Notes:

I'm a little fuzzy on the timing since everything is pretty vague in the show but I know a lot of things happen in a couple week period. What I'm going with here is Rick waking up two months after being abandoned in the hospital by Shane (and how the fuck that works I don't even know…) then once Merle gets left on the roof it's at least three days before they get to the CDC. One to go back and run into the Vatos, another day back at camp, the night herd attack, and then another day where they figure things out and travel back towards Atlanta. It's tight but…it's what I'm going with.

I'm also making Jacqui older, in her 60's, while Merle is in late 20's and Daryl about 25ish.

Chapter Text

On Whom the Pale Moon Gleams

--

Two Months Later

Harry was working on clearing a high-rise in Atlanta that showed no signs of life when hit with a Homenum Revelio when he heard the distinct crack crack crack of rifle fire…and it was close too.

Groaning under his breath at the utter stupidity of however was sniping undead from the next block over, Harry shook his head and kept clearing, burning corpses to nothing but ash and taking everything he could salvage. His family had grown with the addition of Big Tiny and Axel, the former of whom made a great hand on the farm and the latter knew engines forwards and backwards in addition to being decent at running the fence line. Big Tiny wasn't much for taking on walkers, but between Harry and the others having one man who was a little squeamish wasn't a big deal in the grand scope of things.

Oscar had yet to make it back but the tracker Harry had slapped him with was still running hot and alive so he knew the man was alive and steadily making his way closer to the estate. With the speed he was moving, Harry thought he must've ended up on foot, likely from having too large a group to make cars a workable solution. Whatever the cause, they were still several weeks out but would definitely make it to the estate before winter set in.

It had also been Harry who had discovered the Vatos and the nursing home they called home. During his second run in Atlanta a couple weeks back, he'd crashed – literally – into a running Jose with a walker on his tail. After taking care of the undead, Harry had helped the younger man to his feet and back to the Vatos base, meeting the main crew and the elderly and kids they were guarding in the process. Now whenever he or his dads were running a sweep through an Atlanta building, they always stopped by to drop off some supplies. They would move the whole group but many of the elders wouldn't survive the trip.

The Vatos had agreed however to relocating the kids and a couple of the more able-bodied elders to Harry's estate, which they'd done on his trip last week. Now he was due to drop by again later that day and give them an update…which he would do as soon as he figured out what-the-fuck was going on with the gunfire. Finally clearing the building, he popped back to the roof and took out his omniculars, searching for the cause of the now-quiet gunfire.

What he saw shocked him…and made him once more doubt whether mankind was even worth saving as a group of people had a man handcuffed to the roof of a nearby department store and proceeded to leave him there. Harry watched and waited for the other to be far enough out before making the apparation jump into a spot hidden from the bound man's immediate view, spotting the padlocked door almost at once. Moving over quietly he stood over the bound – and apparently delirious – man.

He was a big guy; Harry could see that easily. Probably as tall as Sirius but with Remus's more massive bulk. Not as big as Big Tiny…but still massive. Freaking giants, he grumbled to himself as he crouched down to study him more closely, trying to figure out why he was handcuffed and basically left for walker bait.

With the delirium came the rambling, enough so that Harry pegged the guy for a rather uncouth – but highly entertaining – redneck who had been left behind by a cop no less.

He was also high as a fucking kite.

Harry groaned and shook his head, picking up all the scattered tools before Mr. High-and-Dirty could reach the saw he was going for. Strong survival instinct, Harry surmised. There might be something worth saving in this guy after all.

"You got a name Pretty Boy?" The redneck goaded him with a delirious laugh. "Or are you the meth and sun?"

"Harry, Dirty Man." He responded not easily offended now that he'd spent the last six years under the care of his dads. "How 'bout you?"

"Name's Merle." He grunted, squinting, trying to get a better picture of the pretty boy – no, he saw getting a clearer picture of the calm face and weapons – this was a man despite that pretty face. "Sgt. Merle Dixon, USMC."

"Well, Sargent Merle Dixon, of the United States Marines." Harry said cheerfully as he eyed the handcuffs. "As I said the name's Harry or Hadrian Black if you'd rather. Any idea where the key to these are?"

"The darky dropped 'em somewhere over there." Merle jerked his head towards a grate. "Before hightailing it outta here and leaving me for walker bait." He spat what little water he had off to the side for punctuation. "Damned fucking cowards."

"Okay then." Harry shook his head at the slur. If he'd read the man right, and he was pretty sure he had, then he was doing it for a reaction, testing him or looking to piss him off. Either way, he wasn't going to jump at the bait when he'd heard a lot worse for a lot less growing up with Vernon Dursley. "I'll see what I can do that doesn't include sawing off your own hand."

Merle eyed him a moment before letting his body fall slack. His instincts were shouting at him to trust the other man, even muted as they were under his fading high. "Suit yerself then, I'll just hang here, won't I."

Harry snorted, ambling over to the grate and crouching making a minor ado of it to hide the summoning charm he cast. Keys in hand, he killed another couple minutes as Merle gave into the heat and passed out from a combination of the drugs and shock. "Finally." Harry said under his breath. "Was starting to think I'd have to hit him with a stunner."

