Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.

His house looks exactly as it did when he left for college just a few weeks ago, only the lawn was overgrowing now and the rest of the street had been abandoned. How could things look so different after such a short amount of time? Gale looked up and down the street a few times to confirm his solitude before advancing on his house - the last thing he needed were some Walkers trapping him inside.

It was too familiar, the way he popped open the fake rock on his doorstep to get the spare key to unlock the door. It felt like it belonged in a different lifetime than his own, and in a way it did. A time before the dead started walking around, a time where people still lived in houses.

Gale fiddled with the doorknob, double checking that it wasn't unlocked, before using the key. He got the door open a good four inches before it jammed, and he felt his heart sink. "Hello?" he called into his home. His first thought wasn't his baby sister – it was looters. His town home was in the center of many others meaning it was a pretty fortified place. It was an ideal place to hole up if necessary. "Anyone here?"

With a lack of response Gale shoved even harder, knocking down whatever was on the other side and giving him a good foot and a half to wiggle inside.

Gale was barely in the door when he heard the click of a gun. "Don't move."

His hands went up immediately. It was a feminine voice, but not his little sister's. "This is my house," Gale said calmly. He slowly started turning toward the sound of the gun.

"Don't move," this girl repeated with a hiss. She was scared, he could hear it in her voice. "I'll shoot you, I swear to God I will!" Still Gale turned, not completely believing her. "Are you bitten? Are you sick?" Her voice was wavering as she held the gun out. Good stance. Hard eyes. "I'll shoot you," she said again.

"I'm not sick," Gale told her as softly as he could. "I'm just looking for my sister." Something flickered in her eyes. "Posy. Posy Hawthorne. This is my house," Gale said another time. "I thought she might–"

"Gale?" the girl asked. Still she held her gun but there was pause in her voice. "Is your name Gale?" Shocked at the sound of his name in her mouth he simply nodded. She looked panicked, relieved, slightly unsure of what to do. "Wait here," she said, and then she sprinted down the hallway.

It was unsettling to see this stranger maneuver his house without effort. Gale lowered his hands and looked around the living room. Things were tidy. The air didn't feel stale, not like the houses he'd stayed in on his journey to reach his home. Things weren't dusty. It felt lived in. It felt safe.

Moment later a shriek filled the air. "Gale!" And then his baby sister was there, sprinting toward him with her arms outstretched and the biggest grin on her face. The relief that flooded Gale's entire body felt unreal. His hopes had been uncharacteristically high that he would find his sister safe and sound, but actually doing it was unbelievable. "Gale! Gale!"

He pulled her into his arms and held her close, still unsure that this was happening. She swung her little arms behind his neck and hugged him tightly. Tears filled her eyes and she buried her small face into him, crying and laughing and hugging him as tight as she could.

"Posy," he couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe it. "Oh, God, you're really here." He squeezed his sister until he couldn't breathe before eventually lowering her back to the ground. In the background the girl from earlier reemerged, a small smile on her face as she watched the two reunite. That, too, was unsettling. That this stranger was just standing there watching him and his sister. "You," Gale murmured, suddenly feeling angry. "Who the hell are you?" He strode toward the girl who mimicked him from earlier, putting her hands in the air in surrender. "You point a fucking gun at me in my own home? You threaten me when–"

Posy tugs his shirt. "She saved me!" she said. "Madge saved me!" He finally had a name to put to that pretty face. Gale eased backwards slightly. "She saved me," Posy said another time.

Gale was away at school when the dead started waking up again. It was a small college on the east coast, out of the cities and away from the chaos of the outbreak. Somehow he managed to exchange a phone call with his mother, decide on a meet up point to find his family.

Days later when he got to their assigned place he found his mother with his two younger brothers. Posy was missing. Apparently she'd been lost in the panic and things had been too terrifying to double back.

"She's a smart girl," Ma kept saying. "She probably found her way home. She probably found her way home, she's so smart."

And it was so much easier to cling on to hope than to admit to one of the other options. That someone had taken her, that she'd been killed, that she was undead. So Gale clung to the same hope as his mother, that Posy was alive and at home.

