All Hope Is Gone

Anastasia watched as the world around them whipped by from the passenger side of Daryl's truck during the long drive towards the CDC and she could feel sleep weighing heavy over her shoulders.

“Ya' gonna tell me or what?” his voice was gruff and shook the feeling from her.

She turned her head towards him and watched as his jaw tensed and eye flickered over her before going back to the road ahead of them, “When I'm ready.”

A scoff came from his throat, “Sneaky bitch.”

“So how did the group come together?” Anastasia tucked her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around them.

Daryl looked over once more with a brow raised, “Just sorta came tagether is all.”

“Yeah, you don't seem like the kinda guy that just 'comes together' with people.”

He shrugged, “When it came ta it, they had shelter and food, survival, ya know?”

“Hm, fair enough.”

Daryl wanted to ask her again about the thing she wasn't telling him but knowing the woman wasn't going to give that yo easily he settled in and asked her something else. "You were pretty scared in that building...what made ya decide to come with us?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips and for a moment she didn't answer. Anastasia just sat in the big truck seat and searched herself for a proper answer and noticed that no longer did she feel the same fear that had plagued her in the city. "Survival, you know?"

He grunted at her reply. “Smart arse. It's gonna be dark soon, hope we reach there before that.” Daryl nodded towards the sun burnt afternoon skies beginning to fade into inevitable darkness.

Anastasia looked forward, city like structures coming into view on the horizon. “Looks like it's your lucky day, Daryl.”

His eyes squinted at the building. "Well ya-haw." Tone slick with subtle sarcasm.

The line of vehicles came to a slow stopped just as night was beginning inset in around the group. Quickly they scurried from cars with whatever weapons they carry long with them.
Looking up at the building little buds of hope began to bloom in their chests, Rick leading the way to the front entrance.

“Looks like no one's in there, man,” Shane protested when Rick banged his hand over the armored building. "Keep it down! You know we're in Walker territory."

“No,” Rick shook his head, “Someone has to be in there,” he began to bang louder over the metal structure sending alarm through the camp.

“Rick, you're making too much noise,” Lori took her husband's arm and tugged it away.

“Yeah man, this is a waste we need to - Oh Shit!” Shane looked to his side raised his gun. It fired with a bellow into the swarm of oncoming walkers shuffling towards them.

“Let us in!!” screamed Rick banging his whole being against the building, “You're going to kill us!! You're killing us!”

“Dammit Rick,” Shane hooked an arm around the cops waist and began to tug him away as the women screamed and began to scatter with children in arms, men taking in their duty and fighting off the infected the best they could.

Anastasia split from Daryl's side and joined in helping to bash away the walkers from wrapping their rotting teeth around the kids. She yanked her gun from her waist and fired the last bullets she had into three of the Walkers who dropped to the ground.

“Open up!” as Rick screamed with all his might a sudden voice came over the building and a light flooded them as one of the shield raised. They stepped back in a moment and forgot about the walkers.

“Hurry.” Was all the voice said. It was calm and collected as the group rushed in away from the snapping hungry jaws of people who once walked and talked as they did.



Bottle of drink and plates food flowed around a long table as the group sat in a drunken humor enjoying the relief and the safety given to them inside the CDC. Around them were computers long shut off and a series of lights hanging above their heads. The spirit of the group was so heady and lifted that they had almost forgotten about the terror outside.

Anastasia sat across from Daryl watching as he threw down another shot of whiskey and even though the joy seemed infectious, she wasn't feeling any of it. The man who let them in had turned out to be the only one left, Jenner.
People spoke of old times and joked about times with people long gone now and as the story telling grew to a high Anastasia could feel the sickly effects of the wine on her and pushed back on her chair.

“Where are you going?” Rick asked looking up with another glass of wine in his hand.

She smiled. “Not feeling so good, gonna get some shut eye if it's all the same,” tilting her head in a nod Anastasia pulled herself from the celebrations.

"Sleep tight." Lori replied and pulled Anastasia down for a hug. "You've done so much for us already, thank you."

"It's fine." Anastasia patted the brown haired woman's back and pulled away to stumble off to a room for the night.

