I don't own TWD or any of the characters; only my OC's. Sorry for any grammar mistake, enjoy!

January 2012.

Life had been pretty easy since the end of November; almost no one wanted to get out because of the 'cold'. She thought it funny that they considered that cold. So there wasn't much runs and half the time the Saviors were only going out to collect their fees. Amelie often found herself outside on her own; hunting or fishing in the lake nearby. She even made traps and was able to get a few hares.

Tom had begun to teach her how to properly fight and she wasn't so bad at it. The man was pleased with her progress and liked her iron clad, leather glove she was wearing on her right hand. He told her it was a good idea; it had been her dad's.

The girl went frequently on the runs and out, but she still refused to go collect food and materials in the other communities. She knew what was going on there… She heard the gossips; they often killed one of them because the booty was not satisfactory enough.

The men often tried to coax her into coming with them: they did not come even close to convince her. She was an able fighter and she was fast; her lack of presence on those raids was beginning to annoy some of the Saviors.

'' How can you stand it? '' Tom asked as he shivered.

They were out on a run, in a not so far town; they had been here for an hour or so, killed a few walkers and scavenged two stores. They were currently in one, searching through the shelves.

Amelie looked over her shoulder and took his appearance in: '' Wear mittens, not gloves. Make sure you have good boots and a hat. As long as your extremities are covered you should be fine. You can put grease on your face; it helps prevent frost bites. Anyway, I don't know why you guys are freaking out; it's not even that cold and there barely is snow…''

He mumbled: '' Canadians and their—''

She raised a hand, shutting him up: '' Shh!''

'' What—''

'' Shh!''

She slowed her breathing, trying to hear what she had a few seconds ago; it did it again. It was coming from outside. The young woman drew out her blades and ran out of the shop; once outside she looked right then left.

To the right.

She jogged rapidly and stopped every minute to check if she was still following the noise. A walkers came her way and she pierced its head in one quick motion before continuing on her way. She halted; it sounded like…a kid's cry or something like that.

The wails were louder now and she ran faster. She turned on a street and then again in a alley-way. Amelie frowned; on a large, high trash bin, there was a child, crying and wailing. He was pressed against the building wall behind him and the zombies around couldn't reach him. Not that they were so interested in him; half of them were munching on a corpse lying in the alley.

The kid couldn't be more than three years old… She glanced at the body; it was probably his father or mother she couldn't see. There was about nine of them; she could do that. The girl whistled loudly, drawing their attention.

Two came at her and she quickly finished them. Amelie killed a third, but a fourth grabbed her from behind. She went to the ground with it and finally pushed her dagger in one of his eyes. She rapidly rose, sheathed her weapons and jumped on the trash bin to take the little boy in her arms. He clutched her neck tightly and she hopped on the ground again and began to run toward where she left Tom.

He was still standing in front of the store like a lost puppy, looking confused. He grimaced and pointed at the child in her arms: '' What is that?''

'' I believe it's called a 'child'.''

''Yes I know, but what is it doing there in your arms? Where did you find it!?''

She rolled her eyes: '' I heard him cry; a bunch of walkers were chewing on his mom, I think. I couldn't leave him there!''

He recoiled slowly, as if she was holding a dangerous snake instead of in infant: '' this, he pointed the kid, is a liability! It does nothing and it's just another mouth to feed.''

She shrugged and put the kid down: '' I'll find an arrangement. Are we done here? ''

Tom stared at the child: '' Yes. The guys are ready to go.''

*On the way to the sanctuary*

The men were trying hard to not stare at her and newly found charge. There was an awkward silence and some displeased looks thrown her way.

Kevin, who was there as well, finally turned to her and spoke: '' Okay… since no one is asking: what the Hell? ''

'' 'found it.'' She answered briefly.

'' It didn't mean you had to pick it up!'' He exclaimed.

Xxxxxx

She helped to unload the trucks and once it was done, she went back inside the car extending her arms to the boy. This one immediately hauled himself to her and she picked him up before putting him on the ground. She knelt, placing her hands on his little shoulders: '' Okay… can you understand me?''

He slowly nodded.

'' How old are you?''

The kid showed her three, chubby fingers. Hum, that's what she thought.

'' Kid… we'll walk to my…home; you stay close to me no matter what and you don't speak, is that understood? ''

The boy nodded again and she grabbed his hand, before heading toward the warehouse she was staying in.

She hadn't walk for more than a few minutes that she heard: '' I see you brought a stray back.''

