Hello again my beloved readers and reviewers. Bit of a longer update for you, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I shall be very curious to see what you have to say at the end. Also, a little bit of a change of pace, I'll be posting the review replies at the end of the chapter, rather than before. I think it might help it flow better. Also, I'm almost done with classes for the summer, which will mean faster updates, yay! Enjoy my friends!

They were on the outskirts of Topeka when they ran low on gasoline again. It had been two days, the going made incredibly slow thanks to debris on the roads, which in addition to slowing them down and making them waste gasoline caused two flat tires. Finding replacement parts and tools to deal with such difficulties had made tempers short but they were doing their best to muzzle their remarks. The last thing they needed was to fall apart now.

Michonne had proved apt in keeping a watch for Walkers, as well as dispatching them handedly with her sword. As they'd approached the city and picked through the small towns that were scattered along the roads towards it, she almost always took point or worked as security to provide the others protection while they looked for gasoline or food. It was both a blessing and a curse that it was summertime. It made roughing it easier when they couldn't find decent shelter on the road, but it also posed a risk of dehydrating and making the need to find fresh water something ever present on their minds. Occasionally they came across creek beds and streams, ancient irrigation channels, but thanks to the heat of the sun and the lack of rainfall, they were always barren. They raided any stores or homes they could find, but always their search turned up nothing.

On the third day without water Rick beckoned Daryl over towards the front of the truck where they had stopped for the evening right on the outskirts of Topeka, maybe an hour's trip by car away. Daryl approached, leaving Fox to sit with the other members of the group. They hadn't bothered to build a fire tonight. The air was so hot even late into the night it wasn't necessary, plus there was no food to cook or water to boil. All their stomachs were clawed with hunger and tempers were short.

"We can't do this much longer," Rick said quietly, his boots scraping the asphalt. "Benjy told me that we can't travel in this heat any longer without water or we're risking heat strokes."

Daryl throat burned as he spoke. "We only got one choice," he growled softly. He nodded his head towards the city that they could see in the hazy twilight. Rick grimaced, his fingers tightening on his belt, his unshaved jaws tightening with stress.

"That place will be crawling with Walkers and God knows what else. There is no water anywhere in this whole state, except for the river that borders the edge of Kansas. If there's anything alive it'll be there." Rick's voice was a shallow rasp. He looked into Daryl's eyes and Daryl knew that despite his misgivings he had to be strong in this. They both knew the inevitability of the situation, but this was the time Daryl had to step up and let Rick know he had his back. It was never easy knowing that they were going to be putting themselves and the people they loved in danger, but if they didn't, they'd die out here. Maybe it was the exhaustion or the lack of water that had worn him down, but Daryl all of a sudden thought back to sweltering hot summer days in Georgia where something cool to slake his thirst had only been a few steps away and how ungrateful he had been for it. He thought he'd had it hard then? He tasted the bitter irony as a layer of dust over his tongue.

"We don't have the gasoline to try and go around to reach the river. And to be honest, I don't think we have the strength to spare either." The words were raw against his dry, chapped throat. Daryl stole a glance over his shoulder and looked at the group. They were all huddled in close, barely moving, sick with exhaustion, hunger, and thirst. They looked as sorry as they ever had, including shivering in their first snowy winter in the mountains and that was saying something. "We'll do what we have to do. We always have before."

Rick put a hand up to his head and squeezed his temples with stress. "I don't know if they can even make it through the night and into the morning. Not without something to keep them going."

Daryl nodded. "I had an idea about that. Nobody's gonna like it, but I don't think we have much choice."

Rick followed him back to the group and Daryl crouched down where Benjamin was huddled against the truck's tires, his hair hanging limply in his face.

"Benjamin, how much of the bagged blood we got left?"

It took a minute for the medic to even register what he'd said. His eyes seemed dazed and confused and for a moment he blinked at him blankly before he comprehended what Daryl had asked.

"Five bags. Not much," he said heavily. "Why?" He ran his fingers through his hair to push it out of his face and Daryl could see they were shaking.

"How much is in each one?"

"About fifteen ounces." Benjamin normally would have been more curious as to why Daryl of all people wanted to know about his medical supplies but he was too tired to really care.

"Half a bag per person," Daryl murmured quietly. "Assuming it doesn't go to waste."

"I have got to sleep sometime!" Benjamin snapped angrily. "I don't have time to transfuse everybody one by one!"

"Pipe down Blondie, that's not what I had in mind," Daryl growled.

Maggie shifted and caught Daryl's eye and she seemed to understand. They had both been raised on the land, they both knew certain unconventional methods for stretching what you had to get by. "Oh God…" she moaned and buried her face into her knees.

"What, what is it now?" Glenn demanded, putting his hand on Maggie's back gently before looking up at Daryl and Rick.

Daryl didn't answer at first and turned back to Rick. "We might have a better chance if we go now. It's only eight ounces of fuel per person, it might not be enough to get them going again tomorrow."

Rick bit his lip hard. "Its harder to see at night, we don't know the layout of the city, or if there are any hostiles inside, or a dozen other things that we would have a better chance at handling in the daylight."

"If we wait until daylight it'll be too late, Rick." Daryl's voice was grave. "They're on their last legs."

"Speak for yourself," Michonne piped up. "I'm used to this, I could go another day or two at least before I'm as rough as you."

"Lucky you, Amazon," Daryl muttered before turning back to Rick. "With Samurai over there being the exception we can't afford to wait. They can barely get up as it is. By tomorrow…they might not be able to get up."

