Authors Note:

So I read through this story and I cant believe some of the mistakes there are and it's stupid stuff I don't even know how it happened. Things like missing words and sentences that are actually present in the original document. No idea how that happened but I'm going to go through and fix it so it's a better reading experience for everyone. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 9

To the CDC we go, On the highway to hell.

The morning came and preparations were happening from the start; tents were packed up, the last of the supplies gathered up and so on. Before we moved on there was a meeting by the convoy explaining the plan and forms of communication for the trip, though I noticed Merle and Daryl were absent. The Morales family and a few others had decided to go their own way, Dad and Shane saw them off with friendliness and more importantly ammunition. Not that I thought a pistol and a few rounds would help them survive in a bad situation but what can I say? I'm a realist. The meeting came to an end and the campers started filtering into the vehicles when it dawned on me, I had no idea how I was getting to the CDC. I quickly looked around, the RV was full as were all the cars I could see bar one; Shanes Jeep. I wasn't eager to jump into a car with him. I looked round once more spotting my Dad waving me over, I jogged my over greeting my little brother with a hug before he jumped into the backseat with Sophia and Carol.

"Is everything okay Lex? You're looking a little lost."

"Probably 'cause I am, I totally forgot you drained the Golf and haven't worked out other travel arrangements. Not sure where to go for a ride, I see you're all full here." I looked around the camp again, purposefully avoiding Shane's Jeep. Any car but that one please.

"Well what about Shane? He has spaces in his jeep, he won't mind." Oh I think he will, that would not be a comfortable ride at all and it seemed my Mom agreed by the alarmed look at me from inside the car. I bit my lip, raking my mind for an excuse when a voice grabbed our attention.

"Hey! We gotta' get movin'! You hear me Killer!?" I spin around smiling wildly, that was a voice I didn't think I would hear again. I finish up my conversation with Dad and start to walk to the Dixon truck when my Mom pipped up.

"Alex you can't be serious? You don't know these men, they're dangerous! I know you're on good terms now but trust me I've spent enough time with them to know you can't trust them. Now go with Shane please." She demanded in her best 'Mothers authority' voice. I just rolled my eyes, turned and kept walking. That may have worked when I was eight but that's not the case anymore.

I couldn't stop the grin on my face as I approached the Dixon's truck with a slight spring in my step. I was convinced they were gone for good and I'd never see them again! I hoped that meant they had changed their minds to stay for good!

Not that I'd tell them that to their faces.

"Will you get that damn grin off your face and get in the damn truck, you're creeping me out!" Merle laughed as I approached the passenger door.

"You have no idea how much you just saved my ass!" I laughed opening the door and sliding in to the cab after throwing my bag into the back of the truck where a vintage chopper was secured.

"Well does that mean you owe us a personal favour now killer?" I didn't have to look to know there was a lewd smirk on his face and I definitely didn't need to look to know there was a scowl on Daryl's face, judging by how much he tensed up next to me.

"Come on Merle we both know you aren't getting any from me, hell I don't think you'll be getting any from any woman in a long, long time."

"Now why would you say a thing like that Killer? I am a fine man in my prime and all the ladies want to hustle down with old Merle." He hadn't even finished before I was laughing my ass off. Merle started yelling about throwing me out the truck or something but I couldn't tell you much else, I was too busy trying to stop hackling like witch on Halloween. I was surprised when I glanced at Daryl to see him chuckling a bit too, at me or Merle I wasn't sure but it was nice to see him smile and relax a bit.

After we calmed down the three of us kept talking and laughing, just generally having what would've been considered a normal conversation between three people. I learned a few things about the Dixon brothers on the ride, not that they shared their life stories but I picked up on some things; While Merle was considered the boisterous one, Daryl could be just as outgoing if a bit less lewd. Hunting was in their blood; their Dad hunted and taught them but that was all they said about him, I got the feeling he wasn't someone they missed at all. The bike was Merles though Daryl said he'd been using it less and less over the years and he didn't understand why he kept it or at least gave it away. The journey continued like that for a while and I was actually having fun with the two men, seemed like they were too. Until the radio started to go off on one.

"Can you three dumbasses keep it down!? I can hear you all shrieking over the god damn engines! You going to draw more attention!" Came the voice of the man I hated most right now.

"Fucking prick." I muttered, leaning back in my seat.

"So what's your problem with the pig? Isn't he an old friend of your family?" Daryl questioned, drawing my attention from the scenery rolling by outside the window.

"Apart from him screwing my Mom? Yeah, Merle filled me in back in Atlanta." I sighed sitting up again staring at the Jeep ahead of us, my family inside it. "My parents were having problems for a while and when Dad went into his coma, Shane took the opportunity to start getting a little too close to my Mom. The day things went to shit, Shane came running to our house screaming about how Dad was dead and we had to leave, I didn't believe him but my Mom? She ate it up and left no questions asked and left without me. I stayed and found my Dad, protected and alive. Shane lied to us and I'm not totally convinced it was just to save my family, given the way things played out." I explain while glaring at Shane's stupidly open car in the wing mirror.

