Madzie found some train tracks as they were walking along a dirt road. Since she'd never seen anything like them before, she hit them with a rock and laughed at the reverberation it caused.

"What are these things?" She asked when Alec approached her.

"Those," Alec grunted as he knelt down, "are called train tracks. Back in the day there were these big machines called trains that people used for travelling to different places and carrying items across the country."

Madzie made an "o" with her lips. "Where are all the trains now?"

Alec shrugged. "No idea. I guess they stopped working a long time ago and no one could fix them. Right now they're just good for walking across them. See?"

He balanced himself on the metal plank and slowly walked along the track as if he were on a tightrope. Outstretching his arms for balance, he looked over his shoulder to see Madzie copying him. She was much smaller than him so keeping balance was a lot easier for her as she walked along the track.

"Look Alec! I'm doing it!" She cried. It must've been so exciting for her, finding the train tracks and copying what Alec was doing. The look on her face said it all: she was very happy.

"Be careful, Madzie! You could fall and hurt yourself!" Kit called from about twenty feet behind. He'd been watching her attentively to make sure she didn't slip and fall flat on her face as she played on the tracks.

"Relax. Let her live. Besides," Magnus clapped Kit on the shoulder, "she was born after the apocalypse started. She's never seen or heard of a train before. This is new and exciting stuff for her."

Kit huffed. "But-"

"No buts. Imagine growing up in a world where all you've ever known is running from the undead and having no knowledge of the old one. How does that sound?"

Kit shrugged. "Not cool, I guess. I have a few memories of before this all happened but I can see where you're coming from. She was born after it began. She didn't even know what to do with a doll."

Magnus nodded. "Exactly. So just let her be. Alec got a close eye on her. He won't let anything happen to your sister. Okay?"

Madzie giggled from up ahead as Alec let her jump on his back for a ride. She looked so happy and carefree that for a moment Kit forgot the kind of world that they lived in. It had been so long that he saw her genuinely happy. There was nothing to be happy about back on Lorenzo's farm. There were only two things to feel: fear and sadness.

"You okay? You zoned out there for a minute," Magnus asked, concern both in his voice and on his face.

Kit shook his head as if the thoughts could be shaken out of his mind. "Yeah. I'm good. Just thinking about what would've happened if I hadn't gotten Madzie out when I did."

Magnus sighed. "You don't mean our farm, do you?" Kit shook his head. "Of course. You meant Lorenzo's. I guarantee you that it was fate that brought you both to me and Alec. Someone out there in the universe wanted us to meet. You just got to take that little grain of hope and hang onto it for as long as you can."

From up ahead, Alec continued to balance along the railroad tracks with Madzie attached to his back like a koala. She didn't weigh much so carrying her didn't bother him.

"Where are we going?" She asked him out of the blue.

Alec didn't have a decent answer for her so he said "Remember in Oh The Places You'll Go that your mountain is waiting?"

He felt her squirm on his back. "I like that book."

"I know you do," Alec chuckled. "We're going to your mountain, button. Just like in the story."

At the mention of a mountain, she hugged his neck even tighter while singing out "Kit! We're going to my mountain!"

Kit shouted back. "What mountain? You don't have a mountain!"

"Yes I do! Alec said so!"

Magnus hushed Kit before he could yell back. "I really don't think we should be yelling so loudly out here. There could be Forsaken around."

Forsaken. It still struck both Magnus and Alec as weird that there hasn't been a single Forsaken around in months. Magnus had a theory that they migrated south to Mexico for a warmer climate. Alec guessed they were all just dying out from starvation. Kit suggested they were both being stupid while Madzie said maybe the zombies just stopped picking on people.

"Don't give me that look," Magnus grumbled when he noticed that Kit was giving him the stink eye. "Anything or anyone could be out here. So it's best we keep the noise level to a minimum."

Kit snorted but said nothing as they continued along the tracks.

After an hour of walking, they finally stopped for something to eat. They hadn't packed much; a few apple slices, some meat that Alec managed to cook that morning, and some rice that Magnus so carefully grew in the field along with a few other vegetables.

"Alright. Eat up. We need our strength. Kit." Alec tossed him a baggy of apple slices. "Divvy that up between you and your sister. She likes apples."

