Final thanks to JessieHillx, Julietta17, HarlieD and Guinevere Buttons for adding this to your favorites/alerts lists!

SilverAdvenger12: Thank you for being such a great fan and for sticking with this and I can't wait to join you for the sequel. Glad the last chapter was great with Will and Daryl and expect much more scenes with them!

Leyshla Gisel: Hehe glad I got you excited one last time before the end. You've been a great fan and I've always enjoyed your reviews. The final chapter now and I will see you at the sequel in about a week or two though I'm aiming for less!

WaterWarrior6: I am so excited to write for Merle, I've just be writing out sentences on paper to try and get a good feel of his voice so hopefully I'm ready when the time comes. Glad I could make up for the absence of Daryl's emotions after Dale, I wanted to show them and I think it would have affected him too even though he would be silent about them. Thank you for being an awesome fan who shares many of my same opinions on a lot of what has happened on the show and its characters. I will try as fast I can to get the sequel up too!

heboosh: Haha glad the Merle news got you bouncing off the walls! I love that badass and I am so prepared for him to join my series! I'm looking forward to you joining me for my sequel and yes, everything is going to be different now with so much happening in the winter months before the prison. I can't wait to see you again soon!

FanFicGirl10: RED SOX! Hehe I'm gonna miss your reviews for the next week or so before I get to the sequel. Yes, Jo is very worried for Daryl, someone has to be and she takes it upon herself to try and help him as well as herself by being with him. Hehe that Will is such a clever guy, there really is no one else up to the standard of grace when it comes to him and I wanted him and Daryl to be the ones to go out just so it brings more awareness of their relationship. I think the end of this story will have you flipping your lid, so don't kill me too harshly!

MAR76: Haha I can't like season two Shane either! I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt in season one because it was only 6 episodes and he hadn't evolved to full on crazy yet. I'll try and get Rick to be more of a friendly guy with Daryl instead of a commander because that kind of bothers me on the show too, especially after all the shit Daryl did for him in season three, he just lets him leave with his brother. Glenn could have sucked it up and dealt with Merle from the beginning. I still have more strengthening for Darlene to come, but yes, keep your eyes peeled! William approves of him and as of thus far we haven't heard what he thought of James yet, so I'll get to that next story. OMG I would go to that extreme and quit the show too if Carol and Daryl ever become a thing, no one needs to see that! That might be over dramatic of me but I don't care, I hate her character and I hate when Carol fans give the excuse that she's only 47, like I don't give a shit she looks like she's 67! Anyways rant over haha and I'll let you get to the last chapter. See you at the sequel!

WhatsGoingOn: So happy to see all of your excitement for what's to come! I can't wait to get into those winter months and expose our brave group out into the cruel world. Rick's part is definitely important for that. Yes, after having so many Darlene moments I felt I needed some more Papa Bear Baker there and him and Daryl are just too fun to explore as a team. Hehe I love Darlene sexy moments too and I'll work on many more of those for the sequel! So I say my final goodbye to this last chapter and I look forward to seeing you for the sequel!

Korvescence: It was a bit of a long wait again, but a longer chapter too. Hehe poor T-Dog I like using him for comic relief since he didn't get a lot of time in the show. Last chapter now, and it's a shocker!

Disclaimer: I own nothing else of this fine story but Jolene, William and…so tired of writing these.

Jolene was biting her nails nervously and it took her some time to realize how much of a Daryl trait that was. It couldn't be helped though and she wasn't about to apologize for being at the edge of her seat while everyone else was too. The evening had vanished into darkness and four of their strongest men hadn't returned from an expedition in the woods. Based on the fact that both her father and Daryl had gone in hadn't made it any easier and she felt she had all to lose at that moment. Her pacing was excessive and she had probably mowed a path in the floor from where she had walked back and forth by now.

"God, where are they?" Lori asked anxiously, "Shouldn't they be back by now, it's already dark?"

"They probably found him and are bringing him back." Glenn tried to explain easily while sounding as if he was working on believing that himself too, "They'll be back any minute now."

"Should someone go out and look for them?" Andrea suggested, "I agree with Lori, they've been gone a lot longer than normal just for a young kid."

"Who happens to be armed with a gun." Lori muttered.

"No one should leave." T-Dog said with some authority, "Rick put me and Glenn in charge to watch everyone else. We can't risk any more people out in the trees at night."

T-Dog's chilling words delivered some blunt force trauma to the mood of the room. Everyone had already been aware of the situation and that they wouldn't be allowed to go out and help, but hearing the words spoken made it all the more real, "Wait there's people coming back." Maggie announced with excitement as she watched from the living room window passed the pulled back curtains.

"How many people Maggie?" Jolene breathed while her throat felt constricted and dry with panic.

"Just two. They don't have Randall with them. I think it's Daryl and your father." While Jolene was allowed some relief she didn't celebrate too much as Lori's shoulders sagged in disappointment. Jolene half wondered who she was more concerned for, but stopped the cynical thought in its malicious path, "Patricia, get the door."

Patricia was up from her seat in obeying Maggie's request to unlock the chain and deadbolt for the two men who climbed up the porch steps. She could hear her father offer a thank you to Patricia before they entered the room. Both of their eyes did a quick sweep, Daryl's meeting Jolene's momentarily before he spoke, "Rick and Shane ain't back yet?"

Fear gripped on to Lori and she held her wrist to her chest, "No, why? You didn't see them out there?"

Daryl and Will shared an uneasy look, "No, but I doubt it's anything to fret over." Her father said evenly.

