Dead Days

Chapter Seventeen

Knowledge

Hey guys! I'm working on the next chapter, but we've officially hit all that I had prepared before so I'm going to try to update again in two weeks, but I can't promise it won't be closer to like a month.

We're coming close to ending Season 2 though! And then that'll really start to show the changes I have for this story.

Hope you all enjoy and review! I love reading what you guys think!

"All my troubles on a burning pile

All lit up and I start to smile

If I catch fire, then I change my aim

Throw my troubles at the pearly gate."

-Burning Pile by Mother Mother

Remington rolled over, feeling warm, as the light from the new day lit up the tent annoyingly. She wasn't sure how long she had slept, hoping it hadn't been longer than usual, as she had a busy day ahead of her. Before they had fallen asleep Shane informed her of what Hershel had told him, and Merle had announced they had run into a group of military men and their offer. She had asked what he and Shane thought of the offer, Merle stating that he thought it could be the real thing, and a break they needed, and Shane hadn't been certain, having not met them, or seen this place, but wished to be hopeful.

A part of her wanted to be hopeful, but she didn't recognize the name, Cromwell, or Sweeney. They would be unknowns in this universe.

Add on her own important task of announcing to everyone that they were infected, and Remington could feel any stress that Shane had released from her yesterday slowly build back up in her gut. She shifted, rolling again, nudging against something solid, but her eyes refused to open, not wishing to start the day just yet, as she wondered if she could get away with slipping into a mini coma. Just to avoid all the responsibilities she had happily taken on and the awful memories from the previous night.

"I can hear yah thinking from over here," came a muffled voice from next to her. Remington blinked, eyes blurry, as she sought out the familiar voice. Daryl lay next to her, asleep later than she thought she had ever seen him, as the tent was devoid of life outside of the two of them. Normally, he was up before the sun, already in the forest looking for food.

Shuffling forward, Remington was quick to snuggle into his side, her head laying against his back, as he was face down, face shoved into a pillow, in a sorry attempt to block out the sunlight.

"What are you still doing asleep?" she asked, curious.

"Slept like shit." Remington was certain that he hadn't. He may have had two small beings draped across him, as they were known to sleep in the weirdest positions possible, but Daryl had been just as dead to the world as they were. She nudged him softly. "Wanted ta be here when you woke up." The words came out more muffled than before, causing Remi to strain to hear them, but she had.

"Did I worry you?"

Her hand came up to card through his hair, noticing that it had gained a little length to it. All three of her men's hair had grown recently, and she suspected that Shane and Merle would attempt to do something about it. She remembered they had kept a pair of scissors on hand and suspected that Maggie would have clippers. Perhaps, she would ask to borrow them, but Remi wouldn't be very helpful, as she had never tried her hand at giving a haircut before, and only knew how to shave someone's hair off completely. She hoped neither of them went that route, as Remi liked the bit of curl to Merle's hair, and preferred Shane with the length of hair he had now. She hadn't exactly approved of the change in style back in the show, for more reasons than one.

"Didn't know what happened to yah."

"Yeah." Remi shifted, moving to crawl over him, and to settle on his other side, where he was facing, as she snuggled under the arm that had been tossed over a pile of discarded blankets. "We should probably look into finding some kind of long-distance radios. Anything better than that old CB we've got. So, if something like last night happens again, we can at least stay connected with one another."

She felt the way he stiffened for a second at her sudden movement, catching him off guard by her freely given affection, before he rolled enough to allow her to settle against him more comfortably.

"Shane told us what yah did last night."

Remington didn't have it in her to feel anything other than acceptance, and happiness, and she wouldn't have to be the one to speak of it again, not unless she wanted to.

"I don't really want to think of it right now."

"Yah did what yah thought was right. That's all that matters." Hesitantly she felt him reach out to lift her chin before he was lightly kissing her. She melted into the touch, more than happy to let him lead, to keep it sweet, and simple. Her veins hummed with the knowledge that he had yet again initiated the kiss between them and was supporting her. She was certain that Merle would be feeling the same way. He was backing away far sooner than Remington had liked but only chased after his lips for a short peck, before settling back into the pile of blankets and pillows she had burrowed herself into.

"How late did I sleep in?"

"Not late. The kids left for breakfast not too long ago."

"I need to be getting ready soon. Breakfast is probably the best time for my announcement."

"Yah gonna tell 'em all 'bout that group last night?"

"No." Remington didn't believe that would go over well. Dale, she knew would be against the idea on principle, and Lori hated her guts, she wouldn't support Remi for anything. She suspected the others might keep their disapproval to themselves, and if she released all the information about what they had been up to, most would probably feel she was justified and leave it at that. Fear did that to you. "There's something else I need to tell you all. We've been so busy, but I've got to make time for it before I go off to meet this new group."

