A/N: Sorry about the confusion! I accidently clicked on the wrong document manager file and the epoilogue of GTR? Came up, right now this is the real deal, again apologies for that but that was honest (yet clumsy) mistake on my part..

Final chapter! Results of the poll are in...

1st Maria- 3 Votes

2nd Terri- 2 Votes

3rd- Luis, JJ, Wilbert, Oscar and Ana- 1 Vote

4th (Last) Tom, Tim and Brandon- 0 Votes

Well thank you for that info... last chapter I knew Ana would be compared to Michonne and I added little quirks to her character to set her apart a bit. and Oscar... nice to see his gone down well, for a mute character he comes across as humorous and will he and Eddie become friends in RTR? only time will tell.

Now what was most interesting part of all your reviews was Terri's character, while some of you hate her for what she did, others (ffapathy) have named her their favourite character. It appears with Terri I have what I was hoping to achieve a "marmite character" you either love or hate her. I love characters who can do this (e.g. Season 1 Kenny, Lilly, Ben etc...) because it makes them realistic, you can love them one minute or hate them the next.

For this final chapter, a final few secrets will be revealed. The OC group is already connected to Clem's through the cult, yet... they'll be something else revealed in this chapter that will also... shall we say... connect Clementine with the OC group.

Thank you everyone for reading this short story! I'm glad you liked the OC characters and their stories of development across 2000 days and be sure to look out for Ruin To Redemption! (It may take a while, life is getting busier for me).

Enjoy this chapter! and I'll see you soon!

Day 1888-JJ

"THeY hAtE yoU!"

"NO!" JJ roared, his hands clamping on the sides of his head, the 16 year old clenched his eyes shut and crouched down on the spot, next to the small stream he had fled too. He tried to blot out that voice in his head but it only grew louder... his head felt like it was going to explode.

His brown eyes shot open, gazing into the stream, he saw the tiny, crazy, pinpoint black pupils of TT glaring back at him.

"ThEy sPIt aT yoU!" TT spat, actually spitting into the stream, JJ watched TT's saliva get carried down the clear flowing stream.

"No! They... they like me! It was just one screw up! Just one!" JJ begged of a crazed looking TT, he always looked crazed but today TT looked truly goddamn insane, threads of saliva leaked from his open mouth as he absently mindly began tugging on his dirty blonde hairs, so much so that blood began to roll down TT's face.

JJ gulped, he had tried, it had been a year or so ago since Ana had joined the group and saved them from the crazy cult, he stood by his promise to go hunting with Luis and defied his grandfather, who was furious about it. He screamed things at JJ that made the teenager shrink into himself and bow his head in shame. However that didn't stop him from going hunting with Luis.

Nor did it stop TT from coming out.

"LeT mE Do It, FoR us!" TT told an anxious looking JJ, JJ watched TT pull out some poisonous blue berries from his trouser pocket.

"No..." JJ whimpered, remembering how TT had done this last time, how TT had planted those berries in his grandfather's stash of food. Wilbert got violently sick for days and everyone thought Tom had done it. Tom denied it of course, but that didn't stop Tim gaining favour again, or the two brothers battling over leadership. None of them were 100 per cent right and the position of leader switched between the pair of them.

Whose fault had all that been? JJ knew it wasn't him who poisoned his grandfather, TT had done it. But he didn't want to grass on TT, no matter how much guilt ate away at him, because TT could make them both look insane. JJ couldn't survive without TT's help.

"I don't... I don't want to..." JJ whimpered.

"CoWaRD! YoU DidN't LEt mE FiNish tHE jOb lASt TiMe! I'll DO iT ThIs tImE!" TT was referring to when JJ had stopped him from putting too many berries into his grandfather's food stash. JJ lost control, he was so angry at his granddad for not letting him go hunting again that... that TT took control. The horror and guilt that ate away at JJ afterwards always stopped TT from hurting another member of the group.

Until today.

