I do not own the Walking Dead.

Previously:

She found the group outside, staring into the distance.

To Faye's horror, the distance was covered in walkers.

Faye was pretty sure she was having a panic attack.

It took a while for any of the adults to notice she was standing there, they were all too preoccupied with handing out guns. When Patricia finally noticed the young girl struggling to breath, Faye was finally taken inside to calm down.

The woman to her to just breath in and out, that they were going to be fine.

In.

But how were they ever going to be fine? There were walkers everywhere. Too many for the group to handle. Yes, they'd try, but then everyone would die or be eaten and then Faye would be alone all over again because she would run away while everybody else was killed! It was happening all over again and Faye wasn't sure how many more people dying she could take. The camp was being overrun once more, only now on a bigger scale.

Out.

No. They all had to run away. Faye didn't want any of them to die! Why were they being stupid? If they stayed on the farm, they'd all become food for the walkers! She didn't want to go through that again. What if she returned the next few days and found them all dead on the road. Faye didn't think she could do that again, kill someone she knew. All that blood on her hands, no, no, no, they had to run away!

In.

Carl was gone, Faye could hear Lori and Carol's shouts. He'd probably been stupid again and run after Rick. She didn't want to see him die! Rick was the leader, if he was smart, he'd get back and convince people they had to go! That was if they hadn't already gone. And Daryl, don't get her started on Daryl.

Out.

Daryl was probably defending the farm right now, defending the group. Killing all the walkers that stood in his way with that stupid bad-ass crossbow of his. Come to think of it, they were all out there, guns blazing. How many walkers were there, anyway? There must have been over a hundred. Maybe some of them could be led away, they had the vehicles to do it.

In.

No! What was she thinking? That couldn't be done, the group would every single person out in a car, or shooting stragglers. What was she doing to help? She was sitting there. Everybody was doing something but her. She should be out there helping, shooting a few at least. Wasn't that what she promised?

Out.

Yes. Faye promised that next time, she would be fast. She'd be strong. She didn't need to be worried about.

In.

She had her gun, she could do it. Faye could go out there, and she could do what she had to. The group needed her, right?

Out.

Checking the gun, Faye found it still fully loaded. Of course it was, Faye almost rolled her eyes at herself. She hadn't had to use it since gun training.

In.

The girl held her gun in her hands. She could either sit here and wait for the walkers to attack all her friends, or she could get up and stop them getting to the house.

Out.

Faye stood, a determined look on her face as she flicked the safety off on her pistol.

Slinging her backpack onto her shoulders in case they did have to make a quick get away, Faye walked towards the door and pushed it open.

"Faye, what are you doing?" It was Carol who shouted. "It's too dangerous out there!"

Oh, she was well aware of that.

Faye contemplated a witty comeback, but when none immediately came to mind, Faye simply threw a thumbs up before stepping out and shutting the door.

Looking up, Faye realised all the reasons she had panicked. They really were everywhere, and were closing in on the house.

Hershel was stood outside, shooting the walkers continuously. Faye took a final breath in and out to calm herself before hopping over the fence, like Daryl had, just as Carol tried to grab her shoulder. Faye ignored the woman's yells as she stopped a few metres from Hershel. The old man barely registered that she was near him.

Snarling brought Faye's attention back to the threat in front of her. Raising her gun, Faye's finger trembled as it lay on the trigger. Then, the thought of being stronger ran through her mind and she held the pistol steady.

Bang. The first walker fell to the floor. Had this not been a life or death situation, Faye might've have applauded herself on the shot through the forehead.

However, she was too busy shooting two more walkers to do that.

The fourth staggered forward shakily, it's legs, arms and face thin. Faye thought it must have died from starvation. Poor guy.

Unfortunately, Faye's thoughts temporarily took away her full focus and the bullet grazed it's temple. In a small panic, Faye quickly shot again, missing completely before the third bullet finally pierced it's skull, the body falling a little too close for comfort. One more walker was shot down before Faye heard Lori's shout.

"Faye! Hershel! Come on, it's time to go!"

Finally.