Pocketing the keys to the cuffs and stowing the tool bag in his bottomless pack, an Alohomora had the cuffs open and Merle freed. Casting a glance at the roof-hatch that was banging from the walkers, he decided to come back and raid/clear the department store another time. Right now he had to detox Sgt. Dixon and see if he'd make a good fit for the estate the way his read of him said he would.

No one tried that hard to live without having a reason.

No one.

And if he had a reason to live…then there was a good chance he was just the sort of person Harry was trying to help survive this whole hell-on-earth.

Harry dropped Merle off real quick at the base he used when running for supplies in the city, it was also where the Vatos knew to drop notes to him if they needed something badly. They knew it was just a crash pad, but they still kept it and the building it was in as clear as they could, helping him out the only way they knew in return for the good hand he'd extended. There wasn't a note so he popped quick over to the Vatos's building, calling out to them and letting them know the supplies were there before taking off just as quick. They wondered at it but didn't pay it any mind, figuring Harry had a deadline this run.

Apparating back to the locked-down apartment, Harry checked on Merle again, noting that the sleeping charm he'd hit him with before popping away from the department store was holding strong, giving him time to clean him up and run some diagnostics.

What he found under the grit and grime wasn't too promising but he still thought that Merle might be worth saving.

Some minor malnutrition, part of it going back to childhood, dehydration, and the toxins from the drugs he'd ingested were all par for the course, no real surprises aside from the minor childhood malnutrition.

But it was the history that made Harry feel for the man, knowing his own had been very much similar before Siri and Remy got their hands on him.

Broken bones, fractures, lacerations from a lash, all major markers of abuse – and with the scars to show it.

Then there were the knife and gunshot wounds, likely stemming from his time in the service, and the markers of Merle being a brawler.

All in all, Harry sighed, set down the diagnostics, and opened up his potions kit. There wasn't much he could do for the old wounds, but the poison he'd pumped into his own system…that Harry could take care of. One Detoxification Draught spelled into Merle's stomach along with an IV drip Harry had set up and they were good to go while Merle slept it off.

Casting an alert ward around both Merle and the door, Harry sent off his Patronus to update his dads before hunkering down himself for some sleep. Something told him that as soon as Merle was up and on his feet, a good deep rest would be hard to find.

Merle came awake with a gasp and his eyes flying wide, searching his perimeter for hostiles – and his brother.

Which pretty much explained the way Merle saw the world.

Either you were kin…or you ain't.

There wasn't a whole lot of in-between for him and he'd taught Daryl just the same.

Figuring he was safe – if alone and in a strange place – Merle took stock next of himself, spotting the IV with an arched brow.

"I'll be damned." He muttered to himself. "The Pretty Boy wasn't a hallucination."

"Not quite." A smooth voice agreed. Merle liked the sound of it, mostly a southern drawl with a hit of something…rich under it. "Though I'm not surprised you thought so."

The voice came closer, revealing the figure Merle had dubbed Pretty Boy in his mind. And damned if he hadn't been right about that. A cool six feet tall, what his mama would've called a tall drink of water, with strong arms, a flat stomach, long legs, and broad shoulders. You could cut glass on his cheekbones and his bright green eyes were damn-near the prettiest Merle could ever remember seeing in his life.

"Well." Merle rasped out. "Yer certainly Pretty enough."

Harry through back his head and laughed, his ebony hair flying as he'd not yet bound it back.

"Ya see." Merle continued, a smirk on his stubble-clad and rough but still handsome face. "Even yer laugh is pretty, Pretty."

And his thought from just before he passed out was right, Merle decided. Pretty was pretty. But he wasn't a boy…not with that build and that look in his eyes. Merle knew that look. Hell, he owned that look most of the time. Pretty was deciding if Merle was a threat…and if not if he was of any real use to Pretty.

Normally a look like that had his hackles rising but in this case…for some reason it made him wanna square his shoulders and stand at attention more than any barking from his C.O. had ever managed.

"You're detoxed." Harry said bluntly. "I'm not sure what you were living for so hard on that rooftop if you're using – besides your next high – but I tossed your stash while I was at it."

Merle growled a little at that jab.

"Here's the deal Sargent Merle Dixon." Harry moved over and gently removed the IV as he spoke, taping it up and helping Merle sit up. "It's been two days since you passed out. You're able bodied – mostly – and that junk is out of your system. Now it's up to you." He eyed him quietly. "You really wanna get taken down by a walking corpse because you're high as shit and slow with it…or do you really have something worth fighting for?"

A long silence set in as Merle wrapped his head around that and Harry brought him over some hot chicken-and-stars soup from a can he'd whipped up. It wasn't home cooking but it was the best he could do without causing more questions than he felt ready to answer at this point. As it was he had to keep Merle knocked out an extra day to let the shakes pass, lest the man wake up in the middle of withdrawal…and that wouldn't do anybody any good.

"Gotta brother. Daryl." Merle admitted once he finished the soup. "With a group of idiots 'bout as useful as tits on a bull…but we figured a bigger group would be safer…with the walkers an' all. He's kin." He finished simply.

"Alright." Harry nodded, now that actually made sense. "Then we'll go find your brother…and from there we'll see what we see."