They found a safe home the next day, a place where Hazelle could sit with Rory and Vick while Gale went back for Posy. It wasn't ideal but it was all they could do. He had to admit that on his days of journey back into his hometown, of fighting off a few swarms of the dead all on his own, that he was starting to get hopeless. Posy was little. And she may have been smart, but she was only six years old.

She was gone. He knew that deep down.

But he pushed forward. And under some grace of God, or something, he'd actually found her.

The story went like this.

Madge Undersee, a 19 year old college student in a city south of Gale's hometown, ended up in the same predicament as him. She wanted to get home, and her home was north. She found Posy scared and alone in a CVS, and together they went to the Hawthorne's home to wait things out. There was a lot of hope on Madge's side as well – hope that one of the Hawthorne's would be arriving just as Posy said they would.

It was a miracle in a world that just didn't have miracles anymore.

Tonight they were staying just outside of Gale's hometown in an abandoned home. It was small and away from most other neighborhoods, and they hadn't run into any trouble with the Walkers since they left Gale's town home, so overall they all felt pretty safe.

"You said home was north," Gale told her after Posy had been put to bed. They spoke in hushed voices considering the little girl was only a few feet from them - but she was exhausted and fell asleep quickly. "Where's that?"

"Maine," Madge answered.

Gale let out a long whistle. "That's far away." They were only in Northern Maryland as it was, the hike was going to take weeks in these conditions. Madge shrugged her shoulders, casting her eyes over to Posy. "You could stay with us," he offered. "In the safe house."

She nearly scoffed. "No such thing as safe houses anymore." Gale frowned at her. "The world's overrun with dead people," Madge told him. "You're smart, if you've made it this far. You know a safe house isn't an option."

"What other choice is there?" Gale grumbled. He knew she was right, that safe houses were stupid. If people were sick they wouldn't tell anyone. "Living on the streets?"

Madge sighed and rubbed her temples. "I don't know." She was quiet for a long time. "I don't think the world can exist without people. Communities. But for now things are too unstable to trust them." She looked up at him, her blue eyes clear. "Regardless, I need to find my family. Just like you did."

Gale wrinkled his nose. "Did you even talk to them? Before the world ended?" She stayed silent - confirmation by lack of confirmation. Of course she hadn't talked to them. "You're hoping to go to Maine, and what? Just find them at home?"

"Worked for you and Posy." Gale rolled his eyes at her. "If you're allowed to stay hopeful, so am I."

"Not that much hope, Princess. Maine's far away. People move in times like this. And how capable are your parents, anyway? At surviving things like this?"

Madge quickly pushed herself to her feet and strode away from him, leaving his question to hang in the air. With a sigh he watched her walk away, into another room. He sank backwards and rolled toward Posy, watching his little sister snoozing as though nothing was wrong in the world.

"Why'd you do it?"

They were walking down a winding country road, just having crossed into Pennsylvania. Posy was a step ahead of them. Madge wasn't the most conversational person if she wasn't prompted, he'd learned.

"Hm?"

"Save Posy," he clarified. "What if no one had come and it was just you and her?"

"Then I guess she'd be going to Maine with me," Madge answered. He waited for her to respond even more. "It wouldn't be fair to leave her alone. She was scared. So was I. She gave me a reason to be brave."

People in this world didn't have kind hearts anymore, and Gale liked that she still did. "Thank you," he said. "I don't know if I've said it yet."

"You didn't need to," she told him.

Walkers came that night, banging on the door of the home they'd secured themselves in. Gale and Madge worked together to push bookshelves in front of the doors and windows. It wasn't ideal, but it was something they could handle until the morning. The house was strong, the walls were thick.

The three of them laid together in the master bedroom on the second floor, Posy nestled between them. It took her longer to fall asleep than before but soon, with Madge humming lullabies and Gale rubbing her back, she dozed off from exhaustion.

Once Madge was sure she was asleep she let out a deep breath.

"We're safe here," Gale told her.

