Chapter Nineteen

Run.

Despite the shock of being left behind, over-whelming me for a moment, my brain suddenly kicked me back into gear. The thought to get out of there being the most prominent. Quickly, I scrambled to my feet and knew I was in terrible trouble as I stared around me. They were everywhere and the truck was nowhere in sight.

They had left me - Michonne and Merle had left me.

While I could have continued to stand there, thinking bitter thoughts, I realised that it wasn't the time to dwell on the matter and knew I had to get out of this situation while I had the chance. Without thinking, I scrambled toward the house we had just recently vacated, at least I knew it was secure enough to hold them off a little while. The dead were still gathering though and I dodged them all I could, weaving my way up the path to the door of the house. Discarding any chances of being silent, I took to shooting at the dead, aiming for the brain and making a way through them toward the front door.

Adrenaline coursed through me and all I could think about was how much I didn't want to die right now. Not like this.

Forcefully, I slammed the front door shut, throwing my whole weight against it when some of them tried to knock it down and tried to bolt the lock. Their rotting hands pounded heavily against the wood, demanding to come in, but I had enough strength to hold my own against them and was able to bolt it secure. Even when the lock was on and I was safely inside the house, I felt anything but safe. The snarls and banging were loud and fierce and I knew there was no way they would just get bored and leave me alone. They had the prospect of dinner and there was no way they were giving up on me now.

I forced myself not to be sick as I leant with my back against the door. Images of the truck pulling away and leaving me blared in my brain and I thumped my head painfully against the wood in frustration. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the remainder of what ammo I had left. Little to none. The rest was in the truck. With Merle and Michonne.

"Fuck!" I cried. I was literally fucked.

Everything was happening so quickly. Too quickly.

There was the echoing blaze of gunfire as each side continued firing at each other, on top of that there were the distant yelling of orders still. I still found myself crouched beside a recently deceased friend, with Andrea's immobile body in front of me. We weren't in a very good position at all. The approaching walkers still loomed over Andrea's shoulder and I chewed my lip thoughtfully, though remained still on the ground.

"Rick, we gotta get out of here!" Glenn's voice echoed over the noise. There were various screams and crying and I didn't want to look for who was making them yet - I was still recovering from Dale, I couldn't take any more deaths so soon. Though I knew that the hope everyone else would be safe and alive was a pathetic one now. Not with what was going on around us. Eyeing the one before me, I knew we'd make the causality list if we didn't do something soon.

"Andrea, we need to leave." I begged the sobbing woman, keeping my own tears at bay.

"I can't leave him." She cried, tearfully. Each of her sobs wracked through me and it took all my strength not to cry anymore. I grasped her shoulders and shook her until she raised her eyes to mine once more. I tried to keep my expression firm and held her gaze strong.

"He wouldn't want you to give up like this, to die like this. He'd want you to be safe and that's why we gotta go now. You understand that?" Andrea stared at me before turning back to Dale. "Andrea, we need to go." With one last sob she nodded, prying herself from the dead man that was once someone she cared for so dearly. She gave his body one last look over before crawling away, wiping the tears away from her cheeks.

In an instant, Andrea had found herself a gun and joined the defence from our attack, her expression determined and I could only imagine her thoughts right now. Make those people pay for Dale. I observed the woman one last time before turning around and frantically running through our once camp, looking for the children. Though the scenes around me were horrific.

Before I could even shout a warning, I watched in horror as a walker grabbed hold of an unsuspected Patricia, who was standing back near the farmhouse, her expression terrified and unsure, and sank its teeth into her neck without hesitation. Her scream pierced through the air and I was frozen with shock as Jimmy rushed forward to help her, only to be tackled by a large group of them, himself. His screams joined hers and I mourned silently for their deaths, biting back the imminent sobs within me.

Dear God it was carnage.

Car engines began to start up and I watched as Carl and Sophia were bundled into the back of the RV by Lori and sighed with relief when the door shut behind them and they were safe. I was still discomforted by the fact I was unable to locate everyone and I continued to search around. I could here gun shots all around me, hear their voices shouting out. But I felt lost, alone, vulnerable.

I dodged quickly when a walker reached out for me and rushed toward the gun bag that lay on the ground to find myself a weapon. It was practically empty and I settled for a large rifle that remained inside and quickly dispatched the walker, aiming for the middle of its forehead. It fell, dead. I turned my attention to one behind it and repeated the process. Though before I could take down another, a sound drew my attention.