Merle eyed him shrewdly. "You got somethin' yerself." He knew a man with an anchor, a support holding him up. It was the same for Merle. Both'a them were dangerous men. The only thing keepin' 'em from being straight-up deadly were their anchors. For him it was Daryl. For Pretty…only time would tell. "Somethin' worth dyin' for. Or worse," he laughed bitterly. "Worth livin' for."

"That I do." Harry nodded, helping Merle to his feet. "As for you, a trip to the bathroom, some more food and water in you and then we'll set out."

"I-85." Merle told him as he found his footing and followed Pretty's directions towards the head. "They were camped out in a quarry down I-85."

"Shit, Pretty." Merle grunted as they left Atlanta behind and started up I-85. "You're light as a cat on your feet, boots and all. Useful for huntin' and killin' walkers. Gunna give ol' Daryl a run for his money on the quiet-creeper meter when we meet up."

"It came in handy when I was a kid." Harry said drily. And wasn't that an understatement. "Guess I never lost the habit. You're handy to have around yourself with that sword."

Merle snorted. "Better with a rifle but these days gunshots are like a dinner bell." He frowned. "On that subject…how come you always light up the geeks after-like?"

They continued to walk and talk quietly while making good time up the interstate, each keeping an eye out for random walkers or other survivors…both knowing that the latter was likely more dangerous than the former.

"I was a med student before all this." Harry admitted, eyes on their surroundings and missing the satisfaction that flashed on Merle's face for pegging him right. That IV and dressing was too good. He knew Pretty had had training somewhere. "Took an elective course in virology and pandemic theory my last semester taught by a doc on loan from the CDC. One thing she was firm about was if you didn't know what the fuck it was the first rule of containment protocol was burn the bodies to prevent contaminating the ground water and food sources."

"Like crops and grazing animals." Merle commented in understanding. "Or fish in poisoned waters."

"Exactly." Harry gave him a bright smile, pleased Merle got it. Not everyone did, mores about burial too ingrained for them to see the sense in cremation.

They were quiet for a time after that, only stopping to give a quick check to a couple cars they passed, Harry finding and tucking away a couple things he knew were good for salvage that others had overlooked.

Before they could start another topic of conversation, they heard the distinct roar of engines moving in a convoy, trading a look and darting to hide behind a couple of cars by the roadside. They didn't want to go too far off incase this was Daryl or that group but they didn't want to be out in the open either. Harry passed Merle some binoc's the former Marine quickly using them to check out the on-coming cars, a shit-eating grin crossing his face as he spotted a familiar truck.

"It's them." Merle reported handing the binoculars back to the Pretty and climbing on top of the car, waving them down. "And Daryl's with 'em."

"Good thing." Harry joked. "I wasn't looking forward to a twenty-mile hike and no guarantee of Daryl at the end. I gave it fifty-fifty that he'd taken off for good to scout for you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Merle grumbled back, rolling his eyes. "I know."

Before Harry could continue with his teasing the convoy rolled to a stop, many of them in shock at the figure bounding down from the car and swooping his equally-ecstatic brother up in a back-pounding hug, overlooking the smaller man Merle had been travelling with…for the moment.

One who didn't overlook Harry was the new defacto leader Rick and his fuming "brother" Shane, both of whom eyed the heavily armed and seemingly at-ease form warily.

"I don't like this, brother." Shane hissed under his breath to his best friend. "Merle was a menace and who knows what kinda trouble he hooked up with after getting off that roof? Could be dangerous, just look at him."

And take a look Rick did, spotting the heavy sword on the man's back, the leather clothes, filled pack, and at least a pair of knives in his boots and two pistols in holsters at his hips. Whoever this was…he was a survivor the kind they hadn't run into yet. One who made Shane look light-weight and the Dixons normal.

He was dangerous, Shane was right about that, Rick agreed. But to who was the question. And was he the kind of dangerous that would help protect Rick's family like Daryl did?

Only time would tell Rick supposed.

But in the meantime they had a building to reach.

Which Daryl was in the process of telling his brother and his brother's companion about if Rick's ears were right.

"The CDC, that's Officer Friendly's play." Daryl said with a shrug after Merle asked him what-the-fuck they were doing on I-85. "Says if anywhere has an answer or safety it'd be there. I was going along so I could start scouting Atlanta for your mangy ass."

"Hey now." Harry shot with a grin. "I was thorough. He's a little rough and rank – especially in this Georgia heat – but I didn't find mange. Just distemper." He gave the younger Dixon a grin as the two brothers guffawed.

Merle finally introduced him to his little brother. "Daryl Dixon, meet Hadrian "Harry" Black. Harry this is my little brother Daryl."

"Nice to meetcha." Daryl nodded. "And thanks for saving his rank hide. He's kin."

"Not a problem." Harry nodded back. "He slept for the most part so it's only been today that he's been bedeviling me with his sense of humor and bad b.o."

Daryl snorted out another laugh as he and Merle made short work of hauling down his motorcycle before Harry jumped up into the cab to join Daryl in his truck.

"Hey now." Merle warned with a light glare. "There'll be none-a that ganging up on ol' Merle business, ya hear?"

Harry just rolled his eyes and gave a snort as the watching – and eavesdropping – convoy set back out, the others glad that Daryl – their main source of game – was happy again, or what passed for happy with his surly self. They weren't quite as glad over having Merle back, especially in the wake of the losses they'd sustained the previous night and having the Morales family take off. And adding Harry – an unknown, and possibly dangerous with it – joining up didn't endear any of them to Merle any further.

