So finally after a year, a month, two Weeks and a few days, I bring to you the chapter that turns this one shot into a full story. I don't know how long it will be or if it will follow the show. I do know that there will be some twists and turns along the way. After rereading the first chapter, I realized I couldn't leave this one hanging the way I had. I hope you all enjoy.
I had gone through a huge change staying at the prison. Things had calmed down with Rick, and I had felt comfortable enough to see him as a second father. I had grown closer to him as Carl started to distance himself more and more. I honestly felt like it was my doing, no matter how many times I was told otherwise.
"He feels he needs to do things himself, he's at the age where he thinks he's the man, even if he's still a boy. It has nothing to do with you, Fern. It's my fault, more so."
"That ain't true, Rick. You're doing the best you can. We're not living with the comfort we once knew. Now we have walkers everywhere ready to eat us. It's hard to grow up, harder now," I replied, helping him with the garden. Carl normally helps, but Rick let him have time to himself.
In the past few months so much had changed for me. I still prefer to be left alone. But human conversation is nice. Things with Daryl were touch and go. Things could be good between us and the next we'd be at each others throat, ready for a fight. Things got tougher on me when they brought people from Woodbury here. Most the time when I wasn't doing my chores to help out, I was off by myself. That's how I coped. That and nailing walkers in the head to get my anger out. Walkers were good for something.
"Thanks for that, Fern. Times have changed drastically. I have a hard time dealing, I can't imagine what it's like for a teen age boy."
"You're welcome, Rick. That I can't help you with," I replied, turning to see Daryl walking over to us. "Something wrong?" I asked, using my arm to wipe sweat from my forehead.
"Nah, just going on a run, thought you might want to come along. You haven't left the prison grounds in a few weeks, thought you might want to go with." That was very thoughtful of him. I smiled, turning to look at Rick.
"You have things covered here?" I asked. I didn't want to leave him with any more work then necessary.
"I've got it, you both be careful out there." I nodded, heading off with Daryl. I wanted to ask why the sudden urge to invite me along. It was the first time he had done so. But I kept the question locked away.
"We getting parts for your bike?" I asked, noticing his bike was tore apart.
"Nah," he shrugged. "Just felt like going to get a few things. We're always in need of supplies." That was true. We could always use more supplies. "This whole bad girl look, it's not you is it?" He asked, after the prison was behind us. Tight jeans and a tank top was my normal look these days. I just didn't picture myself as a bad girl.
"Mini skirts, tube tops, and other reveling clothes was my look. The more skin the better," I shrugged. Clothes felt far to restraining for me. I wasn't a nudist, I didn't exactly feel comfortable nude.
"Ah, you were a tease," he smirked. I laughed, agreeing to his statement. "Now, were you just a tease, or did you give them what they wanted?" He questioned, resting his hand on my thigh. It felt like a fire was burning where his hand laid.
"I'm not a slut," I hissed, my anger getting the best of me. I had only ever slept with 3 people. "I may have been a tease, but I wasn't looking for sex, every single day, since I turned 18," I clarified, an edge to my voice. I went to push his hand from my thigh, but he grabbed my hand, a current ran through my body, scaring me. Walkers had frightened me at one point, but nothing had ever scared me as much as this electric current.
"I wasn't saying you were, Fern. We all have a past." It really sounded like he was genuinely sorry for the way he had came off, assuming something like that of me. "What did you do in the past life?"
"Just a college student, I wasn't set on any major, not that I need one now. Most days were filled with parties, you?" I asked.
"What's that matter now? My old life has nothing to do with the life I live now." It was his answers like that, that got under my skin.
"Nothing?" I questioned. "You expect everyone else to be honest with you, but yet you can't be honest with anyone, not even yourself," I seethed, ripping my hand from his, feeling a coldness sweep over my body.
"You got your gun? Your knife?" He asked dropping my comment about not letting people in. My sword laid in my cell, out of the reach of kids. It wasn't something I needed to carry around in the prison yard. I kept my gun and knife on me at all times. A habit I had yet to break. I nodded opening my door.
"In and out, right?" I asked looking at all the town houses that lined the street.
"You take that house, I'll take this one. In and out," he agreed. I nodded climbing from the car, shutting the door softly, not wanting to make any more noise then I had to. "Fern, be careful."
"You too." After the last few months, I still wasn't used to having someone worry about me. Even when he denied it, I could see it in his eyes. It was really prominent when we would fight. Maggie and Beth, would make silly comments about it all, but I'd blow them off, but I would winder laying in my bed at night, if the reason we fight so much, was because we were both denying that we had this connection between us. Neither one of us wanted to let this, whatever it is interfere with staying alive. One little distraction could get you turned and then killed. We couldn't afford that.
The house I entered had already been ransacked, a walker laid dead in the living room, making the house have a death smell to it. The cupboards were bare, except for some jars of baby food. Moving from room to room my fingers tightened around the handle of my knife. Walking upstairs I stopped at the first door I came to, seeing a crib in the corner. Judith was growing daily and soon enough she wouldn't have any clothes left to wear. I small suitcase with the name Regan stitched on it lay by the dresser half full of baby clothes. Looking at the size, I saw that they would fit Judith. I stuffed what I could into the suitcase, finding a few frilly little dresses and cute little dress shoes and more toys for her to play with. Searching the rest of the house, I found supplies in the bathroom, we needed and with a little luck, some more clothes that were my size. This was shopping at its finest and most my clothes were ready to be tossed or used as rags.
I just hoped that Daryl was able to find some food and other things. I went to walk out of the master suit, seeing something glint from the closet. I pulled the closet door open to find what seemed like someone's hiding spot. Empty food wrappers and cans lay on the floor. Blankets and pillows on the floor making a make shift bed along with a colt .45 and a full box of ammo. I was quick to grab them up. I pulled my knife hearing the scratching noise coming from the one room I hadn't checked. I could either risk it by pulling the door open or I could leave it be and head out with the loot I had. For once I played it safe leaving the walker locked in the room.
Daryl had made it to the car before me. Glancing in the back I could see that he had better luck in the food department. I also saw some booze. I rose an eyebrow, seeing the smirk he wore. "What?" He asked getting into the car.
"Nothing," I responded, shoving what I had in the backseat, climbing in the car. I couldn't tell if things were easier now or harder, but I had a feeling I was going to find out at some point.