"I know," Madge responded. She let out another deep breath. "I just–I know." Gale turned his head to look at her, waiting for her to go on. "I can do it for her," Madge said. "For Posy. But when she's asleep, or when she's… when she's not around, I…"

"I get it," he filled in her silence. He watched as tears filled her eyes, as she tried to hold back her crying. "You don't have to be brave for me," Gale murmured. A soft cry escaped her and she nodded, sniffling as quietly as she could.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Gale reached over his sister then, his arm in just the right angle to toy with the ends of Madge's golden hair.

She was awake before him in the morning, sitting on the edge of the bed and lacing up her shoes. "I have a plan," she told him. Her voice was hard again as though she hadn't shown her soft side last night. Posy sat up as Madge spoke. "Pose, remember what we did by the Target?" Madge asked. "With the air horn?"

She rubbed her bleary eyes and nodded her head. "I remember," Posy murmured. "It's not safe."

"It's our only option," Madge said. Gale furrowed his eyes in confusion. "They're still outside," she continued. "I'm going to lure them away."

"Like hell you're doing that," Gale snapped.

"I ran track in high school," Madge went on. "I'm fast. Just be ready."

"Madge," he growled and threw off the sheets. But she had already taken off down the stairs. "Madge!"

"She's fast," Posy said, quickly climbing out of bed. "We should be ready."

It wasn't even five minutes later did they hear the air horn, and soon enough the sounds of the Walkers got quieter until there was no more thumping or moaning left. Gale threw Posy over his shoulder and grabbed their bags and hurried down the stairs. After double checking the windows, finding the open one Madge must've slipped out of, they started out the door.

The Walkers were at another home now, the air horn still going off.

"Does she catch up?" Gale asked. "Do we wait?" There was panic in his voice. He hardly knew Madge, but she had a good soul and clearly very sincere. She'd saved Posy, she'd gone with him on this journey. She still needed to find her safety. Her miracle. There was no way he could just go on without her.

"She'll find us," Posy said. Gale was unsure, but ten minutes later Madge was by their side again.

Gale pulled her away at once. "Don't you ever fucking do that again," he hissed. "Is that clear?" Confusion filled her face. "You could die like that," he went on. "After everything you've been through!"

"Calm down," Madge said with a frown. "I've done it before, Gale."

"I don't give a shit," he snapped. "Don't do it again."

"Gale," Madge reached up to cup his cheeks, clearly trying to calm him down. "It's okay," she said. He blinked a few times as her thumbs rubbed across his cheeks gently. "I'm okay."

He jerked away when he realized how close they were. "Don't do it again," he said, marching back to start their trip again.

It wasn't until days later did Gale realize how vital Madge really was to him. She was fast, just like she said. She led Walkers away another three times despite Gale's protests. And more than once she pointed out signs of herds, meaning many Walkers would be in the same area, leading them to take different routes even if they took longer. And she was patient. When Posy was wailing and scared and the Walkers wouldn't quit, Madge never got angry. She played with Posy's hair and calmed her down.

And she was thoughtful. She spoke more often, asking Gale about his life, his family, his home. She was beautiful, too, and not just because she might have been one of the last girls his age still alive. And maybe she wasn't vital for her skills in survival, but she was for his sanity.

Once Posy was asleep Madge went into another room. Gale joined her quietly, not sure how he wanted to start the conversation.

"Come with us," Gale said. "To the safe house." Madge was leaning against a counter, her hands on the edge. Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed it. "Come with me."

Madge tilted her head in his direction. "Why?"

"We need people like you," Gale said. "And you need people in general." He shrugged his shoulders. "We can be your people." Slowly he stepped toward her. "Maine's so far away, Madge."

"I need to find my family," she answered softly.

"Let us be your family," he tried. Madge started to shake her head when he reached forward, catching her cheek. "Please." It hadn't been that long but he couldn't imagine this world without her. "At least think about it."

She leaned into his hand. "It's all I've been thinking about," she admitted softly. "Staying with you. And Posy," Madge quickly added. With his other hand he reached forward, sliding his hand around her waist. "It's so tempting." He pulled her close so her head was against his chest. "But I can't, Gale."

He reached down to tilt her chin up slightly. She blinked a few times before pressing herself onto her toes and capturing his lips with hers. He sighed into her mouth, spinning them so she was back against the counter.

