As we rode toward the barn, I began firing at the walkers surrounding us. In the distance, I saw glowing. Squinting, I could see the barn on fire, spreading fast. Daryl pulled up closer, and we both kept firing at walkers, dropping as many as we could. What if Rick lit the fire? Or Carl? My mind raced as I saw Jimmy pull up nearby in the RV. Daryl throttled the motorcycle, moving away from the fence as walkers began trampling it down. Daryl pulled up to the RV.
"Must've been Rick or Shane that started that fire!" Daryl yelled to Jimmy. "Maybe they're tryin' to get out back. Why don't ya circle 'round?"
"Got it!" Jimmy yelled.
"GO!" Daryl yelled back, and I quickly reloaded my hand gun, shooting more walkers. Daryl sped off again, and I kept looking around as I held onto him. I could see T-Dog flying through the fields, Andrea shooting out the window. Maggie was speeding through another field, Glenn hanging out of the passenger seat window, shooting walkers as they sped forward.
We were riding near the house, me still shooting walkers down, when something caught my eye. That Rick? Carl, Chy...? I saw three figures moving quickly toward the house. They dodged around walkers, the taller figure shooting the ones too close. I knew I had to get over there, and I had to go quick.
"STOP!" I yelled to Daryl, who immediately slowed down. I jumped off the motorcycle. "Saw Rick and the kids! Went toward the house! I'm goin'!"
"Spencer, wait!" Daryl growled at me.
"NO! COVER ME!" I yelled to him, and took off running toward the house. I raised my gun as I ran, stopping to shoot three walkers stumbling toward me. BAM, BAM, BAM. They dropped and I kept running. Reaching the house, I ran around the side to see Rick walking toward Hershel. There was a walker behind him, but the older man was in a blind rage, shooting the walkers that came anywhere near the house. Rick lifted his gun and shot the walker just before it reached Hershel. I ran over quickly.
"CHY!" I screamed and she jerked her head over at me. She ran to me, grabbing my leg. Rick whipped his head up to see me, and I pointed my gun at the incoming walkers, trying to keep them from getting closer. I began firing.
"Where's Lori, did you see Lori?" Rick asked.
"I dunno what happened, Rick. They just keep coming!" Hershel replied. "It's like a plague, they're everywhere!"
"LORI! DID YOU SEE HER?" Rick yelled.
"NO!" Hershel shook his head.
"We have to go! Find Mom and the others." Rick said to Carl, as he lifted his gun and shot a nearby walker.
"It's my farm!" Hershel cried.
"NOT ANYMORE!" Rick grabbed him, pulling him away.
"WAIT!" I screamed, looking around for Daryl. Daryl, where are you? I kept looking when Rick grabbed my shirt with his other hand.
"LET'S GO, SPENCER!" Rick was screaming in my ear. I grabbed Cheyenne's hand and we ran toward the car. Shay, Sam... Where are they at? I was looking around frantically, seeing no sign of anyone.
"COME ON!" Rick yelled.
"COME ON!" Hershel was still screaming at the walkers as Rick shot another one down. Hershel stopped and hit one with his shotgun.
"LET'S GO! COME ON!" Rick yelled. Carl jumped into the passenger seat. I shoved Cheyenne into the truck, Carl leaning over into the back, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to him. I jumped in and slammed the door shut as Hershel climbed into the back on the other side.
"GO!" I yelled, looking out of my window for any sign of Daryl. Rick put the car in drive and we sped toward the dirt road leading off of the farm. He was driving too fast for me to see anything clearly in the darkness. "Wait, stop! Let me out!"
"What? NO!" Rick shook his head.
"YES! Take the kids and go! I gotta find Daryl!" I pleaded.
"Spencer, no!" Hershel agreed with Rick.
"They'll be at the highway." Rick assured. I hung my head, crying. Looking back at the window, my eyes darted around the dark surrounding us. Nothing. I saw Rick's arm reach out and touch Carl on the shoulder. Leaning around in the back seat, I looked out of the back window. Walkers were everywhere, the farm overrun. I felt Cheyenne grab my hand as silent tears fell down my face. The barn was completely up in flames... Everything, gone.
