Noah's community was gone. And with it, Tyreese. They stood now, paying their respects, the sun shining and the sky blue, nothing like the sadness the group held. The priest was saying a few words, not that it meant much to them, none really believed that the Lord was still on their side anymore.

And then they moved on. Driving until their cars ran out of gas, and then walked until they were dehydrated. They looked for water, all  of them, but found nothing. And woud find nothing until the rains came.

Bryce currently followed Cas as he walked the bank of a dried up river. Mainly hoping not to lose the boy, but also because he wondered what Cas hoped to find.

"What are you looking for?" Bryce finally asked, making Cas stop.

"You didn't have to come with me you know." He replied, causing Bryce to sigh.

"I wanted to." The older boy answered.

Cas sighed. " I'm looking for the source." He replied. He was wearing only a t-shirt and Jeans at that moment, and hadn't bothered doing his hair, making him look younger.

"How old are you?" Bryce asked, he already knew, but he hoped to make conversation any way.

"Sixteen, how old are you?" Cas replied, examining some dried mud as though it might help them.

"Nineteen. You look so much older." Bryce commented.

"I had too, kids on the street get carted off to orphanages, adults don't." Cas asked.

"How old were you?"

"What when I ran away? Eight." The younger replied.

"You've been alone all this time?" Bryce stared at him. "We're you not scared?"

"I was more scared of going home." He answered. "If you want to come with me, please stop asking stupid questions."

"I have one more." Bryce replied. Cas sighed.

"What?"

"What is Cas short for?" Cas pulled a face at this question. "Oh come on, are you a Castiel, a Caspar, a Cassie?"

"Caspian." He finally answered.

"That's adorable! Caspian." Bryce mused, Cas glared at him and pulled out his gun.

"Don't call me that."

"You really wouldn't hesitate to kill me, even if I wasn't turned?" Bryce asked.

"I wouldn't give it a second thought." He replied, putting his gun away and continuing on.

"You scare me." Bryce told him, he didn't follow the boy as he had been doing.

"Good." Cas answered, before disappearing into the woods.

Bryce stared after him, no wonder Cas had survived all this time, he had no hesitation to kill. Bryce has  thought he had gotten through to him, but he hadn't, he had thought perhaps the two were leaning toward friendship, he was wrong. He had thought maybe he could help him, he has never been more wrong.

He would have headed towards the others, but his way was blocked by two walkers. He tried to shoot them, but just kept missing, he tried to stab them, but got too scared. In the end he fell over, trying desperately to scoot backwards, as all three came towards him.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the bite to come, when he felt something fall on him, it was the first walker, a knife through its head. The second and third fell down after that. Both had a knife embedded in their skulls. Bryce stared at them, tears in his eyes, he had almost died, because he was too incompetent to fight.

"Are you okay?" He heard a familiar voice. It was Cas, of course it was.

"How?" He murmured as Cas pulled him off the ground.

"You screamed." Cas answered. Bryce hugged him. " I'm sorry." He added.

Bryce shook his head. "Don't be." He   still didn't let go of the boy. Holding him close as though letting go would mean death. Cas seemed mildly uncomfortable by the action, but hugged Bryce back anyway. "Thank you."

"Hey, it's okay." Cas murmured. Bryce let go of him as he clearly seemed uncomfortable. "We should probably get back." He said and then paused. "You aren't bit are you?"

"No." Bryce answered.

"Good, let's go."

They reached the group soon after, Daryl walking up the them at once. "Nothing?" He inquired.

"Nothing." Cas nodded.

"Thought not, thanks for checking it out kid." Daryl nodded at him, Cas shrugged back.

"We need to keep going." Rick told them. The group looked glum about this, but they knew they had to, and as they walked, they noticed a hoarde begin to accumulate behind them. Too tired to try and fight, they just kept going.

"Cas are you okay?" Bryce asked a little while later, the boy seemed to be slowing down, his breathing ragged. He just nodded.

"I'm fine." He murmured. Bryce knew otherwise, the boy was still exhausted and dehydration wasn't helping.

"Come here." Bryce told him, he would happily carry the boy if needed. Cas shook his head. "Cas it'll be easier." Cas sighed, but reluctantly allowed Bryce to carry him on his back. After a good ten minutes he felt Cas slump against him and knew that he had made a good decision.

"He okay?" Tara asked, appearing beside him. He nodded, Cas was light, probably underweight and short for his age, so he was no bother to Bryce.

"Tired." Bryce replied.

"Did you talk to him?" She asked, he nodded.

"I got him to tell me his name." He added.

"He trusts you then." She told him.

"He told me he wouldn't hesitate to kill me!" Bryce exclaimed. She laughed.

"He wouldn't. Besides, you probably called him by his full name, didn't you?" She asked, he nodded.

"Yeah, why doesn't he like it?"

"Because of his mother, but if you really want to know, he has to be the one to tell you." She told him, he sighed, adjusting Cas on his back, he had almost dropped him, carrying some one on your back is a lot easier if they're conscious.

"He won't tell me though." He pointed out. She shook her head at him.

"He's already started opening up to you."