A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the wonderful peoples who read my silly story. This is my first attempt at fanfiction and I am still learning the ropes so I appreciate your patience.

Without further ado, here it is. Hope you like it. Let me know what you think.

It was dark when they finally reached the city, stopping one last time to refuel just before nightfall. Lena insisted no one turn on their headlights for the remainder of the trip. Daryl glared at her like she'd grown a second head but begrudgingly obeyed.

Luckily the moon was full, affording them some natural lighting. It cast an eerie blue sheen on the empty streets. The buildings, long abandoned, looked like gaping faces. Banisters on old porches bared in their direction like jagged teeth, twisted and cracked in the dim light. White paint peeled away to reveal rotted gray wood. The houses were dead and decaying, just like the lifeless people littering the outskirts of the city.

Carol clung tightly to Daryl, hiding her face in his back. He had tried to convince her to ride in one of the cars for this part of the journey but she refused. After Rick's admission in the woods she wouldn't trust anyone but Daryl. The responsibility weighed heavily on him. She expected so much and he knew that eventually he would end up disappointing her. But he wanted to protect her. He owed her at least that since he'd failed so miserably at saving her daughter. That thought alone was the only thing that kept him from strangling the new girl.

Well, that and the fact that she'd hidden his crossbow and claimed it as collateral.

At the moment Lena held their only shot at salvation (and his crossbow). It enraged him even more.

The city was unnaturally quiet. Empty. Too empty. Every few blocks he could make out a body or two crumpled in the corner of a dark alley. None of them moved.

Too quiet.

Daryl almost regretted riding the motorcycle. The roar of the engine echoed loudly off the empty buildings, announcing their presence. Lena tried to convince him to leave it at the last stop. Vehemently he'd refused, more interested in spiting the girl than in being rational. He felt ridiculous for it now. The kid really knew how to provoke his temper.

There was a roadblock coming up. This part of the city was more secluded, the road narrow and more uneven. Large oak trees bent low over the street. The mighty branches weaved together overhead, forming an ancient row of arches that made this stretch of road feel separate from the rest. Darker and more dangerous. The little moonlight that filtered through the network of hanging moss and branches cast a ghostly glow over everything. Layers upon layers of fall leaves covered the ground, hiding the asphalt; no street sweeper left to clear them. The filtered light glinted off the dried leaves gold and umber tinted blue.

The caravan halted at the barrier. Large orange barrels and traffic cones blocked the path. Just beyond the concrete was broken apart in large jagged pieces, pointing in every which direction. The pattern seemed to extend forever into the darkness; a valley of glacial asphalt, waiting for a titanic to sink black and gray teeth into.

Carol clutched his chest hard, her grasp borderline painful. Daryl grimaced, cutting the engine. At first Carol didn't move, still holding him tight. He gently grasped her hands and dislodged them from his shirt. He stood and helped her off the bike. Holding her upper arms he looked her up and down, making sure she was okay. She nodded stiffly at his searching gaze. He nodded back solemnly and released her, clearing his throat awkwardly.

A few feet ahead the Chevy parked and the doors opened. Tired feet touched the crunchy down of leaves against concrete and doors slammed. The front passenger door swung open and Lena slid out, oddly graceful considering her injury. The crunch of leaves beneath her worn boots seemed a visible relief to the girl. She leaned heavily on the open door and sighed, watching her new companions stretching and taking in their surroundings.

Satisfied that Carol was fine, Daryl stomped over to the younger girl to figure out what was going on.

"What is this? Some kind of joke?" Daryl spat temper flaring. She seemed far too at ease with the situation for his liking.

"Am I laughing?" She held the door as the dogs slinked out, stretching tired limbs from the long ride. As soon as Sputnik's paws touched the concrete Lena slammed the door and glared mutinously back at Daryl. He towered over her menacingly. Both dogs disappeared past the cones, not waiting for their master.

The van pulled up next. Lori, Hershel and his daughters piled out, looking around anxiously.

"Why are we stopped?" Lori demanded, hurrying to her son and hugging him close. Lena ignored her, still in the middle of a stare down with Daryl. Rick moved around the hood of the Chevy to stand next to Lena.

"Well?" He prompted, shifting uneasily under his wife's murderous stare. Lena gave him a sidelong glance.

"We walk from here." She told them finally, bracing for the onslaught of anger. Before she'd even finished the women were gasping dramatically and Daryl had her by the scruff of her dingy shirt, forcing her up onto her tiptoes. She nearly stumbled but righted herself quickly and met his glare. He leaned in close, breath hot on her face. He smelled like bonfires, tobacco spice, and pure sex.

