AN: I had a specific outline for this chapter, but with the responses I've gotten, I'm taken a different route and I hope it's good. Some stuff may be a little…gruesome, but I don't think it's too bad. This chapter is also little longer, but there's a lot going on. The reviews have been kind. KEEP THEM COMING. Thanks. :D

Also, I would really like a cover picture for the story. If anyone has ideas, send them to me.

Chapter 4

Driving through town was disturbing. There were bodies on the sides of the streets and houses burnt down. Some people were roaming the streets but I couldn't tell if they were diseased or just in shock. I looked in my review mirror every few seconds to make sure Callie was still following me. She would look to the left at the houses then look forward. I could see her wipe a stray tear or two as her father put his arm around her.

In the distance, I could see the school. Cars were strayed everywhere; some black as coal and others simply abandoned. I swerved my way through until we reached the main entrance. I pulled as close to the door as I could, leaving Callie room to pull up beside me. I doubled checked around my car and the parking lot before getting out. Callie and Carlos followed me up the stairs, regrouping at the top.

Callie looked at me nervously. "So…do we have a plan or are we going in blind?"

I thought for a minute. "I think we should just go straight towards the band room and…we can deal with whatever gets in our way."

"How?"

"I don't know okay!" Callie stepped back at my sudden outburst. " Look, let's just get these guys out."

"Sure. You first." She threw her hand in front of her, signaling for me to go.

I pulled back the doors and looked down the hallway. There were papers flying in the wind and bloody handprints on the walls. I stepped inside and looked around to see there was no one in sight so I motioned for Callie and her dad to fall behind. Callie grabbed my hand and I lead her through the hall until we came to some scattered glass on the floor. I looked to the wall and saw that someone had broken the emergency box. It usually has a hatchet and a fire extinguisher. Not too far from the box laid that very hatchet. Letting go of her hand, I jumped over and picked it up. I turned it in my hands a couple of times and looked towards Callie. She looked to her dad who stepped up next to me.

"I'll take that." He put his hand out.

I looked at him and gripped the hatchet tighter. "I can handle it."

"Arizona." He said firmly.

I looked at Callie who is seemed uncomfortable before saying, "Arizona. Maybe you should let him take it."

"I know how to use tools Callie."

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I can do this." I turned from Callie to her dad. "You guys coming?"

Callie shook her head, "Yeah."

I could hear her dad sigh heavily as we continued through the school. The band room was another left and down the steps. We can make it.

As we turned the corner, I could see the stairs. I looked both ways four or five times before stepping out. I raise the hatchet to my chest as I felt my heart beat speed up. Callie had her hands tangled up in the back of my shirt, holding on tightly. Carlos was in the back, making sure no one attacks us from behind. I peeked over the steps and saw to figures lying on the floor beside the doors. I stopped to figure out what to do. Callie gazed over my shoulder and began to shake. "Is that Webber and Ms. Stevens?" I squinted my eyes and it did seem to be Webber's jacket and Steven's clipboard not too far from a blonde-haired woman. Callie began to cry. "What is this?!"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Come on."

We moved down the stairs and around the teachers' bodies. I didn't want to check them or their pulse because I was afraid they would be diseased so we went straight to the doors. It had the fire extinguisher stuck between the silver handles. I removed it and opened the doors. On the opposite side of the room was a group of our friends huddled together. Initially, I thought it was just Derrick, Meredith, and April, but I could see there was many others in the room. Along with them was Jackson, Stephanie, and Jo. How are they all going to fit? Derrick was the first to stand up. He had a Hockey stick in his hand which he must have gotten from the gym. Callie ran over to hug April and Jo.

"Arizona! Thank god. We tried to get out but…"

"This was in the door?" I held up the fire extinguisher.

"Did you see Webber or Stevens?"

I lowered my head. "They're outside on the…the floor. I don't think they're alive."

Derrick looked over my shoulder then shook his own head before meeting my eyes. With a serious tone he tried to keep his emotions aside. "You have transportation right?"

"Yeah, but it's just Callie's car and mine. I'm not sure we have enough room."

"There's only…one…two…" He began to count. "Nine people? Your car fits five and Callie's has an extra three seats in the back."

"The back row is filled with food and our bags."

"I'd really hate to go running around the lot to find my car or have us spread out for another ride. This will work."

I took a deep breath and released it with my response. "Alright, let's move."

Derrick turned towards everyone else. "It's gonna be a tight fit, but we have to make this work. Jackson, Stephanie, April, and Jo will ride in Arizona's car, me and Meredith will ride with Callie and Mr. Torres."

