.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.

The group walked until the day shifted to night and the stars began spreading over the sky. They settled down in an abandoned library where they occupied themselves by moving the bookshelves to secure the area. Glenn and Abraham took it upon themselves to do rounds around the perimeter while Tara and Rosita placed cardboard over the windows. Eugene marked his territory in a corner with his nose buried in a book and Melissa was quick to fall asleep on one of the couches. The night outside seemed still and quiet with no threat in sight.

"There you go," Stella said as she assisted Levi to sit down in one of the beanbags. The two were exhausted after walking without stopping for hours. Levi's foot was still in bad condition but luckily Stella had found some rubbing alcohol and bandages in a broom closet.

The girl sank down on the floor and gently placed his foot in her lap. She tried to carefully unwrap the sleeve of her shirt which she had wrapped poorly earlier in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. The once white sleeve was now both bloody and dirty from the walk and the sight of the wound that hid under it looked alarming. Stella tried to keep a calm expression and damped the kitchen towel with the rubbing alcohol. She swallowed hard and reached out to hold Levi's hand.

"This might sting." She whispered before gently pressing the towel against his wound. The boy reacted to the touch instantly, his head throwing back and his eyes squeezing shut. His grip on Stella's hand tightened and a hushed grunt escaped his lips.

The Grimes girl did her best to clean the wound and wrap it with the bandages. She stared at the boy's foot and sighed, knowing that Ellie would be disappointed. She bit the inside of her lip, praying that her treatment was enough.

"Hey... You okay?" Levi asked, his voice strained.

Stella tore her gaze from his foot and looked up at him. "Yeah. I just hope this is good enough." She exhaled.

"Don't worry. You did well. It'll be fine." He caressed the skin on her hand.

The girl nodded shortly. Levi sat up, scooting Stella over to the bean bags so the two switched positions. "Now it's my turn."

Stella stared at him with a curious smile. "What?"

He gently rolled up Stella's jeans, revealing the cuts and scrapes that covered her knees and the girl immediately understood what he was doing and she couldn't stop herself from giggling. The boy's mouth curved into a grin at the sound. He lifted a fresh and clean towel and damped it with rubbing alcohol before carefully pressing down on her wounds while gently caressing her leg with his thumb. He cleaned the wounds and placed Band-Aids on the deepest cuts.

Stella stared at the creation on her knees and the scattered Hello Kitty Band-aids, another laugh leaving her mouth. "Cute."

Levi smiled at her and rolled down her jeans again before laying down beside her, wrapping her body up against his with his arm around her. Stella curled up next to him, staring into the corner of the room in a desperate attempt to think about anything else than the gnawing pit of guilt in her stomach. She couldn't help but wonder if she would see her family again. They had been gone for a day and so much had already gone wrong. They had no vehicle, Levi was injured and at risk of an infection and they were stranded in the middle of nowhere.

She also couldn't manage to get the thought of her family being in danger, out of her head. She had no way of knowing if they were headed for DC already, or stuck in that church, or maybe even in trouble. The group that they left behind was strong, but Stella couldn't help but wonder if they were strong enough. They lacked both Daryl and Carol and Sasha was in no shape to fight after what she had just gone through. That left Rick, Tyreese, and Michonne to look out for them. It wasn't enough for a group of ten people with children included.

"What are you thinking about?" Levi ripped her out of her thoughts after noticing the expression on her face and the rapid beating of her heart.

"I don't know." She breathed out. "Everything. Everyone... Everyone that we left behind."

"Don't think of it as us leaving them behind. Like I said, we're just clearing the path for them." He said, his eyes focused on her. "For all we know, they could be ahead of us right now."

Stella swallowed hard. Those were the words that Stella had been trying to tell herself all day. "If something happens to them while I'm not there,I'll never forgive myself."

"Hey," Levi said softly. "Nothing will happen. Plus, they've got Rick to look after them. And if it's a big enough threat to take down the one and only Rick Grimes, you'd just be a lifeless corpse along with them if you were there." The boy joked, earning a chuckle from Stella. "Trust me, they'll be fine. Remember what we are doing this little trip for. To save humanity. How cool is that? You and me, saving the whole fricking world."

Stella tilted her head up to look at the boy as she giggled at his exaggerated expression.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He smiled, warmth filling his stomach seeing that he managed to make her laugh. His craziness quieted down and his tone shifted to something more serious as his eyes watched her full of love. "We're giving the world a second chance. We're giving Carl, Ellie, Judith.. everyone, a future. A future for coming generations."  His eyes dipped down to her belly.