As Anastasia walked down the hallway she could still hearing the group celebrating. But as she clambered further and further down the hall all Anastasia could think about were her own terrible memories and the horrendous thing she'd done. Wrapping her hand tight around the locket.

“Oh god, what did I do?” Tears stung her eyes and began to trickle fast down her face while he legs began to slow and buckle. Her body slumped into a wall for support as it began to shudder. "I'm sorry...so sorry..."

“Hey..." Daryl had chosen to take the bottle of whiskey and do the same and head off to retire for the night. But as he made his own way through the building he'd caught sight of Anastasia as she slowed to a stop. "Whoa!” Daryl rushed forward and his arms grabbed the woman as her body dropped to the floor. He looked down at her as she turned into nothing but a sobbing wreck, burying her face into his chest.

“I killed her Daryl! I killed my little girl!” Anastasia wailed into his shirt and her tears soaking through the material.

He felt his eyes widen and heart beat begun to race. “Wha...?” But as he asked, Anastasia had already lost herself in wails as the guilt poured out. Daryl grunted pulling the woman to her feet, “Women, always gotta be cryin' 'bout something.”



“Finally up? Didn't think even the dead coulda raised ya,” Daryl looked up from the end of the bed, bows in hand with a cloth cleaning the gore and gunk from them.

“Huh?” Anastasia pushed her hair back from her face and gingerly sat up and pulled the covers over her as she did.

“Heh, don't worry nothin' I ain't seen before, darlin'.” Daryl had an uncharacteristic smirk written across his face.

Anastasia looked at him confused until he pointed to her bare shoulders. She looked down and noticed her apparent lack of clothes. “Oh Jesus Daryl!” Making to gather more of the sheets around her she glared back at him.

“Still kept yer panties on.” He chuckled, it'd been a long time since a topless girl had been in his bed.

Anastasia eyed him up and down, “Did we....?”

“Nah.” Daryl shook his head, “You passed out an' Dale came round askin' for clothes ta be washed. Tried to wake ya...but like I said and yer clothes stank. There is some clean ones he said should fit ok next to ya,” he nodded towards the spot on the floor next to her side of the bed.

“Um thanks...I guess." Anastasia forced her limbs from the bed and reached down for the clothes as her head began to swim and ache. "Ugh, I didn't think I drank so much last night.”

“Ya did, half bottle o' rum and god knows how many glasses of wine. I was impressed,” he snuck a peek as she pulled the bra and black tank top on. “Do ya remember what ya said to me last night?” His voice suddenly hit a sombre note which was something no one was used to hearing from Daryl, a man who always fought first and never asked questions later.

Anastasia was just buttoning her jeans and her hands froze. “Yeah,” her eyes shut for a moment. “Could you not tell anyone, please?”

Placing his bows on the spot next to his feet, Daryl stood, “Ain't my business to tell. Was that what you were gonna tell me?”

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah it was,” blinking back tears Anastasia focused her attention to the floor ignoring as Daryl stepped closer.

“How'd it happen?”

“Um,” her hands found the back pockets of the jeans and drove themselves in deep. “It wasn't long before you and your group found me...maybe an hour? I'm not sure. Dana had been infected early that morning, a small group caught us outside the building and I thought...I thought we had gotten away. Dana was a brave girl and didn't wanna worry me by saying one had scratched her arm, too much fuss she said.” A sad smile flashed over her lips for a moment as Daryl watched her relive the event in her head.
“We weren't in there, where you found me, for long before I noticed the change and even then she wasn't scared. Silly thing, she was always so tough like her dad. But the infection moved so fast, so damn fast and before I knew it Dana wasn't my daughter anymore and I was pinning her down.” Anastasia looked up at Daryl. “Before she could bite or scratch me I grabbed my knife and stabbed her through the head and I just kept stabbing.”

As he stood their Daryl could feel the sorrow roll from Anastasia. It was like a sickening weight bearing down over him. “Hey,” he hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look up at him. “You did what ya hadda ta survive, it's what we all do now.”

“But she was my daughter and it was my job to protect her and I failed. I failed!”

