A/N: I want to apologize ahead of time for the extremely long wait and the mediocre-ness of this chapter. I've just been completely overwhelmed by school and stuff, so please don't give up on me just yet! Just fifteen more days of school and then I'll be free all day every day to focus on my writing. Sorry again!

Stairway to Heaven

We've been driving for a long time. I'm not sure where we're going, but I don't really care either.

After the CDC, we nobody said a word, but our order was simple: leave. Drive. Nobody gave a destination, just anywhere far, far away from our false hope. From the place where any sort of faith left in our bodies was laid to rest. We only stopped once, and that was to regroup and try to think of a new place to go. And taking a few moments to mourn Jacqui. When it was time to go, Caroline asked if this time, she could stay with Sophia. I told her yes, but I chose to stay with Daryl. He hadn't said one word to me since we left. I enjoyed the silence. Well. At least while it lasted.

"So we ever gonna talk 'bout wha' happened back there?" he mumbles, as he stares straight out the window. I keep my gaze fixed out the side window and purse my lips.

What does he mean? Our secret make-out session, Jacqui's death, or my admittance of the camp? "What?" my voice cracks from a lack of use.

"Tha camp. The thing ya told Jenner."

"Oh. That."

He glances at me and shrugs his shoulders. "Well?"

"What do you want me to say?" My chest is heavy.

"Well you can star' by explainin' why you didn't tell us."

"I was going to." He doesn't answer right away so I take a deep breath. "I thought the CDC would have more people. I was going to wait until I could put together something to go back and save everyone."

"Save?" his voice rises with curiosity.

"Yes. There are a lot of innocent people back at camp. People like me and Caroline. But they were too weak, or injured, to take a risk like we did."

"Ya made it out alone? Just the two of ya?" his eyebrows furrow together, his eyes intent with a thought I can't make out.

"We had help. My best friend," I trail off and look out the window for a moment. "He helped us get out."

"Why didn' he come?"

"Because he got hurt. When we were attempting. He told us to go. He said if he stayed with us, they'd find us. I tried to stay with him. I tried to help him, but I had to think about Caroline and her safety. Reese means so much to me but—"

"You dun' have to explain everythin'. I woulda dun the same thing. Family first." He nods and grips the steering wheel a little harsher. I guess he's thinking about Merle.

"I have to go back for them. The CDC might've been a bust, but I promised." I bite my lower lip.

He grunts and we slip into a taunt silence. I stare out the windows. The views of broken cars and abandoned high way no longer scares or startles me anymore. I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I wish that Caroline didn't have to grow up in this. I wish I didn't have to go through with this. I'm in my twenties. My prime. I'm supposed to be out drinking and making regrettable choices with boys whose names I'll never know. Waking up in strange areas with tattoos and piercings. Well, maybe not that far. But still. I'm not supposed to be driving with a hick in the middle of an apocalypse. A human extinction event, as Jenner called it.

"I need to go back for them." My voice is icy and flat, and for a second I wonder if it's even my own. He side-glances towards me for just a split second and then nods.

"You know where tha' camp is from here?" he asks. I let out a silent breath. He's not objecting. One down, the rest of the group to go.

"Yeah. It's right along the highway. If we don't get off, it's like a straight shot back. Do you know where we are?"

"No idea."

"Well I'll know. I couldn't forget that place."

Our conversation pauses for just a moment and then he clears his throat slightly. "You gonna go by yerself?" he asks.

"If I have to." I press the side of my head against the window and savor the cooled chill that runs down the side of my face.

He snorts.

"What?"

"Ya think yer gonna take on a bunch of loaded weapons?"

"I didn't say it'd be easy. And I didn't say I'd be successful. But I made a promise. And I have to go through with it."

"Dun' be fuckin' stupid. Caroline'll need ya. We'll git a group."

"I don't know if everyone will be too happy about that."

He snorts. "They can shove it up their asses."

I smile. "Thanks."

"Wha' for?"

"For supporting me."

"Eh. Dun' go round tellin' everyone tha'." He growls. But as I study his profile I can just barely see the faint hint of a smile on his face.

I know right?

A smile.

xx

"Reese, look out!"

A swirling dark blue object travels at a high speed towards the dark haired boy across the field. He turns abruptly and leaps into the air, grabbing the discus right before it flies completely over his head. The small girl who's thrown the Frisbee walks over to him and pauses, biting her lip in anticipation.