All they knew about him was that he apparently magically got along with the Dixon brothers – and that was more a cause for alarm than it was rejoicing.

They were almost to the CDC compound with twilight nipping at their heels when Daryl spoke up, watching the guy who saved his brother – Harry Black – out of the corner of his eye.

"Thank you for that." Daryl said gruffly. "Merle's all I got."

"Wasn't right." Harry answered softly, deep emerald gaze scanning around the perimeter of the truck, his advanced sight from his Animagus form easily picking out the Walkers shambling slowly towards the noise from the darkened alleys. "Leaving a man cuffed to a pipe – no food, water, or shelter and walkers banging on the door." Harry shook his head. "By the time y'all came back for him, Merle would've either been long gone or dead. He was already reaching for a saw when I got there and I'd only waited for the others to clear out. I don't need thanks for being decent…though I 'preciate it anyways."

Daryl let that rattle around his head a bit as they pulled up to the building, worry and caution running high in him as they studied the piles of bodies – military, civilian, and CDC staff from the lab coats – strewn around.

"Jesus Christ." Daryl cursed and spat as he shouldered his crossbow, Merle coming to stand at his right and Harry at his left with swords bared and ready at the sight, their keen hearing already picking up the shambling steps of the undead. "He led us righ' inta a graveyard."

Rick and Shane ran to the heavy metal shutters as the Dixon Brothers and Harry guarded the groups' flank, picking off the walkers as they appeared in ever-increasing numbers drawn by the raucous of the two cops banging on the metal covering the CDC entrance.

"Nobody's here man." T-Dog told Rick, voice low but still his words carried to everyone in earshot.

Harry glanced over at the doors and shook his head. "There's somebody here." He corrected the man, Merle had given him a brief rundown of who was in the group before they met up. "Or else those shutters wouldn't be on lock-down…it's just a matter of who and if they're going to leave us out here to die or not."

"He made a call." Shane said as the Dixons worked to take out more of the incoming walkers and they were being slowly but surely pinned as a group against the building. "No blame."

"We can't be in the city after dark!" One of the women cried. Harry was pretty sure it was Lori based on what he'd been told about the group dynamic.

"It's a dead end, brother, let's go!" Shane yelled urging Rick to give up.

Harry'd about had enough.

"Move." He ordered the others, shoving Rick away from the camera he swore moved. Standing steady and stock-still he spoke clearly and concisely with none of the panic that Rick had been exhibiting. "My name is Hadrian James Black. I was a medical student at U of G Atlanta before the Outbreak." His green eyes pinned whoever was on the other side of the screen. "Dr. Maria Livingston-Jenner, if you're in there, please open the shutters. We have children with us and no way to reach safety. Please let us in." He took a breath, shoving a frantic Shane back with a stiff-arm when he tried to horn in. "Even if just for the night, Doctor."

Metal grinding on metal focused everybody's attention as once Harry finished speaking the shutters slowly began to open.

Shane and Rick took point, wary in the extreme at this point considering it took a stranger to them who apparently knew one of the doctors and promised to only stay the night if needed to get the shutters released and their group sanctuary – even if it was temporary. Harry waited for the others, guarding the flank with the Dixons before he ducked in, following the others. The group came to a stop before a man in pajamas and a scruffy beard but strapped up with firearms to high heaven.

"Any infected?" The gruff man demanded to know, his face under the scruff making Harry narrow his eyes.

"No." Rick said. "Just looking for a chance."

"Wasn't asking you." Pajama man shot back turning his head to look at Harry in the rear of the group, still watching the doors for walkers. "Was asking him."

Harry turned and answered, having finally placed where he'd seen that face before – on the desk of his virology and pandemic theory professor.

"No, Dr. Jenner." He answered succinctly. "They're all clear."

"Just want a chance." Rick said again, his desperation rising as he was sidelined for the first time since waking – and in preference for a much younger man who they barely knew beyond Merle Dixon.

"That's asking a lot these days." Jenner replied, lowering his gun with a sigh.

Merle snorted, keeping in his cynical commentary to himself. The cops were too high-strung to appreciate it, and his brother and Harry were busy keeping eyes on their flank to bother responding.

"Everybody takes a blood test." Jenner declared after casting a considering glance at Harry's back and a sad one at the children. "That's the price of admission."

"Done." Rick agreed, hastily.

"If you have anything you want to bring inside, you better get it in now." Jenner warned them. "Once those doors shut they stay closed."

Everyone rushed out for packs and supplies, Harry already having his on his back watched and stood guard while the others gathered their things. Something about the finality in Jenner's voice tickled Harry's survival instincts. Green eyes locked on two pairs of stormy blue, then the three of them traded nods. The Dixon Brothers felt it too.

Something wasn't right here. And it was more than the change the world had undergone since the Outbreak. For one thing…

"You always carry like that, doc?" Daryl asked with a sarcastic brow.

Oh, yeah. The Dixons were suspicious as hell of what was going on.

"They were around." Jenner said with a sardonic smirk. "I familiarized myself. Doctor Edwin Jenner," he introduced himself finally. "Though one of you at least already knew that."

