Wow, another chapter? Who would have thought?

Hey again, hope you're all doing well. Can't say that I've been great with my uploads, but at least it hasn't taken a month to get it out *cough cough* unlike last time *cough cough*.

A big thank you to Cassange, Lykae'Sky, Simone140089, BloodBlackAlchemist, Cap3r, and elisamiller93 for favouriting/following the story. While my updates are rather random and unpredictable, I still very much appreciate the support. This goes out to everyone else who has continued this journey with me as well :)

In terms of reviews,

devoncarman: once again, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the previous chapter! Glad to hear you like the nickname Daryl gave Scarlett as well, it's a little bit of something that they can share together. Plus, he's probably gonna be the only one to refer to her like that anyways lol. Sadly, I decided to end the chapter with them just getting to the C.D.C. but I am attempting to brainstorm some stuff for the next chapter with all the drinking and such. As for later episodes, I have sections and big plot points already set up for the seasons to come. Its the stuff in between that's gonna require my attention lol. I'm looking forward to writing season two, so please stay tuned! Again, thank you so much for the support :D

I don't really have anything else to talk about here, other than that my drive to write for this story over my other one has been insanely strong, so hopefully they'll be more consistent updates. (fingers crossed)

Enjoy the chapter~

Scarlett's Perspective

The light from the rising sun irritated the inner workings of the paramedic's mind, a splitting headache beating away behind her skull. The redhead figured that it derived from her lack of sleep over the past few days, but running on low energy was something she was accustomed to. Back when society was still functioning normally, Scarlett would work shifts that lasted over forty-eight hours, only having small catnaps in the middle. The fatigue she was feeling now was nothing unfamiliar.

Packing up the camp had been a lot less tedious than what everyone had expected, spending only a few hours that morning to take down tents and load up the cars. As much as it was a little sad to see their camp return to it's natural state, Scarlett couldn't wait to get on the road. She wanted a safe haven just like everyone else did, and hopefully it could be found at the C.D.C.

With her pack resting on the ground next to her, Scarlett was crouched close to the earth as her back rested against the warm metal of the RV. She could hear Jim coughing horrendously from the inside, a few gasps and moans of pain reaching her ears every now and then. It was safe to say that getting him to the C.D.C in time was a far away dream at this point, let alone if they had a cure or not. His fever was worse than ever, coughing fits had become a regular occurrence that usually ended up with the man spitting out blood, and half the time he wasn't even fully coherent. His delirium was making it difficult for her to even have a normal conversation with him, let alone attend to him when half the time he wouldn't tell her what was the matter. The symptoms were starting to get to him mentally, and it is extremely difficult for someone to come back once they decided they were screwed overall. In other words, it appeared as though he was coming to terms with his demise.

Scarlett scratched at her hands in annoyance, her anxieties much higher than they should be. She decided to blame that on her lack of sleep as well, and not what was lurking in the back of her mind. They had enough to worry about as it was, and she was not about to let her mind play tricks on her.

"Alright. Everybody, listen up."

At the sound of Shane's voice, Scarlett rolled her head to the side to peer towards where the group had gathered. She caught Glenn's eye, who ushered her over to take part of the conversation and precautions the former officers were about to dish out. A soft sigh left her mouth as she stood up, her muscles not feeling as achy as they had originally, which made her feel a little less cranky.

It was only when Scarlett shuffled over to join the others that Shane began his little speech.

"Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40," he stated, looking around at the group. "Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

Scarlett glanced over at the line of cars that the group would be taking to the C.D.C. As far as she knew, she'd be ridding in the RV with Dale, Glenn, Jim, and Jacqui. She was thankful to the other woman, who had been looking after Jim in her place when something else would come up that required her attention. In terms of the arrangements made for everyone else, Scarlett wasn't too sure.

"We're, uh, we're not going."

Looking up in surprise, the paramedic's eyes landed on Morales and his family, who clung to each other in order to stay close.

"We have family in Birmingham," his wife clarified. "We want to be with our people."

Their words made perfect sense, considering how precious all family was in these times, but Scarlett still felt her heart drop. It would be a shame to watch them go, but it wasn't anyone's decision to make but their own.

