A/N: Okay, here we go again...

Chapter One

Emily

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself as she pulled the curtain back a sliver. She hated looking out of the window. These days, she was never quite sure what sight might greet her.

Her eyes hesitantly roamed up and down the street, Emily breathing a quiet sigh of relief at the (apparently) empty neighbourhood. She knew that that was most likely not the case, but she appreciated the false sense of security all the same.

She let the curtain fall back into place, shrouding the room in a dim light. She looked down at the note in her hands, reading it over for the hundredth time.

Dad, it's been three months since I heard from you. I'm running out of food, I have to leave. I'm going to try and make my way to you instead. I pray that you and Mom are okay. I love you – Emily

She felt tears pricking her eyes as her mind flashed to the possibilities as to what could have happened to him as he made his way back to her, why it had been three months and there was still no sign of her dad.

She shook her head. It wouldn't do her any good to dwell on it. She had to focus. She turned on her heels, viewing the living room, once well taken care of but now covered in dust and cobwebs. Emily felt an incredible sadness take over her as she soaked it in. This could likely be the last memory she'd have of the place she grew up in.

She sighed heavily, debating where to leave the note. It had to be somewhere she could be sure her dad would see it. She thought about the fridge, but then figured the closer to the front door, the better. Her gaze focussed in on the TV. She allowed herself an ironic smile before walking over to it, propping the note up against the screen. Although it had stopped working three days after the whole disease thing started, she was sure that her dad wouldn't miss it.

She gave the piece of paper one last look before turning to lift her old camping rucksack up off of the sofa. She stumbled sideways slightly as she adjusted to the weight of it, clipping the padded hip belt into place for additional support. It contained everything she could think of that she might need to get to Texas. Well, everything in the house, that is. There were still other things that she needed.

Like a car, for instance. Her own had been stolen a few weeks ago, much to her despair. Hopefully her friends would still have one. Then they could even all travel to Texas together. They could all stay at the military base until it was safe again.

Steeling herself, she had one final peek out of the window to make sure the coast was clear before picking up her father's handgun she'd taken from his dresser and making her way to the front door. Swallowing, she unlocked the three locks, turning the door knob slowly, cautiously pulling it open.

She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but as she stepped out onto her porch, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The sun was shining, the birds were tweeting. It seemed like a perfect summer's day.

Well, apart from the overgrown lawns and the odd smashed in window or car.

She breathed in the fresh air for the first time in months, nerves building inside of her. Before she could retreat back into the safety of her house, she pulled the door shut. She felt silly, but she locked the house back up, though she knew that it would most likely be broken into without anyone to defend it. The thought made her angry, but she pushed it down.

Right. Let's do this.

She began to walk, feeling more on edge than she'd ever felt in her life, her heartbeat quickening with every step. Her eyes constantly scanned around her for any sign of movement. She knew they were about. She'd seen enough of them roaming past her window to know that she definitely wasn't alone out here.

Looking left then right, she decided to head in the direction of Aria and Hanna's houses. Her fingers twitched against the cold metal of the gun in her hand; the thought of having to pull the trigger made her nauseous. She hoped that she wouldn't have to, not to mention that she wasn't even sure if she'd loaded it correctly. She remembered her dad showing her how to do it a few years ago, but honestly, she hadn't paid much attention at the time. She'd never truly believed she would ever have reason to know how to load a gun.

There was no way she could have anticipated this though. Hell, she wasn't even sure what this was.

As she walked, she was alarmed to see all the stores in Rosewood's main street boarded up; all the places she'd known since she was a kid, the coffee shop that she used to work at. Having been trapped to the confines of her house, she hadn't been sure what had happened to the town. Now it was clear; it had been abandoned. She tried to keep the panic inside her from swelling at the prospect that she could be the only one who had stayed. She couldn't allow herself to think about it.

She rounded a corner, Aria's house coming into view. She could feel sweat starting to form on her brow, her heart feeling like it was going to beat right out of her chest. As she got closer, she could just make out the jagged edges of the broken window in the front room. She gulped.