"Harry Black." Harry nodded, reaching out to shake the offered hand. "Your wife was my virology and pandemic theory professor at UG Atlanta. I recognized you from one of the pictures on her desk…only in it you had a lot less beard."

Jenner barked out a laugh. "I bet I did at that." He nodded, leading them into an open debriefing room where he set about gathering vials and getting introductions as he drew the required blood. "Maria hated my beard when we met, refused to have anything to do with me after the first date unless I shaved it off."

The kids Sophia and Carl kicked up a bit of a fuss over having their blood drawn but they went along with it anyway. Merle gave Harry a look, which Harry answered with a tiny shake of his head. Dr. Jenner wouldn't find anything on his tox screen. He was sure of that. If wasn't until the sole black woman of the group, an older woman named Jacqui according to their introductions and Merle's info, wobbled on her feet after her blood draw that Jenner stopped chatting idly with Harry and took real notice of the group.

"Is she okay?" He asked his doctor's concern raising its head.

"She'll be fine." T-Dog assured him after ushering her over to a chair. "Just hasn't eaten much in a couple days."

"Well." Jenner stood and collected the blood samples – all save one – and started walking from the room. "Guess I'll give you the dime tour."

"Doc." Shane barked a question though it was a tad quieter than his normal abrasive behavior. "What about Black?"

"Harry knew my wife and she knew him." Jenner said simply. "And was a med student in her cohort, which makes him either a genius or close to it. If any of you were infected he'd know it. Especially himself." He shrugged, ignoring the incredulous looks he was getting form the others. Though in the case of Harry and the Dixons the looks were plain amusement. "This is just…insurance."

After setting the samples in a lab, Jenner ushered them around the "Zone 5" and introduced them to Vi his computer AI. At the words: hot water, many of the group set their things down in the designated rooms and grabbed fresh clothes, rushing off to shower. Harry did the same only slower, first making a pit stop in the kitchen to throw together some rafts of lasagna and casserole, cheating with a spell so that the pasta cooked enough, before throwing them in the oven. He knew full-well that as soon as everyone was clean they were going to go hunting through the kitchen stores. The others could worry about throwing together some sides, with the rafts in the oven at least he knew the mains would be edible.

As he walked past Dr. Jenner in his lab, Harry's eyes focused on the red numbers on the countdown clock.

"We cut it fine." He said quietly, Jenner raising his head to look up at the student his wife had told him about. Young, she'd said. But promising.

"Yes." Jenner admitted, turning to look at the clock as well. "You did."

Harry nodded. "And the shutters?"

Jenner grimaced. "They take too much power to open. If you want to leave…" He sighed, he would be fine with making the choice for the others, from what he could tell they were mostly just a rag-tag group. But Harry Black…a promising medical student interested in virology…who knew and respected Maria…that was a harder thing. Strangers lives aren't worth much in the present day. Jenner knew and admitted that. But this young man? Jenner found himself feeling that for once there might be a shred of…hope…as Rick put it a chance, after all. "It'll have to be before the clock hits two hours left. Otherwise…"

"Got it." Harry gave him an understanding smile. One without a lick of judgement. "You going to stay?"

"I tried, Mr. Black." Jenner sighed. "The French…they were close. And Maria…"

"Infected?"

Jenner nodded, grief all over his face.

"One thing I do know about this thing." Jenner scrubbed his hands over his face before making sure they were alone. "It's airborne. More than that…"

"We're all infected." Harry supplied. "I figured. Some of the undead I've seen died without a scratch or a bite."

"I'll show you guys what I know further in the morning." Jenner said, head lifting to stare at Harry. "But…"

"We'll keep this to ourselves." Harry agreed, looking back up at the countdown clock. "They need a rest if they're going to keep on. A momentary break from the fighting and the scrabbling. Let's let them have it."

"Better go get a shower, Mr. Black." Jenner suggested with a half-smile. "By the smell of the food you made up it won't be long before the horde descends."

Over dinner and bottles of wine, the group laughed and refreshed.

Some of the men were trying to convince Lori and Carol to allow the kids to join in, Dale mentioning the French before Lori finally gave in, only for everyone to laugh at the disgusted face Carl made after a single taste of the acidic grape beverage.

Daryl's face was rosy with the drink and Glenn was well on his way to sloshed when the younger Dixon noticed that both his brother and the new guy were sticking to water or juice.

"Merle?" Daryl laughed pushing a bottle over towards his brother who sat beside him. "Have a drink, brother."

Merle opened his mouth to say something that was likely to offend…everyone, when Harry spoke up instead.

"He just spent two days recovering from malnutrition, sunstroke, and dehydration." His voice was calm but steely. "Alcohol is a poison and it dehydrates you. Merle's not drinking." His crooked grin softened the order. "Doctor's orders."

"Fuck it." Shane growled, snatching up the bottle before Daryl could take it back. "More for me."

"Harry?" Dale laughed, trying to lessen the now-rising tension. "What about you? Teetotaler?"

"No." Harry laughed along good-naturedly, pushing a bit away from the table as he'd finished and beginning to comb out his hair and braid it up much to the fascination of the others who'd never seen a man do such a thing in their lives. "But I only drink when I'm sure I'm safe and not going to have to be running in the next couple days." His smile lessened the blow a bit that came with his next words. "And no offense but other than Merle…I don't really know any of you from Adam."

