The day Lucas asked me to marry him, was the day every dream I ever had come true. I'll never forget the look in his bright, hazel eyes when he got down on one knee, his hands shaking as he opened the little velvet box, producing a beautiful diamond ring. His voice cracked as he took a deep breath, nervous and excited, happy and scared.
"Kayy Lyn Scott, I love you with my entire heart and soul. You're the rock to my roll, the butter to my toast, the sun to my blue skies. You're everything I ever dreamed of and so much more. Will you marry me?" he asked after a moment of silence. I'll never forget how tears streamed down my face as I nodded quickly, unable to utter a simple 'yes'.
He threw his arms around me, spun me around, and placed the beautiful, yet simple ring on my finger.
"Till death do us part," he whispered softly, his voice sending a chill up my spine.
I felt my entire body shake as I took a step towards Mayhem. Her howls stopped, but were quickly replaced by a broken, beaten whine. Once I was beside her, I knew why.
Lying on the ground, curled in a protective ball, was Jacoby, his hand trembling, his face a sickening shade of white. His eyes were wide, but unseeing. In his hands, was what looked like an envelope?
"Jake?" I asked softly, falling to the ground beside him, my hands shaking as I pushed his hair from his face. His skin was ice cold. He didn't move. His lips trembled. I quickly scanned him for any sign of injury, but there was none.
"Jake, what happened?" I asked softly, pulling him into my lap. He shook against my chest, his entire body trembling. He slowly pressed the envelope into my hand, his own as cold as ice.
Our wedding was everything I dreamed of and so much more. We both agreed that we weren't having a traditional wedding. Instead, I was dressed in a short, deep red and black dress, him in a simple, yet elegant black tux. The waves were crashing on the beach behind us, as the minister told us to face one another.
"The bride and groom have decided to say their own vows," he said, nodding at me to begin.
"Lucas, words cannot describe how much I love and cherish you. From the first moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were meant to be mine. You have given me strength when I've been weak, laughter when I have been sad and companionship when I have been lonely. You've taught me how to love without fear of being hurt. You've given me more than I could have ever asked for, and you have completed my world in every way possible. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, through the good and the bad, the happy and sad. I know we'll always have each other's backs, no matter what. I love you, till death do us part," I said, tears of joy running down my face.
I slid the wedding band onto his finger, my hands shaking ever so slightly from excitement.
"Kayy, you are everything I ever dreamed of in a wife and so much more. Your strength and courage has been a constant reminder of how much you're willing to go through, just to get to where you've always known you were going. You're beautiful, determined, and compassionate. You're so much more than words could ever fully explain. I know we'll always have each other's backs, no matter what. I love you, till death do us part," he said, his hazel eyes shining in the light of the setting sun. He slid the ring onto my finger, before kissing my hand softly. We both turned in unison, as the minister said "I now pronounce you, man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
That kiss, would be my favorite for years to come. The passion and trust, love and endurance, all brought together in a simple show of affection. His hands held mine, as we made our way down the make shift aisle to be congratulated by our families.
Jake looked up at me, his eyes full of fear. He tried to say something, but no words came. Instead, he pointed at the envelope in my hands. I looked at it, then, taking a deep breath, I opened it.
That was when I noticed the blood. I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest, as I pulled the piece of tattered paper out of the envelope. Along with it, fell Lucas's wedding band. The moment it landed in my hand, I knew something was terribly wrong.
K
I was so close. So fucking close. But it doesn't look like I'm gonna make it. The fever's settin' in and I know it's just a matter of time now. I'm gonna try to stick this through the chain links. See if I can't get it on your side of the fence.
Don't worry, babe, I ain't in any pain now. Numb, really. You'll be okay. You and Jacoby and Lucy. And that damn dog of yours. I can hear her barking already.
I'll always love you, till death do us part.
- L
At first, I couldn't comprehend what I was reading. It didn't make sense. What was he talking about? How'd the letter even get here? And why did he take off his wedding band? None of it registered for several long, silent minutes. Finally, realization dawned on me, and my world came crashing down around me.
"No," I whispered, tears in my eyes. "No, no, no, no!"
Jake turned his head so he was facing the other side of the fence, before raising in hand slowly, pointing at a figure stumbling around with the rest. The familiar leather jacket was my sign. Out there, with the rest of them, was my Lucas.