For someone so volatile he had to be fucking fantastic in bed. Lena mused, once again jealous of the older woman who owned him. She smirked sardonic; here he was ready to rip her head off and all she could think about was his possible sexual prowess. It'd been far too long since she'd gotten proper laid.

"You think you're so funny, don't you kid?" He growled, shaking her hard for emphasis.

"Would you calm your tits, please!" She sneered, remembering herself. She grabbed at his fingers clenched in the flimsy fabric.

"Daryl." Rick warned softly, a hand on his shoulder. Daryl grunted angrily but released Lena, shoving her back into the red Chevy and stepping away.

"Jesus!" She mumbled affronted, straightening her shirt.

"Un-fucking-believable." He growled, twisting both hands into his short unruly locks and turning away. Lena eyed him warily.

"You can't be serious!" Lori exclaimed angrily.

"As a heart attack." Lena condescended. "We're safer walking through that than through the rest of the city." She nodded at the road construction ahead. "Zombies can't navigate obstacles like we can."

She had a point, Daryl thought reluctantly.

"You've done this before?" T-Dog asked skeptically.

"Only way to get back to camp." Replied Lena impatiently.

"What about the supplies?" Glenn wondered.

"Grab what you can." She instructed. "If there's anything left we'll come back for it tomorrow."

Glenn shrugged in agreement and went to collect what he could from the van. Maggie and her sister reluctantly followed.

"No, this is crazy. She's leading us into a trap!" Lori persisted loudly, trying to stop them.

Lena sighed dramatically and pushed off the Chevy, stepping close to the pregnant woman.

Lori held Carl's arm in a vice grip at Lena's approach. Rick looked on nervously, unsure of whether or not he should come to his wife's aid.

"Look preggo-my-eggo, I'm not forcing you to do anything. All I know is that I'm going that way," She pointed at the torn up pavement ahead, speaking slowly and pronouncing each syllable as if speaking to a small child, "because that way is home. Feel free to join me. Otherwise no one's stopping you from pissing off in the other direction. So kindly shut the fuck up. Please and thank you?" She said saccharin-sweet, pushing past the woman to help gather supplies.

Daryl couldn't hold back a grin at the girl's audacity. It was about time someone stood up to Lori.

Lena winked at him conspiratorially as she hobbled past. She may be a pain in the ass but he admired her guts.

((0))

They packed everything up in record time, managing to take all but the gas canisters.

"Follow me." Lena instructed, "Don't rush. Don't wander off, " specifically eyeing Carl hidden off to the side. "And watch where you step." She had the crossbow strapped over her shoulder again. Daryl eyed it covetously but kept his distance.

He would get it back eventually, he just had to bide his time. Wait for the perfect moment.

The walk was short, a few minutes. The mess of construction lasted only for a couple blocks, not as infinite as it seemed originally in the dark. They reached a roundabout lined with expensive looking houses, mansions. In the center a quaint little park was placed, marked by large oak trees and shrubbery of peculiar shape. Perhaps well groomed into the forms of animals once upon a time.

If I see a bush in the shape of a hippo someone's losing an eye. Daryl thought mutinously.

The houses all had large walls of granite block or brick surrounding them, some tipped with intricate iron points and reaching well over 10 feet tall. All appeared to be abandoned.

The torn up asphalt stopped at the roundabout though the construction continued. Tractors of all shapes and sizes were abandoned at the other end of the small park. One of the biggest was left crashed into a house, the wall blown apart and the side of the home ripped open by the large digging apparatus at the front of the vehicle.

The asphalt was replaced with uneven dirt, large holes scattered randomly throughout, some deeper than others. One side of the circle was lined with a crisscross of metal beams stretched over flattened dirt: leftovers intended as foundations for a road never completed. Lena stopped them here.

She dropped her backpack in the dirt and bent gingerly to unzip it, reaching inside with her good arm and unearthing a small walkie-talkie.

"Turn off your flashlights." She told them, still on bended knee.

"But—" Lori protested.

"Just do it! If anything's coming the dogs will let us know." Lena snapped, silencing her.

Curious Daryl peered into the darkness, just able to make out a dark furry blur moving low to the ground on the far right side. To the left a pair of bright yellow eyes shown unblinking.

The dogs were handy. He wished he'd had the patience for some of his own before all this. Daryl had never been much of an animal person though. His most recent experience with a certain horse was proof of that.

Flashlights off Lena stood and switched the device on, pressing the call button. She spoke into it quietly.

"Neverland. This is pan over." She mumbled into the receiver. She glanced back at Daryl and swore she could see his face split into a mocking smirk even in the dark.

The response was almost immediate.

"No, no Lena. That's last week's code. We change it every Tuesday. Remember? Over." A quirky female voice responded matter-of-fact.

