Ten months into their walk the strain of the constant traveling along with his ‘infection’ was getting to David. They had fought their way through legions of Walkers, it came time for Laurel to ask David a second time if he wanted her to kill him here, and finally David snapped. He brutally attacked Laurel; he moved and acted very much as a Walker would. Laurel is able to talk him back to reality. David profusely apologizes for losing it. Later after he’s recovered, he offers to take the remainder of the walk alone, but Laurel says it isn’t allowed. She adds that no one would be around to talk David back if the madness struck again. He asks what she does when she’s not escorting people to the end of the journey and she simply says that she’s at peace. But unfulfilled. Empty. Waiting. But it’s better than the pain. David stops dead in his tracks and asks who she is really, what is she? She says “I’m something… you could never understand, David. And I’m very old. And I’m very tired of walking. So let’s walk.” As she sleeps that night in across a campfire from him he watches her. Realizing that she hasn’t smiled or laughed in months and that his company causes her pain. He decides in that moment to strive not to be a burden on her, not to cause her anymore pain than absolutely necessary because he might very well be falling in love with her. In the days that follow, things improve slightly, she actually makes a joke at his expense, but at least it’s a joke. It is just then that in front of them that they see their path filled with Walkers. Evenly spaced along the road in a line. To get passed them David will have to fight and defeat them each one at a time and only call upon Laurel if he absolutely has to for help. Knowing that calling upon Laurel will cause her pain he attempts to go through them without calling upon her at all. He gets pretty far, but in the end he has no other option. Together they make it though, but both are in sore shape at the end. Laurel points out that the worst is not over as a figure approaches from the distance from the direction they are traveling. Laurel tells David that he must talk to him. David rightfully notes that Laurel is afraid of this guy. She quietly excuses herself and goes to a nearby cottage saying only that she’s been down this road before. David walks to meet the figure and is shocked to see an elderly man looking just like him with slight scarring where David has fresh cuts from his all too recent ordeal. When it comes right down to it, David only has one question, he asks if he succeeds in getting his soul back the elder David says no. So David asks what happens to Laurel and the elder says ‘We kill her after we get to New York.’ Back in the cottage, David returns and Laurel says that she never finished asking before, so knowing now what he does about what will happen, does he want her to end it now? He attempts to sidestep the question and explain his feelings for her; she won’t listen and repeats the question. He lets out a quiet ‘no’ after a bit of thought. As they continue traveling he vows to himself that he won’t allow her to die, no matter what just as they arrive in New York City.