He blinked, peering down at her in curiosity, as he watched the seriousness cover her expression.

"Not something good then?"

"No."

Remington was bracing herself for the accusations as fear ran rampant through the group, and for a moment she worried that maybe she should wait until after meeting with the group but knew this was going to be needed. It had to happen sooner rather than later. She silently apologized for leaving Shane and Daryl to deal with the group after she left.

"We'll be there to support yah."

Remington wiggled closer to him, initiating the kiss this time before she suddenly pulled away, removing herself from the cocoon of blankets, and sitting up. Daryl followed her movements, mimicking them, before suddenly averting his gaze when she pulled her nightshirt over her head. She tugged the sweats from her legs before grabbing at a clean pair of jeans and searching through her bag for a shirt only to come up empty. A frown tugged at her lips as she pulled on her bra, before turning to where Daryl was still sitting, his eyes bouncing from where she stood, and the blanket that his hands messed with in an attempt to distract himself from how easily she changed in front of him.

"Where are all of my clothes?"

"What yah mean?" He glanced back up at her, his eyes lingering on her skin, before glancing down to where she was glaring.

"I mean my clothes are mostly gone. I've just got a few pairs of underwear and another pair of jeans left."

"Shane mentioned Carol grabbing everyone's laundry." He shrugged before standing up. "Guess she hasn't gotten ours back yet."

"I can't exactly walk around like this. I mean I could, but it would be awkward for quite a number of people. I'd prefer not to have to put that shirt back on." She eyed the one she was wearing last night, having already decided to rid herself of it, and the memories it brought with it, and her nightshirt was longer than she liked to wear, nearly reaching her knees, too easy for Walkers to grab, but she'd manage if she needed to.

She heard a scoffing noise come from Daryl before he was suddenly tossing an article of clothing her way. She yelped as it hit her on the shoulder, and she quickly grabbed at it before it could fall.

"Wear that." His gaze had settled back on her, no longer shying away from the fact that she was largely undressed, as the ease at which she took it settled over him.

"Is this your shirt?" Remi glanced down at it, not recognizing it as something she had seen him wear before, as it still had its sleeves intact.

"Got somethin' against it?" He made to take it back, but Remington was already stepping away from his reach as she began to tug it over her head and smiled happily at being given something to wear by one of them. It was far too big for her but was nowhere near as long as her other option, so she made quick work of tucking it into her pants, making it look less baggy.

"Thanks!" She beamed at him, causing whatever emotion that had been swirling inside of him to melt away, as he simply nodded in acknowledgment. She bent down to gather her dirty clothes, telling herself she would take care of them later, before turning to leave the tent. Daryl followed, but before she could unzip the tent and free them, Remington remembered last night, and decided she had one last thing to ask him. "How do you feel about affection out in public?"

His eyes narrowed a bit as her words caught up to him.

"What do yah mean?"

"I mean, how comfortable are you with me kissing you, or whatever, where anyone can see?" She turned abruptly around so she could face him. He took a step back to give her space, but Remi followed him, her head tilted curiously to the side. "I personally don't mind, but I want to know what you're comfortable with so I don't overstep any boundaries you might have."

"Yah askin' cause yah plan on making it a thing or something?"

"Well, if your all right with it, yes, I planned on 'making it a thing'." She took another step, crowding in his personal space, as she laid a hand on his chest. "I'd like to kiss you in front of others so that they know you're mine. Especially if in the future we start to bring in new people into the group. And I just like doing it."

Remington remembered how people had looked up to Daryl in the show, which was great, and she approved of that, but without a doubt, there were those that would be interested in him more than just a member of their community. Remington suspected that both Shane and Merle would take every opportunity presented to them to show everyone whose she was, and she worried that would lead people to believe that Daryl was free if there weren't similar situations going on.

He shrugged now, eyeing her, as something akin to pride rose inside of him at how simply she had stated a possessive streak she apparently held for them and the knowledge that she planned on everyone being made aware of what type of relationship they had with her.

"Wouldn't bother me any." He eyed her for a moment longer. "You're not the only one that would want to show that. Don' want anyone thinking you'd be free for them to make a pass at." Remington had smiled quite happily at his words, as she reached out to hold his hand, before tugging him along behind her.

"Do you think Merle and Shane would add to my wardrobe as well?" she asked as they finally left the tent, still hand in hand. "I think I need to take over at least a shirt each from you."

"Now, I didn' say yah could keep the damn thing."