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane stated, eyeing the family carefully.

"We'll take the chance," Morales replied, glancing at the others. "I got to do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"We talked about it. We're sure."

"All right," Rick muttered, looking over at his partner. "Shane."

"Yeah, all right."

Scarlett looked over at Glenn, who appeared even more down than she felt. Though, when the two officers pulled out a gun and handed it over to Morales, a bit of the blue feeling in her chest subsided, knowing that they'd at least have a weapon for protection. The man had a wife and two children for god sakes, it was the least the group could do for them.

Morales looked a bit surprised, but thankful for the gesture.

"The box is half full." Shane informed the other man, referring to the small box of ammo they had handed to Morales as well.

Almost missing the huff of annoyance that came from off to her right, the redhead glanced over at Daryl. The younger Dixon didn't look pleased that they were handing out ammo to the family, the irritation obvious on his face. She understood where he was coming from; they'd gone through hell to get the bag of guns and ammo back in Atlanta and the two officers appeared to be handing the supplies out like candy, but for all the things Morales and his family had done for the group, they sure as hell had earned their keep as far as Scarlett was concerned and she hadn't even been with the group for that long.

However, she was thankful that he wasn't being vocal about it for the time being. He was letting everyone in the group say goodbye to Morales and his family without any comments leaving his lips. As Glenn patted her on the shoulder to let her know that he was going to say his own goodbye to the family, Scarlett was relieved when she finally caught Daryl's eye amongst the soft crying and embraces that surrounded them. Mouthing a quick 'thank you' to him, he appeared to understand what she was referring to, but did nothing else to show that he was happy about the situation at hand, which he didn't need to be. The respect he was showing, however, was exactly the side of him that Scarlett was attempting to get to know better, and that was why she'd offered for him to join her up on the roof of the RV the night before.

In all honestly, she'd felt kind of stupid for offering the man the company when he clearly didn't want any. For her, Scarlett was okay with company as long as she knew the person for a long enough period of time or saw that they were a genuine person deep down. While the situation they were in tended to reveal the inner self of everyone involved, the reason she'd bonded so well with some people was because she saw they had pure intentions. Take Glenn, for example, who was a scrawny Asian boy her age who had a sarcastic streak in him, but was a sincerely kind guy. Both her and Rick had seen that the day he'd stuck his neck out for them back in Atlanta. Hell, it took years for Scarlett to open up to the Grimes' family, along with Shane, who had reached out to her on several occasions but she quickly dismissed them as pity. It was only when Lori had practically dragged both the sisters to dinner with them that Scarlett saw their intentions. They were a kind family who were simply curious about them, no pity or attempt to understand what had happened in their home. They simply wanted a conversation, and that's what Scarlett gave to them. It was the best decision she ever made.

While she was friendly with everyone in the group, she was only truly close with Glenn, Shane, and the Grimes' family. She didn't know Dale that well, apart from the small conversations they'd have in the morning or over dinner. She hadn't spoken a word to Andrea since Amy had been bitten, wanting to give the woman space before approaching her. She only knew Jacqui, T-Dog, and Morales from when they had been stuck in Atlanta, and Jim had only spoken to her when he was bitten. Carol and Sophia had never spoken a word to her, and while she wanted to approach them, her abusive husband Ed had been in the way. Scarlett had only realized later on that Ed had been one of the unlucky ones to get bit and eaten by walkers. While the horrid man had only been gone roughly two days, Scarlett could already see more life in both Carol and Sophia. The redhead wanted to have a conversation with both of them, provide some sort of comfort if she could. She didn't know much about their family situation, but it was pretty obvious from where she stood. All she wanted was to hear things from Carol's perspective.

And then, of course, there was Daryl. In all honestly, when she'd first met him, he seemed like Merle 2.0. He was loud and abrasive, not giving a shit about what anyone else had to say. The man would barely listen to reason, though he appeared to know his limits, unlike his older brother.

It was only when they got to Atlanta that Scarlett began seeing something else in him. Still brash and mouthy, he appeared to have a better head on his shoulders with his brother out of the picture. He would actually listen to what Scarlett and Rick had to say and managed to take their point of view into perspective. Daryl was starting to be a little more considerate of others, and that's all Scarlett could ask for.

