Ash had always hated being grimy. Yes she ran with bikers but as soon as they got back from a job she was always the first jumping into the shower but now days that was just a dream. A dream which she tried not to dwell on.
"Half Sack you coming?" she asked. Poking her head around the door to see him staring down at Abels make shift cot. She took into account his slumped shoulders and ran a hand through her short hair. She'd never been good with feelings before all this began, but now they seemed like another luxury which she couldn't afford. None the less she couldn't expect everyone to be like that otherwise it'd make the clubhouse a dull place.
"Do you think they're still alive?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly at the end of the sentence.
"I don't know," Ash said, putting her hand on his arm as she stood beside him though. "But I have to try and believe that they are otherwise I couldn't do this. I wouldn't have any fight."
Silence hung in the air between them and Ash wondered where Chibs was. And Tig. And Jax. God-damn she even missed Clay. She just wanted them back, that was all. She wanted her family. She thought back to how it began. Them travelling to the Rainsville club to help them ferry guns through Atlanta for the money and then the dead rose.
Ash had to clench her hands into fists, she was just so angry at the world. It wasn't fucking fair. The one time she didn't go on a job this shit happened. And she lost them.
"Daylights burning doll," she said softly glancing at Abels sleeping form before she turned to leave. Hearing Half Sack give her a weak smile and a mutter along the lines of 'yes boss.'
She still found that weird, how she was now considered their boss. She'd never once thought in a million years that she would be the boss of any of them but here she was. In charge of the few that remained.
She donned on the leather cut with the Sons of Anarchy symbol on the back and strap her knife to her.
"Yo Juice, we're going to get some water okay. Should be back in two hours alright," she said. Poking her head around the door and tapping on the wood, smiling at Leah and JJ.
"You taking Sack?" JJ asked, trying to be nonchalant but Ash could see right threw him. She knew he wanted to come, but as much as she hated herself for it. She didn't trust him as much. He was the prospect of the Rainsville crew and one of the only ones who remained when the shit hit the fan but she knew Half Sack. He'd protect her just like she'd protect him.
"Yeah, just for some water. We're trying a different route to see if we can get some food as well," she glanced at the ever growing pile of noodle packets in the corner of the room, looking at them with disdain. "Something other than noddles." She could hear them all yell out their goodbyes as she left. Walking into the sunshine with a groan. She hated the heat.
"If the area is clear enough you can always try and have a quick wash," Half Sack said sweetly and Ash instantly felt bad. He'd followed her on every single trip without making her ask twice and all she did was complain.
"If it's clear enough," she nodded and tried to stop the grumbles about the heat and sweat escaping her lips as Half Sack slid into the drivers seat of the black van.
She climbed on top of their makeshift watch tower and peaked over the top of the metal gates.
"It's clear," she called out staring at the only walker she could see in the distance. She leaped off the edge and pulled the key out from under her shirt to unlock the oversized padlock. She did that in a flash, routine and habit taking over as she yanked the gates apart. Waiting for Half Sack to drive through the gates before slamming the gate shut and locking it back up. Slipping into the passenger seat with a grin spread across her face.
"I shit myself less every single time I do it," she laughed. Ignoring the fact the leather was sticking to her skin.
The trip to the lake went without an issue, the few Dead they drove past were disbanded. Not enough of them to make either her or Half Sack want to turn back. The pair of them able to have a quick wash in the lake without having to kill a single Dead.
"Well that went better than I'd expected," Ash grinned as she helped Half Sack carry the giant bottles of water they'd collected back into the van.
"Yeah," he smiled which had Ash worried in herself. Yes they lived in (what she believed) was the apocalypse but Half Sack wasn't like this. He was the one who liked to fill the silence with mindless chatter. "What's wrong?" She asked him, keeping her tone casual as they climbed into the van.
"Do you," he began as he put the van into first gear. "Do you think that this is our lot for the rest of our lives and we'll end up like Happy?" he asked, tears clouding his eyes before he furiously blinked them away.
"No," Ash answered, not allowing herself to think about what she witnessed with Happy. The way they ripped his guts out, spilling them across the pavement. "No," she answered again, hoping to put a determined edge in her voice. "I won't let that happen. I've learnt from the mistakes we've made. And that's not on you Kip. It's not," she repeated hoping that he'd believe it. "That's all on me and I can work though that you got it." She waited to see him nod before they pulled up beside the seemingly untouched Wall Mart.
"Still want to have a look Half Sack? You can say no," she added softly, understanding the sheer fear in his eyes.
"Nah we might as well." He nodded, a small honest smile on his lips as they clambered out of their van each brandishing their weapon of choice. Ash watched out of the corner of her eye as Half Sack took out one of the wondering Dead with his crowbar as she pressed her face to the glass.
"Can't see any of 'em inside," she said to him once he rejoined her before she bent down to pick up the largest rock she could find. A smile on her face as she threw the rock at the window watching as it shattered, glass landing at their feet.
"I wish it was that easy to break into places when the world was right," Ash chuckled as she stepped over some of the jagged ends of the glass which was still attached to the frame.
"Yeah," he replied. "Wouldn't have been so much fun to sneak in though," he carried on as he followed her in.
"We've hit a gold mine," Ash almost cried as she looked at the aisles of untouched food and clothes. Almost everything she'd been wishing for.
"No you ain't. It's ours," she heard a voice call out.
She spun on her heel and grinned toothily at the group of men and women who were standing in the doorway to what she assumed would have been a staff room at some point.
"Now, now," she said with an air of amusement in her voice as she put her hands on her head. Motioning for Half Sack to do the same. "Let's not be too hastey."
"We ain't. We're just tellin' you to get outta here. We found this place it's ours." The gruff redneck said. All put stamping his feel like a petulant child, Ash thought to herself.
"Well I hate to break it to you but I just put a massive whole in your new house," she grinned, raising her eyebrows. "Now there's two things that can happen here. You can take what you want and we can take what we want and then you can come and stay with us. It's safe I promise." She smirked at the redneck who looked as if he was going to start beating the crap out of her. "Or we can have a fight and then you'll be all injured and then the Dead will come and we'll be safe with plenty of comforts."
"Come on what have you got to loose?" She laughed before letting her hands fall back to her sides, staring at each of them in turn. When no one replied she smiled which she hoped made her look kinder. "Well while we're shopping we'll let you discuss your options with yourself. Come on Sack," she said as she began to walk along the isles. Pushing things at random into a discarded trolley.
I have a vague idea where this is going but I'd love to hear your take on this story thus far. It'd really help probably if you read my other SOA story Chelsea Smile because Ash is my Oc aha, but I just couldn't get this idea out of my head once my boyfriend had planted it there.
So yeah I'll probably but this in both the walking dead and SOA categories as well as just the crossover ones because of ideas which I have.
Anyway yes, I'd love to know your opinions!
I hope you enjoy!