A sudden explosion caught my attention and I turned around to see a shocking scene. Herschel stood facing his barn, unusually still for the current situation, staring up at the building before him as it burst up into flames. How it had caught fire, I did not know, but I couldn't help but feel pain as the building was devoured by the hungry flames. Though it was only a barn, I knew the effect it was causing Herschel - this was his home, his home, and it was being destroyed right before his eyes. I almost urged myself to run to the older man, to help him, but the third walker was nearing my now and I turned to deal with that instead.

"Everyone get out of here!" It sounded distinctively like Rick, and I turned around to watch the RV start up and pull away, Andrea at the wheel. I sighed in relief, knowing the children were safe inside it as it began to head towards the exit of the farm. The green Hyundai followed in hot pursuit and I heard the sounds of the Chevrolet starting up somewhere and I realised then that my chance of escape was about to slip away.

Frantically, I pushed my way through the staggering walkers and attempted to keep cover from the storm of bullets. I needed to reach the car before they left, otherwise I may be stranded here without anyone. Though it was sure difficult to focus with everything going on around me and all that was happening.

Just then though, I saw headlights and heard the roar of an engine. Unfortunately though, the noise began to get further and further away and I watched in horror as the red car pulled away from the farm too after the others, leaving me behind.

I had been left behind again.

The sounds of the gunfire was still heard and I quickly turned to head in the opposite direction of the Boss's group, hoping I wasn't seen. The walkers were few in between now and soon the bullets began to stop and I gathered Laurent and the group probably assumed everyone was either dead or had gone. I had ducked down behind the farm's chicken coop when the bullets stopped, hoping the remain hidden. Quickly, I knew I had to leave and fast. Before they found me.

"C'mon boys!" A sickeningly familiar voice cried. From my position ducked down behind the coop, I tried to figure out what to do next. "Looks like we got ourselves a new home!" There was a gathering of cheers from the group at the Governor's announcement and I could feel myself shaking with fear. "Are there any survivors?"

Please say no, please say no, please say no-

"Looks like we found ourselves the farmer's daughter, Gov!" One of the men hollered. I froze with fear, feeling my heart drop at his words.

"No, please!" Beth, it was Beth. God, I felt sick. I edged my head around the coop corner to watch the group, who were gathered in front of the farm house. Bodies lay on the group, most dead walkers, though some were our fallen members. Thrown at the feet of the Governor was a terrified looking Beth. I eyed the young girl with a sad expression, wondering how she'd end up being left behind. Though with the chaos that had just happened, it was a wonder more people hadn't. Beth had been left, it seemed, just like I had.

"Well, ain't you a pretty lady." Governor muttered, a sickening grin appearing on his disgusting face. Do something! I screamed to myself, though I was unable to move at all as I could only watch on. "What's your name?"

"B-Beth." She stuttered, her eyes darted around the group of men around her. Even from the distance away that I was, I could see the fear in her pretty eyes. "Please don't hurt me!" Oh God, she was begging. I gripped the rifle in my hand, observing the group and counting the numbers, comparing them to the number of rounds I had. The ratio was most definitely uneven and there was a certainty that both Beth and myself would die if I decided to act. My stomach plummeted at the realisation. Nothing could be done and I hated myself for the incapable position I was in. I knew what I had to do but that didn't make it any easier.

Oh, but it's Beth! My mind was screaming. Already we had lost Dale, Patricia and Jimmy. And now Beth was lost too and I couldn't stand the thought of it. Not young Beth.

The Governor crouched down to reach eye level with the sobbing girl and sneered at her terrified expression.

"I'm afraid our ranks are full at the moment, Beth, so I'm afraid I cannot offer you the warm gesture of joining our group." The man pretended to feign sighing at this comment, only making the capability of stopping urge to raise my rifle and attempt to shoot him down more difficult. "And as you're a liability, I don't really see the need to keep you alive-"

"No!" Beth sobbed, her voice pleading. It struck me hard and I swallowed down the lump in my throat, only watching on. The Governor remained impassive at the young girl's pleas.