The girl stepped backwards as she moved back towards the voice, eyes staying on the walkers. To her dismay, she found the old man was not coming with her.

"Faye! Let's go!" Lori continued.

Deciding the old man would be fine - he seemed to have more than enough ammo and someone had to come and collect him, maybe Maggie, Faye fully turned around and ran to Lori and Carol. "Thatta girl, come on, let's get out of here." Lori said to her, but was obviously focused on looking for other people as her head turned about.

With Beth and Patricia behind her, Faye ran along side Lori as they ran, and shot three walkers, missing an extra shot too. If Carl and Rick weren't here, then she would try to protect her. Carl needed a Mom.

Shooting as she went, the small group made their way to the car.

Suddenly, the girl halted as there were a shrill scream rang through the air. Faye spun around to see Patricia in the hands of walkers and immediately knew there was no saving the woman. Lori ran to grab hold of Beth's hand, who was still desperately clutching onto the older woman's hand. Faye followed Lori to cover her as more walkers swarmed to the area, attracted by the noise and smell of blood.

Faye tried to avoid looking at the dying woman, blood coated her neck, arms and body as she screamed. It was yet another sight that would return in her nightmares.

The three remaining girls moved on again, Lori holding up a distraught Beth. As the walkers in the area began to surround them, a familiar blue truck drove a slammed to a stop just in front of where they were walking.

"Get in!" Andrea cried as she got out the front door.

"Get Carol!" Lori said as she quickly ushered Beth into the front seat. "She went that way!"

Realising there was no room left in the front, Faye quickly clambered into the back. "I'll be okay back here!" She shouted when Lori gave her a concerned look.

Andrea ran around the truck to get to Carol, shooting two walkers as she did so, and Faye followed her lead and raised her gun once more. As another body fell to the floor, Faye began to worry that she would run out of bullets. This gun could hold, what was it, fifteen rounds? Faye did a count of how many she'd fired in her head before realising she only had four bullets left. Four. She'd wasted at least three.

Now she had to take on a small herd heading towards the truck with a knife and four shots.

Fantastic.

Faye waited until a few of the walkers were closer until she shot them, making sure that they wouldn't be wasted.

Then, she realised as she pulled the trigger, she had just used her last bullet.

The undead began to pile up against the side of the truck, reaching over to try and grab her. Alarmed, Faye back away on her hands and knees until she hit the other side of the truck, until to jump to her feet with a cry as snarls came from that direction too.

It seemed T-Dog and Lori were preoccupied with watching Andrea and Carol until Faye slammed her fist against the back window, reminding them that yes, they were surrounded, and yes, Faye was completely out in the open to get bitten.

Just before T-Dog brought the engine to life, one walker grabbed hold of her ankle, pulling Faye toward it as she fell onto her back. Faye screamed loudly and reached towards her gun, only to remember it was empty. As she reached under her jumper towards the knife, Faye kicked at the walkers head as it reached over and tried to get in the truck. This was a weak walker! She should be able to push it off of her, surely!

Suddenly, there was a heavy jolt as the truck moved forward, pushing against the growing crowd of walkers. Despite the now moving vehicle, the growling walker held on tight and as it was dragged. To her horror, the thin waist of the dead female began to tear, and half it's body was left dangling off the side of the blue truck.

Fumbling to pull the knife out, Faye yanked her ankle out of the walker's grasp and backed up against the window of the truck. It was then she heard Lori shouting at her, but her attention was only taken for a second. The truck swerved suddenly, apparently to avoid getting trapped again, and the walkers body finally ripped in two, the bottom of it's spine sticking out as blood poured into the back of the car.

Faye tightened her grip on the knife as she quickly scrabbled up, preparing to stab the crawling walker.

When it finally reached her, the bony arms failed around, grabbing her left arm as Faye swiped and missed the walkers head, hitting the metal by it's head. Faye brought her arm back up to take another swing just as the walkers hand was about to bite into her arm, growling with an almost-battle-cry as she did so.

With a crack of its skull, the knife plunged into the walkers brain and specs of blood splattered onto Faye's face.