He had been on another hapless helping trip with Luis, despite it being a year JJ was still a very slow learner. He was better... but still nowhere near the scale of excellence that Oscar, Ana, Brandon and Luis were on. Brandon had been with them and as JJ clumsily stumbled over an uprooted tree, he crashed to the ground. Scaring off a boar that Brandon was seconds from killing. Brandon had not eaten in days and too say he was in a bad mood was an understatement.

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT! LEARN HOW TO FUCKING HUNT LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE!" Brandon harsh words replayed in JJ's mind, these words aggravated TT, as the insane teenager licked some of the blood from his face and held out the berries further.

"HE iS a tHrEat, He DOeSn'T lIkE YoU! He NEeDs To GO!" TT snarled, malice ringing in his tone.

JJ was tempted, his gaze lingered on the berries. Brandon was one of his greatest critics and wouldn't it make sense too just… get rid of that annoying voice? To get rid of Brandon who simply held JJ back? JJ was always jealous of Brandon, he was bigger and stronger and better looking than him. He was also a better hunter and always seemed keen to put JJ down a peg or two, JJ didn't want Brandon there. He wanted Luis to directly teach him not teach him and then share a joke with Brandon... it irritated JJ in a way he couldn't explain.

But JJ would smile through it, unfazed. TT however was one who didn't let things drop.

"No!" JJ exclaimed, letting the berries fall from his fingers and they splashed into the stream, with a distinctive PLOP, that distorted TT's image.

"hE'Ll KiLL yoU FiRsT!" TT croaked, he had a higher pitched voice than JJ.

"No. His just angry and tired because he hasn't had any food! That's all! His my friend too I ain't going around killin' people! You... you don't me to shit to me..."

"YOu NeEd Me! YoU FuCkInG IdiOt!"

"I DON'T!"

"LooK In YoUr BaG! LOOK! I KiLLed ThOsE anImals! I kilLEd THem FoR You! So YOU caN eAt!"

"I KILLED THEM MYSELF!"

"I dO ALL THE WoRk! AnD YOu TaKE The CREdit! AlWaYs HiDing and... aNd LYING...!"

"AIN'T SO!"

"ShOw Me To THe GrOuP! I can HeLP yoU... WiThoUt mE... you... YOu'll bReaK"!

"AIN'T TRUE! IT AIN'T TRUE!"

"LiAr!"

"SHUT UP! BRANDON IS A NICE GUY! YOU'RE BEING RIDICOLOUS!"

"bRaNdON WiLL RiP YoUR sToMaCh oPen! hE HaTes YoU! He'D KiLL anYone, JuSt FoR lOOkIng At HiS SisTer!"

"He just worries about her!"

"BuLlShIt! ShE's A wOmAn! I kNoW wHaT yOU wAnt! You WAnt To ShOve YoUr PeNis InSidE of HeR!"

"I don't think with my privates!"

"THen YoU'LL bReAk!"

"I'd break if I had intercourse with her. Brandon would kill me for sure and I don't even like her! No like that! Every guy has... has needs but I'd never do that to Terri, she's my friend!"

"I CoUlD" TT croaked, an grim smile spreading across his face, JJ store him down and chucked the last berry into the stream, he stood up and turned away from where TT still waited for him.

"DOn't BReaK!" TT called after him as a sort of farewell for now, kind of message.

JJ was about to reply, his mouth hung open... before he heard a rustling behind him and turned to face where Brandon had just emerged from the foliage. Closing his mouth and his words dying on his tongue, Brandon's eyes found JJ's as he sighed and muttered "JJ... about what I said earlier. I didn't... I just lost it..."

"It's fine!" JJ mused, a strained smile plastering itself onto his tanned face.

"No, It isn't. I made you run off, I made you upset and that was stupid of me. You're my friend JJ, no hard feelings man. Just hit me... or whatever if you need too because fuck I was idiot and..." He paused mid-sentence as his eyes widened "JJ, did you hurt yourself?" the sudden question made JJ realise that blood rolled down his forehead and down his face, wiping some of the blood away, JJ fumbled for an answer and quickly came up with one.