When he'd actually accepted her offer to join her up on the roof of the RV, she'd been stunned. Scarlett thought for sure that he'd scowl at her and walk away, but the man had climbed up and sat beside her all through the night. The two hadn't talked much under the night sky, sharing the occasional comment before falling into silence once again. She'd been busy going over her notes and checking her pack while Daryl cleaned his arrows and ate away at the granola bar she'd given him. It had been mildly awkward at first, but the silence finally grew comfortable and she didn't feel the immediate urge to uphold a conversation with him. They simply got used to each other's presence, and that in itself meant a lot to her. Though it had been a bit comical when Dale had emerged from the RV and spotted the two of them up there in the morning.

But all in all, Scarlett wasn't sure as to why she was drawn to Daryl Dixon. Maybe it was because he showed himself as an insensitive, loudmouth redneck, when deep down she found that to be untrue. From the small glimpses of him that she'd seen where her blood pressure hadn't risen above normal, he appeared to be nothing more than a quiet man who had experienced a lot of shit. And she wanted him to be that other person, his true self, as cheesy as it sounded, because there was good in him, and it was a matter of getting him to see it for himself.

Breaking away from the staring contest they had unknowingly been having, Scarlett turned her attention to Morales and his family and slowly approached them. She'd stuck out her hand to the man, who shook it firmly.

"Keep everyone in one piece." He said, half jokingly as Scarlett gave him a sad smile.

"I'll do my best," she answered, looking over at his family. "You take care, okay?"

"Same to you."

Without another word, everyone got into their respected vehicles and prepared for their trip to the C.D.C. Scarlett sat at the table in the RV as both Dale and Glenn sat in the front seats while Jacqui remained with Jim in the back. Hearing the rev of the engines from their convoy of cars, Scarlett inspected the small markings on Stella that had been acquired over the past month. To think that before the dead started walking, she hadn't used the bat a single time. While it was a comfort to have the bat sitting by her front door if she ever needed it, the symbolism behind it meant even more to her. The support of her friends and family was the foundation under the metal surface and smooth handle of the bat, and Scarlett wouldn't have wanted any other weapon by her side.

Watching as Morales and his family made the opposite turn, the RV lead the rest of the cars down the highway. The inside of the RV remained silent for a long time after they left the camp. Neither Dale or Glenn spoke any words at the front of the vehicle, while only the occasional groan came from Jim in the back, followed by a few words of comfort from Jacqui. Scarlett did her own thing, either fiddling with her gun or glancing out the window. As they continued to drive, Scarlett found it more and more difficult to keep her eyes open. She assumed now that they were sitting and she had nothing to do, her body was starting to give in to her fatigue. However, she continued to fight against it. The fact that Jacqui could burst out from the back of the RV at any minute with news about Jim was keeping her awake, no matter how heavy her eyelids grew.

"Would you just close your eyes and get some sleep?"

Blinking slowly a few times, Scarlett shifted her eyes up to meet Dale's through the rear view mirror. The man moved his gaze between her and the road, his eyebrows rising when she didn't respond.

"You haven't slept in over forty either hours." Dale stated and Scarlett watched as Glenn turned around in his seat to stare at her in bewilderment.

"What?!" Her friend practically yelled.

"Sleeping's never been one of my strongest suites." She replied, rubbing at her cheek absentmindedly.

"What the hell have you been doing during the night?"

"The first night everyone was up gathering the bodies for burial or for burning. Then last night I was on watch."

"Wasn't Andrea supposed to do it?"

"Yeah, but she needed to rest."

"But so do you, Scarlett!" Glenn retaliated, not putting up with her excuses. "No offense or anything, but what if you fell asleep during watch and there had been another attack?"

"I wasn't alone. Daryl was with me."

"Daryl?!"

Scarlett couldn't help but chuckle softly at his reaction. With eyes wide and full of either concern or disbelief, Glenn frowned slightly as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.

"Why was he on watch with you?" Glenn asked, face still scrunched up in confusion.