"Can you walk?" I asked Jake. He looked at me for a minute before shaking his head. I thought for a moment, then looked towards the prison. "Can you try?" I asked. His eyes were vacant, not really seeing or hearing anything I was saying. He was in shock, which was no surprise. "Jake, listen to me, you have to go inside, okay? Go sit with Carol or Beth or Maggie. Okay?" I begged. I helped him stand. He was shaking so badly, I wasn't even sure if he could make it back to the safety of the prison, even if he tried. Much to my relief, that was when Glenn came running, Maggie close behind.
"Take Jacoby inside, okay?" I asked them. They both looked at the note in my hand, then out into the field. Maggie must have seen him first, because she grabbed Glenn's arm and nodded once. They had the silent communication thing going on. Glenn scooped Jake up in his arms, shot a sideways glance at Daryl and Rick, then started towards the prison. Maggie was rubbing circles in Jake's back. I turned away, unable to watch as they carried my broken, confused son away.
I took a deep breath and looked out into the field.
"Want me to…?" Daryl asked, shifting his crossbow. He had seen him now too. Rick too probably. It wasn't hard to; Lucas's old, tattered leather jacket looked out of place among the other Biters, who were spread thinly across the field.
"No," I said softly. I'll do it."
"I'm not letting you go out there," Rick said sternly.
"Try an' stop me," I grunted. I turned and walked towards the weak spot in the fence. Mayhem was close behind. When I reached it, I stopped short, a strangling, choking feeling filling my chest. I crotched down, struggling to find air. Mayhem pushed her furry head into my face, a soft whine vibrating her body.
"Cover me?" I asked Rick, who had followed me over. Daryl was standing close to the fence, his crossbow level with Lucas's head. I knew he'd take him out if I failed too.
"Yeah," Rick's rough tone said, followed by a nod. I nodded once then stood, my hand shaking as I moved the board. I slipped through the small opening. For once, Mayhem remained where she was, not willing to follow me. I walked carefully as to not draw any attention to myself. A few Biters caught my scent and started towards me, but they were too far off to prove a threat.
I circled around, until I was closest to Lucas. I clicked my tongue, just loud enough for him to hear. He turned around, his eyes a deep, blood red instead of their usual hazel color. I saw a deep bite wound on his arm, another on his chest. He stumbled towards me, arms outstretched. From the look of him, he was fresh. Maybe a few hours old. He came at me, his teeth gnashing together. Until he was right in front of me. I grabbed a stick off the ground and held it out, keeping him at arm's length. I looked at his face, my heart breaking with every passing second.
"You were so close, Luke. So fucking close," I said, tears running down my face. "So, fucking close." I wanted to reach towards him. Feel him against me one last time. My arms sagged, letting him get a little closer. "I love you, you know that? Till death do us part, right?" My arms sagged even more. Luke was close enough to bite me. He was going to. I knew it.
The whistling sound reminded me of the dangers. I threw myself to the ground only seconds before one of Daryl's arrows crashed through Lucas's skull. He fell on top of me, his blood dripping onto my face. I pushed him off, gasping, my heart pounding quickly in my chest. A wave of dizziness overtook me, and for a moment, I was blind. The haze cleared quickly though, mostly because I was overly aware that I was exposed. I pulled myself to my feet, before looking down at my now dead -again- husband. I sighed and knelt beside him, placing one foot on his chest, my hands locking around the bolt that put him down. I pulled hard and tore the thing from his skull. I looked at it for a moment before sliding it into my boot, tail first. I looked down at him, tears flowing freely at that point. My heart begged me to drag him back with me, so he could be laid to rest properly, but my head told me otherwise. I'd have a hard enough time getting back to the fence, much less with a corpse. Instead, I pulled out my last zippo lighter and flipped it open. The flame flickered in the wind.
"Till death do us part," I whispered as I tossed the lighter onto his body, stepping back as it caught. The smell caused the other Biters to start towards me, but the cloud of black smoke provided me with an easy get away. I was back to the safety of the prison yard in a minute flat.
"Can I have that back?" Daryl asked, pointing at the bolt as I passed him.
"No." I kept walking, my hands trembling. I didn't stop until I was to the van, where I climbed in, slamming the door behind me. I quickly locked the doors, so no one and nothing could distract me. I laid down on the backseat, the smell of dog slobber and baby vomit filled my nose. A smell I had grown used to over the last 12 months. I laid there, flat on my back, staring at the sky light, my eyes locked on a bug that had long since died there.
