Welcome back! I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I'm enjoying writing it and I'm excited to show it to you. I've planned up to season 9/10 with stuff I'm still planning in between but will finish off soon anyway. Callie is my main character in this story but these next couple of chapters will be a set up of the other Ocs that are a part of this story that are semi mains. Also October 4th is the day! For both TWD and the new series World Beyond which looks awesome. I'm back at work which is a little hectic at the minute but I will make sure chapters go out. Right let's get started!

Disclaimer I don't own the Walking Dead only my ocs

Josie's PoV

I grab stuff out of the fridge for dinner, spaghetti bolognese tonight, it's always on a Wednesday for us. Currently, Elijah has been fixing up the nursery for our baby for the past week, which is nearly finished and I'm pretty excited for our baby, she is due in 4 months time. My pregnancy has flown by so far. It's usually the last month that it hits you and you wonder where the time has gone.

Me and Elijah haven't held a newborn for 10 years since our youngest, Maya. She's really happy now that she's the middle child and our eldest, Connor, is 14, he will be turning 15 soon, during December. So we are a little bit out of practice for the newborn part but I'm excited to experience it again, we both are. I look up when the emergency alarm comes on the tv.

"This is the emergency broadcast channel. If you're listening to this, please pack everything you need and head to the nearest refugee centers. Please listen to the following; Atlanta, Washington D.C, New York, Indianapolis, Chicago and Tallahassee. Please remain calm, help is on the way."

I look to Elijah in worry who mirrored my expression. This has never happened before. Maya looks up from her position on the floor playing with her dolls. The dolls now forgotten on the floor.

"What the hell is happening?" Elijah questions but it was clearly rhetorical. We all have no idea what is going on. This virus has been spreading quick the past few days, so Elijah took a few days off. He was already planning to for the nursery.

"Mommy?" Maya looks to me with wide and terrified eyes. I always hate that look. When your children look to you for answers when you have none. It was the same thing when we heard California is not responding over the news. And now we're next. This new virus is the one that the World health organisation and the CDC has been warning about it for the past couple of days, to isolate if you're sick and to socially distance from others.

"Maybe it's about that new virus that is killing people. Making them go crazy?" I suggest and he nods. I see Maya look even more scared of that was even possible and go to her and wrap her in a hug.

"Let's pack up stuff that we need and get to the refugee center." Elijah tells me and I nod. That's when we're enveloped by darkness. No lights, no tv, nothing. Just the light from outside, clearly showing that dusk is in a couple of hours. What the hell is happening? Me and my husband look at each other nervously. He gives me a look and I nod in return, understanding what he's saying.

Maya grabs my hand tightly. "We're going to pack a few things for the trip, to be safe, ok?"

I grab a large bag for her and set it out, quickly ripping open her closet doors and rummaging through her clothes to find the most suitable. We don't know exactly how long we'll be there. A few sneakers, a couple pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts and plenty of underwear and socks. I grab a jacket just in case and a couple of pairs of pyjamas before stuffing them all in the bag. I grab her watch on her nightstand to slip it on her wrist and she puts her backpack on and grabs the other bag, huffing at the slight weight for her very small frame.

"Right go find daddy while I see Connor." I tell her and she nods before running off.

I quickly barge into Connor's room and see he's on his Nintendo DS, he looks up at me in surprise at my sudden intrusion.

"Mom? Are you ok?" He questions me, setting his DS on the side.

"We're going to Atlanta for a while. Get up and please pack stuff that you need." I tell him and he makes a face. Clearly not liking the packing side of things. He never does when we go on vacation. "Not too much." I quickly add and he nods sitting up. "Don't take too long, baby."

"Ok. What's going on? Is it what was on the news yesterday? About the new virus?" He asks in worry and I nod my head.

"I can't lie to you baby. So yeah, it is what was on the news. The power has gone. Make sure you pack your flashlight and your batteries from your remote." I tell him, pointing at his remote for his tv. He doesn't use his tv much so the batteries should be good for now.

I quickly grab a small suitcase for him and hand it over. "Remember-

"Not too much?" He offers and I nod with a small smile on my face.

The car slows to a stop on the highway, the traffic building up and already creating a traffic jam. Usually when there is light, you can see the city from here but there's nothing. We haven't moved much for a few hours and now it's pitch black outside. Car horns keep coming on and off again.