"Long story short, I offered and he joined me," she replied, watching as her friend's face contorted into even more incredulity. "I was surprised too, don't get me wrong. I thought he'd make a crude remark and walk away."

"But why did you invite him to anyways?"

"Good question. I'll let you know when I figure it out."

Without another word, Scarlett closed her eyes and she could tell from a lack of a response that Glenn understood that she was done having their conversation about Daryl. Was it really so ridiculous that she'd been on watch with the younger Dixon? She hadn't thought so, but maybe it was her insomnia getting to her, though she figured that deep down she was simply making excuses for herself.

After a few minutes, the redhead managed to fall into a dreamless sleep. She didn't know how long she was out for, though it didn't seem like much when she woke up to hear one of the most dreadful groans of pain erupt from the back of the RV. Eyes flying open, Scarlett immediately got up, threw her pack over her shoulder, and made her way to where Jim and Jacqui remained. When she finally reached them, the former paramedic couldn't believe how pale the infected man had become. Covered in sweat and looking like death itself, the pain was obvious on Jim's face. Jacqui was looking down at the man in a panic, her eyes shifting over to Scarlett's in worry.

Pulling out a small flashlight, Scarlett approached Jim and leaned closer to him. Quickly yet carefully, she turned on the flashlight to check the man's vitals to see how his retinas reacted to the light. Mildly surprised, the man seemed more coherent than he had the day before. While his eyes remained glassy, they weren't as foggy as they had been, which told her that she was dealing with a very aware Jim, and not his hallucinating, disjointed other self.

"Where's the majority of the pain coming from, Jim?" She asked him, kneeling down beside his makeshift bed.

"Everywhere," he wheezed, glancing over at her. "It feels like my bones are shattering and piercing my muscles. This trip might kill me before the bite does."

"And the fever?"

"I can't tell what's hot and cold anymore."

Grabbing ahold of the man's arm, she softly hit his forearm with her pointer and middle finger.

"Did you feel that at all?"

"Only a little."

Scarlett rubbed at her eyes; that wasn't good at all. His nerves must have been fried from the fever and weren't functioning properly anymore. While he still had some feeling, the majority of his pain appeared to be coming from the deepest parts of his body, namely his bones and main organs, which essentially meant that the infection was almost done spreading and destroying his inner workings.

The RV gave an unnatural jerk, which caused Jim to curse and moan in pain, his hand gripping Scarlett's with more strength than she thought he had in him. A few curses could be heard from the front of the vehicle as well, feeling the RV slowly roll to a stop.

"It's that stupid hose again!" Scarlett heard Dale yell, followed by the sound of the RV door being thrown open and shut.

Peeking out the back, Scarlett watched as their convoy came to a stop behind them, Rick and the others emerging from their cars to see what the problem was. Scarlett let out a sigh.

"Jim, I need you to take some deep breathes if you can, okay?" Scarlett informed the man, who continued to grip her arm for dear life. The redhead turned her attention to Jacqui. "Can you wet that cloth again? Maybe press it against his forehead."

After attempting to get Jim to breathe somewhat normally again, Scarlett came to the realization that he couldn't travel in the state he was in. The man could barely breathe in without a cry escaping his mouth, let alone put up with the bumps in the road as they drove. No matter how much Jacqui continued to wipe his sweat away or how much Scarlett attempted to talk him down, there was no way that Jim would be travelling anytime soon. If there was a cure, he needed it right now.

Scarlett could feel her jaw clench in irritation. There was nothing more she hated than being unable to perform a task, especially when it came to saving someone's life. It was her job, her duty in life to help people who couldn't help themselves. So when she came face to face with an unsolvable situation, it made her blood boil and self-loathing emit from every pore on her body.

And now here she was in front of Jim, coming to understand that no matter what they did, they wouldn't be able to save him in time.

"Jacqui, please get Rick for me." Scarlett muttered, though loud enough for the woman to hear.

Without a word, Jacqui took off and exited the RV in order to get the former sheriff. A harsh sigh left Scarlett's body, her shoulders hunched over in defeat as she took in the situation.

"So you've finally realized it."

Glancing up at the sick man, Scarlett bit the inside of her cheek to keep from glowering at Jim.

