A/N: I honestly wasn't planning on posting this story especially since there seemed to be very little interest in it but I'm stuck on Strong Enough at the moment and I'm grasping at anything to help me get writing again. This chapter has been finished for awhile so it was ready to go.

Whether you're a new reader or a returning one, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead.

Chapter One

Annie stared at the small tv set old enough to have a built in VCR player and she didn't like what she saw. Not only was the United States in chaos but so was the world.

How had this happened? And why the hell didn't anybody know what was causing it? The only new information the anchor wearing a very distracting purple tie had received in the past few hours was reports of more death and destruction. In the bottom right corner there was a number that kept growing, an estimate of how many were infected in North America.

It was steadily reaching 200 million and at the rate it was going it would pass that number by the time the sun set. She felt like she was going to throw up her lunch.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and Maggie stepped into the bedroom. Annie turned around and gave her a grim smile.

"Are Annette and Shawn back yet?" Annie asked.

Maggie shook her head. "No, but they should be soon. I tried calling Shawn an hour ago but it wouldn't go through."

"It's getting worse Maggie. We should go into town and stock up on everything. We should've done that a week ago."

Maggie sat down on the bed next to Annie. "It's that bad? Daddy said there was nothing to worry about."

"There's everything to worry about. I don't think the government is goin' to help us. No one is," Annie said.

"You should take a break from watchin' the news and we can take Mercy and Monty for a ride," Maggie said.

Annie bit her lip, looking between the tv and Maggie, who was using a face that Annie rarely said 'no' to.

Annie sighed "Fine, but only for half an hour. Maybe there'll be somethin' new to hear by then."

Before they went downstairs, Annie went into Shawn's room and grabbed one of his baseball bats.

"What are you doin' with that?" Maggie asked with raised eyebrows.

"Dad won't let us have guns so this will have'ta do," Annie said, taking a practice swing and almost putting a hole in the hallway wall.

"Do for what?" Maggie asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Am I the only one watchin' the news? It's for keepin' crazy people from eating us," Annie said.

"That is definitely a good reason," Maggie said.

The two women were passing by the kitchen when Annie paused. "Patricia, I didn't know you were here. Is that sweet tea and lemonade you're makin'?"

Patricia turned around and smiled at them. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're happier to see the tea than me."

"It's good thing you know better. Is Otis here?" Annie asked.

"He's with your Dad. They're checking the peach trees," Patricia said. "Me and Otis are stayin' in the guest bedroom. They both think it's safer for now."

This sobered Annie. "Have you seen the news?"

"We're supposed to be getting away from the news," Maggie said, lightly nudging Annie's shoulder with her own.

"I never thought it'd get this bad," Patricia said. "I told Otis he should take a break from volunteering as an EMT."

Annie nodded. "Good. That's smart." She had been one week into her residency in Atlanta when she went back home. Seeing the shitstorm that was coming, Annie wanted to be with her family and felt no shame from abandoning her duty as a doctor. No one had believed her when she told her family that people died before they turned into mindless flesh-eating monsters.

"Come on Annie. Mercy and Monty are waiting," Maggie said, grabbing Annie's lower arm.

"Okay, okay," she said to Maggie and then turned to Patricia. "See you in a bit."

"Have a nice ride," Patricia said.

Annie and Maggie passed Jimmy and Beth, who were sitting on the porch enjoying the day. Jimmy's parents were out of town because his grandma was sick so he was staying at the Greenes with Shawn sharing his bedroom with him.

"Don't get too cozy," Annie said, making them both blush and Maggie laugh.

"You need to quit teasin' them," Maggie said as they walked towards the stables.

"But it's so easy." Annie swung the baseball bat.

"Beth's been complainin' to me."

"Three more times and then I'll stop," Annie said with a grin.

"Make it two," Maggie said.

Annie sighed dramatically. "Fine, two times."

"Pinky promise?" Maggie asked, holding up her hand with all her fingers folded except her little finger.

Annie snorted. "Aren't we too old for that?"

"If it's between you and me, then we're never too old."

Annie shook her head but hooked her little finger with Maggie's.

"Satisfied?" Annie asked.

"Very."

The two of them reached the stables. Maggie went to Mercy's stall and Annie went to Monty's.

"Hey there big fella," Annie said as Monty nuzzled her hand. "Sorry, no apples today."

