Author's Notes: Chapter 13 is up! Please enjoy and review!

(Meanwhile Back With Maddie and Lona…)

[Location: Sumter, South Carolina]

Sumter Mall was a lot smaller than Maddie thought it would be.

However, it was to be expected, after all thanks to online shopping things like mall's were becoming a thing of the past. Still there were plenty of cars, and to their relief most were undamaged and full of gas.

"Jack pot!" Lona exclaimed as they managed to break into the shabby building. Most of the Mall was still standing, and Maddie set to work looking for the supplies they would need to stifle some gas for the Fenton RV.

Lona pulled out a few empty gallon jugs of milk from her backpack that they had managed to find on the way. There were three in all, and Maddie had three herself, together the six jugs would contain enough gas to get the Fenton RV out of Walker's range. They would also be halfway home, and once they were all safe Maddie would call home. Then Jazz would meet them there with enough gas to finish the journey.

It was a solid plan…

Or so she hoped.

"We'll need a water hose." Maddie instructed as they riffled through Sears. It was the only store in the Mall that might have one.

"Here we go!" Lona snagged a hose from the garden section and threw it her way.

"Good." Maddie praised. "You stay here in the mall and gather supplies, first aid kits, unexpired food anything you think we'll need."

"How long does it take to get to Amity Park?" Lona asked.

"Eight hours under normal conditions." Maddie answered. "But in this day and age it might take a lot longer." She warned.

"I understand." Lona assured her and set to work, scoping out the mall for food, water, first aid, and blankets.

Maddie left her to it, and cautiously walked back outside to start stifling up some gas. It was a dangerous criminal act that involved using a water hose and gravity to pump gas out of a car and into another. The only difference here was Maddie was pumping this gas into six jugs. Of course, holding six full jugs would be a challenge. Luckily, she found a shopping cart close by and was able use it as she moved from car to car.

It was rough task, most of the cars had been sitting in the sun for so long that the gas in them was no good. Others barely had any gas at all. Which is why they were left abandon in the first place. However, some were pretty full, and Maddie could only guess this was because their owners came here, and never left.

That was a troubling thought. Maddie had promised Lona's mother that she would be safe in her care, but really Maddie wasn't even able to watch her. If they wanted to make it to the camp in time before Jack left tomorrow morning than they had to split their efforts.

Maddie could only hope that by doing so she wasn't putting Lona in danger.

(Back with Lona…)

Lona huffed as she carried her heavy load of goods over her shoulder. She was surprised that she had found so many supplies. In every apocalypse movie she ever saw supply runs like this were always very dangerous, and the rewards were almost never this plentiful. It just went to show that TV was never right about anything. Unfortunately, the only food she could find that she knew was not spoiled was beef jerky. After all this was a mall not a grocery store!

Still, beef jerky and candy was better than nothing. She just hoped the elderly members of their group would be able to handle the tough meat, and sugary candy that would probably rise their blood sugar to dangerous heights. She shook her head, doing her best not to think about that. She had to focus, she already had six aid kits and 5 sets of sheets along with her food choices. She had wanted to get blankets but carrying the heavy jugs of gas was already going to be hard. So, she settled with sheets hoping that the heaters in the RV would keep them mostly warm in the already crisp weather.

Now all she needed was water! Her first idea was to go to the mini fridges by the cash registers, every store she had ever gone to had them, and she knew that at least Sears would not let her down. So, she headed back down that way.

Big mistake!

"Well if it isn't a little kitten that's lost her way." The ghost shapeshifter Bertrand growled as he stalked her in his wolf form.

Lona sees him and takes off running towards Sears, cursing herself for not grabbing the water first. And even more so for not being more aware of her surroundings.

"Running, are we?" Bertrand scoffed. "How cliché." He mocked and let out a loud howl.

(Back with Maddie…)

"There all done." Maddie said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. It had taken her a lot longer than she had hoped, but none the less Maddie smiled into the setting sun. "Lona should be done by now." She realized as she added the last full jug into her shopping cart. "Maybe she needs help." She thought out loud.

It was then that Maddie hears the howl!

"Oh no!" She whispers, and for good reason. No doubt every ghost within 10 miles would have heard to too!

"Maddie!" Lona screams as she comes into view, jumping out of one of the broken windows from the Sears store. "Maddie, we have to go now!"

As crazy as it sounds Maddie thinks about the cart in her possession. "If they left the jugs here now it would all be for nothing. However, taking them would slow them down, and the carts large mass and creaky wheels would give them away.

Lona makes the decision for her; she drops her stuff in it and begins to push it towards the wooded area. "Come on if we get out of sight maybe we'll get lucky!"

Maddie forced herself to jump into action, her suit was low on power, and her blaster barely had any ammo. The two humans shared a fearful look for obvious reasons, in less they were met with a merical.

Then it would be all over for them.

Luckily, someone was looking out for them that day.

(Back with Clockwork one month into the future.)

"You can't hope to save them all." Klem warned him.

"She is already aware of my presents." Clockwork reasoned. "Besides if Daniel loses them now it could ruin everything."

"You cannot intervene." Melk argued "The chaos will only grow if you do so."

Clockwork was well aware of the Chaos theory; it was the danger that his powers always brought. Fate did not like it when someone tried to take her role and played god. Still he did not need to intervene, at least not completely.

He watched the past rift waiting for the opportunity to present itself.

Several of Walkers goons had flooded the sky in a matter of seconds, and it soon became clear that Maddie and Lona would not make it to the tree line in time. Suddenly, a large green Van came into view. And Maddie had an idea, if she could get that Van running they could use the shield generator on her suit on the Van as a quick getaway.

"Lona the Van!" Maddie urged.