"Obviously I wasn't here on Tuesday so I wouldn't know." Lena bit.

"Is that Lena? She's alive?" Another voice, heavy with sleep, interrupted. Male this time.

"Yup. You're free day is mine bitch!" The girl replied excitedly.

"Betting on my survival again? Haven't you guys got better things to do?'" Lena huffed irritably.

"All in good fun Lena." Lilted the sleepy voice.

"I bet in your favor!" Chirped the girl.

"Yeah, well thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Love you Leelee!" The girl replied only mildly apologetic.

"Whatever, just open the gate. I brought back some more mouth breathers." Retorted Lena wearily.

"Right—MITYA! Get the gate!" The girl yelled, forgetting to take her finger off the call button. Shuffling noises followed and a door open and slammed. Another voice joined the girl's.

"Yes. I am here. Over" A deeper male voice interjected in a heavy accent.

"открыть дверь, Митя!" Lena snapped impatiently.

"Yes, yes. но… you do the thing со светом." He replied in broken English.

"What! Come on, it's Lena." The chipper girl whined. Lena rolled her eyes.

"No. я не могу. Shauna say: 'Yelena must do the lights or she sleep outside with her dogs.' She say this to me. What can I do?" He replied slowly, sounding confused. "правила есть правила. Over" He said and then finally clicked out.

Another voice boomed in before Lena could respond. "Get off the walkie Arnold Schwarzenegger. No one can understand a damn word you're saying. You are banned from the walkie!" The woman shouted authoritatively. "And don't think I didn't hear the other two of you, chatting away like some gossipy little housewives. Keep your crap off the radio!"

Thoroughly reprimanded no one responded. Radio silence.

"Hey Shauna." Lena said finally.

"Don't you hey me. Just do the damn light thing so we can get this shit over with and I can go to bed." Shauna replied grumpily.

"Yes ma'am." Lena agreed and then shut off the radio.

"Right," She conceded, turning to the group, "gimme that." She demanded impatiently, snatching a flashlight away from Carl. She switched it on and shined it toward the building on the far right side of the roundabout. A high brick wall surrounded it, a pattern of iron spears embellishing the tops. She turned the light on and off 4 times in quick succession, paused for a moment and then did one longer one. A side gate opened slowly in answer.

"Watch your step." Lena repeated, beckoning the group to follow. She whistled loud once and immediately the dogs sprinted out of the darkness towards the gate, entering. Lena led the group out onto the crisscrossed beams, stepping carefully in the open spaces. She held the flashlight facing the ground, lighting the path so she wouldn't fall. Daryl was the first to follow, everyone else reluctantly falling in line.

They reached the open gate, a small ironwork door on the alley side of the wall. It was situated in a small gap between the wall of this house and the next. A tall well-muscled man with a buzz cut stood holding the gate open. He looked to be in his early 30's. His face stern and jaw clenched. His attire was similar to Lena's: dark boots, black pants, shirt and jacket. The man eyed each member of the group suspiciously as they entered.

"спасибо Митя." Lena told him with a quick nod. He grunted noncommittally in return, closing and locking the gate behind them. He slid another door, a heavy wooden one, in place overtop of it and locked it as well. Once the doors were secure he shooed them all away and waved at a white van parked at the end of the courtyard. A blonde woman sat in the drivers seat. She drove the van in front of the door. Turning it off the woman hopped out daintily and trotted straight to Lena. She hugged Lena, twittering excitedly.

"Leelee! I'm so glad you're back!" She exclaimed happily. Her strawberry blonde hair was cropped short and held back by a pink headband. Unlike the Russian man the blonde girl wore a tennis skirt and tank top, all in pale pastels.

Lena cringed at the unwanted nickname.

"Vicky. You're just saying that because you won the betting pool." Lena muttered grumpily.

"Added bonus." The girl admitted with a cheesy smile, squeezing her tighter. Lena was a full head taller than Vicky.

"Ouch." Lena winced as Vicky squeezed her injured arm too tight. The blonde girl stepped back worriedly and noticed the purple hippo sling and her bandaged shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked, eying Lena nervously.

"Some asshole shot me." Lena muttered, glaring daggers at the little boy a few feet away. Carl merely rolled his eyes at the jab.

"You look like shit." A very pregnant little black woman proclaimed moodily as she jostled into the courtyard. She held her stomach protectively, glaring at the new arrivals.

"Shauna! I missed you too!" Lena replied dramatically.

Shauna's hair was held back in a tight bun and she wore long dangly bauble earrings. A loose fitted green dress contrasted beautifully against her dark skin.

