CAUTIOUSLY, THE GROUP huddled closely as they infiltrated the enormous building, death towering between them. Ellie's gun from her brother remained raised high, ensuring she had been armed against any possible dangers inside the facilities. Though she appeared confident, Ellie knew it was a guise. If it came to it, the guilt would only press so hard on her chest that she could not bear to breathe anymore. Violence was simply not in her nature.

Ensuring they had remained close to one another, they wandered through the emptiness of the room in bewilderment, absorbing the details of the giant room as it swallowed them up in the darkness. The quiescent around them was unusual; there were no snarls, no roaring engines from the vehicles, no yelling from people; only silence that kept them satisfied, and made, somehow, felt stable.

Suddenly, a loud voice grabbed their attention as they shifted further into the room, calling out, "Hello?"

They each raised their weapons within one brief moment, allowing their sights to land solely upon the shadows where the voice had come from.

Ellie observed as Rick bravely stepped ahead, his gun aimed intently at the shadowy figure. Her head tilted absorbing his leadership as she had been stunned by his immense bravery; the precise, crafted way his body moved. His elbow bent at a perfect angle, hoisting his weapon directly up to his eyesight as he stared intently ahead. Amazed entirely by his skill; an evidently natural ability to be both authoritative and threatening at the same time. Everything Ellie wanted to be, yet wasn't.

Mirroring Rick's actions entirely, Ellie's elbow bent at the same angle, aimed directly at the man who suddenly materialised from the stairwell, his own shotgun at hand as he halted at the top.

"Anybody infected?" the gruff, male voice inquired as he gradually began to descend from the stairs, the shotgun firmly placed in his palms as he had been entirely prepared to take out any contaminated humans.

"One of our group was, he didn't make it," Rick clarified sadly, yet still ascertained his dominance.

His eyes peered between the man's hand and his fingers, eyeing the safety on his weapon as he had been prepared to catch the slightest movement.

Ellie's eyes lingered over the safety and the man's hands, observing intently as Rick had as the man inquired, "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"A chance," Rick replied assertively, lowering his gun, as he had taken the chance to trust the stranger, but the others maintained theirs boosted.

Ellie's eyes squinted intently as she slowly and craftily shifted her finger down to the safety on her weapon, ensuring the click had been quiet enough for only her ears as the man responded, "That's asking an awful lot these days."

"I know," was all Rick replied.

"You all submit to a blood test, that's the price of admission," the man notified assertively, nodding down at the group as they relaxed slightly at his words. But, not Ellie.

"We can do that," Rick conceded, turned to face his group, whom all nodded approvingly, with the exception of Ellie.

The aquamarines of Rick's eyes burned with hers, until she eventually faltered, lowering her gun to her sides with a defiant eye roll.

Once the stranger had lowered his shotgun, the group slowly eased their drawn weapons, ensuring to keep bitter glares painted on their faces. It hadn't been of lack of trust, but of fear of disappointment in such a decadent world.

Ellie's reluctance had been heavily noted by the stranger as he stared ahead at the enraged group. Survival outside of such heavily fortified walls had depleted such levels of trust in people, almost relinquishing all compassion. It was down to Rick to breed hopefulness throughout the group, once again. And the CDC was going to be it. Rick had been certain of it.

"If you have stuff to bring in, bring it now, once that door is shut it stays closed," the stranger announced hastily, gesturing toward the heavy doors with a brief nod. "I'm Dr Edwin Jenner."

A stampede of the fastest members gathered together as they exited through the doors in a scramble to retrieve the belongings, leaving Ellie behind to watch as Daryl strolled outward. A small part of her had almost wished for him to turn back, only to feel the desire melting away with each shuffle of his footsteps.

  The door unexpectedly locked behind them with a thump, instantaneously raising suspicions in Ellie's mind like the hairs on her arms, though she simply dismissed it after Rick's nod of assurance.

  Jenner politely escorted the group through the dark corridor, halting ahead of an elevator, and motioned to them to enter. The group entered eagerly, squashing closely together as the ensured everyone had been inside, with the exception of Ellie. Her untrusting eyes squinted intensely as she gawked at the doctor. She could not shake the feeling that they should turn back, to escape while they still could.