Rick's shoulders buckled and he finally nodded in agreement. There was an enormous amount of anger and pain in his eyes and Daryl could understand. Even after all this time, having done so many things that in the Before they had never even dreamed of doing…and this was just one more step down that ladder, and it sickened the man. Daryl was used to it. He had always had to make do with anything he had on hand, he'd fended for himself for so long even in the Before that this desperation was not new to him. But being driven to this level, he understood Rick's feelings.

He dragged Benjamin's bag out of the car and rifled through it and pulled out all but one of the O-neg blood bags. He'd of suggested a fire to help warm them through but there was no wood to burn. He tossed one to Fox, one to Glenn and Maggie, one to Rick and Carl, and one to Benjamin and Michonne. Fox's eyes followed him carefully, as did the rest of the group's.

"Hold them under your clothes, warm blood goes down easier," Daryl said as he tucked the bag he had given to Fox underneath his shirt against his skin. It was cool to the touch at the moment but he knew soon enough it would be lukewarm and that was the best it was going to get.

"Wait, you're not serious, we're not drinking blood!" Glenn snapped, angrily glaring at Daryl and then Rick. When Rick didn't protest, Glenn's face hardened. "Are you out of your mind?"

Daryl rolled his eyes. "There's been no food and no water for days! What do you expect, Glenn? The only place we're going to find water is the river at the edge of Topeka, but we have to make it there first, which means fighting through a fucking city of Walkers! Blood's got a lot of protein and nutrients in it, it'll keep you on your feet long enough to make it to the river. There's a guarantee of water and probably food too. But if we can't make it there, then we're screwed."

"Daryl's right." Everyone was surprised that it was Michonne to speak up. "There's fish in the river and probably other animals that can be hunted. Once we're there we can resupply, but we have to be able to get to it."

Rick nodded. "It's a tough thing to swallow, literally. But we don't have a choice. We have to try and make it to the river tonight, or we might not make it at all."

Benjamin groaned but he nodded too. "He's right. They both are."

They sat in silence for about fifteen minutes while they all warmed through their pick me up as best they could, but Daryl knew they'd still need to play follow the leader- even Rick. Fox was watching him intently as well. She'd seen him eat raw squirrels and other small animals that he'd caught when they'd been hunting, but she had never done it herself, nor had she ever liked to watch him do so.

Daryl picked up his buck knife and made sure the blade was clean before he cut a decent slit into the bag and let the blood drain into the metal cup he usually used for coffee or water. He poured the second half of the bag into Fox's cup and then set it aside.

"Cheers," he muttered sarcastically before tipping the cup to his lips.

It was definitely better when fresh from a carcass. The pungent flavor of metal and salt slicked his tongue, made thicker and slimy due to it being packaged and not from a vein. He did his best to try and ignore the fact that not only was this blood, but it was human blood at that, and forced himself to swallow. His gullet rebelled but as the blood settled down into the ravenous cavern of his stomach he settled back down.

"Not bad," he said sarcastically, flicking his tongue over his lips. He had about two or three more drinks left in his cup but now he eyed Rick expectantly.

Rick mimicked him and divided up his own bag between himself and Carl and without much hesitation he downed as much of it as he could in one go, his eyes squeezing shut as he did so. He scowled and almost choked but forced it down, visibly shuddering as he did so.

"Could be worse," Rick said with a grimace.

One by one they all followed suit. Fox took to it better than most, and none too surprisingly, Benjamin had the hardest time of it. Even in the hazy moonlight washing over them Daryl could see his skin turning green.

"Don't you dare puke, Blondie. You'll waste it," Daryl growled as he saw Benjamin fidgeting and beginning to squirm.

"I hate you," Benjamin said weakly, folding in on himself as he tried his best not to be sick.

"I think I hate you too," Glenn agreed as he looked up from where he had his head on his knees, his empty cup resting near his feet.

"Eighteen years later, you're still whining like city slickers," Daryl grated, but they could all hear the soothed edge of teasing in his voice. He picked up his cup and swiped his finger around inside to gather the traces of blood that had clung to its edge before licking his finger clean.

"That's it. You are officially not human. A vampire bit you somewhere between Wyoming and here," Maggie agreed as she watched him lick his cup clean.

"Is that where you're from?" Michonne asked quietly as she followed Daryl's example and extracted every last drop of blood from her cup as she could. She had not grimaced or flinched as she'd taken down the blood, and Daryl got the feeling she had maybe done worse while surviving out in the wilds on her own.

"We're from Georgia. Or at least most of us. But after the outbreak, we moved out West to get away from civilization," Carl explained. He had stomached the blood without much complaint, although his gut didn't exactly thank him for it.

"Me too," Michonne said softly. They all looked at her with surprise.

"Were you there during the outbreak?" Rick questioned.

She nodded. "Not in Atlanta though. I think that's where it all started. I was passing through a little boondocks town when everything went to shit."

"Where'd you get the sword?" Fox asked. She also mimicked Daryl and cleaned out her cup. Every taste went down easier than the previous one.

Michonne smirked a little. "Wouldn't you like to know," she teased lightly. "We'll have to trade notes." She nodded to Fox's kukri blades and the knife-thrower grinned right back.

"We might just get that chance very soon," Fox said darkly. Daryl was already on his feet, and he offered her his hand to help her up. She clasped it firmly and although she was still a little shaky when she stood, she could already feel the benefits of having something in her stomach. She knew it wouldn't last long and she was anxious to get underway before it wore off.

