The thing was, maybe they shouldn't have over thought gun shots. There were destine to be more people out there, shooting walkers or maybe even themselves. Even Austin had fired a gun on multiple occasions. Truth be told, maybe he wouldn't have been been so bothered by it if his dad and brother weren't other there somewhere. His mom, Lori, was just as on edge as he had been. Andrea sensed her fear. "You still worrying about it?"

"It was a gunshot." Lori confirmed as she looked around, possibly trying to spot anyone.

"We all heard it." Daryl announced.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" she turned to look at the group again.

"Suicide." Austin spoke up, all eyes turned to him. "What? You can't shoot yourself twice if you're dead."

"Austin, please don't say stuff like that." Lori sighed, already having to worry about him, being a teenage, and in an apocalypse like this.

"Maybe they took down a walker." Daryl spoke up, looking for an explanation.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker." Lori spoke in stress. "Or Shane. They'd do it quietly."

Austin gave a bitter eye roll at the mention of Shane. "Maybe dad shot him."

"Austin!" Lori scolded him again.

"What?" he shot back with a look of disbelief.

"You stop talking that way right now." she warned as he twisted his knife around, the blade on the point of his finger.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol had to agree with Lori, holding her small bag. Already soft spoken and timid, it had gotten worse since her daughter had gone missing.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyway." Daryl sighed loudly. "Can't run around these woods chasing echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori looked his way for an explanation.

"Same as we've been." he shot back casually. "Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"They probably went back there when hearing the gunshot." Austin pointed out as he looked at his mom with a shrug. "Thinking the same thing you are."

Lori sighed, nodding. "You're probably right."

"Mhm." Austin agreed, Lori rubbed the back of his neck as they started to walk through the woods once again.

They all stopped when Andrea spoke to Carol. "I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel."

Carol gave a sad smile. "Suppose you do."

Glenn looked toward Austin as he gave a small shrug, indicating they might as well wait for the two to have their moment. If anything, Austin hoped maybe Andrea could try to give Carol some type of hope. Carol stared at her, looking back and forth to the group. "The thought of her out here by herself... it's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying her doesn't wind up like Amy."

Austin's eyebrows shut up, watching as Andreas body language changed completely. Carol realized what she said, placing a hand on her heart. "That's the worst thing i've ever said."

Andrea shook her head, inhaling. "We're all hoping and praying with you."

"Yeah, Carol. We all say shit when we're under stress." Austin said, Lori flashing him a look. "Stuff. See? I just did it."

It made her give a sad laugh. Andrea rubbed her arm. "For what it's worth."

"I'll tell you what it's worth." Daryl cut in, clearly annoyed by how long they were all taking. "Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time all this hoping and praying. Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, and she's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one zen around here?"

"I can be zen." Austin nodded. "Got any herbs?"

"Austin!" Lori scolded him again. "No."

Daryl laughed. "See, that's what i'm talking about."

Glenn held back a laugh as he stayed before Lori to avoid her seeing his face. Austin looked to her with a grin. "Sorry, mama."

"Oh." Andrea sighed as she walked into a spiderweb, shoving it off.

"Whatcha walking all the way over there for, girl?" Austin looked at her oddly.

"As the crow flies, my ass." she mocked, the walker coming up right behind her going completely unnoticed. She gave a loud scream when it had been less then a foot from her, taking her completely off guard.

"Andrea!" Austin called in a panic, hesitant with the walker as he grabbed hold of his knife. "A-"

He hold his breath, hurrying forward. He'd only killed nine walkers so far, most of which were with the help of others. Now, it was just him, alone with his walking partner that was currently getting attacked. Austin managed to stab the walker, going for the head but getting the neck. He had trouble pulling his knife back, the walks head turning. "Jesus!"

It caused him to take a stumbled, falling back onto the ground as the walker fell onto of him. "Andrea!"

But, she's fallen down a small hill as well and was trying to make her way up. "Hang on, Austin!"

He fought against the walker, holding it as its rotting teeth snapped at him. Austin tried not to gag as his arms started to pass through its chest, a night and shining armor, on a horse, coming to his recuse by hitting the walking in the head with a baseball bat. Austin fell back in relief, holding his chest with a deep inhale. His hands were shaky, Lori calling out his name as she fell next to him. "Austin, baby. Are you hurt? Did you get bit?"

He shook his head, finding a breath. "I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay."

She head his face, kissing his forehead.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" the girl on the horse asked, looking around at the group in a panic.

"I'm Lori." she announced, her and Austin getting to their feet again as he reached down to help Andrea off the hill.

"Rick sent me. You gotta come now." she spoke fast and quick, clearly having something wrong.

"What?" Lori looked just as panicked.

"There's been an accident. Carls been shot." the short haired girl explained as quick and simple as she could. "He's still alive but you've got to come now! Rick needs you. Just come."

"I have to come too." Austin spoke quickly as he looked up at her. "He's my brother.

"Then get on. Fast." she encouraged, reaching her arm down to help him onto the back of the horse, Lori getting up soon after.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't know this girl." Daryl spoke quickly with a look of disbelief. "You can't get on that horse."

"Rick said you had others the highway, that big traffic snarl?" the girl on the horse spoke up. "Backtrack to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. The name is Greene."

With that's simple and quick explanation, she took off with Austin and Lori on the back of her horse.

Austin stood in the doorway, looking at his little brother in worry as Lori cried over his unconscious body. "My baby boy. My baby boy. It's okay. Mamas here. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay."

Rick leaned down, holding Loris hand. Austin looked to the side to see a white haired woman and older man walk in. "Sorry."

"You're okay." the woman spoke, looking to his dad. "We need more blood."

"All right." Rick nodded his head as he headed for the chair.

"More? How many have you had?" Lori looked in worry.

"Two. Only two." he shook his head.

"We have the same blood type." Austin looked to the strangers. "I can give some."

"Austin, it's okay." Rick shook his head at his oldest.

"Exactly." he agreed, taking his spot in the chair. "Stick me."

"You hate needles." Rick pointed out.

"Well, I had walkers too, but look at us now." he said back with an exhale, shrugging the jean jacket off and flipping his arm over.

"It'll go by quick." the woman reassured him, getting the needle and bag. "You got good veins."

"Think so?" Austin looked away as she stuck him, wincing slightly.

"Told you." Rick almost smiled. "Hates needles."

It wasn't long until Austin had given what he could, getting a glass of orange juice from Maggie, who's name he had learned. "Ugh, do you have any bandaids?"

The one he had on his arm was seeping through and running down his arm. Maggie nodded. "I'll get you one."

The sound of knocking on the door made her stop. Austin heard the chatter outside. "Those are our people from the road."

Maggie was hesitant. "Guess I should let 'em in."

"I can get the bandaid." Austin nodded, holding the paper towel to his arm.

Maggie nodded. "Go upstairs, first door on the right. Top shelf."

Austin nodded, the two going their separate ways. He went up the stairs, they creaked under his feet. First door on the right was shut, not thinking anything of it as he opened the door. "Oh, sorry."

"Who are you?" the blonde girl stood inside gapped. She just stood there, infront of the mirror.

"Austin." he held his arm. "And bleeding."

"Why are you in my house?" she asked back in an alarming manor.

"I don't know, the old man is saving my brother or something." he shot back, taken back by the force in her tone. "Who are you?"

She ignored him, grabbing a bandaid from the drawer and passing it to him. "Here."

Austin took it. "Th-"

He was met with a door to his face. "Rude."

She hit the door from the other side, causing a faint grin to go across his face when he headed down the stairs again.

•

kylie speaks

love a little shane anti