  "Ellie," Rick warned, his voice low and assertive as he stared back, unsure what to make of her hesitance.

  Ellie's jaw snapped shut, tensely clenching as contemplated whether to step inside. With a gentle tug from Coda at her side, Ellie allowed herself to weave inside the elevator, finally taking her place wedged between Daryl and Glenn as they each shot one another a glance of discomfort. Through the awkward haze of unfamiliarity, she positioned herself closer to Glenn, to which he kindly
he held her hand platonically, gently squeezing it with reassurance.

  "Doctors always go around packin' heat like that?" Daryl inquired, referring to the gun in Jenner's hands, evidently unsettled and stunned at the sight of a doctor carrying heavy artillery. 

  "Well there were plenty left laying around, I familiarised myself," he clarified with a smirk, "You look harmless enough. Except you, I'll keep my eye on you." He motioned down to Carl, earning a small, cheeky grin as the young boy felt appreciated within the group.

  As the elevator rattled downwards, an uneasiness washed over Carol as she felt the thick walls slowly begin to roll inwards, suffocating her with each moment they had been enveloped in its metal.

  Carol let out a small sigh of worry, peering up to Jenner through doe eyes, "Are we underground?"

    "Are you claustrophobic?"

    "A little..."

  "Try not to think about it," he whispered with a wide smile. "Vi, bring out the lights in the big room," Jenner commanded, unravelling a disconcerted unrest amongst the group. "Welcome to Zone 5."

  "Where is everybody? The doctors; the staff?" Rick inquired upon inspecting the emptiness within the walls of the building.

  Somehow, the CDC appeared to be entirely abandoned by its previous inhabitants and subordinates, withering Jenner's authenticity within seconds. An inquisitive eyebrow raised high upon Ellie's forehead, sceptically awaiting Jenner's explanation for his missing constituents.

  "I'm it. It's just me here," Jenner announced, the sorrow echoing in his voice.

  "What about the person you were speaking to? Vi?" Lori inquired as suspicion arose within her, mirroring the group's expressions of confusion.

    "Vi, say hello to our guests, tell them: welcome."

  "Hello, guests. Welcome," a computerised, automated voice system replied, following Jenner's instruction as she greeted the members.

  Ellie could only scoff, though internally, she had been far more impressed than she had wanted to admit. Her stubbornness was sure to be the death of her, but even she wanted to hold on for Jenner's supposed explanation.

  In single file, the group lined up for Jenner to take their blood samples as vowed upon arrival at the entrance. The protocol had proven worrisome for Coda as she immediately begun to whimper, though Daryl stared from a distance as Ellie soothed her, caressing her cheeks lovingly while Jenner injected the needle. It's all he could do. Merely observe as Ellie displayed her success as a single mother; parading the parental abilities that Daryl simply did not possess. Jenner grinned warmly once the process was performed, passing Coda a small treat, to which she accepted graciously and grinned, feeling delighted with her own bravery.

  Coda's innocence had been the very essence of survival. It had been her very existence that allowed room for hope. She had been been untarnished from the brutality of life, both prior and post-apocalypse. If anyone would be able to resuscitate the dying world, it was sure to be Coda.

  Nervously, Ellie shakily observed as the needle pierced her own skin, sinking deep within the layers of her armour. Pools of crimson, mirroring that of syrup, splashed along the tube's walls as Jenner funnelled the blood within it, leaving Ellie entirely sickened to her stomach at such a sight. Though, a simple blood test hadn't been much in comparison to the atrocities sitting outside the very walls that protected them.

  Once the needle slipped from her skin, Ellie pounced from her seat, striding as far as from the blood as possible, only to be met by the force of a whirlwind. Her body trembled; a gust of dizziness forcing itself upon her as her bones battled to remain still. But it was simply too strong.

  "Wow, are you okay?" Jenner inquired worriedly, clenching onto Ellie's arm worriedly as she commenced to topple over.

  "She hasn't eaten in days; none of us have," Jacqui clarified, discomfort braided in her voice as she peeked up at Jenner through sunken eyes.

  Jenner's face gradually brightened as he stared at the floor, a half-smile crawling upon his face, as he knew precisely how to assist the group through their undeniable hunger.