"So you think he lied to get to your Mom? You sure about that?" The younger brother asked sceptically, like I didn't know what I was talking about.

"I know he did, my dad's here alive isn't he? Doesn't take a genius to take a pulse. He abandoned his 'best friend' and moved in on his wife. So obviously he isn't in my good books, and honestly, neither is she." I ended snappily leaning back again, closing my eyes. This was the first time I'd said this out loud to anyone, to the Dixon brothers of all people! I promised myself I'd tell my Dad back in Atlanta but how was I supposed to do that? It would destroy him, and Carl too! I really didn't know what to do with the situation anymore.

"Trust you to bring all this drama with you, things were fine before you came here, now it's all gone to shit." Came the snide comment from the man sitting next to me. I huff sitting up yet again and turn to the arrogant red neck; red faced and ready to argue!

"Will you two cut it out! I am not going to sit here listening to you hotheads take bites out each other! At least not sober, and somebody's Daddy threw away my stash…" Merle trailed sending me a look, I was too shocked at his intervention to care. Normally he would just let me and Daryl go at it till one of us walks off, I guess we don't have that option being stuck in a truck. Still surprising to see Merle be the peacemaker.

"For god's sake you guys need to go screw already so the rest of us can have some peace."

Not as surprising as that though.

The rest of journey was, shall we say, a bit awkward? Well, it was for me anyway. Merle's comment had shut up any rebuttal I would've come up with and left me and Daryl tense for the remainder of the trip. I stuck to looking out the window, Daryl stayed quiet and Merle, he made comments and jokes to himself with no reaction from his brother or myself. The journey was a good few hours, having to go around the city and find different roads since the main highways were blocked up. To say it was tense was an understatement and I couldn't stop the feeling of relief when the convoy parked up. I practically jumped out of the truck, grabbing my Beretta's from their holsters and hurrying to my Dad's side, ignoring the two men behind me.

It was starting to get dark, the sun hardly peaking over the horizon, not the ideal time of day to just be arriving somewhere we have no clue about. Dead bodies littered the ground, both Walker and civilian alike. Personally, I didn't take this as a good sign at all. Surely if the CDC was operational it wouldn't be this bad out here? Even still we had to hope, especially since we're here now.

"Dad I have to admit, this doesn't look good." I say, sending a sideward glance his way, trying to keep an eye on our surroundings.

"We'll be fine, Lex. Okay everyone let's move quick and stay quiet, alright? Come on." With that we all followed through the bodies and the flies to the impressive looking building. There were already Walkers milling around and with the added noise of our group, particularly the whining women, more were starting to be drawn in. Add in the unfortunate fact that they get more active at night and things weren't looking the best the best. When we reached the doors, Dad and Shane stated looking for a way in; pulling and banging on the metal shutters, trying to get them to budge. They didn't.

"There's nobody here." I hear T-Dog state to my father. I had decided to keep an eye on our backs while we could, something the Dixon brothers had decided was a good idea too.

"Then why are these shutters down." It was more of a statement than a question in reply. Daryl called out the couple of Walkers that were creeping up behind us, myself and the brothers readying our weapons. The kids and the Moms started to panic as Daryl took care of one of the Walkers quietly before turning on the deputy sheriff.

"You led us to a damn graveyard! You and your daughter!" He yelled, brandishing his crossbow at the both of us, I turned to glare and moved further into the group to stand by Rick ready to blow up at the younger red neck. Surprisingly Shane beat me to it.

"He made a call!"

"It was the wrong damn call!" Shane pushed at Daryl trying to get him to shut up but not being very successful as the younger Dixon kept biting back.

"Do you want to make this worse than it is? All your useless hollering is just going to attract more Walkers you stupid idiot!" I interject, pointing aggressively to emphasise my point. I can hear Mom, Dad and Shane going at it behind me.

"Don't point your skinny ass fingers at me you dumb bitch! It's your fault we're here! We should've left you all in the dust instead of sticking around for you!" I was ready to shout back, to tell him to leave if that's what he wanted but I was stopped short when the blue-eyed man grabbed me by the waist and started to drag me away with everyone else, including my Dad being dragged away by Shane.

We didn't get far before we were stopped by bright lights and mechanical noises behind me. I turned around in silent shock and stared with everyone else as the metal shutters ascended revealing the real door with a single man stood in the entrance. I couldn't stop the single disbelieving laugh from leaving my lips.

The CDC was active.

Authors Note:

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter for one and a quick upload speed for me! So now I'll be off to try and correct the mistakes that happened in every chapter before this just to make the story better overall for everyone. See you next time!