My first midterms went well today. I think I passed. Just one really hard essay. Sad thing is that the passing grade in my school is a 70, and the essay was worth 35 points, so if I bombed it, I'm dead XD But I'm happy I'm finally getting to write this chapter. I've been procrastinating all day, starting to write another fanfic, although the chapters will be a little shorter than the ones in this story, and also I had a meeting to go too for my church thing, then two hours of dance, then studying, then dinner, and now I am finally writing this at 9:15. And knowing my shitty luck, it will probably not be up until twelve tonight. If I'm lucky.

And I also was on like a two hour call with my friend today to talk about walking dead, and we both think that Bethyl might happen. XD It's a huge possibility. I just love the two of them together. Now, I'm not gonna be doing full length memories anymore because I've gotten up to chapter 20, but I will be posting small glimpses into the past. Just not as long.

This chapter Aria, Scarlett, and Hunter leave the house and go in search for Aria and Scarlett's parents, while maybe there might be a possibility that Hunter could join the family. On the way, they have some…interesting encounters. And Anna and Daryl finally make peace with something they've had to deal with for a long time.

Let's get on with the chapter!

There was always something about a sunrise that sparked hope in Aria. Maybe it was the fact that it was just so bright and it woke you up. Maybe it was the shadow it casts in the morning over the tall trees. But all she knew was that watching it rise made her smile. It gave her courage to go out and find her parents, to be reunited, and then find the rest of the group.

She was not going to let this all go away because of one very stupid and idiotic man that she completely and utterly hated. Utterly hated.

If she came across any of the people that worked for him, she would kill them in a heartbeat. She wouldn't care. They killed half her family. So she would kill them back.

She had become a stone, cold bitch.

But you know what? It was to keep her family alive. And what she was willing to do she would do. No matter what would come her way she would be there to do it.

She was actually sitting on the roof at the moment, glancing at the rising sun in the distance. It was November now, and it was colder in the morning, but she didn't mind. She never got cold. She never got hot. She was neutral. Just herself. Nothing would ever get to her.

She sticks out her hand and snowflakes fly out, dazzling the air with their purity. They fell around her and landed at her feet, making her smile. She still couldn't believe that she could do this.

But hadn't Elsa said that her powers were dangerous as well? That she could hurt someone. Well, she could make a dagger out of ice and stab someone in the back of the head with it. It would hurt, and it would be very painful. She would do that to one of the Governors people.

She had seen enough in NYC to not be afraid of stabbing someone. She had seen plenty. Walking through the ghetto at ten o'clock at night with a hoody on your head automatically makes you part of their society. That's how she had always walked home from some of her friends house when her back wasn't working or her mother was at work. She had always kept a knife in her back pocket. Granted, it was a pocket knife, but it was still a knife that could easily hurt someone if they were to sneak up on her.

Her life had been protected by Joey once.

He had been walking her home and this creepy dude had come up to her, offering her something that she still couldn't remember what it was, because the odor radiating off the man still stuck in her brain. Then he started to touch her in places that she would rather not say, and Joey had punched him in the face. They had run away together to find a safe place before the asshole could come back with a gun pointed to their heads.

She had planned everything out.

Her and Joey would date, and then go to NYU, like her mother had done. She would get her B.A. in Musical Theater and Art, while he would in Directing and Musical Theater as well. They would graduate on the deans list and live in New York City of course. They would live together and succeed. Then he would ask her to marry her, to which she would say yes, and they would get married and have two kids, maybe more.

Yeah, she had planned everything out. She had wanted to be with him. She knew he had been the one, even if they hadn't even gone out. He was everything she ever wanted, and now she was gone.

The woods reminded her of everything that had happened that day. She had been in shock for a week. Her mother had even tried to coax her out by sending her to Time's Square with her friends alone, which she had never done. She still wouldn't have come out of the room. The image of him being torn to pieces haunted her mind. She didn't sleep, didn't watch TV, didn't even talk to her friends. All she did was stare outside at the Central Park landscape from above and think why did this happen to him? What had he ever done to deserve this? Did God really not want her to be happy.

But yet again, she had learned. Life went on. Plus, she had found another reason. Her sister, her parents, even her prison family, Hunter, Carl, bloody Joey. She had found something to live for.

And she was going to keep that something alive until this thing ended. She was not going to succumb to the world that they had been thrown into. She would protect Scarlett and Hunter with every ounce of strength she could, and when she ran out, she would try even harder. She use her powers for good and to help anyone that was in need. She would be the epitome of a mini badass.

And this world was not going to stop her from accomplishing those goals.

The three kids walked along the train tracks later that day. Surely something would lead them to find someone. She couldn't be the only one following these. Well, whatever the case, she and the three were walking along. Aria had her knife out and the two younger ones had their pistols, not both with the sound removed. Aria swore this kid was a genius in a past life or something. No way she would have ever thought of doing that. Hell, she didn't even think you COULD do that.

