Disclaimer: As always, I just own Taylor.
Author's Note: Thanks everyone who is supporting this story. :3
&to the followers and favoriters.

Special thanks to those who reviewed chapter 5.
Jasminedragonemployee (I'm fairly sure we bonded over the new episode. Sad face! D:),
aoi nami-chan, the guests, padme4000, and fabsch1.

Sorry this chapter is so short. :l
I promise chapter seven will be longer and much better... there's a big surpriseeee ;)

CHAPTER SIX.
SAY IT ISN'T SO.

Daryl paced the small room like a caged animal while Rick hung his head deep in thought. He would fix this, he had to fix it. He was not going to head back until he had both of them and the guns.

Rick flung the police embroidered duffel bag full of the apparently most-wanted-possessions-in-the-free-world on the desk with a thud. He rifled through it to pull out the necessary ammo and extra heat. They were going to need a lot more than what they had previously to do what his mind had been churning about since they walked off the property.

"Those things are going to be the death of all of us," Rick knew T-Dog had a valid point but was not willing to compromise. "It could protect us and get us food, do all kinds of things for weeks, maybe even months! You're willing to give that up for the kid? The girl?" T-Dog was in no way trying to be insincere but he, as well as the other two, knew all the possibilities that the hefty amount of artillery could provide their group. If that meant they lost two members, than in his mind, so be it. He had no connections with either of them and this was a new, cruel, post apocalyptic world after all. He was more than aware that he was the odd man out on this one though.

"We ain't walkin' away," Daryl looked to Rick for confirmation who nodded without a single word. He began to mimic the leaders actions and dig until he found a suitable handgun for back up.

"I just-"

"You just wanna leave 'em there… like my brother?" Daryl's words cut deep and made T-Dog's mouth clamp shut. The small stab to his already guilty conscience made him rethink his way of objecting without coming off as selfish and insensitive.

"If I knew we'd get them back I might agree," he faltered for a moment not wanting to upset the ticking time bomb across from him, "you think the Vatos across the way is just gonna hand them over?"

"You calling G a liar?" Miguel spoke quietly from his seat on the ground. His was still reaming from being left with the suckers who took him hostage in the first place. He could not wrap his mind around the fact that G had let them walk away with him still in their custody.

"You got somethin' to say?" Daryl smacked Miguel upside his head in one swift motion. He would be damned if he was going to let him defend the man that had taken the only person who put up with all his bullshit as a prisoner. Now that Merle was missing she was the only one he felt responsible for, and he let her down. His thoughts made his temper sizzle and he slapped him a second time, "I will knock your teeth so far down your throat-"

"The question is," T-Dog stated loudly to reel Daryl back into the conversation, "do you trust that man's word?"

"I don't know what I do or don't trust at this point," Rick sighed heavily as the thoughts of her sad eyes sprang forward in his mind. "But I know that I owe my life to him, I was just some idiot stuck in a tank and he could have walked away but he didn't. Neither will I."

"You gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl was only asking out of pure curiosity since he did not care either way. His only concern was retrieving her from their dirty paws.

"I didn't say that," his eyes were dark and voice was low, everyone in the room knew that he meant everything that he had said since they walked through the door. There was no question about it. "There's nothing keeping you two here, you should get out… head back to camp."

"And tell your family what?" T-Dog ran a hand over his shiny non-existent hair and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He didn't have the heart to look Carl and Lori in the eyes and say he let Rick walk into a suicide mission by himself.

Rick's gaze shifted over to Daryl whose answer was known without being spoken. In the little time they had known each other they had come to an understanding through looks and signals- words were barely warranted. With that each one took extra guns and bullets to conceal for the potential big showdown. The thought of possible bloodshed hung over them like a dark storm cloud in the distance.

Miguel let his heavy feet drag against the dirt as they advanced towards the familiar wooden doors for the second time that day. His breathing was labored as every breath he took sucked the rag in and out of his mouth, leaving a rancid taste on this tongue. He just wanted all of this to be over and it seemed like both sides of the war were making it linger longing than necessary. The doors lazily pulled themselves apart just as they had done earlier, and the same people were present behind it. Daryl shoved the kid forward from behind into the building, making everyone join in cautiously afterwards.