"Yeah." She replied curtly, attempting to hold back her irritation.

"You don't seem pleased." Jim muttered, a few coughs erupting from his mouth. Scarlett quickly grabbed a rag and wiped the blood form his mouth.

"Am I supposed to be?" She questioned, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, one less liability-"

"Liability my asshole, Jim," she snapped at him before realizing her harsh tone and letting out a quick exhale. "You were never a liability, so quit thinking that way."

Before Jim could come up with an answer, the door to the RV was opened and in walked Rick, his face sullen as he approached the two of them. The former sheriff took one look at Scarlett's face and his frown deepened.

"We'll be back on the road soon." Rick informed the two of them, only for Jim groan softly.

"Oh no. Christ," the infected man replied hoarsely. "My bones…my bones are like glass. Every little bump. God, this ride is killing me. Leave me here. I'm done. Just leave me. I want to be with my family."

Scarlett rang her hands together in order to keep from scratching them violently. The last thing she wanted to do was give up on Jim, but at this point, the decision was up to him.

"They're all dead," Rick stated, coming closer to kneel down beside Scarlett. "I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever, you've been more delirious than not-"

"I know. Don't you think I know?" Jim answered, a groan emitting from his mouth. "I'm clear now, Scarlett checked my vitals a few minutes ago. In five minutes, I might not be. Rick, I know what I'm asking. I want this. Leave me here. Now that's on me. Okay? My decision. Not your failure, for neither one of you."

Swallowing harshly, Scarlett's mouth was going dry as the seconds went by. Rick kept glancing between the two of them before finally signaling for Scarlett to follow him out of the RV.

"We'll be back."

Scarlett followed the former sheriff out of the RV with her gaze on the ground as Rick explained the situation to everyone. Feeling a hand land on her shoulder, she was surprised to meet Andrea's equally tired eyes. Scarlett gave her a nod as to say thank you, a weak smile peeking at the corners of the blonde's lips.

"That's what he says he wants." Rick finished, looking around at the others.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked hesitantly.

"Scarlett checked him. Even when I spoke with him he appeared to be. So I would say yes."

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood," Dale spoke up. "I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane stated, looking over at Rick.

"It's not our decision." Scarlett said calmly, trying to think clearly about the situation. When nobody answered or argued with her words, it was silently agreed upon that Jim would be left behind.

Both Shane and Rick helped carry Jim out of the RV and up into the trees by the side of the road. Everyone watched in silence as the two men placed him at the base of a tree, his back leaning against the trunk for support. Scarlett kept her arms crossed in front of her as she continued to bite at the inside of her cheek.

"Hey, another damn tree." Jim joked half-heartedly as he glanced up at the higher branches above them.

"Hey, Jim? I mean, you know it doesn't need to be like this." Shane said, crouched down beside the frail man.

"No. It's good," he replied through shallow breaths. "The breeze feels nice."

"Okay," Shane muttered, glancing down at the ground and feeling the same defeat everyone else did. "Alright."

With a final pat on the knee, Shane moved away from Jim, to which Jacqui moved forward to kneel beside him.

"Just close your eyes, sweetie," She said to him, a heartbroken smile on her face. "Don't fight."

With a soft and endearing peck on the cheek, Jacqui walked away and retreated to the RV without looking back. It was obvious that the woman was taking it hard, which only made Scarlett feel worse.

Moving forward, it was Rick who approached Jim next.

"Jim, do you want this?"

In the palm of the former sheriff's hand remained a small pistol that made Scarlett's stomach turn horribly within her. She had to look down for a minute.

"No. You'll need it," Jim replied, though Rick didn't appear swayed by his words. So he repeated himself. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Andrea remained by Scarlett's side as Dale stepped forward, the older man attempting to find his words before speaking.

"Thanks for, uh, for fighting for us." Dale finally said, a genuine compliment coming from him to the frail man.

"Okay." Was Jim's only reply, unable to come up with an answer for the kind words he'd just received.

And when it appeared that nobody had anything else to say, all eyes fell on Scarlett. She'd been the one to look after him the past few days, along with Jacqui who had already said her goodbyes. After a moment of pause, Scarlett finally took a few steps forward and crouched down beside him.