Kit nodded, ignoring Madzie's grabby hands as she kept trying to steal the bag from his reach. Blue Bell watched the food being shared back and forth and whined, only to earn herself a piece of meat in response.

"Magnus," Alec said, reaching into the backpack. "I have your favorite. Peanut butter granola bar."

Magnus took the bar with a smirk. "Ah. You really do know how to capture my heart, don't you?"

They kissed, causing Kit to gag as he ate. Madzie just smiled and clapped her hands while she chewed her slices of apple.

"Can you guys find a tree to do that behind or something? I'm trying to eat here," Kit groaned in disgust.

Magnus pulled away from Alec for a moment to glare at him. "In this day and age, two men expressing love for one another shouldn't be such a big deal. So don't look then if it grosses you out."

Kit started to say something but just ended up rolling his eyes. "I wasn't grossed out by two guys kissing but whatever."

"Kit's just scared he's gonna catch your cooties!" Madzie giggled, earning herself a glare from her brother.

Magnus couldn't help but laugh. "Cute. Cooties are still a thing. Can you believe that?"

They ate the rest of their small lunch before setting off again. Alec insisted on following the train tracks because they'd eventually lead to a town whereas Magnus wanted to go deeper into the woods.

"Maybe a town isn't our best option right now," Magnus suggested. "The last sliver of civilization we had didn't exactly turn out too well."

Kit glanced up at Alec. "What does he mean by that?"

Alec shook his head. "Not now. I'll tell you some other time when you know who isn't listening," he booped Madzie on the nose with a finger. "Come on. We'll stop at that shack ahead and camp there overnight."

The shack was actually a small cabin made for one person with a fireplace in the center and a single twin size bed next to it. It looked and smelled old; the wood was rotting in some places and there was a hole in the ceiling just above the kitchen table.

"Not exactly a five star hotel but it'll be good enough for now," Alec said, placing his backpack on the table. "I can patch up the hole with that piece of tarp outside. That should do the trick."

Kit grimaced at the state of the cabin. "I suppose I've been in worse situations....but where do we...you know...."

"Excrete?" Magnus grinned when Kit made a face of disgust. "Outside, obviously. You're not going to find any fancy indoor plumbing nowadays, kiddo. It's all wilderness from here on out. You poo where you put your shoe."

This made Kit gag again. He didn't want to think about using the bathroom outside. At least back at Lorenzo's they had a place to go when they needed to.

Magnus in turn set his backpack down and dusted off the table with a hand. "Sweet pea. Why don't you sit here for a bit and play with your toys while Alec fixes the hole in the roof."

Madzie hopped up onto the chair. "Then can we play dolls?"

Magnus smiled. "We certainly can. Just be patient, okay? Hey Kit?Watch over your sister while I go out to help Alec."

Outside, Alec opened up the tarp to see if it was good enough to cover the roof. There didn't seem to be any holes in it, or at least none that he could see. The only problem was keeping it secure and in place above the cabin.

"Running into problems already?" Magnus suddenly appeared beside him

"Ah." Alec dropped the tarp to the ground. "I guess you could say that. I don't have anything to secure it to the roof. No nails. Nothing. Rocks won't work because they'll just fall right off the side."

Taking a quick look at the cabin, Magnus said "There's a town close by. I'll go to the hardware store and pick up a few things."

"No. I'll go. I'll take Kit with me too. He needs to learn the ins and outs of scavenging anyway." Alec pecked Magnus on the cheek and smiled. "Take care of Madzie while we're gone. We won't be long."

When the cabin door opened again, Kit looked up to see Alec step inside and grab his backpack. "Where are you going now?" He asked.

"You and I are going into town to pick up a few supplies. Magnus will stay here with Madzie. Same with Blue." Alec tossed Kit his backpack. "Gear up, little man. This is your first big scavenging mission."

Kit looked ecstatic and immediately slipped the bag over his shoulders. "Seriously?! I get to go with you?!"

"Yes. Now the first rule of scavenging is to keep your voice down. Sound travels," Alec told him.

Magnus laughed as he sat next to Madzie. "Shouldn't be too hard. He sounds like a mite anyway."

