Faithless

Greensboro, North Carolina- Nine Years Ago

"They're really talkin' about dropping Napalm in the streets" Walt held the phone receiver close to his ear, the blood slowly draining from his face. Suddenly he was back in his eighteen year old body again, with looks his mother always boasted should have put him on the silver screen, my boy with the face of an angel yet his boot was pressing into the chest of a Korean soldier. He could never shake the fearful look the man - no boy - possessed in his eyes as he choked on his own blood.

Click.

Walt turned his head to see Josey back from her shift at Target. "Your sister's just home - I'll put her on - " he felt like he was having an out of body of experience as he watched his granddaughter fiddle with her name tag and drop it into the key bowl. "Jo - it's Scott."

"I thought he was being sent out to Fort Benning -" Josey murmured before she held the reciever to her ear. " - hey Action Man, what's going on?"

"Hey Little Bit - " Scott Kowalski tried his best to keep it together as he watched half a dozen armed trucks drive by. " - look things are getting really bad out here, it's not like how they're reporting it on the news. We've already started evacuating the big dogs at the top but they're keeping that on the low - " the line started to cut in and out as Walt's gnarled fingers gripped tightly onto the door frame, his knuckles turning almost transparent. There had been rumblings all over the country for weeks, news there had been reports of blackouts in other states, and videos of rabid people attacking others. He was convinced it was a hoax at first. Drugs maybe. People were trying to operate as normal but it was getting harder to ignore. Walt had become certain it had to be something man-made. Biological warfare. Of course they would do something like that. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Scott - are you there?" Josey punched in the code for call return but the dial tone beeped and disconnected.

"Josey, he'll be fine. He's big and ugly enough to look after himself" Walt rasped as he swallowed his fear as she looked at him with wide eyes. Time to pull up your bootstraps kid, she's counting on you. "I need you to listen to me Jo - I need you to go upstairs and pack a bag. Then take the dog and get into the van - " he instructed as he held onto her hand and squeezed tightly. "- nothing is going to happen to my two best girls" he reached down as Farrah sniffed his other hand, her snout wet.

Commonwealth - Present Day

Plumes of black smoke rose into the sky. Bits and pieces of flesh were carried downstream in the fast moving currents. Someone was screaming. Horrible. Desperate cries of anguish. Josey looked around in the long grass until she realised.

"Hey - Hey!" Daryl's hands gripped both her shoulders as Josey came to consciousness with a jolt. She was drenched in sweat, her hair sticking to the back of her neck in a rumpled mess. Her breaths came in sharp and fast intervals as Daryl continued to soothe her in the dark. "It's alright - hey - "

"I saw Rick again - I saw him - on the bridge - " Again. The silence in the bedroom was loud. Daryl felt that dreadful pang of guilt return in his stomach as soon as his dead brother's name was spoken out loud and he lay back down, fluffing the pillow with one hand.

"It was jus' a bad dream Rabbit. Go back to sleep." The mattress dipped and he heard Josey leave the bedroom. He sat up again, brushing his hair from his eyes with his fingers, as he chewed on his bottom lip. A soft whine could be heard from the corner and he realised Dog was now awake. "Don't worry boy - I'll go get your Mom" Daryl reached over and Dog licked his hand, his tail wagging slightly. "Jo - where you at?" Daryl called out as he rubbed his hand down his face as he tried to fight the tiredness that was coming in waves. It was still the middle of the damned night and he had to be up in a few hours. "Jo - I said where you at - "

"Sshhh - there's one of them out there - " Josey was pressed up against the front door, her eye to the keyhole as Daryl squinted in the dark.

"What are you talkin' about?"

"There's a walker outside - in the hall" she turned around then, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wide and contained a hint of fear. A cold shiver ran through Daryl's body as he approached the door. Right enough, there was a single walker, dressed in a robe and lurching around in circles, making low snapping sounds, as the corpse's jaw moved in an unnatural manner. Daryl backed away from the door and gently led Josey away by her forearm.

"Listen to me alright - I need you to get dressed, and then I want you - to shut yourself in the bedroom with Dog - " Daryl instructed and continued to talk over Josey as she started to protest. "You take my knife from under the mattress and you don't come out - we don't know if this place is overrun - " he disappeared into the bedroom and returned a few seconds later with his boots on and crossbow in hand. "- I'll take care of that one out there - then I need to find Mercer."