"What about Randall, did you find him?" Glenn asked.

William scratched at his cheek with unrest. "Yeah we found him, but he was already a walker."

"And what about the walker that bit him?" Hershel questioned, "Did you find it?"

"Sumthin' strange happened out there." Daryl murmured with a frown, "Funny thing was, he wasn't bit or scratched. His neck was broke."

Andrea frowned with worry, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya he died from that."

"We checked him over twice." William added, "There was nothing else that could have caused it."

"He didn't have Shane's gun neither." Daryl revealed with a bitter scowl, "Don't know what that means."

Everyone could guess their own suspicions though and that sprang Lori into action, "Can you two please go back out there and find them please?"

Daryl nodded to Will for affirmation first before consenting to anything, "We're on it."

They started for the porch with more than a few people following, Jolene being one of them. She wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of her father and Daryl going back out there again after discovering a strange abnormality with Randall's death. It had been written on their faces that they believed Shane to be the guilty party which was more cause for concern for everyone, "Oh my God." T-Dog mumbled and everyone followed his gaze out to the sight on the fields.

"Where did they come from?" Andrea gasped.

"Patricia, go and dim the lights." Hershel hushed. Footsteps traveled inside and suddenly the house grew black, but the walkers were still visible and headed their way.

"What do we do now? Should we hide in the house?" Glenn asked as his voice hitched high with panic.

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, herd that size will tear the house down. I don't suppose we got ourselves another way outta here?"

"We have guns and we have cars." Hershel said fiercely, "We drive them off and make the farm safe."

"God, Rick and Shane are still out there." Jolene whispered.

"We can only hope so." Daryl returned with a serious expression, "Rick ain't in no better shape than we are with him." Him meaning Shane.

"We should arm ourselves with what we have, spare what ammo we can." Everyone turned as William spoke while they started to arm themselves with guns, "And we should get people in cars while we have time. Any longer and they'll be too close to the house."

"We'll take the truck." T-Dog motioned to Andrea.

"And me and Maggie can take the car." Glenn volunteered, "We'll try and drive them out."

At first glance everyone seemed to be handling the chaos well while taking on responsibilities like they were day jobs. They would soon be overwhelmed by the vast numbers and the shear force of the insistent walkers, but for now they would go on as if they could overcome the herd. There was some bold talk especially coming off from Hershel who wasn't ready to walk away from his property without a fight and many more people were impressed as he loaded up a shotgun. He addressed Daryl about dying tonight with the utmost confidence that he even left him blown away.

"Imma go and shake 'em out, see if I can clear 'em out by the barn." Daryl decided as he shouldered his crossbow, "And you ain't comin' with me."

Jolene felt her mouth go into a thin line, "What, you expect me to just wait here while you go off and defend the farm?"

"Can't have ya doin' sumthin' stupid which I know you love to do every once and a while." He said half teasing and half aggressively, "Keep yer ass here or move like Hell if it gets overrun."

"Well, I can't even begin to not promise that I won't do something stupid, but I will run like Hell." She reached into her shirt, pulling out her chain with her ring dangling on the end, "Keep this as collateral so we'll have a reason to find each other." She placed it around his neck and tucked it into the collar of his shirt as he stood frozen with a pensive look.

"You sure you wanna give that to me?" He took a step back and felt the chain between his fingers.

"It's the best I have now and I know you'll keep it safe."

Considering they were both in harm's way, he should have made a valiant move and kissed her before trudging off, but such affectionate displays challenged him and pushed him passed the limits in which he was comfortable. There had been too many people to openly witness whatever they had and he didn't want to taint it, especially with her father nearby, no matter what he already assumed to know. At best he could protect the farm and keep her trinket safe to show his emotions as such gestures were what he always fell back on and she understood that well. It didn't stop her heart from wavering at the sight of his retreating figure on the bike, but she swallowed the pain and sought to do her own duties for the group.

"I can't find Carl!" Lori came running out of the house in a frantic mess.

"I'm sure he's around. Did you check everywhere in the house?" Carol asked calmly as she pulled Sophia a bit closer to her.

"Yes, I checked everywhere Carol and I can't find him!" Lori snapped, "I'm not leaving here without my son."

Remembering her promise, Jolene nodded in assertion, "We'll help you look."

"Mrs. Grimes, Carl said he wanted to go and help his father." Sophia piped up, "He asked me to come but I said no."

"Sophia, why didn't you say anything earlier?" Lori cried angrily while Carol hugged her arms around her daughter.

"It's not her fault Lori." William jumped in, "Maybe you should be keeping a closer eye on your son."

"Dad." Jolene warned, "Don't worry Lori, I'll find him."

Lori's face sank into relief while her father looked ready again to argue that declaration, but that never commenced however as a startling bright light appeared behind them. Flames of orange and red engulfed the whole of the barn in a purposeful manner, drawing the walkers on to its warm haze. The lights danced before their eyes as they were consumed by the sight.

"That must be Rick and Shane." Jolene whispered, "And I bet Carl is with them. I need to get over there."

"If you need help, I can get you there in the RV." Jimmy piped up unexpectedly.

William began to protest adamantly, "Now hold on a moment, please."

"No Dad, I have to go to them. Not only could Carl be there, but there are other people from our group that need help." She explained with determination, "Let's go Jimmy."

The young kid nodded and started down the steps while William grabbed a hold of his daughters arm one last time as a last ditch effort, "Just be careful. I only just found you Jo and I don't want to have to pick up the pieces again."

