Chapter Eight:

"Watch out for walkers" Shane shouted as they slowly entered the building with their weapons raised and eyes peeled for any sign of walkers. Deciding that the building was safe for now Rick started to see if he could find whoever had decided to raise the shutters and let them live another day.

"Hello, anybody there?" Rick called out; everyone was silent so that they could hear a reply however none came. They all slowly crept forward intending on searching the building a bit more when they heard footsteps coming towards the stairs. Whipping their guns round to face the stairs they all waited to see what appeared.

"Anyone infected?" a man called out to the group as he came into view holding a weapon towards them all.

"One of our men was but he didn't make it" Rick admitted to the man, not wanting to lie to him encase it came back on them later.

"What do you want?" the man asked still not lowering his weapon which was putting Rick on edge a bit, surely the guy could see they weren't walkers or violent people, they had children with them after all.

"A chance" Rick said staring at the guy hoping that's what the guy would give them, surely that wasn't too much to ask was it?

"You all submit to a blood test, that's the price of admission"

"We can do that" Rick replied thankful that the guy was giving them a chance.

"You got stuff to bring in bring it in now, once that door closes its staying closed" the guy stated finally lowering his weapon. Rick didn't like the sound of that, he didn't like being caged in and neither did Daryl who Rick saw tense up at those words. However, he wasn't about to argue with the guy who was about to give them shelter which is what they desperately needed.

…

Sitting round the table drinking wine they all a bit drunk, they hadn't had a drink in a long time or break so Rick decided they deserved this little moment of happiness. Daryl seemed to be loosening up a bit as well so all was good, until Shane decided now was a good time to ask the one question that could possibly ruin the whole moment.

"So doc tell us what happened here" Shane asked Jenner who had been sitting to the side of the group looking very out of place.

"Shane not now" Rick pleaded wanting them to enjoy tonight without anyone bringing up anything that could ruin it.

"No Rick this is what we came here for wasn't it, it was your idea after all, we came here for answers and we find one guy, this guy" Shane said slightly drunk and pointing towards Jenner whilst staring at Rick. "Why?" Shane said looking at Jenner waiting for a reply.

Listening to Jenner's story Rick suddenly realised how bad the world had got if even the one place that was meant to be looking for a cure hadn't even survived, he wondered how many places actually existed anymore if there were any?

….

"Hmmmm" Rick hummed as he entered the shower, the hot water rushing over his body washing feeling great against his skin. He hadn't realised how much he took hot water for granted until now, he lifted his head up towards the head of the shower letting the water run across his face. Arms then wrapped themselves around his waist and a head leant into the crook of his neck.

"I've missed this" Daryl murmured against his neck causing Daryl to shiver as it sent vibrations down his spine.

"The shower, me to" Rick said teasingly knowing that probably wasn't what Daryl was on about.

"Na you, the privacy, jus' me an' you, I've missed it" Daryl said quietly nuzzling Ricks neck. Rick turned around in Daryl's arms and gave him a proper hug resting his head on Daryl's shoulder. He had forgotten how much Daryl didn't like crowds; he was a very private person and probably felt out of place back at camp when he and Rick barely had a minute to themselves.

"I'm always here you know that" Rick replied lifting Daryl's head up so that he could kiss him letting know he was always here. As soon as Rick's lips connected with Daryl's, Daryl pushed Rick up against the wall causing Ricks back to slam against the wall. Daryl turned the kiss from soft and to rough, Rick didn't mind though, he loved it when Daryl turned it hot it immediately turned him hard. Rick then grabbed Daryl's growing erection in his hand slowly pumping him causing Daryl to moan in pleasure; Rick used the distraction to flip them around so that it was Daryl who was against the wall.

"That was dirty" Daryl said between the kisses, not sounding one bit annoyed at the change it positions.

"You love it though" Rick replied knowing he was right. Rick then lowered his mouth towards Daryl's nipples and sucked on them hard, causing another gasp from Daryl which turned Rick on even more. Trailing kisses down Daryl's stomach Rick came to Daryl's member which he immediately swallowed whole causing Daryl to buck his hips and grip Ricks hair in a tight grasp. Daryl then starting pulling on Rick's hair obviously wanting Rick to go faster. Not wanting it to be over yet Rick pulled away causing a whine from Daryl at loss of contact.

"Don't worry I aint finished yet love" Rick said as he turned Daryl around who immediately put his hands against the wall, obviously guessing what was coming next.

"Hurry the fuck up then" Daryl grunted causing Rick to laugh.

"Patience love" Rick whispered against Daryl's as he trailed a finger along Daryl's spine and down to his hole where it hovered for second causing Daryl to whine again. Finally giving in Rick pushed his finger in and set up a fast pace. He then entered a second finger making Daryl moan.

"'m ready, wanna feel yer" Daryl moaned pushing himself against Ricks fingers. Rick pulled his fingers out and entered Daryl hard knowing that's exactly how Daryl wanted it.

"Fuck" he grunted and the feel of being inside Daryl.