We rode in silence, and the sun began coming up. Rick pulled out onto a main road, and I instantly realized where we were. The highway we had lost Sophia on. I looked ahead, seeing the traffic snarl that had trapped us so long ago. The car we had painted for Sophia, along with the supplies we had left, came into view. Rick parked the truck and we all got out.
"W-well, where's Mom? You said she'd be here!" Carl demanded, as we walked away from our vehicle. "We gotta go back for her."
"Carl.." Rick held up his hand.
"NO! Why, why are we running? What are you doing? It, it's Mom.. We need to get her!" Carl kept mumbling.
"Shhhh. You need to be quiet." Rick whispered, putting a hand on Carl's shoulder. "All right? Please."
"Please... It's Mom." Carl pleaded. Rick knelt down.
"Carl listen-" Rick started.
"No!" Carl whimpered, pulling away from him and stalking off toward the cars. Rick started to follow after him.
"Rick." Hershel's voice stopped him. "You got to get your boy to safety. Spencer, you got to get Cheyenne out of here. I'll wait here for my girls and the others. I know a few places. We'll meet up at some of 'em later."
"Where? Where's safe?" Rick asked. "We're not splittin' up."
"Please.. Keep your children safe. I'll hide in one of the cars. If a walker gets me, so be it. I've lost my farm. I've lost my wife and maybe my daughters."
"You don't know what. They'll be here." Rick said surely.
"And you don't know that." Hershel argued.
"You're a man of God." Rick whispered harshly. "Have some faith!" I let go of Cheyenne so she could run over to Carl.
"They'll be here. They have to be." I nodded, agreeing with Rick. "I ain't leavin' without 'em."
"I can't profess to understand God's plan. But Christ promised a resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had somethin'...a little different in mind." We were all three silent for a moment.
"We stick together." Rick ordered, walking away to check on the kids. I looked at Hershel.
"Can't believe they're gone. I just can't. We have to stay, Rick's right. They'll be here." I said surely, though there were tears in my eyes.
"Hey! Walker!" Rick whispered, motioning for us to get down. Hershel and I ducked and ran quietly over to the vehicle, crouching down beside Rick and the kids. The walker staggered right by us, oblivious to the fact that we were on the other side of the vehicle.
"Okay, come, come, come!" Rick waved for us to follow him around the vehicle. The walker kept going forward, stumbling up the road.
"I don't know how much longer we can stay here." Hershel admitted. I looked at Rick, who was right beside me.
"I-I'm not leavin' without Mom." Carl whispered.
"I'm waitin' for Shay, Sam.. Daryl. Ain't leavin' without Daryl." I whispered, looking at Rick.
"So we're just gonna walk away? What if my wife, your-your girls are still out there? How do we live with that?" Rick asked Hershel.
"You both only have one concern now. Just one. Keeping them alive." Hershel looked down at Carl and Cheyenne. "Nature may be throwing us a curve ball, but that law is still true." Rick looked at me, and I could see sadness in his eyes. No, no, no... We can't leave! My mind screamed. But I knew Hershel was right. The kids were our number one priority at this point. Always had been.
"Carl..." Rick knelt down in front if his son, and looked at the ground as he tried to gather his words. He looked back up. "It's not safe here. I'm sorry... We'll-"
I heard it. The sound of an engine was coming closer. Not just any engine, but the clear sound of a motorcycle. Rick stopped, and all of us looked over as the roar of the motorcycle came closer. Daryl came into view, riding toward us with Carol on the back. I let out a sob, and tears sprung to my eyes, seeing him alive. Thank, God. Thank, God... Daryl!
"Daryl!" I yelped, not able told hold it back.
I saw Carol look back, and then within seconds, another vehicle came into view. Squinting, I could see Glenn driving and Maggie in the passenger seat. Sam was in the back. Then the blue truck, carrying T-Dog, Beth, and Lori... My mother. I expected another vehicle, but saw nothing else as we ran to where the rest of the group was parking. Must've missed somethin'... Where's Shay?