Everyone shuffled uneasily, but I knew they wanted out of here. Groups formed as he stood at the doors. Derrick stood in front of his group, stick at the ready. Jackson and I stood in front of ours, me with the hatchet, Jackson with one of the school's baseball bats. We slowly walked out before hearing a groaning noise come from beside us. We all simultaneously glanced at Webber's body. He was beginning to stand up and so was Ms. Stevens. I knew something was up. "Everybody back up, but keep an eye out behind you too." As they stood up, I knew they were not themselves. Their faces were dismembered and they began to foam at the mouth. "GO!" We got up the stairs only to have the teachers right behind us, leaving a path of their own blood and saliva. "April! Take these!" She looked back and I tossed my keys to her.

Stephanie tripped over someone's feet and landed right in the path of these now monsters. Jackson and I fell back and got ready. Webber came up first, trying to grab her feet. Jackson swung into is stomach, causing him to bend over. I added a bunt hit with the end of the hatchet to his chest. I then gave a round house kick to his face to finish. He fumbled backwards down the stairs. I hated this. I never wanted to hurt Webber, but I knew he wasn't himself. Stevens was catching up to us, but we had enough time to scoop Stephanie up and get out.

As we made it to the entrance, I could see Derrick holding the doors open. "Come on, Come on!" Stevens was still behind us and too close for my comfort. We dove for the open doors, landing outside on our backs. Derrick and Carlos closed the doors, Ms. Stevens' face smashing against the tiny window in the middle. Shepard squeezed the fire extinguisher in the handles. We waited to see if it held. Stevens slammed up against the doors, but they didn't budge. "Guess that does work." Shepard commented.

Derrick ran to get in the back of Callie's car. I glanced into the driver's side to see her face covered in tears and her chest fall from relief. I pass the opened passenger's door of my car, April in my driver's seat. She gave me a confused look before yelling at me, "Arizona! Get in!"

I walked over to Callie's window and made her roll it down. She leaned through the door and grabbed my face, bringing my lips to hers forcefully. After pulling back, she wiped the tears from her eyes, "Don't do that again, please." I nodded and pulled her in for a hug. Her arms were extremely tight around my neck, but I knew she was scared and I didn't mind. I drew back from the car. "Where did Aria go this morning?" She gave me a confused look. "Joe's Café. Why?"

My chest heaved as I was caught my breath from my fight with Webber happened. "Okay, so we're going to Joe's. We don't have much time though. They're still evacuating the city and we need to hurry."

She nodded. "What about your parents? Should we stop by the base or your mom's shop?"

I took a moment to ponder the idea. Trying to sound tough, I responded, "No, we don't have time." I started to walk away when she grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Arizona. It's your parents, we'll make time." Her voice sounded sincere and humble.

"They're probably not even alive."

"Don't say that. We'll go look for them too." She took my hand and squeezed it.

I whispered to her, "Okay. I'll tell April to stop at Joes, you follow."

"Sounds a like a plan." She gave me a half-hearted smile. It was the closest thing to a smile I've seen since yesterday and it made me forget about this disaster for the moment.

I pushed a strand of silky brown hair behind her ear and give her one last kiss. I wanted to say it; the three words I've wanted to say since I first met Callie. This wasn't the right time though. It needed to be special, and standing in the middle of a diseased-filled Seattle wasn't ideal.

I hopped into the passenger's seat of my car and turned so I was facing everyone in the car. "Listen guys. We're going to stop at Joe's to see if Aria is there. She left this morning for coffee and they haven't been able to reach her. After that, we're stopping by my mom's shop and the base to see if my dad is there. I know we have a small time frame, but the stops are on the way to the evacuation site, east of Seattle."

They all nodded in agreement of the plan. I looked to April, "Okay, you're leading. Let's go!" I buckled up and waited for her to start the car. When I noticed she was frozen in her seat, I turned to her. "Kepner, let's get this show on the road."

She shifted for a minute before speaking up. "I failed my driver's Ed exam."

"You have got to be kidding…" I flung my door open, jogged to the other side, opened her door, and waited for her to get out so I could take the wheel. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a large mass approaching us. A large group of sick people moaned and marched towards the school parking lot. "Shit! Kepner hurry up, we got a flock of them behind us." I got the other car's attention and pointed behind them. Callie focused her rearview mirror then dropped her jaw before starting her car. I turned the key and hit the gas, swerving out of the lot, Callie on my tail.

