The RV's engine roared as it tore down the empty road, the world outside nothing but shadows and flashes of dead trees in the headlights. Inside, everyone was crammed together—breathing hard, hearts still pounding from the escape.

Tommy sat on the narrow bench, his leg stretched out and wrapped in a makeshift bandage. Annaelisa was beside him, her hands gripping the edge of the seat, eyes still darting toward the windows as if expecting the CDC to come chasing after them.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She turned to him, her lips pressing into a thin smile. "I should be asking you that. You're the one limping like an old man."

He chuckled, leaning his head back against the wall. "I've been through worse."

"You were scared back there," she said quietly, her voice barely audible over the engine.

"So were you," he shot back.

They looked at each other for a moment—too long, too close. He reached out, his fingers brushing over hers. She didn't pull away this time.

Across the RV, Jack sat hunched forward, his elbows on his knees, his eyes fixed on them like a hawk. He didn't say a word, but the weight of his gaze was enough to make Tommy shift uncomfortably.

"Don't," Annaelisa whispered, catching the glance he'd thrown Jack's way. "If he wants to stare, let him. I don't care."

Tommy smirked, leaning closer. "You say that now."

She rolled her eyes but didn't move away.

Dale voice broke the moment. "We keep driving until sunrise. No stops unless absolutely necessary."

The RV jolted over a bump, and Annaelisa instinctively grabbed Tommy's arm for balance. He didn't let go when the road smoothed out. For a few stolen minutes, it didn't matter that the world was ending, or that Jack's stare was burning into the side of his head.

For a few minutes, it was just her and him—breathing the same air, holding on.

The RV finally rolled to a stop just as the first streaks of dawn bled across the horizon. Everyone inside was half-asleep, slumped in whatever space they could find.

Tommy was stretching his leg when the door creaked open and cold air poured in. People began filing out to stretch and take watch shifts. Annaelisa stepped outside with Lori, leaving Tommy alone inside for a moment—until Jack stepped in.

He shut the door behind him.

The air in the RV went still.

Jack stood there, arms folded, eyes locked on Tommy. "You and Anna," he said flatly.

Tommy blinked, feigning ignorance. "What about me and Anna?"

Jack's jaw tightened. "Don't play stupid. I saw you back there—before we got out of the CDC."

Tommy leaned back against the bench, trying to look relaxed. "So what if you did?"

Jack took a slow step forward. "She's not for you."

"Funny," Tommy said, his voice sharper now, "I didn't realize she belonged to you."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "You think this is a joke? It has to stop, Tommy."

Tommy's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because you don't mess with the Dixons," Jack said firmly. "That girl's been through enough, and she's family to Daryl and Merle. That means she's part of a family you do not want to cross."

"I'm not saying this to be cruel. I get it—you're young, you like each other. But out here, feelings like that get people hurt. And if anything happens to her because of you, Tommy, it won't just be me you'll answer to—it'll be the whole Dixon family."

Tommy's jaw clenched. "Anna can make her own choices," he said quietly.

Jack took a step closer, his voice dropping. "Then make yours. End it. Now."

The silence was thick enough to choke on.

Finally, Jack backed up toward the door. "Think about what I said." He looked around at the others. "We're stopping for twenty minutes. After that, we move."

He stepped out, leaving Tommy in the center of the RV under the weight of his family's eyes. 

From outside, Annaelisa's voice called, "Tommy? You coming?"

He didn't answer right away. He just stared at the floor, the words you don't mess with the Dixons echoing in his head.

The RV door creaked as Tommy stepped outside, the chill biting against his skin. He'd barely made it two steps before Annaelisa appeared from the side of the RV, her braid swinging over her shoulder.

"There you are," she said with a smile that faded the moment she saw his face. "You look like someone kicked your dog."

"I'm fine," he said quickly, trying to move past her.

She shifted, blocking his path. "You've been in there for twenty minutes. What happened?"

"Nothing," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Annaelisa's brows pulled together. "Tommy... you're a terrible liar."

He didn't answer. His gaze stayed fixed on the ground, but Annaelisa stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Was it your uncle?"

That got his attention. His head jerked up. "Why would you say that?"

She shrugged slightly, though her eyes stayed sharp. "Because I saw the way he was looking at me earlier. Like I was trouble." She paused, searching his face. "What did he say?"

Tommy hesitated, jaw working. "He... he told me to stop. Said I can't mess with the Dixons."