The hand on her arm still gripped on however, and it was clear she hadn't gone far enough into the brain. Pulling the knife back out, the second blow wasn't enough either as Faye finally yanked her arm out the walker's hold, the fingers still twitching.

It took another two hits to completely kill the walker and by that time, the face was unrecognisable. As she pulled it out for the final time, Faye dropped the knife onto the floor of the truck, horrified by the bits of brain sliding off it, by the blood covering her hands.

Gasping for breath, Faye relaxed and let herself fall backwards into a sitting position.

"Faye! Faye!" Lori was still shouting to her, it had barely even registered in her brain. "Are you okay? Are you bit?"

The girl clenched and unclenched her hands repeatedly, adrenaline still running through her veins. "I- I- I killed it!" She called back. "I'm okay, I'm okay." She repeated the line a few times, as if to reassure herself too.

"I'm okay. I'm okay."

Faye spent most of the ride staring at the dead walker's body. It was a horrific sight to say the least.

The girl had curled up in the corner of the truck, near the window, so the blood might not roll over to her. Guts were hanging from the bottom half of its body and the face had been bashed beyond recognition. Faye silently apologised to whoever this woman once was. Nobody deserved to end up like that. She'd never forget them, at least. Hell, they'd probably turn up in her nightmares that night.

Faye also made a mental note to apologise to T-Dog for getting blood all over his truck.

But when she heard engines in the distance, Faye couldn't help but get her hopes up. Lori had made T-Dog turn around to find the others, had the move been worth it?

It had. Maggie and Glenn's green car was up ahead, and in front that was the unmistakable sound of Daryl's noisy motorbike. When T-Dog sounded their horn to grab the cars attention, Carol had turned and waved, smiling. Faye had reached over the side and given a half-hearted wave back with Lori, but was still in slight shock over the events.

When the convoy of cars reached the highway, everyone had smiles on their faces. Lori was reunited with Carl and Rick - who were fine. The Greene's were also back together, other than Patricia and, as it also seemed, Jimmy.

Then, Carol came to the back of the truck to help Faye get out, when she saw the mess that was the dead walker. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Uh..." Faye didn't enjoy recalling the events, so stated the obvious. "Erm, a walker happened."

"Yes, I can see that," Carol looked disgusted by the sight. Faye didn't blame her. It disgusted her too, and the smell was rising. "Come on, let's get you out of there."

Faye nodded. Then Daryl wandered over and he saw the body. "'the hell?"

The girl ignored the look on his face as she spoke. "Can, can you open the end, please?"

He did, and then helped her when she tried to kick the body out the truck. Carol then wiped her face as they went back to the group. Faye talked quietly to T-Dog. "Sorry, I kinda made your truck a mess."

The man turned to her, confused, before glancing back and noticing the blood stained metal. There was a flash of annoyance on his face, but it quickly disappeared. When he spoke, Faye knew he was speaking childishly to cheer her up, but went along with it anyway. "Nah, it'll clean. 'Sides, you showed that thing who's boss right? Handle yourself pretty well."

Faye nodded and smiled back.

"Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked when he finished hugging Lori.

Daryl spoke. "Glenn's got his tail out zig-zagging all over the road. Figured he'd have to be Asian driving like that."

Glenn seemed to be in too good a mood to be mad at Daryl's comment. "Good one."

As the group continued to talk, it was clear some people hadn't made it.

Andrea. Shane. Patricia. Jimmy.

Faye was barely starting to get to know Andrea too, and she'd been right there when she left the truck. Had she died saving Carol? Was she even dead? Faye hoped not. Girl power! Andrea could make it!

"I say head east." T-Dog put forward.

"Stay off the main roads," Daryl agreed as he picked up his crossbow to take out a stray walker. "Bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like this one. I got 'im."

The walker fell back as the arrow pierced it's skull.

Plan made, the group piled back into the cars, Faye now with the Grimes.

With the red car leading, they hit the road.

The cars ran out of gas pretty quickly and people were beginning to panic. It was freezing, there was no shelter and they were low on ammo, the group had everything to be worried about.