She slowly walked up the empty driveway, standing motionless at the bottom of the porch steps leading up to the front door. "Hello?" she called out, her voice sounding strange to her own ears. She had hardly spoken in weeks; she hadn't had reason to. She remained frozen in place, not even daring to breathe as she listened intently for a response.

After thirty seconds of silence, she proceeded up the stairs, tentatively making her way towards the window. Bracing herself, she looked into Aria's living room.

At least, what used to be Aria's living room.

The place looked like it had been ransacked. There was broken glass everywhere; stuffing spilling from the sofa; drawers lying on the floor that had been pulled from cabinets. Emily's stomach sank, numbness spreading inside her. Aria obviously wasn't here.

People were animals. How could they just go around raiding people's homes like this? She remembered how scared she had been when she'd seen a group of people, normal people, breaking into her neighbour's house across the street, praying that they didn't come her way next; as if it wasn't bad enough having to worry about people who had the virus, she had to worry about looters too.

Sighing, she turned around and looked across the street at Hanna's house. It looked exactly how she remembered it. Maybe Aria and her family were staying there? Maybe they were all safe. Maybe she wouldn't have to be alone.

She made her way over to the house, consciously looking up and down the street as she walked. She opened the gate to Hanna's, moving up the path, her eyes inspecting the house for any sign of a break-in. She allowed herself a small smile when she saw the house was in perfect condition, convinced that she was right. Everyone must be holed up here.

She hurried to the door, knocking it quickly. When there was no answer, she realised her mistake. "It's Emily," she said loudly, figuring that they wouldn't answer the door unless they knew who it was. She pressed her ear against the wood when there was still no answer, frowning slightly. Why weren't they letting her in?

She looked into the street, seeing Ashley Marin's car. Chewing on her lip, she walked along to peer in a window, having to wipe away the dirt and grime gathered there with the sleeve of her sweater. She cupped both hands against the glass to block out the light as she pressed her face close to the window.

From her position, she could see up to the top of the staircase and part of the hallway. She felt slightly relieved that everything appeared to be in its rightful place, but she didn't understand why no one was there to let her in.

"Hanna!" She shouted, tapping the glass anxiously. "It's Emily! Are you there?"

She kicked the side of the house in frustration after another minute of nothingness, walking back to the door to check if it was locked. It was. They must have left.

But then, why was the car still there?

She ambled back to the gate, shifting her rucksack, the weight of it already starting to hurt her shoulders. She moved to scrutinise the car, not knowing how to feel when she saw that it was in good condition. If it was still in one piece, then there was no reason why Hanna and her mom couldn't have taken it with them wherever they went.

She tried the door, her annoyance building when it wouldn't open. Although, she realised that she had no idea how to hotwire it, and therefore would be useless to her without the keys.

She had no hope in hell of getting to Texas without a car.

Just as she was about to turn to head to Spencer's, she heard a noise that made her blood run cold. It sounded like a combination between a gurgle and a growl, followed by the faint shuffling of feet. She slowly turned to look over her shoulder, gasping in horror at what she saw.

It was one of them.

It was about twenty feet away from her, ragged clothes hanging from its body, pale rotten flesh visible underneath. She opened her mouth in a silent scream when she looked at its face.

It was Mike. It was Aria's brother, Mike Montgomery. His eyes were white and diseased looking, one of his cheekbones protruding from his skin, his mouth snarling and bloody as he stumbled towards her.

It was the closest she'd ever seen one of them. She couldn't believe how hideous he looked. It was almost as if… no, that was impossible. "Mike?" Her throat was so incredibly dry; she needed water. "Mike?" she repeated when he gave no response and just continued to move towards her. In the brief phone call she had shared with her dad, he had warned her that the infected people were dangerous and violent, stressing that she had to stay away from them and stay inside.

"Mike, it's Emily," she said desperately, hoping that he could be rationalised with somehow. She jumped when he made a noise that sounded like he was hacking up something from the back of his throat.

This wasn't working.

She knew she should move, knew she should raise her gun in warning, but she couldn't. Her whole body had frozen with fear, her feet feeling cemented to the surface of the road. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Mike's face. This wasn't real. This couldn't be real.

