Firstly, I'd like to apologise for such a delay in posting this chapter. I know I said I'd written the story so it was ready to post, but upon posting the last chapter I realised that I had completely rushed chapter 30 to make it the final chapter, and I really wasn't happy with how it had turned out. So I made the decision to rewrite the ending. I'm really sorry for how long it's taken and I hope to have the following chapter posted soon. Thank you for sticking by this story, I really appreciate every review you guys give and the time you spend in reading this, it honestly means so much. Enjoy the chapter!

There was a very slim chance Travis could ever survive that gun shot. But we tried to save him- or rather, the others tried to while I was in a complete state of shock. I couldn't think straight, I was numb with the fear that Travis was dead. I couldn't lose someone else, and especially not him. Not so soon.

Sarah had found bandages and medicine, and Luke said removing the bullet would just make matters worse, that it would be best to leave it there. So Jane and Luke bandaged him up to stop the bleeding, and Kenny injected some morphine into Travis' arm to prevent the pain for when - if- he was to wake up.

Clementine stayed by my side at first, I think because she needed the comfort too. After some hours had passed, Clem left me alone and went to another room. I figured it was too much for her to see Travis as he was, lying there cold and pale on the bed with a bandage bound around his chest and his face so still.

I didn't want to leave him alone. He would be so terrified if he woke up and couldn't remember what was going on, so I had to be there for him like he was always there for me. That was the least I could do since I'd gotten him shot in the first place. It was my fault.

After endless silence, a light knocking at the door snapped me from my daze and I finally took my eyes away from Travis. I'd been watching him to check he was still breathing.

"Just came to check on ya," Kenny smiled softly. "There's no change then?"

I shook my head and brought my eyes back to Travis. "I'm so fucking scared that he won't wake up. I feel so guilty."

"This ain't your fault, Marce. He wouldn't want you thinkin' like that, especially since it's not true. That fuckin' Russian kid shot him, not you."

"But if I hadn't mentioned the tapping outside he never would have been out there in the first place."

"If it wasn't him it would have been someone else, it could have been you. Travis would have hated that," Kenny assured me.

"When Arvo fired the gun... I think Travis pushed me to protect me."

"Well what do you expect when he loves ya?" Kenny chuckled. "Marcey, when you love someone you would do anything to protect them... Back before we met, I was at a farm and Clem and Lee were there. The family didn't believe the apocalypse was really happenin'... And their boy was out patchin' up a fence with Duck nearby. Some walkers got nearby and... I rescued Duck and ran away. I coulda helped, but I was scared. I just wanted to keep Duck safe that I didn't even think twice about the other guy."

The man looked so miserable retelling his story. Losing Duck was possibly the worst thing to ever happen to the man. He meant so much to him.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, giving us both the time to think about everything that we'd lost and been through.

"Do you think this will ever end?" I mumbled. "I mean, will we ever become a society again? Will people stop wanting to kill one another, stop stealing and attacking... And will we ever get to live in a functioning community where we don't have the threat of death constantly?"

"I hope so," he sighed. "Though the world before this wasn't much better."

"I suppose you're right," I frowned. He wasn't wrong, things weren't great even before the undead arrived. People were already killing one another pointlessly.

Kenny patted my shoulder. "I'm gonna go check on Clementine. Shout if you need anything."

And then I was alone again, back to watching Travis and praying that he would wake up.

I opened my eyes to a frightening sound. I must have fallen asleep at some point, the exhaustion catching up on me. The sound I heard was a deep groan, resembling that of which I had come to understand as a danger sign- the sign of walkers. And my eyes darted to the source of the noise... Travis.

With his grey skin, I thought he was dead. I was so scared with the belief that he had turned into one of the monsters we had to kill. But instead, his eyes slowly opened and stared at me with fear.

"Marcey, the gun..."

"It's okay," I told him, holding onto his hand and smiling with a grin so wide I couldn't fight it. "You're alive and so am I, and Arvo is gone."

He relaxed at the information that the attacker was no longer around, and a small but struggled smile appeared on his face.

"I'm still alive," he mumbled. "And you're not hurt."

"You took that bullet for me," I said.

"I told you I'd risk my life to protect you," he spoke, holding my hand weakly.

"I love you," I smiled. "But don't ever scare me like this again."

"I'll try," he chuckled, but flinched in pain.

"You need to rest," I instructed. "Kenny wants to leave here as soon as we can, and when he sees you've woken up he will want to go tomorrow. We have the car though, so you won't need to walk anywhere."

"Sounds good," he muttered as his eyes began to droop back to sleep. "To Wellington..."

"To Wellington," I confirmed, knowing everything would be okay once we got to safety there and the people I loved would be free from harm.

Once I knew he was asleep, I headed downstairs to inform the others of the change.

"We can't bring him with us."

I froze at the top of the stairs as the conversation from the others unfolded. They hadn't heard me.

"We can't just leave him here," Clementine shot back at Jane. "Travis is part of our group."

"He's extra weight to be carrying around. We're already getting slowed down by Marceline and her leg, now imagine how we'll be when we've got her and a guy who's on the brink of death!"

"Watch your fuckin' mouth!" Kenny hissed. "Those kids are with us, and if you don't like that then feel free to leave alone, but we're stickin' together."

"You're gonna get yourselves killed," Jane told them bluntly.

I could hear Sarah mumble something inaudible over her small sobs.

"Well you can't go back to the cabin, Sarah, your dad is dead."

Jane was crossing the line here.

"Get out," Kenny snapped. "We don't want you with us."

"What?" Jane laughed. "You wouldn't even be here without me!"

"GET OUT," Kenny roared in repetition.

The cabin fell silent for a few seconds. I heard the door open before Jane spoke a final time.

"I'm going back to Howe's. Anyone with me?"

After another small pause, I heard footsteps.

"Luke?" Clementine asked sadly.

The man replied to her with a heavy voice. "I'm sorry, Clementine, but I can't take this conflict anymore."

"I... I don't know where to go," Sarah cried.

I walked down the stairs, and all faces turned to me.

Jane and Luke stood in the doorway ready to leave while Kenny and Clementine were opposite them, Sarah caught in the middle and torn between her decision.

"You'll be safe with us, Sarah," I informed her. "But only you can decide where you go. We're not going to pressure you."

She looked between the two sides, and eventually walked to Clementine. But she did not stay, instead she hugged the younger girl and thanked her for being friends, then she walked to Luke and Jane. I couldn't help wondering how long she would live under their care considering how they'd planned to leave her on multiple occasions. I figured she just wanted to go back to somewhere familiar... the last place she saw her father.

They left then, none of them looking back.

"Back to five of us," I sighed.

"How's Travis?" Kenny asked.

"Awake," I smiled. "We can go to Wellington soon and we'll be safe."

Clementine hugged me tightly and I wrapped my arms around her in return, feeling like all my worries were taken away.

"Okay, we set off tomorrow," Kenny decided.

"Tomorrow it is," I nodded.

We would be safe.