"However," The words paused Beth's sobs. "I suppose that before I dispose of you, it's only fair that I allow my men the pleasure of your-" He paused to rake his eyes down her body, causing Beth to curl into herself. "Offerings." Beth shook her head, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She wasn't stupid, she knew what that meant. "My men are getting terribly bored of the same old toys, you see." With one last wink, the Governor rose to his feet and turned his attention to Laurent. "We'll check the house while the boys have their fun. See what supplies those people left behind."

With a tight nod, Laurent gave Beth one last glance before walking around her and making his way towards the house without a backward glance. The Governor did the same, though there was a certain level of grace and pride in his step. Bastards.

Beth's screams made me shudder as the men of the group began to taunt and prod at her and I hitched a sob before looking away, unable to watch the scene before me. Thinking about all I had learnt living with these men, I remembered what Michonne had told me the first time I had seen this occurrence happen. I had hated it then and I hated it now. Though it was what had kept me alive and had kept me from becoming used by the men, myself.

Letting the tears roll down my face, I took the advantage of distraction to make a run towards the forest.

I had to think fast. The banging was getting increasingly louder and I knew that meant I had attracted more of them. I didn't allow myself to dwell too much on Michonne and Merle and focused mainly on getting out alive. I could think on the others later. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

The back door.

Quickly, I sprinted through the house and almost threw myself at the door. I unbolted it with shaking hands and opened it, raising my bat above my head, ready to strike. Thankfully the dead hadn't realised that there was also a back entrance yet and I was greeted with about half a dozen of them dotted around the yard.

Without a moments pause, I made a run for it, darting through the staggering bodies and trying to manoeuvre myself somewhere safe. Though, where was safe?

As I darted through the bodies, aiming to reach the outskirts of this small town we had settled in, I hoped that perhaps I would run into the other two on my way as well. Though surely if they were going to come back for me, they'd have come already?

I grunted in surprise as one of the dead staggered out of nowhere, startling me, but I quickly took it out. Panting, I looked around. Most of the dead were still pounding on the house, assuming my presence was still within. Only a handful were staggering in my direction and I used this to my advantage. I was able to get away, that much was obvious, though the sickening feeling in my stomach still remained and rendered me incapable of moving for a few moments as I observed the house I had previously held up in with my once comrades.

They hadn't come back for me. The mistake had been made, though it could have easily have been undone by Michonne turning the truck around and coming back for me. But they didn't. They had left me behind, fending for myself in the midst of hell. After everything I had been through with the pair, I merely been left behind without a second thought. Bitterness overwhelmed me.

I grimaced at the house and turned away, setting off at a speedy pace in the direction Michonne and Merle had headed. I intended to find them and I couldn't help but think, with a bitter tone, that when I did find them they sure had hell to pay for what they had done.

I wasn't sure which way I was running to, all I knew was that I was heading away from the farm and the hell it held. I wasn't sure who had survived the attack, though I knew some had escaped in the vehicles, thankfully. At least I wasn't going to be the only one left standing. Though the same couldn't be said for the fallen. Patricia, Jimmy, Dale and Beth had all be left behind, their fate decided. I mourned for them and prayed that would be the only the extent of our losses.

Pausing, I leant back against a thick barked tree, attempting to catch my breath from all the running I had been doing. I checked the ammo in my rifle again and was relieved to see I had quite a few rounds left. Not enough to take out the entirety of the Gov's group, but enough to keep me alive against walkers for a little while. My only other weapon was my knife, as I had left my handgun and baseball bat behind in the rush. I was slightly put out by this, as each of my three weapons has accompanied me throughout the outbreak and now I had lost two out of three of them. I'd get over it. They were only weapons after all.

What had become of Toby was another worry of mine. The dog was smart, that much I knew. Surely it had gotten out with the rest? And if Toby had survived then surely Daryl had too? The pair had bonded quite tightly and I knew that if Toby wasn't with me, then he must have been with Daryl. Unless a walker or a bullet got him.

The sound of twigs snapping caught my attention though and I was on full alert once more. The following sounds of snarls and groans were enough to confirm the passing of a walker. I moved quickly, taking out my knife and not allowing myself to hesitate as I thrusted the hunting blade into the rotted skull of the walker. There were the usual sounds of snarling and crunching before the walker fell limp and dropped down dead. I panted heavily, eyeing the walker at my feet.

A bad mistake.

