Them
The Walking Dead belongs to AMC, its creators, actors, and writers. I own nothing
I knew I shouldn't watch 'Us'. I knew it. I knew it would either chase away my Candle muse or result in a new one. Add in one long morning commute (side note where in the hell did these people learn how to drive?) and I got this. Shouldn't be as long as Candle is turning out to be. Enjoy.
*x*x*x*x*x*
She'd fought just like he'd taught her. Ignoring the pain, the shock, and the fact that he'd been a living breathing person. She'd fought. Then she ran. Ignoring her bare feet and the cold that hit her like a punch as it cut through the thin t-shirt that was all she was wearing. The tracks that led to Terminus also led away so she followed them.
*x*x*x*x*x*
They'd caught up to them. And some of them were going to die. It was inevitable. Daryl lay on the ground, pinned to the dirt by Dan's foot with a rifle pointed at his head. He knew he should fight, try to save Rick, but found he didn't care. Michonne held Carl against her, glaring at Harley who held them at gunpoint.
Rick was on the ground. As soon as they were seen, Tony identified Rick as the man who'd killed their friend Lou and the men attacked. Daryl had tried to intervene and was slammed down to the ground. He was laying on his crossbow and wasn't even sure if it was intact. He didn't care.
Now Michonne and Carl were in danger. Joe and Rick were beating the shit out of each other. The other men were cheering on the fight. And Daryl laid in the dirt waiting for the end.
Rick stumbled back and Joe doubled over to catch his breath. "Daryl," Rick hissed.
"Got something to say to him son?" Joe panted. "Might be your last chance."
"I got out with Beth. I tried to keep her safe. Someone took her." Daryl had no idea why he was telling Rick this at this moment in time. But if he was going to die, he wanted someone to know. She'd survived the prison. She was out there somewhere. And Daryl had lost her. He'd failed her. "I failed her," he said aloud.
Rick closed his eyes, "Daryl. It's not your fault. It was mine. This is all my fault. Let them go. It's my fault."
"Why did you kill Lou? In that house," Joe asked. He walked over to Rick and grabbed him by the shirt to bring him up face to face. "Why did you kill him?"
"You broke into the house where my family had taken refuge," Rick replied. "I couldn't let my son walk back into that. I tried to leave. He came at me. I am sorry that your friend died. But I'm not sorry I did it. I had to protect my son."
Joe stared into his eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "An honest answer from an honest man. Whattaya know."
"Dad?"
"Hush kid," Joe said. "The grownups are talking."
"Da…" Carl's voice was cut off as Billy slammed his hand over his mouth.
Billy jumped back, shaking his hand, "Damn kid BIT me!"
Carl shoved him and darted. Michonne took a step forward, ignoring the gun pointed at her, her mouth was open in shock. Rick reached to catch Carl but he ran right by.
Rick turned. "Beth?"
Joe turned to look. Then he looked back to Daryl who was staring at the girl limping towards them.
"Beth?" Daryl whispered.
When Joe had first found Daryl, he was sitting on the road looking like a lost child. His eyes were flat, lifeless. As he'd walked alongside him, it had surprised Joe that the younger man was still breathing. Just like the walkers, Daryl was just putting one foot in front of the other. He'd seen some sign of life when Len had accused him of stealing. Defensive fire burning inside him. But that fire had quickly extinguished, leaving him with only ashes. Joe had seen him start to toss the sheet over Len. And had seen him drop the sheet and walk away. Just another walking dead thing.
But now there was something in his eyes. Life, joy, hope. Light.
The men were starting to move cautiously toward the advancing figure. Suddenly decisive, Joe stepped to Daryl. He nudged him with his foot. "Something you want to say son?"
Daryl took a sharp breath, ignoring the pain in his chest and back. "Claimed," he yelled. "She's claimed." He ignored the strange looks he was getting from Rick and Joe's men. He rolled and pushed himself to his feet.
Beth was still limping forward. She was wearing only a short sleeve t-shirt. Her arms and legs were covered in bruises and narrow scratches. She was covered in blood. Her shirt was soaked with it, her skin coated, her hair matted. One hand clutched a large shard of glass so tight that fresh blood dripped from her fingertips.
Carl stopped short, "Beth? It's me. It's Carl."
Beth didn't look at him, didn't stop moving.
Michonne walked up behind Carl and pulled him back against her chest. "Shh, Carl."
Rick stooped awkwardly, holding his ribs with one arm, so that he could see her face. "Bethy. Honey can you hear me?"
Beth stopped walking then, but only because Daryl had reached them. "They said you were dead."
Daryl shook his head, "I'm not." He took her hand gently and pried it open, letting the glass fall to the tracks.
She burst into tears. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. She sobbed into his neck and started to shake violently. He took a step and his knees gave way. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, rocking back and forth.
Everyone advanced to them, surrounding them. They watched silently. Until Beth's shivering became intensely violent. Joe yanked open his bag and pulled out a long sleeve shirt. Michonne dug out a pair of pants. "Carl, give me your extra socks," Rick ordered. Daryl met Rick's eyes. "We need to get her warmed up, Daryl."
Michonne knelt down, "Beth, honey look at me. We're going to change your shirt, OK?" She accepted the shirt Joe offered. She glanced back and saw that the other men had turned their backs, surrounding them, facing outward in a circle. She pulled her knife and sliced through the blood soaked shirt so that she could take it off of her without pulling it over her head. Daryl averted his eyes and helped Michonne sit Beth up. Michonne yanked Joe's shirt down over Beth's head, then slid her own pants over Beth's legs. "Lift up. That's a girl." She pulled a coveted hand wipe from her pack and used it to gently wipe Beth's face. "There's that pretty face."