"Here's yours," Rick kept his comments short, sweet, and to the point. He had a vague feeling that G was not going to negotiate with them when it came to terms on the guns.

"And my guns?" His tone was pointed making Rick believe that his thoughts were correct. His eyes glided towards the bag of weapons currently strapped to the cop's back.

"Where's ours?" He peered around the room unable to see Glenn or Taylor. He was not stupid enough to let anything go down until he saw them alive, he didn't know what these people were capable of.

"I'm going to chop up your boy, I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. The evilest, nastiest, man eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale. And your girl?" He scoffed as his mind spun rapidly in circles to come up with plans for the other one that they were so sensitive about. "Maybe I should pass her around to my boys. I mean, we ain't seen a little mami around here in quite some time. Maybe I should save her for myself."

Rick's lips twitched up into a nervous smile when all other actions evaded him. He could not get either of the of the horrific images out of his head. His worry grew more with each passing second like a silent bomb was ready to explode somewhere in the room. He looked over at Daryl whose expression was unreadable, the only thing he could see was his shotgun aimed directly between G's eyes.

"Oh, that would be unfortunate," Taylor's shadow stretched across the walls until her silhouette came to full fruition. She had her signature smile spread across her lips and a shank held firmly in her white knuckled fist. She shot a dirty a look to all the baffled men in the room. Both Rick and Daryl simultaneously let out a breath of relief- one that they didn't even realize they had been holding in to begin with.

"How did you… where's Jorge?!" Guilleramo's face contorted with confusion and anger that one of his men had let him down again. First Miguel, now Jorge, could he trust no one?

"I mean, do I really look that pathetic and helpless that you guys stick one guard on me? With just a knife?" She let it roll in between her fingers a few times as her mind surveyed the scene before her. It wasn't looking good.

"Where. Is. Jorge?" He enunciated every individual word through gritted teeth. He did not have time to play games anymore. Even he could admit it was entertaining for awhile but this was getting out a hand.

"The likeliest of scenarios? Probably getting a tissue for his bloody nose?" She used her forearm to wipe away the sweat that was beginning to form on her forehead. She had never been one to be calm under pressure; that was their new officer friends job.

"Where's Glenn?" Rick's voice pulled her attention back to the side of the room she was supposed to be on. She attempted to take a few small steps forward towards him as she spoke.

"Running somewhere through this building, he was supposed to be the distraction," her eyes shifted uneasily around as some of the guns relocated towards her, "… guess that didn't go as planned."

"Is anyone here competent besides me? Do I really have to do everything?" He nodded in the general direction of the same gang member that had initially held her captive to begin with. The second his head tilted down a second time he snagged her arm again and pulled her to the side. Guilleramo turned slowly with his gun level to Rick's head. Everything after that moment was an mist that seemed to disperse in seconds.

The stabbing, the gunshots, the bloodshed, the escape. The familiar feel of a fuzzy brain and blurred vision from the natural high of adrenaline did the opposite affect that it was intended. For Taylor none of it was instant or brief, every single moment was slowed down like the hand on a watch beginning to linger from a dying battery.

Glenn skidded across the floor right into G making him unload his gun unsteadily at Rick. The bullet grazed his bicep barely doing any damage by the good fortune of Lady Luck. G regained his balance and cocked the gun assuring that it was about to end Rick's life. With a panic pushing her over the edge Taylor thrust the shank into the heart of the ogre behind her. His body sank to the floor before he tumbled completely to the ground with a deafening clunk.

"I killed him." She whispered under her breath as she watched him fade. The bullets began flying left and right and she couldn't make anyone out from the other. Glenn shot up to his feet and knocked into Guillermo a second time. This time he was completely overtaken by gravity and slammed onto his back, releasing the gun in the process. Glenn picked it up and began to return fire as he made his way to the door.

"I killed him."

"I killed him."

The now overly boisterous room tore into her ear drums with ferocity. She could not hear or think. She was just an unmoving mass that filled the room. Frozen. Her eyes finally connected with her group that was waiting for her at the door trying their best to fend off the leftover gang members.

She felt Daryl's arm wrap around her waist to pull her forwards. She hadn't even realized he left the safety of the door; never even noticed him standing behind her shouting repeatedly to move. He pushed her until her legs took over and basic instinct set in. She ran for the blinding light that was pouring in from the half closed exit It had been exactly the way she pictured the afterlife would be, running, running, running towards the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Was she really dead?