One would think I would learn from past experiences but I was getting lazy and tired after the events of the day. Exhaustion had definitely clouded my mind. Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder and the smell of death filled my nose. I turned around, greeted by a hungry face and attempted to impale my knife into its head as its teeth aimed for my neck.

In the next second though, the walker had collapsed in front of me, my knife not being the reason for this, and I couldn't help but grin at the sight of the arrow bolt in its skull. A sigh of relief left my lips.

"Well, ain't this familiar?" A voice muttered from between the cover of bushes.

Suddenly a four legged creature bounded forward, tackling me to the ground. I would have been scared if I wasn't immediately attacked by a canine tongue licking my face. I wrapped my arms around Toby's neck, grinning into his fur. I was sure thankful to find someone.

"Daryl?" I asked, looking up hopefully. Sure enough, Daryl Dixon immerged from the cover of trees, crossbow in hand, eyes alert. He glanced around the immediate area before holding out his hand to me. I took it and he hauled me to my feet.

"Good to see someone livin'." Daryl murmured, his face exhausted and gruff. He looked just as exhausted as I felt. "Just you?" I nodded sadly. "Ya know what happened to the others?"

"Dale's dead." I blurted out. Daryl's eyes dropped.

"Yeah, I saw-" He trailed off, coughing uncomfortably. There was a moment of silence as we remembered our fallen friend.

"Jimmy and Patricia got attacked by walkers." I carried on. Daryl met my gaze and his jaw clenched. He nodded once in acknowledgement, apparently not witnessing that for himself. "And Beth got left behind with the other group." Daryl's eyes darkened and he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the farm. "She'll be dead within the hour no doubt." I hated the sound of resignation in my voice, but it was the truth. Nothing could be done for her now.

"'Nd the others?" Daryl asked, still facing away from me. I shrugged despite this, following his gaze above the trees towards the clouds of black smoke rising from something in that direction - Herschel's barn no doubt. I still wondered how the fire had been started.

"I can't be sure for everyone," I began. "I definitely saw Andrea drive away in the RV with Lori, Carl and Sophia. The other two cars were taken also but I don't know who was driving them." Daryl nodded finally and turned back to face me.

"At least some got out." He muttered and I nodded in agreement. "C'mon, we better get movin' incase those bastards come lookin'." Holding his crossbow defiantly, Daryl took to leading, making his way away from the farm. I sighed deeply and trotted after him.

"So you got left behind too?" I asked, curiously. I noted my own bitterness in my tone and tried to push that aside. Daryl glanced over his shoulder at me with an eyebrow raise.

"Not exactly." Daryl replied. "Stuck around to make sure no one was left. Could of gotten into a truck, I suppose, but I didn't." He shrugged and I smiled slightly. He cared for the group more than he would let on.

"So you stuck around to make sure everyone was okay?" I couldn't help but say. Daryl slowed his steps and I saw his back tense. "And here was me thinking you didn't care about the group, that's why you keep yourself so alone." At this, Daryl spun on me, eyes hard though full of undistinguished emotions. I gazed back, waiting for his response and unphased by his attempt of a glare.

"We look out for each other as a group." He muttered, eyes narrowing though his posture was uncomfortable. "Anyone else would have done the same." I smiled slightly at the firmness of his words and this seemed to make his more uncomfortable.

Just then though, a sickening scream filled the air, startling Daryl and I. It was a woman screaming, that was for definite. And it sounded familiar too. Without thinking, I burst off into the direction it seemed to come from, Daryl calling lamely for me to stop but I heard his quick footsteps follow almost instantly.

I prayed silently in my heart for the scream to not belong to who I thought it belonged to, though my head knew better. That sickening feeling I felt when I watched Dale die in my arms came back and I urged my legs to move faster, propelling myself through the weave of trees, hoping I would get there in time.

Finally, I reached a clearing of some description and stopped at the scene before me. A body - a person - lay on the floor, a snarling walker on top of them, trying to rip and claw at them, though the person below held them away. Sobs and muffled feminine screams could be heard from the person, which still sounded very familiar.

"Hey!" Daryl called, having caught up with me now. The noise alerted the walker's attention and it paused for a mere moment to turn its head. However, a mere moment was enough for Daryl to fire an arrow into the back of its skull, ceasing its existence.

Daryl and I pushed the dead walker away and Daryl rolled it as far away as he could. I rushed forward to the person it had been trying to kill, setting eyes on her terrified expression.