"It's probably empty!" Lona argued, and yet they still went for it!

Clockwork knew the car was empty, but with a bit manipulation further in the past, he made sure the previous owner filled the tank before going to the mall that day; instead of waiting until after.

"Clockwork you're cheating again." Melk warned.

"What do you think will happen if he loses them again?" Clockwork asked the obvious. "To fill that pain again. To realize that even though he tried his hardest he still lost them?"

"You can't hope to save them all." Klem reasoned once more.

"I must!" Clockwork argued. "If not, this pain could be just what Pariah Dark needs to win when he tries to fuse with him."

The Observants seemed to understand his reasoning, because no one stopped him as he cause the previous owner to forget the keys, keeping the Van unlocked, and easy to start up.

"Oh my gosh what luck!" Lona cheered as they threw the jugs and supplies into the van and started off, screeching through the parking lot.

"Lona take the wheel!" Maddie advised. "I have to convert my suit's shield so that it can protect us!"

Lona takes the wheel in shaking hands as Walker's men start raining ecto-blast down on them. She dodges them the best she can, and for the most part they go unscaved.

"Just keep heading south." Maddie advised. "At this rate we'll be at the RV in 30 minutes." She bit her lip as she cut into the wiring compartment just under the stirring wheel. "You're doing great Hun." She praised the girl. "We're almost there."

Man, it was hard to stir like this. Lona clenched her teeth as she took the south exit heading back up town. Maddie was still in the driver's seat, forcing Lona to reach over her from the seat behind in order to grab the wheel.

"Almost…" Maddie mumbled. "Got it!" She declared as the shield went up, and not a moment too soon.

"Ahhh!" Lona screamed as a blast came down on them from the front, the shield held, repelling it off to their left. And the teen sighed in relief as Maddie took the wheel once more. "I never want to do that again!" She admitted.

Maddie found a smile slipping on her face. "You did good." She assured her.

Lona's eyes suddenly widen. "oh no I didn't get any water!" She realized.

"It's alright." Maddie assured her. "we'll last to the halfway point."

Lona looks relieved. "Hey Mrs. Fenton." She says.

"Yeah sweetie?" Maddie asked.

"Thanks for not leaving me." Lona said.

"Leaving?" Maddie asked.

"That's why my mom was so scared back there." Lona explained. "As soon as the world fell apart around us all of her so-called friends just left us."

"Hey it's their loss." Maddie assured her. "Some people just get so scared they forget their fellow man."

"I guess it isn't right to judge them." Lona agreed. "I'm just glad you're different."

Maddie smiled. "Me too, now buckle up." She advised as they swerved left in order to avoid a pile up of cars. "This is going to get messy."

Lona obeyed, and grew quiet, allowing Maddie to focus on the road.

Her only hope was they would make it to camp by dawn.

(Back with Jack…)

They had made it to the RV without incident…

A merical that Jack still could not believe that they had managed, and deep down he knew it was because of Maddie. He couldn't explain it, but he knew she must have gotten caught, or attracted some unwanted attention.

However, he kept the thought to himself. Lona's mother was already a nervous wreck and didn't need any more stress.

And luckily for her she was about to get a dose of relief, said relief came in a familiar voice over his Comm link.

"Jack are you there?" Maddie asked. "Come in Jack."

"Read you loud and clear honey." Jack said as he answered. "We just made it to camp."

"Oh, thank heavens." Maddie voice sounds relived. "We've got the gas and supplies and will be there in 10 minutes."

"So soon?" Jack asked surprised.

"We hitched a ride." Lona's voice came over the Comm. "We found a car that works with keys and everything!"

"Is that my Lona?" Lona's mother cried. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah their fine." Jack assured her. "Sounds like they got lucky and will be here soon."

"Thank goodness." Her mother said as the other survivor's cheered behind her.

"Jack I was only able to get half the gas we need." Maddie said, raining on their parade. "I think it's about time we called Jazz for back up."

"Way ahead of you Maddie." Jack assured her, radioing in Jazz. "I'll have her meet us at the halfway point, and if we're lucky we'll all be in Amity Park by dinner tomorrow!"

Everyone cheered again as Jack ended the call to focus on calling his daughter, and to his surprise she was already one step ahead of them.

Jack froze as his daughter's voice came on the COMM link.

"Dad…mom are you there?" Jazz's voice sounded deeply concerned, and for good reason.

She couldn't explain it but ever since Dan left she felt like her family was in grave danger.

"Jazz kiddo we were just about to call." Jack assured her. "Look we ran into a little trouble…"

"I knew it!" Jazz exclaimed. "Like always you two ran into the fire with no water hose to put it out!"

"Oh, the fires out." Maddie assured her.

"Really?" Dani's voice responds, obviously surprised. "That was quick."

Jazz bit her lip and shared a look of worry with Valerie, after Dan left the Girls along with Tucker left to find Jack and Maddie. Leaving the town and the kids in Damion's care, only to find out now that everything was…

OK?

No, it wasn't ok. Jazz shook her head; she could still feel the overwhelming power of danger settling in. And all though she had no proof she had a feeling it was Clockwork trying to warn her of the dangers ahead.

Valerie gave her a firm nod, she could feel it too! Something was very wrong here; she could feel it, and the feeling got stronger the closer they got to Jazz's parents.

"Look Just meet us in Atlanta with some back up fuel." Maddie instructed. "Once were fuel we'll head back home and take a breather."

"And have a good laugh." Jack added.

"Ok?" Jazz said sounding unsure. Nevertheless she ignores the increasing feelings of dread as she stirred the Fenton RV 2.0 towards Atlanta.

Her only hope is she is waking into an obvious trap.

-To Be Continued