Suddenly, his hand was clamping tightly around her arm making her drop the gun to the ground. Shock ran through her body at its coldness; she could feel it through her sweater. The smell of decay and death invaded her senses. Mike's head was leaning towards her, his jaws snapping the air. No. NO.

Emily could finally move again, bringing up her free hand to try and push Mike away, her fingers sinking into the rotten skin of his shoulder all the way to the bone, but it was as if he didn't even feel it. Her jaw opened in horror. She staggered backwards, the heavy rucksack not helping matters. Her balance gave way, falling onto her back beside the car, Mike landing on top of her.

She felt stinking breath against her face, his teeth grazing her cheek. "No!" she screamed. She was about to die. She was sure of it.

But then there was a loud bang; Mike was thrown off of her sideways. She could still hear him gurgling, looking towards him and seeing him still reaching out blindly towards her. She was still watching him as his head exploded right before her very eyes, his body going limp, bits of flesh landing on her face.

She could only lie there in complete stillness, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Mike's dead body.

"You okay?"

It took her a second to register that someone had spoken. She turned her head, seeing a silhouette standing above her, the sun shining high above their head. The person leaned down closer to her, their face coming into view. It was a girl who couldn't have been much older than Emily, her wide brown eyes looking directly into hers. "Are you okay?"

Emily was still in shock, unable to form words. Then she felt the bile rising, struggling to turn onto her side with the rucksack still strapped to her back, clutching at the road as her stomach lurched.

Once the entire contents of her stomach was lying in front of her, eyes burning, she lifted her head and immediately saw Mike's headless body again, her gut cramping once more but there was nothing left to come up. That was an image that would be with her forever.

"Those gunshots will attract more of them; I would move if I were you."

Panic arose within Emily. She wrestled against the rucksack trying to get up, eventually having to take it off, trembling hands unclipping the belt around her waist. Finally getting to her feet, she looked up to see the girl's retreating form. She had a backpack slung over one arm, carrying a shotgun in the other. "Jack! Come on!"

Emily's brow creased, momentarily confused. It was only then she noticed the German Shepherd that was sitting by her feet. His tongue was lolling out of his mouth, his head tilted to the side as he stared up at her curiously. Emily automatically reached a hand out towards him as she shouted, "Hey! Wait!"

The girl turned as the dog- Jack- leaned his head into Emily's open palm, allowing her to pet him. She relished his warmth; it helped bring her back to reality. Her fingers distractedly scratched him behind the ears as her eyes moved to fix on the person in front of her. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I told you, I'm getting out of here. Jack!" she called again, ready to move away once more. Jack licked Emily's hand playfully before bounding back to his owner.

"You just killed my friend's brother!"

This made the girl freeze. She turned to look back at Emily, her eyebrows knitting together. "Uh, you're welcome."

"I didn't ask you to do that. There could have been another way." Emily could feel tears pooling in her eyes as it began to sink in what had happened.

Mike was dead.

The girl sighed. "You can't be serious. The only other way that situation could have played out is you getting eaten alive. I saved your ass. No need to thank me. Oh, and you might want to keep your voice down. I could hear you yelling and beating on that door from halfway down the street." She flicked her eyes towards Hanna's house in exasperation. "What were you thinking? Do you have some sort of death wish? And did I see you actually trying to talk to that thing?"

Emily just stared at her for a moment with widened eyes, before gasping, slumping back against the car as she broke down. She couldn't do this. She couldn't make it to Texas. She didn't have a clue what she was doing. She had only been out of the house for about half an hour and had almost been killed.

Jack was by her side again, releasing a small whimper as his wet nose brushed her hand. She heard a huff as the girl came to stand in front of her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Hey, look at me." Emily sniffed, her gaze still on Jack. "Look at me." Emily lifted her eyes at the slight shake on her shoulders, meeting the girl's intense stare. "You need to get out of here, okay? I don't care where; just move. Please. Otherwise those two shells will have been wasted." She gave a slight smile, releasing Emily from her grasp and bending down to pick up her rucksack. "Jeez, what have you got in here?"