Amelie closed her eyes and sighed, then turned to face him: ''Good afternoon, Sir.''

She subtly placed herself a bit in front of the kid; the movement didn't go unnoticed by Negan.

He chuckled: '' Interesting find you have there. A bit hindering though.''

'' He would have die; we're in January and his…mother was being eaten by walkers. I thought I could find an arrangement with a woman back here.'' She explained.

His face became serious: '' He's your fucking responsibility now; don't go thinking the women here will want to take care of him…even less any man. He's a mouth to feed; one who can't gain any damn point for himself. ''

Her face hardened at his harsh words: '' We will see.''

The women here couldn't be so heartless, right?

Xxxxxx

'' Well…it looks like it's just you and me, kid.''

He sat on her makeshift bed, looking lost and uncertain.

Negan had been right; no one wanted him. She went to the only two mothers here and they both refused her. She went to Amber; surely their leader could spare a corner of his spacious house and a bit of food for the kid? Nope. The other women laughed at her and made cruel comments about taking care of your own pets. Tom was more kind, but refused as well with a: 'I told you, so.'

Defeated, she had brought the kid back home.

There was a water basin in one corner of her room; she went there and washed a bit before gesturing to the child to come as well. Amelie took a rag and began to clean his tear streaked face.

He let her.

'' So…what's your name?''

'' Theo.'' He murmured shyly.

She scrubbed his little hands; Amelie didn't know what she was doing, but she had seen her mother do this with her sister.

'' Okay Theo… so… hum…from now on I'll be the one to take care of you.''

'' Like Aunty Nat?''

So, it hadn't been his mother.

'' Was she the woman you were with, in the town?''

Tears began to roll on his cheeks and he nodded.

The girl wiped them: '' It's alright, it's alright… I- I don't know if I will be as good as your aunt to take care of you, but I will try. I'm not really an adult you know…I'm only seventeen and I just got them…'' she whispered.

How will she care for him!? She wasn't a mother; she didn't know how to be a mother! The girl stared at the wall; she will need to collect more points… a growing kid could not afford to lack food.

The teenager was beginning to panic when his little arms circled her middle: '' Thank you, Miss.''

The simple gesture gave her hope and strength.

*a month later*

Theo wriggled under the heavy blankets, waking her. They slept together; she had no other bed and she wasn't about to take her points for it instead of food. He pushed her:

'' Wake up! Amelie! You'll be late.''

She groaned and rolled the other way, but he climbed on her: '' You need to go; they're leaving soon.'' His high voice warned her.

She sat straight in the bed and jumped out of it. She quickly put on her boots and the leather around her forearms and finally buckled her belt with her daggers around her waist. Theo brought her, her carbine and she swung it on her back. Amelie headed toward the door, but stopped in the frame: '' You be a good kid, okay? You know where the food is! ''

On this, she ran in the stairs to join the men. Once there, she jumped in the back of one the trucks. Kevin bumped his shoulder with hers as the cars departed: '' You look dead.''

''I'm dead.'' She mumbled.

It was true; she was working as much as she could… She went out more than the others, she hunted… 4 days per week she was killing walkers and scavenging, besides that she was trying to bring back something to eat and the rest of the time she was watching over Theo. She was downright exhausted.

Amelie wanted to spend time with the boy and teach him stuff, but at the end of the day she was just too tired. She took care of him like she could and made sure he had clothes and was never hungry.

Kevin smiled: ''Maybe the biters will confuse you for one of them!''

She shoved him playfully and glanced at the thick clouds: ''It'll snow again.''

That day, everything went bad. The cold and the small amount of snow and ice on the road hindered them; the cars were not adapted for the winter. The town they were traveling to was farther than usual.

That day, other survivors decided they were raiding this town as well…and Negan wasn't one to share.

It went from bad to worse when their fight alerted a herd a nearby.

That day, she killed for the second time…she did it before to avenge her father and little sister… to appease the fire in her chest not just…like that.

Amelie didn't get a choice; when someone tries to chop your head off with a machete, your reflexes quickly kick in. She defended herself. Everyone was fighting like crazy; shots were fired, arrows were launched, punched were thrown and Negan was bashing heads with Lucille.

When the herd showed up, the other clan turned tail rapidly, leaving them surrounded, their number depleted.

The young girl slashed around, avoided teeth and pierced heads, her muscles screaming in pain. She frowned as she saw four of their own men take a truck and leave from where she was battling in a small alley-way.

