A weird sense of deja-vu washed over me as I stabbed wooden stake into the earth. Michonne was with me, keeping walkers at bay while I set up the outer perimeter. Exactly like the hotel one. I still hadn't found out what had happened at the hotel and why that had failed. Life was easier in the hotel, it was a little peace of heaven and I doubted we would run into The Govenor if we had stayed there. But we would never had found Michonne, Nathan or Charlotte.

"That's enough for today I think,"I sighed, wiping my brow.

Another perk of the hotel was no walker went near it. Out here, they seemed to be attracted to it. I also felt like I was being watched. I kept reminding myself it was paranoia, nothing was actually watching my every move. Some one would have noticed by now. Right? Michonne nodded before whirling her katana through the top of a walker's skull. She followed me to the gate which Carl opened for us.

"Hey, kid,"I smiled at him.

He smiled back and slid the gate shut. Michonne and I walked side by side halfway up the path. I stopped walking, spotting Daryl off in the distance. Michonne stopped too, smirking.

"What?"I asked.

"Nothing,"she smiled before continuing up the path towards Glenn.

I crossed the grass over to Daryl. He sat on the ground watching Charlotte play with Sam, holding a rope in his hands.

"Whatcha doin'?"I asked, plopping down beside him. His body moved with a slight laugh.

"Makin' a swing,"he mumbled, pointing to a tire leaning against the side of the fence.

"That's sweet of you. You didn't have to make me a swing,"I joked.

He glanced up from the rope and stared at me. He saw that I was kidding and laughed a little.

"But, seriously? I'll probably end up shoving her off it... I love swings."

Charlotte turned and glared at me, scrunching up her lightly freckled nose. She ran over. I opened up my arms but to my surprise, she plonked herself down on Daryl's lap. He sighed slightly, dropped the rope and shifted his weight. All I could do was stare.

"Can we build a playground, Daryl?"

"Might. Pass tha' tire willya?"He asked lifted her off his lap.

She hurried over to the tire as I continued to stare. He looked at me and smiled a tiny bit.

"Wha?"

"Nothing."

Charlotte sat down in my lap this time and watched Daryl loop the rope through the tire. We all jumped as a loud bang rang though the air. We turned as Nathan strode out of the prison and flung the gate open.

"Hey!"Glenn spat, running to check the gate for damage.

Nathan ignored him and nearly skipped over to us.

"Hate to break up this beautiful family gathering-"

I felt my cheeks flush and burn.

"-but I think I found something."

I looked back to Daryl. His eyes fell from Nate to me. We jumped up, I had Charlotte in my arms and I set her down. I caught her hand and followed the two men past Glenn's gate, Sam running back and forth between us. I left Charlotte with Carol and hurried through the corridors towards Nathan's office.

Pigsty, is the word I would choose to describe the room. In one corner piles of book and pages were thrown carelessly, sheets and wrappers littered the floor. Dirty dishes and half full mugs were left in random places. Carol and I would venture down here to bring him food. He barely left the room, only to gather supplies for his "research." I've never seen Nathan work, whenever I came in he was spinning in his chair, head back staring at the ceiling. He'd tell me that's how he gets the blood to his head. I'd tell him he'd have plenty of blood in his head if he got out more. When he's not doing that he was "rowing" the chair across the room with plank he had found. I worried about my friend, I think there's something seriously wrong with him. He wasn't taking this whole apocalypse as serious as the rest of us; he just didn't seem to give a fuck.

"This is disgusting,"I mumbled.

Rick and Hershel were here also. Rick was sitting in a low armchair, head in hand and his ankle rested on his knee. Hershel was leaning against the wall beside him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm a pig, whatever Harls,"He muttered yanking open the drawers in his desk one by one, searching for something.

"Can y'all sit down, you're making me uncomfortable."

Daryl and I crossed over to a couch against the wall opposite Rick and Hershel. Nathan dug into one of the drawers and pulled up a glass vial. There was clear liquid inside of it that half filled it He pulled out four more.

"Right. So, Harleigh,"he said holding up the full vial."This was in your blood."

I stared at the vial, half pretending that I knew what was going on. Thankfully Rick was as lost as I was.

"What is that?"

"Well... I don't know,"Nathan shrugged."I'm not trained in biological crap. But whatever it is, only she has it. We checked my blood, Hershel's, Maggie's and some kid. I'm guessing her body just made it. Y'know that's what bodies do, think of the common cold. They learn how to defend themselves against it, fight it off. That's what white blood cells do. It's there function. I dunno what this shit is. Hershel has traces of it..."

I still didn't understand anything.

"So, that stuff... can fight off infection?"Rick asked.

"Yup."

"Is there any way to-"

"Putting this in some one else's body would be stupid,"Nathan said bluntly."Can't share body fluids. It's dangerous."

"So it's useless..."I sighed.

"Well, I don't know. There might be some way... I mean Hershel some how has it-"

"He was bit,"Rick said.

Nathan rubbed his jaw, nodding.

"There must have been a tiny bit in the system that he could beat. Too risky. We can't let everyone receive a bite and then chop their leg off."

Nathan leaned back in the chair and we all sat in silence. It wasn't much but it was something. Nathan rubbed his forehead.