"Stuff," Emily murmured, turning so that the girl could help her strap it back on again. She groaned slightly under the weight.

"Well, I would advise you to travel lighter. And it might be a good idea to use this next time." She took Emily's hand, placing the handgun she'd dropped earlier into it. "Remember, aim for the head."

Aim for the head? Emily was unnerved by how casual this girl was being about having just killed someone. She didn't seem remotely affected by the incident.

Before Emily could open her mouth again, the girl and Jack were moving down the street away from her. She watched them, running a hand over her cheeks to wipe away the tears, wanting to throw up again when she felt the pieces of Mike that had landed there. She quickly ran the sleeve of her sweater across her face, dry heaving when she saw smears of thick, brownish-red goo staining the material. She wanted to rip the sweater off immediately, but the girl's warning was in her mind. She had to get out of here.

Not knowing where to go, she automatically set off after them, looking left and right every few seconds; no way would she forget her surroundings again. Every time she glanced ahead, she took in another detail of the girl in front of her, starting with the ponytail swinging at the back of her head, down to her dirt-smeared white tank top, down to her khaki coloured cargo pants and black boots.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The girl had stopped and turned to face her, throwing a hand out into the air, an irritated expression on her face.

"What you mean?" Emily jumped, having not expected her to stop walking. "I'm getting out of here, just like you said." She shrugged.

"No, you're following me."

"I'm not," Emily stated firmly, but realising that was a lie. "I'm going to my friend's house." She really did need to go to Spencer's; she was her last hope. But she had to admit that there was a part of her that was curious as to where the girl was going.

"Oh really? Where's that?" Emily could tell by her tone that she didn't believe her.

"Bridgewater Terrace? It's a few streets over."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I know it."

"The one with the barn?" Emily added inquisitively. "Are you from around here?" Emily certainly hadn't seen her before, which made her think the answer was no since Rosewood wasn't exactly a big town.

The girl shifted on her feet, looking away from her momentarily. "Sorry to tell you, but your friend's not there." She ignored the latter question.

Emily frowned. "How do you know?"

"'Cause I was there a few hours ago looking for supplies," she explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The whole place has been cleared out. In fact, it seems like that whole street has been cleared out. I couldn't find a single can of food."

It took Emily a moment to realise what she was saying. "You broke into my friend's house?" The girl only shrugged, like it was no big deal. "You… scavenged my friend's house?" Emily was almost disappointed that the girl was one of those people.

The girl held up a hand. "No, I tried to 'scavenge' it, but like I said, someone got there first." Emily's jaw dropped in disbelief. How could she be so flippant about stealing from someone? She was about to express her disgust but was interrupted. "Enough with the judging," the girl snapped, her demeanour changing. She was angry now. "You've obviously had the luxury of not having to live out here, but for some of us, we do what we have to. Do you think I like rummaging through people's houses? 'Cause I don't."

Emily bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her own annoyance flare. "Luxury? I would hardly call being trapped in a house all by myself for three months a 'luxury'. Too scared to properly fall asleep not only because of people with the virus, but because of people like you, not hesitating to smash windows and rob people to get what you want." The girl scowled at her, Emily refusing to look away. "Not to mention you just killed someone without thinking twice!"

She could see the girl's jaw twitching with rage. She knew that she was probably being a bit harsh, considering that she would probably be dead by now if it weren't for her, but the fear and adrenaline were winning out over logic.

There was a loud bark, breaking the tension between the two of them.

The girl's frown faded, looking past Emily's shoulder. Emily had a feeling that she didn't want to know what was going on behind her, going by the way she saw the girl's throat working as she started to step back. She met Emily's eyes again, the fight and fire gone, the anger replaced with… Emily didn't know. She couldn't read the expression.

"Look, I don't care what you think of me. I'm done having this conversation. I just hope you don't hurt yourself too badly when you fall from that pedestal you're on." And with that, she turned, jogging down the street, Jack at her side.

Emily didn't have much time to dwell on what she'd said, however; she looked behind her, seeing five or six figures staggering her way. She felt that paralysing fear seizing her again, but this time she managed to fight through it, willing herself to move.