"Erm... hit my head against a tree. I tried hunting by myself and... Luckily I caught some squirrel's" JJ said, pulling a few out of the bag on his back. Brandon gave him an impressed smile and whistled.

"Damn, man I'm sorry, I am so sorry I underestimated you. I must have been a real dick..."

"Brandon, it really is fine..."

"No. It really isn't man. You can get food by yourself. I put pressure on you I know that, look... The only reason I do that. Is... it's because I'm kinda... this is going to sound stupid... but... I get jealous of you sometimes".

Now it was JJ's turn to be surprised, placing the squirrel's back into his bag, he stood up straight and with TT truly gone, the caring compassionate side of JJ came fully to the surface "Jealous?" he echoed as Brandon nodded.

"You're... you're really cheery and upbeat JJ you know that? Even with a grandfather like your own, you keep everyone in the group smiling. I just wish... I could be like that. I'm just boring. Sometimes I get the feeling Luis prefers you more than he prefers me and Luis is a cool dude, he lost an eye and a fucking arm, he knows his shit! I... I want to be like him, the way he looked at me after you ran off..." he sighed and put a hand through his black hairs "I just had to come and apologise man, it's not your fault for my own stupid insecurities" he criticised himself as JJ put a hand on Brandon's broad shoulder.

"Ain't nothin' to make a fuss off. Besides look on the bright side, we'll be at Wellington in a few days if Tom's map is right" JJ's comment certainly made Brandon smile.

"Suppose that's true" Brandon mumbled before he inhaled and looked directly at the younger boy in front of him "anyway I just wanted to see if you were alright man. Because you looked really upset when you ran off... and...and I was just wondering..." Brandon tried carefully to tiptoe around the topic, yet JJ knew what he was on about.

"No TT hasn't been out Brandon. I don't sit here plotting your demise or anything. Just went hunting for a bit to try and take my mind off things" was JJ's blatant and chilling lie.

"ah... okay" Brandon said, his face relaxing in relief, he smiled at JJ again as he muttered "So come on. Let's head on back to camp man, kills are on you".

"Okay" JJ mused happily going along after Brandon, he looked back at the stream. TT was gone for now but JJ could never tell when TT would come back. Killing Brandon? It scared JJ how dark his mind could get at times, after everything Brandon had just admitted to him, he was going to try and kill a friend?

No... that wasn't him.

It was TT however.

TT... simply didn't want JJ to break.

Day 1888- Tim

"We should be at Wellington any day now!" Tom yelled over to his group who sat huddled around the campfire, their shoulders hunched as fierce cold gales blew at the exposed areas of their skin. The constant lashes of the freezing weather were enough to raise some tempers.

"You've been sayin' that for the past year and Goddamn half! And were still in middle of fucking nowhere!" Wilbert growled for the group to hear, as Tom sighed. Tim (who sat in the shadows next to Maria) couldn't help but smile sinisterly at the criticism his brother was receiving.

It was Tom who decided to trust no one since the whole cult incident and that had paid off in a bad way.

"We have been out here a while, how can you be sure this is the real deal?" Luis asked of Tom, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead, Tom found his powerful voice.

"I'm sure! We've survived. All of us for 5 years out here! With no shelters and no Wellington to help us. I know what you're all thinking that we should trust another group and maybe they'll share supplies and vehicles with us… yeah well we know how that went last time".

Tim leant back on the log he was sitting on to avoid all accusing glares. He wished the group would get over this, it had been over a year ago now.

"If Ana hadn't have come along then we'd have all since been long dead" Tom fierce praise of Ana was met with no response from the young African American woman. Who simply continued to gaze at the rings on her fingers, yet no matter how emotionless she appeared to be on the inside she was rather touched by the compliment.

"I think we're all just getting sick and tired of just trekking through the woods. We almost froze to death last winter, we have to constantly keep hunting and some days we go hungry! We need to find civilisation again Tom! The reason it's taken us so long to get to Wellington is because we've been so cautious" were Brandon's words on the topic.