"I have half a mind to dangle you over the wall by your toes as bait." The woman snapped, "You have some nerve running around like you own the place. If we didn't have so many pussies around here I'd take you off supply duty." Shauna threatened, cocking a hip. She sounded angry but she was obviously fond of Lena and happy to have her back.

"Who are these people?" She demanded, finally acknowledging the group that hovered behind Lena awkwardly, laden with supplies.

"Shauna, I brought you a present." Lena exclaimed, going to stand beside Lori. She nudged her excitedly. Lori glared at her but shuffled forward awkwardly. Rick and Carl stayed close behind her.

"This is Lori. She's pregnant too! And she likes talking about killing me. Just like you! You guys can be bestest buds!" Lena exclaimed.

Shauna rolled her eyes but understood now why Lena brought them: the pregnant woman and the child standing behind her.

"Cute." She responded blandly, crossing her arms over her belly.

"Cool so—" Lena started cautiously.

"You know the drill." Shauna cut her off.

"Right. Fine, I'm going." Lena submitted, making her way towards the main building.

"Follow me." She beckoned the group.

((0))

They entered through the basement level and walked down a long corridor. The property was made up of several buildings and took up an entire city block, much bigger than it looked on the outside. They were currently inside the main building.

The basement level was low lit with glow sticks and candles, nothing bright enough to be seen outside.

As they passed several doors Daryl could see chalkboards and desks through the small slits of glass. Some of the doors had plaques with names like Mr. White or Dr. Delacour engraved there.

This was a school.

At the end of the hallway they entered a large classroom with rows of black tables and lab equipment. This room had no windows and more lighting than the rest. Fluorescent lights glared harsh, Daryl's eyes begging adjustment. He squinted, barely making out the lone man stood at one of the lab tables on the far end of the room. He was an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and a typical white lab coat, concentrating on a mess of specimen dishes under a microscope. He stopped his work and looked up, surprised by the large group.

"Lena." He greeted, blinking rapidly. He pushed away from the table and walked over to the them.

"What's up doc?" She replied, removing the purple hippo-printed sling. "Listen I'm tired so lets get this over with, okay?" She had the shirt up and over her head before Lori could clap a hand over Carl's eyes.

"What are you doing!" Lori cried in outrage, hiding Carl's face in her stomach.

The doctor seemed unfazed by Lena's behavior and watched quietly as she pulled off her shoes and pants as well, Hershel, T-Dog and Glenn looked away embarrassed. Daryl couldn't help but gawk, too surprised to look away and too enthralled to stop her. Carol stood by him, staring intently at the white tile floor.

Lena removed the bandage from her shoulder and stood before them in only her underwear.

Well now Daryl knew where those tattoos went: laced around her side from rib to opposite hip to intertwine with the pattern of scales down her leg. And even more ink was revealed to him. Some sort of intricate symbol, a wagon wheel perhaps, adorned her left shoulder. He gulped audibly.

"And that is?" The doctor asked nodding at her shoulder.

"Bullet wound." She sighed.

The doctor nodded. "Can anyone confirm that?" He asked the group.

"I cauterized it myself." Hershel spoke up, still looking away. The doctor smiled eagerly at the revelation.

"Good. Sounds like you now what you're doing. It'll be good to have you." The doctor replied.

"K, can I go now?" Lena whined impatiently.

"To quarantine." He replied staunchly. She grumbled petulantly in response.

"And go find Mrs. Stark to put a new bandage over that." He instructed.

"Yeah, yeah." She muttered, shoving the shirt into Daryl's hands with a wink as she walked past, not bothering to redress.

Several times Daryl looked back and forth between the flimsy shirt in his hands and the door Lena had just exited through, flabbergasted by what had just happened.

"What the hell was that?" Glenn asked, dumbfounded.

"Procedure. Anytime we have new arrivals or someone returns from going outside the walls we check for bites." The doctor replied calmly. Lori took a breath, ready to protest but the doctor cut her off. "Don't worry, we have a nurse for the women and you'll have a robe and some privacy." He assured them.

"Some people—" He continued with a smile, obviously referring to Lena, "are impatient and prefer to get it over with quickly. Mrs. Stark should be back any minute—" A shout of surprise cut him off.

The doctor rolled his eyes as Shauna's voice rang clear down the hall. "Bitch, how many times do I have to tell you? Put your damn clothes on!"

"If you'd all like to go outside. I'll take the gentlemen one at a time." The doctor continued, ignoring the hullabaloo in the hall as if it were a normal everyday occurrence.

открыть дверь, Митя: Open the door Mitya!

но: but

со светом: with the light

я не могу: I can't

правила есть правила: rules are rules

спасибо Митя: thank you, Mitya