Hey guys! Here is the next update. It's so late, I know... And I'm sorry. I wouldn't call it writer's block... just writer's laze.

Thanks soooooooo much to my reviewers. I love you all and please keep them coming. Thanks to those who favorites and alerts as well.

We learn some snippets about Zenora's hard life in this chapter.

Rated for language, violence, racial slurs and upcoming sexual situations.

Also, I want to say that this when this story is written in Zenora's POV, that I'm trying to portray Zenora narrating. She's southern so imagine a southerner talking. Their accents are different; I know because I've lived in Georgia myself. So don't think there are a lot of grammatical errors. It's Zenora's POV.

Disclaimers: Walking Dead ain't mind... And so isn't Norman Reedus and his character Daryl Dixon. SIGH. We can all dream, right?

Chapter 5: No Room For Doubt

"Right now isn't the best time to go hunting." The old man named Dale came towards me. He was wearing a fishing hat with a rifle slung over his shoulder and place a comforting hand on my elbow.

I fought the urge to shrug it off, just narrowing my eyes instead. "Are you okay, Zenora?" He asked, his bushy, gray eyebrows furrowing and his dark brown eyes lighting up with a bit of concern.

My eyes darted to the spot where the Dixon brothers once stood. They hogged tail and was gone.

I suck in a breath of air, slightly wincing at the sharp pain coming from my lower abdomen. Shane was something... attacking me like that...

And still managed to accuse me of shooting some friend of his named Rick.

"Zenora?" Dale's voice trails off, as one of them eyebrows of his raised slowly.

I shake my head, before nodding. "Sorry. I was just thinking 'bout something." I tell him, forcing my lips to tug into a small smile. "But thanks for the concern."

Dale smiled and rubbed my elbow before letting his hand drop back to his side. "Don't worry about Shane... he can be a-"

"Nigga?" I snap. "Asshole?" - "Piece of-"

My anger is flared at the mention of his name and it's poked at when the brunette named Lori trotted over to us. "Do you mind keeping your voice down?" She questions, glaring at me. It sounded more like a command...

"Excuse me?" I place a hand on my hip.

Lori stepped forward. "Keep your mouth shut. We don't need the likes of you and your foul mouth polluting the minds of the children 'round here. You aren't even welcome in the first place, but we're nice enough-"

I rolled my eyes at her, stepping more closer so that we was face to face. "We? Who the hell is we, Lori?" I didn't give her a chance to even respond before I snapped, "Because all I fuckin' see is you." - "You don't even know me and yet you come over here with this we nice enough to let you stay here bullshit. Girl if you don't go somewhere."

And just like that I turned my back to her, facing the only man who seemed to have some sense up in here. I pinch the bridge of my nose, sighing heavily when I hear Lori's feet pitter-and-patter across the gravel-rock dirt and pavements, signaling that she was shut down and decided to leave.

"Sorry about that, Dale." I sigh, scratching the nape of my neck. The old man didn't seem to mind about the little attitude I just showed him, and instead chose to wave me off with a hand. "Now, why'd you say it ain't the best time to be hunting?"

He nodded his head, pointing to the sky. "Well, you see... the sun will be setting pretty soon and it will be dark before you can even snap your fingers..."

I snicker, covering my mouth at that last part. Did he assume just because I was black and had a little attitude, that I'd be snappin' my fingers?

"Figure of speech." He stated, realizing how what he just said kind of came out the wrong way. "Anyways, as you know those... walkers... are pretty dangerous at night. They seem to be more active during the night time, so I suggest in the morning, being the most opportune time."

I nod, not wanting to refuse him, myself; let's face it. I wasn't ready to be getting out there and hunting for these people... not just yet.

"Well, thanks." - "I suggest you talk it over with your peoples first... so, you know... they don't think I'm a free-loader or something."

Dale gave me a nod before rubbing my shoulder comfortably and walking off to some random part of the camp. I sigh, scratching my head full of thick, light brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.

Even when it seemed to be the end of the world, you still couldn't help but feel out of place in a camp full of men, women and children that you didn't know. I didn't want to go follow Dale around since he seemed to be the only nice person around here...

My eyes darted to the left when I saw one of the Dixon brothers leaving from a large blue tent. "What you lookin' at?" He beckoned to me, rolling his sharp, blue eyes. It was Daryl Dixon; I sprinted over to him, following where ever the hell he was going.

"I'm bored and I don't know nobody but you and your pig of a brother." I flat out said, shrugging my shoulders when he scowled at me.

"This ain't the old days where the slave follows the master, girl." Daryl seethed, sitting down on a disgarded log, near the outskirts of the grass and gravel clearing the camp was set up at.

I roll my eyes at his assessment, taking seat right next to him. "Well excuse me, redneck." I ignore the protruding side-glare he gave me, as he grasped a hunting knife slid in his boot and started sharpening the tips of a bundle of twigs and tree branches I just now notices he was carrying.

"I don't think you'd be fit enough to be my master in the first place."