>>>

  Laughter had been the only sound to be heard in the elephantine room. Each person had been more excited than the last, ensuring to feast upon the satiable dinner provided by Jenner; accompanied by the delicacy of sweet, preserved wine. Ellie couldn't recall the last time that anyone had been able to place a sincere smile upon her lips, or prompted a genuine laugh to dance from her tongue. Happiness had been far too foreign to feel familiar, and now, Ellie simply couldn't fathom how she would be lucky enough to break free.

  Yet, the very thing that made Ellie the most pleased throughout the entirety of their meal had bee the simple way each person encompassing her had been utterly intoxicated with joy. No words left unspoken. Each lip barren with verbatim. No person had sat at the dinner table silently. It had been almost perfect.  Almost — with the exception of Luke's absence. Such an absence had been enough for Ellie to funnel the wine down her throat, as though it had been nothing but purified water.

  Tipsily, Ellie leaned over to Shane and muttered in his ear, "Seems like maybe this will be the beginning of something good, don't you agree?"

  Though his scrunched face remained indifferent, Shane ensured to whisper heartily, "Yeah, maybe. I hope so."

  It had been evident that Shane's mind was elsewhere, but little did the group know, it was on Lori Grimes herself. His fingers craved her skin far too much to immerse himself in obligations of pleasantries. All Shane had wanted was to hear his name rolling from Lori's tongue; the way it had many weeks prior. Infidelity chased Shane wherever he had desired to go, and even when his best friend and partner had returned, his desire to make Lori's his would never cease. Their infidelity came to a sudden halt once Rick had miraculously returned, which left a bittersweet taste in Shane's mouth.

  Shane's friend had returned, at the expense of his own beloved.

  "Luke would have loved this," Ellie slurred, her mind wandering to her missing brother and sister, "And my sister would have."

  "Of course," Shane replied, raising a chalice of wine to the air, "To Luke."

  "To Luke!" the whole group toasted to the man in absentia, permitting a wondrous connection to flood over Ellie at once.

  It hadn't been often that Ellie found others to connect with, particularly once Coda's existence had been discovered. Ellie was simply the outcast, destined to be abandoned by those she had been desperate to love. And yet, somehow, Ellie Sommers had been dining with family. Breaking the curse with each moment she had been alive and combatting the decay of the world.

Ellie observed as the entire group were deep in discussions, even Coda had been gossiping chirpily with Sophia and Carl. Her eyes couldn't help but take notice of Daryl, as he had immersed himself into an engrossed discussion with Rick, and how the two seemed to bond considerably together. Still, it could not have been a happy enough sight to restrict the shadows of Shane's darkness to catch her eye.

Her eyes lingered over the apparition of a man who haunted her with his eyes; the iridescent descent into insanity, slowly curling along the edges of his chocolate orbs. After a while, Lori had traded seats, and opted for sitting on Ellie's left, and she had Shane on her right. It almost felt alarmingly unsettling between the two, but even Ellie knew when to remain silent on the endeavours of others.

Ellie was drawn back to reality once Dale's voice had challenged her, "Don't you agree, Ellie?"

Though her mind had been a haze, Ellie blinked to fall back to consciousness, her voice a mere squeak, "What?"

"Help me out a little, here! I think Carl should have a little wine with his meal," Dale clarified with  a chuckle, "Kids in France and Italy have wine with their meals."

"Well, when Carl is in France or Italy he can have some then," Lori announced as she shook her head assertively, but could not resist the curl to her cherry lips.

Rick's lips couldn't help but unfurl into a dazzling smirk, all the while his eyes couldn't help but stare adoringly at Lori, "What's it gonna hurt? Come on!"

  Her lips hovered, remaining ajar as she desired to revolt, only to have such disappointed, yet playful, glances greeting her from all around the group. Glances she simply could not debate further against. Instead, her cherry lips burst into a wide grin, along with her hand brushing a small glass of wine in the direction of her son.

  "You have never looked manlier with that wine, Carl," Ellie teased the boy, sipping briefly from the goblet within her hand.

