Hey everyone! Sorry that I took so long to post this chapter. I had a hard time deciding on where exactly to have Linkyn meet the group but I finally came up with a spot.

This chapter will go between both Linkyn's POV and Rick's POV. I hope you guys enjoy!

Rick's POV

This couldn't be happening.

But as the pole slid from his fingers he realized it really was. He knew he had screamed at Shane to stop to try and reason with him but it couldn't be done. Shane had only grown louder; more riled up as he began to smash open the doors to the barn.

Rick looked back at Lori as she pulled Carl closer to her wrapping him securely in her arms. At least he knew she would protect him from this or try too. When Lori's eyes met his they'd plainly said, do something, but what could he do? He'd already tried!

As he turned back around to face the firing squad that had descended on the barn, firing blindly into the Walkers that poured out, Rick could only think of one thing: his family would no longer be safe.

Looking over at Hershel he saw the broken man and realized that he had caused this; his people had caused this.

They'd killed us all.

Linkyn's POV

Damn Georgia forest and its stupid damn branches.

Could this even be considered a forest? Maybe it did just resemble the Hick backwoods that everyone thought it was.

After she had left the hospital the search for a new tent had not gone as planned. Actually, it had more like busted since every place she had scoped out was infested from front to back with Walkers. She'd even tried to come up with a plan for a good diversion but everyone she'd thought of always seemed to deflate, or more like burst, as her common sense repeatedly popped every shit idea of a plan with a dirty nail. Okay so the nail was a bit much but when Linkyn finally headed back into the forest she'd been pissed. It may have been as hot as Satan's ass crack but at night it would somehow always get ridiculously cold; making her snort mirthlessly as she thought of the phrase, when hell freezes over.

Apparently it had.

The only good thing she'd found was a fully stocked EMS bag out of an ambulance just a few miles up the road. At the time it had seemed like a good idea to grab it but after a few short miles with it she'd begun to wonder if it was maybe just a little too well stocked.

Linkyn wasn't sure how long she had been walking and she honestly didn't care. All she wanted was to rest against a shaded tree and maybe find a good stream to refill her water bottles. She knew it was a bad idea to stop moving but damn…it'd had been a nice thought. Coming between a thick set of tree branches that were blocking her way she tried to shove her way through them. Using the axe she eased it forward, gathering up all the branches, and started to swiftly move through it. She was about to let out a laugh of triumph at her idea when a branch slipped from behind the hilt and her face instantly caught it with a loud smack.

"Son of a bitch!"

Without even thinking Linkyn dropped the axe down launching the remaining branches it had held back at her, each one slapping against her chest and arms, and a few that hit her again on her face and throat.

You've got to be kidding me!

Not giving a damn about trying to be careful anymore she angrily shoved her way through the branches snapping a few in the process. She was so consumed with throwing her tantrum she didn't notice the small trail of rocks in front of her and when her foot collided with them, she fell in a tangled heap on the forest floor, and barely made it in time to catch herself.

The giant EMS bag slung heavily over her shoulder; the axe only a few inches away from her right leg, Linkyn allowed herself just a second to collect herself.

The world had fucking turned upside down with the dead walking the earth like every bad joke ever said, becoming more like a sadistic reality. So Linkyn understood having those random moments when all of it seemed to be too much; when your mind just wasn't able to handle the reality that fucking everyone on the planet had turned into undead cannibals trying to eat you like you were a movie snack. She even had her moments where she wondered where was god in all of this and if he even was around. At least for her, unlike so many other of the survivors (if that's what you wanted to call them) she had encountered, Linkyn never once had to see any of her family members this way. No, instead she just got to live with the optimism that hopefully everyone she knew was dead, actually dead, and not a Walker.

If they were she prayed that someone had the decency to take care of them and put them out of whatever seventh layer of hell that was.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out her nose she moved to get to her feet, using the axe for support as she hefted the EMS bag behind her, and swiftly got to her feet. She'd come dangerously close to cutting herself with the axe because of her tantrum, which would have lead to having a large gash she may or may not have been able to treat, an infection, and of course the main and final concern, making her have a metaphorical neon sign over her flashing, "Dinner." She'd been lucky she was clear of any Walkers or else she could've been dinner.