"I'll take the lead on the way into the city, Fox, you're with me and Carl in the truck to navigate, the rest follow in behind. With any luck we can get a straight shot through the city on the interstate which borders the river. If we have to bail, you know the drill, stay in formation, everyone stays together. Now let's go!" Rick barked orders, settling back down into his skin as a leader, and Daryl was grateful for it. Rick always functioned better if there was a plan. Daryl didn't like being separated from Fox but he knew it wouldn't be for long. Fox squeezed his hand tight and smiled up at him, her eyes sparking brighter than they had in days.

"Thank you," she murmured again. She did not kiss his lips but instead laced her arms around his neck and pulled him tight to her before pressing her cheek against his briefly.

"Be safe," he said as she pulled away. She withdrew one of her throwing daggers and twirled it in her fingers with a nod before climbing into Rick's truck in the front seat. She pulled the map out of the glove box and flipped it open and carefully pinpointed where they were as Rick fired up the engine and got them back onto the interstate after skirting piles of broken down cars. She gently traced the most likely route they'd take with the tip of her dagger and carefully watched the road.

"Fine time to miss Luna's night vision," Fox murmured as the darkness deepened even as the looming approach of the city grew closer and closer.

"We have to make due," Rick said with tension in his voice. Behind him in the backseat of the truck Carl was double-checking to make sure he had bullets in his gun. When he was satisfied the clip was full he slid it back in and made sure that there was a bullet in the chamber and clicked the safety off.

As Fox had anticipated, the freeway was completely jammed with stalled and wrecked cars. They were going to have to take side streets in order to get down to the river. They doubled back with some difficulty and pulled off the interstate and Fox began to navigate them through the streets of Topeka. Several times they cut across people's yards, ripping up overgrown weeds and grass and nicking curbs in order to avoid debris on the road.

"We're almost there," she whispered excitedly. "There should be a turn up here that will take us a straight shot to the river."

Rick shifted gears and gave the truck more gas, pulling away from Maggie's car just slightly in haste. They'd seen a few Walkers on their way in and even more as they'd ducked and swerved through the streets of the city. Nothing unmanageable but the sooner they could pull away from them, the better. They were almost out of gas, maybe just enough to make it back out of the city, and they desperately needed to resupply. He was so lost in his excitement and hurry to get the precious water they needed he was completely blindsided when another vehicle came whizzing out of nowhere across an intersection they had just been about to cross.

Rick swerved and hit the breaks, the tires screaming with the effort as he pulled up. Fox stabbed the dagger in her hand into the seat cushion of the truck to keep from impaling herself on the blade by accident as she was thrown against the dash, not having bothered with her seat belt, knocking her shoulder a good one against the dash as the truck pitched wildly, the brakes struggled to stop the forward momentum. Carl shoved the gun towards the floorboard of the truck until they shuddered to a stop. When they settled Fox jerked her head up and stared out the windshield and saw that the SUV that had cut them off had wheeled around in the intersection and was facing them, headlights glowing angrily.

"Get down!" Rick yelled.

They ducked as far down as they could just as they were peppered by gunfire. Glass shattered and rained down over their heads as the bullets blew clean through their windshield. Rick hollered with rage and as soon as the shots stopped he whipped his pistol forward and fired back, the python booming like thunder right in Fox's ear. She ducked down as Carl snaked his arm forward and squeezed the trigger on his pistol, firing off shots.

"Roll!" Rick ordered.

They flung the doors to the truck open and scrambled out and used the doors for cover as more gunfire hailed them. By now Maggie's car was also stopped and when the sound of bullets flying died Rick spun and saw with horror that just as their companions were getting out of their cars that another SUV was blocking them off behind their two car convoy.

"Daryl!" Rick shouted at the top of his lungs.

The redneck had just gotten out of the car and was hauling his pistol forward to help return fire when he spun and saw the second SUV behind them. He ducked immediately behind the door of Maggie's car as bullets went flying.

"We're trapped!" Maggie cried miserably. Glenn was right at her shoulder and was jamming shells into his shotgun as fast as his fingers could go.

"What do they want?" Benjamin squeaked as he struggled to get a bullet into the chamber of his gun.

"Who the fuck cares?" Glenn snarled. "We gotta get out of here or they'll hit one of us eventually."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Michonne panted. She gestured with her sword that she had unsheathed and from the other two ends of the intersection were Walkers, stumbling and staggering forward towards the sound of the gunfight.

"We have to get out of here, before we're totally boxed in," Daryl growled. He glanced at Glenn with a firm nod and then twisted with his back up against the door of the car as bullets pinged off the metal and looked for Fox. She hadn't bothered to take her pistol with her so she was huddled behind the door of the truck, her feet flinching every time a bullet struck the ground, but there was battle fury in her eyes mixed with severe frustration. She didn't dare risk trying to throw a knife from this distance, she'd be shot on sight if she came out from behind the door of the truck.

"Daryl! Daryl we gotta split them up!" Rick yowled over the din of the gunshots even as he extended his arm and fired from his python again. He was forced to duck back down when a shot shattered the window of the truck on his side and caused glass to shower everywhere.

"Glenn! Come with me, we're the fastest, we'll run interference and give them something to chase!" Fox yelled, searching out Glenn's gaze. He nodded fiercely and squeezed Maggie's hand once before Fox found Daryl's eyes. Emerald green met cobalt blue, both mirrored their battle ferocity, desire to protect their family, and pleas for the other to be careful. There didn't need to be words. One look said it all.

