Aug. 30th - Warning Signs (BtVS/TWD/GG)
Title: Warning Signs
Author: 3am_moonlight
Rating: Gen.
Crossover: The Walking Dead & Gilmore Girls.
Timeline: Post-BtVS, Post-GG, and S01/S02 for TWD.
Characters: Rory Gilmore, Gigi Hayden, Buffy Summers, Faith Lehane, misc TWD characters.
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse belongs to Joss Whedon. TWD & GG belong to someone who isn't me.
Summary: The RV breaks down on the highway and the group is in the direct path of a herd for the second time in less than a week.
Word Count: 1,851.
Note: Follows ' Same Old Brand New You', ' A Step In the Right Direction', and ' The Herd'.
Five days after the walker attack on the Quarry Camp and two days after the CDC was destroyed by a self-destruct, they were stuck on a congested highway after the RV broke down. As everyone came out of the various vehicles Buffy made sure to gather everyone around her.
"Okay, everyone! Listen up." Rory took Gigi's hand and turned towards her new friend/group leader/protector and made sure her little sister was paying attention as well. When Buffy spoke to the group it was important, even if they didn't like what she had to say. It had barely been a week, but the two sisters were already better off with their new group than they had been with their old one and that alone meant something. Especially now.
Buffy and Faith had a skill set none of the others did, but they made sure to figure out who knew what and then tried their best to ensure they all learned it. They were still learning the basics, but the improvements did wonders, and it also helped everyone get to know each other better since they had to interact in a different way. It was useful and something they could take with them if something happened. Being able to talk fast and quote obscure, old movies and TV shows wasn't useful in the new world, neither was her writing skills as a journalist. Even if one of her copies of the survival guides had come in useful and been made an important part of their food gathering. It meant they hadn't been starving since they left the camp.
"The RV has broken down again and Dale needs time to fix it before we can move on. In the meantime I want everyone to pair up, two or three in each group, four at the most. Make sure one is capable of killing walkers. Go through all of the cars and look for bottled water, canned food, and other edible foodstuffs. Weapons, bullets, and other things needed to protect us. If you find something else you want, like clothes or shoes, take them, but keep in mind we have limited storage and there will probably come a point when you need to carry your things plus water and food in a backpack. So before you take something, ask yourself if you really need it or if you just want it to have it."
She looked around at everyone, making sure she had eye contact with each person before she continued. "One person searches through the car and one keeps a lookout. Make sure to check inside the cars for walkers. If there is a body with an intact head, stab it. If you're not sure it's properly dead, then stab it. It's better with a little overkill than losing even more of the living. Also, check around the entire car and also under it. If there are several cars closely together, check all of them. We don't need anyone to be bitten in the leg because they've been careless. Every life matters."
Faith took over, "Don't use guns unless it's really necessary. They're loud and will attract any geeks in the area; use your knives and machetes. The last thing we need is a herd out here while one of our cars are broken so we can't escape. *If* a herd shows up then get inside the closest car and lock the doors, then get down and stay there until someone living comes to get you. Be quiet when you open and close the doors, the geeks are attracted to both noise and movement. If you can't get into a car then get on top of the RV or go to one of the people who are capable of fighting."
"If a few walkers come here we'll dispose of them, but if it's a herd it'll depend on how large it is," Buffy added. "With any luck, the RV will be fixed quickly, we'll find food and water, and then leave peacefully. But if we're forced to engage them then all the non-fighters and the children need to get to at least somewhere semi-safe."
"If we have to, B and I will take care of the geeks, the rest of you get safe."
Rory put her arms around her little sister and then she made eye-contact with Andrea, silently asking if she wanted to work with them. Despite the woman's prickly personality, the two of them had gotten along well. Neither of the women were great fighters, but at least Andrea would stab the walkers if it came down to it. Rory still hesitated to kill or even maim the walkers. Amy simply chose to tag along with her sister, probably for lack of a better option.
Daryl, his brother Merle, and T-Dog went to collect gas from the cars. The Grimes family went on their own search, as did Carol, her daughter Sophia, and Shane. Dale was teaching Glenn how to fix the RV and the groups' two fight instructors chose to walk the perimeter, keeping an eye out for the undead while everyone else was occupied.