Alexandria - Seven Years Ago

"You really resemble Scott here" Josey held out the small black and white photograph that was curling at the edges. Walt took the photo and held it close to his face, squinting as he looked at the image of his younger self. He wore a half crooked grin, and beside him, was his old buddy Jeff who had died years ago.

"I suppose I do" he rubbed his temple with one finger, watching as Josey carefully looked through the tin case that he had taken with them on the road.

"I really do take after my babcia - " smiled Josey and Walt saw she was looking at his wedding photograph again. He'd lost his beloved Magdalena ten years ago to complications from surgery but saw her everyday in his granddaughter, especially as she grew older. They had the same large hazel eyes.

"Marrying your Grandmother was the best thing I ever did - " he reminisced just as a rap on the back door behind Josey startled them both. "What the fuck - " Walt slid his seat out from the kitchen table, as he locked eyes with Rick Grimes through the pane of glass. Josey glanced at her Grandfather before she opened the door, only to see Rick wasn't alone.

"I brought over a casserole" Carol said as she peered into the doorway and she flashed Walt a smile.

"We don't want your casserole" he waved his arm as if to shoo her.

"Why are you - here at the back door? Why didn't come around the front?" Josey asked, a deep frown settling in her forehead.

"Your dog was growling at us" Rick's young son, Carl, said with a little too much attitude in his tone.

"She has good instincts, Helmet" Walt said bluntly as he moved beside Josey.

"What?" Rick cocked his head to the side, his eyes half narrowed as if he wasn't convinced what he just heard.

"Farrah doesn't like strangers" Josey remarked, as her fingers drummed agains the doorframe and Rick could identify straightaway, she was growing agitated.

"Well Farrah and I have that in common" Rick raised his eyebrows and his face softened as he placed his hands on his hips. "Look - we came around to ask if you both wanted to come to Deanna's - gathering tonight - "

" - I'm afraid I can't give up my evening nap and Jo has to wash her hair" Walt said dryly, his steel gaze turning into a confused frown as Carol unexpectedly started to laugh in an exaggerated manner as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard and Josey narrowed her eyes.

"Look - we weren't invited and I guarantee Deanna wouldn't like it - " Josey looked straight at Rick and held his gaze for a few more moments before she tried to shut the door but Rick's stuck his hand out, preventing her. " - hey!"

" - you need friends in this town - "

" - you're a cop and I'm not buying your wife's Martha Stewart routine, so leave us alone" Josey shot back, as Carol's smile faded and Rick frowned as she forcibly closed the door.

Commonwealth - Present Day

"Again, great job on being vigilant Dixon, and alerting your Commander."

Josey rolled her eyes at the sound of Mercer's voice, followed by the sound of moving footsteps and the click of the front door. Daryl walked into the bedroom moments later, and Dog bounded off the bed towards him, jumping up and down as he tried to lick Daryl's face.

"You guys alright?" Daryl asked as he fussed over Dog.

"What happened out there?" Josey responded as she climbed off the bed.

"Old guy that lives down the hall, must have left his door unlocked, they think he had a heart attack or something and turned. Got out into the lobby - "

"Did you tell them that it was me that found him? Or did you take the credit for that too?" she interrupted, a coldness in her tone that made him hesitate. Her whole demeanor seemed off, the way she was standing, her eyes were set hard and she was nibbling on the inside of her cheek.

"Jo - " Daryl tried to gently push Dog off him.

"I heard you out there, being a good little stormtrooper for your Commander - " she drawled in a mocking tone.

"Fuck off."

"You really are goin' out of your way to impress him, aren't you?"

" - nah - don't start makin' this about me, this is really 'bout you not makin' the cut!" Daryl raised his voice as he pointed at her. "You're jus' pissed at the fact that since you've lost your arm, you - " Daryl stopped himself suddenly before he said anything else as anger and hurt flashed in Josey's eyes.

" - what? Go on! Say what you were goin' to say!" she pushed and when Daryl didn't answer, she grabbed one of the pillows and stormed out the bedroom.

"Jo! Where you goin' now? - " Daryl shouted after her as he locked eyes with Dog and shook his head. " - we're too old for this shit."