"Oh, hush. You got to admit it looks better on me." He eyed her carefully, not saying anything against it, which caused another smile to stretch across her face as they came to a stop near where everyone had designated the eating spot. Stepping on her tippy toes Remington stole a kiss from him, gathering eyes from those around them, as she confirmed what everyone had been thinking since the day previous. Remington knew that most probably thought they had been together since the CDC, but she wasn't bothered by their misinformation.

"Yah do look better in my clothes," Daryl said as she pulled away.

"Told yah so." She reached up to pat his cheek before turning back toward everyone, catching the excited eye of Maisie, and the expressionless one of Landon. "I should probably pull those two aside and talk to them about this. Explain to them what's going on."

"Yah think they'll understand it?"

"Landon is a smart kid, I don't think he'll have much trouble understanding, and Maisie might not entirely understand but it won't make much of a difference to her. She'll just know that we're together and might have a lot of questions. Look forward to that."

Daryl seemed distinctly uncertain about being the one to answer questions for anything of the sort but seemed willing enough to at least try.

Remington added it to her mental list to do, preferably later that night, before they went to bed, with each of the guys nearby just in case the kids did have questions.

Maisie wiggled her way up into her mother's arms as Remi joined them to eat, and hugged her tight, as Landon moved to hug her as well. Remington took a moment to apologize to them, to explain that she had something important to do with Uncle Jack and that everything was fine. Both kids accepted it with ease, Maisie going as far as to tell her that Daryl had made her feel better, and that her lessons with Hershel were canceled, and how sad it made her. Remington frowned at that, deciding to ask Shane more about it later, and caught the nod he gave her toward Landon as well. There was a lot apparently that she needed to catch up with.

Deciding that now was the best time to start airing things out she handed Maisie over to Merle, making sure he would keep a hold of her, as she moved toward where Jenner had settled next to Morgan, and the two men were quietly conversing among one another. Both looked up at her presence, Morgan nodding his head, and Jenner greeting her with a smile.

"We missed you last night," Jenner said, worry coating his voice.

"Got caught up, but everything was settled, and we no longer have anything to worry about." She bit her lip before motioning for him to join her. "Let's talk."

Jenner's brow raised but he turned to Morgan, saying his goodbyes, before following her a couple of feet away.

"Has something happened?"

"I want to announce to everyone about their being infected. I'd like you to be there to answer questions, and help me explain this, without causing a panic."

"I suspected you would be bringing this up." He sighed before nodding. "Are we keeping your potential to ourselves till then?"

"Yes," she nodded. "You still aren't certain, right? You haven't come up with a way to use my blood to make a cure?"

"Not with a hundred percent certainty." He shook his head, looking frustrated with his lack of answers, and his inability to keep searching. "Back at the CDC I came close, I'm missing something important, but there's no way for me to know for certain here, without a lab. So, no, I can't tell them that I know you could hold a cure without it having the possibility of ending in a lie."

"I'd like to keep that between us as well for right now. Frankly, until we know more, they don't need to know about any speculations we have. It would tear them apart if it turned out to be an empty hope."

"As you wish."

"I'd like to go grab those in the farmhouse for this as well. They deserve to know what's about to be told to everyone." Jenner nodded, moving to walk back toward their group, as she took off at a jog to gather the others.

It ended up being an easier task than she had thought. Otis and Patricia easily agreed to follow her, and Maggie was able to persuade Hershel, whom Beth and Jimmy followed.

She made to stand next to Jenner at the front of the group, small bursts of curiosity falling from people's lips, as they noticed the Greene's clan join them.

"Jenner and I have something we'd like to tell you all," Remington began. "I'd like for everyone to remember the rules we have in place for meetings such as this. There will be no shouting, or arguing, as we are all adults and can hold ourselves to such titles. Please, understand, that Jenner and I were waiting for the right time to tell you this and that things have been hectic. This might take all of you by surprise, but I need you to try to stay clear-headed."

There was confusion. No one understood where Remington was going with this, but it didn't stop a sensation of unease to tug at their guts. Remi turned to Jenner, silently asking him to begin, as he was the one that understood how all of this worked.

"You're all infected," Jenner stated, bluntly, with little fanfare, or ease in which to drop the bomb that was his words. Remington couldn't help but shake her head, noticing the ripple of fear that fluttered across every single one of the faces she was looking at, and she should have known better than to believe that Jenner would have eased more into it. He had been just as blunt, if not worse when he had told her.

"What he means is that everyone holds the infection in their bodies."

Jenner nodded.