An hour or so later, Rory was on watch-duty while Amy was rooting through the back of a car, looking for water bottles when suddenly Buffy and Faith gave the signal to hide inside the cars. She couldn't see or hear any walkers, but she'd learned to trust the two women so she grabbed Gigi and saw Andrea shoo Amy into the front seat of the same car they'd been going through. Thankfully there hadn't been any bodies in it. She carefully closed the back hatch and went around to the side where she opened the back door as quietly as she could before pushing her sister in before her and then closing and locking the door behind herself. In front of her, she saw Gigi repeat the process on the opposite door.
As they were getting into the car Rory saw the other small groups do the same while looking around for a threat. Dale was in the process of getting down flat on the roof of the RV, which meant he'd most likely seen the walkers, and Buffy and Faith were moving carefully around the group ensuring everyone got inside a car and out of sight. When Rory had settled she peeked out a window to see that the two women were on their way up onto the roof of the RV, probably so they could get a better overview of everyone including the approaching threat. She still couldn't see the walkers, but she got down again and wiggled around so she was more comfortable and then settled down to wait.
It took close to ten minutes, Rory had kept an eye on her watch, before she finally heard the now-familiar sound of groaning and shuffling feet getting closer. When one of the walkers bumped into the car, Rory felt Gigi tense and then reach out and grab her hand in fear. She took it and squeezed it reassuringly. They were safe enough inside the car, and Buffy and Faith would protect them, as would Daryl, Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and, if it came down to it, Dale. Dale wasn't really a fighter, but the attack on the Quarry Camp had proven he knew how to do it if he was forced to.
It took another fifteen minutes or so before all the walkers had passed their car, and then another ten before someone suddenly knocked on the window on the driver's side of the car. It caused both of the Harrison sisters to bite back a scream before all four of them rose a little from their positions so they could see who it was. Outside the car was a grinning Faith, who gave them a thumbs up and motioned for them to get out but keep quiet.
"Are everyone okay?" They hadn't even gotten out of the car before Andrea asked the question.
"Everyone's fine. No harm done, they didn't notice us. The geeks are far enough away they shouldn't be able to hear us, we just need to make sure we don't make any sudden movements to make them turn back."
Faith and Andrea kept conversing in low tones, but Rory mostly tuned them out. That had been close and the herd had seemed to be pretty large. If they met it again it would probably be even larger. She winced a little, they'd gotten lucky. What if Buffy and Faith hadn't spotted them early?
"Come on, B's called a meeting."
After everyone had ensured the rest of the group was unharmed they stood around in a loose circle, facing the small, blonde woman.
"That was close, but you all did well. We've got over two dozen cans of food, Shane found a truck full of sealed water coolers, and no one got hurt by the passing herd." Buffy gave the group a genuine smile and most of them returned it. They'd survived a large herd without any bloodshed, Rory smiled to herself.
"But what I wanted to talk about is something else." She turned towards Rick, "Do you want to tell everyone what Dr. Jenner told you before we escaped from the CDC, or should I?"
Rick's eyes had widened in shock, not at being singled out, but apparently at Buffy's ability to eavesdrop. "How did you...?"
"It doesn't matter. What *does* matter is what he told you. so?"
He simply looked at her for a few moments before his eyes slid over to Faith, only to be met with the same knowing look. Rick looked down at the ground, presumably to gather his thoughts, and then he looked back up again and began talking.
"Dr. Jenner told me that we're all infected with whatever causes the dead to rise again. It doesn't matter how we die, we'll get back up again as one of them and try eating anyone we come across. Unless the brain is destroyed."
Somehow Rory felt detached from the following argument, and she simply tuned out Lori and her angry rant. Buffy had already told her and Andrea about her suspicions, it was why she insisted they stab all corpses in the head, even if they appeared to be completely dead, but it was something else to have it confirmed by a scientist.
The argument got loud and they were all admonished by Faith of all people, but there wasn't really anything to argue about; if they'd stopped to think about it it was logical. It explained why so many people had died and gotten up to kill even more people.
Rather than follow the argument she voted for them to get back in the car, Dale had managed to fix the RV, and find somewhere to stay for the night. They could continue the argument there, but right now they needed to get someone they could defend better. The other reluctantly agreed and they got back into the cars after having loaded their loot? Their new supplies? Either way, and they were off.