Carol.

"Carol, are you alright?" I cried, kneeling beside her and helping her sit up. She looked dishevelled and had a frantic expression on her face.

"Ruby?" She breathed, staring up at me. I heard Daryl approach, though he remained standing a feet or so away. "I thought I was the only one left." Carol wheezed and I frowned. Was she injured? "I wasn't prepared. I didn't think he would attack me. I thought-" She trailed off, staring at the dead walker. I followed her gaze and felt my heart lurch at the familiar set of clothes the walker was wearing. Memories of Andrea's sobs recalled to my memory and I couldn't help but glance down at the blood that still coated my hands from what had happened.

Daryl approached the walker then, who was laying on its stomach with its face away from us. He prodded it once with the butt of his crossbow before rolling the walker onto its back so we could get a look at its face. The impact of realisation caused Daryl to stumble back in shock.

It was Dale.

"Impossible." I whispered, staring at the body with wide eyes. "He was shot!" I cried suddenly. Daryl leant over and nodded.

"Definitely a bullet wound in his neck. Maybe he was bitten before he succumbed to his injury?" He asked, glancing at me. Though I shook my head.

"He died in my arms, Daryl." I muttered forcefully. Daryl examined the body some more, checking for bites no doubt, before nodding.

"No bite or scratch marks either." He scratched the back of his head and frowned. "He shouldn't have turned. This shouldn't 'ave happened." Just then though, Carol's coughing brought us back to her presence and I turned to her. Her face was pale and she was shaking heavily. I frowned, heavily.

"Carol?" I asked timidly. "Are you alright?" I repeated from before and Carol coughed once more before meeting my gaze with a saddened smile. She said no words, though revealed the arm she had been hiding by her side.

It was only then that I saw it was coated with fresh blood, staining her pale skin and jumper. There was no hiding the prominent bite mark that tainted and tore her skin either, beneath all the red.

She had been bitten.

"No, oh God, no!" I shook my head, already feeling the tears building. Not again, please not again. Though my wishes were useless and I looked up at Carol, away from the hideous thing on her arm, to see a soft gaze and a kind smile there to greet me.

"It's alright." She told me, turning to Daryl and nodded at him. "It's alright." She repeated to him as if in confirmation. Daryl stood speechless, staring down at the pair of us with an expression I couldn't place. His crossbow was lowered in his slumped arm and Carol nodded to it. "Would you mind?" Daryl's face immediately paled at her blunt request and he looked away to rub a hand over his face and through his hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed. "I should have got here faster, I should have done something-" Carol shushed me, quickly.

"It wasn't you fault." She told me firmly, reaching forward to stroke my cheek and tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Remember what I said to you this morning, Ruby. You are family now. And I'm sorry I can't provide you with the gratitude that you deserve for all you've done for my daughter. Don't forget that you are my miracle. My Cherokee Rose miracle. The lovely lady who brought my daughter back to me. So I could see her again, to hold her once more. And I know you'll look after Sophia for me. I can think of no one better to look after my baby girl for me. She'll be safe with you, I know that. I trust you." Images of the little girl's heart-broken face came to mind and the tears streamed down my face, silently. Carol turned to Daryl then. "Please don't push yourself away from these people, Daryl. You need them, just like they need you. Please look after them for me."

I couldn't hear Daryl's muttered response though I felt his hand grip my arm gently and urge me to my feet. I let him only because I had no energy to fight him. Carol smiled up at the pair of us, though I could see the pain behind her eyes.

"Look after each other." She told us firmly. "And tell Sophia that I love her and that I'll watch over her." The last smile she bestowed upon me was enough and I couldn't help but turn away and walk over to a nearby tree, to hide my sobbing face. Bracing myself against the bark, I tried to shut everything out, to push aside the pain.

Silence filled the air for a moment before the sound of Daryl's crossbow firing echoed out, like a knife piercing through me. Agony followed.

Carol was dead. Gone.

More silence followed afterwards and I was startled when a hand gripped my shoulder. I spun around to find Daryl in front of me, standing in the way of where Dale's and Carol's bodies lay. His expression was emotionless though his eyes held his pain. I met his gaze with my broken one, trying to display everything I wanted to say with one look, the tears still trickling. Daryl nodded sadly and before I could stop myself, I broke down completely.