"This isn't on you. This is all me." Jim spoke up first, sensing her distress.

"I know, I know, but still," she muttered, pain reaching her words as she looked up at him. "I spent the first half of my life being useless to everyone around me, especially to myself. And then when I finally got a job where I could help others and not waste away doing nothing, it was magnificent. It was my goal to save others, and I sincerely apologize that I wasn't good enough to save you. I truly am, Jim. It's one of the few things I'm good for and I couldn't even help you. I hope you can forgive me."

Silence filled the air as she looked back down at the ground again. She was beginning to lose her cool again, much to her irritation. This was actually happening, and she had actually failed another human being when it came to their health.

"I forgive you."

Scarlett bit down on her tongue, as she looked back up at Jim, thankful that he understood where she was coming from and how sorry she was. She tried her best and he knew that, which in the end was all that should matter to the redhead. She did all that she could and he saw that.

Standing up, Scarlett turned and joined the others as they all descended back onto the road and waited by the cars. She couldn't bring herself to look back up to where Jim remained amongst the trees, but that was okay. While she didn't have a clear conscious now, she would eventually.

Without sharing a glance with anyone else, the paramedic sauntered into the RV and placed herself back at the table, leaning her forehead and arms on it's top. A quiet discussion from outside reached her ears before fading away, the sound of Dale, Glenn and Jacqui entering the RV following soon after. Assuming that they fixed whatever was wrong with the hose since the RV began moving again, Scarlett just wanted to get to the C.D.C and sleep. At this point, she didn't care if her nightmares tormented her subconscious mind while she slept. She just wanted to be unconscious for a little while, and she was sure that her body wouldn't argue.

Turning her head on the table to glance out the window, Scarlett saw the sky beginning to grow dark. It seemed that it had only been minutes ago that they'd left Jim behind with the sun still high in the sky. She supposed her sense of time was going to crap, which probably should have bothered her more than it did. It was when she caught sight of abandoned military equipment and tall buildings that she sat up and got out of her seat to join Dale and Glenn up at the front.

Neither of the men said anything to her, simply giving her a quick side eye before focusing their full attention at the destruction on the roadway in front of them. The road was littered with dead bodies, some lying on the pavement while others were draped across military vehicles like ornaments. At first it looked like everyone had just decided to nap right in the middle of the road, but a closer look at their rotting faces would tell anyone otherwise.

The RV came to a halt in front of a roadblock, the caravan stopping behind them. Scarlett was the first out of the vehicle, her bag and Stella already on her person as she gazed at the eerie view in front of her. The sound of car doors slamming and the hesitant footsteps that followed informed the redhead that everyone was just as freaked out as she felt.

Rick wandered up beside her, pausing for a moment to look at the woman in mild concern. She ignored the look however, choosing to stare at a rather stomach curdling image of a crow pecking the eye out of a dead walker.

"Let's go." The man said, moving forward once again as everyone followed on his tail.

The stench was horrendous. Flies swarmed the decomposing bodies in clouds, causing everyone to cover their faces from both the smell and the insects. While most people's attention was focused on making sure to avoid stepping on the rotting corpses, Scarlett's eyes remained fixed on the large building in front of them. One side of it was made up entirely of glass, which she assumed was bullet proof. The rest was built with heavy concrete that looked practically indestructible. The C.D.C. was a sight for sore eyes, but she didn't let herself get too wound up yet.

Approaching what she could only assume be the loading area, the hushed whispers of the group fell silent as they made their way to the metal doors. Rick and Shane were the first ones to reach the metal shutters that sealed the building off, their attempts at opening them or prying them open falling significantly short.

Banging on the shutters did nothing either.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog stated, trying to keep his voice level, though his nervousness was easy to see.

"Then why are these shudders down?" Rick countered, attempting to reason with the other man.

Scarlett's eyes traced around the outside of the metal shutters anxiously, trying to do the exact same thing that Rick was doing in his mind. They couldn't have come all this way for nothing, could they?