Cowards…

Yells of pain and horror resounded in the air all around them, the girl turned in time to see a mass of undead flipping the abandoned car three men had taken refuge on. She heard the other truck start and then leave the place.

Snow started to fall from the sky…It was over.

Amelie could see two remaining Saviors standing; they would not last long. She could run and climb; it was time to go. She pushed a walker, sprinted a bit and hopped on garbage before jumping and grabbing the emergency stairs above her. With difficulty, she pulled herself up and rested for a few minutes on her back, listening to the growls and grunts underneath her.

Knowing she was safe on her promontory, she rose to her feet and looked over the massacre: there were bodies everywhere, something was smoking in a corner…zombies were eating the freshly killed humans.

The young woman let her head fall against the building wall; how would she get back to the sanctuary now? How would she escape the herd?! There had not been many survivors left and those ones fled, leaving the rest of them to fend for themselves!

It was quiet now; selfishly, she was relieved to not hear strangled, dying voices anymore.

Then, she perceived a weak moan. Someone was still alive? She wasn't alone?

She bent over the stair railing, trying to see where it was coming from: Amelie couldn't see anything.

The snow was falling harder now, making it even more difficult for her to see.

Suddenly, a small movement caught her attention: there was someone in the flipped car! The young woman bit her lips; she would need to go down…and she didn't have enough bullets in her carbine to kill all the zombies still present.

However, it might be Kevin in that car…

Taking a deep breath, she shouldered her weapon, adjusted her scope and began to shoot the undead until she had no more ammunition.

Okay…there were fewer walkers now. She needed a plan.

You need a plan, now. Respire. Pense. Regarde et analyse la situation.

There were three groups of undead now: one on the reversed car and two eating the bodies… And some were walking here and there in between.

The car was the priority…She looked at it again: the person in there wasn't moving much… she or he was probably wounded.

Damned; it would complicate her task. She grasped her hair, panicking again.

Amelie looked around and up; it looked like it was an apartment block…maybe she could find something in there. She ran up the stairs and broke the first window she could reach before stepping inside. The girl verified there was no one or dead inside and began to check around: there wasn't much in there. She opened every door and closet; quick! She needed something that made noise or that she could set aflame!

She was in the second apartment's bedroom when her eyes landed on a small, portable stereo.

Please, please have batteries. God, let it have batteries!

The girl checked: there was some in! Her eyes searched for a CD and she rapidly found a pile of it in a corner.

Adele? No. Celine Dion? No! Metallica? Maybe. System of a down? PERFECT.

She put the CD in and fidgeted a bit with the buttons before running outside. She put her arm through the curved handle of the stereo and proceeded to get down. The dead in the alley were now feasting with the others.

She drew one blade out and headed toward the flipped car.

Once she was close enough, she put the sound to maximum and threw the stereo a few meters from her. Most of them went after the thing and she quickly killed the others.

Amelie rushed to the door and her eyes widened: it was Negan! They abandoned their leader here! There was a pool of blood under him from where he slouched in the vehicle.

For a tensed moment, she considered leaving him there…the communities they were exploiting deserved his death. He deserved it…He had blackmailed one of the women into becoming his wife…He was cruel… She shook her head: today she was paying her life debt! However, the man was huge…and he will be heavy to drag around.

The girl made her decision quickly; there was no time to lose. Amelie went into the car, put each of her feet on both sides of his torso and grabbed him under his armpits. He groaned in pain, but didn't wake up.

That man was made of bricks; the teenager huffed and pulled his heavy weight. Hauling them out, she panted, absolutely certain it was all the adrenaline work making her able to pull him.

Two walkers were heading their way; she pulled Negan's gun from his pants and shot them. Amelie fell to her knees with a whimpers; damn it!

She pushed herself more under the man, placing him almost completely on her back and started to walk as fast as she could toward the apartment block.

She slayed more walkers on her way there, once arrived, she kicked the front door open and closed it behind her with her foot.

Bending under the leader's weight, she let him fall on the floor and pushed as much goods and furniture as she could in front of the door.

Sweaty hair fell before her eyes as she breathed hard; they were…kind of safe now. She did it…no not yet. Amelie glanced at Negan: he was still unconscious and bleeding.

He needed cares and he needed it now. It was too dangerous to stay on the first floor so she dragged him upstairs and installed him in the bedroom she was in earlier. The girl sagged against the wall; it was too much.

