Atlanta

"Alright everybody listen up!"

Everyone had gathered that following morning, clinging to our belongings. All the food supplies were moved to the white van, and T-Dog and Jacqui offered to take responsiblity for it. I stood directly next to Dani as always, and wondered what would come of these next few days. I glanced around at the group, and stopped at Daryl. I frowned as I realised that he hadn't even looked at me since our talk in my tent. Was he going to be one of those guys that played hard to get? Or did he just geniunely not care?

"Those of you with CB's, we're gonna be on channel 40, best keep chatter down, okay? Now you have a problem, don't have a CB, can't get a signal, anything at all, you gonna hit your horn one time, that'll stop the RV. Any questions?"

"We're, uh...we're not going." I turned to the voice, and saw Morales standing with his wife, clutching his children. I felt my heart drop, not wanting this to be the last time I ever saw them. Despite the fact that I had never spoken to any of them, they still felt like family somehow.

"We have family in Birmingham, we wanna be with our people," his wife, Miranda explained. I understood completely, but still didn't really want to see them go.

"You''l be on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane warned them.

"We'll take that chance." Morales said in defence. "I gotta do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked. I don't think he was too keen on letting people go out on their own, either.

"We talked about it - we're sure." Rick and Shane handed them a gun and half a box of bullets, when
Lori came over to hug Miranda. I stepped forward, next to hug her. As I did, I murmured in her ear my last words.

"I'm sorry we never got to know each other, but I wish you the best of luck with your family." As I pulled away, she smiled and thanked me. I shook Morales' hand, wishing him the same, and told him to be careful.

"Come on, let's go! Move out." Morales and Miranda and their children walked off to their car, as we were ushered into our own. Rick led Lori and Carl into their car, T-Dog and Jacqui started our old van. I looked around for Daryl, but I noticed his brother's chopper in the pickup, so automatically assumed he was in there. Shane got into his jeep on his own, and that left Andrea, Glenn, Dale, Dani and I to file into the RV. Andrea and Dani headed to the back to see how Jim was doing, while I dumped all our stuff in the back, getting out the things we would need. I set about making sandwiches while Dale started up the RV, and we all took off.

~*~

"So what's it like in Scotland then?" I heard Glenn ask from the passenger seat, and Dani and I laughed a little to ourselves.

"What have you heard?" Dani asked, and I chuckled even more.

"I've heard it's cold. And it rains a lot." Andrea piped in, smiling in amusement.

"I heard the highlands are absoloutely beautiful." Dale called from the front.

"I heard you all eat something called haggis." I rolled my eyes overdramatically while Dani burst out laughing.

"Typical!"

"Okay, first one is mostly true, second one is definitely true, and Glenn, what do you think haggis is?" I saw him peek around into the back and give a nervous smile.

"An animal?" Dani gave Andrea a look, and I walked up to the front to kneel in between him and Dale, and slapped him lightly on the back of his head. "Hey!"

"A common, and extremely irritating misconception!" He just laughed along with us, and I rubbed his shoulder to show I was joking. The RV stalled suddenly, and Dale groaned.

"Oh not this!"

"What happened?" Andrea called from behind and Dale pulled the RV to a halt, unfastening his seatbelt.

"RV's done!" He hopped out, and everyone piled out after him.

"What's going on?" Shane asked, and Dale gestured to the front of the RV, which was smoking more than a Glasgwegian teenager.

"Told you the hose wouldn't last long. And i'm out of duct tape." I looked around to see if we were near any civilisation, but there was nothing. We were in the middle of nowhere.

"I see something up ahead. Gas station, if we're lucky." Shane corrected me, and I was about to ask him how far it looked until Andrea jumped out of the RV, panicked.

"Guys, it's Jim. And it's bad. I don't think he can take any more." She disappeared back in to keep an eye on him.

"Hey Rick, you wanna hold down the fort while I scout on ahead?" Shane asked, his binoculars back to his eyes.

"I'll come too," T-Dog offered. "I'll back you up."

"Keep your eyes open, we'll be right back." Shane and T-Dog drove off in the jeep while Rick jumped into the RV to check on Jim. I sat down, rested against the side of the RV while the others chatted. I pulled my sunglasses over my eyes while everyone continued to bicker about the road ahead. Most of them were fears, but I had high hopes. Sometimes it's good for change.

"Is he okay?" I heard Lori ask Rick as he stepped out of the RV. I got to my feet and went over to join the group. Rick shook his head solemnly, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"He wants us to leave him there." Everyone went silent, looking to their feet, not knowing what to say. "It's what he said he wants."

"Maybe he's lucid?" Carol asked.

"He seems to be....I would say yes." I disagreed, but I didn't want to say.

"Back at the camp, when I agreed with Daryl, and you shut me down, you misunderstood." Dale added. "I would never go along with callously killing a man, I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. I think we have an answer." Part of me wanted to keep him with us, not let go, but I saw Jim's intentions. He was doing it to protect us.

"We just leave him here? Take off? Man i'm not sure I could live with that." Shane sounded more sincere, softer, than usual.

"It's not your call." Lori pointed out. "Either one of you."

"She's right. Jim's just trying to do what's best for the group." I added, glad I could make my point. Rick nodded, and him and Shane brought him off the RV, and lay him by a nearby tree.

"Hey look! Another damn tree!" He mumbled sarcastically, and I frowned. Poor guy.

"Hey Jim, you know it don't need to do this." Jim shook his head, adamant.

"No, it's good. The breeze feels nice." Shane tapped his leg.

"Okay. Alright." Shane stepped back, and Jaqui was the first to step forward.

"Just close your eyes sweetie. Don't hide." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek through her tears, before stepping back and letting Rick take over.

"Jim, do you want this?" Rick offered him his gun, but he shook his head.

"No, you need it. I'll be okay." He scoffed, remembering his episode from the day before. "I'm okay." Dale stepped forward, on his knees, and gave him a grateful smile.

"Thanks for uh...thanks for fighting for us." Jim merely gave a nod in reply as Dale stepped back. Everyone else nodded to him, before returning to their vehicles. I had just got to the RV when I turned around, noticing Daryl was still there. He walked toward him, before giving his own nod of thanks, and returning to his pickup. I slid back into the RV and sat behind Dale's seat, keeping my mouth shut, but my mind straight. There would be no thinking tonight. Just sleep. Hopefully.