"I know." She said softly, "I'm careful though. I've lasted this long with some good people helping me along the way and I trust them to do it again. You get yourself out if it looks like the farm will be lost."

Her father countered with a bleak look, "It will be." He handed her a shotgun which she accepted with glad hands.

"Hey Jolene, let's go!"

Jimmy yelled outside the window of the RV. She was astonished that he even knew her name and figured either Maggie or Beth had told him as such. It didn't matter much now and she got rid of the thought as she ran down to the vehicle, climbing the rungs of the ladder with her shotgun while telling the kid to step on it. She got down on her knees for balance and started to fire off shots with aim as best as she could conjure. If Rick and the others were really in the barn than they'd need some help above the fire to escape and taking to the roof had been her best and only option. Of course it meant sacrificing her skill with a gun and almost none of her shots were hitting on target. It didn't matter now, the walkers had successfully closed them in at a three hundred and sixty and they needed to escape the farm while they still could.

"Hey, over here!" Voices were shouting from the top rafters of the barn and Jolene could spot out Rick waving his arms in the distance with a small figure at his side.

"Jimmy, get us over to them!" She shouted down to the kid driving, who made a swift turn nearly careening them into the side of the barn and sending her ass over teakettle on the roof. The heat of the flames was building and she staggered back on to her feet on the roof before going over to where Rick and Carl were situated on the platform. Shane wasn't with them.

"Here, take Carl first." Rick put both of his hands under Carl's arms and lifted him up before passing him over to Jolene. He adjusted the sheriff's hat on his head before shooting her a quick smile.

"Rick come on, we've got to hurry." She urged right before he made the leap over.

"Did Lori send you?" He asked out of breath while bent over at the knees.

"It was a fifty-fifty decision made by the both of us." She reasoned, "Rick, what the Hell happened out there?"

"It's a long story that we don't have the time for. We gotta get back to everyone else."

"Dad the RV's on fire!" Carl cried while halting the conversation.

"Go!" He started to push both Carl and Jolene to the side ladder with Jolene going first so Carl could jump down to her halfway through. Rick made it down on to the ground with them, drawing out his gun while getting a look at the farm, "I have to find Lori."

"We have to worry about getting out of here first. Where's Jimmy?"

Jolene searched for the young man who had driven her there only to hear screams coming from the inside of the RV. Rick turned Carl away at the sight of the blood smearing the windows while the motor home began to shake as the walkers piled aboard. She was flooded with guilt and all she wanted to do was help the poor kid but Rick started to pull her along back up the hill towards the house with a tight grip on her sleeve. They were shaded in by a shroud of cloud in the sky hiding the moon from their gaze to allow them cover. A shotgun was being repeatedly fired up ahead at the house and the crisp white shirt could only belong to one person. Hershel didn't seem to realize he was outnumbered as he kept busting rounds off. With swift action from Rick he left hers and Carl's side for a moment to fire his gun at a walker behind Hershel that he hadn't spotted.

"Rick!" He exclaimed while holding up his gun, "We were beginning to wonder where you were."

"Where's Lori?"

"And my dad?" Jolene cut in.

"They were driven off. They wanted to wait for you, but I think they left in their own vehicles a while ago now."

"Well we gotta go then." Rick started to pull a protesting Hershel along as he fought, "Hershel, the farm's lost, we have to leave!"

Hershel's emotional bubble deflated and soon his small blubbers sank to deep breaths of sadness. Rick and Jolene managed to get him into the Suburban before she piled into the back with Carl. He clung close to her side as Rick started to back out of the driveway and down the gravel road. Hershel's face was pressed up against the glass the entire time as he watched his farm to ruin. The beams of the barn collapsed after succumbing to too much heat and decay of the fires while the wood of the house would be torn asunder from the onslaught of walkers. The farm and land had been passed down for generations in his family and there wasn't a way to prepare to say goodbye forever while being thrown into the cruel wilderness. The barricades of a false sense of security had been pulled out before him, but he wasn't alone in the feelings. That day, they'd all lost their home.

Daryl felt like he was losin' his shit as he sat astride his bike and pulled at his hair with his rough fingers. What the Hell had gone wrong? He kept on askin' that same question in his head over and over but couldn't think of an answer. They'd gotten careless seemed like the best fittin' answer. A sense of belongin' had been nice and in more ways than one that farm had felt more like a home to him than anywhere he'd ever been. He'd gone through a lot of stages that should have come natural in life, but he'd skipped over many of 'em 'cause of his upbringin'. The friends and somewhat of family members he had made there were like comrades formed in battle. They'd been through Hell together and he didn't wanna face nothin' alone again. And then there was Cherry. Jesus, why had he been so stupid to let her stay up at the farm alone? Her self-righteousness was wonderful, but most times unnecessary so he figured she'd be safe while he took care of the problem. Idiot; she'd never be safe unless she was with him at all times. Too late now to go back and search for as far as he could tell the place had turned into Hell on earth. The flames set in the barn were easily visible from the crest of the hill he was perched on. Shit he hated fire, couldn't stand the sight of it unless it was sumthin' to keep him warm or to cook food for his belly. In the event of a walker attack though he supposed there'd be some benefits that called for it and he concluded it musta been Rick or Shane.