Kit was about to retort when Alec grabbed him by the collar and led him outside. "Hey! What's the big deal?"

"The big deal," Alec sighed, "is that you should never pick a fight with Magnus. Especially one of wits. He always wins. Now focus. We don't know who or what is in the town so I need you at 100%. Got it?"

Kit nodded. "Got it. I won't let you down."

The town was only small. Alec knew this right away because of the shops that lined each side of the street. One of them was an old fashioned shoe making and shoe shining store so this place couldn't have had more than 1,000 people when it was at its prime. Luckily, they weren't looking to get their shoes shined. They needed to find a hardware store.

"All this stuff....nobody thought to take any of it with them?" Kit whispered. He had peered into a shop window and saw piles of clothes strewn everywhere.

"Not everyone had time to grab much, Kit. Families came first. Everything else was secondary." Alec found the store they needed, taking out his bow and notching an arrow into it. "We're here. Now take out your weapon and keep it ready."

Kit took out his crowbar wig a sigh. "I need a better weapon than a crowbar, Alec. Can't I have a gun? Or a bow like you?"

Alec hushed him. "We'll talk about that later. Stay sharp."

The shop was empty. Even when Alec opened the door and the bell jingled, nothing happened. If any Forsaken had been inside they would've heard the noise and reacted immediately. But the shop remained silent as they both stepped inside.

"Okay. Looks clear." Alec said in a low voice, putting his bow away. "Next rule is always be mindful of what to take. Sometimes something worth taking isn't really something worth taking."

Kit scratched his head. "You lost me."

Alec sighed. "Just....ask me if something might be useful or not. I'll let you know if it is."

They searched around the shop for anything that might be of use. The main goal was nails and a hammer but the more they walked around the more they saw that this place was a goldmine for supplies.

"Why don't we just take a toolbox and fill it up?" Kit asked from across the room.

"Good idea. Now you're thinking like a scavenger," Alec replied. He looked over at the teen just in time to see a broad smile on the boy's face. "Just make sure you don't fill it up to the point where we can't put anything else inside."

There was no point in getting electric tools so Alec took a box and filled it with mostly nails and screws. A few screwdrivers caught his eye too so he neatly packed them away into his toolbox. He was about to close it up when a loud crash made him jump and immediately make a grab for his bow.

Kit stumbled out of a back room. Even in the dark he looked deathly pale and was struggling to stand upright as Alec approached his side. "I....I don't know what...."

"Hey. Relax. What happened?" Taking Kit's arm to steady him, Alec continued to speak. "What did you see?"

Gulping, Kit pointed into a doorway. "It's in there."

Whatever "it" was sounded ominous so Alec raised his weapon just in case. Kit wasn't a practical joker so he knew this wasn't some prank. "Stay here. Shine your light in only when I tell you to. Okay?"

The room was pitch black but there was a gurgling sound coming from inside that Alec couldn't quite put his finger on. It sounded as if someone was drowning or choking on something, which only got louder the further he went into the darkness.

"Alright. Shine your light. I'm in far enough," Alec whispered back to Kit.

The flashlight clicked on, and what it revealed in the room almost made Alec throw up. In front of him, just a few feet away, was a crib. Inside the crib was a small toddler except it was wasn't fully a toddler.

It was a Forsaken.

"Jesus...." Alec breathed, lowering his bow.

"Do you see it? What is that thing?" Kit whispered from the doorway.

The Forsaken toddler let out a growl and reached through the bars of the crib. It's skin was gray and the eyes that stared with cruelty and hunger back at Alec were covered in a white film. Alec had to look away before he lost control of his stomach contents.

"Let's go, Kit. There's nothing else to see here," he backed out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"You're not going to kill it?" Kit asked in surprise. "It could get out-"

"It won't. It hasn't in a long time. And it's not hurting anyone so therefore I'm not...." Alec breathed out a sigh while nudging Kit towards the entrance of the store. "Come on. Let's go see what other goodies are here waiting for us."

As they scanned the streets for any other shops that caught ther interest, Kit saw a barbershop that advertised haircuts for men and shaving services. He stopped outside the glass window, looking in at the old fashioned instruments used.

