Chapter 16

It seemed like it had taken hours to find their way back to the highway, Sam thought as she moved into a more comfortable position on the back seat of Shane's truck. They had not spoken a word to each other since fleeing the herd ridden farm, not knowing who of their loved ones had made it out alive.
Sam and Shane were the first ones at the highway, and they sat in silence waiting for the others to join them. She was watching Shane from the back seat, his actions speaking louder than words ever could. He was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he was thinking the same thing she was – it shouldn't be taking this long to meet up. He was also biting his other hands finger nails, he was nervous and scared – a side of Shane Sam saw rarely.

After all that the two of them had been through – the lies, the fights and the betrayal, Sam could not forget the connection they had once shared – an attraction she could not shake and probably would never be able to shake. Once you found a connection with someone, either physically or mentally, can you really ever just get rid of it?

Sam's thoughts were lost when they heard a car engine coming from the distance, both of them instinctively bending down low, just in case it was not one of their own.
"Thank god" Shane said to himself as quickly made his way out of the car. Carl sprinted towards his Dad's best friend who over the last few months had been a second father . Sam slowly made her way out of the car, trying not to worsen her injury and slumped against the side of the car watching the embrace between Shane and Rick. Once Carl had let go of Shane, he stood back up and the two best friends nodded at each other, obviously thank full to see the other one was alive yet there was still tension.

Hershel had made his way over to Sam immediately, choosing to ignore Shane's presence – he still hadn't had forgiven or forgotten about the barn yard massacre. As Hershel checked Sam's stitches, he asked her if she had seen his daughters, if they had gotten out. Unfortunately Sam hadn't had seen where any of her friends had gone because everything had happened so quick, it was all a blur.
Sam also asked to Carl who Tom and his little sister Claire were with, but all he could do was shrug and turn back to his Dad.
After Hershel had left Sam, Shane walked back over to his truck and leant next to her, rubbing his forehead.
"Thank you" Sam said out of the blue, making Shane look at her from the corner of his eyes "I know you got me out of there alive when you didn't have to. You could have just left me to fend for myself and gone off to find Lori... because I know that's what you would have wanted to do" Sam said rather honestly.
Shane kicked a few small rocks by his feet, looking down at them but shook his head "You were my priority then Sam; Lori had Rick to look after her. "
Sam knew how much it hurt for Shane to admit that. He loved Lori but she was married to his best friend, which in the end has ruined their friendship. Sam laid her hand gently over his and he looked up at her.
"I know sometimes we don't see eye to eye , but I know that in the end you will do the right thing"
Shane bowed his head back down in shame, if only she knew what kind of a man he really was. Sam removed her hand from his, placing it cautiously on her stomach and winced.
"What is it?" he asked with concern. Sam shook it off as it were nothing and both their heads popped up again, as they heard more cars coming towards them.
Lori, Beth and T dog in one car while Glenn, Maggie, Tom and Claire were in the other. Sam's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, the face she wanted so desperately to see was not there. Everyone warmly embraced the other, Lori cradling Carl and her husband, Hershel with his two daughters while Claire ran to Sam, latching onto her legs while Shane put his hand on Tom's shoulder, watching his little sister cry with happiness that Sam was safe.

As the minutes passed by and as night began to darken, the others began to talk of their new plan
"We're not going anywhere until Daryl has come back!" Sam argued as Lori suggested they move off the highway and to somewhere safe.
"I'm sorry Sam but we have to leave, it's not safe here" Lori replied in a condescending tone. Just as Sam was about to give Lori a piece of her mind, a sweet sound echoed throughout the air. Daryl casually drove his bike up to the group with Carol leant up behind him, as if nothing had happened. Sam felt tears of joy beginning to form in her eyes as Daryl hopped off the bike but a tinge of jealous crept up on Sam as he helped Carol by holding her hand. As soon as she had felt it, it was soon gone because Daryl dropped Carols hand and his eyes fell upon her with a look of relief. Their bodies collided roughly and Sam shut out the pain coming from her stomach. Her arms were around his neck and she was nuzzled into his stubble while Daryl's arms were wrapped around Sam's back, nearly lifting her off the ground.
"I thought I had lost you" Sam whispered into his neck and he shook his head "I told ya before, I'm never leavin' ya again".

