Private First Class Johnathan Dewey

Amy had to be the prettiest thing he had ever seen, was the first thing John thought when he had met her at the FEMA camp. It had been a surprise, a woman that young leading such an organized operation. It was during their time on the farm that he had seen what kind of person she really was. The strong woman who shouldered the responsibility of their lives and even took in children and loved them as her own. She was only a few years younger than himself but he was constantly in awe of her determination and fortitude.

Daryl Dixon has to be the luckiest motherfucker alive. That had been his conclusion when he realized the girl of his dreams was shacking up with the old hick. John wanted to hate him, those long hours stuck in the humvee with him. The man was silent and it wasn't even a hostile silence, the man was completely secure around him and that set his teeth on edge. John had seen the glares when his gaze lingered on the blonde just a little too long. Daryl knew but he never brought it up.

"So, what do you think of the group so far?" John turned to their newest members, George. They had not had much of a chance to talk since they picked them up.

Amy wanted them integrated and attached to group members so they were immediately split up for any kind of chore. He had spent most of his time with Bella, she was alright but couldn't compare to the blonde. Tony said the guards were good men, the kind of people they wanted to find. After all, they did keep six vulnerable civilians alive in the wild for so long.

"It's great to finally talk to more people than my ex and the guy she cheated on me with." George grinned at his shock.

"You're joking."

"Nope, caught them while we were at the refugee center." George didn't seem all that bitter, John knew he was. He couldn't help but glance at Daryl who was talking to his brother after the older redneck unloaded on the dead below them.

"Damn." John huffed a laugh, scratching his neck when he met the other soldier's incredulous gaze.

"There something going on there?"

"Nah, it's nothing."

"Amy's amazing from what we've seen so far." George said leadingly, watching his reaction closely. "Man, the way Bella goes on about her, I would think she's in love."

"Yeah, she is." He said it simply, because it was true. "Kept us alive so far, always has a plan."

"Yeah, thought this was supposed to be a recon? Think she has a Dixon proof plan?"

"Think she always arranges her plans around them." John couldn't help but mutter bitterly then cleared his throat. He had never let such thoughts get to him but getting close to a place they could actually settle down had him thinking of all kinds of scenarios. "I mean, I'm sure there's a back up plan for when Dixon fucks it up."

"How long have you been with the group?" George asked curiously, glancing between the Dixon brothers and John with a furrowed brow.

"Feels like years, man." John glanced over again to see they were finally breaking up whatever argument they were having. "I think it's been almost a month? Time just stopped meaning anything after the fall."

"Blondie packed us plenty a ammo." Merle grunted, squinting his eyes at John and George like they were up to no good and he couldn't help but bristle. Dale had quite a lot to say about the Dixon brothers in the short time he had known him, none of it flattering. That a junkie would look at him like he was scum was laughable. His brother was probably just the same, he didn't deserve her.

"More than 'nough ta take em out with us havin' the high ground." Daryl nodded, his eyes were focused on the dead that were slowly moving uphill towards them. "We're gonna make our way down, nice and slow. They're all spread out so we can take our time an take 'em out quiet unless we get bogged down."

The walk took forever, there were less than twenty but the road was long and they were fresh. Some of these walkers were obviously part of the casualties on the bus. He thought long and hard if anyone mentioned how many people Brian and his group left behind but he didn't think anyone had.

"Damn." Daryl whistled when they got to the large gate that opened to the campus.

It was beautiful, the monstrous school was newer with expensive features and the lawn was well maintained. On the left was the faculty housing, three whole streets of gorgeous townhomes that he once dreamed of living in after finishing school. Now, he had a brief fantasy of coming home to one with Amy and their children. If they could clear out the two hundred acres, it could be safe, a home.

"Shouldn' split up." Daryl spoke softly, breaking him away from his daydream. "Too big to just the four of us, should head back for the group."