"Cautious but alive and we have a result here! And we will find civilisation again! Wellington is the real deal guys. Believe me we have bided our time for all of these years and it will pay off!" Tom tried to motivate his disheartened group, but there was only so many times you can say the same speech before the words grew thin and meaningless.

"If we don't find Wellington within the week! I'm taking charge again"

Tim had found his voice, his twin's eyes locked on his own, as many heads cranked backwards.

"We will find it Tim, soon. I promise that" His twin's words were stern but caring, almost as if he was trying to prevent Tim from doing something stupid. But Tim wouldn't stand for this treatment for much longer.

"Tom, I made that mistake a year ago! Okay!? When the hell are you going to get over it! Besides since you've been leading us all we've done is wonder in the middle of nowhere…"

"But were alive…" Tom growled.

"Yeah? But remember when someone tried to poison Wilbert? Are we forgetting about that? Are we forgetting about the time I took charge for a short while and tried to lead Luis, Maria, Brandon and Terri away from this group because I felt pressured to do something! To get us to Wellington the faster way! This group is starting to crack Tom, I don't want to sound like I know it all but I think… I can keep this group together and get to us to Wellington"

This was met with a wave of silence.

"He may be right" Maria spoke up from where she was seated next to Tim "Tom there is no doubt in my mind you are a good leader. But so was Tim when he has led us. I think that if we do not find Wellington within the next week… Tim's leadership will be best for us".

"Are you suggesting an ultimatum, that If I fail to find Wellington in a week, I step down as leader?" Tom asked not only of Maria but the group crouched over the smouldering campfire.

"That would seem like the answer we all agree on" Luis finally said after a lengthy silence, chewing on the last of the squirrel's that JJ had caught earlier.

"Besides, he might be a darky. But I trust him more as a leader than the guy who tried to kill me…" Wilbert began, riling everyone up into a frenzy as JJ's head dipped. A silent Terri noticed this, she always noticed this whenever Wilbert brought this up.

"Wilbert, we agreed not to bring this up again! Whoever poisoned you, it was a one off occurrence! We cannot be starting a witch hunt now!" Maria exclaimed, only she alone seemed able to control Wilbert at times. Yet tonight Wilbert merely "Pah"-ed at her, before he ranted on

"Coulda been Tom, then again could have been this darky as well. Soon after she joins I get poisoned coincidence or not?" Wilbert pointed a long bony finger at a bored looking Ana.

"Come back when you find new evidence" was her automated reply from Ana, having heard this accusation against her so many times now.

"Or what about that freak?" Wilbert jabbed a finger at Oscar "Something not right about him, has a nasty look in his eyes that one, never makes his opinion known…"

"Yeah, people who have had their tongues cut out generally can't make their opinions known" Was Ana's smart-ass reply, the only thing that bothered her about Wilbert was the way he spoke about Oscar. He'd speak about Oscar right in front of the poor man, as if Oscar were deaf and couldn't hear them. Wilbert somehow seemed to associate that just because Oscar was mute, he was also deaf as well.

"He can write things down! Or nod or shake his head" Wilbert argued, as Ana merely yawned and Oscar continued to fidget on the spot, using the soles of his shoes to draw circles in the mud. He drew a line in the middle of the circle he now imagined as Wilbert's face. Imaging the old man being spilt apart by a bullet or a melee weapon. Oscar's mind could run dark sometimes but then again Wilbert could be a dick to him at the worst of times.

"Maybe…" Wilbert began.

"Wilbert! This discussions over, we're tired and I understand my leadership is at threat. We need to find Wellington in a week or else Tim takes charge. End of story" although Maria was the only one who could control Wilbert at times. Tom's speech had certainly managed to get the rest of the group moving, which in turn also kept Wilbert silent as he had no one to rant too.

Never the less, as Wilbert sulked off, JJ remained in place, guilt eating away at him again. His eyes locked with Terri's who was watching him intently. Terri had told him beforehand that she knew he was the one who poisoned his own grandfather.