"Sorry about that," she whispers softly, waiting quietly as he spins the disk around on his finger.

"It's no problem." He hands the toy down to her and scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

They stand for a while, not quite sure what to say, if there really is anything to say. Their heads turn at the sound of an older woman's voice beside the entrance of the school.

"Well, sorry again," she says, about to turn around.

"Wait."

She stops and turns around and he begins to catch up with her. "You have a good throw," he mentions softly.

She blushes begins to bite her lip again. "Not really."

"Yeah, you do!" he exclaims, louder this time. His eyebrows raise and his walk becomes lighter. "I mean, that came from all the way across the field!"

"The wind probably took it." She dips her head down and looks towards the ground when the teacher lets out another wail. Recess is over!

The two children begin to walk side by side as their peers scurry around them, the excitement of their free period fading slowly from their energetic bodies.

"Hey," he turns and begins to walk backwards, looking at her. "Maybe you can be on my Frisbee team during gym," he suggests.

"Seriously?" she asks, looking up at him, the wind softly blowing her hair away from her face.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be serious?"

She looks away. "I'm only a fourth grader."

"Yeah, so?"
"None of your friends really talk to me either…"

"Well they haven't seen you throw!" He turns back around so he's side-by-side with her.

She looks up again, barely being able to hide her smile. It's true, she does have a good throw. But she won't admit that. "Thanks."

"So?"

"So what?"

"You'll join?"

She considers this as they near the school. "Sure. Thanks Reese," she smiles softly and looks up at the boy next to her.

"No problem, Aubrey."

xx

I wake up with a start. We're still driving. It feels like I've only been out for a few minutes, in fact, I don't even remember going to sleep. I stifle a yawn and turn towards my driver who's still very much awake, his eyebrows formed into his ceaseless scowl.

"How long was I out?" I ask and his face twitches at the sound of my voice.

"Not too long."

I nod and look out the window. We're driving past more neighborhood-like areas. The grass along the sidewalk is overgrown and the broken down and abandoned cars and ever-present. I watch houses and cars and street signs fly by and then…

I double-take.

"Wait. Daryl. Stop the car," I order him, sitting up in my seat and staring out the review mirror.

"Wha', why?" he growls, not letting his foot off the gas.

"Just stop the car!" I yell, unlocking my side of the door.

"What tha' fuck, Aubrey!" he exclaims, before putting his foot on the brake and slowing down. Shane has to speed out of the way so he doesn't hit us, and the cars in front have stopped too. I jump out of the car and look behind us. It's further away now.

"What's goin' on?" Shane gets out of his Jeep and walks up to us, his hand firmly planted on his gun.

They look at me expectedly, and I begin to walk towards it, trying to remember if I've got this right. Two neighborhoods away, and that's the one. Druid Hills. I recognize the name almost immediately.

"Hey, why'd we stop?" Rick's jogging up to us.

"There," I point in the direction. "The neighborhood." I suddenly feel breathless and I start to sweat.

"You ain't makin' no fuckin' sense," Daryl growls.

Now, almost every one of the group has gathered. I look at Caroline and smile. "It's Mom and Dad," I say. Caroline seems to understand. "Their house, it's right over there!"

And without another word, I turn around and begin to sprint all the way back to the neighborhood, silently praying I don't awaken any dead, and that maybe, just maybe there's a chance they're still alive. I run to the entrance of the neighborhood and find that it's gated. My heart leaps. Maybe the dead can't get in. Maybe there's some sort of help in behind the gates. Maybe there's some sort of hope. I can find them and embrace them. Make up for all the lost years we had when I was a child.

So, I place one foot in a ring of the fence and pull myself up. I can hear the group congregate below me now, but I block them out and keep climbing until I reach the top. Until I lower myself down. Until I'm finally on the other side of the gate.

The gate to my impending Heaven.

A/N: So again, sorry for this sucky and short chapter. But don't give up on me yet! Hahaha I have big plans, I promise.

And I added her parents in there just to add a little something of my own not completely driven by the series, you know? So I hope that helps make up for the wait, and the next chapter will be worth it. Thanks again for reading! And special thanks to:

eloquent dreams

Leyshia Gisel

Nelle07

For being faithful reviewers! You guys rock!

:D