"Walkers!" Daryl called out, the paramedic's head snapping in the direction of his voice. Multiple gasps and whimpers went up amongst their group as the younger Dixon sank an arrow through one of the walkers.

When he turned around, Scarlett could see the rage and panic in Daryl's eyes.

"You led us into a graveyard!" He yelled, approaching the former sheriff.

"He made a call." Shane attempted to calm the other man down, but he wasn't having any of it.

"It was the wrong damn call!"

"Just shut up! You hear me? Shut up!"

Every fiber in Scarlett's body was telling her to panic, to tell everyone to retreat back to the vehicles and drive somewhere else, but the fact that they were so close safety but just out of reach baffled her mind. They had to do something and fast.

"Rick this is a dead end." Shane stated firmly.

"Where are we gonna go?" Scarlett heard Carol cry out from behind them.

"Do you hear me?" Shane repeated to his best friend. "No blame."

"Carol's right," Lori spoke up, looking at the two men in a panic. "We can't be this close to the city after dark."

"Fort Benning. Rick, it's still an option."

"On what? No food, no fuel."

"That's a hundred miles."

"Hundred twenty five. I checked the map."

"Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now."

She almost missed it amongst the chaotic chatter leaving the mouths of the members of the group. Movement out of the corner of her eye, a soft whirling sound when it did move that made her stop and turn her attention to above the metal shutters. A small, round security camera sat facing them, when it had been facing another direction a minute ago, which told Scarlett that someone was in there and not letting them in.

"It moved." She muttered, eyes wide as she continued to stare at it.

"What?" Rick asked, apparently the only one who heard her. Everyone else was beginning to make their way back to the vehicles.

"The camera. It moved." She hissed louder, taking a step closer to it with her eyes narrowed as the others stopped moving.

"You imagined it." Shane countered, which made her blood boil even more.

"It fucking moved."

"It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on, the both of you."

Scarlett's wide eyes turned to look at Rick, silently pleading for him to believe her. The man was torn, wanting to hold on to anything that informed him that they were, indeed, this close to safety. She was surprised when he turned his attention back to the camera, approaching it slowly and peering up at it.

"I know you can hear me." He said firmly.

"Everybody get back to the cars now!" Scarlett heard Shane yelling to the others.

"Please help us," Rick continued, practically begging now. "We have women, children. No food, hardly any gas left…"

"Rick, Scarlett, there's nobody here!"

Both Lori and Shane were attempting to calm Rick down as Scarlett stared in mild shock at their situation. If whoever was in there didn't let them in, she was positive that half of them would die in the next few days. If the walkers didn't get them first, it would come down to dehydration and starvation.

"If you don't let us in, you're killing us!" Rick screamed up at the camera.

"Let's go." Shane hissed, grabbing a hold of his best friend.

Scarlett felt a firm hand grasp her forearm harshly, eyes snapping up to meet Daryl's. The man urged her backwards, attempting to get her to follow the others back to the caravan.

"You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!"

Rick's screams were only making her more upset, more furious than anything else. Both her and Rick would be responsible for the deaths of the group if they didn't get in to the C.D.C., and Scarlett wasn't about to have that on her conscious. She already felt horrid about what happened with Jim, she didn't need more blood on her hands.

As she was about to let Daryl's tight grasp on her arm pull her towards the others, multiple clangs and hisses could be heard coming from the building in front of them. Bright light blinded everyone as the metal shutters that covered the entrance had been pulled back, a blurry view of the inside gracing their irises.

Maybe they would be surviving another night after all.

Voila! Another chapter done.

Finally on to the final episode of season one lol. I apologize for the lack of Scarlett/Daryl interactions in this chapter, it was focused more on her inner workings and demons this chapter. Plus, i felt like Jim deserved his own spotlight before shit hits the fan at the C.D.C. I'll do my best to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, since I pretty much ended this one on a cliffhanger (sorry ;-;)

As always, I hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to leave feedback, I'm always keen to hear what you all have to say. If any of you have any ideas that you feel you'd like to see in future chapters, go ahead and share them if you wish. I'll definitely take them into consideration as I write (can't guarantee it, but ideas influence others and might spark something for later chapters).

Take care! I'll see you in the next update,

- GuiltyCalamity