Daryl took a step back but not because her sudden raised voice had startled him, hell he was Daryl Dixon nothing startled him, but because as Anastasia spoke Daryl knew the weight of her words and felt the guilt and anguish she felt.
With his brother missing Daryl felt the same pain and guilt for not keeping up the search for Merle, they were all they had left in this world and now he was alone. He had left Merle out there alone to fight for survival.

“Shit. Um...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burst out like that.” Anastasia wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. “Thanks...for not going to tell anyone.”

Daryl nodded and felt an off awkwardness rise between them. “Yeah.”

As Daryl turned to retrieve his bows a sudden ZIP sounded through the room. “Did the air con just die?” Anastasia asked looking up at the silent vent.

Looking up Daryl nodded. “Yea, it did.”

“That's odd.” Voices from others rooms began to emerge into the hallway. “Sounds like it's the lights too.”

“Somethin' ain't right. Come on.”



“What do you mean this is the end?!” Rick screamed as Jenner sat with a quaint smile over his aged face.

“I mean this is it. There is nothing left out there for anyone, no cure and no hope,” the man replied, “I am giving you a quick way out from this torture you call a life.”

Anastasia stood back, her hand mindlessly resting on Daryl's arm, “So you're going to kill us all because you think it's the right thing to do?”

“She is right, this is a choice we have the right to make on our own, not you!” Rick pleaded.

The door to the computer station slammed shut, “It's too late now.” Defiant protests began to sound from the group and all falling on Jenner's deaf ears, “I said it's too late. That timer,” he pointed to the red number counting down. “Is all the time left until a cloud of fire takes us all away from this senseless and violent world.”

Falling to her knees Anastasia closed her eyes, “This can't be the end, it just can't be. Something more has to be out there.”

Daryl looked down as her words reached his ears, “Dammit!”

Anastasia looked up to see Daryl stomp over to the door and smash the fire emergency box with his fist pulling the red headed axe out and begin bashing away at the door.
Rick continued to reason and plead with Jenner and all around them women were crying and men joined in with Daryl in an attempt to beat down the steel door.
Madness surrounded Anastasia, maybe this was for the best.

“Fine,” his fingers clacked at the keyboard before him, “Just...hurry.”

The door opened with a groan and shudder, “Come on!” Rick called to his group and pushed them out.

“Anastasia, let's go,” she felt Daryl's hand on her arm as he pulled her from the floor, pushing her before him and out the door. Just as Anastasia exited the door she looked back and noticed Jenner whispering something to Rick but beyond that she a woman. She knew the blond haired woman as Andrea and she also remembered that Andrea had had to kill her infected sister on the road after the attack.
"Come on!" Daryl tugged at her arm.

"Why isn't she coming with us?" Pointed out Anastasia when Andrea refused to move even as Dale urged her too.

"I don't know. Dale'll take care of her. Come on!" Again he tugged her arm and this time was relieved when she moved from her spot. His hand let go of her arm and moved to grab her hand making sure she was right behind him.

Exploding the almost shatter proof window sprayed thick hunks of grass over the green lawn that the CDC sat upon saw the group out in the open without much time before flames would swallow the building and the ground it stood upon whole.

Following Daryl they reached his truck and quickly jumped in slamming the doors shut behind them. “Andrea and Dale didn't come out...”

Daryl grunted as they watched the building. Long moments of anticipated silence passing over them before two figures emerged from the window.

“They made it!” Anastasia yelped with relief as she moved closer to the passenger side door.

“Shit, geddown!” Daryl shouted pushing Anastasia down on the passenger side seat, his body protecting hers.

Flames quickly swarmed around the creation of glass and steel. It sounded like an army of bees humming around them as the fire engulfed everything it could reach and destroyed it without question or reason why. Heat wafted itself through the truck from the building and was followed by the sound of shattering glass exploding into the earth and the steel that once held the building so full of once was hope began to groan and buckle under itself.

“Jesus Christ,” exclaimed Daryl as he and Anastasia slowly moved to look out the trucks window, his arm still hung around her shoulders ready to pull her back down if there was a secondary explosion.

Andrea and Dale quickly scuttled from their hiding place behind a mountain of sand bangs and into the RV waiting for them.

It was time to move on again.