When he scoffed and shook his head, I chirped in a sing-song voice, "Don't toot yer' horn, sweet-pea. You not all that, you know."

"Go talk to somebody else or something." He sighed, clearly annoyed by my presence

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did back there, geez." I got up, shrugging my shoulders, starting to slowly walk through the camp.

I wasn't sure if I was hearing straight, but I knew from the way I suddenly started smiling... that I heard him shout, "Yer' welcome!"

.

.

.

I was introduced to a pair of blonde sisters, by Dale; Amy and Andrea. Then they introduced me to the Morales family. A Hispanic man named Carlos with his wife and cute, little girl. They all seemed nice enough.

What really made me happy was the fact that I wasn't the only black person around; I met a muscle-guy named T-Dog and a black woman named Jacqui. Both real nice and understanding of me feeling a bit out of place.

"Just come hang with me if you ever feeling like that." T-Dog chimed, slapping me playfully on the back.

I was now walking and talking with Jacqui, listening to her as she told me what everyone did around the camp. Of, course the women did the laundry up at the mouth of a large river; the men handled killing any stray niggas and everyone else just pitched in whether it came to finding food, going on "runs" to find extra supplies and just making sure no one got out of line... Shane and me being the prime example of what she meant by that.

By the time I realized it, it was night time, just as Dale had predicted. I noticed the sun setting and didn't even get the chance to snap my fingers. I heard a small ringing bell and this cute, Asian boy named Glenn grinned, "Dinner time," He chimed. "I'm so starving."

Everyone was taking their seats around the fire that asshole-Shane got to making; they was all laughing and talking like a normal family... yet then there was me. I knew no one; well not as well as everyone else seemed to know each other. Still Glenn began pulling me forward even with my protests and soon enough I had found myself sitting among the group between Dale and Jacqui.

They offered me a small plate as I tucked my legs underneath me, relaxing for the first time in days and enjoying the warm, relaxing crackle of the fire.

I began eating the small pieces of meat as everyone was talking with one another but I stared into the distance, trying my best to ignore the damn looks Shane was giving me; I just had to sit right across from him... even over the fire you'd still notice his narrowed eyes burning holes through ya'. Lori... she was focused on her little boy named Carl and I could tell she was trying her best not to even notice me; she kept looking down.

"Alright, everyone." Dale announced. When I felt him touch my shoulder and smile broadly at me, I wanted to throw this plate of food and hog tail. "We have a new addition to our little salvation army." A few of the people around us laughed at the little joke he said, but I sighed.

My eyes roamed around slowly to see everyone already looking at me with eager and expectant expression on all they faces as if they were all set on getting to know me; the newest member of the group.

The thing is... I didn't really want to talk about myself because then I'd be forced to share personal information... things I still needed to work around accepting myself... And I still felt like I didn't belong here. Was I really gonna' stay after all of this?

I looked down at the plate of food I held in my hands. A pile of brown rice, pieces of meat and boiled carrots. This was damn there the best that I ate in... God knows how long! I knew there was no way around the questions so I might as well get 'em over with.

I sat up straight and forced a smile, turning to Dale, "What you wanna' know?"

Everyone remained silent considering the questions to ask me. The possibilities seemed to be endless with this group but I guess I shouldn't have cared. I just wanted to get these questions with over as quickly as possible. I'd answer each question with a straight face and simple answer. Maybe a yes and no fashion.

"What's your story?" Andrea suggested, earning small nods from some of the people around the fire.

"My story..." I confirmed, receiving a nod from Andrea and her sister. I noticed the way the Dixon brothers halted their eating and although Daryl seemed to be interested, he tried and failed to hide it. Merle... He acknowledged me but kept shoving fork-fulls of rice in his mouth, even scooping up the strays that fell on the ground and on his pants.

"She ain't got no story." Shane blurred out and then poked around the fire with a small stick, "Except criminal acts. Ain't that right, Zenora?" He asked in a hard tone.

"Not cool, man." Glenn sighed, giving me a look of sympathy.

"Yeah, Shane." Amy backed him up.

I didn't even feel the need to be angry or pissed with Shane as I fell silent staring at my hands. Who was I? Was I completely different from the Zenora before the coma and the world changing? I felt different... so maybe I was. I know I had a hard life in the world before all these niggas began rising up from the dead... but was I ready to go back to the dark past before? What the hell was I doing with the Hernandez family that day I got shot? What the hell was I thinking?

I swallowed slowly before looking up to meet the several eyes of people around the campfire, "Well my name is Zenora Brown and I'm from Cordele, Georgia," I said. "A small little town that seemed peaceful at first."

"You mean with the apocalypse starting?" Little boy named Carl blurted out, trying not to notice the expression his mother gave him.

I smiled fondly at the boy and was impressed by his good demeanor; he wasn't as mean as his momma'.

I shake my head. "Well no, sweet-pea." - "It was a drug-craze going on in that small town. I got involved with all types of people... different types of drugs..." I trailed, licking my lips a bit. "So before I was even 15-years-old, momma' had chose to relocate me to some other town, closer to Atlanta."