Stella smiled up at him, his words not failing to fill her stomach with a swarm of butterflies. "Keyword, future." She pointed out with a grin. "Let's save the world first."

Levi grinned and nodded, suppressing whatever imagination of what their future could look like if the world was a safe place again. Stella reached up, pressing her lips against his, the contact slowly steadily the beating of her heart.

"God, I love you." The boy said against her lips and her mouth curved into a smile.

"I love you more." One final kiss before she placed her head back on his chest, her whole body relaxing at the heat of Levi's body near hers as she tried to match his breathing until she fell asleep.

The group gathered their supplies and headed outside. Abraham had spotted a fire truck, parked nearby and after a long argument about whether to stop or stay another day, the group finally agreed that they could go explore the vehicle.

Abraham jumped inside the driver's seat and searched through the many buttons before finding the one to start the fire truck. The vehicle revved for several beats of anticipation before going silent. Abraham sighed loudly and tried again. After several failed attempts the motor finally started and an excited chuckle spread among the group.

"About time things started going our way!" The ginger man exclaimed as he shut the doors. He began driving off, to test it when all of a sudden the motor spluttered and the vehicle stopped abruptly.

"Dammit!" Abraham shouted and shoved the car door shut behind him.

"Well find another ride." Glenn attempted.

"If there was a ride worth shit in this town we would've seen it." Abraham exhaled. "This thing's done some crowd clearing. Right up into the intake. Which means we've got an air filter filled with damn human remains."

Stella glanced up at the top of the fire truck, her stomach churning at the thought of what that air filter must look like.

"There's no damned corner on this damned earth that has not been dicked hard, beyond all damned recognition!" Abraham growled. Now Stella saw where Melissa got all her swearing from. The man picked up a plastic bag and began rubbing the walker remains off the side of the truck but Levi limped forward to stop him.

"Abraham, that feeds the radiator. The intake for the engine is on the roof." He stated. Abraham stepped away from the side of the truck, gazing up at the roof and then back down at Levi.

However, soon, everyone's attention was torn from the redhead and attached to the tire that came rolling out from the Firehouse door behind them. Silence fell upon the group as they stared at the rolling object that stopped and fell before Stella's feet. However, the quietness was short-lived as the piled tires collapsed out from the door and a dozen walkers came stumbling out from behind them.

The dead poured out, snarling loudly at the sight of the group in front of them. Stella quickly grabbed hold of her knife and stepped in front of Levi. "Lev, get to Melissa." She ordered. Levi hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Stella there before unwillingly limping his way around the truck to the other side where Melissa wandered around, pissed after a fight she had with Abraham that morning. Once Stella caught a glimpse of the two at a long distance from the walkers, she finally returned her attention to the walkers in front of her. She pierced her knife through the eyes and skulls of the dead around her but quickly realized that there were too many and they were too few.

"They're coming more from behind!" Glenn announced and Stella spun around hastily.

"Levi!" She called out as she watched the dead stumble out from behind the truck.

"It's okay! I've got her!" Levi said, appearing in sight as he ran for the door back into the bookstore along with Melissa. Stella exhaled but her breath got stuck in her throat as two hands grabbed her. She turned around swiftly with her knife raised and she let her knife pierce through the temple of the walker that held into her. However, the impact of the dead falling over her, along with another walker grabbing the first one, Stella fell back. The air was stolen from her lungs as the heavy weight of the two walkers collapsed on top of her.

Luckily the first walker was already dead. The one over it struggled and squirmed, trying to dig its rotten teeth into Stella's skin. The girl lay there, defenseless as she desperately forced her arm out from beneath the walkers' bodies to stab the dead that was now inches away from biting her. With one final and forceful move, she shoved her blade through its eye, making it freeze and go limp on top of her.

She was quick to shove the bodies off her and was assisted to her feet by Levi's helping hand. Before she got a chance to scold him for not staying back when the sound of a water hose pierced through all other sounds. Suddenly, water was spraying everywhere, coming from the roof of the fire truck where Melissa stood aiming the strong force of the water ripping the walkers apart. Stella watched as the dead flesh was torn off and their heads were torn apart.

Once all the walkers were dead, Melissa turned the hose off, staring at the scene in front of her looking just as shocked at her actions as the rest of her group. The group was left with soaked clothes, waiting silently for a few moments to make sure everyone was dead. After several beats of stillness, Maggie and Stella exclaimed happily in unison but quickly quieted down as Abraham hurried forward, climbing up the ladder to his daughter.

"I thought I told you to stay back." He said through gritted teeth.