"Fair enough." Rick allowed, taking another pull from his bottle and closing the subject. "Fair enough."

Shane, never one to let a subject go gracefully, turned to Jenner and brought the mood down further: "So when were you going to tell us what happened here, doc?"

"Shane." Rick hissed, "let it be, brother."

"No." Shane ignored him. "I wanna know before I lay my head down."

"When things got bad." Jenner began, staring into the ruby liquid in his glass. "People…left. Walked out. Left their work, the search, everything. Mostly those who had families they wanted to be with on the outside. The rest of us…" He sighed, taking another drink before setting the glass down and pushing it away. "When it got worse, some bolted."

"Everyone?" Shane arched a brow. "But you? Just walked out?"

"No." Jenner stared down the aggressive cop. "A lot of them…opted out. A rash of suicides and .45's to the skull. It was a bad time…" His voice was faint as his eyes hazed in remembrance. "A bad time."

"But you stayed." Andrea pointed out, voice shaky. "Why?"

"I kept working." His voice and eyes sharped. "I had to keep working." He stood, walking away but still his last words carried back to the group. "I promised her…"

"Man." A more than half-tipsy Glenn glared at Shane in disgust, rising unsteadily to his feet. "You are such a buzz-kill."

"Dr. Jenner." Harry walked up quietly behind the man he found once more hunched over a microscope.

Everyone else was either passed out, in bed, or a couple were still sitting in the dining room. All but Harry and Dr. Jenner. Not that that was much of a surprise.

He'd noticed Daryl and Merle stalking around after dinner – more Merle than Daryl with the younger brother being half-drunk. Harry would lay money they were already planning on having to leave despite whatever fairy tale Rick had told himself. What the Dixons were doing looked a lot like Harry's own plans: clearing the CDC before it went up in smoke.

"Yeah, Mr. Black." Jenner rubbed his tired eyes. There were no surprises in the blood work despite his half-hopeless wishes.

"I'm going to clear the building." He spoke firmly, ignoring the surprise on the doctor's face. "With as long as I think this thing will last, I never let a supply opportunity pass me by. You mind?"

Jenner shook his head and sighed. "Take whatever you think you can use and carry." He agreed easily. "If you think they'll agree to leave with you then stack what you can't by the shutter doors and I'll leave them open…it's not like it'll matter any longer at that point."

"Thank you, Dr. Jenner." Harry nodded genially and turned to go, knowing he had a long night and likely a longer day ahead of him on only a cat-nap in Daryl's truck and a couple hours the night before as he watched over Merle.

"Mr. Black?" Jenner called after him, making him pause, head cocked to the side as the younger man listened. "There's a library on virology and contagious diseases in Zone 9. I would…appreciate it if you took it with you somehow."

Harry nodded once, hearing what Jenner didn't say.

The doctor may have given up on himself but he hadn't yet given up on humanity. It was just too damn bad Harry didn't have the time to convince the doctor that a cure or just survival was worth living for. Harry shook his head. Everything that made that man tick died alongside his wife.

And it was a damned shame.

Harry did exactly as he'd said and in the same fashion he'd been practicing for months. He started at the top floor of the building – where he'd found the executive offices and an array of interesting items like an antique text from the last century that described the first successful creation of a vaccine – and worked his way down. Thankfully since this was the CDC and they'd been trying to cure the virus, there were no walkers to clear…or bodies to burn.

It was from a CDC doctor that Harry had learned pandemic control after all, and the incinerators this building contained were hot enough to destroy any living thing down to the final cell.

Clearing the building was easier for it…but also harder as Harry had to leave entire sections untouched for fear of running into something deadly or even weaponized like smallpox or Ebola. Again, the executive offices came in handy here as one of the first things he'd done was search out a diagnostic of the building and where the vaults containing the disease samples were located before staying the fuck away from those sectors. He added a ton of medical supplies and equipment, more than enough to set up a dozen labs in his basement, hell he could have his own CDC with what all was shrunk down and stuffed in his bag.

And Jenner had been right about the weapons too.

The military and high brass had had similar thoughts to Rick: sending everything they had to protect the hope of a cure.

Rifles, pistols, RPG's, riot gear, ammunition, grenades both flash-bang and explosive, the haul was truly impressive and better than the one he'd scored with Remus at the prison by far.

By the time he made it back to Zone 5, he could clearly see where the Dixons had helped themselves to some armament, and good on them. He left that Zone for last and continued moving downwards. Food, dry goods, medical supplies, by the time he hit the basement and the nearly-empty fuel drums, even his bottomless bag was starting to fill up. Harry estimated that this one run alone would stock the estate for years in everything except food and fuel.

Dawn was starting to peak over the horizon as he climbed the several stories up to Zone 5 and tucked away all the supplies he could find there except for the open toiletries in the showers and enough food for a breakfast feast. They still had several hours before the deadline Jenner gave him, and with that one his mind he set an alarm for an hour cat-nap, kicked back in a chair, and nodded off. It had been a fucker of a long night…but it was worth it in the end.

Harry blinked open tired green eyes as the alarm on his wand buzzed against his arm in his hidden holster.

Groaning he climbed to his feet and stretched, feeling moderately recharged from the nap. Digging in his pack he looked around cautiously before taking out two vials of Pepper-Up. Slugging one back, he let the rush of energy tingle up his spine as he shook out his arms and walked over to the kitchen and the supplies he'd left for breakfast.