Monty was a stunning white American Quarter Horse and her 16th birthday present. She had cherished him since the moment she first laid eyes on him. It still astonished her that Hershel had been so generous after only having adopted her two years prior. From the start, he had never treated her less than Maggie and Beth, something she had been extremely suspicious of at the beginning. No one had ever been nice to her unless they wanted something.

Mercy and Monty were soon saddled and the two women mounted them.

"Where to? Your choice," Annie said, pulling on the reins to keep Monty, who was eager to get going, from taking off.

"How about Main Street?"

"If we're goin' into town we should take the car because I'm not wasting a trip there by not getting anything," Annie said.

"Alright, how about the Bells?" Maggie asked, trying to look innocent.

Annie gave an exasperated sigh. "You need'ta stop tryin' to fix me up with Michael. It's not happening."

"But he has a crush on you," Maggie said like that would all of sudden change Annie's mind.

"That you encourage!"

"You'd make cute babies."

"Dear Lord give me strength," Annie said looking up at the sky.

Against her better judgement Annie agreed to go to the Bells. She liked Michael's mom, Francis, who was kind and always seemed to be baking cookies. And if Annie was honest, Michael wasn't so bad. He just wasn't her type which Maggie found hard to believe since the 28-year old man was drop dead gorgeous according to her.

She immediately sensed something was wrong when they rode up to the back of the house. The back door was usually open with the screen door letting fresh air in and keeping the bugs out. All the kitchen curtains were closed too but Francis, who spent a lot of time in the kitchen, loved the view outside and always kept them open.

"Maggie, stay on Mercy," Annie said as she dismounted Monty and tied the reins onto the porch railing.

"Why?" Maggie looked at her, confused.

"Just do as I say. I'm invoking the big sister clause," Annie said, gripping the baseball bat tight with her right hand.

She walked up the porch stairs and knocked on the back door. She had spotted Michael's Ford truck in the front and Francis' beige Honda was there too, meaning both of them should be home. No one answered so she opened the screen door, letting it lean against her side, and checked if the back door was locked. It wasn't, which wasn't strange in and of itself, especially if they were home but Annie had a bad feeling about all of it.

"Maggie, I don't care what you hear but don't you dare come into this house," she said over her shoulder.

"Annie, you're scaring me."

"Just stay outside." Annie used her left hand to open the door and she went into the house.

The kitchen was darker than she was used to but Annie didn't bother to open the curtains or turn the light switch on.

"Mrs. Bell? Michael?" Annie called out as she tentatively walked towards the living room, her heart beginning to pound. They didn't answer and Annie searched the first floor but didn't find them. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and called their names again but louder.

There was a thump upstairs and then a strange scratching noise, which made Annie begin to walk up the stairs. "Are y'all okay? Do you need help?"

She reached the top of the stairs and still no one answered. The scratching noise, which she figured out was coming from a door down the hall, stopped and there was another thump, which was followed by banging. "Mrs. Bell? Michael?"

Annie knew she should cut loose and leave the house but she couldn't stop herself from walking to the shaking door. It was stupid but she had to know.

Her own hand shook a little as she grabbed the door handle and turned it. She gave it a small push and then stood back with her baseball bat raised and ready to swing but the door was pushed closed. Annie tried again but this time she went to fully open the door and found resistance like somebody was blocking it. She used her body weight to open the door.

Growling filled her ears and man's hand shot out of the room, grabbing her hair and pulling it. Her head banged against the door frame and she nearly dropped her bat.

Annie grunted and pulled her head back but whoever was holding onto her wasn't planning to let go. She kept ahold of the bat like it was a lifeline and used her left hand to pry the fingers loose from her hair. To her horror, she heard a crack as one of the fingers broke.

Annie freed herself and stumbled back but quickly recovered, holding the bat up again. The man, or whatever it was, opened the door and lunged at her. She didn't let the shock of seeing Michael slow her down. She swung the bat and hit him in on the side of his head, which made him stumble sideways but other than that he was unfazed.

She had never seen one in person. The senior staff hadn't let the interns anywhere near the living dead but they did tell them they needed to damage the brain to kill them.

Annie ran for the stairs and Michael followed her. She made it to the bottom and shouldn't have stopped to look back but she did. Michael reached the stairs and instead of walking down them, he fell. She moved out of the way and watched as Michael, with a snapped neck, started to stand up. Before he could, Annie swung again, making contact with the bottom of his chin. His neck broke even more and he was nearly headless but still, he kept going.