"Ari? Is your leg feeling all better?" Scarlett asks. Aria looks back for a second and nods, examining the wrapped bandage around her leg. She was wearing some shorts today, since she wanted to be at least a little good looking, even if there was no one around, and everyone could see the dirty bandage clearly. They needed to find new ones though. These would get infected sooner or later.

"It's doing better. You did a good job, Scar. But we're gonna have to find some more later. If we don't, this is gonna get infected with a virus or something. But you did a good job, kid," she chuckles, patting her head.

"Thanks. Mama taught me how to wrap it up nice and tight." Hunter looks at the two girls, his eyes curious and full of wonder.

"Is your mama nice?" he asks honestly. Scarlett turns to him and smiles.

"The bestest!" she replies. Aria's rolls her eyes at her little sisters choice of words. Oh, six year old's. Still didn't know how to talk.

"She's great. Really," Aria says to the boy. "She's been through a lot, but she's powered through all of it. She's not afraid to show people who she really is, and I admire my mother for that quality. Half the time, I might be a little too afraid to say anything , and I wish I could have my mother right beside me, helping me through it, so I just think of her."

"Is she still ok?" he asks. Aria knew he was wondering if she was bit or not. To keep some hope alive in her sister, she nods.

"I'm pretty sure she's still alive, kicking ass and taking names with our dad."

"Is your daddy nice?" he asks. This kid was full of questions. Scarlett nods.

"He taught me how to use a gun! And Aria how to use a crossbow!" His eyes widen slightly, and Aria could see some form of merry in his green eyes.

"A crossbow?" he asks excited. Scarlett nods, a smile on her face. "I've always wanted to use one!" Aria chuckles. If she did bring this kid back, he would freak out of he met Daryl.

"Whoa, are you sure you're able to carry one? You're just eight." He pouts.

"I'm strong! I can carry it!" he says determinedly. Rolling her eyes, she faces forward to the path in front of her, while hearing Scarlett and Hunter converse behind her. Two year age difference? Pshh, big deal. These two had plenty to talk about.

Her thoughts started to drift in and out of the past. Her and her friends. When she found out she got into the high school she had wanted to go to, she had nearly screamed in pleasure and fainted. She smiles at the memory.

"Where the hell is the mailman?" Aria asks nervously, glancing outside the door to their apartment building every once and a while. Anna chuckles and places a hand on her shoulder.

"He'll be here soon, sweetie. But you have to calm down your nerves. It's not going to help you." Both Joey and her friend, Maya, come up and nod.

"Don't stress, Ari. I'm sure you got in," Joey reassures. Maya nods, smiling.

"You probably gave them the best audition out of all the people that auditioned! You were amazing in singing 'Reflection!'" Aria smiles at the girl, but runs her hand through her hair. This was slowly driving her crazy.

A moment later the mailman came in, and her mother had to practically hold her down from attacking the mailbox. When he had left, she runs over and pulls it open, pulling out her letter. She eyes it in her hands, afraid to open it. What if she hadn't gotten in? What if she had to go to public school?

"Aria, just open it!" Maya says, surprising her out of her thoughts. Aria gulps and tears open the envelope. She slowly takes out to letter and begins to skim and read, and tears began to start in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Dear Miss. Williams.

We are pleased to tell you we have accepted you at LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts on a full scholarship. We await your response-

She didn't have to read anymore. She threw the letter up the air and screamed joyfully, running around the lobby, confusing some of the occupants while other's smiled, knowing what she was happy about. "No more PS! I got in!" she screams, practically bouncing off the walls.

Her mother's and Maya's arms go around her in a bone crushing hug, while Joey lays an arm on her shoulder and pulls her close, giving his one arm hug that she loved so much and had grown to love even more.

"It's time to start a new life. Are you ready?" Maya asks. Aria raises an eyebrow.

"Hell yeah!"

She remembered everything about that day. The joyfulness she had felt. The proudness in herself. Also to fact that she was FINALLY getting away from the bullying! She would be FREE! She would be able to go to school and not be afraid of getting picked on! She could be herself again!

She could finally just be her.

But the old her was gone, and was replaced by this hard girl who was ready to survive. But, the old one did come out every once and a while, singing some of her favorite songs to keep her spirt going or her sisters. She had done it last night.

"My papa was never nice to me," she suddenly hears from behind her. Turning her head, she glances at the small boy who was looking down at the tracks. "When he got home, he would drink beer and then beat mama. She would try to protect me but it only got her hurt worse. I would step up so she wouldn't get hurt. Mama was the one who liked me. Papa didn't." Aria stops, her heart breaking at hearing every word in this boy's story.