"Something with the nervous system... something the blood carries... something Harleigh has that the rest of us don't."

He looked up from the desk and stared at me. Well, this is awkward; all the men's eyes were on me.

"Do you have any... I dunno... maybe a flaw? Something went wrong in your development? Or right, maybe? Maybe some illness?"

I shook my head.

"I wonder if it's in your family maybe... No one else left?"

"No..."

"Maybe if you have ki-"

"No, Nate."

"Fine, fine... What happened to you at the start of this? Anything attack you?"

"Nope... I remember feeling sick?"

"Headache?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you just got lucky,"Nathan shrugged."I'll see if there's anything I can do to make it safe..."

I nodded and stood up, along with the others. I led the way towards the door, hearing Hershel's crutches clicking behind me.

"Oh and Harleigh?"Nathan said just as I opened the door.

I looked over at him.

"You haven't been feeling dizzy lately? Weak?"

"No,"I said slowly."Why?"

"Just... making sure. Be sure to eat alright?"

I raised my brow at him before nodding. We all huddled outside the corridor.

"That son-uv-a-bitch don't know nuthin',"Daryl muttered.

They started a whispered argument about god knows what, while I racked my brains for whatever Nathan meant by feeling dizzy or weak. I shook my head and brushed past the men. I needed to get the hell out of this damn prison. I hurried outside to look for Glenn and Maggie. Maggie was crossing yard holding a bucket.

"Mags!"I called jogging over.

She turned and smiled.

"Yeah?"She held her hand up to her forehead, blocking out the sun.

"Wanna go on a run? I'm going either way. I'm gonna go nuts if I spend another day cooped up in here sitting like a duck."

Maggie thought about it for a moment before nodding. She went off to find Glenn. I walked back into the prison and down to Nathan's office. The three men were still whisper/yelling at one another. They hadn't noticed that I had left until I swung the office door open. Nathan was wearing thick rimmed glasses... with uhm... no lenses.

"C'mon, you're getting out of this room."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well... ok... will you tell those fools that I can hear them questioning my sanity,"he said standing up.

He followed me past the guys and we went outside.

"Was the sun always this bright?"

I don't know if he's joking or not. We met up with Maggie, Glenn and Michonne.

"What are y'all doing?"Rick asked striding out of the prison, hand on his holster.

"Going on a run!"Nathan chirped, happily.

Rick raised a brow at him then turned his gaze to me. I shrugged and grinned.

"Y'know how I feel about this, Leigh."

"We'll take good care of her, sir-"

"Nate. Shuddup, your enthusiasm pisses me off,"I half joked.

"Take Daryl with you,"Rick mumbled."Take the bus too... don't split up alright? Stay together and for the love of god just come back."

Daryl stepped out of the prison just as Charlotte galloped over to me. She jumped into my arms.

"We goin' somewhere?"He asked.

I nodded. The others started putting supplies onto the bus.

"Char, stay here with Rick."

"NO!"

I sighed a little and put her down on the ground. I looked up at Daryl. He shrugged.

"Six adults and a kid? I think we could handle that,"I mumbled. Charlotte grinned and climbed up the steps onto the yellow bus. Daryl and I followed.

"AW YEAH! ROAD TRIP!"Nathan cheered flopping down onto one of the benches.

"Make that five adults and two kids."

Michonne climbed into the driver seat. Something told me that bringing a hyper-active 30 something year old was not a good idea.

"Harleigh,"Rick called, stepping onto the bus.

I turned and faced him. He held out what looked like a silver box.

"Take this,"he said, putting it into my hands.

Our fingers brushed lightly, causing my breath to be caught in my chest. I looked down at the walkie-talkie in an attempt to cover my blushing cheeks.

"If you guys decide to stay somewhere tonight, contact us. I'll have some one by ours every minute, alright? Be safe."

His eyes connected with mine momentarily. I nodded again, unsure of what to say. He nodded back and stepped off the bus. Luckily everyone on the bus was busy with whatever to not notice my burning cheeks.

Everyone, except Daryl. I glanced at him for a second, but long enough to see a look of confusion. I sat down feeling guilt eating away at my insides. I stared down at the walkie-talkie. Nathan's head popped up from behind the seat in front of me. He gave me that knowing look, that just pissed me off.

Why was everything I felt so damn obvious. Obvious to everyone else it seemed, I mean what the hell am I even doing? Why do emotions still exist? Why couldn't they be wiped out like everything else!? Charlotte scampered up onto my bench and sat on my lap. I smiled at her just as the engine started up.

"Are you sad?"She whispered.

I shook my head.

"Take this,"I said handing her a pocket knife."Point it away from you alright?"

She nodded and put it away. I stared out the window, avoiding Daryl as we rolled down the yard and out of the gate.

Notes

Hi. I gave you two chapters today because my internet has been shit and i feel bad... I will update again tomorrow!
leave some love so I know y'all are still with me? keep that wonderfulfeedback coming it cheers me up.

I just saw that this is one of the most popular?! WTF IS THAT?! i don't even know what to say?omygoodness im going to... idk? die? cry? I ?!?!?! BAH??? i don't really believe it holy sons of bitches
THANK YOU i love you so much!