He heard screamin' off in the distance yet close enough in his vicinity to make out. Sounded like a kid and a woman and he immediately took off knowing it was Sophia. Wasn't gonna fail that kid this time, though he had no idea how he was supposed to fit both her and her momma on his bike. He revved the thing and took off down the hill seein' a horde of walkers set upon his people. A familiar hideous van had already beaten him to the punch, but as Will was workin' on packin' up Carol and Sophia in his vehicle, it left him open and vulnerable. Lucky for him Daryl had arrived and without thinkin' he grabbed at the shotgun still at his side and fired a shot at a walker close to Will's left. Havin' heard the shot that traveled close by his ear he spun around ready to attack only to be relieved at the sight of a bike and its rider, "That was close."

"Yeah your welcome." Daryl grunted but still ended up smilin', "They all good?"

He looked to Carol and Sophia in the van who offered up a smallwave through the window while her mother hugged her and smiled, "Yeah, I got to them just in time." William answered, "Jolene's not with you?"

Daryl felt his throat dry up while sumthin' hard like a stone sank to his gut. If he was gettin' asked this question than that meant her father didn't know where she was neither. He consciously grabbed at the chain under his shirt, "Nah she ain't with me. Why isn't she with you?"

"She went off looking for Carl."

Daryl thought he was goin' to throw up. She'd left the house to go out lookin' for that damn kid who's momma didn't know any better. Of course it was a relief to know she wasn't up at the house still, but bein' on the property alone was no better. He only had half of a story, but there wasn't time to discuss as more walkers started flockin' in their direction. Will jumped into the van, shutting the doors while Carol and Sophia buckled up in the back. He rolled down his window to get Daryl's attention, "Where do we go from here?"

Daryl nodded his head back up the hill, "To the highway. Everyone knows it 'cause of searchin' for Sophia." Of course he had no way of knowin' if any of his group would be waitin' there, but it was their best bet as far as he could see, "Keep close to me." He said before kickin' off and turnin' the bike 'round back the way he came.

He drove on in the hopes of findin' others. You sure as Hell couldn't survive alone anymore and he didn't want that for any of his people, but he also knew him and Will wouldn't be enough to provide for Carol and her daughter. They had to get back to sumthin', whatever was left waitin' for 'em at that highway. He was hopin' more for people than supplies. Goddamn walkers flanked 'em on both sides and Daryl had to steer careful to avoid 'em or they could pull him off the bike and dig into him like a Thanksgivin' turkey. Behind him, Will was weavin' between 'em with the bulk of the van and Daryl was sure he'd never seen anyone drive sumthin' that big quite so perfectly before. The goin' was still slow though and they ended up in a back part of the road which would take longer to the highway. So long as they made it out by daybreak, Daryl figured they were in the clear and that they had been the lucky ones to escape with their lives. Just so long as they weren't the only ones.

Jolene fought off sleep in the silent car ride while Carl rested against her. No one had made a peep since leaving the farm, even Hershel's small sobs had ceased as he sat with a bitter frown. She surprisingly wasn't filled with questions though and if permitted to speak she only had one. Where was Shane? There had been no mention not even a mere whisper of his whereabouts and it caused a storm to brew in her stomach. The air was already unpleasant enough with being separated from everyone else so she tried not to think anymore ill thoughts.

"There's the traffic snarl." Rick announced apathetically, "We'll stop here for a bit."

There hadn't been many a sight of walkers since they'd pulled out of farm country and Jolene wondered what the odds were that the same herd they'd been trampled on weeks ago had turned back around and found them at the farm with even greater numbers. It didn't really matter either way for a walker was a walker to them now and the only thing they had to be thankful for was that they weren't mentally able to form attack patterns. If that had been the case then their group wouldn't have made it far, not even if they had Stonewall Jackson with them.

Rick maneuvered the truck between the cramped lineups of cars before cutting the engine. They sat frozen in the quiet for a moment in the knowledge that walkers would still be nearby, perhaps caught up in the labyrinth of the highway, "What do we do now dad?" Carl asked as he sat up in the backseat with Jolene.

"We're gonna wait here for a little while for everyone." Rick turned to Hershel, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Don't you worry, your girls will be fine."

"How long will we stay here?" Hershel returned, "There'll come a time when we'll know they aren't coming back here Rick." He said a little more quietly.

"I'm not leaving here without my mom." Carl jumped in with concern, "Dad we can't leave her."

"We won't!" Rick snapped curtly before regaining his composure, "Come on, let's step out for some air. We can listen for them; maybe give them a signal that we're here."

Carl tossed an unsure look at Jolene which she returned with a reassuring smile as she popped the car door open for them. She stepped fully outside with Rick and Hershel while Carl sat on the seat with his legs dangling out carefree. It was early into the morning and the adrenaline was starting to wear off to the point that they were all yawning. It was a contagious chain reaction where one followed another, "What's the next step Rick?" Hershel asked gently.

Rick took a look around the graveyard of cars with a morose look, "I don't know, but winter's coming up fast and we need somewhere to stay."

"All of our gear was back at the house." Jolene reminded, "We'll have to find better clothing and food. I might not be able to replace the medicine and vitamins we'd brought back on our run, but if we keep healthy than we won't have to worry."

"Rick, can I speak to you for a moment?" Hershel signaled to behind the Suburban, leaving Jolene standing with Carl as he swung his legs back and forth. Whatever Hershel had to say, he didn't want to speak it in front of the kid. Whatever it was, they shouldn't be hiding it or so she thought anyways. Carl needed to be treated as a small adult and he needed to know the facts about his mother and the rest of the group.

"You think your dad will find you?" He asked out of the blue, "Like he did before with Sophia I mean."

She hummed in thought, "I'm not sure. I hope so though. Fathers make for good leaders, don't you think?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "I'm glad I have my dad again."

