A/N: So here we are again with a new installment of World Without Words. Just a few more chapters left to go then boom! Done. But do not fret, there is a sequel naturally. Thanks to everyone for reading and those who rate! Kisses and cookies for everyone!

Disclaimer: As I have said many times, I do not own The Walking Dead, just Alice and her drama

"I'm gonna die." Jim hung his head, refusing to meet the pitiful blue eyes of the young woman that sat beside him on the cot. He let out a deep sigh, then looked outside the RV window, watching Andrea hover over her dead sister. "I survived all this time, just to… die."

"Don't say that Jim." Alice placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him back on the bed. "We're gonna get you help. But in the meantime, lets clean that nasty bite." she tried to sound optimistic, but she had her own doubts.

"Like it will make a difference." He mumbled.

"Rick says-"

"Alice, who cares what Rick says. He has no idea what's out there just like you and I. I'm not gonna hang on every word he says. He means well, I know, but… But that won't save me."

Alice frowned, soaking some gauze in the little rubbing alcohol they had left. "Rick's a good leader. If his gut tells him we'll find something there, than we will."

"You speak so highly of him."

"This is gonna sting real bad Jim." He nodded his head to her warning before she wiped the bite. He bit his lower lip and tightly shut his eyes in pain. "There now, all done." She soothingly spoke. "I speak highly of Rick cause I've known him for years. He's a good guy."

"You like him."

Alice laughed a little as she unraveled some bandages. "Of course I like him, you're supposed to like your friends."

Jim sat up, smiling weakly. "No, you like him more than a friend would."

She frowned. "No, I don't."

"If you say so." He teased. "Now wrap me up already Nurse Walsh, I want to rest my eyes."

Glenn rushed into the RV, scaring Alice and Jim. He smiled sheepishly as if he had interrupted something he wasn't supposed to see.

"It's Andrea." Alice frowned, but followed the Korean boy out.

Andrea held her sisters hungry mouth away from her face. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to find the old Amy in the walkers dead eyes. She knew her sister was gone and all that remained was this thing in her place. It was time to let her sister go, but she wasn't ready to. She needed Amy.

"I'm so sorry." She apologized. She didn't know how many times she could say it before the guilt faded. "I should have been there all these years. I never thought our time together would have been cut short. I wanted to protect you."

The pang in her heart told her she had failed as an older sister, she failed as a protector. The once vibrant Amy was gone now and it was her fault. Amy was never coming back and it was her fault. All of this was Andrea's fault. She regretted all the times she came down hard on her sister or opted out of spending time with her to be with her friends. All the times Amy wanted to play, but Andrea said no because she felt she was too old for dolls and pretend. If should take it all back, she would. If she could trade with her sister, she would in a heart beat.

Shane, Rick, and Dale emerged from the woods. Rick frowned when he saw Amy's reanimated body. He took the safety off his gun and held it up, watching Amy closely. Shane reached for his own gun. Rick slowly crept over slowly, his gun ready in case it was needed. He stood next to Alice. She was standing still as a statue, biting down on her thumb. Her eyes were watering. He knew she was thinking about Jessica. He couldn't imagine coming home to find his family dead and watch his father shoot himself. She was stronger than many took her for, because that would have been enough to drive anyone mad.

"I love you Amy. I'm sorry things ended this way."

Rick stepped forward when he saw the walker struggling harder to bite Andrea. Alice held an arm out to stop him, shaking her head no. She knew Andrea needed to be the one to put her sister down. Rick gave her an unsure look, but stayed put.

"I love you so much Amy. More than you'll ever know. I'm so sorry." She cried as she pulled her gun out. She held the walker in an embrace, pretending it was her Amy, then pressed her gun to its head. She pulled the trigger. The walkers body ceased moving. Amy and the walker were gone now. The blood had spattered onto Andrea, leaving a messy pattern of red dots on her face and shirt. There was a silence. No one knew what to say or do. Andrea cried, letting her sister's body fall softly.

Alice started walked over slowly. She gently pried the gun from Andrea's hand, placing it on the ground. Pulling the shaking woman into her arms, she held her. Alice knew that sometimes the best way to help was to not say anything at all.