"It seems that we all hold a dormant cell in our bodies where the infection lies in wait, only activating upon the moment of death or direct contact with someone who has already activated it, i.e.: the bite of a Walker."

"You're saying that if we were to just up and die, like of old age, we would turn into one of those creatures?" Dale asked, his voice sounding horrified.

Jenner felt no hesitation as he agreed with that assessment before deciding to further explain.

"It matters not how you die. Whether it be from old age, a heart attack, or an illness, as soon as you have passed away those cells inside your body activate, and they rapidly spread, forcing a part of your brain to wake back up, but everything left behind everything that makes you, you, is gone, replaced, with the drive to spread the infection."

"Is that why they are driven to attack us?" Amy asked, hesitantly speaking up, her voice coated with a fine layer of fear.

"I believe so. It would make sense that the infection has some kind of code that tells it to get up, and attack in the most opportune way to spread the infection at a faster rate than just waiting for the host to die. It seems to work similarly to the fungus: Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani in the way that it manipulates the host's behavior to best serve it."

There was a moment of hushed uncertainty, people glancing at one another, worried, and fearful, and Remington wondered if she was going to have to start calming people down. Lori looked to be the worst off out of everyone, but Remi couldn't even blame her, as she watched the woman's hand drop to her stomach, her mouth falling open, as she suddenly spun on her heel and fled from the group. Remington imagined the news had triggered the sudden sensation to throw up. She caught the eye of both Shane, and Rick, neither moving to follow after her, one no longer holding a reason to, and the other still torn, and pissed over what was kept from him.

Regardless of their inability to get along Remi told herself to check on the woman once she was done here.

"This is like a plague," Hershel called out.

"It most certainly is," Jenner agreed. "Like a plague we've never seen before. I'm sorry to say that it's extinction level if we're not careful."

"You should have told us this sooner," Andrea said. "How long have you known? Since the CDC? We deserved to know that we were in danger."

"What would you have done with the knowledge?" Remington asked, surprised that this hadn't come from Lori. "Before Hershel took us in on his farm we were out there, stuck without any place to go, and constantly on the verge of needing to flee aimlessly. If I had told you all it would have done was needlessly stress you all out and in the worst place possible. I needed you all to be clear-headed, and not make mistakes because you were second-guessing everything. We have a week left here on the farm, and regardless of what's to come, I'd like to believe that you'll all have come to terms with it by then. Yes, you deserved to know, but it's my job to decide when knowledge like this will get you killed by knowing, and when it won't."

"She's right," Jacqui called out. "I don't like that we weren't told sooner, but all I can imagine is being told out on the road, and the unbearable fear I would have had with no time to properly let it settle."

"You all put your trust in me to make decisions, to lead you, so please, know that that's all I was doing here. If you don't like how I'm doing things, then please, elect someone else to take this position."

They all looked uneasy, but not a single person damned her any further, not allowed, as they accepted what was given to them.

"We'll take this knowledge and apply it to keep ourselves safe in the future," Shane said, moving to stand next to Remi. "Dr. Jenner has given us knowledge that we didn't need to learn from a mistake."

"He's right," Remi agreed. "We didn't have to lose lives to figure this out, not like those who may have already experienced it in the worst way possible. How we deal with our dead, the one's not having died from a bite, will have to be dealt with as if they were bitten. Everything else can stay the same."

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" Hershel asked, looking a little paler now that he had been told this new information, and not looking as if he cared how they dealt with the bitten.

"You're free to go." Remington eyed him as his family began to follow after. Otis nodded at her, gratefully, Patricia hanging onto him, as Maggie hesitated, lingering back.

"What happened to that thing you went out to do yesterday?" Amy asked, looking curious, and a little worried. "You didn't get back until after everyone turned in for the night. It's not like you to stay out past the time to check in."

"That group I said I was searching for won't be a danger to us. Jackson and I made sure they weren't in the area."

Not necessarily a lie. They were no longer in the area, and they wouldn't be a danger to them anymore. It just wasn't the whole truth, Remi was withholding a lot of information, but looking out at the group, how worried and panicked they still looked, she decided to live by her earlier words. It was her job to decide what information needed to be shared, and what would only hurt them. No, there were more dangers out in the world. One's that Remington needed to get a handle on before they began to cause problems for them. Tonight, after the talk with her children, she would take the time to sit down, gather her thoughts, figure out who would need to be watched for, and how to avoid them, or make plans to deal with them. She'd grab Jackson, have him help her, and decide whether or not she should bring others in on it.

Her eyes roamed over to where her men were standing, watching her, silently telling her that they had her back, and they knew what she had been up to last night. Neither of them had judgmental looks on their faces. They believed she had made the right call and would continue to do so.