She started heading forward, seeing Jack's tail disappearing around a corner about a hundred feet ahead. She didn't want to keep going in the same direction as the girl, but she didn't have a choice. She could see that there were more infected people headed her way from further up the street.

She reached the corner, rounding it and seeing the path ahead of her completely clear, Jack and the girl nowhere to be seen. Emily felt her terror mounting. She was alone once more. There wouldn't be anyone to save her if she got attacked again.

Starting to pick up her pace, she ran down the small street between two houses, trying to ignore how the heavy rucksack was bouncing uncomfortably against her, threatening to throw her off course. She could hear her breath coming sharp and heavy as she moved, her throat aching for water. No one would have guessed that she was once an athlete.

The street opened up again, Emily stopping abruptly in her tracks as her head frantically turned every which way, gasping when she saw people covered in diseased flesh coming in every direction, including the street she had just come down was which was now occupied with two of them. They were moving relatively slowly, but with a sinking feeling of dread, Emily realised that it didn't matter how fast they were approaching. The reality was that they would reach her eventually, and she had nowhere to go.

Her eyes roamed the surrounding area rapidly one last time for any possible escape. There seemed to be more and more of them with every passing second. She was going be killed.

Flashes of the people she loved entered her mind; her mom, her dad, her friends. She would never see them again, not even for one last time. She would never know what became of them, and they would never know what became of her. It was a cold hard truth that was difficult to accept in her final moments. A sob bubbled out of her, a shaking hand covering her mouth.

She suddenly remembered the gun in her hand, but it was too late. There were too many of them. They were close; Emily could now hear their rasping groans as the approached. They were closing in. She turned in a circle hopelessly.

She took in a deep breath, trying to pull herself together, her survival instinct finally kicking in. She couldn't go, not like this. Her dad had always taught her to fight for what she wanted, and right now, she wanted to live.

Paige

She'd only stopped in this town because she was in desperate need of batteries. Her flashlight had died last night, and although she didn't even really use it that much, she liked the option of having it there.

She certainly hadn't expected that stopping here would be as eventful as this.

She was currently watching the girl intently, who once again had found herself in danger. Paige shook her head. Why was she just standing there? Why was she letting Infected close in on her?

Come on, do something…

The girl stepped forwards, but then jumped back hastily as one of the corpses stumbled and fell, not wasting any time in crawling towards her from its new position.

"Why aren't you using your gun?" Paige muttered under her breath, shaking her head again as she reached for key in the ignition of the old wood-panelled station wagon she was sitting in. The girl was going to get swamped if she didn't intervene.

So much for not getting involved…

She gave a heavy sigh, the engine roaring to life as she turned the key, Jack looking out of the front window, yelping excitedly as she threw the car into gear. She stepped on the gas, the car lurching forward. Paige gripped the steering wheel tightly as she barrelled down the street to the girl's aid, gritting her teeth as she hit a few Infected on the way.

She quickly reached across to grab Jack's collar, tugging him in the direction of the back seat. He got the message, jumping into the back of the car. Paige blared the horn, trying to distract the Infected from the girl. However, only a few of them turned her way.

Finally reaching her destination, she braked hard, the car screeching under the strain. Paige caught the girl's gaze through the window. She looked stunned to see her, but Paige could see hope flooding back into her eyes. She started for the car, but that was when one of them finally got hold of her.

Adrenaline pumping, heart racing, Paige grabbed the shotgun beside her, hastily exiting the car, slamming the door shut behind her so Jack wouldn't come after her. She ran around to the hood, now standing on the outside of a forming circle of Infected. Resting the end of the gun against her shoulder, she lifted it up to eye level, focussing on her target. She hesitated, worried that she was going to end up accidentally shooting the girl who was now wrestling with an Infected.

"Move it sideways!" she yelled out. "I can't get a clear shot!" Paige wasn't sure if the girl had heard her, but then she rotated it around, attempting to push it away from her body. Paige heard a gunshot that she never fired, seeing the girl's eyes widen. The shot to the gut had no effect on the snarling creature. Paige didn't waste another second; she fired directly at its head, grunting slightly at the recoil of the gun. She still hadn't gotten used to that part.