I guess I had no choice but to open up to all these things.

"Of course," I sighed, letting a shrug play on my shoulders. "I got into some trouble there, too. It seemed to follow me, every where."

Everyone nodded at my statement.

"Well, we all have made mistakes..." T-Dog smirked, shaking his head. "I know I have."

Before I could get out another word, Shane cut me off.

"What did I tell y'all?" The dark haired man laughed, shaking his head at me. "A complete druggie. Lori-" He turned to face the brunette woman. "You gonna' let some druggie around your son? Carol, Carlos and anyone else with kids-"

He didn't know when to quit, man. "Damn it, Shane." I breath, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. "You is so cold to me. Nigga-" I pause. "I don't even know you. And you don't even know me. Can I finish telling them and educating you on my life, or is you just gonna keep on making assumptions because you is hooked on the fact that I supposedly shot your friend Rick?"

I reached in my back pocket, taking out the folded picture of Rick, his wife Lori and his son, Carl. I tossed it at the brunette. "I found that back at your house. Thought I'd hold onto it." She unfolded the picture, gasping and gazed at me with tears forming in her eyes.

"Mom... I thought..." Carl started to say, taking the picture from her. "This was my dad's favorite picture." He passed it to Carol's little girl named Sophia and she passed it to her mother, who reluctantly took it, giving a side glance to her grumbling husband, Ed. The photo was passed around the entire group of survivors, until it reached Shane, who only nodded his head at the photo and then gave it back to Lori.

"I dunno' why I held onto it." I admit. "I found it when y'all left me there and after I had to kill these two niggas that came and attacked me."

Andrea leaned forward, pursing her lips. "I'm sorry, but... niggas?" She winced when the word slipped out her mouth.

"That's what she likes to call 'em."

All eyes including mine turned to look at Daryl Dixon. He obviously didn't like all the attention he was now receiving and even narrowed his eyes when he noticed the smug smile playing on my lips. I even thought I noticed his cheeks turn red over the light emitting from the fire.

"Finish up with that story, Chocolate Drop." Merle said in between chews. "I'm ready to fuckin' hit the sack." He ignored the scowls that the parents amount the group gave him.

Without a second thought, I went on. "As T-Dog said... we all made our mistakes. To make a long story short, I got into a lot of trouble. Did a lot... of drugs. And messed around with a lot of bad people. Some of them people were the infamous Diaz brothers and their groups of people. I... was at my waterloo about a month ago." - "Desperate for drugs... depressed and I felt oppressed by the man. So I started dating one of the Diaz brothers. Big Tito was his nickname."

I pause, quickly taking in a deep breath and then slowly releasing it. "He supplied me with the substantial drugs I needed to feel better about myself. And that one day, he was about to do a big deal. I tagged along, and boy was it a mistake..."

I licked my lips, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "There was this high speed chase with the cops and everything. And I distinctly remember telling him, when this is all over... I'm through. I'm through with living this life. Dating a damn drug dealer and criminal... being a druggie. I got things and people I need to do. I got a baby that I need to get and love."

"But as you know, sometimes we make decisions a little too late. The car crashes, I was injured, almost died from blood-loss and there was a shootout going down. The cops was winning. I saw some of his boys on the ground dead and when I got out the car before I could surrender, I was shot." Carol winced when I put emphasis on the word 'shot'.

She gathered up Sophia and followed Ed when her husband snapped at her to follow him and leave the group. She gave a sympathetic look to me and the group, and sighed heavily shaking her head when her daughter silently protested wanting to leave. "We don't go no time doe no tall tales." Ed sassed, forcefully yanking his wife forward.

It was silent before Carlos' wife motioned for me to continue. She gave her husband's hand a tight squeeze as the girl started wrapping up her story. "Well, that's what I remember happening because afterwards I woke up from a coma... to this world we livin' in now."

"Did you lose anyone important?" Andrea was first to say, looking sadly at her sister and then to the old man, Dale.

I nodded. "Yeah." Then hugged my knees to my chest, shifting uncomfortably at the question. "I was once a mother... Your guess is as good as mine... he's probably gone." - "The family that adopted him relocated to Illinois. A rich, white family... the woman was a doctor and her husband a lawyer."

I let a tear fall from her eye. "I never thought back this far, you know." - "It took a lot to share this..."

Jacqui gave me a warm hug. "I kmow for sure... that I'm glad you did."

A/N:

Okay, that was her back story. My character is inspired from Halle Barry, of course and one of the old movies she played in called Losing Isaiah.

A really good ass movie, made me kinda cry. Don't be too sympathetic of Zenora, though.

How was this chappie? I hope my character isn't a little too much for some people... and I also hope it didn't such that much. I'm already working on the next chapter and it should be out in a couple of days.

R.I.P to Beth, even though I kind still want Daryl Dixon for myself, hence this story and I'm definitely waiting on the rest of the episodes to get going.

Thanks for Reading!

(please review and let me know what you all think... I must know.)

Kumi-Chan/Tobi-Is-Fluffy-Chan