By the time Sam had woken up, it was the next morning and she was lying across in the back seat of Shane's truck again. They had decided to get off the highway, taking short cuts where they could to try and find a safe place to bunker down. Sam had stayed with Shane because there was not much more room with any other vehicle.
"Where are we?" She asked groggily, sitting up and peered outside Shane's window "Your guess is as good as mine" He half joked. Sam lightly giggled manovering her body over the back seat and into the front passenger. Sam looked ahead and saw Daryl was leading the group but for some reason, Carol was on the back of his bike again. She understood that Daryl had saved her at the farm but was it really necessary for her to ride with him again. Sam huffed aloud, taking Shane off guard and he looked to what she was annoyed at.
Shane grinned at Sam then back to the road ahead of them "It sucks seeing the one you love with someone else, doesn't it?" His smile softened and then faded away. Sam wasn't sure what he was getting at; did Shane mean Lori and Rick or her and Daryl? She studied him for a few seconds trying to see if there were any clues hidden over his face but he wasn't giving away this time.

The next time the group pulled over, they had found a short cut through some bush on the highwayswhich lead up to a hidden road. As Sam and Shane got out of the truck, they studied the old two story building in front of them. There was a sign which read 'South Rein Motel' and it looked like any other motel you would usually see – nothing special about it all. The whole area was overgrown with bush and mud, definitely needed a good clean up but as everyone knows, the world has gone to shit so no one really gave a too hoots about that kind of thing anymore.

Daryl came to Sam's side as the grownups huddled together while Carol went and sat in Lori's car with Carl, Tom and Claire.
"We need to check this place out, if we're lucky its okay and we can stay here for a bit til we figure out our next move" Rick suggested and no one argued, they were all too tired and just wanted to rest. The men decided it would be best if the women and kids stayed back in the cars as they went and further investigated the abandoned motel to make sure they were alone. Daryl had given Sam his trusty hunting knife as she headed back to Shane's truck, and she watched him from the passenger seat as he and Glenn disappeared behind a corner, Rick and Shane took another and T –Dog and Hershel went into the lobby area.

It was eerie and quiet waiting for the all clear in the car as Sam looked over to where Lori and Carol had the kids. Her eyes lay back on the motel, waiting to see Daryl and the others reappear so she could get out and stretch again, her stitches were starting to annoy her with every movement she made. Sam turned to the side as she heard a door open and someone was running. Claire was at her door within seconds and Sam opened it quickly, pulling the little girl onto her lap. Lori had managed to shut the door before Tom could run after his sister and held her hand over his mouth so he wouldn't shout.
"What are you doing little one?!" Sam said in a hushed tone. Clair simply smiled and hugged her hard "I just wanted to sit with you" Sam sighed, patting her blonde curls.

A few minutes passed and Sam heard a familiar noise coming from the back of the car. She hesitantly looked behind and saw about 10 or so Walkers, surrounding the parked cars. Sam lowered her body as a Walker came past the driver side window and quietly told Claire to hop under the seat as she cautiously peered over at the other car, who were aware of what was happening. Sam had no idea how to inform the men without causing a commotion – she thought about beeping the horn, but that was just a death wish. She bent down lower, holding in the pain spiralling up from her wound, trying to pick up the knife she had placed in the side of her ankle boots. Then Claire let out a tiny squeal, giving the Walker next to the window a reason to turn and look at them. He snarled against the window, bearing his brown rotting teeth. And that was it.
It began hitting at the window, trying to break it. Then she heard the rest of them, snarling and grunting at the other car and Sam knew they didn't have a choice but make a run for it... well at least Claire could make a run for it.
"Claire bear, I'm going to open the door and you need to run as fast as you can! Do ya hear me?" Claire nodded frantically and Sam took a deep breath, opening up the back door "NOW RUN!".
Sam saw the little blonde head run past the other cars, towards the bush area behind the motel with a Walker noticing and taking after her.
Sam slammed the door shut just as another Walker got to her, so now she had two walkers trying to get into the car. Sam picked up the knife, placing it to her chest and held her eyes shut for second, plucking up the courage to run after Claire.