Now free, the girl dodged out of grasp of more decaying hands, managing to break free of the circle, heading towards the station wagon. Paige turned quickly to run back to the driver's seat, only to come face to face with another one of them, it's bottom jaw hanging by a thread from under its chewed-looking ear. She gasped in surprise, automatically ramming the end of the gun into its skull. She felt the bone give way, gagging slightly. She much preferred to use a gun from a distance; way less gross.

She flung herself into the car, Jack's barks loud in her ear. She yanked the door shut just before another Infected got too close to her.

"Go, go, go!" the girl yelled, now seated beside her, her bag sitting between her and the door as if that would stop Infected getting into the car if the door opened. Paige was alarmed to see the amount of them now surrounding the vehicle, could feel them clawing at the metal. She felt a sense of claustrophobia come over her.

Struggling to control her breathing, she drove forward, trying not to think about the mess she was leaving behind as the car bumped over bodies, trying not to throw up at the popping sensation she could feel under the tyres. Finally the road in front of them cleared; Paige floored it, whizzing away from the mass that had gathered behind them, not daring to look in the rear view mirror.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the girl looking behind them, her mouth hanging open as she took in ragged breaths. Paige drove around the corner, taking them onto a vacant street. All the Infected must have followed the commotion. She didn't stop, however; she didn't feel safe in this town. She made the decision to head for the highway. It was much more open and spacious; she needed that right now.

She threw a quick glance over her shoulder to check that Jack was okay; he appeared fine, calm even, which was surprising after what had just happened. Paige wished she felt the same, hoping that her shaking hands weren't too obvious. Jack leaned forward slightly to smell the girl's hair, causing Paige's gaze to move onto her. Paige studied her briefly; her eyes were staring aimlessly ahead, silent tears pouring down her cheeks.

Paige cleared her throat. "So, what was that back there?"

"Huh?" the girl asked, looking completely out of it. Even though she didn't want to, Paige couldn't help feeling bad for her.

"You let yourself get swarmed; why?" Infected moved pretty slowly. The worst thing you could do was just stand there and let them surround you.

The girl didn't respond for a moment, Paige waiting patiently for an answer. Finally, she shrugged. "You said it yourself; I haven't been living out here. I didn't expect- I didn't-" She took in a shaky breath, obviously trying to stop herself from breaking down. "I had no idea it would be like this out here."

Paige nodded in understanding, remembering her own first few days out here. It felt like a lifetime ago now. "I shot someone," the girl said numbly.

Paige glanced at her, her heart jumping into her throat, but then she realised she was referring to the shot she had fired five minutes ago. "Yeah, in the stomach. That's no use; I told you to aim for the head."

The girl turned in the seat to face her, her whole face scrunching up with confusion. "How can you speak like that?"

"Like what?" Paige asked, feeling uncomfortable.

"Like you don't even care; like shooting people is something that's a normal, everyday thing?" Her voice cracked.

Paige could see she looked genuinely distressed. Maybe she didn't know. Unlikely, but possible. "Because it is a normal, everyday thing, these days. You do know Infected are already dead, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" She angrily swatted at her tears, Paige thinking her frown lines couldn't get any deeper. This girl was completely clueless. She really had been living the sheltered life.

Paige shook her head slowly. "How can you not know this?"

She gave a frustrated sigh. "All my dad told me was that there was a virus spreading that makes people violent and unpredictable; he said I couldn't leave the house. That's literally it; that's all I know. What do you know?"

Paige took in a breath. "Wow, okay." This is going to be a shock. "A virus broke out; it's fatal if you catch it. You die, but come back as one of those things." Paige glimpsed at her, not surprised at her expression of disbelief. "I know it's crazy, but it's true." The girl opened her mouth to speak, but Paige cut her off. "That's really all there is to it. As far as I'm aware, they don't know what caused it or how to cure it. If you get bitten, the infection gets into your bloodstream; you'll be dead within five to six hours. That's how it spreads."