The bat smashed down on his head over and over until he stopped moving. Her bat was covered in blood and she was splattered with it.

There was more growling and Annie looked up to see Francis appear in the hallway upstairs. Annie turned and ran for the kitchen, hearing a body tumble down the stairs. She burst out of the house, making Monty give a nervous whinny.

"Oh my God. What happened?"

Instead of answering Maggie, she untied the reins and jumped onto Monty. "Let's go."

Annie took off and Maggie followed. When Annie felt they were far enough away from the Bells', she slowed down.

"What happened?" Maggie asked.

"They're dead."

Maggie's eyes widened. "How?"

"I don't know," Annie said. "Remember when I told y'all that those people eating people died before they became like that?"

"Yeah."

"Michael and Francis died and came back." Annie took a steadying breath.

"Whose blood is that?" Maggie asked quietly.

"Michael tried to eat me. I didn't have a choice. I had to put him down."

"You killed him?"

"You aren't listening. He was already dead. Michael wasn't a person anymore. It's the brain. You gotta get the brain or it'll keep goin'."

There was a long pause where Maggie seemed to be taking it all in. Annie worried that her sister would think she was a crazy murderer.

"I believe you," Maggie finally said. "We should get you cleaned up at the creek. We can't get your clothes but you have blood on your face."

When they got home Maggie offered to take care of Monty. Annie rushed back to the house, up the stairs, and into her room before anyone could see her. She stripped off her shirt and jeans. Her jeans were salvageable but her white shirt wasn't. She hid it under her bed to throw away later.

Annie quickly dressed, added her jeans to the rest of her dirty clothes and grabbed the hamper, deciding to do her laundry.

Patricia walked into the laundry room right when Annie had finished putting her clothes in the washing machine.

"You two are back early," Patricia said.

Annie shut the washer's door and shrugged, trying to act normal and hoping she was succeeding. "I got a headache. Too much sun, maybe."

"Is it one of your migraines? Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm good. An aspirin and a cold glass of water should fix it."

"Okay, but I'm lettin' you off the hook for helping with dinner."

Annie gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks Patricia."

She turned the washer on and went back to her room. To keep her mind off of the Bells, she flipped through the tv channels but only static met her. It was the same with the radio, only a few frequencies were broadcasting and it was only emergency messages telling them to stay home and avoid people. Help would be coming soon. What a load of crap.

Annie turned off the radio and let out a frustrated sigh. It worried her that Annette and Shawn still weren't home and it was almost dinner.

Her bedroom door was open so Maggie walked right in, closed it, and sat next to Annie who was on her bed. She knew why Maggie was there.

"We can't tell Dad what happened to the Bells. He won't understand," Annie said.

"Shouldn't he know they're dead? He's been friends with Francis since before we were born. We spent time with Michael during the summers. And aren't we supposed to at least tell the police?" Maggie sounded like she was still trying to cling to normal when the world wasn't like that anymore.

"The police have worse things to worry about, that is if they're still operating. And even if they are, it's not like we can call them anymore. The landline is dead now too."

Maggie sighed. "Okay, so we won't tell Daddy."

"Or anyone else," Annie added. Maggie nodded and leaned her head on Annie's shoulder. They sat like that until they were called for dinner a few minutes later.

The table was set for nine but only seven of them were there. Nobody moved to put food on their plates.

"Maybe we should wait a little longer," Beth said, her face betraying how worried she was. They all were but everyone was hiding it better than the youngest of them.

"I don't think they'd mind if we started without them," Patricia said, sending a soothing smile at the blonde teenager.

"She's right. They won't mind," Hershel said.

Still, no one reached for the food.

"I can try calling Shawn again," Maggie offered.

"It won't work," Annie said and she felt Maggie kick her under the table. Annie shrugged her shoulders at her. "Wait, do y'all hear that?"

"Hear what?" Maggie asked.

"It's a car." As soon as Annie said there was honking. Everyone shot up from the table and headed to the front door.

Maggie and Annie were in the lead and by the time they reached the front door they heard Shawn yelling.

"Dad! Annie!"

Maggie opened the door and Shawn was practically carrying Annette to the porch and up its stairs. Annie saw Annette's arm covered in blood and her demeanor shifted. She wasn't a farmer's daughter anymore, she was a doctor.