"Please," he pleaded against her mouth. "Please." She fumbled to pull him closer. Her hands tugged his shirt, tugged his hair, cupped his cheeks. Her breath was warm, her lips warmer. Soon they were breathless. Gale pinned his forehead to hers. "Come with me," he said another time, leaning in for the quickest kiss. "Come with me."

She kissed him another time. "I can't," Madge croaked. She pulled away then, blinking tears from her eyes and shaking her head. She reached up to rub her face and with a huff Gale leaned back against the counter. "I'm sorry," she murmured before striding out of the room.

Things were awkward from then on out. It was only going to be another day or so before they re-met with Gale's family, and he was sure they'd want to meet Madge. But when he looked at her he felt angry, or confused, or upset, or like he wanted to kiss the life out of her.

During the day she would distract herself with Posy, at night she would turn away from him but still be close. He knew that if she chose to find her family in Maine that he was going to go with her. It was a journey she couldn't take alone.

So he told her that. "I'm going to go with you." They were an hour outside of the safe home by then. "To Maine."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No," Madge said again. "You're not. You have your family to worry about."

"It's too dangerous for you to go alone," he said forcefully. "And if it wasn't for you then I wouldn't have Posy back. I owe you." She rolled her eyes. "What's that look for?"

"You owe me?" Madge shook her head. "That's a shitty reason for you to come on a trip toMaine with me." Gale stopped her, placing his heavy hand on her shoulder. "You're not coming," she said. "I can find my family on my own."

"I know you can. But I'm still going with you."

She shoved his hand away. "No you aren't," she said another time. Madge marched away from him, back to Posy, back on track.

The Hawthorne's reunion involved more crying than Gale expected. Even Rory, who pretended like he didn't have any real emotions, was crying over seeing his baby sister again. Madge stood awkwardly in the back, smiling over all of the hugs and soft hellos exchanged between them.

But soon Hazelle saw her standing there and without even knowing why Madge was there rushed over to hug her too. "Oh," Madge was surprised but reciprocated the hug. "Thank you."

"No, thank you, thank you," Hazelle cried. "You must have helped, thank you."

She held onto Madge as though she was her own daughter before returning back to her actual daughter. Gale exchanged a look with Madge before they entered the safe zone together.

He was hoping that having her see it would convince her to stay. They had a good supply of food. There weren't too many of them. It was small. It was safe. It was good.

"This could be your home," Gale told her that night. "We could make it, here."

"You can make it, here," she corrected as she started away from him. "I have a family to find."

"Madge," he stopped her, reaching out to grab her hand. "Give it a few days," he tried. "You're not safe out there. It's not safe out there at all." He reached for her other hand now too. "I want you to stay."

"We never should've–" Madge fumbled for words. "I never should have come with you after you found Posy. That's my own fault, for letting you get attached. For getting attached. But I have to go, Gale. And you have to stay."

With one last attempt to get her to start something here he leaned down to kiss her another time. Her lips were soft like he remembered, warm. She reached up to cup the back of his head with her hand, her fingers toying with his hair.

Finally with a gasp she broke away. "Get some sleep," she whispered as he pinned his forehead to hers. Her eyes were filled with tears. "I'll see you in the morning."

She was gone when he woke up.

His mother convinced him to stay. "For us," she said. "We need you here." But Gale hated it. He stared at the gate surrounding their safe space and regretted not immediately following after Madge. If it wasn't for her, he never would have found Posy. If it wasn't for her he might've been mauled on multiple occasions. And now she was alone in the world without anyone by her side.

Gale threw himself into his duties at their safe home. He guarded the gate. He hunted in the nearby woods. He took dish duty. He babysat. He did whatever he could to stop himself from thinking of her.

Three weeks later there was a commotion outside the gate. He recognized her the moment he saw her, dirt and blood in her golden hair, a sad smile on her face.

They opened the door for her and he rushed out to greet her, not caring if she was bitten or sick. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"You were right," she rasped as she held him back. "You are my family."

He wouldn't ask her about her trip, not today, not now. Later she could tell him about her change of heart. But for now he was going to hold her and thank the world for another miracle.