It had been before her time with the group, but Rick had, for lack of a better term, come back from the dead after being shot in the line of duty before the world ended. No one knew what miraculous things had gone on in that hospital to bring him back, it was against all odds which summed up Rick Grimes quite well, "You won't ever be alone Carl, you don't have to worry about that."

"How did you know where to find us? You didn't seem surprised to see me at the barn." He noted intuitively.

"No you're right, I wasn't." She admitted, "Your mother couldn't find you so I said I'd go out and find you myself."

He grinned with some confusion behind his eyes, "Really, why would you do that?!"

She bumped him back playfully with her elbow, "I like you smarty-pants, you and your mom both. That's why I went with her to look for your dad." She realized then that it was never about the promise. She didn't have to be asked to want to do nice things for these people, because they were her family too.

He laughed with her before his sight extended passed her shoulder, "There's a walker coming."

She followed to his line of sight and saw the grey figure limping only a few feet away. She ushered Carl down before grabbing his hand and leading him over to Hershel and Rick ducking behind the truck, "Rick, there's a walker coming."

"Just one?" He asked while Hershel prepared the shotgun in his hand.

"Looks like it. It'd be better to kill it silently if we had something blunt or sharp." Damn, looks like she had lost her crowbar after all.

Rick nodded to the right, "We'll go around and let it pass."

He started to tug on Hershel to follow as they crept slowly by the side of the truck, careful to keep out of sight by the windows as they listened for the scuffle of the walkers limp limbs. Jolene sandwiched Carl in between her and Hershel while looking behind as their guard to keep watch in case it picked up their trail. It was hard to keep their wits about them being as exposed as they were with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs and what they carried with them that very moment. Carl nearly tripped once or twice, but Jolene leant him a hand to keep balanced while Rick looked back grateful for her help.

"I think it's passed far enough not to hear us." Hershel mumbled as he leaned against the side of the Suburban while letting out a sigh, "Rick, you should consider what I said. You have a boy to take care of now, it isn't safe to linger here."

Rick looked at an impasse as he turned to Jolene, "And what do you want?"

"I don't want to leave my dad." She said softly, "But we can't stay here forever. Should we maybe go back and look?"

"No, the herd could still be there and besides, no one would have stayed." Rick reiterated, "We might just have to…move on."

Carl's face fell along with Jolene's heart. She wasn't ready to walk away from the so many faces she had grown accustomed to seeing every day. She had only just gotten her father back and what about Daryl? They'd talked for so long about a number of things, sharing more than just words that she considered him her equal, her bull-headed functioning other half that always had her stubborn back and she with his. They'd made a binding pact with her golden chain to find each and her current frame of mind wanted her to risk going out to search for him. He couldn't be dead, he would have survived something like this and it was something she felt inside.

"Rick!"

Hershel interrupted the quiet melancholy upon them to point down the road at an approaching vehicle. They heard the sounds before seeing anything, but it was already clear in their minds of who it could be. No less than one familiar vehicle appeared before them and the obnoxious rumbles of Daryl's bike leading the way was suddenly like sweet music. Jolene felt so relieved she thought her knees might give and she'd fall so hard to the ground. Behind him followed her father's dark van with Carol and Sophia in the back while last in the lineup was the green Hyundai. Coming up in the other direction that they had first pulled in from was the rustic blue truck from the farm with T-Dog bringing Lori and Beth with him.

"Mom!" Carl shouted before springing free between Hershel and Jolene to run to Lori's arms. She leaped from the truck before getting down on her knees to envelope her son.

Jolene didn't hesitate either and as soon as her father had slid open the van door for Carol and Sophia she rushed him. He was more than prepared for her onslaught of affection and returned the tight embrace. Hershel was doing much the same with his own daughters while Rick approached his own family. The basking in each other's warm greetings didn't last long and Jolene pulled away from her father with a smile while he shared a small scolding look, "We thought we'd lost you."

"I'm sorry. I was in good hands though." She then realized the 'we' must have consisted of Daryl and himself and she snuck a look at him from her side to catch him shake his before looking down at the ground smiling silently to himself. She figured it spoke of 'yeah yer an idiot, but I forgive ya'.

"Is this all that's left of us?" Glenn asked haggardly.

"Looks like it so far." Rick pointed out with his mouth set in a thin line, "Where's Andrea?"

"She was attacked trying to save Carol and Sophia. I saw her go down." T-Dog said grimly.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked, turning to Carol.

"She did save me and my girl." Carol said biting her lip nervously, "I don't know if the walker got to her though."

"I can go back, check 'round the bush and trees for her." Daryl spoke up by the bike.

"I'll go with you." Jolene said, her voice shaking at the knowledge of another friend lost while otherwise ignoring her father's protective gaze.

"No, no one's leaving the group right now." Rick commanded sharply, "Even if she didn't go down, she wouldn't have stayed there. She's on her own now." His harsh tone caused the group to feel a little frazzled, even a little dismal.

"What about Shane?" Asked Lori after a pregnant pause.

This sparked everyone else's curiosity and all attention turned to Rick who shook his head solemnly, "He didn't make it." Lori's body language visibly changed into one of deflation while Rick turned his eyes from her then with a vacant expression.

"What about Patricia and Jimmy?" Hershel said as he held a broken Beth at his side. She explained in strangled gasps about how Patricia had been taken from her by walkers while still holding on to her and the news of Jimmy's death in the RV did little to ease any grief. The group stood united at the one place it had all started with a foggy message left behind in the back of a beat up car window. Sophia seemed to be reading it over and over by her mother's side before breaking out into a silly grin that showed her baby white teeth.