I practically fell into Daryl's arms, needing to feel close to someone after everything that had happened. I needed to feel someone living. Wrapping my arms around him, I burrowed my face into his chest. There was a nervous moment when he didn't respond and I felt his body tense, though hesitant arms wrapped themselves around me as Daryl held me, allowing me to cry into his shirt. He still remained tense, though he didn't push me away and that was enough.

We mourned together in the silence, remembering our friends. One thought crossed my mind and that was the wish that this would be the last time we would mourn for the fallen. Though that was a false hope.

After what seemed like hours of compatible silence, Daryl pried my grip off of him and muttered that it was time to go. Daryl made sure I didn't look towards the bodies of Dale or Carol and urged me towards the opposite direction. We moved away from the clearing quickly, leaving the bodies of our fallen friends behind, in a bid to get as far away from the farm as we could. Neither of us spoke, merely walked in silence as we trundled through the forest. Daryl led the way, as expected, and Toby kept himself behind me, as if willing me to keep moving forward. He must have sensed all I wanted to do was sit down and just let it all out with my tears right now.

"Where will we go?" I asked suddenly, breaking the unspoken rule of silence between us. My voice was strained and I cleared my throat quickly. Daryl glanced over his shoulder at me and slowed his pace so I could walk beside him.

"Gotta find the others." He explained softly. "If they left together, then they'll all be together. We need to meet up with them somehow before they move on without us." I nodded mutely, thankful that Daryl had taken charge of the situation.

"Where do you think they'll be?" I glanced at Daryl, catching sight of the damp patch on his shirt from where I had cried on him.

I cringed slightly, surprised still that he didn't mind the close contact as much as I expected him to and had even reciprocated the hug. As tense as he may have been. When we had pulled apart he even offered a small, sad smile and made sure I was alright first before we moved on. It was more evidence that the hard man did care.

"Reckon we should try the highway first." Daryl replied. "Best lead we got. If I know Rick, he'll go there first 'nd wait for the others." He paused, eyes scanning the trees. "See if there's anyone left behind."

"How long will it take us to get to the highway?" I turned to look up at him, not quite appreciating his height until now.

I had always assumed Daryl was quite short until then, though perhaps he was just short in comparison to the other men in the group. He was almost a head taller than myself, I noted. His appearance was still the same as before, his hair ruffled and messy and his skin layered with dirt, though there was something that made me stop and appreciate him for a moment. Perhaps it was the fact his expression wasn't hard and unreadable and was instead softer than usual; kinder. Or perhaps it was the fact I had never truly looked at Daryl until now. Never truly saw him for who he was. He was a good man, repeating Carol's words from earlier that morning. Every bit as good as Rick and Shane, though perhaps even better than the latter, in my opinion.

I felt my cheeks redden as I continued to stare up at Daryl, thoughts racing through my head, and looked away before the hunter noticed my appreciative gaze.

"With a map and car, a couple of hours at the most." Daryl sighed in answer to my question. "Though we don't have a map or a car so it may take us a little longer."

Of course. I nodded in response and silence fell between us again. This time though, Daryl didn't resume his place in front and remained beside me, keeping at the same pace as me and making sure I didn't stumble or trail behind. I wondered briefly what would have happened if I hadn't come across Daryl and Toby. My first thought was that I would have died perhaps, if I hadn't have got my knife up in time. But also, I wouldn't have any idea what to do next. I wouldn't have had any idea where to look for the others and I could have perhaps wandered aimlessly, completely missing the opportunity to find the others again on the highway. Without Daryl, I could have been faced with any period of isolation once more, which would have been even worse without the company of my four-legged companion.

I was very glad that I had found Daryl Dixon amongst the chaos.

The strange noise was deafening, echoing constantly through the air. It sounded distinctively like a car alarm.

I should have known better than to approach the noise - any noise that I can hear, the dead can no doubt hear too - though I couldn't help but feel curious at the odd sound. With a frown on my face, my weapons prepared, I made my way toward the noise ready to investigate.

Having successfully made it out of all the gathering of the dead, I was happy to see the streets deserted on this side of town. After the commotion at the house, it seemed that every dead for miles had reacted to the noise we three had made and had vacated the streets to go have a look. This worked out well for myself. Though I still hadn't found Merle or Michonne yet.