She walks over to the boy and leans down to his eye level, so they were face to face. "Well, I can tell you that that's not going to happen anymore. And you're not going to be alone. You're going to be fine, and we will keep you alive. Or at least I will." Scarlett glares at her sister and crosses her arms.

"I can too!" she accuses. Aria raises an eyebrow at her.

"You can barely shoot a gun without flinching!" she chuckles. Scar looks down, her cheeks slightly red.

"It's hard," she mumbles. Aria laughs and looks back to the boy.

"Now, we are going to head back out there and keep looking, ok? Just tell me if you need anything and-" Her talking was stopped by the sound of something behind them. Aria turns around, knife ready to throw, when she sees what it is and visibly relaxes.

It was just a dog.

A beagle, to be exact.

"Hey boy," she says carefully, leaning down to it. It pads slowly towards her, trying to see if she would make any moves. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Just want to say hello." She put out her hand and dog walks up to it, sniffing the palm and the fingers, before liking it slightly. Aria smiles. This dog was ok. "Hey, boy. What's your name?" she says when it comes closer. She notices there was a color on it and she saw the name 'Pepper.' "Pepper?" she asks. The dog wags his tail. She smiles. "Interesting name," she chuckles. He licks her face, making her smile and laugh.

"A puppy?" both kids ask. Aria nods, placing the dog's head down. "Can we keep him?"

"I don't know, guys…maybe-" She stops in her tracks, looking at the dog.

Didn't beagles hunt?

"How would you like to come with us?" she asks the dog. He barks in reply. A dog. They had a dog. Who else would they meet trying to find her parents?

She prayed to God neither were allergic.

Anna held Judith close to her later that day. They had gone out earlier to look around the perimeter when Judy had been asleep. But still no sign of her two daughters. Her heart broke at the thought of them.

They should head on the train tracks. She was positive that's where they would be. Maybe even a little farther. She would find them, and everything would be ok. The family would be ok. But then there was the thought of Judith at hand.

Was Rick still alive? And if he wasn't, was she the person taking it on to be the mother? Granted, she did love the baby. But the fact that both her bio parents would be dead hurt her. Especially since Rick was so nice to her and the kids. He was part of the reason they were even allowed in the prison in the first place. The place she had called home.

The prison.

God, just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. All the memories made would be gone. All the time and effort she had put into making that place actually look good would be gone. Her cell. Jesus. She was just happy her notebook-

HER NOTEBOOK.

Sweet baby mother of God she had left her notebook there!

The one thing she had had with her since the beginning of high school she had left in a burning building filled to the brim now with walkers.

She shook her head. She couldn't believe it. She had actually left it. And there was no way in hell she would be getting it back either way.

She glances down at Judith's sleeping form and smiles. She really did miss taking care of babies though.

She did want to have another kid. Just not in this world. But if she was, she would want it to be somewhere safe and sound, not on the road or anything like that. She would want her baby to survive and thrive, just like this little tike had been doing for the past, what, six months now? Seven?

Lil' Ass-kicker.

That name simply made her smile. Only Daryl. She wouldn't even call a kid that and she was very vulgar when it came to nicknames. He would know. Oh, she had a terrible one for him back in high school, but she had ceased and deceased when she went to college. It had been immature…but it was funny as hell at the same time.

She places Scarlett back in the crib in the room and walks over to the kitchen, looking at the note Daryl had left her earlier that day. He had gone out to look for the kids while she helped Judith. Maybe find something to eat later on.

She missed the nights she would spend with him. Just her and him. No one else would be around, no one else would be looking at them. Almost every weekend in high school he would come around her house, usually something in his hand, and the two would just talk for the whole night. There was this one time where had had brought a bottle of alcohol to her house. It had been her first time.

"Jesus, this crap tastes like shit," she chuckles, handing him the bottle. He snickers and takes a full swing, then hands it back to her. "How about we make a drinking game out of it?" she asks. He raises an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"You ask me something about me, and if you get it right, I take a sip, a vice versa." He nods, thinking for a second, and then turning to her.

"Ever failed a test, bookworm?" he teases. She glares at him and takes a sip from the bottle. "No way," he chuckles. She rolls her eyes.

"It was a spelling test in 3rd grade," she mumbles.

"Those don't count!" he replies.

"They do in my book!" She hands him the bottle. "Whatever. Have you ever had sex?" He raises his eyebrows at the question, but sips anyway. Her eyes widen. "With who?" she asks, truly interested. He snorts.

"None of yer business, princess," he says, handing her the bottle. "How about scared the shit out of your parents?" She snorts and takes the bottle, taking a nice long sip.

"Plenty of times…um…what about yours?" The game went on like this for quite a while until both were slightly tipsy. Anna had her head on Daryl's shoulder later on, slowly falling asleep to the sound of the cicadas outside. He turns his head towards hers.

"Tired?" he chuckles. She nods, a yawn escaping her mouth. "Yeah, alcohol will do that to ya."