Author: 3am_moonlight
Rating: Gen.
Crossover: The Walking Dead & Gilmore Girls.
Timeline: Post-BtVS, Post-GG, and S01/S02 for TWD.
Characters: Rory Gilmore, Gigi Hayden, Buffy Summers, Faith Lehane, misc TWD characters.
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse belongs to Joss Whedon. TWD & GG belong to someone who isn't me.
Summary: The RV breaks down on the highway and the group is in the direct path of a herd for the second time in less than a week.
Word Count: 1,851.
Note: Follows ' Same Old Brand New You', ' A Step In the Right Direction', and ' The Herd'.
Five days after the walker attack on the Quarry Camp and two days after the CDC was destroyed by a self-destruct, they were stuck on a congested highway after the RV broke down. As everyone came out of the various vehicles Buffy made sure to gather everyone around her.
"Okay, everyone! Listen up." Rory took Gigi's hand and turned towards her new friend/group leader/protector and made sure her little sister was paying attention as well. When Buffy spoke to the group it was important, even if they didn't like what she had to say. It had barely been a week, but the two sisters were already better off with their new group than they had been with their old one and that alone meant something. Especially now.
Buffy and Faith had a skill set none of the others did, but they made sure to figure out who knew what and then tried their best to ensure they all learned it. They were still learning the basics, but the improvements did wonders, and it also helped everyone get to know each other better since they had to interact in a different way. It was useful and something they could take with them if something happened. Being able to talk fast and quote obscure, old movies and TV shows wasn't useful in the new world, neither was her writing skills as a journalist. Even if one of her copies of the survival guides had come in useful and been made an important part of their food gathering. It meant they hadn't been starving since they left the camp.
"The RV has broken down again and Dale needs time to fix it before we can move on. In the meantime I want everyone to pair up, two or three in each group, four at the most. Make sure one is capable of killing walkers. Go through all of the cars and look for bottled water, canned food, and other edible foodstuffs. Weapons, bullets, and other things needed to protect us. If you find something else you want, like clothes or shoes, take them, but keep in mind we have limited storage and there will probably come a point when you need to carry your things plus water and food in a backpack. So before you take something, ask yourself if you really need it or if you just want it to have it."
She looked around at everyone, making sure she had eye contact with each person before she continued. "One person searches through the car and one keeps a lookout. Make sure to check inside the cars for walkers. If there is a body with an intact head, stab it. If you're not sure it's properly dead, then stab it. It's better with a little overkill than losing even more of the living. Also, check around the entire car and also under it. If there are several cars closely together, check all of them. We don't need anyone to be bitten in the leg because they've been careless. Every life matters."
Faith took over, "Don't use guns unless it's really necessary. They're loud and will attract any geeks in the area; use your knives and machetes. The last thing we need is a herd out here while one of our cars are broken so we can't escape. *If* a herd shows up then get inside the closest car and lock the doors, then get down and stay there until someone living comes to get you. Be quiet when you open and close the doors, the geeks are attracted to both noise and movement. If you can't get into a car then get on top of the RV or go to one of the people who are capable of fighting."
"If a few walkers come here we'll dispose of them, but if it's a herd it'll depend on how large it is," Buffy added. "With any luck, the RV will be fixed quickly, we'll find food and water, and then leave peacefully. But if we're forced to engage them then all the non-fighters and the children need to get to at least somewhere semi-safe."
"If we have to, B and I will take care of the geeks, the rest of you get safe."
Rory put her arms around her little sister and then she made eye-contact with Andrea, silently asking if she wanted to work with them. Despite the woman's prickly personality, the two of them had gotten along well. Neither of the women were great fighters, but at least Andrea would stab the walkers if it came down to it. Rory still hesitated to kill or even maim the walkers. Amy simply chose to tag along with her sister, probably for lack of a better option.
Daryl, his brother Merle, and T-Dog went to collect gas from the cars. The Grimes family went on their own search, as did Carol, her daughter Sophia, and Shane. Dale was teaching Glenn how to fix the RV and the groups' two fight instructors chose to walk the perimeter, keeping an eye out for the undead while everyone else was occupied.