"Hey....Alec?" He called out. "Come here for a second."

Alec stopped to look back at the teen. "Yeah? What's up?"

Embarrassment was evident on Kit's face. He started to turn red around the cheeks and ears as he tried to find the right words to say. "Uh....do you think you can....teach me to shave sometime?"

This caught Alec by surprise. "Yeah. Of course. You've never done it before?"

Kit shrugged. "No one was around to teach me."

They were both quiet for a few minutes. Alec could understand why; Kit was going through an awkward phase in life, which was even more awkward because of the situation around them. Being a teenager during the zombie apocalypse couldn't have been easy.

"Can you wait here for a minute? I want to go grab some stuff inside. Magnus and I need some razors anyway," Alec finally said after the silence became uncomfortable enough.

Kit nodded. He watched Alec go into the shop the same as he did with the hardware store (weapon up, body alert), picked up a few supplies and was out again in minutes.

Alec showed him a razor with a smile. "You know you actually need facial hair in order for this to work right?"

"Fuck off," Kit growled back. "I have a little bit growing. It's not a full on Duck Dynasty beard but I can feel a little growing on my chin and jaw-look. Can you not make this any more awkward than it needs to be?"

Alec chuckled. "Sorry. I've never had a chance to do any of this with my youngest brother so this is entirely new territory for me."

Kit fell silent. "You mean Max?"

"Yeah. He died when he was 9. So the whole helping him through puberty thing never happened. So....if you have any questions, don't be scared to ask me or Magnus. We went through it too."

There was one question that had plagued Kit's mind since he turned 14. "There is one. Is it....normal for....hair....."

Alec could see that Kit couldn't finish the sentence so he finished it off instead. "Is it normal for hair to grow down there? Yes. It is. As it is on your face, under the armpits, on your arms, chest, legs, sometimes your back-"

"My back?!" Kit gagged. "I'm not growing into an adult. I'm turning into fucking Sasquatch!" He immediately stiffened with a wince. "No offence. But your height and hairy self doesn't exactly help with this conversation."

"None taken." Alec stepped over a broken telephone pole, helping Kit do the same. "Now as for your voice. You might've noticed some changes-"

Kit's snort of amusement interrupted him. "Oh did I ever. One minute I sound like a mite and the next a trombone comes out of me. Will it ever stop?"

They both froze when they heard a noise come from behind a garbage bin. A raccoon raced out, freezing as well when it saw them, then raced across the road with a squeak.

Alec relaxed his muscles in relief. "To answer your question, yes. Eventually it'll settle. This isn't a permanent phase, Kit. It'll deepen over time," Alec told him.

Kit nodded. "Okay. And by the way.....my name is Christopher. Kit is just a nickname."

Moved by Kit's trust in him, Alec smiled and ruffled his hair. "I like Kit better anyway."

They exited the town with their supplies in hand. Neither of them expected to get so much more out of their trip than they thought they would. Only the material aspect of that was obvious when they returned to the cabin and Magnus saw them approach with full backpacks and their toolboxes.

"Look at you. Did you bring the entire town back with you?" He laughed, peering into the bags. "Razors. God yes. I've been itching to shave for days now. Madzie says I hurt her face when I blow raspberries on her cheek."

"No kidding," Alec said while winking at Kit. "If you don't mind, Kit would like to join us and watch as we get rid of our Duck Dynasty beards."

This prompted Magnus to look at the boy. "No kidding? So he wants to become a man, huh? Well he can join us anytime. You'll hear no arguments from me."

Kit mouthed "thank you" before going into the cabin to join his sister at the kitchen table.

"You're amazing." Alec kissed Magnus on the cheek. "You're great with him. Madzie too."

"Yeah well," Magnus shrugged, "I'm just amazing all around. I'll show you how even more amazing I am if you let me help you nail the tarp to the roof."

Alec grinned crookedly. "You'll hear no arguments from me."

A/N: I know it seems like this is slow going so far but I promise you the story will pick up speed eventually. I wanted to focus on the human aspect for a few chapters and really give our little group a sense of family.

Let me know what you think! What would you like to see happen next? What do you think will happen? Leave a comment and a vote!