A few miles down the road, the streets were clearer. We had lost the massive group of infected and we only saw a few every other block. Joe's wasn't too far and I was hoping it would be safe. I wanted to find my parents and get the hell out of here, but I know how much Callie wants to find her sister. Even though Aria is an ass, Callie looked up to her at times.

Coming up on Joe's, I realize that there are cars parked right in front, blocking the entrance. I pulled up a little further and noticed the alley beside the building was empty so I parked there. I saw Callie drive past the alley and park on the sidewalk. I turned around to face my friends.

"Jackson, you and Stephanie go and guard the back entrance. Alert us if anything comes our way. Jo, guard the front with April. Everyone find something to as a weapon for protection."

Jackson and Stephanie got out. Jackson leaned in to say, "We got you Robbins."

Jo got out and went around to April's door to drag her to the sidewalk in front of the café.

As I was walking up, Callie came up beside me. "What's our plan?"

"I got Avery and Steph in the back, Jo and April guarding front, which Meredith could also do. You, your father, Derrick, and I are going in. You need something to protect yourself with."

I looked around and saw a crow bar lying beside a car with a broken window. Not too far from that was a bloody hunting knife. I handed the knife to Meredith and tossed the crow bar to Callie. Derrick handed Jo and April a couple of bats he pulled from Callie's car. I went down the side walk checking the glove departments before striking gold; a gun. I know Carlos should take this, but I didn't want to give it up. I stuck it in my pants before getting back to the group. I looked around and notice Carlos had obtained some sort of sharp stick and Stephanie was walking off with a hammer.

"Let's go." I announced.

Derrick fell beside me, Callie behind me, and her father watching our back. I slowly opened the door. There were bodies everywhere, but none seemed to be moving. I turned around and motioned my finger over my lips to keep quite. I slid in, keeping my body against the wall. Looking over the tables, none of the ones on the ground resembled Aria. I could hear Callie's heaving breathing over Derrick as we moved around. Moans began to form from the bodies. Damn it. I pointed towards the counter and quietly jogged over, the others following. We all ducked down as one of the people from the floor stood up. I motioned my hand for them to stay down. Where are you Aria? As that thought crossed my mind, I glance towards the back and notice the bathroom signs. That's it. Again, I motion for them to stay.

I lean over to Derrick. "I'm going to check the bathrooms. Stay down and stay quite. If they see you, do whatever it takes to protect her." I nodded towards Callie. I then turned to her and gave her a quick kiss. She watched as I crawled towards the bathrooms. She tried to come after me, but I saw Derrick and father pull her back.

Entering the girls' bathroom, I stand up and start with the first stall. I kick it in, trying not to make much racket. After the third stall, there was only three left, then the handicap. I tired one more. Come on Aria. I stood in front of the next door. I bent down to see feet shaking at the bottom along with whimpers. I opened the door up and drew back my hatchet. There on the floor was Aria Torres, healthy but terrified.

"Arizona!" She jumped into my arms.

"Shhh. Those things are everywhere and attracted to sound." Just as I said that, one bumps into the bathroom door and begins to move towards us. I drew back my weapons before letting it fly. The blunt end hit the creature in the face, knocking it into the stall. I knew that gave away our position. I grabbed Aria and ran into the main part of the shop just in time to see Derrick Shepard swing at an infected middle-aged guy.

"I got her, come on!" Everyone ran towards the door.

Once we were out, Derrick and I shut the doors with his bat. He turned to April and snatched the bat from her hands and walked towards the cars. I turned around to see Callie and her father hugging Aria.

"Aria, you're okay!" Callie exclaimed.

Jackson ran up from behind the building. "Guys! We got another group coming, hundreds of them!"

We jumped into the cars and floored it. I was nervous about leaving someone, but I think we all managed to get in one of the cars. Callie was in front so I followed. I knew she was taking us in the right direction to the evacuation area.

We passed the turn for the base so I glanced back as we drove by. Out of a group of turned over cars, I see a truck that looks familiar. That's my dad's truck! I swerve and turn around in the middle of the road. Jackson spoke up. "What are you doing?!"

"That's my dad's truck over there!" I look in my mirrors to see Callie turning around as well.

Pulling up beside the truck, I don't see him at first. "Keep it running." I said as I hopped out of the car.

I began to roam around my dad's truck. Nothing. I got on my stomach and looked inside of the turned vehicle. The seats were bloody, but still no sign of him.

I heard Jackson running up from the other side. "Arizona look out!"