Rick reached Daryl first, the two slapping hands in a quick shake. I saw Maggie running toward Hershel. Lori jumped from the truck yelling when she saw Carl. I smiled at Sam when he stepped out of the car, and he smiled back. Then I turned, and Daryl was right in front of me.
"Spencer." He looked at me and over at Cheyenne, who ran to him. Daryl picked her up and she held on tight. I wiped my tears away and stepped up to him. He sat Cheyenne down and I grabbed him, holding on, never wanting to let go. Daryl squeezed me back, and didn't let go. "Good God, girl." He whispered in my ear, and I let out a small chuckle.
"Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked, letting go of Lori and Carl.
"Saw this guy's tail lights zig-zaggin' all over the road. Figured he had to be Asian, drivin' like that." Daryl said, letting go of me. Glenn began grinning, and I laughed.
"Good one." Glenn nodded, still smiling.
"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked.
"We're the only ones who's made it so far." Rick replied, looking at us.
"Shane?" Lori asked, standing up. Rick shook his head no.
"Andrea?" Glenn's voice was quiet.
"She saved me, then I lost her." Carol spoke up.
"We saw her go down." T-Dog said sadly.
"Patricia?" Hershel asked.
"They got her, too." Beth cried. "Took her right from me. I.. I was holdin' onto her, Daddy, but she jus'..." She couldn't finish as she cried. Beth looked up. "What about Jimmy, did you see Jimmy?"
"He was in the RV. He got overrun." Rick gave Beth and Hershel a sorrowful glance.
"You definitely saw Andrea?" Carol asked.
"And... And Shay? Anyone see Shay?" I looked around.
"There were walkers everywhere..." Lori looked at Carol and then at me.
"Did you see them?" Carol asked, more firmly this time.
"Imma go back." Daryl started to get on his motorcycle.
"No." Rick ordered, and I looked up at him.
"Can't jus' leave 'em." Daryl argued.
"Well, we don't even know they're there." Lori admitted.
"I'll go back with you." I looked at Daryl. "Gotta find Shay." I insisted.
"They aren't there. They aren't. They're somewhere else or they're dead. There's no way to find them." Rick argued back.
"So we're not even gonna look for them?" Glenn asked, and I could tell he was getting angry. Suddenly, I noticed the walker that had passed by us on the road had come back. He was staggering forward, coming closer to the group.
"We gotta keep movin'. There've been walkers crawlin' all over here." Rick said.
"I say head east." T-Dog advised.
"Stay off the main roads." Daryl growled, walking over to the motorcycle and grabbing his crossbow. "Bigger the roads, the more walkers, more assholes like this one. I got him." He shot the walker down and retrieved the arrow.
"All right. Everyone get in vehicles. We'll leave the truck. Carol, Cheyenne, Sam, and Katherine can ride with us. Our vehicle's got the room. Hershel, Beth, T, Maggie, and Glenn take the other. Daryl, Spencer?" Rick looked at us.
"Got it." I said numbly. Walking over to the motorcycle, I waited for Daryl to get seated, then I climbed on after him. We followed Rick's vehicle onto the road, the others behind us. Once we hit the highway, Daryl passed Rick. Cheyenne and Carl gave us a wave, and I waved back. Rick attempted a smile, but it was a sad one. Sighing, I leaned on Daryl's back, pressing my head against his shoulder blade. I watched as fields and trees flew by, my vision becoming blurry.
Shay...Andrea, I'm sorry. I cried, burying myself closer against Daryl's body as we drove along the empty, dead highway. How could we just leave 'em? How could Rick... Oh, maybe he's right. He's always right, ain't he? Goin' back would lead us no where. If Shay and Andrea escaped, they were far from the farm by now... I sighed.
We were on a small road, guard rails appearing on the sides. I heard a horn, and Daryl began slowing to a stop. I looked back to see the others stopping and opening their doors to get out. Daryl turned off the motorcycle and looked back. I had turned my head to face him, and he glanced at me, looking into my eyes.
"You been cryin'?" He whispered the question.
"Sad." I replied quietly.
"Be all right, girl." Daryl assured, as Rick came walking up. "You out?"
"Runnin' on fumes." Rick replied to Daryl's question.