"Benjy, gimme your gun," Daryl demanded. The medic surrendered the weapon without hesitation and Daryl tossed it towards Fox who darted out and snatched it up. She rolled in the same motion, came up, and leveled the pistol with both hands and fired towards the door of the head on SUV. The bullet lanced through the glass and she thought she saw someone slump forward against the dash but she couldn't be sure. The gun was a foreign, heavy weight in her hands and even after all these years she shuddered with revulsion but pushed it away. Her family was in danger. These people were hers, and no one was going to take them from her while she had a weapon to fight back with. In her mind she howled with red hot rage that she had not been able to protect Luna as she now fought for her family and as her wheels spun, it gave her the strength she needed for her next move.

She scrambled fully to her feet and darted in between Rick's truck and the enemy SUV while Rick and Carl laid down cover fire. Her instinct was to shoot as well but she knew with running as she was she wouldn't be able to aim sufficiently and it was better not to waste the ammo. The Walkers were coming closer and now she tossed the gun to her left hand and grabbed her kukri knife in her right and slashed one of the monsters across the face, splitting the skull. It dropped and she quickly darted to the side to avoid another. More began to hem her in and right when she was about to either have to double back or reach for the gun Glenn came swerving towards her side and fired off several quick, clean shots, clearing her a path. At the same time there were bullets pinging around their heads, some of them striking Walkers in the legs or chests, slowing them down but not stopping them. Glenn risked a glance over his shoulder and saw that their plan had worked, three of the gunmen, all too far away to make out with any sense of detail, were giving chase, weapons raised.

"Ah shit!" Fox yelped when a shot came so close to hitting her that she felt the grazing breeze of the bullet. She hit the ground, tumbling on her shoulder from having tripped, and rolled end over end, crashing into a Walker on the dusty pavement. She screeched as the monster fell with her in a mess of rotted, clawing limbs. She flailed like mad, seizing the Walker by its disintegrating wrists and forcing the hands away, but its mouth lunged. The snapping teeth plunged for her chest.

She screamed wordlessly in panic, her entire life flashing before her eyes through a sheet of scarlet flame. Above her she saw more shuffling feet headed straight for her. Terror coursed through her veins like liquid fire, burning out all her sense. She knew what happened to someone who fell under the breadth of the mob. They never got up again. A wordless howl tore itself from her throat as she kicked out violently, her feet scraping at the creature's legs, taking off sheets of skin and rotted flesh with her boots. Grunts of effort and snarls of hatred laced fear worked through her teeth as she struggled with her assailant. She heard bullets flying all around her but had no idea if those shots were friendly or from their enemies. The Walker snapped and gnashed its jaws, the head bucking wildly as it tried to tear a piece of her flesh away. She dare not let go of its hands or it would claw her, and for a body rotted to almost the bare bones, it had an enormous amount of strength. It took all her effort to just hold it far enough so it couldn't get its teeth in her, but as it struggled frantically, she could feel the bones becoming crushed underneath her violent grip, and soon the hands would give away from the wrists. If that happened, they would become independent and would claw her. Even if she could get them off in time, there would be nothing to stop the mouth from hitting her chest and taking a chunk out of her. But she dare not loosen her grip on the arms. Above her the feet were still shuffling, getting ever closer.

Suddenly the pressure was gone. Black acrid blood spattered against her body and instantly she shut her mouth to keep it from flying in. The skull of the Walker on her had shattered, brain matter oozing from a hole placed neatly in the crown of its head. She didn't waste time thinking about it. She heaved the body aside, rolled, and snatched her pistol which had fallen just inches from her hand. Immediately she leveled the gun and shot, taking out seven Walkers that were crowding her. She lurched to her feet and searched for Glenn and saw him taking cover in the tail bed of a very rusted out truck that had been parked in someone's yard. She could see him peaking in and out, trying to pick off Walkers, as well as aiming at their followers. Once again she was caught in the crossfires, but she knew instinctively that it had not been his bullet that had saved her from the Walker. Immediately she tried to search for who it had been, but as she spun wildly, looking for both the savior and an exit, she found herself hemmed in further and further.

"Fox! This way!" Glenn howled, doing his best to take out Walkers from where he was ducked for cover.

She bolted, dodging waving arms and bloody jaws, and as she ran, she could feel her strength beginning to give out. Her brain felt hazy and the world seemed to spin, like she'd tossed down a shot of whiskey on an empty stomach. Colors swam and the scent of death clogged her mouth and nose. She knew that if she kept on like this she would die, torn apart in this street, only to rise later as one of the millions of walking dead. She refused to give up, to be beaten so easily, to allow the world and all of its fury to keep her from her duty, which was to protect her family. With a burst of adrenaline laced strength she shot across the overgrown lawn and dove into the tail bed of the truck where Glenn was crouched.

"You alright?" he panted, his face screwed up with concentration and battle stress.

"I'm fine, I'm alright!" she affirmed as she checked the clip on her gun.

"We have to get back to the others, there's too many of them!" Glenn's voice was tense, but unlike years past, not panicked, but angered. Fire blazed in his usually gentle eyes and once more Fox was reminded of how much he had changed. No longer was he the trembling kid that she had taken advantage of just days after meeting him. She knew he'd lay down his life for any of the group, but in the shadow of his gaze was the longing to know one in particular was safe. Fox knew from experience, there was nothing like the drive of a man protecting the woman he loved to motivate him.

Fox took a glance over the bed of the truck at the scene unfolding in front of them. Blocking their access to the group was about a hundred yards worth of distance, scattered throughout were dozens of Walkers, and she knew instinctively that the gunmen were still hiding in the area as well. She could hear the sounds of their shots every few seconds as they fired towards them, or at the group.

"And I thought Atlanta was bad," Fox panted as she loaded a bullet into the chamber of her gun.