Setting down the Pepper-Up, he started pots of coffee and tea with quick, smooth movements, taking out several rashers of bacon and sausage, along with powered eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, everything he would need for a Full-English except toast. He gave making fresh bread a ponder but decided against it, knowing it would take time he didn't want to waste. Pouring orange juice into several glass pitchers, he split the vial of Pepper-Up, knowing that the strong citrus juice would hide the slightly peppery taste of the concoction.

By the time the first person stumbled in, drawn by the smell of frying meats and coffee, Harry had made up platters of meats, scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes and mushrooms and home fries, while for those who were a little less into the Full-English he had cheesy omelets with tomato and onion, all under warming charms.

As Harry'd expected, the first to arrive was Merle with a grumbling and cussing Daryl stumbling after him and cursing his hide.

Harry chuckled at the sight and handed over a cup of black coffee that was hiding a small dose of pepper-up. So far from what he'd seen, only the Dixons were worth saving. The rest might have some redeeming qualities, they all appeared nice enough…well except for Shane. But Harry would admit he needed to give it some more time, and that's exactly what he'd told his dads when he mirror-called them before he started clearing the CDC.

Leaving a man handcuffed to a roof…not exactly a shining example of the human race.

He eyed the group as they walked and/or stumbled in, canceling the warming charms with ease, and started to plate up some breakfast. He'd give it a week or two, he decided. Enough time – without resorting to magical means – to make a decision about these survivors one way or another.

Part of him – the annoying hero-saving-people-thing part – complained over the loss of life that might result. It badgered him about playing judge and jury – the same as it had screamed at him over killing two of the prisoners. But Harry just found his inner Slytherin and beat up the hero and duct-taped it in a corner of his mind.

He made these decisions so his family would be safe – and so they wouldn't have to.

His conscience could bear the burden of lost lives. Sirius and Remus – wonderful Gryffindors they are – were just too damned noble to weigh the cost of their family versus innocent lives. It was where Harry had no issues beyond a pesky conscience every now and again. The results of childhood abuse and being trained to make the hard decisions by a manipulating old goat.

To make it through this, people needed a strong survival instinct and more than a little cunning.

Fortunately, those were both traits Harry had in spades.

Conversation was light as the group tucked into Harry's breakfast, the man in question quietly sitting down between Jenner at the head of the table and Daryl, with Merle between his brother and Rick.

Jenner spoke quietly to Harry, his words only catching the attention of the Dixons as the next closest person – Rick – was too busy talking to his family and Shane across the table to pay attention to a couple rednecks and doctors.

"I'll open the shutters after the debriefing Mr. Grimes was after." Jenner said voice pitched low. "And leave them up. The sound will draw in the infected, based on what I've seen you'll have a matter of minutes to load up and head out, Harry."

"Okay." Harry nodded, eyes focused on his meal. "And this debriefing?"

"Starts in ten." Jenner traced eyes over the rapidly emptying plates. "Everyone should be awake enough then."

Harry just nodded again, the Dixons catching his attention.

"Load up?" Merle questioned, trying to avoid intriguing either lawman near him.

Daryl just sat quiet and let Merle take point as he worked on tucking away the second down-home meal he'd had in months besides the squirrel/rabbit stew they were mostly living on in addition to random non-perishables they sourced. He didn't know what the hell Harry had put in that coffee but it had worked wonders on his hangover so he wasn't about to say shit. The others might be willing to write off their miraculous recovery to coffee and hot food by Daryl knew better than that.

He noticed everything.

It was what kept him mostly in one piece when Merle was gone with the Marines and he'd been left with a Da too fond of 'shine and ready with his belt.

"This is the CDC, Merle." Harry reminded him, voice pitched to match Merle's. Not quiet enough to draw attention but not loud enough to be easily overheard either. "You were a Marine, you know about cleansing protocols at secured facilities."

Merle bit out a curse under his breath before explaining to the sorta-lost Daryl.

"Secured facilities like the CDC go boom when they run out of power to keep tangos from getting their grubby paws on things like anthrax and Ebola." Merle said around his coffee cup, hiding his mouth from the rest of the group. "This place doesn't have solar panels which means its running on a generator."

"And when it runs out of fuel." Daryl cursed himself, turning fully to face Harry and Jenner. "How much time?"

"Hours." Jenner said, scratching at his beard. "A matter of hours. Long enough to give the sheriff the answers he's after and get clear. Then it goes up: the air itself will be lit on fire and not even a single-celled organism in the vaults will survive it."

Right on time, Rick finally keyed into the serious discussion going on next to him. "About those answers, doc?"

Jenner nodded, standing. "Everyone meet back in the classroom in five. And I'll give you what answers I have."

Merle leaned over and told his brother to pack up before heading off to do the same. He'd known things weren't right here. That Harry had known too just reinforced a decision Merle had already made: the Dixons were sticking with Black.

No matter what.

The Pretty had already saved his ass once and was doing it again by getting answers out of the weasley little doc.

That was the sorta person they needed around to survive the walkers.

And if Officer Friendly didn't like it he could suck Merle's dick.