"Maggie, get my kits," Annie said. At the same time Hershel told Patricia to get his own.

Maggie and Patricia took off and the rest of them moved aside to let Shawn and Annette into the house.

Annie turned to Beth who looked like she was about to cry and she knew her youngest sister needed to do something so she wouldn't break down. "Beth, clear the table. Jimmy, you help her."

Otis started helping Shawn with Annette and they were leading her to the living room.

"No, I'll stain the upholstery," Annette said and Annie was worried at how weak her voice was.

"Don't worry about the sofa Mom," Shawn said.

"It doesn't matter," Annie said. "The light's better in the dining room."

The trio changed directions and Annie went ahead of them. When she entered the dining room she saw that half the table had been cleared and Beth and Jimmy quickly working on the other half.

Annie pulled a chair out and put the back of it against the table. "Set her here."

While the two men helped Annette onto the chair, Maggie and Patricia entered the room carrying Annie and Hershel's kits. Annie nodded at the two before going into the kitchen to wash her hands. Hershel was already at the sink rinsing his forearms.

"How is she?" Hershel asked, stepping aside and grabbing a clean dish towel to dry himself off.

"I don't know. I didn't get a look at it yet," Annie said, turning on the hot water and pouring a generous amount of soap into her hand. "Go see her."

Hershel left and Patricia came into the kitchen with a metal basin. "Shawn says a man bit her."

Annie's blood ran cold. She scrubbed faster. "Bit her? Did he say what the man looked like?"

"No, but they were at the gas station fillin' up and Shawn says a man came up behind her and attacked her. He said he almost couldn't get him off of her," Patricia said as Annie moved aside so she could fill the basin with water.

"Where were they? They should've been back hours ago." Annie dried her hands.

"Shawn said they went to the hospital."

"He should've brought her straight home." Annie threw the dish towel on the counter and left for the dining room.

Hershel was sitting on a chair in front if Annette and had already cut her dress away from her shoulder. Annie's forehead furrowed when she saw the bite. Blood pooled in the deep teeth marks. Skin was torn, the edges jagged. A small piece of her shoulder was missing, the size of a half dollar coin.

Someone had already opened the bag that held her trauma kit and set out a few items. She grabbed a pair of sterile gloves and pulled them on with a snap. Annie went to Annette's side and took a closer look at the bite.

"The bleeding's slowed down," Hershel said.

"She's lost a lot," Shawn said from across the table, standing with jittery legs and crossed arms.

Patricia came in with the metal basin full of water and Beth followed behind her with a pile of towels of varying sizes. Hershel made quick work of cleaning the wound, Patricia taking away the bloody towels and gauze while Annie handed him clean ones.

"How are you feelin'?" Annie asked.

"I could be better sweetheart," Annette said with an attempted smile but it was interrupted by a hiss of pain. Annie bit her lip and to confirm a suspicion she pressed her hand against the woman's forehead.

"You're burning up," Annie said, her heart dropping. The symptoms were clear. Annette had been bitten by a dead man and the infection had already set in.

"You can't do this!" Annie yelled. She and Hershel were standing in the middle of the living room. Maggie and Shawn were hovering at the archway. Annie didn't know where everyone else was.

"There's no need to shout," Hershel said in a stern voice.

"There is 'cause I don't think you understand. This ain't right. She's dead and she should be put to rest."

Hershel shook his head. "You're not going to kill her."

"She's already dead. She's not Annette anymore. She's not Mom," Annie said. This made Hershel pause. It was the first time Annie had called Annette 'mom'. Having a few memories of her real mom had made it so it didn't feel right to Annie to call anyone else her mom and Annette accepted this without offense. With Hershel she had easily slipped into calling him her dad. "She nearly took a chunk out of Shawn. Her heart stopped for three hours."

"She's still herself. She's only sick and we're going to wait for a cure," Hershel said with so much confidence in his voice Annie knew she wouldn't win this fight but she still had to try.

"I don't think a cure is comin'."

"I have faith that it will," Hershel said.

"You heard what Shawn said about the hospital." Annie gestured towards Shawn. "It was chaos and now it's overrun with the dead. Doctors were killin' people with bites. If anyone would know there was a cure comin' it'd be them."