"We can't stay here." Maggie said, gun in hand.
"We can't all fit in one car." Glenn was watching Rick.
"We'll have to make a run for gas in the morning." Rick instructed.
"Spend the night here?" Carol asked.
"I'm freezing!" Carl exclaimed.
"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori asked, as Rick walked over and gave Carl his jacket. Cheyenne had on the jacket I had found for her, and it looked too big.
"Anybody goin' out lookin' for firewood, stay close. Only got so many arrows, how you doin' on ammo?" Daryl asked Rick.
"Not enough." Rick admitted.
"Well, we can't just sit here with our asses hangin' out." Maggie said.
"Watch your mouth." Hershel warned. "Everyone stop panickin', listen to Rick."
"All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the mornin' we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on." Rick planned.
"Glenn and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas." Maggie offered.
"No, we stay together." Rick raised a hand, trying to calm her down. "God forbid somethin' happens and people get stranded without a car."
"Rick, we're stranded now." Glenn said quietly.
"I know it looks bad." Rick agreed. "We've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other... I wasn't sure, I really wasn't. But we did. We're together. We keep it that way. We'll find shelter somewhere, there's gotta be a place."
"Rick, look around." Glenn said. "Okay, there's walkers everywhere! They're migrating or something."
"There's gotta be a place, not-not where we just hole up. But we.. Fortify. Hunker down, pull ourselves together. Build a life for each other. I know that it's out there, we just have to find it!" Rick argued.
"Even if we do find a place we think is safe, we can never be sure for how long. Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinkin' that was safe." Maggie explained to Rick.
"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel assured.
"We'll make camp tonight, over there." Rick pointed to a stone structure. "Get on the road at the break of day."
"Does this feel right to you?" Carol walked up to Daryl and I.
"What if walkers come through here or another group like Randall's?" Beth asked.
"You know I found Randall, right?" Daryl asked, looking at Rick. "He'd turned, but he wasn't bit." Rick looked away from us.
"How is that possible?" Beth asked, staring up at Rick with questioning eyes.
"Wait, what the hell happened?" Lori asked.
"Shane killed Randall. Jus' like he always wanted to." Daryl answered.
"And then the herd got him?" Lori questioned Rick.
"We're all infected." Rick said quietly. What? Everything seemed to freeze, time seemed to slow down. I gaped at Rick, trying to process what he had just said. We're...infected?
"What?" Daryl's voice kicked everything back into play.
"At the CDC, Jenner told me... Whatever it is, we all carry it." Rick explained. Daryl turned away from us and walked over to the guard rail.
"And you never said anything?" Carol asked.
"Would it have made a difference?" Rick asked.
"You knew this whole time." Glenn's voice sounded hurt. Daryl was back at my side.
"How could I have known for sure? You saw how crazy that ma-" Rick was interrupted.
"That is not your call. Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told for the good of everyone." Glenn argued.
"Well, I thought it best if people didn't know." Rick said, and there was silence.
"He's right." I spoke up, and everyone looked at me as if I were crazy. "All too fresh, we weren't used to the world then. We all woulda panicked." No one said anything, and Rick walked away. Lori left Carl with Hershel and followed him. Daryl walked away toward the woods and I went after him.
"You really think that?" Daryl growled, staring at me.
"Yea. I do." I replied simply, as we kept walking.
"So either way, we're all fucked." Daryl stated.
"That we are." I nodded. "Means no matter what, if we die, we become one of 'em. It's like a virus... Or disease."
"What the hell were you thinkin'?" Daryl growled at me, suddenly in front of me. He grabbed my shoulders. "Runnin' off like that? Rick got 'em! He got the kids. Coulda got yourself killed!"
"I... I didn't know what to do." I said quietly, as the tears sprung into my eyes. "Cheyenne was out there, Daryl. She was out there and I had to find her... I tried to go back for you, but Rick wouldn't let me."
"This ain't about me! Damn right he didn't let ya! It's about you. Keepin' you and Chy safe. Rick had her. Coulda got yourself killed." Daryl's voice was rough.
"I shoulda stayed when Rick left. I shoulda stayed and got Andrea and Shay." I whispered.