Faye, however, felt eerily calm. She'd done enough panicking at the farm to last her a week, so she let the adults battle it out. Maggie wanted to make a run for gas, Rick said no. Glenn said they were stranded, Rick said they weren't. They'd found each other, he said, that they were going to keep together.

That Faye could agree on. They were lucky that they'd found each other, Faye doubted T-Dog could have lasted long with three girls.

Eventually, Rick decided they should set up camp by a stone structure.

Beth spoke to him. "What if walkers come through? Or another group like Randall's?"

"You know I found Randall, right?" Daryl asked Rick. "He turned, but he wasn't bit. We still need t' talk 'bout that." The man gave a nod in Faye's direction. "Faye said her old group worked it out, we all turn. We need t' figure it all out."

Rick gave Faye a look that she wasn't sure how to respond to. "I- I- They- We weren't ever sure, you know. It's not like we could do tests, it might not be true!"

The was a moments silence as Rick seemed to collect himself before speaking.

"It is." The man said, looking down at his feet. "We're all infected."

"What?"

"At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it."

The CDC? Wasn't that the big building in Atlanta that was for medicine? Faye couldn't remember. She didn't know who Jenner was either, but he must've been a doctor or scientist for Rick to believe him so well.

"And you never said anything?" Carol questioned.

"Would it have made a difference?"

No. Maybe. Faye didn't know that either.

Glenn seemed annoyed. "You knew this whole time?"

"How could I have known for sure, that guy was-"

Yeah, Glenn was annoyed. "That was not your call! Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn I told for the good of everyone."

Rick gave him a hard look. "Well, I thought it best if people didn't know."

Faye avoided looking at the man. She'd kind of ruined his plan there.

Rick then walked off and Lori followed him. Faye took her usual place by Carl's side at this point, whenever his parents left him.

Faye noticed that tended to be a lot of the time.

The group were doubting Rick. Doubting his strength, his honour. Keeping that secret hadn't been a good idea.

Luckily for Faye, they weren't mad at her. Why she'd been expecting them to be, she wasn't sure, but she had. The was nothing to worry about in that respect.

However, once the group heard a noise and suddenly wanted to leave in other directions, there was plenty to be worried about. While the adults stood and Rick talked them down, Faye struggled to stay seated next to Carl.

"Do something!" Carol said sharply.

"I am doing something!" Rick said, obviously wanting to shout. "I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people for Christ sake!"

Woah.

Faye wasn't sure how to process that information. Rick had killed Shane. Not a walker, not Randall, not the herd, Rick had. Faye had never liked Shane, but never wished for him to be dead. Faye didn't think she could wish that on anyone.

Everyone was stunned into silence.

"You saw what he was like. How he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us."

Faye definitely saw what Shane was like, if you put it like that.

"He staged the whole Randall thing, lead me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice! He was my friend, but he came after me."

At that point, Carl broke down in his mother's arms. Faye could only watch, unable to comfort her friend. Whether she did or not, Carl liked Shane like a big brother, or something along those lines.

"My hands are clean!"

There was more silence. No one dared to speak.

"Maybe you'd be better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe that's just another dream, maybe, maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you go and find out yourself. Send me a postcard! Go on, there's the door. Let's see how far you get. No takers? Fine! But get one thing straight - if you're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore."

Faye got the feeling that last sentence would have had more effect if she knew what democracy meant.

When no one protested, no one spoke, no one even moved, Faye could tell it was a big deal.

A big deal that had everyone scared. They feared the walkers, feared what was to come, feared for each other.

And right now, they feared Rick.

Author's Notes:

Season Two: Over! Yay for early updates! It's half term break so I've had extra time to write. Thank you for the reviews and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

The next chapter will be out on Sunday so I have some time to work on another story that I've kind of been neglecting :/

Uh, I need sleep. It's quarter to two in the morning here in the UK. I'm off to bed!

So, I'll see you then for Season Three!

Please review, I love to hear your thoughts and advice.

Thanks.

Cobalt Flame.