or footsteps were audible, suggesting that there was only one walker in the immediate vicinity. Daryl retrieved his arrow, wiping it on the walker's shirt before sending it back to its place on the underside of the crossbow.

The group moved on, walking for about fifteen minutes before finding a road.

"Do we set up camp or keep moving?" Michonne asked. "How much distance do we want between us and them?"

"As much as possible." Daryl drawled, scanning the area for walkers and people alike.

"We'll keep going for a bit," rick said, looking to Carl who nodded, saying he was okay to keep going, "we'll make a concrete plan tomorrow."

When the group started moving again, Blake spoke up. "When I was out here, I picked up a radio signal. It said something about a community." Rick turned to face her, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Why did you wait to tell us?" he asked, not angrily, just curiously.

"We were safe for the time being." She shrugged. "Plus, it was playing on a loop, so the place could easily have been gone months ago."

"Or it could be a trap." Michonne added.

"That too." Blake agreed.

"We'll discuss it." It was clear that Rick was ending the conversation, so they dropped it, continuing on in silence.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

A good two and a half hours after dark, the group came upon a traffic snarl, four cars in the middle of the road, all seemingly abandoned. Carl had begun to lean on Blake again about twenty minutes prior to the car jam, so the group decided stopping for the night would be their best bet.

While the adults checked the cars, Blake and Carl leaned against the hood of a dark blue Chevy pickup, watching the woods. They hadn't run into any walkers since the one Daryl had taken down hours earlier.

Blake's feet were still wet from the chilling water, but she ignored that, thinking about how preferable cold feet were to being in such close proximity to Joe's group. She absentmindedly pulled the pointe shoe charm out from under her sweater and began moving it back and forth on the chain. She'd never worn a necklace before, but the wide chain felt surprisingly comfortable around her neck.

"What's that?" Carl asked, referring to Blake's new accessory.

"Oh, uh…" Blake tucked the charm back beneath her shirt, pressing it into her chest lightly. "I got it for Tegan when she was younger. She wore it everywhere…" Blake trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

"It's nice." Carl smiled slightly. "I nearly got myself and Michonne killed for a picture of my mom…" Carl's smile turned sad as he thought of how ridiculous but necessary that mission had been. "I get why you needed a reminder."

"Thanks." Blake turned back to the woods. The fact that they hadn't run into any walkers for this long meant that they were either insanely lucky, or the walkers were currently distracted and a herd of them could show up any minute.

Rick, Daryl and Michonne searched the cars quickly, not finding much in the way of supplies. There were two pickup trucks, both completely empty, a jeep that had a dull hunting knife in the glove compartment, and a station waggon with a twenty pack of AA batteries that hadn't been opened tucked under one of the seats. The knife was pretty much useless considering the layer of rust that coasted one side, but batteries were always needed.

"Carl, Blake." Rick called to the kids, who slipped through a gap in the cars and met the rest of their group in the uneven square the vehicles created. Daryl was working on starting a fire to fight the chilling air while Rick and Michonne looked to Blake. "What exactly did this broadcast say?" Rick asked.

He wanted to talk about this right now? He said they'd make a plan tomorrow. Blake sighed, trying to recall what the voice had said. "It wasn't a good signal, but it was something along the lines of a sanctuary for survivors, where the train tracks converge."

"Where are the train tracks closest to us right now?" Michonne stepped in.

"Should be a few miles west." Blake answered slowly, trying to figure out their approximate location.

"You think we should go?" Carl asked, sounding as skeptical as Blake felt.

"I don't know." Rick answered, seeming at a genuine crossroads.

"We should check it out." Daryl piped up as his flame caught. "We can watch, listen. Could be good, could be bad, could be gone."

"If it's bad?" Rick raised an eyebrow, slightly confused at Daryl's almost optimism.

"We leave before they see us."

There was silence for a moment as everyone considered.

"I think we should do it." Carl said hesitantly. "We don't exactly have any big plans going right now, so why not?"

"I agree." Blake piped up. "All we're really doing right now is wandering in the dark, so why not wander towards what could be a safe haven?"

Rick looked to Daryl who nodded, and then to Michonne who took a breath before giving a single bob of her head.

"Alright." Rick sighed. "We'll head out in the morning."


So we're getting back on track with the TV show a bit. I really don't like fanfictions that are exactly like the show with an OC just planted in the middle of it, but there are some big scenes in this timeline that I really liked and am going to use. But hardly any of it ill be exact.

Anyway, please review!