Biting her lip, she began to wonder if she should open up about her past, completely, and tell them everything that she knew.

Merle may no longer see her as crazy, and had accepted her little quirk, but would he, or the other two, accept what she said as the truth? It felt crazy and she had lived it. Sometimes it was hard for her to believe that this was all real around her and not some delusion.

Turning her gaze away Remi decided that it was best to save for later that night instead of trying to fit it into her already tight schedule.

First, she was going to have a talk with Hershel, to try to gain ground with the man while this revelation was fresh in his mind.

Then, she was going to go meet up with this group who seemed to be handing her family a lifeline.

"Do you got a minute?" Maggie asked, moving to stand in front of Remi. Holding up a finger she turned to Jenner and sent him a glance that said to stick close, she would be needing his assistance again. Then she smiled at Maggie and nodded.

"What's up?"

Maggie motioned for her to follow, and they both began to walk away from the temporary camp, and the farm, moving toward where the barn was. Remington hadn't managed to make it down here, not without someone wanting to follow her, and she knew it would cause a panic, so she hadn't tried. This was what she wanted to deal with, to try to get a hold of before she left. Her heart stuttered, wondering if Maggie would actually take her over there, but they stopped in the middle of the road, far enough away from people that no one would hear, but not close enough to hear anything from the barn.

"Those things that man said-."

"Dr. Jenner."

Maggie sighed, looking uncertain, and in pain, as Remi noticed her eyes dart over toward the barn before she quickly glanced back away. "He's really a doctor then?"

"Was working on understanding what happened here. He worked at the CDC. Thought he could find a cure."

"He didn't?"

"No." Remington shoved her hands into her pockets as she shrugged a bit. "He didn't get that far before the place blew up."

"They're not people anymore." It wasn't said in a question, causing Remi to believe that Maggie was starting, or always had, understood the difference, unlike her father. "Daddy he doesn't understand, he hasn't handled them much, but I've been out there often. I've never had close calls with them, not until the other day, just a stupid mistake, and if Glenn hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened, but I saw it. They don't hold an ounce of the people they once were inside. I remembered that man. He ran the pharmacy. He wouldn't have attacked me if he remembered."

"No, Maggie." Remi reached out, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly, as she tried to find the words that needed to be said. She could use an ally in Maggie. Remi genuinely liked the woman. She didn't want to push her away by saying the wrong thing. "Whomever they were died with them, and all that's left in their place is some kind of sickness or a monster, I don't know. I just know, when we do what we have to, to survive, we're not killing whom they used to be. They were already long gone."

Maggie stood there, staring off at the barn, thinking, and Remington just let her.

"I think it's not fair what daddy plans to do to the lot of you," she finally said, speaking up. "He shouldn't be sending you all back out there again. Not with those kids." She scoffed a little. "Not at all, regardless of children, or not, it's not right. It's a death sentence."

Remington shuffled a bit as she continued to stare at the barn.

"Hershel is just doing what he thinks is right."

"He's running on blind faith. He's misguided." Maggie sighed. "I hate to think that about him, but daddy just doesn't understand."

"There's going to come a day, Maggie, where he's not going to be able to keep looking the other way, thinking that things will get better. He'll be forced to acknowledge that he was wrong all of this time unless someone is able to change his mind without the blood, and death that usually accompanies such moments."

"I don't know what to do."

"I'll do my best to be there for your family. I'll talk to your dad. We have limited time here but if we're forced to move on, I want to know that you and your family will survive without us. Having Hershel's mind firmly, in reality, will make sure that happens."

Maggie nodded, willing to let Remi get things under control, having seen how the woman seems to clean messes up easily and trusted her to do the same with this one.

"I don't know why you would do this for us but thank you." Remington just smiled, hugging her, before backing away, knowing that she still had one person to check on before having her talk with Hershel.

"I supposed I just can't help but want to be there for people."

Squeezing her hand one last time Remi took off to go find the one member of her group that continued to be a pain in her side.

It hadn't been hard, the woman hadn't gone far from where everyone had been rounded up, still hunched over, with a pile of puke below her. Remi wrinkled her nose as she saw the panic on Lori's face and figured that it may have something to do with the conversation they had earlier.

"Are you feeling all right?" Remi asked as she came to stand next to her. Lori was kneeling, staring down at the ground, but at the sound of Remington's voice her head snapped up, and she looked both pissed at seeing her and disappointed. "Expecting someone else?" It felt strange, standing here, attempting at having a conversation that wouldn't explode, with a person who hated her gates, who had seen her with Shane last night, and who was more likely to bite her head off than to have a normal conversation.