Annaelisa's lips parted in disbelief before she let out a humorless laugh. "Seriously?"

"He's just... trying to protect me," Tommy said, though it sounded weak even to him.

She stepped closer, close enough that he could see the defiance in her eyes. "From me? I'm not the danger here, Tommy. And I don't scare easy—especially not because your uncle says so."

Before he could respond, a sharp whistle rang out from across camp—Daryl's signal to get moving. Annaelisa gave him one last lingering look, her voice softening.

"Don't let him decide for you."

She turned and headed toward the vehicles, leaving Tommy standing there, torn between his uncle's warning and the pull he couldn't seem to fight.

When he looked back, he spotted Jack leaning against the RV, arms crossed, eyes fixed on him. The message was clear without a word being spoken.

The RV was already rumbling by the time Tommy climbed inside. The air was thick with exhaust, damp clothes, and the low murmur of voices. He spotted an empty seat near the middle, but before he could drop into it, Annaelisa stepped in right behind him.

Without asking, she slid in beside him, her shoulder brushing his. "Hope you don't mind," she said casually, though the corner of her mouth tugged upward in the faintest smirk.

Tommy swallowed. "You're gonna get me killed," he muttered under his breath.

"Only if you're lucky," she teased, leaning back with an air of total calm.

From the front of the RV, Jack's voice cut through the chatter. "Everyone settle in." Tommy didn't have to look to know his uncle's eyes were on him. He could feel them—sharp, unblinking, and not at all happy.

Annaelisa noticed too. She tilted her head just enough so her hair fell over her face, hiding her smile from Jack's view, then deliberately rested her hand on Tommy's knee. "Relax," she murmured. "If looks could kill, we'd both be dead already."

Tommy gave a nervous glance toward the front. Jack was still staring, one arm draped over the back of the passenger seat, his jaw clenched.

The RV jolted over a rut in the road, and Annaelisa used the motion as an excuse to lean closer, her shoulder pressing firmly against his. "He's not going to scare me off," she whispered. "And you shouldn't let him scare you either."

Tommy didn't answer. He stared out the window, watching the grey trees whip past, but his heart was pounding—not from fear of the walkers outside, but from the war brewing inside this RV.

From the driver's seat, Rick called something to the group, breaking the tension for a moment. But when Tommy dared a glance back at Jack, his uncle was still watching. And in his eyes, the warning was louder than anything Rick could've said.

The RV lurched to a stop, brakes squealing in protest. Tommy jolted forward in his seat, catching himself on the seatback ahead of him.

"What's going on?" he asked, craning his neck.

Rick was already stepping down from the front. "See for yourself."

Tommy and Annaelisa followed the others out into the damp morning air. The sight hit them immediately—a highway choked with hundreds of abandoned cars, stretching as far as the eye could see. Some sat with their doors flung open, possessions spilling out. Others were smashed, burned, or riddled with bullet holes.

"Jesus," Shane muttered.

Jack stood beside the RV, arms crossed, scanning the horizon. He didn't look at Tommy, but Tommy could still feel that same unspoken warning hanging in the air.

Rick turned to the group. "Alright, listen up—we need to take advantage of this. Fuel, food, water, blankets... anything we can use. And keep your eyes open. If it looks like a walker could be inside, don't get close."

The group scattered into small pairs. Daryl hopped onto a car hood, peering down the line for threats. Lori took Carl's hand, guiding him toward a safer patch of cars.

Annaelisa glanced at Tommy. "Guess we're a team, huh?" she said, grabbing a crowbar from her pack.

He hesitated. "Might be better if you go with someone else."

She gave him a slow, challenging smile. "I didn't ask if you wanted me as a partner, Tommy."

Before he could answer, she strode toward the nearest sedan and yanked open the driver's door. A tangle of bags spilled onto the asphalt—clothes, a half-empty water bottle, a stuffed animal stained with dirt.

Tommy glanced toward the RV, spotting Jack a few cars away. His uncle's eyes flicked from Tommy to Annaelisa and back again before he bent to check a glovebox.

"Come on," Annaelisa called, pulling him into motion. "Help me check the trunk."

He joined her, working the latch until it popped open. Inside was a crate of bottled water and a half-crushed box of granola bars.

Annaelisa grinned. "Jackpot."