Gotta keep it together, she thought as she brushed the dirt off of her jeans, scoping the clearing just to be safe.

This was her reality now and there was no changing it but damn…she just really wanted to see some friendly faces.

Suddenly a loud crack reverberated through the trees sending what little birds were in them flying. Linkyn knew that sound all too well.

Guns.

Frantically she turned trying to find the base of where the sound had originated from but the echo was already leaving until four more shots rang out, making the clearing sound like she was wrapped tightly in an angry storm cloud. The sound of the gun went off one more time before what sounded like an explosion of weapons erupted.

Whoever it was wasn't being smart about the noise issue but at that point in time Linkyn could've cared less. It was people; actual human beings and from the sound of it there were a lot of them.

Linkyn only listened for a few minutes, knowing that time wasn't a luxury, as the sound of the gunfire was already beginning to fade. It sounded like it was coming North-East of her but she couldn't tell; the forest making the cracking echo around her. Finally she just decided on a direction and took it praying that it was the right one.

Rick's POV

No. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. NO!

This isn't what he had hoped for; none of it was but as Sophia's shape took form in the hot Georgia sun he could see clearly that hope was a thing of the past. Carol's wailing erupted almost instantaneously and for a second Rick was worried he'd have to restrain her as she ran towards her daughter but luckily Daryl was there to stop her. They both collapsed in a heap on the dirt road but neither of them cared; their eyes were only for Sophia.

Behind him Rick could hear Carl, he's sobbing once loud became a muffled thing and he knew Lori had him. His son had lost the only friend in the world he had had left and now he was alone. Glancing over at Carol, the anguish on her face as she howled her despair; Rick's heart fell to pieces.

He'd done this.

If only he hadn't of left her behind…but what else could he have done? They would've never been able to make it together but what if…?

All the what if's in the world couldn't change the image before him as Sophia's once warm, smiling face, now sunken and lackluster came towards them. Everything about her life stripped away by one simple bite to the back of her shoulder.

Everyone was just watching; bodies frozen from shock he supposed but it didn't change the fact that she needed to be dealt with.

As Rick stepped forward he kept repeating to himself: This isn't Sophia not really; not anymore. This isn't Sophia. But his heart didn't believe it.

Instead of fighting with it Rick lifted the gun surprised at how steady he held it as she came closer to him baring her teeth. Without allowing himself another thought he pulled back on the trigger, feeling the kick as it left the chamber, with the bullet lodging itself securely in the little girls head.

She was dead. Officially dead; and so was every hopeful ideal Rick ever had.

Linkyn's POV

Linkyn hadn't stopped running as she'd entered the clearing to what looked like a farmhouse. Once she had gotten onto the land she'd easily spotted the barn that the group was around. As she continued to sprint towards it, ignoring the burning of her lungs and muscles, she had a moment of fear run through her as she saw dozens of Walkers coming out from the barn. The group of people she'd been running towards was easily dispatching them; this she could see from yards away.

But as she drew closer and noticed the older man crumbled to the floor; a young girl holding onto him as he looked on his body slumped in defeat, Linkyn got a strange feeling something wasn't right. Sure having Walkers in a barn was far past strange but still. Something didn't feel right and as her pace came to a steady walk, easily fifteen feet away from them, she watched as they all froze as a small girl came from behind the barn. She looked no younger than twelve not really old enough to be older than fourteen. As soon as she appeared a woman ran towards her screaming out her name; Sophia.

At first she thought no one was going to stop her when one of the men took her in his arms quickly, falling to the floor with her as she cried out for what Linkyn could only assume was her daughter.

This wasn't right. She shouldn't have been here for something so intimate that she clearly was never a part of. This wasn't here business to see making her feel like an asshole spectator but she couldn't turn away.