"How…" he remembered gasping to her.

"Don't worry your secret's safe with me" was all Terri had to say on the matter.

She had kept to her word, which made her a good friend in JJ's eyes, in fact that was one of the reasons he went hunting in the first place and grew closer to Brandon and Luis. Because he wanted to get on Terri's good side so she wouldn't let his secret slip. She had manipulated him with 7 words that was all.

Yet, it was for his own good.

Elsewhere, Tim stood up as he prepared to lay out his sleeping bag on the cold ground.

"I guess it's a win, win situation for you. We either find Wellington soon, or you become leader" Maria told him, stepping up next to the tall African American man. He merely smiled at her and looked over at where Tom was discussing something with Luis.

He went to sleep that night, having wondrous dreams, although Tim wouldn't admit it to anyone he hoped they didn't find Wellington, so he could lead the group once again. He had been a sales assistant in a past life, now he could sell his ideas to the group once again and he'd be the one to take all the credit.

The next day, when everyone cheered seeing the high walls of Wellington, Tim was the only one who didn't rejoice. He was… he couldn't believe he was actually upset and gutted that they had all finally reached the place they had been trying to get too for years now.

He glanced over at his beaming brother, a pit of jealously built in Tim's stomach, when he realised how forgotten and lonely he was, standing at the rear of the group. Maria offered him a look of sympathy, but he didn't want that.

He wanted to be the leader!

Day 1951- Ana

Finding Wellington had been a surprise, the group were simply walking along, climbing a steep hill and then… BOOM! There it all was, the high walls, smoke coming from inside, Ana herself didn't remember much. She was too busy being surrounded by her cheering allies, Oscar pumped his fists in the air. JJ started a chant of "We-made-it! We-made-it!" even Wilbert didn't have a bad word to say.

Ana remembered approaching the wall, some woman on a loudspeaker… guards with guns… it all happened so fast and in a dream-like quality. She was able to keep her sword and her rings as a young woman called Stephanie led them through Wellington towards the Town hall, where they would be asked on their histories and their mental health would be assessed.

Ana didn't notice Luis gazing intently at Stephanie, the young woman asked the names of the group, in which they all gave their names. However the young woman would soon forget them, never the less she knew there were ten newcomers. Something she would be able to tell her group later on, over tea.

Luis had picked up the first sign, he remembered the lengthy descriptions of Stephanie by the cultists, and she seemed to match that profile and Luis' curiosity had been aroused, was her group with her? Luis was curious to meet the others who had took on the cult and somehow survived their reign of terror when they were being directly observed by them.

And now… Ana found herself here. Sat in a big house with her 9 group members surrounding her, 2 months after joining Wellington. Everyone had been assigned a different job, while many of her group worked in the fields or on construction, she was given the job of a street cleaner. Maybe the officials in Wellington didn't trust her with weapons after hearing about how much she hated walkers and her tendency to slice them up and set records for herself.

She didn't wish she was back out there with the walkers, but it certainly felt strange holding a sweeping brush rather that her sword and looking up at the faces of living people rather than the rotting faces of the dead. Newspapers, screws for money as currency, buildings, houses, fields, police, shops, even cars and roads were coming back into play… it all felt surreal to Ana.

When she was younger, she had her dark days using a variety of drugs, here she felt like she was on a permeant high. Everything seemed too colourful and bright, the noises too loud and too distorted, her ears weren't used to so many people talking and the sounds of cars and building doors closing and the spray of running water in a shower…

The tiny things, they affected her the most. She guessed she didn't realise how long she had been out in the wilderness killing walkers it would certainly take her a while to adapt to this place.

She should have been happy and she was… whenever her group came home from their jobs with money in their pockets. Whenever she would snuggle up beside her friends on an actual couch in the evening and actually watch TV (there wasn't anything live to play, but DVD's were always available) she was happy. But felt strangely empty, it was a feeling she couldn't explain but she felt like her body was in one place and her head was in the other. She didn't dare bother anyone with her mundane worries.