Sam sprung into action when she heard Claire screaming and bolted out of the car , shoving the knife into the forehead of the Walker coming at her.
"CLAIRE!"
Sam was busy fighting off the second Walker when she saw Tom sprinting in the direction of his sister, leaving the car door wide open with Lori, Carol and Carl.

Daryl and Glenn heard the screaming, turning their heads back in the direction of the cars when someone crept up behind them and they turned around, instinctively holding up their weapons.
"They're alive" the voice said with disbelief.
Daryl lowered his cross bow as he was then joined by Rick and Shane "There are Walkers out front, hurry!" Rick yelled to his men, ignoring the presence of the 4 strangers in the room - staring at them wide eyed and confused.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Tom's yells echoed and Sam looked up in time to see him run and grab onto a Walker who was about to bite into his little sister who had fallen to the ground.
"RUN CLAIRE!" He yelled, tackling the Walker to the ground who was more than half his size. Claire scrambled to her feet and ran towards a tree, not looking behind her. Sam hit the Walker on top of her in the side of the head with her knife and it fell, snarling. She got to her feet and quickly slammed the knife into its skull, looking up as Daryl's cross bow hit a Walker who had snuck up behind her in the middle of the temple.
Sam saw Tom couldn't hold the Walker off anymore, he was too weak for it. The Walker ripped into Tom's throat and he screamed out in agonising pain.
"TOM!" Sam heard Carl cry in the distance as Rick came to his families side, shooting Walkers as they came at them.

Daryl sprinted towards Tom, grabbing arrows from his back pocket and aimed them at the Walker who continued to rip into the young boys flesh. The Walkers limb body fell on top of Tom as the arrows hit directly at the back of the skull and Daryl pulled it off him, but it was too late. Tom lay with his eyes open, no heart beat with blood everywhere.
Daryl paused, shaking his head – if only he had gotten there a few seconds earlier "Claire!" Sam's voice broke through his mind and he turned to see the young blonde girl trying to not have her leg scratched at by a Walker who had ran after her up the tree.

Daryl felt around for an arrow, but he had used the last one up so he went to take out his hunting knife but it wasn't there. Of course, he had given it to Sam!
He ran up behind the Walker, dragging it away with its feet as Sam made it over to them as Daryl fought away the teeth trying to bite into him. Sam threw herself on the Walker, letting go off the knife so Daryl could stab in through the eye.

Daryl pulled Sam up from the ground, holding her in his arms "Are ya alright?" he asked. She nodded in their hug and pulled back to look into his eyes "I'm fine".

The two turned towards the tree where Claire held onto a trunk, still petrified at the dead walker at their feet.
Daryl cautiously moved towards her, his arms out wide "It's okay Claire, you're safe. I promise". Claire hesitated at his bloodied hands but gradually climbed down the trunk and he took her from the tree, hushing to her as she sobbed into his shoulder.
Sam sadly smiled at Daryl when he looked at her, and wiped a tear that came down her face when she saw in the distance Tom's lifeless body.
Claire looked up at Sam "Where's Tommy?" she asked. Daryl and Sam shared a look as she moved closer to them
"He's gone to be with your Mummy and Daddy Claire bear" Sam said, rubbing the child's back thoughtfully.

Claire nodded and began to suck her thumb, but then looked down at Sam "You're hurt". Daryl and Sam looked at her stomach, her stitches had come out and there was some blood.
"It's okay Claire, it's just a bit of blood" Sam told her, wiping the blood from her wound but Claire shook her head.
"Noooooo your pants!" Claire pointed this time to the blood patch on Sam's upper leg area. Daryl dropped Claire to the ground gently, moving to Sam who was staring at the blood in shock. Their eye's met and they both knew what it was.

Next time...

Do you think the baby will survive? If not, how will Sam and Daryl cope?

Also

Who are the new people? Will they let them stay?

Authors Note - I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, what did you think of Tommy's death?

I'm bringing in 4 new characters, any suggestions? I would love to hear what kind of characters you'd like to see.

As always, I love reading your reviews! it keeps me motivated :) so please review!