"Nah, we get this done now." John disagreed, looking at the four story dorms with excitement. There were two side by side and he figured just one would fit them all. "We clear out one of those, we've got everyone behind these walls tonight."

"Hoo!" Merle exclaimed, clapping him on the back with a wide smile. "I like ta way you think, solda boy! I'm gettin' me a bed tonight! Let's hit 'em both! Don' need to be hearin' ma brotha goin' at it wi' Blondie!"

"Shuddup!" Daryl hissed, momentarily looking back at him when he flinched. "Tol' ya not ta say that shit 'about her!"

At least he doesn't let his shit head brother talk about the blonde. John had to force himself to loosen the grip he held on his rifle and take a deep breath. She was a good woman who didn't deserve the redneck talking shit like that.

It was decided they would split into pairs and he would be with Daryl, probably because he wanted some space from his brother. The dorms were trashed, food and shaving cream smeared across the walls and carpet, making the hunter beside him scoff. He didn't disagree, it was juvenile and probably done in the last day or so. Kids get a little freedom and go wild.

There were thirteen rooms on each floor, twelve of them identical except a larger one set beside the stairs. He assumed it was the RA or whatever a boarding school's name for them was. The center of each floor had bathrooms, a lounge area, and a huge janitor's closet. There was a bar type of fixture in the lounges with snacks and drinks. This was much nicer than anything he had ever seen. It even had power and running water somehow. The campus was so large he had not seen any solar panels.

However, he wanted the fantasy of one of those large townhouses with Amy waiting at home for him. In the apocalypse she was a bright ray of light, making everyone's day brighter. If only...

"You gotta a problem?" Daryl asked suddenly, making John realize he had been glaring at him.

"Nah, no problem, man." John shook his head dismissively, moving up the stairs a little faster.

"If you say so." The way he said it made something inside him snap.

"Yeah, you know I do have a problem." John turned to glare at him. When they reached the landing he stopped, grinding his teeth in an effort to control his anger. "You, you're my problem."

"Man, you really wanna do this here?" Daryl waved his arms around the top floor which was free of jam and shaving cream. Guess they tired themselves out or they used up their supplies.

"There's nothing to do, hick." He huffed, glaring at him for a moment before throwing open doors. "How the hell you manage to get a girl like her?"

"I'm not fighting wit' you when we got a job ta do." Daryl snapped, looking John up and down like he was the one who came up lacking.

"I'm serious, what did you do for the cosmos to reward you with a woman like Amy?" The burning question was forced from his lips but once he started he couldn't stop. For weeks the question had plagued him. "You save a bus full of orphans or something? Or just one of her kids?"

"Don't talk about them." Daryl said darkly, he had never seen the hunter so serious. "Me and her aint none of your business."

"Man, I worked hard in school, went to church every Sunday, joined the military to serve our country and go to college. All my pay went to my parents and I helped old ladies cross the road." John hissed, grinding his teeth in anger. "What did I get? My entire squad is dead, family is across the country, not that they would live with mom in her chair! Then there's this perfect woman, everything I ever wa-"

"We gotta go!" Daryl shouted in panic when he grabbed his jacket to pull him along.

John was about to resist when he saw the herd flowing through the front gate. They ran down the stairs three at a time. Daryl was talking into his walkie about the herd but John was focused on the window. There were so many. All wearing the same uniform, it was the kids from the bus.

"Where's the others?" John hissed when they got outside. The doors to the other dorm were swarmed. It didn't look like they were focusing on getting into the building, just walking.

"Top floor." He pointed where his brother was waving his arms frantically. There were too many.

"The gazebo!" John started running, skirting around the dead, giving them a wide berth. "We can jump onto the wall from the top."

They ran across the quad where more and more walkers were filling the space. Daryl kept pace with him, never allowing him to be further than arms reach. Just when they were passing the fountain, he tripped on one of the dead walkers Merle had shot earlier. The hunter immediately grabbed his arm before he hit the ground but something was holding onto his leg.