"How about thank you for saving my life, Melissa." She told him but gained no answer as he grabbed her arm and led her down the latter. Stella felt bad for the girl. She knew that Abraham was worried and was acting angry because she loved and cared about her, but the girl had just saved their lives.

Stella tried to catch Melissa's gaze as she passed her, hoping to send her a smile but the girl's head remained low as she headed for the door to the bookstore. After a few moments of awkward silence, Glenn spoke up.

"There was a Goodwill behind the bookstore. It's pretty blown up but there might still be some supplies. Some dry clothes maybe?"

"Not necessary." Abraham instantly shut him down. "I can clear that intake in two shakes. The engine will get some wind and so will we. You'll air dry." The man said stubbornly and everyone in the group knew that there was no point in trying to argue.

Stella and Levi headed inside to gather their supplies as Abraham cleared the intake on the firetruck. They didn't have much to pack as most of their stuff had blown up along with the bus. However, they had what was necessary. Guns some medical supplies and some food. Stella sat on the floor gathering the medical supplies they had found. Rosita had discovered an entire cupboard with medicine which was good but Stella prayed that they wouldn't to use them.

"Here," Levi said softly behind her as he placed a blanket around her shoulders. Stella looked up at him and smiled gratefully. Everyone's clothes were soaked and unfortunately, they didn't have any dry clothes.

"Thank you," Stella said. The boy smiled down at her, with wet stands covering her face.

"I also found you this." He kneeled down and held down the book that he had found. The Hunger Games. Stella's face instantly lit up. She had almost completely forgotten about it even existing.

"Levi," She breathed. "Oh my..."

"I found it in one of the bookshelves. Thought it could be useful since we have a long road trip in front of us." He told her.

Stella smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"Of course, sweetheart." He nodded and began helping her pack away the rest of the medical supplies as Stella stared wide-eyed at the book in her lap. "Consider it a thank you for coming with me gift."

The girl looked up and smiled at him once again before Abraham shouted for everyone to get their asses in the fire truck.

Their road trip didn't last long as the fire truck only made it a few miles before breaking down, leaving the group stranded once again. The area seemed clear however the air around them was thick with an awful stench.

Abraham crawled around inside the firetruck, trying to get it to start back up again without any luck. The rest of the group tried to occupy themselves with anything, hoping to ignore the smell to which Stella took the opportunity to read for a bit. However, she didn't read more than a few pages before she spotted Melissa who sat on the back of the fire truck after having yet another argument with her father. The combination of the heat, the stench, and the awful circumstances, the two Ford family members tended to blow up pretty quickly.

Stella stood up from the tree stump she was sitting on and sank down next to the younger girl. "Hey,"

"Hi," She muttered back.

"I haven't thanked you for what you did earlier with the water hose. It was pretty badass." Stella smiled but Melissa didn't tear her gaze from the road ahead of her.

"It's nice to see that at least someone is grateful."

Stella bit the inside of her lip. "Your dad, he's grateful. I promise you. He just wants to keep you safe."

Melissa rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, sure."

"Trust me. He's doing it out of love, even though he might not be the best at showing it." Stella sighed as she gained no response from the girl in front of her. Instead, she decided to hold out the book for her. "Here."

Stella finally gained Melissa's attention and she looked down on the object in her hands. "What is this?"

"Hunger Games. Ever read it?" Stella asked and the redhead shook her head. "Well, you should."

"Not my type of book, but thank you."

"What is your type of book then?" Stella asked.

"Comics. Anything that's Marvel." Melissa answered.

The blonde nodded and smiled. "You'll have to ask Levi about that. He knows all about it." She stubbornly placed the book in Melissa's lap. "But for now, give it a chance. I promise."

The sides of Melissa's mouth twitched into a smile and she nodded.

"Come on! We're not stopping." Abraham ordered and Stella stood up along with Melissa.

"Uhmm.. we're stopped," Tara stated and Stella grinned. The group unwillingly gathered their supplies and walked after Abraham who had ignored the comment and began wandering up the road.

"Smells like ass," Melissa stated and tugged her shirt over her nose and mouth.

"I know. Reminds me of Daryl." Levi joked and Stella laughed. "God, I miss that sweaty bastard."  the boy said and even Melissa chuckled. However, the joyful atmosphere evaporated instantly as the group spotted the source of the stench. Stopping in their tracks, they stared out over the horde of walkers in front of them. Stella had never seen so many dead, in one place. The horde stretched on for miles, covering the road ahead of them.

𝐀/𝐍

sorry for the wait I've been away w my family and then school started but I'll make up for it