"That is their mistake. The phones were down, somebody could've been trying to reach them and tell them a cure was being made. We'll keep her in the barn until it is. She'll be safe there and she won't be able to hurt us."

Annie wanted to scream. "This is cruel. I won't have any part of it."

She stormed out of the room, brushing past Maggie and Shawn, and went upstairs to her bedroom. It was late and they were all tired. She fell into bed fully clothed and stared at the ceiling, her mind wouldn't shut off but after a couple of hours she finally fell asleep.

The next morning Annie knew she had slept in by the way the light was coming in through her window. She blinked and the image of Michael's crushed skull and her bloody bat affronted her. She shuddered as she got out of bed forcing those images out of her head only to be replaced by a dead Annette struggling against the snare pole around her neck as Otis led her out of the house towards the barn.

Annie only bothered to throw a new shirt on before going downstairs. She reached the kitchen where the smell of breakfast lingered in the air. Patricia and Beth were washing the dishes.

"I can make you some bacon and eggs real quick," Patricia said.

Annie shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"You don't look so good," Beth said, drying a plate.

"Thanks Beth," Annie said. She studied her youngest sister and didn't like what she saw. Beth looked fine, too fine for having her mother die last night. "Are you okay?" Annie asked her.

Beth smiled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"What's Dad been tellin' you about Mom?" Annie asked.

"She's stayin' in the barn where she'll be safe while we wait for a cure," Beth said.

Annie groaned. She was about to tell Beth the reality of the situation, not the fantasy their Dad was feeding her, when Patricia caught her eye. The blonde woman shook her head and Annie sighed. "Where's Maggie?"

"Mucking out the stable," Patricia said.

When Annie left for the stable, Patricia followed her to the porch. "What was that all about?" Annie asked.

"Hershel told me to stop you from tellin' Beth your theories about Annette."

"My theories? Unbelievable. Does anybody around here remember I went to med school?" Annie huffed. "Are you goin' along with it as well?"

"I don't know what to think, but if there's a chance your father is right I don't see the harm in keeping Annette in the barn."

Annie began to pace. "The harm is that Beth still thinks Mom can come back to life and everything can be like it was."

"I see your point but it's not my place to say anything," Patricia said, looking torn. "Are you going to tell her?"

Annie wanted to curse but she knew Patricia wouldn't tolerate it. "Not until I convince Dad he's wrong. There'll be a civil war in this house if I tell Beth before I get

him to see sense."

"That seems like the best thing you can do," Patricia said but Annie knew it wasn't.

"I hate this," Annie said to herself she went down the porch stairs.

When she entered the stable she found Maggie in Nellie's stall, a wheelbarrow nearly full of horse manure right outside of it.

"Need any help?" Annie asked.

Maggie stood up and took a step out of the stall. "This is the last one, Sleeping Beauty."

"If you value your life, you'll never call me that again." Annie grinned.

Maggie laughed and wiped sweat from her brow with her arm. "The chicken coop is next."

"Ah, nothin' like cleaning up bird shit in the morning."

Maggie snorted. "If only Daddy knew how foul your mouth is when he's not around."

"Hey, I rein in it for family and family friends."

"But not me and Shawn?" Maggie asked from back inside the stall.

"You two are special," Annie said. "Y'all could care less how I express myself."

"What a bunch of bull," Maggie said, coming out of the stall again and setting aside her pitchfork.

"I believe the correct term is 'bullshit'. I should know. I'm a doctor." Annie had to dodge a work glove Maggie threw at her.

She helped Maggie finish the stall and after stopping by the house for a drink of water, they headed to the chicken coop.

"How are you doing?" Annie asked.

"I don't know. It doesn't feel real. I'm still expectin' her to walk by and ask us what we want for lunch."

"She's gone. You know that, right?"

"But she's still walking around. She's tryin' to eat. Would something dead do that?"

"I think whatever's infected her is alive and tryin' to keep its host alive. The dead must have some lower brain function to do what they can do. Somehow it makes the brain come back to life after the person dies. Or it could be it somehow keeps the brain alive while the rest of the body dies." Annie sighed. "It's all guessin' on my part but what I know for sure is that Mom is gone. She died and something else came back."

A/N: Please, please let me know what you think. It would mean a lot and feedback always helps fuel me a little to keep on writing. At the moment I don't have any other finished chapters for this story and I can't promise you on how often I can update this but hopefully you'll stick around if you like it.