Because apparently this community had trouble… drug dealings, prostitution, murders (some serial killer nicknamed the Wellington Wolf, who killed lone wolves long before Ana's group had joined Wellington was still roaming the streets apparently). Ana would read the Wellington weekly sometimes to try and adapt to this place, but her head just couldn't process it.

That's why today, she simply sat at the small table to the house her group had been assigned, playing with her little golden ring and wondering what Trent would make of this place. He would like it, he had too, Ana wished he was here now more than ever.

"Aren't you at work today?" came a small voice, Ana looked up to see Terri gazing down at her.

"Nope, my day off. You?" Ana spoke to the curly blonde haired girl, as Terri took a seat next to Ana.

"My day off too and Luis' although his upstairs asleep, but apparently a school for us will be opening soon, so our days will be filled to the brim with work" Terri noted on monotone, her eyes scanning over the cracks in the wooden table.

"School, I wish I had kids I could send to school…" Ana said dreamily thinking of Trent and the children she could have had with him, gazing at her golden ring once again. Terri followed the woman's gaze, before Ana muttered again "But it's best for me not to have kids, you've seen that I'll just slaughter them all" she remembered bitterly that time she lost her head at the cultists.

"I'm no saint here either remember?" Terri reminded her.

"You saved my life that day, I've always respected you for what you did and having the courage to do it. You must have been through a lot to be able too deal with the aftermath" Ana told her, her and Terri were on good terms but they didn't speak a great amount. Ana was the silent hunter and respected the Rogers family privacy. Even chatty Brandon would go quiet when anyone asked him about his past.

Ana picked up that what the siblings had been through was fucked up stuff.

"We did, but how about you? Four husbands you never speak of. I've heard about Trent, but why keep the other four? What did they mean to you?" Terri didn't know what sort of answer to expect from Ana, yet the young woman (for God knows what reason, she still felt numb from being in Wellington decided to speak up anyway)

"My first husband was an idiot, we got married when we were teenagers and I think it was more for sex than anything else. But then… then he died in a club stabbing and I just remember being shocked at how suddenly it happened and how cruel life could be" she lifted up the first silver ring "His name was Jordan, he taught me how to grow up and enter the real cruel world".

Terri was transfixed as Ana lifted her second ring.

"My second husband wasn't the most handsome man, but I loved him dearly as he was a humorous man. I thought the marriage was going well, until I found him in bed with another woman. I divorced him, his name was Oliver and he taught me never to be too naïve or trust people fully".

Terri was still staring, as Ana lifted her third ring.

"My third husband however was an attractive man, with a shining personality, he was older than me but I didn't care. We loved each other, I never trusted him though, I always thought he'd run off with another woman, but he never did. I was certain he was the one… and then he died in a car crash. His name was James, I learnt from him that you should cherish the good times you share with people".

And finally Ana lifted the fourth and final ring.

"My fourth husband… I was still in a dark place after James died. But I went to a holiday in Athens to try and move on with my life and have some fun. And there I met my fourth husband he looked like James and was an older man too. He was smart, funny, intelligent and we soon fell in love and got married" she sighed there before continuing.

"He was older, he wanted a family, but I wasn't ready for that, I was still young and still thinking about James so much. I soon realised this guy was more of a doppelganger for James than someone I actually loved and I travelled a lot and he never liked that. He just wanted to settle down, but we grew more distant and eventually I just couldn't take it anymore. I ended up cheating on him with a state senator I'd known for a while, he was a friend of mine and… well It just happened. And my husband found us together. And he killed the state senator.

Terri gasped.

"His name was Lee. He taught me… he taught me about the flaws about myself. He turned out to be a murderer in the end, maybe he was always like that. Maybe he simply lost his head. But the marriage ended for sure after that, I had cheated because I rushed into a marriage with him. I was young, impatient, grieving and lingered on the past too much. After Lee, I thought I'd never meet a man again but then Trent came… and pulled another James on me and died…" she sighed there "Yeah, I have been through a lot".