The noise grew louder and I knew it was only around the corner. I readied myself before I moved closer, cocking my gun and having my bat on hand ready. After a silent count of three, I made my way around the corner to have a look.

A car wreckage was what I saw, a truck having apparently swerved and driven straight into a large tree. The bonnet was ruined and smoke hissed from the engine. When I approached, I saw broken glass from the windows and the air bags inflated from the impact. It looked a horrible accident, though there were no bodies from what I could see. It took me only a moment to realise that the truck was horribly familiar.

It was our truck.

I rushed forward, terrified to find my two comrades dead or dying from the accident. Blood was something I saw when I approached and I feared the worst. I rushed to the cab first, glancing in, a name on my lips.

"Michonne?" The cab and front seat was empty. I frowned and turned to the bed of the truck. I rushed to the back, expecting to find Merle sprawled out across the bed, grumbling a string of insults and holding his head in pain. Though the bed was empty. "Merle?" I breathed, my arms slumping to the side.

The noise of the car alarm pierced through me and I groaned. I moved to the crushed front of truck and began to pull at wires, hoping to find something right, until the alarm ceased. What I was left with was the bitter silence. They had gone.

I glanced around me, expecting them to appear, though I was met with nothing. I tried to piece together what had occurred in my head, but all I came up with was the obvious; they had left me, crashed the truck and abandoned it to run. I noted that all the supplies in the back had gone, so obviously they had taken it with them. I couldn't help the intense emotion of anger that carried on building up within me.

"Where are you?!" I screeched at the silence, suddenly feeling so tired and exhausted with everything.

I slumped back against the truck, falling down to sit on the floor and letting my head drop onto my knees as I tried to gather my thoughts. However, the sound of grumbling and shuffling caught my attention and I sighed. I was in no mood to fight anymore. I lifted my head, ready to face the hungry eyes only to frown at what I saw.

Toby.

The dog stood in front of me, head cocked to one side as he observed me in my defeated form. Amongst the rush, I had forgotten that Toby was with the pair of them and couldn't explain the surprise I felt staring at the animal in front of me. Ignoring my look of surprise, Toby walked forward and nudged my hand, making me realise that he was in fact real. I patted the dog lightly for a moment before engulfing him into a tight embrace. He squirmed in my arms and I couldn't help but laugh, letting him go so he could bound away a few steps to get away from my affection. He retreated back though and smiled at the dog's obedience.

So perhaps I wasn't so alone in this world, after all.

How Daryl could navigate his way through the forest was beyond me. Every tree, every bush, every leaf looked the same to me. And yet Daryl was able to distinguish our heading just like that, without even the aid of a compass. I observed as the man would scan our surroundings and change our course by just a single look at something. His expression seemed so certain and I didn't challenge his judgement. I knew he knew what he was doing. It was definitely a comfort.

"Where did you learn how to track?" I asked, yearning for some conversation.

"Gotta learn how to track if ya wanna hunt. Otherwise ya might as well be chasing shadows." Daryl replied, smirking down at me lightly. I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Learnt from my Pa when I was a kid, was tradition in my family to know how to hunt 'nd track."

"So, the big scary crossbow is actually used for something else other than killing walkers?" I muttered with a smile. Daryl chuckled and raised his weapon slightly.

"Been mine since I was 'bout Sophia's age." He told me. "Got it as a birthday gift." I widened my eyes slightly in mild shock. Images of Sophia holding the weapon was terrifying to think of. I certainly couldn't imagine Carol liking the idea. There was a bitter pause and I swallowed back the lump, urging myself to continue with the conversation before I succumbed to my tears again.

"Most young boys want toy cars for their birthday." I said, raising an eyebrow. Daryl grinned and shrugged in response.

"Not me." He replied. "Best birthday present I've ever got. I mean, comes in pretty handy now." I nodded in agreement and glanced down at the rifle in my hands.

"So, you were pretty prepared for when the world ended." I noted. "Suppose you're quite happy that you're a redneck now." Daryl smirked at this.

"Yeah, when all you prissy city folk were busy shitting ya pants, me 'nd my brother were laughin' it up 'nd sittin' pretty." I turned to Daryl at this, curious at something he had said.