For a moment, the heaviness of Jack's warning and the chaos of the world outside faded. It was just the two of them in the middle of an empty highway, finding something worth holding onto.

But when Tommy straightened, his uncle was watching again—this time with a look that said enjoy it while you can, kid.

The group fanned out among the rows of abandoned vehicles. Tommy and Annaelisa were already a few cars ahead, crouched side by side as they rummaged through a trunk. From a distance, it looked like they'd been working together for years—passing items back and forth, speaking in low voices, even laughing quietly when Annaelisa tossed him a dusty baseball cap and insisted he try it on.

Rick, loading a jerrycan of fuel into his pack, noticed it immediately. "They seem... close," he said in an even tone.

Beside him, Marie—still carrying her own bag—followed his gaze. Her jaw tightened. "Closer than I'd like."

Rick glanced at her, then back to the pair. "That's not always a bad thing, Marie. Close means they trust each other."

"Close," she echoed with a bitter edge. "Rick, they're teenagers. And she's... complicated. You've seen how she is—trouble just follows that girl."

Rick straightened, resting his forearm on the roof of a nearby car. "She's also brave. Smart. And she's saved lives more than once. I don't think Tommy's blind to that."

Marie shook her head. "He's young. He's not thinking about what's smart—he's thinking about how she makes him feel. And I don't like it one bit."

Rick's voice softened, though his eyes stayed on Tommy and Annaelisa. "I get it. You're his mother—you want to keep him safe. But maybe in a world like this, having someone to care about is what does keep you safe."

Marie folded her arms, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I just don't want her breaking his heart. Or worse."

Rick didn't answer right away. Ahead, Annaelisa handed Tommy a bottle of water, brushing his fingers as she did. He smiled—one of the first genuine smiles Rick had seen on the boy in weeks.

Rick finally said, "For what it's worth... I approve."

Marie shot him a sharp look, but Rick only shrugged and moved on to the next car, leaving her to watch her son and the girl she wasn't ready to trust.

The line of abandoned cars stretched for what seemed like miles, rusted hulks baking under the afternoon sun. The group spread out across the shoulder, calling to each other when they found anything worth keeping.

Tommy crouched beside a dusty minivan, prying the glove compartment open while Annaelisa kept watch. She was quiet, scanning the treeline with an intensity that made him glance up more than once.

"Found some granola bars," he said, tossing them into her bag.

She gave a faint smirk. "Score. Gourmet dining tonight."

He was about to reply when a sharp, guttural groan cut through the air. Annaelisa froze, head snapping toward the sound.

From between the cars ahead, a walker staggered into view... then another... then three more, all moving in their direction.

"Tommy..." she whispered.

He dropped the granola bars and grabbed her wrist, pulling her low. "Get under," he mouthed.

They slid beneath the van, gravel scraping against their clothes, the metal undercarriage radiating heat. From here, the world was upside down—dirty shoes of the undead shuffling past inches from their faces.

Tommy's heart hammered so hard he was sure they'd hear it. One walker paused beside the van, groaning softly, its rotting ankle swaying just inches from Annaelisa's shoulder. She clenched her jaw, eyes locked on him. He reached out, just barely touching her hand—a silent "I'm here."

The gravel bit into Tommy's palms as he pressed himself tighter against the cool metal underside of the car. His chest rose and fell too fast, every breath sounding loud enough to give him away.

The walkers' feet shuffled past—slow, dragging—so close he could almost feel the vibrations through the ground.

His mind spun, jumping from one thought to the next like it was trying to escape on its own.
Mom's face when she sees me dead. Jack's voice telling me to stay away from her. What if they're right? What if I'm stupid enough to die here?

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block it out, but the images just sharpened. His mother's hands in his hair when she'd warned him. Jack's hard stare, his tone that was half anger, half fear.

And then... Annaelisa.

He turned his head just enough to see her under the car beside him, her face pale but her eyes locked on him. Even with walkers just feet away, she gave him the smallest nod—steady, grounding.

He swallowed hard, fear thick in his throat. She could die right here, because of him. He couldn't let that happen.

If we get out of this... he told himself, forcing the words into his mind like they were carved in stone. If we get out, I'll never let anything touch her. Not walkers, not anyone.

Her fingers inched across the dirt, finding his. The contact was small, but it made something deep inside him settle, just for a second.

He mouthed the words so only she could see them:
"I promise."