Andrea sobbed into Alice's shoulder, crying so hard she choked a little. She wanted to thank Alice for being there, she wanted to tell everyone she would be fine, but all she could do was cry Amy's name. She wished it had been her that had been bitten instead. What was the point in living now? She wanted to be with her family now, with Amy. The last few weeks they had been together was great, it made her regret missing so much of her litter sisters youth, but she had thought they would make up for lost time.

She was half-right. It just wasn't enough time to Andrea. So many things were never said still. She wished she could have told Amy she loved her one last time while she was still the beautiful, alive girl she had once been. Andrea had said everything she ever wanted to, but it hadn't been to the real Amy. It had been to that walker that looked like Amy.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Rick watched everyone pack up their tents and belongings around the camp site.

"Well," Alice struggled to lift the bag with their cooking supplies. "if you feel like it's the right thing for us, then yeah."

Rick chuckled at the site of her struggling before grabbing the bag from her with ease. "You know you need a man to do this."

She looked around the campsite. "Yeah, I should go find one." Rick playfully pushed her before becoming serious again.

"Alice, what if I'm wrong? What if nothing is at the CDC?"

"Something has to be there." She reassured, placing a hand on his tan forearm. "I believe in your choice to go. Even if there ain't nothing there, it's better than going to Fort Benning. We would never make it there. Ain't got enough supplies as is."

"I just don't want to be wrong about this… A lot is riding on this trip to the CDC. I don't want to lead us into danger."

"Just have faith Rick. You're our leader, and if you lose faith, we all do."

"Leader?"

"Don't tell me your hearing is failing!" she joked. He didn't laugh.

"Alice, I ain't leader."

She let out a sigh, frowning. "But you are. You've always been. People listen to you cause they can trust you. You want what's best for everyone, not just yourself. That makes you a leader. We all believe in you Rick. I believe in you."

"Alice, come on! Jim's bandages need to be changed!" Glenn called, standing by the RV.

"I better go, my patient needs me." She smiled at him.

Rick watched Alice walk off. For as long as he could remember, Alice had never been amazing looking. She had an alright figure and a pretty face, yet there was something very attractive about her to him. He shook his head quickly. Why was he thinking of his close friend as attractive? That kind of thinking could ruin their friendship and now was not the time to cut ties. He needed her support and encouraging words. No one else seemed to be giving him any. He had expected Shane would be the one to do that, but since finding his family, things were different with his best friend. Something just didn't feel right. Lori was different too. He loved her, but did she love him?

Lori claimed to love him, but things always were so tense between the couple. Even making love felt strange. It felt force, just like her whispers of love and devotion to him. He wanted to blame the world ending on their relationship not being the same, but he knew better. Honestly, it was the same as it had been before he got shot.

Cold embraces, empty words, and looks of blame.

She had wanted a separation before he had been shot. If the world were still intact, he would have probably been living on Shane and Alice's sofa right now. Even while he had been in his coma, he couldn't recall her visiting him often. He had a few hazy memories of Carl, Shane and Alice, but never Lori. He wasn't sure, but he was pretty sure Lori sent Carl with Shane when the boy wanted to see his father.

Rick wanted Lori to have his back on everything, he wanted her to go back to being the girl he met and fell in love with. He found himself wishing she would act more like Alice. At that moment, it hit him: even before the world had ended, he wanted Lori to be like Alice.

He didn't always had the right words to explain how he felt, but Alice always understood. She never judged him or constantly reminded him of his flaws. She didn't give him looks of disappointment and resentment.

Though Lori hadn't said it, he knew from the looks she would give him that she blamed him for the walkers attacking their camp. Her looks told him she thought that if he had stayed like she wanted, everyone would be alive. Andrea wouldn't have had to put her sister down, Jim would still be fine and everyone in their group would be alive. She refused to understand the guns were important and very needed. Without them, even more people would have died. Why couldn't Lori just understand that everything he did was to keep her and Carl safe?

Alice walk out the RV, Glenn tailing behind her. Her blonde hair was oily and her clothes soiled with blood. He knew it had been a while since she had a real bath, and yet she seemed perfect to him. He wanted to kick himself. Why was he looking at her that way? This was his best friend's wife, not to mention he had Lori. It was wrong to look at Alice that way.

But he couldn't deny that she had been on his mind more than necessary.

Hmmm what's going on here? I wonder what will happen now that Rick is getting all these weird feelings and epiphanies about Alice.