"Brother?" I asked, watching Daryl's face harden slightly and noted how he avoided my gaze all of a sudden. "Sorry, I didn't think-"

"Don't matter." Daryl cut in, meeting my gaze finally. He smiled at me - smiled, not smirked. "My brother ain't dead, I just can't find him." Despite the context of his words, I couldn't help but laugh. It was a stupid thing to laugh about but Daryl's light, careless tone was enough to set me off and I was thankful that Daryl continued to smile as I continued to laugh.

"You lost your brother?" I asked in disbelief. He shrugged carelessly, a smile still on his face. "How?"

"Was 'is own stupid fault. Should 'ave just stayed where he was 'nd waited for me to come get 'im." Daryl said, his tone slightly edgy.

"And where did you 'lose' your brother?" I asked, still beyond curious to know about Daryl's mystery brother.

"Atlanta." Daryl told me with a sigh. "Back when Rick first joined us. My brother went on a supply run with Glenn, Andrea, T-Dog 'nd some others. Was the first time he had gone too as usually my brother 'nd me stayed away from shit like that, but Shane volunteered my brother forward. He ended up pissin' people off 'nd Rick handcuffed 'im to the roof 'pparently. T-Dog lost the key so they had to leave 'im behind." There was a pause. "When we went back to get 'im, he was gone. Son of a bitch cut off his own hand to escape and then got the hell out of the city before we could find him. Took our damn truck too."

"How did you lose your hand? Before or after the outbreak?"

"After." He breathed, so quietly I barely heard the man. "Lost it in Atlanta. Went on a supply run with some jackasses, got handcuffed to a roof by Officer fucking Friendly. Dumb nigga dropped the God damn key and left me there to get eaten by some rotting, nasty geeks." He paused, hand tightening over his wrist. "Had to cut it off with a saw to get free."

I stopped in my tracks, realisation suddenly hitting me at the speed of a truck. The familiarity that I had always been feeling was forced into my face in that instant moment and it was like I had hit a wall. How had I not seen this before? After everything I'd been through with that man and I hadn't put the pieces together? I was unable to move, merely stared at Daryl in complete shock. He had stopped too, probably in confusion of my actions.

"Ruby?" He asked, eyes narrowing in an almost suspicious way. "Ya alright?" My breathing got heavy and I swallowed hard, shaking my head, trying to forget the familiarity between Daryl and someone who had left me behind.

"What is his name?" I breathed, finding my voice at last. Daryl paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow in question. "What is your brother's name?" I repeated, urging him not to say the name I knew he was going to.

"Merle." Daryl replied slowly, his eyes studying me, trying to work out what had made me so uneasy. "My brother's name is Merle."

Merle Fucking Dixon.

(Author's Note): A quick update for you all! You proud of me? Things still aren't looking so cheerful for our characters I'm afraid, but thank you for your responses to the last couple of updates. Apologises for the cussing in the latest chapters by the way! Tell me if I should boost the rating up or warn people of harsh language involved.

Starters, Ruby has finally realised the familiarty between Daryl and Merle! Thank the Lord, took her time! ;)

Carol's dead! God, I was hesitant to write this in! I know she's not dead in the TV show, but like I said, no one is safe. I have hopefully done her character some justice and fingers crossed you don't hate me for killing her off.

On a note on the last chapter; Michonne talking to herself. Yes, in the show she seems perfectly sane and mentally strong and such, but in the comics Michonne talks to herself quite a few incidents throughout. So those who wondered why I added that can be assured that there is truth behind it and it is indeed in her character to talk to herself! ;)

The third episode to season three allowed us to see Michonne and Merle (welcome back!) in action and I was surprised how soft (wrong word, I know) Merle was. I'm kinda glad he wasn't all tough and mean like he was in season one and it creates a better character to watch. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or season three in general? I guess the Merle in my story is a lot nicer than expected, but as Ruby and Michonne have helped him escape and survive, I think he would be a little bit nicer towards them than expected, especially Ruby. - I'm just ranting now! ;)

I do intend to make this story Ruby/Daryl but I struggle to allow their relationship to grow faster than it is at the moment. I know some must be getting quite tired of the waiting, but I don't see a way around their relationship with Daryl being who he is. Fluff moments are a bit of a struggle when writing a story like this! Though please, if anyone has any suggestions on how to broaden their relationship, then tell me! I'll be ever so grateful!

Thank you very much :)