"Welcome to the world, Jacoby Ashton Smith, happy birthday," Lucas said happily, tears in his eyes as he held his son for the first time. My heart swelled with joy as I watched the moment unfold. After a long, painful labor, there he was. Our beautiful baby boy. His eyes shined brightly with fresh tears, his tiny fingers exploring his father's face. The nurse snapped a picture, before smiling at me.
"Congratulations Mrs. Smith. Your son is beautiful," she said brightly. She handed me the camera before nodding at Lucas. "You two make beautiful babies."
"You were supposed to be there for him, no matter what," I whispered, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks. "He needs you."
7 and a half years later, I fell ill 24 weeks into my second pregnancy. Lucas was scared to death that he'd lose both me and our unborn daughter. When the doctor came to us and told us that if I didn't terminate the pregnancy, there was a high likelihood that I would die, we faced the first of many tragic moments.
"I'm not terminating," I said stubbornly. "I'll take the risk."
"Don't be stupid, we can have more babies, Kayy, but there's no way I'm losing you," Lucas said, holding my hand tightly in his. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at me.
"I'm not losing her," I said softly.
12 hours later, Lucy Marie Smith was born. She was tiny, only weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces. She was tinier than any newborn I had ever seen. It would be months before she could come home with us. But eventually she did, and she was the light of our lives ever since.
"Damnit Jacoby, you weren't supposed to go first!" I sobbed bitterly, the tears now choking me. "How am I supposed to tell Lucy?"
I pounding on the door make me jump, nearly falling onto the dirty floor in the process. I looked up to see Daryl standing there, beside him, the ever faithful Mayhem. She was barking her head off, clawing at the door. No doubt leaving even more scratches and chips in the paint.
I didn't care. I didn't want company, no matter what kind. I turned my back to them, burying my face into my arms.
"Open the door, before I break the goddamned window," Daryl demanded.
"Go away," I said bitterly.
"Not until you come out here," he said. He kept pounding on the door until it drove me insane. I gave up and pushed the door open, not even feeling the slightest bit of regret when it slammed heavily into his stomach. Mayhem jumped into the van, her wet feet leaving muddy prints on my bloodstained upholstery. I slammed the door shut again and turned the engine on.
"Where are you going?" he demanded, grabbing at the door.
"Nowhere," I said, growing increasingly annoyed. I turned on the CD player and let the loudest, cruelest Godsmack song I could find blare over the speakers. The music was oddly comforting. I laid back on the dirty, disgusting seat, my head resting on Mayhem's back. I closed my eyes and tried to think of a better time. A time where Zombies were just figments of our imagination. A time where laughter and love weren't so hard to find. A time when everything was perfect and happy and real. Not a time of destruction, hate, and sorrow.
The day Lucas brought Mayhem home was one of the last times I saw him. The puppy was a birthday present, one I'd learn to love, despite her flaws. She was a ratty looking, scrawny mutt with paws too big for her body. Her thick fur would prove to be both a blessing and a curse as time passed. She was sparky and smart, eager to please.
That was how she became my chest friend. Her gentle way and meek personality was what made me love her more and more each day.
6 months after, the world went to hell.
"He's really gone," I whispered, burying my head into Mayhem's matted fur. She whined softly, her tail wagging ever so slightly against the upholstery. I felt her body vibrate as she tried to comfort me. "It's finally over."
A/n- Oh, the tragic, twisted story. I love this chapter. Honestly and truly. I adore it in every sense of the word. I hope it tugs at your heart as it did mine!
To D.B. Cooper - I totally agree, TWD definitely needs a dog. But then again, they have Daryl. ;)
To everyone else who commented, faved and followed, thank you, so, so much! 3 I've yet to decide just how screwed up Jake will be now that he saw what he saw, but this was definitely a vital chapter. It'll resurface things in both Rick and Daryl too. And add a common ground for an unlikely trio, as well as another unlikely trio in the later (waaaaay later) chapters. Beware for POV change within the next 5 or so chapters. I haven't decided completely yet.
Side Note - I go out of town next Wednesday, so I won't be updating until I get back from vacation (Rock on the Range weekend's coming up!) But I'll definitely work on the next few chapters until I leave, and when I get a few minutes here and there, I'll work on the chapters I won't be able to post right away.
As always (and I swear, I'm getting tired of repeating myself, to myself, haha) comments are always appreciated! They help me form a better story! Keep 'em coming! I also need an idea for a Carol x Daryl moment, so let me know if you have any ideas. ;) I have a few, but I'm not sure if I want to use them. ;)