She smiles and leans against her counter, staring outside the window. It was now almost night. She still hadn't come in contact with the kids. But she would. Sooner or later. They would be reunited. She closes her eyes and sighs, finally feeling at peace for the first time in forever.

That is, until a sharp pain shot through her leg and up her body.

She falls to the ground in pain, looking down at what had just happened. There was a small gash on her other leg now. She had been shot. But-

She was forcefully dragged up by someone who banged her against the wall. Right now, her vision was fucked up. She couldn't see a damn thing. And her knife was all the way at the other end of the kitchen. She was weaponless and this stranger was attacking her.

Except it wasn't a stranger.

"I should have killed you a long time ago," the stranger- a woman- hisses at her. Anna's eyes open and she sees the hard glare of someone she had come to hate .

Carol.

"Why…why are you here!" she struggles against the firm grip the woman has on her, but her leg hurt too much. She could barely move it.

"To finish you off," she says, taking out a knife and putting it against her neck. Anna's eyed widen slightly, but she doesn't show fear. Carol wanted to see fear. She and the Governor would have been perfect for each other. "You know, I knew something was bound the happen between you and Daryl. Something. I could see it from the moment you came. The way he looked at you when he said your name. The kids. He's in love. I knew it. So I knew in order to get him you have to be out of the picture. And now you will be," she says, pressing the knife a little further into her neck.

"Daryl will never love you…why can't you get that through your thick skull!" She felt it penetrate her skin. "Carol, doing this will only make him hate you more. Don't you care about his happiness?" She stops, and Anna inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. "Aren't you his friend? Don't you love him?" She nods slowly. "You want to see him happy, and if you kill me, or you kill the kids, you're taking away his one true happiness. He'll be heartbroken, and never speak to you again. You need to let this go. I know you love him, but he just like you as a friend. A sister. Nothing more, nothing less. And I'm sorry, but I can't help who he falls in love with. Who destiny aligns him with. And it was me. But you can still be there for him and be his friend, not this crazy girl. He told me about who you once were. How loving you used to be to everyone and head strong, now…I think we can get her back."

Carol had stepped away farther for Anna to place her hand on her leg and grab a knife from behind, to hide it quickly behind her back.

"This can all be solved. We can figure this out together." Carol looks at her, and for a moment, she thought that she had actually given in and tried to compromise this, but a second later she pulls out her knife again.

"I'd much rather kill you. You're kind of a bitch." She backs her up again and tries to stab her, but not before both hear the safety of a gun being slipped off. Both women turn to look at the person, and Anna sighs with happiness.

Daryl.

"Carol, get away from her. Now." He wasn't messing around. He was not going to let his wife get killed because of this crazy bitch. She was not the Carol she used to be. He had heard the whole speech Anna had said, but he knew that she was far too deep to even come back.

"Daryl…I liked you first," she whines. "I was with you through all of this. I love you," she says, coming closer to him, but he just backs up and keeps the gun pointed.

"I don't love ya. I never have. Ya were my friend, but I guess that's down the drain now too, ain't it?" he growls. Carol stares at him like she's been slapped, but looks down for a second.

"Fine," she whispers, looking back up at him. "If I can't have you, neither can she," she growls, racing over to Anna. She aims her knife above Anna's heart and was about to plunge it deep before she is rocketed by two separate things.

Gun shots.

And a stab to the stomach.

Carol drops to the ground in agony, and Anna runs over to Daryl, who takes her in his arms. "Are ya ok?" he asks, looking for any wounds. He sees the gun wound on her leg and glares at it, but she brings her hand up to his chin and forces him to look her in the eyes.

"I'll be ok," she whispers, kissing his cheeks softly. She then grabs the pistol from his hands and looks at the woman practically drowning in her own blood. She walks-no, limps- to her. Carol looks up, her eyes closed.

"Daryl," she whimpers. She must have thought her boots were Daryl's. She scoffs.

"Shut up," she says, pointing the gun at her head. She pulls the trigger and a bullet goes through her skull, ending her life there.

Carol was gone.

She looks to Daryl and she grins stupidly, but leans against the wall, her vision suddenly going blurry.

"Anna?" Daryl asks, coming over to her concerned. She swallows and breathes. In and out.

"I'm…ok. Gun…shot." He nods and takes her in his arms bridal style up to their room, leaving the body of Carol behind them. They would deal with that in the morning.

She feels like she is going to pass out, so before this happens, she snuggles a bit into his chest and closes her eyes, smiling a bit.

Ding, dong, the witch is dead.

I wish that would happen in the show. So now Carol is officially gone and all the crazyness she brought. So next chapter I think the family will reunite…but maybe not. Maybe something else is coming…you never know. Gotta read to find out. I'm just happy I finished this chapter XD Hope you enjoyed! REVIEW PLEASE! :)