"If we split and go around the houses we could make it," Glenn said, urgency biting through every syllable.

"That's a long way, and puts us really close to the people shooting at us," Fox hissed. But at that moment Walkers began to pound against the metal of the truck, grabby hands straining and reaching for them, ravenous mouths open and letting out their deep throated growls.

"If we don't go now they'll swarm us and we'll be trapped," Glenn panted. He loaded his spare clip into his gun and locked the bullet into the chamber. His eyes burned in the thin moonlight overhead and as they met each other's eyes, there was measure for measure. "Lead the way, Fox."

She nodded and launched herself from the lip of the tail bed, landing with a hard thud on the pavement but she didn't let it slow her down. She sank deep down into herself, down into that place where she was mindless, and the only thing that mattered was staying alive. She drove her feet hard against the cracked concrete and weed choked patches of dirt, one hand heavy with the weight of her gun, the other holding her kukri knife. Glenn stayed right on her as she swerved to the left, the path of least resistance, and kicked her legs into overdrive, running as fast as she physically could. Her chest burned and her muscles screamed from the effort and she knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before she could go no further. Walkers were closing in on them from both sides and she yowled with vicious hatred as she hacked them out of her way. Glenn stayed right on her heels, only shooting when her blind haste would have sent her tumbling straight into another Walker.

Bullets pinged around their feet and Fox gasped with fear and surprise, running through an open chain link gate into a backyard behind a rotted through house, going down in a heap of limbs and weeds that were four feet tall as she tripped over a nondescript piece of debris. She rolled and scrambled up to her knees, Glenn right behind her.

"Come on!" he urged. He helped her up and took the lead, running around the back of the house, leaping over the decaying remains of what had been someone's life; the weed strangled carcass of a garden, children's plastic toys and a bicycle that was so rusted that not a speck of metal could be seen on it. He kicked down the gate with more force than she realized he was capable of and they ran between the house and the neighbor's fence, heading for the front yard and then just two more houses away until they reached their family.

Glenn hesitated right at the edge of the gauntlet before darting into the street. Fox snaked around him and took the lead, deciding that they didn't have time to wait. She could see Walkers slowly beginning to block their path and they both were going to start running low on bullets very soon. She ran and Glenn followed, and as they did, gunfire cracked like thunder around them.

She felt the absence of Glenn's presence behind her. She spun on her heel, hacking a Walker in the face and kicking the body away as she did so, and turned to search for Glenn.

He had not left the edge of the gauntlet between the house and the yard's fence. Instead he was leaning against the fence, as if dazed and confused, his head hanging down between his shoulders. His fingers were squeezing the chain links of the fence with a white knuckle grip, slipping on the rusted metal. Fox stabbed another Walker and was about to shout for Glenn to hurry the hell up and come on when her heart dropped to the arches of her feet. Glenn picked his head up and stared at her, his eyes mixed with intense pain and fright, and as he did so, he revealed the blood gushing down his chest.

She was at his side before he hit the ground. He collapsed against her, the intensity of the pain he was in written all over his clenched features. Fox didn't wait or ask permission, she yanked the edge of his shirt up high enough to see the damage; despair mixed with grit washed over her as she saw it was not a bite, but a bullet wound, straight to the left side of his chest, the hole ragged and deep. As tenderly as she could she felt for an exit wound in his back but there was none.

"Maggie…" Glenn panted, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. He coughed violently, shuddering against her as he tipped forward into her chest. She caught and steadied him before he could fall but he was still rambling his wife's name.

"We'll get you there, Glenn," Fox urged. "But you have to keep moving, alright? We gotta cross the intersection. You have to help me out, I can't carry you on my own."

His eyes swam and for a second seemed to clear. He couldn't speak, only nod, and Fox put her knife away and switched her gun to her right hand. She slung Glenn's arm over her shoulder and ignored his whimper of pain before forcing him as upright as he could go.

She darted back out into the open as quickly as she could, tugging Glenn with her, his feet stumbling and tripping as he struggled to keep up. She dodged the Walkers that she could but ended up shooting until her clip was empty, and even then they were only halfway. She took the risk and screamed the names of her family members at the top of her lungs to get their attention. They were never going to make it across without help.

Shots fired again, powerful booms like sledgehammers on iron bells hitting her skull. At first she thought it was Rick's python, no other gun she knew made sounds like that, but this was even more powerful. Six shots rang out like this, each one rattling Fox's brain and making Glenn flinch and stumble against her. But after those shots were released all the others stopped. Fox looked and saw there were bodies laid out behind trees and in the street, the fallen shadows of their enemies. Someone must have gotten some height advantage and had taken them out with a rifle. She was grateful for the reprieve but they weren't out of the water yet. Walkers were closing in on them and Fox felt a tightening in her guts. Unless someone came to help, they were dead in the water.

That someone appeared like a firebrand, the thin moonlight coming from overhead glinting off the edge of the sword that became splashed in crimson. Michonne darted through the horde, slashing and slicing heads left and right while Rick and Daryl launched themselves into the fray, firing off shots with deadly precision.

"What happened?" Rick yelled over the din of gunfire as Daryl continued picking off Walkers while Rick raced to Fox's side, immediately taking Glenn's other arm and throwing it over his shoulder, accepting most of his weight.