"Here," Carl said handing over the socks. Rick knelt down and pulled them onto her feet.
"Beth? What happened?"
"They took me," she was still shuddering, her voice uneven. "They threw me into the car and took me. They said Daryl was dead. That they were taking me to a safe place. Terminus."
"We've seen signs for Terminus," Rick said. "Sanctuary for all. Those who arrive, survive."
"They lie," Beth shook her head violently back and forth. "It isn't. It isn't. They lie."
"Shh," Daryl soothed her. He yanked off his vest and jacket to wrap them both around her.
"They welcome people in. They bring them in and make it seem all safe. Then they separate the men from the women. They keep the women who are healthy. They only want the ones who are healthy. She said I was perfect. She said I would make beautiful b….b…." Beth's words were overcome by shuddering whimpers.
"Oh God," Michonne gasped. She met the men's gaze. "Breeding stock." Dan and Tony turned away cursing.
"What about the men? What are they doing with the men?" Rick asked.
"They're eating them."
Carl slapped a hand over his mouth, then turned and ran for the woodline. Harley followed, then leaned over and vomited into a bush. He grasped Carl's shirt with one hand, keeping him upright even as he heaved. Daryl resumed rocking Beth as she cowered against him. Rick walked over as Carl straightened and handed him a bottle of water.
"Well, gentlemen, and ladies," Joe said as he pulled a cigarette out of his pack and lit it with a lighter. Then he held a bottle of water above the flame. "I would suggest that since the end of the line is in that direction, that we should beat feet in the other." His men murmured in agreement.
"We can't," Beth said. "They have prisoners. I heard them. I think I heard Glenn and Doctor Bob. I wasn't sure and when I tried to yell she hit me. But I think it was them. We have to go help them. We can't leave them there." She looked to Daryl. "I killed him. She kept giving me shots. She said she wanted to wait to start with me. But he came in anyway. I saw the way he looked at me. I knew he would be coming. I broke the window. And when he came in I stabbed him in the neck. I left him there. I knew he'd turn but I left him there. I hope he kills her. I hope he eats her. I broke a window and took the glass. I put it into his throat."
"Shots," Rick whispered.
"Probably fertility treatments, increase the odds of conception. Maybe even the number of children per pregnancy," Michonne replied.
Joe stooped down and pulled a pair of his own socks onto Beth's feet on top of Carl's, tucking Michonne's pants down into them. "Killed him, huh? Felt that warm blood flood down over your hand. What a brave little girl you are." He handed her the bottle of warmed water. "Drink that." He rose back to his feet. "So."
"So?" Rick looked at him.
"Oh come on, just 'cause I punched you a few times doesn't mean you can't invite us to the party."
Rick stared, measuring, deciding, then stepped forward and extended his hand, "Name's Rick."
"Hi Rick. I'm Joe."
*x*x*x*x*x*
Daryl carried Beth against his chest. Once they started walking, she'd curled against him and fallen asleep. He ignored the pain of his bruised ribs and the pull of a strained muscle in his back. Ignored it because she was in his arms. She'd found him. When he'd all but given up. She'd found him. He'd claimed her.
*x*x*x*x*x*
Rick and Joe followed slightly behind.
"We need to find a place safe for her while we do this," Rick said. "Leave Carl. Maybe one of your men."
"Yeah. That'll work," Joe replied. "I'll leave Dan."
"Which one is Dan?" Rick asked.
Joe pointed him out. "And that's Harley, Tony, and Billy."
Michonne and Carl were on point with the other four men. Carl looked back to his dad and to Beth frequently, but kept moving forward.
"What was that? That 'claimed' thing that Daryl said."
"One of our rules," Joe explained. "When we see something we want, we say that it is claimed. The others respect the ownership."
Rick's gaze went to Michonne worriedly.
Joe laughed loudly. Daryl turned back to look, then continued walking. "I said some *thing* Rick. You don't claim a woman like that. The woman claims you."
"Then why did you tell Daryl…" Rick stopped.
Joe stopped walking and turned to face him. "Because otherwise he never would," Joe replied. "He's spent the time I've known him with as much life as a walker. Plodding along aimless. All because he blamed himself for losing her. There was nothing behind his eyes. No life. No light. Nothing. When he saw her, I saw the light that was supposed to be in there. And I saw guilt, shame, and that wonderful 'I do not deserve her' thing we all feel when facing the love of a beautiful woman. So I made him claim her. Made him think of her as his."
"Because he was already hers," Rick said. "Maybe I'll leave him behind to guard her."
Joe smirked, "No. That'll never happen. He needs to see justice served. They took her, they hurt her, and he is going to make them regret the day their parents met."
*x*x*x*x*x*
Daryl walked along, cradling Beth in his arms, gently, firmly. There was a light in his eyes now. The light from a simmering rage.
*x*x*x*x*x*
Well you only need the light when it's burning low Only know you've been high when you're feeling low Staring at the bottom of your glass You see her when you close your eyes But you only need the light when it's burning low Only know you've been high when you're feeling low Staring at the ceiling in the dark Well you see her when you fall asleep Well you only need the light when it's burning low Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go
Hoping one day you'll make a dream last
But dreams come slow and they go so fast
Maybe one day you'll understand why
Everything you touch surely dies
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
Same old empty feeling in your heart
'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast
But never to touch and never to keep
'Cause you loved her too much
And you dived too deep
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
Let her go – Passenger