"So where do we go from here?" Glenn asked, "We can't stay here another night, not with the threat of walkers nearby."

"We'll drive down a ways through the back road and find a place to settle there for the night where it's less occupied." Rick informed, "Leave all that can be spared behind including the truck. The less fuel we need the better."

T-Dog slapped a hand on the blue pickup one last time as a small goodbye, "Where am I riding then?"

"There's room in the van." William offered, "I think it's just Carol and Sophia…and Jo?"

He looked to his daughter expectantly who shook her head slowly, "I'm going to ride with Daryl, if that's alright?" She wasn't sure if she was asking her father or Daryl for permission and though both of them looked surprised, she didn't receive a complaint from either end.

"Alright, Hershel you're with my family in the truck and Beth, are you OK to go with Glenn and Maggie in the Hyundai?" Rick said as he started to direct people to get to their designated vehicles.

"Yes sir." The girl nodded before hugging her father tightly in the middle.

Jolene and her father shared some last comforting words before he returned to the van. Carol shot her a smile and a small wave which she returned while Sophia just looked on shyly. The group had more words to share and issues to be dealt with yet, but it would have to wait until they were out of the woods so to speak. Jolene wandered back to Daryl, who was sitting on the edge of the bike seat looking fidgety, "So, we made it out." She started candidly.

"Yeah, for a while there, thought I was gonna be alone. Found your pa though, workin' on savin' Carol and her girl while walkers tried to have at 'em." He chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought, "Said you had gone off for Carl huh?"

She grinned without merit for herself, "Yeah and I know it was reckless. I didn't do it for some promise though, I did it for the group and I'd do the same for anyone else too."

"I understand that. Guess I'm kinda the same now." He admitted quietly, "Besides, you made it here before I did. Makes me a dumbass for takin' this long."

"No, you went back to help others too and you came back in one piece so I have nothing to be angry about." She uncrossed her arms and walked over to sit on behind him as he made room for her on the bike, "We'd better hurry up or they'll leave without us."

"Like Andrea." He muttered with a troubled look, "Sure as Hell hope she got outta there too. Damn frustratin' we can't go back."

"I know." Daryl wanted to save the world, he just didn't know it himself but Jolene knew it when he said things like that. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, forgetting that he still had her necklace as he revved the engine and followed after their convoy.

Didn't have any idea where they were drivin' to, only that everythin' they passed was startin' to look the same in a blur of green and black. Cherry was sittin' still behind him while he followed after Will's van. The guy trusted him, at least enough to follow him to a highway and then let his daughter ride on a bike behind him. There was more pressin' shit they had to deal with anyways, like the aftermath of what the fuck had gone down at the farm and everythin' with Randall before that. Daryl still couldn't piece together how that kid had turned and it was gnawin' at him sumthin' awful. The travelin' had been goin' slow and he thought they would have stopped by now. The light in the air was a strange silver fog before the evening would come to a close and they only showed signs of stopping when the rest of the vehicles were running on fumes.

"About time we pulled over." Cherry grumbled into his ear, "I lost feeling in my butt about an hour ago."

He snorted as the rest of the vehicles came to a halt and he knocked the stand down to stabilize the bike, "You ain't cold?"

"Not really." She admitted almost immediately, "Remember where I come from. I'll fly through winter here like nothing you've ever seen."

He acknowledged that with a grunt before nudgin' his head over to where people were exitin' cars, "Guess we'd better join that, find out what all the excitement is."

Lookin' a lil' beat to shit from the day she nodded while he gave her a moment to stand before followin' the action. The kids were stickin' close to their parents as everyone gathered 'round Rick, tryin' to make light the situation even though it was worse than they'd ever been. Last time they'd been out on the road was weeks ago and that had been prepared with supplies and food. All their stuff had been left behind in a mad rush for escape at the house and Daryl didn't know how much else he'd be able to hunt over the winter. Animals were gonna get scarce and now they had more people to feed.

"We're running low on gas." Rick started.

"Me and Glenn could go on a run, see if we could find some cars to syphon from." Maggie offered, "We could look for food too."

"No, I don't want anyone separating right now. We should find a place to settle down for the night, think up a plan for morning on where we can find some food and shelter to start us out before the winter." He disagreed.

"We can't ignore the fact forever, so now that we've stopped I'm gonna ask; what the heck happened back there at the farm?" Glenn threw his hands up in exasperation, "I mean, where did a herd of that size come from?"

"Another thing too Rick. Me and Daryl found Randall with his neck broken…but he was a walker and he hadn't been bitten or scratched." William brought the situation to the table while passing a look over to Daryl.

Rick's eyes darkened and he scratched at the back of his neck in madness as if to keep from speaking his mind "I have something to tell you, a burden I didn't want you all to share." He took a step away from Carl and Lori, distancing himself from tainting them with his words, "Back at the CDC, Jenner told me something I didn't want to believe. He said that we're all infected, that we carry the disease within us. It just lies dormant until we die."

The whole grouped looked like they were attendin' their own funerals from the news. Daryl couldn't remember the outdoors bein' this quiet until Rick had dropped this unholy mess into their laps. It wasn't like he gave 'em all the disease, but he might as well have with the way folks were lookin' at him. Some strange shit and yet Daryl knew the world could only get stranger with every passin' day. He was sick to his stomach to think of ever turnin' into one of those freaks or anyone else in the group for that matter, but what else could they do but give each other the grace of a bullet when time ran out, "Jesus, how do you know he wasn't makin' that shit up?" Daryl asked while spittin' on the ground in distaste.