"Glenn was shot!" Fox panted as she struggled to straighten out her back. A Walker threatened to take a chunk out of Glenn's arm and she roughly shoved them both out of the way as she yanked her bowie knife free and stabbed the monstrosity in the head with so much force that she took the creature to the ground. It was as she was scrambling to her feet that Daryl appeared as well. He helped get Glenn on his feet as Rick loaded more bullets into his python. When Daryl tried to pull Glenn forward his knees buckled and Daryl snatched him up before he could hit the ground. He snagged him around the mid section and lifted him into his arms, slinging him over his shoulder. Fox didn't know where he found the strength for it, but he had that look on his face that said no matter how exhausted he was, no matter how little he had left in him, he'd find more, because it was the right thing to do. Rick, Fox, Carl, and Michonne guarded him as they made the treacherous journey back to the cars through the advancing mob of Walkers.

"Get him in the truck, we have to go, now! Benjy in the back with him!" Rick barked as he came running up first. Maggie followed and her face went from relief to terror as she saw Daryl carrying Glenn. She let out a pained cry of despair and ran forward.

"Is he dead, what happened, Glenn, talk to me!" Maggie cried, struggling to see if Glenn was conscious as Daryl and Fox worked to get Glenn into the tail bed of the truck. Benjamin vaulted in, his bag shaking in his hands.

"He's alive!" Daryl huffed, struggling to recover his breath. "Stay with him, we have to go, gimme your keys!"

Maggie's hands were shaking and her face was streaked with tears as she roughly pushed the keys into Daryl's palm. Daryl jumped down out of the bed and Michonne followed him closely. She sheathed her sword and climbed into Maggie's car, the blood spattered over her dark skin like streaks of war paint. Fox was about to follow Daryl into the car when he stopped her and put a hand on her chest.

"Go with Rick, help him navigate, find us a safe place," he urged.

"No! I'm going with you!" she insisted. After her multiple brushes with death she couldn't bare the thought of being any further away from him than she had to be. She needed him to hold her steady, to remind her that she was alive and so was he. It was her right.

He grabbed her by the shoulders with both hands and pulled her hard against him, squeezing her tight, for everything he was worth, so hard that her bones creaked and it was impossible to breathe. He had never held her like this before, and she realized in that second that he too had been terrified for her life, though he'd never say it in those words. He let go quickly and roughly kissed her for a split second. It took her back for a moment, because it was how she would have reassured him in the heat of the moment.

"I will follow you." The words were rough, gravel rubbing steel, but as gentle as his throat would allow for. "Go."

It was more than just the words in context. It was an affirmation that regardless of where she went or what danger she put herself in she would not be alone. He would follow her through the gates of hell, no matter the reason.

She was still trembling but she let him go. He ran to Maggie's car and threw himself into the driver's seat while Fox hurried to the truck. She jumped into the front seat, Carl in the cab, Maggie, Glenn, and Benjamin in the bed, and Rick behind the wheel. The engine was already running and he punched the gas hard, the tires shrieking in protest before grabbing pavement, clipping Walkers and mailboxes, the metal of the vehicle scraping hard. Fox's hand lashed out and snagged Rick's wrist and steadied him.

"Drive carefully. Glenn is in the back," she reminded him.

He nodded curtly and she unfolded the map. "Where's a safe place, it's gotta be close, he can't travel far," he said urgently.

She scanned the wrinkled paper, running her fingers over the surface, using moonlight to read the fractured words and crinkled lines. The map was fairly detailed which was both a blessing and a curse.

"On the banks of the river is a warehouse that's separate from most of the others. Hopefully it's not crawling with Walkers. That looks like our best bet. Keep going, about five miles and then hang the next left."

She continued giving him directions until he could see the building for himself, a large rusted through metal warehouse with shattered glass windows built right on the banks of the river. As they pulled up on the outside it appeared to be abandoned and the smell of weeds and the slow steady flow of river water filled the air, a combination of moisture, earth and salt. They killed the engines and immediately piled out; Rick quickly ran to the tail-bed where Benjamin was waiting for him.

"How is he?" Rick demanded. He noticed that Benjamin's torso and arms were streaked with blood, as were Maggie's hands.

"Hard to say, I couldn't do much in the truck, we need to get him inside." Benjamin's voice was thick with his accent, something that didn't bode well.

"Stay with him. Maggie, come on, I need your help, we may need to clear this warehouse before we use it," Rick ordered. The little brunette loaded a bullet into the chamber of her gun and nodded, leaping out of the tail bed without a word. She looked as haggard and beat down as the rest, but there was hellfire in her eyes and Fox knew instinctively that Maggie was about to be brutally lethal on any enemy they found inside. Someone had hurt Glenn and now she was about to show the world why that was a huge mistake. Fox followed at her heels but as soon as Daryl was out of the car she was at his side. They didn't say a word, but it felt like heaven to be in step with him again. She'd never say it out loud, but she always fought better when he was at her side.

Daryl used Glenn's bolt cutters to snap the chain that was on the door of the warehouse. Once it was unlocked they flung the doors open as far as they could to let in as much moonlight as possible and waited with bated breath.

They heard nothing. No sounds of the undead, no indication of any kind of intruder, it appeared as though they were totally alone. To be safe, they grabbed their lanterns and did a sweep of the warehouse, fanning out and checking every corner and behind every stack of shipping crates and made of wood so rotted through it was falling apart. They found nothing but tiny rodent bones and a fat tomcat lounging on one of the crates near a shattered window that hissed in surprise at their intrusion and escaped out the window.