"No, don't do that." Daryl shook his head. "Nothin' you coulda done."
"Don't believe that." I said, looking out towards the road. I could see Lori and Rick talking.
"I'm sorry 'bout Shay." Daryl spoke softly this time. "But don't ever do that again. Scared the shit outta me."
"You ain't scared of nothin'." I said with a slight smile. I saw Lori push Rick away and stalk off. Daryl shook his head and put a finger under my chin. He tilted my head upward to him.
"Scared of losin' you." Daryl said gruffly. I said nothing, only stared back into his eyes. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I stood on my tip toes and kissed him. Pressing my mouth to his, I felt his arms snake around my waist, pulling me closer. His tongue touched mine briefly, then he pulled back a little, but his mouth was still against mine. Daryl let the kiss linger a moment, before letting go of me.
"Gotta get firewood." I mumbled hoarsely, and Daryl shook his head. We walked around quietly, picking up sticks and thick branches that we could burn. By the time we left the woods, it was getting dark.
We had all gathered more than enough wood to burn. Daryl made a small fire, and Rick began assigning watch duties. I noticed that Lori kept glaring at Rick as if he was the plague coming down on her. Once the fire was started, everyone sat around it trying to keep warm. Daryl sat beside me, and I noticed Carol walk over and sit on the other side of him. I instinctively hooked my arm though his, pulling him closer.
"Cold?" Daryl whispered.
"A little." I said truthfully. Cheyenne was sitting between us, curled up half on my lap.
"We're not safe with him." Carol said out of no where, looking at Daryl. "Keepin' somethin' like that from us? Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."
"Nah, Rick's done all right by me." Daryl's voice was quiet as he spoke.
"He's right. Rick's a good man." I whispered.
"You're his henchman." Carol kept on. "And Imma burden. We deserve better."
"What'd you want?" Daryl asked, annoyed. I raised an eyebrow at her in question.
"A man of honor." Carol mumbled.
"Rick has honor." Daryl growled.
"I think we should take our chances." Maggie said, looking at Glenn.
"You crazy?" I asked, glaring at her.
"Don't be foolish." Hershel agreed. "There's no food, no fuel, no ammo." CRACK. A loud noise coming from the woods made me jump.
"What was that?" Beth asked.
"Could be anything." Daryl said surely, standing up. I pulled Cheyenne closer. "Could be a raccoon, could be opossum."
"A walker." Glenn spoke up.
"We need to leave!" Carol said, sounding frantic. "I mean, what are we waitin' for?"
"I agree with Carol." Sam shook his head, standing up.
"Which way?" Glenn asked.
"It came from over there." Maggie was looking in the direction the noise had come from, her gun ready.
"Back from where we came." Beth said.
"Yea." Maggie agreed.
"Last thing we need is for everyone to be runnin' off in the dark." Rick growled. "We don't have the vehicles, no one's travelin' on foot."
"We can't just go. We need a plan." I agreed with Rick.
"Don't panic." Hershel told Maggie.
"I'm not. I'm not sittin' here waitin' for another herd to blow through. We need to move, now." Maggie said.
"Yea? And go where?" I shot.
"No one is goin' anywhere." Rick ordered.
"Do something." Carol hissed.
"I am doin' somethin'!" Rick said harshly. "I'm keepin' this group together, alive! I been doin' that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake! You saw what he was like. How he pushed me. How he compromised us... How he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing. Led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice! He was my friend, but he came after me." Carl grabbed Lori, crying. "My hands are clean... Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe-maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe... Maybe I'm foolin' myself again. Why, why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a post card! Go on, there's the door. You can do better. Let's see how far you get... No takers? Fine. But get one thing straight. You're stayin'. This isn't a democracy anymore."
Hell yeah ! That was an adrenaline rush to write ! Haha I hope you all enjoy this chapter and be ready for what's to come... Lots of running around coming up until I can get my hands on season 3 ! Daryl and Spencer are cuties haha... Well as always the feedback is crazy AMAZING ! The reviews are GREATLY APPRECIATED ! Readers, you guys are wonderful !
~Kaila