"Vi?" Jenner spoke to the computer as they all gathered, the rest of the group casting side-eyes at the packs on the backs of the Dixons and the new guy Harry. "Begin playback of TS-19."

As the computer echoed his order back, the blank screen in front of them all lit up, showing a human brain.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked, eyes wide and kinda excited. It was cool. And kinda gross all at the same time.

"An extraordinary one." Jenner said, his sad eyes meeting Harry's knowing ones. It was Maria, his wife.

Another order from Jenner had the computer going into Enhanced Internal View, the screen showing the inner workings and electrical activity of the human control center.

"What are the lights?" Sophia asked, clutching onto her doll for all she was worth.

Jenner bounced the question back to the med student with a challenging arched brow.

"A person's life." Harry answered the challenge, voice quiet and respectful as he knew who it was he was about to watch become infected and die. "Thoughts, experiences, memories, instincts, even addictions if they have any. Everything that makes you you and someone else, someone else."

He continued after a moment when Jenner didn't.

"It's what makes us human, those little lights. Electrical signals that travel from the brain to your spinal column and every cell thereafter. That decide everything about you from the moment you're conceived and your brain forms until you die." He sighed, shaking his head. "One thing we'd figured out from the rumors at school was that whatever this virus is: it affects the brain."

After Harry stopped speaking, Rick picked up on something from his words.

"Death?" He asked. "This a vigil?"

"A playback of one." Jenner replied honestly, though Harry caught the sheen in his eyes.

"This person died?" Andrea asked with a gasp. "Who?"

"TS-19." Jenner told them, watching the screen and ignoring their expectant looks.

"Dr. Maria Livingston-Jenner." Harry supplied, then Jenner continued as if he'd never spoken.

"Who was bitten." Jenner bit his lip. "Infected and volunteered to have us record the process. VI, scan to the second event."

The Dixons swung their gazes between the two men who knew the brain – the woman – on the screen, not one of the group knowing what to make of watching a vigil with her husband and one of her students standing there like statues.

"The resurrection times can vary." Jenner continued his voice taking on a monotone as he focused all his attention on the screen, knowing this would be the last time he ever sat this vigil. "The shortest time recorded was three minutes, the longest we heard of was eight hours, and in the case of this patient it was two hours, one minute, and seven seconds."

They watched as the screen showed what happened when the walkers reanimated, the lack of signals except for some dull red in the brain stem.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori cried out in shock.

"No." Harry corrected her immediately as he watched every minute change with narrowed eyes. "Just the brainstem."

"It's just enough to get them up and moving." Jenner added.

"So they're not alive?" Rick asked, sounding so hopeful the Dixons rolled their eyes with a sneer.

Officer Friendly, too much of a do-gooder to accepted that he'd been killing people from the moment he woke up. What was the point of consoling yourself that the walkers weren't alive per se when the world was burning around them and the living were more dangerous than the dead? Case in point: Officer Friendly cuffing Merle to a rooftop and leaving him to die.

"You tell me." Jenner said, seeming unbearably tired all of a sudden.

"They're dead." Harry shut down the coming debate resolutely, his tone and words leaving no room for compromise. "And now we know why we need to aim for the head and burn the bodies."

"Burn the bodies?" Lori gasped. "What about our own?"

"We burn the bodies." Harry bit out.

"Standard contamination protocol." Jenner jumped in to defend his wife's protégé. "We don't know what this is, only what it does. In such cases until the contagion is isolated and a cure or vaccine synthesized all contaminants are incinerated to ash."

Jenner turned and looked at Harry telling him: "It's time to go. I'll open the shutters; you know as much as anyone now."

"Thank you, Dr. Jenner." Harry nodded, clasping the man's hand. "And I'm deeply sorry for your loss."

"Aren't we all?" Jenner sighed, moving over to the workstation and keying in a series of codes then swiping his key card and giving Harry a nod.

"Time to go?" Carol asked, clutching Sophia to her. "What do you mean time to go?"

"Doc?" Shane growled. "Something you two," his eyes dragged over the prepared Dixons. "Sorry four, want to share with the class?"

"This is the CDC." Jenner said simply as Harry and the Dixons told everyone to pack up, most of them scattering to obey except the two cops and Lori.

"And?" Rick barked out as he held Carl close to his side.

"When the lights go off." Merle drawled with a sneer. "This place goes boom."

Harry pointed to the red countdown clock that showed a mere thirty minutes left after the power it took to raise all the shutters, lights beginning to flick off leaving only the low-powered emergency lights and flashers.

"It's been over two months." Harry explained. "This place will go up in less than half an hour to prevent anyone accessing the dangerous samples locked in the vaults. It's standard protocol for secured facilities."

"Time to shag ass, boys." Merle sneered. "Unless you plan to go up with Dr. Jenner and the CDC."

"Dr. Jenner?" Lori asked with a gasp.

"I'm tired." He answered the shocked woman as her husband and boyfriend rushed to gather their packs, Carl tagging along after them and Harry and the Dixons made for the exit. "I've done what I can. Now I just want to be with Maria again…is that so much to ask?"

They were several miles out of town in the convoy when the earth shook and a wave of heat blasted them, Rick ordering the convoy to pull to a stop as they all looked back at the cloud of smoke mushrooming up over Atlanta.

--

All Credit is Due to: Sifsshadowheart