Terri looked out the windows, in the silence that followed Ana's words as she felt like a great burden had been lifted from her chest, by finally unloading to someone. She had told Oscar all this but… Oscar couldn't reply back. Oscar was a kind man but was limited in what he could say, he could drawn things that would make Ana feel better. But right now she needed more comfort.

"My dad… my dad always used to abuse me and my mother…" Terri began, deciding to finally explain her full story to someone who was willing to listen and Ana was that person.

Day 1965-Luis

Everything was falling apart.

The hostel, Mexico City… what was the difference? All communities fell in the end and no matter how positive some people tried to be and how strong this community seemed Luis wasn't one to be fooled. No, he wasn't that naïve fool he was a long time ago.

Here he was watching a man be hung, the first public execution in Wellington. It didn't take a genius for figure out where this community was going, straight to some form of dictatorship or something. Children were in the crowd watching this… what was this a slaughter fest! It was then Luis realised one particular child was looking directly at him.

He turned to face a girl with a quirky cap on her head, black hair and almond shaped eyes, she looked away the second his eyes found her's but something about this child intrigued Luis. Something in her eyes…some sort of fight. Luis couldn't explain it, it was only when he saw that woman Stephanie standing next to Clementine. That Luis realised something…

The names, Stephanie, Nick, Sarah… all the names the cult had described to him, was this the group or what was left of it? Luis didn't even know why he was interested in this group but for some reason he couldn't put his finger on, the group (and the girl in particular) grabbed his attention and curiosity.

Even as the crowd dispersed and he lied to his mother saying he was going to buy some more food for the house, he stealthily trailed behind that other group. The tall girl with glasses called Sarah, eventually addressed the smaller girl as "Clementine".

"You're late and where's the food?" Maria asked of him when he walked in, her face was drenched in sweat as she cooked some complex Bolognese. Ana was stood next to her, the two woman didn't usually see eye to eye, but it seemed like they could put aside their discomfort around each other for the day, in order to give the group a good meal.

"Sorry… forgot it. Got side-tracked" was Luis' lame excuse.

"Sounds more like you've snuck off with a girl!" Brandon teased him with, he was sat next to Terri and JJ on the couch, watching a DVD copy of "Shrek" which JJ was loving. Wilbert had nodded off in his personal armchair (he claimed it was his, before anyone could even sit down on them for the first time) Tom and Tim were probably still out constructing something no doubt, while Oscar was reading a comic.

"No, I didn't see any girls. Just took a walk to clear my head" Luis lied.

"Of the execution? Well that was horrible, an awful thing to see, take off your coat honey, yes…" Maria fussed as Luis made himself comfortable on the sofa opposite the other three teens in his group. His arrival woke up Wilbert who merely grunted at him as a means of "hello" while Oscar gave him a small wave

"I saw a child she could have barely been 13 watching that… did you see her? Girl in the cap?" Maria was gossiping away to Ana who was checking on the steaming saucepan.

"Yes, they were with the woman we first saw here. With the loudspeaker…" Ana said.

"Stephanie yes? Pretty little thing she is, together with that police officer in her group. The one that patrols this street sometimes. His quite the looker too, he has those lovely eyes…"

"Ah yes, I know who you mean"

"Never picked up his name though, I was speaking to one of their group. That Rebecca woman, the other day as I went to get the paper. Apparently that man and Stef have an adopted daughter together"

"Oh that's lovely…"

"Yes, I didn't speak too her long, because she was in a rush, but her group have been here longer and she told me how downhill this place has gone since they first arrived, it's a real shame…"

Ana and Maria continued to gossip on, but Luis soon lost interest as it moved to topics that had nothing to do with the group he was interested in. None of the others seemed to remember the whole cult situation, they had put it behind them, hence they didn't remember the names of the group members. But Luis did and he was curious… but also wary of what Wellington was slowly but surely becoming…

"Hmm… thinking about your girl?" Brandon teased him with cutting through Luis' train of thought.