"Fuck!" It burned was all he could think. Daryl stabbed the corpse in the head just a second after it had bitten his leg.

"C'mon!" He was being dragged, the man was almost carrying his weight John through the walker infested quad and still stabbing them in the head as he went. "No rest now John boy. Gotta keep going."

John held back a scream in his throat as he pushed through the pain. He wasn't sure where on his leg he was bit because the muscles felt like they were on fire. If it weren't for Daryl he wouldn't have been able to take a single step with his knee locking up.

"I can't." John whispered to himself when he saw the trellis he had to climb. He didn't get the option, the hunter was lifting him. So, he did the only thing he could, using his upper body strength he pulled himself to the top.

"Amy's gonna be pissed." Daryl laid beside him, catching his breath.

"Yeah, she would know what to do."

"Day we met you…" Daryl laid back on the roof with his eyes closed. "She handed out those stupid sticks she makes. Told us, make sure they're dead, giggled about double tappin' 'em. Said she ain't cuttin' of anybody' feet cause they ain't payin' attention. Love watchin' her tell other people how stupid they are."

"Yeah, she is beautiful when she's holding a baby, though." He smiled wistfully, laying back and thinking of her laugh. "How did it happen? You and her?"

Daryl was quiet for a long moment before he opened his eyes to squint at John. Whatever the hunter saw must have been what he wanted to find. "Ain't never noticed anybody that way. Not till she pulled a gun on ma brotha and told 'im she'd shoot out his knee caps if he eva touched her again."

"Already knew she was a badass but why did she pick you? How did it happen?" He ignored the blood pooling under his leg and how weak he felt. Maybe it would help in his next life, all that good karma has to count for something. Something more than a burning bite on the cusp of finally making a home.

"Dunno why she chose me but she was always talkin' shit. Then one day she puts her finger in ma face and says, one day Daryl Dixon, one day. Guess she already made up her mind 'cause the next day she kissed me."

"You've got to be the luckiest asshole in the whole damn apocalypse." John sighed, relaxing his body as he came to a decision. "Time to go Dixon."

"Yeah." He stood up, reaching down to help him up. "You first."

"I'm not making that jump. Doubt you will either." John smiled at the redneck's confusion. "So I'm gonna jump down and you're going back to camp. Back to Amy."

"Nah, we go together."

"It doesn't matter that you don't deserve her.-"

"Man shut up!" Daryl grabbed onto his vest when he got too close to the edge. "We go together. Just c'mon!"

"I had this whole idea of how my life would go." John laughed through the pain, staring the other man down. "Don't waste your time thinking about what you deserve, take care of what you have."

John thought those were good last words, he hoped they helped. He smacked the other man's hands away and jumped off the gazebo. The walkers were still coming and he only had a moment to get up. He was a soldier, it was his job to protect and serve. This would be his last service to his people.

"Stop!"

"Come on!" John shouted as loud as he could, limping away from the gazebo. In the distance he saw those townhouses and thought of his fantasy. "I'm here! Come get me!"

Amy would be waiting at the door, a little girl who looked just like her mom with his eyes. John had to keep that image in his head to block out the way his muscles trembled. He was almost there, the door would open and she would be there. He felt a tug on his vest but took another shaky step. More hands pulled at him but his mind was focused on the door where Amy wou-

"We fucked up."

Daryl's voice was monotone as he spoke about jumping in and trying to claim the dormitories instead of just checking it out. He refused to meet her eyes when he informed everyone that John had been bit. The soldier had given him the opening Daryl needed to get outside of the walls to get reinforcements. Amy felt her stomach drop at the news that one of their own was dead but she had to pull herself together.

Everything moved fast after that, Daryl kept his distance, anxious to get back to the school and his brother. They quickly packed the convoy, much to Brian's groups' confusion. Amy wanted the more vulnerable members of their group to stay back at the first security station while the rest moved forward to clear the walkers.