"I didn't know. I wanted good hard evidence before coming to you all with this. I didn't want to believe him, but what William and Daryl just said confirms my suspicions."

Glenn scowled while shaking his head, "You've known that long and you're only telling us now?!" He accused.

"I did what I judged to be right for the group!" Rick yelled back, "How could I believe a word out of that man's mouth, you saw what he was like?!"

"You still had no right to hide that! When I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told everyone for the good of the group." Glenn reprehended.

"Well I thought it was best not to say anything. The world's still the same, nothing has changed. We run, we fight and we survive, what difference is there now that we know?" Rick barked.

Glenn backed down a little from his tone while Rick turned on his heel and stormed up the road from the group, "I'll talk to him." Lori reassured while telling Carl to stay put.

"We should have someone scout ahead and look for a place to make camp for the night." William said softly, "We can't go much further without fuel and sleep."

"We'll go." Cherry spoke aloud at his side while tuggin' on his sleeve, "We won't go far though and we'll come right back if there's trouble."

"Be careful." Maggie said at once while Glenn and Will nodded along with her.

"Which way we goin' now?" He asked her while startin' the bike, "Further ahead is the only place we haven't looked."

"Guess it's further ahead then." She said while clingin' tight to him with her arms.

The others watched their departure though he wasn't sure if Rick saw or cared. No one was supposed to leave the group, but they didn't have time to sit on their asses while he and his wife argued over some shit or another. Majority of the day had been spent in fleein' and fuel consumption and they couldn't go much longer like that. Most were runnin' out of steam, it was clear on their faces and even Daryl just wanted to find some place to crash so they could sort out their situation in the mornin'. The air was getting' a harsh bite to it at night and it stung the tops of his cheeks unpleasantly as the wind whipped passed 'em. Cherry had her face buried on his left shoulder so she could still peak over and give him suggestion if need be, though his eyes caught sumthin' first, "How 'bout right there?"

A small court surrounded by walls of rock was just off from a small embankment by a creek. It wasn't much, but they could boil some of the water over a fire and were at least protected on all sides well enough for night watch, "That should do. Come on, we should get back before the sun completely sets." Cherry called over the sounds of the wind, her voice waverin' and now he understood that the reason she wanted to get away from the group was 'cause the news had shaken her up. He was so used to her bein' strong when it came to bad news that he hadn't stopped to think and now all he wanted was to make things better for her. Wasn't much he could do of course, but just his presence bein' there seemed to do fine and it was a solution that suited 'em both.

Turns out everyone was already packed back up in their cars waitin' for their returned and he only had to make a U-turn to get the group to follow. He'd caught a quick glimpse at Rick through the window of the truck and noticed Lori and Hershel had switched seats with the ol' guy ridin' shotgun. Whatever the Hell happened between 'em wasn't lookin' good which was a bitch for the group. Didn't have time for fightin' each other with the current state of things.

They stopped at the rock court, most still lookin' displeased with the accommodations but didn't say otherwise as they got seats and a fire prepared. Turns out Will had never gotten to unpackin' his two boxes of supplies so he handed out what blankets there was to spare to a very benevolent crowd. Unfortunately there wasn't much food left to speak off or medical supplies and that would have to be an issue addressed immediately in the mornin'. Daryl took his seat next to Cherry and her father with Carol and Sophia on Wills other side. The night was blacker than a dirty chimney and only the glow of the fire made anythin' visible. The grumblin's of bein' cold had stopped since the blaze had taken off and everyone was paired to a quilt. Rick hadn't settled though, he was keepin' watch, or doin' a whole lotta pacin', Daryl couldn't really make odds or ends of it. Didn't seem like too many people cared either way after bein' soured by Rick's delay of information. Looked like Daryl was in the minority with Hershel and Will 'bout bein' forgivin', everyone else was either too pissed off or tired to care.

"Rick, come sit down for a moment. You'll run yourself ragged if you keep that up." Hershel suggested sympathetically.

Rick obeyed half that command by coming over to them, but he didn't sit himself down. He looked at them critically, his face stoic as he readied himself for another speech, "I want to make something clear to all of you right now. I'm not going to sit back and be judged and doubted any longer. If you think you can do this better on your own, then go. There's the road, no one's stopping you." He pointed a furious finger out the way they came, "I did and have always done what I think is best for everyone else. I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake!"

Some of the women blanched at the open declaration, only getting Rick's back up all the more, "Don't look at me like that! You saw how he was, how he pushed me! He would have killed me and many of you along the way with his dangerous behavior. I loved him like a brother, but that was another life. I have all of you to think about now and I'll make the hard decision if it comes down to keeping any one of you safe. I want you all to know now what you're getting into, because after tonight this isn't a democracy anymore." He left them with those words, going back to continue his night watch before Hershel excused himself to go talk with him. No one stopped him from doing so.

Sophia and Carl were both crying beside their mothers while every else sought their own escape from the horrible day. Daryl turned to Cherry at his side and she was now grabbin' at the blanket wrapped 'round her with emotion, not 'cause she was cold, "You content with this?" He whispered.

"Yeah, I think I'm alright." She replied back softly, "Rick's going through something that we couldn't possibly understand, but we can be there to help him."

"He's done alright by me. Don't suppose I mind turnin' the tables and doin' some right for him now too."