The girl raised her eyebrows dubiously. "So, what you're saying is that zombies exist now?"

"No," Paige snapped, looking at her hard. "Don't call them that."

"But… that's what you just described."

"That word makes it sound stupid; makes it sound fake, like a movie or something. Trust me, this is real; this is happening." They locked eyes briefly, Paige making sure her message was conveyed. If this girl was going to survive, she had to understand how widespread this problem was, how severe it was. "Everywhere I've been in the last three months has been overrun by Infected. You don't know the things I've seen." She swallowed. The things I've had to do. "This is not a joke." A knot was forming in her throat.

She could feel the girl's eyes on her. Shifting in her seat slightly, she stared determinedly down the road ahead, finally reaching the slip road to take them onto the highway. "Okay, sorry. I know it's not a joke," the girl said quietly, shifting to face the front much to Paige's relief. "It's just not quite sunk in yet."

They both fell quiet, Paige taking comfort in the hum of the car engine and Jack's soft breathing behind her. Suddenly the girl gasped, making Paige jump. She was ready to snap at her but then she saw the fresh wave of tears forming in her eyes. "Mike," she whispered.

"Who?"

"The guy you… before; that was Mike, my friend's brother." Paige nodded, remembering the girl shouting at her. She bristled at the memory, still annoyed at how she had treated her after saving her life. Paige unconsciously shook her head, wondering why she had even bothered sticking around to make sure the girl was okay after that, but she guessed it was a good thing she had. "He's dead," the girl's voice squeaked as she started to cry.

"I'm sorry," was all Paige could say, feeling awkward, not knowing what to do.

"My friends are probably dead as well." The chances were pretty high that they were, but Paige didn't reply, not wanting to make the girl feel worse by agreeing. She tried to ignore her sobs as she drove. She couldn't feel sorry for her; she couldn't.

She shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. What had it gotten her? A crying girl in her car that she would now have to throw to the curb somewhere. Great. She should have stuck to the rules she'd set out for herself.

You saved a life, a voice reminded her. That was worth breaking your rules for.

She looked to her right; the girl was a mess, but she was alive and breathing, and that was because of her. That has to count for something. The girl wiped her eyes with her sleeves before making a noise of disgust, suddenly leaning forward, grabbing the hem of the sweater and pulling it over her head. Paige's eyes automatically drifted downwards before she could stop herself, catching a glimpse of the smooth, tanned skin of the girl's waist before she tugged the black t-shirt back down.

She quickly focussed her eyes back on the road as the girl sat back again, Paige now able to feel the warmth of her skin radiating against her bare arm. The girl threw the sweater on top of her bag, Jack jumping up from the back seat and leaning over to inspect it. "Where are we headed?" she sniffed as she reached out to pet Jack.

"Nowhere in particular," Paige replied. "I think we're close to Delaware County right now. Where do you want me to drop you off?"

There was a momentary pause before she said, "Um, Texas?" She turned to give Paige a hesitant smile even though there were still tears on her face.

Paige threw her an incredulous look. "What do you want to go there for?"

"I need to get to the military base; it's where my parents are. Well, where I hope they are," she muttered.

"Your parents are in the military?"

"My dad is. Just so happened that my mom was with him when the outbreak hit." A second later, the girl let out a quiet snort of laughter, Paige turning to see Jack trying to lick the tears away from her cheek.

She allowed herself a small smile at the sight. Jack didn't usually take to people so easily, especially nowadays; you couldn't trust anyone. He was wary, just like her. "Lucky," Paige mused.

"Huh? Lucky in what way?"

"Well, if your parents are at the base, then that means they're safe. Also means that you'll be able to get in. Those places are the safest in the country, but unless you have connections or already live within the area, you're screwed."

The girl frowned. "Surely they wouldn't turn people away that need shelter." Paige rolled her eyes. The girl really had no idea what the world was like now. "They have to protect people."

"Listen, they don't care. If they did, they would have done something long before now. They've given up, as far as I can tell. They're leaving us to fend for ourselves." She cringed internally at how bitter she sounded, but it was hard not to. She was going to have to spend the rest of her life living on the road, every day a struggle to keep going. But she had to. She'd made a promise.