"Are we going to play this game?" Lori asked, moving to sit back on her heels, as she wiped at her face.

"What game?"

"Why did they send you over to check in on me? Why didn't Rick come?"

Remington scoffed quietly, shaking her head, as she moved to lean against a tree. Of course, that would be the angle.

"I'd imagine it's because he doesn't want to be around you right now. I noticed you didn't sleep in his tent last night, and instead found yourself in the RV." Lori pushed herself to her feet, that glare darkening, and Remington felt that maybe it was pointless to have come over here and try. Neither of them was able to carry on a conversation that didn't end up in some kind of fight. "And no one sent me. I came on my own."

This was not what Lori wanted to hear.

"My business is my business."

"You should talk to him. No communication is kind of what got you in this mess to be with, don't you think?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to help me, Remington."

"I think you could use the help." Remi shoved her hands into her pocket as she shrugged. "Seems to me that you've been spiraling. You could use someone to talk to right now. And, as you know, listening to people talk was kind of my job before all of this."

Lori hesitated, but then she glanced down at her stomach, a hand coming up to hover over it. A battle went on inside her head, one that clearly portrayed itself across Lori's face, clear as day for Remington to read, but she stood there, waiting, wondering if she'd allow herself to break down and talk about it, or keep it all pent up. Lori seemed to enjoy surprising her because she did the one thing that Remi hadn't been suspecting.

"I don't even know if I want this baby," Lori caved. She looked absolutely disgusted by whom she was talking to but didn't seem to be in control over the words as they spilled from her lips. "What if I lose it? To have it inside of me, to have it turn, causes sickness, and unease to settle inside of me. Could it force its way out of me? I could be turned. I thought about figuring out a way to abort it, to just be rid of it, I'm certain it's early enough, but I can't. I can't make myself sit down and choose that. It's not who I am."

Remi bit her lip. She had suspected that Lori would still go through this decision, but at least hadn't taken to swallowing the pills before regretting it. At least none that Remi was aware of. She was almost certain that if Glenn had been asked to grab them that there would have been signs, and Maggie wouldn't have kept quiet about it.

"We'll have Jenner keep a close eye on it. Make sure you get plenty of rations, rest, and stay as stress-free as I can manage it for you. This pregnancy will go as smoothly as it possibly can considering the circumstances."

"Why?"

Lori just stared over at Remi, looking as if the woman grew an extra pair of heads, as confusion, and an almost angry emotion mixed across her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you care so much? We don't get along. If I were you, I'd go out of my way to make sure it was someone else's responsibility, and if you had no one, I wouldn't care. I really can't stand you, Remington, and I know you don't like me, but here you are, doing your best." Her voice had turned sarcastic and bitter toward the end, but Remi didn't allow herself to be caught in the obvious trap.

"I'd be a pretty awful person if I didn't help you out." The jab slipped out before Remi could stop it, so she may have fallen for it a little, but fuck Lori pushed her buttons. "It's my job as the leader. You're pregnant Lori. Even before the world went crazy that meant you should be treated as such." Remi felt a little better, thinking she managed to recover herself quite well, but at the confused, and pissed-off look on Lori's face, Remington felt the need to continue on. After all, she wasn't doing this for Lori, not really, but for Shane, who would care so much for that baby, and would be devastated if something were to happen to it. Remington could see him as a dad, had seen flashes of it when he interacted with Maisie, and Landon, and knew that he would go above and beyond. "That's Shane's baby too, which means I'd do anything for it." That caused the confused emotion to melt away from Lori's face as all that was left was anger. "Regardless of you feel about it, I'm going to be there for that baby."

"Are you planning on becoming its stepmom then, Remington?"

"You sound as if I'm trying to replace you." Remington could see it in her body language. The way she held herself defensively. Lori felt threatened by Remi. "I'm not. You're going to be its mother, Lori, and no matter if Shane and I are still together when it's born, or we're not, I'll do my best by that kid because that's the type of person I am." Rolling her shoulders she decided to just let it all air out between them. "Would it be so bad if that kid saw how many people loved it? Even before this shit people had stepparents, someone extra to love them, and would you seriously twist that love, just because you're feeling insecure?"

"You'll never be its mother."

"I'm not trying to become that. Just someone who cares."

"Cause that's just the type of person you are." Lori made it sound so accusing, as if Remi had ulterior motives toward the child, even now, before it was born.

"I'm a fucking saint."