She gazed into his eyes by the fire and smiled, "One thing's for sure; it's going to be a long winter."

"Hell Cherry." He said back, "Don't I know it."

Andrea watched her savior carefully. To say she was surprised to find out it was a woman would be an understatement, but she was soon relieved and proud by the turn of events. She always believed that her sex could have the same power as a male if the situation called for it and now was the prime example. She hadn't gotten many words out of her mouth other than her name and some odd orders to keep up. Michonne: that was her name. Quite exotic and it was a suiting label for her, or so Andrea thought but when commenting on the fact the woman didn't seem any more moved by the opinion. She supposed conversational skills went out the window when being led by a person who had two walkers leashed on chains. At first the sight was startling, but then she recalled her trip to Atlanta when Rick and Glenn had got dirty with walkers entrails to walk safe through the city. This was a lot like that…only cleaner.

"How much further?" Andrea asked as she hoisted the bag of guns onto her shoulder. It was all she had left of her old group at the moment, and she doubted if she'd find them again. She thought about bringing it up to Michonne, but figured it could at least wait for a night after the woman had gone out of her way to save her sorry ass.

"Shhh!" Michonne hissed with a scowl, "It's not far now. Be quiet."

That was as much of an answer as Andrea would get from her. She was staying in an abandoned slaughter house on a neighboring farm for now, though Andrea concluded that she didn't stay in any one place for too long. Traveling without a group must have been rough and maybe that was her reason for being silent, or maybe she had always been silent and thus her reasoning for having no group. No matter which way she cut it, it still looked the same.

Nothing this way looked familiar now and Andrea was welcomed into territory where her group hadn't ventured. She wondered where they were and if they had gotten away from the farm. Carol and Sophia must have at least and that was the only thing keeping her from feeling spiteful towards everyone else. She'd saved a life or two and that was something rare these days. In this revelation, she presumed her and Michonne would have to get along if they wanted to survive. Then again, she was with a warrior woman wielding a sword, was there any question on how she'd gotten this far?

"Up ahead." Michonne stated, her voice cutting through the cold as she pointed to the boarded shed creaking from age and dressed with moss. The property was much smaller than the Greene's had been and a lot less luxurious too. They stopped at the door, Michonne taking care to chain up her walkers on a piece of rusted farming equipment parked along the side. Their jawless faces struggled as they wiggled like worms with their streamline bodies. No teeth and no arms to grab, Andrea was still geeking out over the idea and wondered what led Michonne to the obvious discovery. They might have been people she had known though and she refrained from crossing the line with a stranger, "We aren't alone." Michonne told her.

"Oh, you have a group?" Andrea asked in astonishment. Of course she was only assuming Michonne had been alone up until this point. She hadn't said otherwise, but then Andrea hadn't asked either, "How many?" The very idea had her thrilled until Michonne held up one finger. Really, just one other person?

Michonne kicked open the door quietly with her sword at her back as they entered. One small lantern burned in the corner reflecting shadows and the sounds were locked out of the small space with only the odd rattle of the chains outside. A body was hunched against the wall by the light, cloaked in a fleece blanket where it rose and fell with every breath. Andrea held back as Michonne knelt down by the person, shaking them awake by the shoulder. Faded blue eyes pierced the room with dark irises and took note of Michonne before them. She retrieved a bottle of water for them while the blankets receded back. As they drank the cold liquid, Michonne grabbed the lantern, holding it up to the persons chest to inspect over them, "How are you feeling?" She asked bluntly though not unkind.

"Ready to leave again." The voice was shockingly deep and smooth and undeniably masculine. The blue eyes caught movement of Andrea in the background who had not so subtly been trying to sneak a peek, "Who is that?"

"I'm Andrea." She said stepping forward politely while resting the bag of guns down on the ground, "Michonne found me. I hope that's alright with you..?"

She waited for him to respond as he brought himself up into a full seated position, "My name is James."

Like a river to a raindrop,
I lost a friend.
My drunken has a Daniel in a lion's den.
And tonight I know it all has to begin again,
So whatever you do,
Don't let go.

And if we could float away,
Fly up to the surface and just start again.
And lift off before trouble just erodes us in the rain
Just erodes us in the rain
Just erodes us and see roses in the rain

Us Against The World, Coldplay...

*Smiles Evilly* Yeah, shit just got real and now I'm going to make you all wait a bit for the sequel (two weeks tops). This chapter felt mostly tedious until the end when I decided to spring this on you. And now with the sequel we shall dive into the mind of Opticon217, where I make everything my own and I have to say, I can't wait to get away from the show's plot for a little while. I have nothing really else to say which everyone else won't cover in a rant, and I'll answer the reviews to this last chapter in PM's since I'll have the time. I seem to be having a difficult time locating my one shot that I had started to write, so if I can't find it soon I'll just leave it until another time because obviously the sequel is more important.

In store for the sequel ("For We Are Many"), here are a few things I will let you in on: Don't worry about James just yet, they still have eight months of winter and the first half of the prison events before you know he'll end up anywhere near Jolene. Merle will return, and I'm changing up his story! I'm fixing Andrea too, I want her to be how she should be, not that dumbass from the show, so prepare for a different storyline for her. And of course, more Darlene moments than ever before so three cheers for our favorite couple and really have at it in your reviews this last time around! And so we say goodbye to 'Come Alive', it's been a great 7 months I've worked on and I look forward to getting back into it for the sequel. See you all there and thank you for making my story such a success, without you all I'm nothing but a typist killing time.