"Wait here." Elijah tells me before opening the door, The car horns get louder before muffling again.

"Mommy, when are we getting to Atlanta?" Maya asks and I turn awkwardly in my seat to try to face her.

"Soon. It's around 15 to 20 minutes away."

"With or without traffic?" Connor jokes and I roll my eyes playfully at him and stuck my tongue out. He grins in response to my childishness.

In the corner of my eye I see Maya looking at me expectantly, clearly not sensing the sarcasm. Wait until she is a teenager. "Without." I mutter and Maya grimaces in response, not happy with that answer.

I turn back around and see Elijah talking to some man and a woman who's wrapping her arms around her child.

Elijah points in my direction and they nod before he jogs back here.

I look at him expectantly while he opens the car door. "Apparently the army is there and the whole grid is blocked. Nothing is moving." He rolls down the car windows and turns off the engine.

"That's just great." I mutter.

"It looks like we'll be here for a while." He adds and I nod in agreement.

Some time later...

I sit in driver's seat, my legs hanging out of the car. Elijah has been talking to the man for a while, I learned his name is Shane. He's been trying to get a sense of what's going on. Apparently the dead are coming back to life. I mean... it's insane. That only happens in movies not real life. I haven't told Connor and Maya yet. I don't want them to be afraid of what's happening. Maybe when we're at the refugee centre I'll tell them what's going on.

Elijah comes back to the car. "Shane and Lori are going to look ahead to see anything that's going on. Carl is with Carol and Ed there."

I nod my head. "It'll be nice when we're somewhere safe."

He nods with a small smile on his face and grabs my hand.

I hear a noise and look up to see helicopters flying towards the city. Army from what I can see in the dark.

"Wow! They're so cool!" Maya bounces and I grin at her.

"We might see a lot of them when we get to Atlanta."

Her face lightens up just as we hear explosions and screaming.

We turn to the source and see flashes of light in the distance... just where Atlanta is. What the hell just happened? Screaming erupts around us.

"Mom... what's going on?" Connor asks and Maya grips my hand tightly.

"I... I have no idea."

For once I have no clue what to tell my children.

Present time

The birds chirp around me, announcing to the world that it's a brand new day, a brand new start and a brand new world. That this isn't a dream, it's our new reality. I internally roll my eyes at that thought, I could be a real downer sometimes, but it could just be my mood swings... who knows. I do the final stitch of Connor's old pair of jeans closed, I just pushed it to the side when they first ripped and haven't got around to do it until now. Connor is impatiently waiting by me so he can throw it back in our tent. We don't have the best sleeping arrangements at the moment, most of us are in cars but others have tents, like us.

My eyes widen when I felt my stomach flurry. Oh my god. She kicked. I smile as I fold the pair of jeans up, maybe there is some hope left after all. Our children are a symbol of hope, that things will get better. Whether that's today or tomorrow but it'll get there.

"Hey mom?" I look to see Maya holding something behind her.

"Yeah honey?"

She just shows me and I see a picture of all of us. And bump. A warm smile spreads on my and I feel tears come to my eyes. Damn hormones.

"Baby, it's-

That's when shifting gravel comes to my ears and I look up to see a vehicle coming up the hill, I share a look with Elijah and we all head to the edge of the hill to greet whatever is coming up. We need to take precautions...

"Who is that?" I hear Aubrey ask nervously.

"Josie stay back." Elijah pulls me behind him and I clutch on to Maya and Connor's shoulders.

We're all on edge right now, especially since we saw helicopters bomb Atlanta. We're not that trusting of strangers until they prove themselves to us. I don't agree with that since every life matters but it's not my call since I'm a woman according to Shane. The vehicle comes to a stop and two people step out. Shane approaches them with his shotgun ready, not aimed, but there just in case. Clearly evaluating the duo.

They must be nervous right now, especially since a few camp members are staring them down and one has a shotgun that will blow your head off. A really nice introduction.

"Uhh... hi." The girl greets nervously and the boy looks ready to punch Shane in the jaw for being too close to the girl with a shotgun. I wouldn't blame him, because Elijah would do the same thing for me.

That's it! Josie, Elijah and their kids are officially in. One more main oc chapter next and then the next few chapters or maybe a little bit more will be before Rick comes into it. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!