As the young girl made her way towards the group she noticed a woman rocking a sobbing young boy; the others behind the older man seemed just as heartbroken as the others. One woman even covering her mouth and looking away as a man came forward and lifted up his gun no doubt pointed directly at her face.

Linkyn wanted nothing more than to look away as the field became utterly silent. The cracking of the gunshots a distant whisper as they all took witness as the man pulled the trigger and a millisecond later her body fell lifeless to the floor.

The only thing that was to be heard after the ringing of the shot dissipated was the woman's sobbing. Tearing her eyes away Linkyn looked back over the scene; to the old man and the girl and what she assumed where his people behind them. They all looked completely devastated by what had just happened. The boy with them sending the others looks of hatred as he had his arms clasped behind his head no doubt trying to make sense of what happened.

In the back ground Linkyn saw a camper along with a small campsite a few yards away from the very large pristine white farmhouse. Hell besides the Walkers littered around the entrance of the barn the farm looked like it had never even had a trace of the hell going on around it. Like whatever was happening to the rest of them steered clear of here.

But through all of it Linkyn realized quickly that something was wrong here. There was too much animosity filling the air and she wanted no part of it.

Backing up as she kept an eye on the group she started to make her escape. Even though she was pining for some company she would've rather had gone it alone then be with these people. It just screamed unsafe especially with whatever shit storm was brewing between the groups. She almost wished she had snuck glances back when her foot snapped a branch behind her, instantly alerting everyone like a chain reaction of Dominos.

Awesome. My downfall is going to be a fucking twig, she thought sarcastically as one by one they all turned to look at her. When the clean-shaven bald one saw her however he instantly came towards her with his weapon drawn directly at her.

What the fuck?

"Do not move!" he hollered as he moved towards her.

He was picking up speed fast and without a doubt would be on her in minutes. As if following his lead the black guy and the blonde woman turned and trained their weapons on her as well. The guy who had been holding the woman on the floor quickly picked up his shotgun and stood in front of her; taking a protective stance.

"Shane what the hell are you doing?"

This came from the one who had shot the little girl his face going from calm to sheer panic as he moved to go after Shane; the one who had a gun pointed no doubt at Linkyn's face.

Linkyn put her hands up to show she meant no harm but inside she was furious. She'd only wanted to see alive and human faces and this was what she got? Looking behind her by her peripherals' she wondered if she could make it back to the Georgia forest behind her. Wondering still if he even had any bullets left in his gun and if it was something she was willing to chance. Taking a cautious step back he fired one off just a few feet from beside her and immediately she froze.

Guess that answered that question.

"I said do not move shithead!"

When a second shot rang out she felt a sharp, burning sensation graze against her left shoulder and into her collarbone. The dick known as Shane hadn't fired again so who had? The pain was becoming worse and the feeling of something wet slid down her chest. Linkyn had gotten enough wounds of all kinds to know when you were bleeding and when your body was going into shock. Both we're deadly but the shock could be the worse.

Sometimes it wasn't even the bullets that killed the soldiers. The shock alone was enough to send their hearts into overdrive and to ultimately stop.

She didn't want to look down but she could feel it making a small pool in her collarbone and after trickling further down her chest. Glancing down she instantly saw it; the shirt had been tore at the point of impact, the blood creating a large stain all around the wound, and was only getting bigger. It looked to have just been a graze…that had just ripped a large gash between her shoulder and collarbone. Not only had whoever it was effectively ruined her shirt but they'd made it virtually impossible now to even think about going back out into the woods. The Walkers would easily find her like this.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!"

For a split second they all seemed to have frozen into place. The first words they'd all heard her say where laced with venom as she locked eyes with Shane who was just a foot away from her now; gun still steadily trained on her. Now that he was closer to her she could see the wild glint in his eyes and the tight set of his jaw line. Nothing about this guy seemed mentally sound; or maybe he had just enjoyed the bloodlust of killing a bunch of Walkers a little too much. Either way Linkyn had had enough.