"Yeah, was she pretty" JJ teased, emphasising the last word, as Luis merely sighed, yet before he could reply, even Wilbert joined in, just not as light heartedly as the other two.

"Hope you didn't get her pregnant, we don't your mistake lying here. Cryin', screamin' another mouth to feed…" he grumbled, as Luis had to mutter "For the love of… first you assume I've met a girl and then you assumed I fucked her? Is that really how you guys see me?"

There was a short pause.

"Just curious" was all JJ had to say.

Day 2000- Luis

He had saved Clementine.

She still tried to help people, she tried to help that pregnant woman who was being grabbed by those men. Luis was lucky he was nearby and managed to stop her from diving into the fray. Her response had been a furious one but he had argued logic and left her. She didn't tell the police about him being there.

That showed to him, despite what she had said to him, about their still being hope in this place, that she too knew this community was going to ruin. She knew it deep down and Luis was curious to speak to her about the cult and about what they had done to her group. It was hard to speak to people in this place because everyone stuck to their own groups.

But with the school opening today, Luis knew now was his chance to gather his allies.

"Oh… seeing you in school again! Ooohhh my baby!" Maria mused, hugging her disinterested son, who calmly had to remind her that "Mum, I'm 18 now" but that didn't stop her fussing over him.

"You'll be my little man. You got everything…"

"Yes"

"Food, Drink, Bag, Books, Pens…"

"Yes" Luis said slightly more annoyed.

"Pencils, Pens, rulers, compass…"

"Yes Mum!" Luis exclaimed, as Maria finally let him go. To the left of him, he saw Wilbert give JJ a quick pat on the shoulder and mutter "Enjoy yourself, don't let them big kids push you around and if they do just clobber them…"

"Or don't rise too it. You have a good day now JJ" Ana cut through Wilbert, smiling down at the 16 year old blonde boy.

"Thanks" he told them, he was simply bursting to get back into an actual school once again, Tom and Tim were busy speaking to Terri and Brandon, the 17 and 18 year old siblings nodded and hugged the twins before heading straight off into the school.

"Have a good day!" Maria sobbed, clearly emotional at the school's reopening, she kissed her crucifix once again and muttered to the sky "Thank you Jorge, thank you for getting us through this. Thank you for getting our son back to a school again where he has a chance of living an ordinary life. Amen."

Tom had gotten the group a car with the screws he saved up, the adults of the group soon drove off to work. Tim may have still wanted leadership and still felt neglected in this group and his frustration grew every day, but on the surface he was fine with everyone. Tom was himself and getting on with work, Maria was also herself, as were Ana and Oscar. Wilbert… Maria had noticed Wilbert's memory was starting to get increasingly poor.

She was worried, these were the first signs of… of really getting old and ill. JJ had just re-started school and Wilbert clearly still loved his grandson if anything were too happen to the old man, Maria worried about how it would affect the cheery 16 year old. But for now… everyone and everything appeared content.

In school however matters were different, Luis could feel it in his bones, sooner rather than later things were going to kick off, in a massive way. JJ was already running up to Sarah and Clementine, he was oblivious to this of course, oblivious to who they were. But seeing as JJ and Sarah were now chatting merrily and Brandon and Terri were hanging back to speak with each other it left no one but Luis and Clementine in the corridor.

Luis tried to make her see, but she didn't, as they walked along into the assembly hall. Luis suddenly realised why he was interested in her. She was a fighter, her group had fought the cult similar to them. He wanted this girl to help him, to be his ally because when things went to shit, which they were going too. Luis was going to need more allies to survive.

The Wellington Wolf, government corruption, something was wrong in Wellington and Luis knew no community was ever going to last. He was a survivor now and as selfish as it sounded he needed as much allies as he could get, to keep himself and his group alive.

Over 2000 days what had Luis and his group learned? What had they truly learnt in 5 and a half years?

The answer was simple.

They had learnt how to survive. They were all survivors.

And they were going to keep on surviving.