An hour or so later, Rory was on watch-duty while Amy was rooting through the back of a car, looking for water bottles when suddenly Buffy and Faith gave the signal to hide inside the cars. She couldn't see or hear any walkers, but she'd learned to trust the two women so she grabbed Gigi and saw Andrea shoo Amy into the front seat of the same car they'd been going through. Thankfully there hadn't been any bodies in it. She carefully closed the back hatch and went around to the side where she opened the back door as quietly as she could before pushing her sister in before her and then closing and locking the door behind herself. In front of her, she saw Gigi repeat the process on the opposite door.
As they were getting into the car Rory saw the other small groups do the same while looking around for a threat. Dale was in the process of getting down flat on the roof of the RV, which meant he'd most likely seen the walkers, and Buffy and Faith were moving carefully around the group ensuring everyone got inside a car and out of sight. When Rory had settled she peeked out a window to see that the two women were on their way up onto the roof of the RV, probably so they could get a better overview of everyone including the approaching threat. She still couldn't see the walkers, but she got down again and wiggled around so she was more comfortable and then settled down to wait.
It took close to ten minutes, Rory had kept an eye on her watch, before she finally heard the now-familiar sound of groaning and shuffling feet getting closer. When one of the walkers bumped into the car, Rory felt Gigi tense and then reach out and grab her hand in fear. She took it and squeezed it reassuringly. They were safe enough inside the car, and Buffy and Faith would protect them, as would Daryl, Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and, if it came down to it, Dale. Dale wasn't really a fighter, but the attack on the Quarry Camp had proven he knew how to do it if he was forced to.
It took another fifteen minutes or so before all the walkers had passed their car, and then another ten before someone suddenly knocked on the window on the driver's side of the car. It caused both of the Harrison sisters to bite back a scream before all four of them rose a little from their positions so they could see who it was. Outside the car was a grinning Faith, who gave them a thumbs up and motioned for them to get out but keep quiet.
"Are everyone okay?" They hadn't even gotten out of the car before Andrea asked the question.
"Everyone's fine. No harm done, they didn't notice us. The geeks are far enough away they shouldn't be able to hear us, we just need to make sure we don't make any sudden movements to make them turn back."
Faith and Andrea kept conversing in low tones, but Rory mostly tuned them out. That had been close and the herd had seemed to be pretty large. If they met it again it would probably be even larger. She winced a little, they'd gotten lucky. What if Buffy and Faith hadn't spotted them early?
"Come on, B's called a meeting."
After everyone had ensured the rest of the group was unharmed they stood around in a loose circle, facing the small, blonde woman.
"That was close, but you all did well. We've got over two dozen cans of food, Shane found a truck full of sealed water coolers, and no one got hurt by the passing herd." Buffy gave the group a genuine smile and most of them returned it. They'd survived a large herd without any bloodshed, Rory smiled to herself.
"But what I wanted to talk about is something else." She turned towards Rick, "Do you want to tell everyone what Dr. Jenner told you before we escaped from the CDC, or should I?"
Rick's eyes had widened in shock, not at being singled out, but apparently at Buffy's ability to eavesdrop. "How did you...?"
"It doesn't matter. What *does* matter is what he told you. so?"
He simply looked at her for a few moments before his eyes slid over to Faith, only to be met with the same knowing look. Rick looked down at the ground, presumably to gather his thoughts, and then he looked back up again and began talking.
"Dr. Jenner told me that we're all infected with whatever causes the dead to rise again. It doesn't matter how we die, we'll get back up again as one of them and try eating anyone we come across. Unless the brain is destroyed."
Somehow Rory felt detached from the following argument, and she simply tuned out Lori and her angry rant. Buffy had already told her and Andrea about her suspicions, it was why she insisted they stab all corpses in the head, even if they appeared to be completely dead, but it was something else to have it confirmed by a scientist.
The argument got loud and they were all admonished by Faith of all people, but there wasn't really anything to argue about; if they'd stopped to think about it it was logical. It explained why so many people had died and gotten up to kill even more people.
Rather than follow the argument she voted for them to get back in the car, Dale had managed to fix the RV, and find somewhere to stay for the night. They could continue the argument there, but right now they needed to get someone they could defend better. The other reluctantly agreed and they got back into the cars after having loaded their loot? Their new supplies? Either way, and they were off.