As soon as he was close enough to her she reached swiftly out with her right hand and knocked the barrel of the gun aside, swaying out of the way as he squeezed on the trigger. The barrel was still unbearably hot as she grabbed the barrel making sure he couldn't point it back at her as she quickly followed through by stepping forward entering Shane's personal space. He was moving to try something when Linkyn made a hard fist with her left hand and swung it down on his trigger arm; smashing it hard into his collarbone.

The crazy look in Shane's eyes only seemed to escalate as she followed it up by a quick elbow to the face wrenching the 9mm. from his hands and swiftly turned it on him cocking it back to make sure there was a round in the chamber.

Years of military experience told her to pull the trigger; once you disarmed an assailant you nine times out of ten always put them down. Shane knew it was coming too but instead of his face softening with fear or dread of his impending death, his body only seemed to radiate with more rage as his eyes filled with something that she hadn't seen in a very long time.

They were both staring each other down with hatred for the other equally matched. He gave her an eerie smile as the blood from his nose dripped onto his lips.

"You won't do it. Pussy."

Linkyn didn't have to be dramatic; she just let him see her answer in her eyes.

"Watch me."

Just as her finger glided on the trigger the old man came into view behind Shane and screamed out, "Stop it Goddamn it! Just stop it!"

Every fiber of her being told her pull the trigger anyways; that this man before her was only a danger the longer he was kept around but she had been raised right and, the dead be damned, she still had her morals and manners.

Quickly she emptied out the chamber letting the lone bullet hit the dirt floor as she took a step back away from the blooded man in front of her and gave her full attention to the older man.

"Yes sir."

He looked grateful and exhausted all at once.

"Why don't you…why don't you come on in the house so I can clean you up."

"No offense sir but I think I've had enough of your peoples help as it is."

She had tried to be polite but the bitterness seeped in to every word and by the end she was clenching her teeth tightly as she fought not to load the chamber back up and shoot the asshole next to her in the foot.

"These," he indicated to the other group, "Are not my people. They are visitors that were on my land who will be leaving tomorrow."

The last wasn't even said to her. The old man had turned and looked at who she presumed was the leader of this group whose face grew even more solemn as he gave the old man a brief nod.

Taping the gun on her thigh she bit the inside of her lip as she looked at all of them. Blood was still coming from her wound and come to think of it she was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. The adrenaline had made the pain in shoulder almost disappear but now that everything was calming down the dull ache was becoming an overwhelming excruciating throb making her arm go numb. She would've just taken care of it by herself but she wasn't all too sure if she had put in stitching needles. After what felt like an eternity in her woozy mind she finally shook her head yes.

"Alright and thank you sir that is mighty kind of you."

"Hershel."

She gave him a small nod.

"Linkyn."

"Alright Linkyn let's get you up to the house. Maggie-"

The young girl who had been holding him from before turned to them; a lost look on her face as she finally realized what Hershel had asked. She spared one last look to the group and the piles of Walkers and turned, arms wrapped tightly around her, as she made her way back towards the house.

It seemed to have been a traumatizing day for everyone. Hershel waved her towards him and this time, as she moved around him, she spared Shane a weary glance as she took a part the 9mm.

"Who do I give this too?" she asked the group, only feeling hatred as she realized she never figured out who it was that had shot her.

The man from before; who'd taken care of the little girl, Sophia, and tried to stop Shane came forward and with that solemn look on his face and opened up his hands to take the guns pieces from her. Linkyn placed them in his hands and without another look at the group started up to the pristine farmhouse with Hershel.

If they didn't get there soon she was pretty sure she would pass out. It would totally ruin her badass exit but as they were just about to the house her vision danced with black spots and a few seconds later she found herself falling into Hershel's struggling arms.

Soooo? What did you guys think of the chapter?

Reviews/comments are always welcome :)

Chapter 3 will be up shortly!

Thank you all so much for reading!

~Much Love, Jeneane~