"Daryl, Carl, help me move Glenn, Fox, go get water from the river, Michonne, find anything dry that we can burn for a fire, Maggie help Benjamin with the supplies," Rick barked as they all came running back to the vehicles. They were on their last legs, everyone but Michonne physically shaking from exhaustion and stress, but they all forced themselves to keep moving. They split up to complete their different jobs and within half an hour they were all back inside. Michonne had managed to find some dry kindling and she proved to be just as useful with an ax as her sword and cut away a good portion of some of the nearby wooden crates to build a fire. Glenn was stretched out on his back away from the door of the warehouse near one of the walls, the rest of the group crowded around him. All of the water Fox brought back was quickly put through their distillation system to remove its impurities and for added sanitation a few drops of bleach were swirled in. It was a tedious process, but it was the best way to keep from getting ill. Nobody held it against anybody else that even though Benjamin was already trying to work on Glenn they were gulping down water to soothe the parched sting in their throats after setting aside what Benjy might need.

They cut the light from their lanterns in order to save their power, using only light from the fire while Benjamin worked. He'd managed to get Glenn out of his shirt who by this point was barely conscious. His skin was pallid and cold from loss of blood, his entire body limp and for the most part unresponsive to touch. As Benjamin tried to survey the damage he turned to Maggie as Glenn's eyes began to close.

"You have to keep him conscious," he urged her.

Maggie situated Glenn's head in her lap and stroked his cheeks and continuously ran her fingers through his hair, murmuring softly to him. His eyes would flutter every few words but Fox forced herself to watch as Benjamin peeled back a very hasty bandage over the wound in his chest.

The damage didn't look extensive from the outside, but as Fox watched Benjamin's expression go from concentrated to stressed her spirits plummeted. The medic didn't say a word, not even when Glenn began to cough and wheeze for breath. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth as he carefully helped Maggie to roll him on his side to help him breathe easier. While they had him on his side Benjamin had his stethoscope in his ears, listening through the Asian's back. His expression went from bad to worse as soon as he yanked the device out of his ears.

"Maggie, go behind him, keep him on his side, it'll help him breathe better and ease some of the pain."

She did so but as she looked up at him through the tangled mess of her short cropped hair, her eyes were wet and her voice was so thick with barely suppressed tears it was almost impossible for her to speak at all.

"What do you know?" she asked. All eyes were on the medic and now Benjamin didn't even have the strength to be afraid. All he could feel was a terrible despair sinking deep into his gut. His New York accent lay heavy on his tongue as it always did when he was emotional.

"He's spitting up blood, and the breath in his lungs is wet. The bullet wasn't a through and through so that means its still lodged somewhere, and every time he breathes it's inching its way deeper into his chest, towards his lungs or his heart. He's lost so much blood already I'm surprised he's not in a coma." His eyes locked now with the brunette's as he spoke, and Daryl had never heard so much sorrow in his life. "He's dying, Maggie."

"He's drowning in his own blood, just like Dale," Fox whispered. It was not often there was true pain in her voice, she was far too guarded to allow such hurt to work its way inside where she could feel it, but this was Glenn's life, and he had been her family just as much as Daryl, Luna, Rick, and all the rest of the group had been. The thought of losing him was far more than she really wanted to take in.

Benjamin looked towards her and nodded. "But slower. This will be a slow, painful death. Unless we do something."

"You're not going to shoot him!" Maggie snarled, her eyes flaming with protective rage. "There has to be something you can do! Anything!" Her throat trembled as tears began leaking from her eyes. "Please…Benjy. Do something."

The medic's shoulders sagged as he rested on his knees. "I have no imaging equipment, I have nothing to help keep his breathing stable, nothing to…" he was cut off when Daryl's head jerked up and they all followed his gaze.

At first he thought it had just been the tomcat coming back through one of the broken windows but the movement had been too large and also faster than the thick furred animal. His fingers tightened on his bow and he caught Rick's gaze.

"Someone's out there," Daryl hissed.

Michonne unsheathed her sword and Rick, Daryl, Carl, and Fox had just climbed to their feet when the door to the warehouse opened again. They all drew their weapons but held back from firing when they saw it was a single figure silhouetted against the thin moonlight streaming in.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl snarled, aiming his crossbow high and straight at the figure's head. They had a hood up over their head and some kind of cloth covering most of their face. Only their eyes were visible, almond shaped orbs of green, but a far paler shade than Fox's.

"I didn't come to hurt." The voice was muffled beneath their mask, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female. Daryl couldn't see if they were armed, but when the figure reached into their vest Daryl notched his bow higher.

"That's enough!" he growled, his finger just a hair's breath from tightening on the trigger.

The figure's wrist flicked faster than Daryl thought possible, and something flew through the air and landed at Daryl's feet with a metallic ping. Daryl kept the stranger covered with his bow but Rick dropped down to retrieve what they had tossed.

"This is a fifty caliber bullet," Rick murmured, inspecting the unspent round end over end in his hand.

"You!" Fox hissed, jabbing the tip of her dagger towards the intruder. "You shot those men in the firefight."

The pale green eyes blinked once in acknowledgement but otherwise did not move. It was then that Rick took a pace forward. He clearly also must have been wondering who had taken out their opponents in the middle of the firefight, there just hadn't been time to ask.

"Why did you help us?" he asked. His voice was borderline on threatening but the exhaustion and battle stress tempered it.

The head of the intruder tilted. "You are bonded," was the muffled answer. "You deserve to live." They paused and nudged their booted foot against the ground. "Those men do not care for their own. They kill and prey on the weak. I came to warn you that more will come. They own this place and will know you are here soon. You and your fallen comrade are not safe here."

Benjamin turned from his work and slid up to his feet, having obviously been listening the entire time. He carefully stepped out in front of the protective ring of the rest of the group and narrowed his eyes at the stranger. Rick watched him carefully as he did so.

"Impossible," the medic whispered. "It can't be."