"Faster" Daryl replied, desperate for Rick to move. Not wanting to disappoint Rick set up a fast pace, knowing he wasn't going to last long Rick grabbed Daryl's member and pumped him to the same pace so they would cum at the same time. After a few thrusts they both came grunting out each others names breathing deeply,Rick then turned Daryl around and gave Daryl a soft kiss which Daryl returned.

After they were both cleaned each other up and finally left the shower and laid down on the bed curling up in each other's arms, determined to make the most of the alone time they had.

….

The next morning they were all sat around the table gulping down cups of coffee trying to rid themselves of their hangovers, they really shouldn't have drunk that much last night but they couldn't help it. Maybe he should have stopped Glenn from drinking quite so much though when he saw how grim Glenn looked he thought. Looking at Daryl he saw him smirking while watching Glenn glare at the food T-Dog had placed on his plate, cheeky bastard knew the poor guy wouldn't be able to keep up with him, Daryl hardly ever got hangovers which was one thing he liked to gloat about to Rick after a night out. Shane then stumbled in with a big scratch on his neck looking seriously pissed off and hung-over and darted straight for the coffee pot.

"Whoa what happened to you?" T-Dog asked Shane noticing the scratches on his neck

"Must of done it my sleep" Shane replied trying to cover the marks up with his shirt.

"Never seen you do that before" Rick said knowing Shane was trying to cover something up

"Me neither" Shane replied whilst sitting down at the table, but not before glaring quickly at Lori thinking nobody would notice. Rick looked over at Lori who was now looking at her food with great interest, obviously trying to avoid Shane's eyes. Something was going on between them to and Rick was determined to find out what.

…...

Despite the fact he found all the stuff about test subject 19 all very interesting Rick couldn't help but keep watch of the clock in the corner counting down. He couldn't help but wonder what it was counting down for, what was gonna happen when it got to 0. He seriously hoped it was nothing to major.

"I know this is all very taxing doctor but I'm gonna have to ask you one more question, that clock" Dale said pointing towards the exact same clock Rick had just been thinking about "I noticed that it's counting down, what happens at?" Dale asks looking at Jenner waiting for a response.

"The basement generators… they run out of fuel" Jenner replies and promptly walks out of the room without any further explanation.

Rick did not like the sound of decontamination, considering they were in a research facility that had been studying walkers it was probably something Rick did not want to be here for.

"Get your stuff we going NOW!" Rick shouted at the group, he was leaving, he was not waiting to find out what happened as didn't like way Jenner kept avoiding answers. As he said that the doors closed locking them inside the room stopping anyone from leaving.

"What the hell open the damn doors" Daryl said angrily heading straight for Jenner looking like he was about to throttle him. Rick grabbed Daryl and wrapped his arms round his waist stopping him from going any further knowing that injuring Jenner would lessen their chance of escape. However Daryl wasn't thinking like that and tried to escape Ricks grasp.

"We need him alive Daryl, he's the only one that can open those doors again" he whispered into Daryl's ear causing Daryl to slump into Ricks arms.

"I told you once those front doors close they wouldn't open again, you heard me say it" Jenner said perfectly calm. Rick sighed at Jenner's response, he knew those words were gonna come back to haunt him.

"What happens in 28 minutes?" Rick growled at Jenner.

An explosion, walkers were roaming the earth and they were going to die from an explosion, this was not happening Rick thought there had to be a way out.

"Let us out now you asshole" Merle said slamming his fist onto the table "ya can' decide who lives and who dies, don' ya think that's up to us how we go eh doc?"

"This is our extinction, there's nothing out there, it's simpler this way" Jenner replies calmly.

"I don't want my child to die like this he doesn't deserve this" Lori cries whilst clinging to Carl who was crying into his mother's side.

"Don't you think we deserve a chance to survive, why can't you just let us out and see for ourselves, what's the harm in that? There's gotta be something out there" Rick said pleading to Jenner, who looked around the group.

"I can't open the main door" Jenner says whilst swiping his card across the machine, Rick then heard the door crank open.

"Come on lets go" Daryl shouted and everyone started to run out the door except for Andrea and Jacqui, much to Dales dismay who was pleading with them.

…..

Running to the car Rick jumped in and made sure Daryl, Lori and Carl had climbed in as well, he sighed in relief when he saw they were all accounted for and went to start the ignition.

"Wait look" Lori shouted pointing towards the CDC, looking where she pointing he saw Dale and Andrea climbing out the broken window. He gasped in shock Dale had managed to convince Andrea to come with them. Looking at his watch he noticed they only had a few seconds before the place exploded.

"They need to take cover Rick murmured and honked on the horn in hopes they would get the message.

"Take cover" Lori shouted sticking her head out the window, obviously realizing what Rick had been trying to do.

Everyone held their breath when the explosion happened as no one knew if they were a safe distance away. As it went quiet everyone slowly peeped out from where they were hiding and looked round at each other in shock. They had made it, they had survived, Rick looked at Daryl and gave him a small smile which Daryl returned and squeezed Ricks had in reassurance. They could do this, they had each other, they had their family, what else did could they possibly need?

Notes: So that's the first series finished. Thank you for everyone who has followed my story, I hope I did it justice. Don't worry there will be a sequel which will follow season 2 which I will be starting shortly. Anyway let me know what you think of this chapter.