The words slipped out, full of sarcasm, and disbelief, as she tried reining in her anger. Remington could feel herself slowly losing that battle, losing control over her emotions, as she took in what wasn't being said, and what fell from Lori's awful mouth. The woman had no control, but Remi suspected that was due to the situation she found herself in. Lori didn't know how to live in a world like this, thrown in chaos, and surrounded by the chance of death around every corner. She was used to being the person on top, dependent, and loved. Everything she was not recently.

Remington had lived like this for so many years that it didn't matter if the danger was in the form of her ex-husband, or Walkers, she knew how to survive. Lori had attached herself to Shane, looking for protection, and safety, and when that had failed, she had tried to keep a handle on him, while juggling her husband, but in the end, she had managed to lose them both. In her pursuit to find someone to hold onto, instead of being there for herself, she had effectively shoved them all away.

Remi wondered if it was exhausting.

Lori's face had turned red as she glared, trying to form words, and Remi thought she may just get up and leave, but surprised her once again with what came out of her mouth.

"I saw the two of you."

Remington didn't flinch.

She just blinked, not impressed, as Remi watched her flounder after not receiving the reaction she had been after.

"I don't know what your plan is for the three of them, but I don't think you actually care for Shane or want what's best for him, and you're just using him, and I hope he comes to realize that. I'll make sure of it." Lori had turned haughty once more, drawing herself back up, as she seemed to regain the confidence, she had been lacking moments prior. It looked exhausting to Remington. "I think you'd toss any one of us away if it meant protecting yourself. Why else have you managed to surround yourself with the protection of three of our best? You're a snake, and soon, everyone is going to wake up and realize just what they allowed in our lives."

Pushing herself from the tree Remington stepped up to come closer to Lori as the older woman crossed a line.

"I can't keep pretending that you haven't been trying to undermine me. I can't keep letting this go. You've got to start respecting me, maybe not as Remington Solace, but as your leader. If you ever insinuate something like that again or imply that you're willing to lie about me to the others, so that they turn their backs on me, I'll be forced to come up with disciplinary actions. You're walking on thin fucking ice."

Lori, shocked, opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it, and turned to run back toward where the others were clustered nearby.

Remington watched her go, sighing, as she wondered if any talk with Lori would ever end on a note that wasn't exhausting or pushed Remi into being someone that ended with her feeling spiteful. Maybe, one day, they could get a handle on this hostility, but Remington suspected that wouldn't happen until Lori let whatever idiotic thing in her mind go.

Lori needed to realize that if she spent more time becoming someone who could protect herself, who could survive, and stop trying to latch onto others, she'd be better off. Fuck, she'd probably still have Rick. She may never have gotten with Shane, to begin with, and this pissing contest they were having wouldn't exist right now, because Lori wouldn't feel threatened by Remi.

Remi needed to figure out a way to properly deal with Lori before she made herself out to be a bigger pain than she already was. She could see this turning into something worse later on if she didn't find a way to handle Lori.

Casting an eye up toward the sky she saw that the sun was still fairly low, and if she guessed right, they still had about another hour or two before they needed to think about heading out. Slowly she began to follow Lori's path back toward the others, waving Merle away when he caught her eye, as she set course for where Jenner had picked up on her silent plea earlier and hadn't left the chair, he had been eating breakfast in.

"Wanna go for a walk?" she asked as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Are we reinstating our secret meetings?" he asked, pinching his voice low, as amusement broke through his tone. "I don't think I've talked to you this much since we left the CDC."

Jerking her head to the side she motioned for them to get going, and he easily stood up to join her.

"Hardly," she scoffed, answering him. "You just happen to be the best person suited to talk a stubborn old man into believing me, without having to deal with the drama of people dying or going into shock."

"You always seem to find yourself in such interesting dilemmas."

"If the universe could stop tossing them at me, I would thank it. I could use a long, and stress-free vacation after this."

"Couldn't we all." He motioned for her to lead the way so Remi began to walk toward the farmhouse at a leisurely speed that would have annoyed most of anyone else. "What is it that you truly want from me?"

"That man, Hershel, believes these people are merely sick, and I believe our little speech this morning may have helped open his eyes, but he's good at living in denial. I need you to throw facts at him, tell him about your wife, tell him exactly what you told me back at the CDC. I don't care if you leak classified information to the man, but I need him to believe that these people are beyond saving and that all we can do is send them somewhere peaceful. I need him on my side."

"I can try my best."

"That's all I'm asking."

┈┈┈┈․° °․┈┈┈┈

Remington wasn't sure how she found herself in this situation. Maggie had wrangled her dad into sitting down to talk with Jenner and Remington under the pretense of Jenner wishing to give their family a better understanding of what was happening around them. Not entirely a lie, but Remi had ulterior motives.

