Summary: Alex and Walker spend their anniversary in the wilderness
Disclaimer: I do not own them
A/N: Of course it is an AU story.
Chapter 4
The morning sun was unforgiving at best. The harsh light was the first thing that assaulted Walker when he opened his eyes, the second was that Alex was staring at him already awake. Moving just a bit to stand Walker saw that the fire was gone, and the morning chill had started to settle in.
"We better get moving. It won't be long before the sun is making us wish for a bit of shade."
Alex nodded but she didn't say anything, and that put Walker on alert right away. "Alex, what's wrong?" She still didn't answer him, but more or less just shrugged off that she was fine. Walker however was no fool and he could tell that Alex was keeping something from him. He had noticed Alex was limping a bit more, and that her usual rosy cheeks were now quite pale.
Alex hoisted up the backpack, and grabbed the blankets, gritting her teeth against the pain. She was in more pain than she could ever remember being in, but she wouldn't tell Walker, not this time. She wanted to prove to him that she could make it, just like all those strong women Rangers that she saw day after day. She halted for a few seconds more to catch her breath, before following Walker. She knew she would have to tell him eventually, but her plan was to wait till they found somewhere safe. He was hurt and she wasn't going to add to his burden.
Three hours they walked and finally the tree line could be seen. "It should be just through those trees and we should come up on the cabin."
Alex shook her head. "Walker just past those trees is the road, but I thought the cabin was two or three miles up the road from even there."
"It is, but we've made it this far. I don't think a few more miles will stand in our way." Alex was staring at Walker like he had grown another head.
Walker came back to stand beside her, putting his good arm around her. "I know you are putting on a brave front for me Alex, but you don't have to. You are already the strongest woman I know of."
Alex was shocked. She thought she had hid her pain well, but obviously she was wrong. "How did you know?"
"What do you mean? How do you think I am strong?"
Walker kissed her lightly on the lips. "You put up with me don't you? I can't think of any other woman that would do that."
Alex smiled then. "Come on. Maybe we can make it." They both took off walking towards the tree line ready for a break from the noonday sun. Where the morning had been a bit chilly, now the sun was nothing if not boiling. Sweat drenched every inch of Alex's shirt, and she wished she could just take a break. It wasn't until she started wheezing that Walker turned around. "Alex? Are you all right?"
Alex couldn't catch her breath enough to answer right away. The pain it was so intense like someone was sitting on her chest. In, out, in out, she practiced taking the breaths, hoping to ease off some of the sharper pains. Walker came over and had her to sit down. "You can't stand on one leg forever you know. Someone might mistake you for one of those flamingos in Florida."
Alex hadn't even noticed that she had been giving her bad ankle a rest, and sat down grateful for the small break. Walker was now staring at her, his eyes filled with concern. "I could go on ahead and come back with help Alex. There is no need for you to keep going when you are hurt."
Panic filled every fiber of Alex's being. "You are not leaving me here. Don't you remember last time? You left me in the truck, and was going to run into the hospital and get the wheelchair. They stole the truck! I was so scared I couldn't even move."
Walker did remember what had happened. Alex had fallen off her horse and broken her leg. He had taken her to the hospital promising to return in a second with the wheelchair, but vandals had stolen his truck that he had left running. Alex had been captive for three days before they managed to free her, and she was still a bit leery. "Fine, we will rest and eat something and then try to go on."
This seemed to pacify Alex and she pulled the fruit from her backpack. She was glad she had thought ahead to grab a couple of apples at the last gas stop they had made. Her jaw hurt, to chew but Alex didn't care as hunger took over and she devoured the apple in only a couple of minutes. After a few sips from the canteen she was done. "Do you think you are ready to go on ahead?" Walker asked.
"Will we make it to the cabin by tonight? I don't want to spend another night outside."
Walker looked over to the trees and then sat quietly for a second. "I think if we cut across to the west a bit we can make it to the cabin right before nightfall."
Alex stood up then, taking a second to get her bearings. "Let's go then." Walker came around to help her, but she shook her head. "I can make it."
"Are you sure?" Walked questioned.
"I promise I will let you know if not." When Walker raised an eyebrow, Alex huffed. "Fine, if you think I need help then by all means be a gentleman and come and help me."
Walker and Alex made it to the tree line in just over two hours, and Alex was regretting her stubbornness. Her chest burned fiercely, making her wish to just lay down and pray for death. Her ankle was throbbing but she had managed to shift the weight off it most of the time, and her headache was now nothing more than something she had become used to. "Walker, don't you want to rest? I know your arm is broken, and I should probably refashion the sling."
Walker knew a broken arm was trivial compared to some of the injuries he's in his career. He also knew that Alex was now panting as if she couldn't catch her breath. "Yeah, I think I need to take a break," he said, watching as Alex's face had a look of relief wash over it.
They only sat for a minute before a howl was heard off in the distance. "What was that?" Alex asked, worry etching her features.
Walker listened as another howl returned the first. "Unless I am wrong those are wolves. We best get moving." Alex got her feet, and followed Walker. Alex could tell that Walker's pace was faster, and she knew that could not be good. She was so worried she hadn't even noticed when the road came into view. "We made it." she said, happy to be close to the cabin. Her smile was short lived however when Walker's face turned ashen.
"Alex run!" he said, taking her hand in his. The wolves they had heard before were now only a few hundred yards behind them and they were catching up. Walker knew he had two bullets left in his gun, but there would surely be more than that in the pack. Their only chance was to outrun the wolves and that was a slim chance at best. If they were attacked he knew to curl into a ball and pretend he was dead.
Alex was trying to run, the pain now becoming a second thought to the fight to get away. She ran as fast as she could, but that wasn't fast enough to catch Walker. Several times he had turned around to get her, but the last she had motioned him on. "Go, run ahead and unlock the door!" she yelled as they could now see the cabin in sight.
Walker didn't want to leave her, but he also didn't want for them to get to the door and not make it inside because it was locked. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and pulled the key from underneath the mat. Once the door was open he started running back for Alex, who wasn't that far behind him. He could see her on the path to the cabin, but he could also see the wolves nipping at her heels.
Putting on an extra burst of speed Walker was almost to her when the first wolf jumped on Alex's back, knocking her to the ground. After that it was like slow motion as Walker ran towards her. The wolves converged on Alex, each one trying to tear away at her. Alex's screams filled his ears, as she tried to fight back, but it was useless, as the wolves continued their frenzy to get a kill.
Alex couldn't breathe anymore, she couldn't think anymore, all she hoped for was a swift death. Blood gushed from the numerous bite marks, and she had curled into a ball hoping to keep them from ripping out her throat. The last thing Alex heard were the gunshots, and one of the wolves fell on top of her dead, the rest scattering away. Was this how she was supposed to die? She wondered this as the last rays of light disappeared as she closed her eyes. She didn't hear Walker calling to her, she didn't hear anything at all except the blissful silence of a fast approaching death.
A/N: See you next week.