"What is it Benjy?" Fox asked. She had not released her weapon, nor had any of the others lowered theirs. Michonne stood firmly with her sword unsheathed, eyes darting both from the intruder to probably the nearest exit. Daryl didn't blame her. With the shit storm that had just hit, he didn't hold it against her she was looking for an escape plan.

Benjamin didn't answer at first, but he looked across his shoulder and met Rick and Daryl's gaze briefly, asking them to wait silently. Everyone's eyes locked onto the medic and Daryl swore he saw what could only be described as excitement pass through the New Yorker. His stance relaxed and he loosened his shoulders, letting his hands rest at his sides.

"I know you." His voice was confident, more so than he usually spoke, the barest trace of laughter curling through the words.

The figure's stance tensed and so did everyone else's, all except for Benjamin's. "You cannot!" were the snarled words. "All from Before are dead!"

Benjamin shook his head. "I understand why you'd think that," he said, that almost laughing tone still in his words. "But I'm not dead. I know you, and you know me."

The intruder's right hand reached up and Daryl noticed that the ring and pinky finger, along with a decent chunk of the hand itself, were missing. The remaining fingers curled over the mask on their face and pulled it down. Eyes of green met hazel and there was no mistaking the look that passed between the intruder and the medic.

Recognition.

lunasky99: Haha so Mal wants Jenner dead almost as much as Luna and Judith, nice to know. I think it's touching that she hears her fathers voice when needed... well as touching as hearing a voice in your head can be. Great chapter!. xD

Mal is ambivalent about Jenner. He is afraid of him because of his unpredictability and the fact that he has power over him, but Mal doesn't want to see the only chance of a cure for the plague get killed either. So he's conflicted. And of course Luna recalls her father's voice, as much as she can imagine it anyway. It helps cool her temper and keep them all from getting killed.

RedneckBunny: There was something about this chapter I didn't like...I just can't tell what. Beautifully written as usual and not too long or short but something just gnawed at the back of my mind that angered me about it. Not just the obvious Jenner ordeal either... hmm... I guess you've gotten me too invested in the story! lol.

Heh, that's kind of a good thing actually. There should be something that doesn't sit right when all of these guys are involved together, so I'm rather proud of myself for that. Heh, next chapter really amps things up, but of course I cannot reveal in what way ;)

FanFicGirl10: Luna is so her mothers daughter, feisty! But she does need to tone it done just a little, i don't want her to get herself or Judith killed. Update Soon!

Indeed she is Fox's daughter, but let's not forget, she's half Dixon too, and Dixon's have a legendary temper in their own right, so Luna got a double dose, and being a teenager, her level of patience and ability to tolerate situations she thinks are threatening is barely developed. But she will do what she must to keep Judith safe, including unbending her pride.

Emberka-2012: Luna is so much like her mother. Mal better to listen to Judith and not to anger Luna. Their attitude to the kidnappers will not be better if the girls are kept separate. Jenner, nothing good from him can be expected. If before he had problems with his head, but now the roof has gone completely. He is looking for a cure just a couple of decades, and has not moved. He said to girls he will release them, but did not say when, after a couple of decades, or will not let go at all. It seems to me or Mal not very respectfully speaks of Jenner and his team. He obeys him, but what keeps him there? And Milton felt something wrong with his boss. He thought Jenner has angelic wings behind the back? Man with wings will come later and hardly Jenner will be pleased.

Luna definitely inherited much of Fox's spit-fire mouth and penchant for violence (as Fox had suspected she would at the very end of Wildflower), but as with Fox, it will get her into some sticky situations if she doesn't learn to control it. Mal takes Judith's words to heart more than he lets on. He's very observant, and suspicious of anyone who could have survived this long in this kind of world being deaf- he knows Luna is dangerous. He doesn't care much whether Luna cooperates or not, just as long as she doesn't interfere with the routine he's got going. And you're right, if Jenner was mad before, he has dived completely off the deep end at this point. Decades of fruitless work with no answers to show for it could make anyone crazy, let alone him. Once he has the cure though, he'll let the girls go, because after that he has no use for them, and he's not much interested in a power trip like the Governor would be. As far as Mal and why he stays, there is a very interesting story behind that which I shall reveal in good time ;) Nah, Milton knows Jenner's no angel, or even a savior, but Jenner is the only one left with the experience and the skill to have any hope of curing the plague, so Milton tolerates his presence, as much as he can anyway. And you're right, the real man with the angel wings on his back is coming, and if Jenner thought Daryl caused problems before, he has a whole other hell-fire blaze headed straight for him.

Brittney: Damn! I never thought I'd see Luna back down, but I understand why she did; Judith is family. she got Mal and Jenner good in the fight! Can't wait for chapter 11!

Oh trust me, she was so not happy about it. She is disgusted with herself that she allowed herself to be beaten like that, but she wasn't going to let Judith get killed. Not only would it cripple her, because Judith is her best friend, but she wouldn't be able to face her family after if she was responsible for Judith's death. But she got her licks in as much as could be done while she had the chance, as she always will ;)

rosemarycry: Another wonderful chapter. And why do I have this feeling Mal's attittude towards the girls will change?

Because Mal is very calculated, and he believes that as time passes, both Judith and Luna will mellow out and not be such a handful to deal with. He has no interest in really hurting them or even getting under their skin. Mal deals back what he is given, as he is pushed, so he will push back just as hard, but no harder. He prefers to watch rather than get directly involved, hence why when he had the opportunity to really try and warn Jenner about Luna, he chose not to. Mal is a very interesting character and I'm looking forward to really showing him to you guys in the chapters to come ;)