Hi Guys!

So this is my first fic actually following the timeline of the show. If you look my last fics were pretty much my own story/idea following Merle.

I'm not sure if the way I've started it is working. I'm working heavily from the script which means writing is relatively easy but the story is slow going. I'm going to carry on this way for the next chapter but don't be surprised if Chapter 3 heavily changes in tone/style. I might come back and change these chapters in the future. First chapter ran a little long, but I'll probably be keeping them to the 1000 mark (1500 if you're lucky.)

As it says in the description I'm pretty much going to follow the timeline of the show (I always tried to do so in Kindred/Tethered even though it didn't matter too much). I will however be taking heavy inspiration from the comics as I love them so much! The only thing missing from them (in my opinion) is a couple of Dixons.

I'm a huuuuge sucker for feedback/ideas. Anything you wanna see/think I can do better/whatever is fine to leave in comments etc.

I'm nervous about this being ANOTHER Daryl/OC but it will be in my own style so that means very slow going (as people who have read my other fic know).

Thanks for reading/giving it a chance.

xoxo

Chapter 2

Janis had hardly been downstairs ten minutes when she heard people crashing down after her. Morales, Glenn, Andrea, Jacqui and the Sheriff all came running through the door. She raised her eyebrow at Glenn, noting Merle and T-Dogs absence.

"Rick handcuffed Dixon to the roof, for his own safety." Janis nodded, still worried about leaving T-Dog alone with Merle.

"Rick." The Sheriff said, holding out his hand, Janis took it, smiling at the formal gesture.

"Janis...or Jay. Jay."

"How's that signal?" Glenn said, indicating the radio in Andreas hand.

"Like Dixon's brain Weak."

"Keep trying." Morales said from the door, leaning to try and see a way around the wall of walkers.

"Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." Jaqui was still at the bottom of the staircase, arms crossed in defiance. They carried on discussing plans to leave, Glenn walked over to Janis.

"It's up to us to find a way out." Janis nodded, knowing that Glenn meant they had o do whatever they could to escape. Janis and Glenn had been running into the city for weeks, risking their lives multiple times...what was one more?

"Good luck with that." Andrea called from across the room. "These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear."

"The streets ain't safe." Morales chipped in, echoing what Andrea said.

"Now there's an understatement." Rick was standing, hands on his hips, his tongue darting out to wet his lower lip.

"What about under the streets? The sewers?" Jacqui was suddenly alive, opening the door and rushing up, Glenn and Janis following her.

"Oh man..." Glenn said, chasing Jacqui up the stairs.

"Hey, Glenn, check the alley." Rick called from the bottom of the stairs, making his way up to join them.

"You see any manhole covers?"Jacqui called to Glenn who was leaning over the side of the roof now.

"No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are." Glenns voice was practically drowned out with all the Walkers groaning in the streets, gathered more around the building thanks to Merles outburst.

"Maybe not..." Jacqui was leaning over the wall now, pointing at something in the streets "Old building like this built in the '20s Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the sub-basements."

Glenn and Janis looked at Jacqui, mouths open "How do you know all that?" They both said in unison

"It's my job...was. I worked in the city zoning office."

They all ran as one down the stairs, leaving T-Dog confused behind them, Merle still shouting obscenities handcuffed to the roof.

Down on the lower level of the store Janis, Glenn, Rick and Jacqui all stood around a manhole cover in the floor, all of them silent, waiting for the others to say something.

Glenn confirmed it was the only one in the store.

"We've been here a few times, sure we would have seen a huge 'EXIT THIS WAY INCASE OF ZOMBIES' sign." Ricks eyed met Janis' for a second whereas the other two ignored her. "Never needed to go down there before though. First time we bring a group, we're fucked."

"No offense." Glenn added, giving Janis a look she'd seen a thousand times before. "If we need to go down this gnarly hole, fine but only if we do it. Me and Jay."

"It's tight down there." Jacqui warned.

"You calling me fat?" Glenn asked, while Jacqui just shook her head, her face saying better you than me.

"If we run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed, we'll be fine, just the two of us."

"You've got Merle's gun isn't it best if you're at the store, watching the doors?" Rick nodded at Janis, which she took as a good sign.

"You've got your gun right?" Glenn asked, as Janis tapped the weapon in her pocket. "You be my wingman."

"Always."

"Jacqui stays here." Glenn said, pointing to the top of the ladder "Something happens, yell down to us, we'll be up."

"Okay." Jacqui sounded unsure, but happy that she wasn't about to follow Janis and Glenn.

"Okay, everybody knows their jobs." Rick said, nodding at everyone before heading towards the stores.

Down in the sewers Janis kept her gun trained where Glenn was pointing the torch.

"Can't believe they got us into the shit...literally."

"Told you we shouldn't have brought Dixon." Glenn was shaking the torch around, unable to keep it steady as they waded through the water.

"He was the first one to put himself forward. Everyone else just said yes because they felt sorry for us being stuck with...shit!" Glenn almost dropped the flashlight as a rat ran straight infront of him.

"Want me to shoot it?"

"Like you could hit it."

They carried on for another ten minutes, slowly wading through the water, Glenn swinging the light upwards whenever he thought there might be an exit.

"Yeah, we've got ourselves a sewer tunnel. Jacqui was right." Glenn said, shining the torch straight ahead of him, at a set of iron bars, crossed with no access.

"Can we cut through it?" Janis asked, squinting as Glenn moved the torch around the sides of the tunnel

" Yeah If we had a blowtorch and half a day, sure...Dale's hacksaw sure as hell won't do it."

"Great." Janis said, as they turned around making their way back to the store.

"Nothing?" Jacqui asked as they came out of the tunnel, shaking their heads.

"Any other ideas town planner?" Glenn was squeezing out the ends of his jeans, looking disgusted.