Rick and T-Dog slammed the doors shut the second both of their feet crossed the threshold. The next thirty minutes consisted of sprinting: heart pounding, lung crushing, stomach twisting, leg throbbing sprinting.

They ran up to the locked gate and stared in astonishment. What they were seeing could not be true. The van had been stolen and they were left deserted in the godforsaken city with hungry walkers and a gang with a bounty on their heads. The term screwed was never more appropriate for their situation.

Shane let his hand absentmindedly brush against Lori's thigh before gently rubbing it. His cat like reflexes were in full swing when he recoiled it due to Andrea's eyes being fixated on his hand. He scowled momentarily at her then let it soften into a smile when he refocused on his hearts desire. He made a mental note that he was going to have to be more sneaky now that everyone was expecting them to cut all ties since Rick's return.

His best friends unexpected reappearance burned in the back of his mind like the bad memory it was. Somewhere in the darker part of his soul that he repressed, he was wishing that Rick would not return with the group. Maybe they would pull another Merle? Sayonara Ricky boy, he thought to himself despondently. He snuck his hand behind her and rested it on the small of her back. Shane would not be deterred by their wandering eyes.

Everyone laughed and joked as they munched on the fish feast that Andrea and Amy and caught earlier in the day. Their hearty laughter spread infectiously to one another until every single person- minus the beaten and cranky Ed- was almost doubling over in joyous euphoria. It had been awhile since they could truly relax and have such a good time. They passed the whopping dish of the delicious smelling meal around again for seconds before handing out beers. The crack of all the caps went off in unison making them all grin together. It felt like everything had melted away around them, like the zombie world that had taken over them was all a dream and they were finally awake.

"To us," Shane whispered huskily into Lori's ear with his beer held to hers. She lifted it and clinked the bottles together with a sweet smile spread across her lips. He suppressed the urge to lean over and devour her in ravenous kisses. The action was hard to do, but he managed somehow.

"To still being alive," she murmured while looking towards the fire. Shane already knew that she was thinking about Rick again. He decided to keep quiet over the matter and not ruin her or his fun.

Carl rested his head on his mothers shoulder and she touched his head softly before kissing the top of it. She looked over at Shane and feigned a small smile before standing up with the little one in tow.

"I'm going to put Carl to bed," she began to walk away when a blood curdling scream stopped her directly in her tracks. Everybody's head whipped around in unison. It was Amy, and she was being bitten.

"AMY!" Andrea leapt from her seat and ran faster than the wind to get to her sister who was under attack. All the men jumped up as well and grabbed their weapon of choice to begin to look out for other lurkers. Shane snagged Andrea by the back of the shirt and yanked her backwards while Jim took care of the walker. He beat it on the head with a shovel until all that was left was brains, blood, and decayed flesh spewed across the lawn. Andrea crawled over to Amy who was choking on her own blood to call out to her sister. She raised her arms weakly to rest on Andrea's shoulders. Amy's eyes became glossy and non responsive as they slowly fluttered shut. Andrea hugged her close to her own body and wept. She could not contain the gut wrenching sobbing that was just pouring out of her. She whispered her sisters name over and over; the rest of the world blocked out. She did not see or hear the rest of the group trying in vain to fend off the zombies. Andrea was in a bubble, a world all to her own, mourning over the death of her beloved sister.

The others had their hands full once they found out that Ed had also been killed and the camp was completely overrun with the living dead. The women and children piled into a small circle near the Winnebago which seemed to have no walkers near by. Shane and Jim took turns backing each other up with one kill after the other. There was too many dead bodies to count at that point and they feared that there were only more on the horizon. Luckily the figures that came up over the gravel road next were actually on their side.

T-Dog, Glenn, Rick, Daryl, and Taylor all stood shell-shocked. The small settlement that they had claimed for their own was crawling with walker upon walker. The stench was overwhelming as it hit them like a brick wall. They knew the numbers couldn't have been good with an aroma like that floating freely through the air. The flight or fight instinct kicked in deep within all of their brains, and there was no need for any motivational words or apprehensive looks they all knew what needed to be done. With the faint sound of all the guns rounds being chambered they knew what choice they were making; they were ready to fight.