The girl took a moment to digest the information. "Where are your parents?" she asked abruptly.

Paige stared resolutely ahead, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Gone," was all she could say. She tensed, hoping the girl wasn't going to badger her for more information. She couldn't think about it.

"I can be your way in." Paige's head snapped in the girl's direction, not understanding. "Take me to Texas and I'll get you in."

"I'm not going to Texas," Paige snorted humourlessly. The idea was ridiculous. Texas was miles and miles away. God knows how long it would take to get there.

"Come on, where else do you have to be?"

Nowhere. She had absolutely nowhere else to be.

Against her better judgement, she started to think about what the girl was suggesting.

They would need a lot of gas. A lot of roads were blocked with abandoned cars. Not to mention that she would have to spend every waking minute with this girl until they got there. A girl who obviously disagreed with her means of survival, going by their first conversation.

But it would give her some sense of purpose. It would give her something to do.

"I don't even know you," Paige replied. And you don't know me. "And there's no guarantee they'll let me into the base, especially with Jack." She didn't know why, but she was frantically scrambling for reasons as to why she couldn't go. She guessed it was because it was too good to be true, randomly bumping into someone who could potentially offer her a better life.

"I'm Emily Fields, I'm twenty years old, I've lived in Rosewood, Pennsylvania for my whole life, except when I'm at college. I'm majoring in Biology. I used to swim but-"

"Whoa, slow down there, Emily Fields," Paige cut her off. "That doesn't tell me anything; not really."

"Please?" She sounded desperate. "I don't know you either, yet… I trust you."

"That might have something to do with the fact that I've saved your life twice now," Paige pointed out. She ran a hand through her hair, taking in a deep breath. "Honestly, you're kind of a liability; I'm probably safer on my own." It wasn't a lie; she remembered how an Infected had crept up on her from behind as her attention was focussed on the gir- on Emily. However, that didn't mean she didn't feel slightly guilty seeing Emily's face fall.

Emily looked down at her lap. "Okay, I may have a lot to learn, but I have money? I have supplies?"

"Money's useless," Paige said matter-of-factly. "What supplies do you have?"

"Well, I don't have much food, but I've got clothes, toiletries…" Emily raised her eyebrows hopefully, her gaze pleading.

"How about batteries?" After all that happened today, Paige never even managed to find any.

Emily perked up. "Yeah, I've got a couple of packs."

Paige still wanted to say no, but the look of desperation on Emily's face stopped her. She knew that without her, she probably wouldn't even make it out of Pennsylvania never mind make it to Texas. And if Emily could indeed attempt to get her into the base, then maybe it was worth a try.

She gave a heavy sigh. "What do you say, Jack?" She looked past Emily at him; he tilted his head sideways, looking at her curiously, as if he were trying to figure out what she was asking him. Paige smiled as he pressed his nose into Emily's hair.

"I think he likes me," Emily smirked, raising her eyebrows.

"Don't take it personally, he likes everyone," Paige lied. Emily gave a slight roll of her eyes. "But… okay." She couldn't believe she was saying this. "We'll go to Texas."

The girl perked up instantly. "Seriously?" A small grin spread across her lips, her eyes now dry. Paige nodded. Then Emily's hand was on her forearm, gripping gently. "Thank you," she said sincerely, making sure to catch Paige's gaze. "For this, and for saving my life. Twice," she added teasingly.

Paige could only nod again, mildly alarmed at the goose bumps that were trailing up her arm. This was the closest physical human contact she'd had since she left home. She hoped Emily didn't notice.

"What's your name, by the way?" she asked, Paige letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when Emily removed her hand.

"Paige."

"Paige…"

She knew that Emily was asking for her surname, but for some reason, she didn't want to give it. It's not like her family name mattered now; she had no family. "Just Paige." She felt Emily studying the side of her face. She turned, giving her a strained smile, wishing she would create more distance between them.

"Okay, 'Just Paige'," she smiled unsurely. "Well, thank you."

"No problem," Paige stated, not entirely sure what she'd just gotten herself into.