It was over before it really began, with just ten people who were decent shots. They had a perfect view of the front of the school and the entire quad. John had led most of them away but the sounds of their shots drew them back. Amy felt nauseous, they were all fresh corpses. It was much harder to differentiate them from people without the decay. This was supposed to be their home but looking around at all the dead students just made her stomach turn with dread. Before they even entered the gates, Merle and Greg were rushing towards them, looking relieved.

"The hell happened?" Merle asked loudly, his whole body was covered in splashes of dried walker blood.

"You drew in the rest of the students from the bus that flipped outside of town." Amy told him flatly, shoving a pickstick in his hands. "Let's get these bodies moved and keep an eye out for stragglers. Are either of the dorms ready for us tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am." Greg saluted her, looking very relieved at the group's arrival. "Boys dorm is mostly cleared out."

"If you find John make sure to put him off to the side." Amy said sadly, never stopping her job of stabbing the downed walkers in the head. "He's one of us, I think we should start a memorial of some kind for our people after we get settled."

"He would really like that, Amy." Tony squeezed her arm with a somber smile before walking towards the gazebo to take watch.

Michonne led the rest of the group inside less than twenty minutes later while they were still moving bodies. Miranda shepherded the children into the boys dorm while everyone else immediately got to work helping out. Merle had already put together a team with his brother to scout the area. The buildings would have to wait because there were two hundred acres that needed to be swept through.

There was a certain sense of accomplishment when they closed the gates behind them. There was a long way to go before they could call the place home but it was step one completed. They still needed to find out what happened to the teenagers that had been left in the school. Brian would be in for quite the interrogation about the power and all the facilities once the bodies were cleared away.

"Brian, why don't you lead your party into the girls' dormitory and start cleaning." Amy said after one of the den mothers vomited.

"Yeah, that might be best." Brian himself looked a little green but very appreciative of the offer.

"What if there are more in there?" Michelle spoke up in worry, clutching at her purse as if it were a weapon.

"We'll take em." Wade offered, standing beside his husband who was not allowed to lift anything with his dominant arm yet.

"Let's roll out, boys!" Merle shouted out with manic laughter, making the rest of the group look up in alarm.

Merle led a squad of five golf carts that came flying out from behind the dormitory, the man was even wearing a blue ball cap with SECURITY written on it. The somber air was momentarily forgotten as they broke apart to search the grounds much more efficiently. Edwin and Michonne flanked the blonde, looking to her for the next step.

"We're going to need to talk to Brian or one of the adults in that group to get a layout of the school." Amy looked around at the bodies that were being piled up, feeling a little sad. They were only a few years younger than her. "We have to find out what happened here and where the hell Rossi's crew ended up."

"How do you plan to assign housing?" Edwin asked curiously as they began to walk towards the dorms.

"I think we'll have to change all the locks or doors on facility housing." Michonne said thoughtfully. "After what they did to the girls' dorm, do you really think they would leave their teachers' homes alone? I doubt we'll even find keys."

"And medical?" Edwin asked, clutching his tablet to his chest in anticipation.

"I'm assuming they had to have some kind of clinic in the school. We'll find that and go from there, we'll definitely expand on anything we find though." Amy patted his arm in reassurance. "After we secure the grounds, we need to figure out the water situation, it's a good thing we got the custodian. He might not be maintenance but at least he'll know where everything is."

"What are you going to do with all the new children? The adults are definitely not up to the job of even chaperoning them." Edwin asked seriously, pausing in his stride just before they reached the door. "I think you've already seen that the den mothers are useless in keeping them in line. This place had some very strange ideas about running a school."

"Honestly?" Amy asked with a twisted little smile. "I was planning on throwing Merle and the soldiers at them, figuring they could scare them straight. Maybe set up some classes with you and Miranda. Show them what they need to do…as for guardians, I've got no idea."