In unison, the group erupted into gentle, simmering laughter as they observed Carl while he smirked and blushed slightly. The innocent boy then fastened his lips around the glass and sunk down as much wine as his tastebuds would allow. With his face scrunched up in grimace, Carl yanked the glass from his lips and gagged, "Ew!"

"That's my boy," Lori announced with pride as she ruffled his messy hair, "That's my boy."

"Stick to soda pop, little guy."

"Not you, Glenn," Daryl slurred, his eyebrows wiggling sarcastically as he caught the man's attention with his mischievous smirk.

A smile of embarrassment and confusion illuminated Glenn's face as he stared up at Daryl, "What?"

"Keep drinkin', little man. I wanna see how red your face can get," Daryl taunted Glenn, to which Glenn chuckled back.  A few hushed laughs were passing through the group as Daryl slowly sat back down with a smile on his face, pleased with his humorous, albeit racist, joke.

Shifting the laughter side, Rick slowly lifted himself to his feet and raised his glass in the air, toasting the doctor's hospitality with kindness, "I see we haven't thanked our host properly."

"He is more than just our host," T-Dog piped up as he joined in and raised his glass, a wide grin plastered on his joyous face.

"He's our saviour tonight," Ellie added, raising her own glass high as she nodded kindly at Jenner.

"BOOYAH!" Daryl shrieked, causing the group to erupt into ripples of laughter, and many of the group members followed suit and repeated his call.

Once the laughter had died down, a monotonous voice belonging to Shane boomed over at Jenner and disrupted the serenity, "So, when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc? All the other doctors... where are they?"

Disappointed with his pessimism, Ellie gently slapped at Shane's arm to hush his inquiries, "Shane, not now. We're celebrating."

"But wait a second, this is why we're here, right? This was your move, we were supposed to find all the answers. But, we found him," Shane stated, slurring slightly, clearly distressed at the thought of not discovering what caused the outbreak.

"Shane, not now."

"Well..." Jenner begun, though the group had been disappointment by Shane's prying, "When things got bad, a lot of people just left. To be with their families. And when things got worse, the military got overrun, everyone else just bolted," Jenner clarified in a tone that indicated he had been disturbed at Shane's sudden change of soul.

"Every last one?"

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door. There was a rash of suicides. They... opted out," Jenner explained, gesturing upwards towards the heavens he prayed his colleagues had departed to.

"You didn't leave — why?" Andrea implored with suspicion, raising her eyebrows at the doctor as she held her wine glass in her hand.

"I wanted to stay, see if I could solve this; see what happened."

"Dude... you are such a buzzkill," Glenn announced irritably, scoffing at Shane as Ellie stood to join him on his side of the table.

Shane's head stooped low, concealing the unrelenting embarrassment creeping upon his face. His discomfort only radiated through the group, instilling a feeling of uncertainty throughout the group.

Jenner shortly proceeded, "Most of the facilities powered down, including housing so you'll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable. There's a room down the hall the kids might enjoy, don't plug in the video games, same goes for the showers, don't stay in for too long and go easy on the hot water."

The scientist's hands gestured towards the countless bedrooms on hand, almost as glorious as the discovery of food itself. Glenn's enthralled face lit up like a beacon, slowly turning to Ellie with widened, drunken eyes of excitement.

"Did he say say hot water?" Glenn inquired rhetorically to Ellie as they each whirled around to face the members of the group that encircled them.

"That's what the man said," T-Dog cheerily responded, winking humorously at Ellie as she turned to greet his excitement.

Glenn and Ellie drunkenly nudged against one another as they combated to get into their room first, almost like they had been children on a holiday. Ellie knew that Jacqui had volunteered to take care of Coda for the night so that Ellie could relax, but the sentiment of wanting to protect her daughter and be with her never left the back of her mind.

  The blonde leapt to the cot, giggling vivaciously as drunkenness vibrated in her skull. Any semblance of disappointment seemed to drift away, fading out slowly into dust like ashes sinking to the floor. All Ellie had wanted to do was shine. And she had been shining.

  "I'm glad we met, Glenn," Ellie whispered, sighing with relief this time as she softly shut her sparkling eyes.

  Glenn let out a gentle laugh of agreement, "Me too. Now, who's showering first?"

    "I guess we're going to have to battle for it!"

[ edited ✓]