No, you'll have a nervous breakdown later: someone's life is depending of your next actions now.

The girl gingerly walked closer to Negan; he wasn't so scary now… She opened and moved his coat aside; he was bleeding from his abdomen, but it was only a deep gash.

All the blood was not from there…

It was from one of his thighs; he had been shot in the leg. She would need to remove his pants…

She shook her head and pulled out her dagger, slicing through the material up to the hips. She inspected the wound; luck was on his side…the bullet had crossed profoundly in his muscle from front to back; she wouldn't need to pull anything out.

Nonetheless, blood was gushing out of the injury and she wasn't sure about what to do.

Damn she wasn't a doctor!

She had to think…Okay, what did she know?

A garrote could help stopping the hemorrhage. She ought to disinfect the wound. Sewing it shut could help, but she didn't have anything to sew not that she knew how. Binding it after was necessary.

Then, an old memory about something she read a long time ago came to her; sugar.

Sugar would help the blood coagulate, stop a bit the flow and prevent bacteria from developing in there! But first, the garrote.

Amelie used his belt and tightened it above the wound before going on her sugar hunt.

Xxxxxx

*two hours later*

His wounds were cleaned and bandaged, she had melted snow with what she found in the apartments she had scavenged and she was ready to drop dead on the floor.

Negan had moaned once or twice during the whole process, but otherwise, had not wakened.

The girl sighed and collected more snow to boil over the small fire she had lighted earlier with a leftover pack of matches. They would need water on their way back; tomorrow, she was planning on finding a car a traveling back to the Sanctuary.

She rose and dropped a few blankets on him before curling on herself nearby; it would be a long night.

Xxxxxx

'' What the fucking Hell.''

Was the first words she heard from him early in the morning. He sat straight in the bed, a frown on his face.

He turned to her: '' What the fuck? ''

''You were wou—''

'' I fucking know what happened! I was bleeding like a fucking pig in that car, then those fuckers flipped it and I was stuck in there! How the Hell am I here!?'' He almost shouted.

'' I brought you here.'' She said.

He eyed her up and down: '' You? You dragged me from that stupid car to here, wherever it is? ''

She nodded.

'' By yourself?''

She nodded again.

'' Fuck me side way!'' he exclaimed.

There was a silent pause then she spoke again: '' we must go.''

The Saviors' leader glared at her: '' I fucking know that; where is everyone?!''

The teenager looked down: '' They left…''

For a second, Negan stared at her with a strange look in his eyes, before looking away.

'' Damn it! '' The man growled and punched the wall. He tried to rise, but fell back in bed with a groan of pain.

He faced her again: '' We'll find a car and we're on our way.''

'' I don't know how to start a car without the keys…'' she mumbled.

'' I know how for fuck sake; come on: we're going.'' He ordered.

She sighed; she preferred him when he was unconscious.

Xxxxxx

'' You're terrible at this, you know.''

She grumbled: '' I never got my driver licenses, okay? The world went down before I could.''

He put his chin on his hand and leaned against the car's door: '' 'wasn't complaining, only pointing out the obvious.''

It had been easier to get to a car and leave than it had been to get him inside that building. The herd had dispersed and the snow had stopped. On their way, he had demanded to know exactly what happened in details after he went into that car and she told him.

''Those fucking fuckers: I can't believe they left.'' he raged again.

She shrugged: '' We were good as dead; there are only us… the rest died. They had a good reason to leave; you were out of sight and I as well.''

The man frowned at her: '' You're defending them?''

Well, she thought they were cowards too because there were still a few men standing when they left. But Negan didn't need to know that and she didn't wish to see anyone die.

''They couldn't know. C'est fini maintenant. There is no point in talking about it.''

The man snorted, but let it go.

Later, they were welcomed with shouts and yells as they opened the gates for them:

'' They're back! '' ''It's them! '' '' It's Negan! ''

Amelie stopped the car in the middle of the place, grabbed her stuff, ignored everyone around her and headed immediately toward the warehouse; she just wanted to eat and sleep. The instant she appeared in her room; Theo threw himself at her:

'' they said you were gone! '' He cried as he clutched her.

She knelt and hugged him: '' I'm there now; are there any leftovers?''

The kid nodded and brought her an old piece of bread and water; this would have to do. She practically inhaled the bread and gulped down the water before letting herself fall on her bed. Theo followed her: she raised her arm and he cuddled into her side.

translation: 1*: breath, think, look and analyse. 2*: it's over now