A walker's shadow moved past, blotting out the light for a heartbeat, then fading. He kept his grip on her hand until it was safe to let go.

The groans began to fade, the shuffle of dead feet moving away into the trees. One by one, the survivors crawled out from under the cars, shaky but breathing.

Tommy emerged last, dirt clinging to his clothes, his pulse still pounding in his ears. Annaelisa was beside him, brushing gravel from her palms, her eyes flicking to him for reassurance. He gave her a quick nod, though his insides still felt like they were rattling.

Then—

A sound cut through the uneasy quiet.

Crying.

High-pitched. Frightened.

Tommy's head snapped toward the treeline. The sound was faint but close—Sophia.

"Where's Sophia?" someone called.

His stomach dropped. She wasn't with the group. He scanned the road in panic until his eyes landed on the movement—small, darting—her figure breaking through the brush with a walker lumbering after her.

"Sophia!" Rick's voice boomed as he bolted after her, disappearing into the forest.

Tommy took a step forward, ready to follow. The thought of her alone out there, terrified, lit something fierce in him. I can't just stand here.

But before he could move again, a hand clamped hard on his shoulder.

"Not you," Jack's voice was low but firm, his grip like a vice.

Tommy tried to shake him off. "She's just a kid—"

His mother was suddenly there too, stepping into his path, her hands flat against his chest. "No, Tommy.'' Her voice trembled, but her eyes were unyielding.

"I can help—" he tried again, but Jack's grip tightened.

"Your job right now is to stay alive," his uncle said sharply, meeting his eyes. "Let Rick handle it."

Tommy's jaw clenched, his whole body vibrating with frustration and helplessness. In the distance, he could still hear Sophia's cries, fainter now, swallowed by the forest.

Annaelisa hovered nearby, her gaze locked on him, her expression unreadable. But in her eyes, he could see the same thing he felt—fear for the little girl, and for what might come next.

The forest swallowed them—the sound of Rick's pounding footsteps fading into a heavy, uneasy silence.

Tommy stood frozen for a moment, fists clenched at his sides, every muscle screaming at him to move. But Jack's grip stayed on his shoulder like iron, and his mother's steady hands kept him anchored in place.

Around them, the group began to shift into motion—Shane barking orders, Daryl grabbing his crossbow, Andrea loading a magazine with stiff, shaking fingers.

Shane said, already stepping toward the tree line. "No one goes off alone. Rick'll bring her back."

Tommy's eyes kept darting toward the dark gap in the trees where Sophia had vanished. Bring her back... please.

Annaelisa edged closer, her voice low. "She's strong. If anyone can keep her safe, it's Rick."

He wanted to believe her. But in his mind, he saw Sophia's terrified face, the walker behind her—too close, far too close. He knew how quickly things could turn. Then he heard movement he looked up saw Rick coming back, sad. His eye darted on Carol who ran to Rick with Lori following behind.Everybody gathered around. He appeared hearing what Rick was saying to the group. 

Tommy's stomach turned.

Rick straightened, jaw tight. "We keep going at first light."

Marie glanced sharply at him. "First light? That's hours away—she's a child out there."

"Marie," Rick said, voice softer now, "I know. But stumbling around in the dark,"

Tommy stepped forward, his voice rough. "So we just... stop?"

His mother turned to him, her hand finding his cheek. "Stopping doesn't mean giving up, sweetheart. It means coming back smart enough to finish."

But he could see it—the doubt flickering in her eyes, the fear she wouldn't speak out loud.

"No..." she whispered, barely audible. "No, no..." Carol cried. 

Rick crossed to her, speaking quietly, but Tommy couldn't hear the words. He didn't need to. The look on Carol's face said enough.

The knot in his chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. He felt Annaelisa move beside him, and before he knew it, he'd turned into her arms. She wrapped him in a fierce hug, his forehead pressing into her shoulder.

He didn't care who saw—until he glanced past her and caught Jack's gaze. His uncle stood a few yards away, hands in his pockets, eyes unreadable but fixed on them.

Marie's expression was sharper, watching every detail of the embrace. Shane, standing beside her, looked like he was about to step forward but stopped himself, jaw clenched tight.

Tommy held onto Annaelisa anyway. Right now, letting go felt impossible.

A/ N : WOAH season 2 ! Maggie is here, soon! Heheh
Comments! What paring do you wanna see? I added new characters. Anybody want to take guess who they are?