Things had been going fairly well.

Hershel seemed willing to listen to a man like Jenner.

She did not know how the conversation had ended with Maggie banned from the room, and Jenner speaking about everything they had agreed to keep to themselves. She would have felt frustrated, and angry if she hadn't been amazed by how the conversation was going.

A vacation would hardly be the worst thing Remi had ever asked for in exchange for all the shit she was being put through.

"You're telling me that this woman here is a possible lead to a cure?" Hershel asked.

"We have no idea," Remington corrected, glaring at the man who sat next to her as didn't even have the decency to look like he had done wrong. "It's a guessing game. He wasn't actually able to figure any of that out before we were forced to leave. My blood alone doesn't seem to be enough to have any effect on the change."

"She's being modest," Jenner said, causing her to glare at him again. "She is our best bet. I cannot let her die before I find out. Her safety is our utmost priority."

"If you were able to make this cure it wouldn't have any effect on those already turned?" This, Remington knew, was the only question Hershel had wanted to ask once the topic of a cure had been brought up.

Fuck, everything had been going so well until Hershel had grown irritated with their talk and tried removing them from the house. Jenner had gone entirely off script, apparently still hung up on her safety, and had made the decision to reveal the possibility of a cure, without discussing it with her first in hopes Hershel would sing a different tune. Remington was going to have to pencil in a long talk with the good doctor. Yet, something else to add to her long list of things to do.

She felt a little like screaming.

"No, they are already lost. There would be nothing at all that could be done, but we could still save those of us that are still alive and future generations. That's what's important now. Making sure the human race continues."

"How do you know she could be it?"

Growing tired of this, and not wanting to feed the man even more potential lies, they did not know anything beyond the fact that Remington didn't hold the infection unless Jenner had been holding stuff back from her, and she refused to entertain that idea right then because her list of shit to be worried about was already far too long. This had been going on for far too long.

"Listen, Hershel, I understand we were just strangers that barged into your life but know that I truly just want to protect everyone. I'm telling you this, trying to get you to understand all of this because it's not safe to live thinking the way you are. It'll get your daughters killed. It will get the others who are under your care killed. I don't want that for you."

She took a deep breath, cutting off both men, as she pushed forward.

"This cure is a long shot. Whatever you decide, please don't base it on that, and please, I'm begging you, keep it to yourself. I don't need the others being told this, to have that hope, only for it to be squashed. Right now, what's best for them, is to keep their eyes on a goal that can be achieved."

"I have things I need to think about," Hershel said, moving to stand, looking paler than before, and wobbly. "I will not speak of anything you've told me today to the others. If you'll excuse me, I believe I need to lie down."

"Of course." Remi watched him go before turning to Jenner and smacking him on the shoulder. "What the fuck was that?"

"You said we needed him on our side. I don't understand your reasoning, but I saw we were losing ground, and I calculated our best chance. Now that he's revealed his family in the barn it only meant knowing about the potential for a cure was the best way to bring him around."

That was the only reason Hershel had mentioned the barn at all and ended up winning her brownie points with the old vet when he figured out, she had known all along and did nothing about it. He at least seemed to trust that she could be a strong ally, and had shown respect toward him, and his property. It didn't mean that the barn was any closer to being dealt with. Hershel had clammed up, after being told the cold hard truth, and seemed to be on the edge of breaking.

"I had wanted that to be kept between us."

"You saw the look on his face. He believes us."

"We just destroyed that man's world."

"Sometimes things must be destroyed to be built back up again. Stronger than before."

Remington glanced out the window, noticing how the truck from last night had been unloaded and was being set up for them to use to leave.

"Keep an eye on him. He seems the type to go off the deep end when their world is tossed upside down." They had basically thrown in his face that his wife and stepson were better off being murdered than being left in the state they currently were in. Remington worried that Hershel would seek the bottle like before. At least then she'd know if she was on the right track or not.

"You seem to know him well. It's surprising since I know you've only just met him."

"I'm great at reading people."

Jenner didn't acknowledge her words, only agreeing that he would keep an eye on the older man as best as he could, before wishing her a safe trip.

"Keep the barn between the two of us." Remington hesitated as she made to leave the house and join those who were leaving. "I mean it, Jenner. Not a fucking word about the barn or the cure to anyone else."

"Of course."

Remington would remember to keep a tighter leash on Jenner when giving him the orders to talk someone into listening to them. It was clear that he was not above holding everything he could over them, dangling it within reach, and damning them to agree or to go without. Her safety seemed to be the right push to bring it out of him.

Was a vacation really too much to ask for?