And we are back to Judith's POV. I hope you all enjoyed taking a trip into the mind of Beth and Daryl's child. This next chapter is going to get a little bit more emotional than the others. This story will also be staying rated T and won't head into M territory. Let me know what you think!
Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.
Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.
Flashback
The trees filling the small green park swayed in the wind as I sat on an nearly broken swing at an abandoned playground. Birds chirped and whistled above me as the wind whipped around creating a slight chill. Winter was approaching now and all I could think about was how alone in the world I am. My dad is dead and Carl is gone, with now skills to track my brother it's just me in this world now.
The sounds of the dead filled the space, alerting me to the onslaught of walkers coming my way. Cursing under my breath I stood and held my knife tightly, prepared to fight off the attack. Soon the park was filling up from all directions, a herd larger then that one that split up me and Carl was coming for me and all I had on me was my hunters knife and a gun with very little ammo. I said a quick prayer to the sky as I took off running through the crowd of rotters pushing and shoving my way past. The decay made it easier for me to get through without getting bit or scratched but the reality of what could happen would always be there. A tall building came into view, I think Miss Cassie called it an apartment complex in class one day. I ran for it not caring if other living beings were inside ready to shoot me. The main door was smashed in but a gate like thing was still working so I shoved it across the door and locked it in place. My feet and legs were killing me as I found the door that led to the stairs, taking them two at a time I ran up six flights and burst into the hallway hoping with all my might that the inside wasn't crawling with walkers. Two ambled towards me, hiking my knife up a little in my hand I lunged for the first one sinking the knife to the hilt into the eye socket, she fell limp to the ground as I pulled the knife free and lunged for the second that was almost to me. "Not today asshole." I said plunging my knife into the temple. His teeth gnashed around as he tried to get me, I flicked my wrist shoving the knife further into the skull causing it to fall to the ground as the sound stopped. Pulling my knife free I stood back and took in my surroundings. I walked the hall quietly hoping no more walkers popped out at me, and luckily all was quiet. I began trying door after door until one on the end opened up to reveal a very neatly decorated home. Everything was in its place but covered in a thick layer of dust. I walked in and closed the door, propping a book case against it to keep out unwanted visitors I began my search through the remainder of the home.
The bedroom was amazing, it had a large queen size four poster bed and a vanity, snooping around I found old make-up stuff some of the older women in our town talked about and some Advil. The date had expired but hopefully it could still be used.
In the closet was an entire wardrobe of amazing looking clothing. Shuffling through them I found jeans in my size along with many shirts that would be great to wear in the world like this. A new pair of knee high boots sat in a box on the floor with weird tag things still on them. I looked down at the white tag hanging from the boot, $259.99, people actually paid money like that for shoes astounded me. I slipped out of the clothes I have been wearing for weeks and wandered into the bathroom on the other side of the large closet. Turning the tap on I found running water, ice cold but still running. Someone must have kept this place up to date after the world ended. Washing quickly so I didn't freeze I stepped back through the closet and into the warm clothes that I had picked out and slipped my feet into the expensive boots, effectively ripping the tags off. I had found a gold mine, all this stuff untouched. I went back out into the living room to check my barricade, everything still in place. This would be good enough for a few days.
The kitchen was emptied out of anything edible probably years before I was born. Pulling some items from my backpack I sat at the small round kitchen table to eat. Making myself comfortable but ready for anything on the big bed after my meal was finished. I could feel my face contorting as the tears fell from my eyes. Sobs wracked my body as the stress and realization of how utterly alone I am washed over me.
This could be the end of me, Judith Grimes. No one else out there would even miss me, my family is gone and I am alone. Soon the blackness took over as I fell into a nightmare filled sleep.
End Flashback
Beth finished telling the story of what they went through years before, Daryl sat by her side holding her hand tightly in his as Jack sat next to me with the most angry and pissed off look on his face. "Jack let's go for a walk and check the perimeter." I said pulling him up with me.
"No." Daryl said way too quickly.
"Dad really?"
"You just got back." Beth chimed in.
"And we will be fine. Let's go." He pulled on my hand as he led me out the door. We walked for about twenty minutes into the forest, silence hung around us as his anger dissipated.
"You okay Jack?" I questioned seriously as we came to a stop next to a fallen tree. He sat down on the wet moss covered log and looked up at me, his eyes dark.
"I hate when she tells that story, they almost took her from me."
"But they didn't win, you guys did. Your mom is in that cabin alive and well." I reminded him softly. His eyes seemed to lighten a little as my words took hold in his mind. "She went through all that, you all did but she came out stronger and I think you and your dad did as well."
"She couldn't remember us for a while after it happened. She woke up and didn't know anything. I thought we were going to lose her." He said sadly.
"But you didn't, you gotta keep that in your mind when she tells the story or when you see that scar." I replied.
"When I was alone and then with just you, I didn't even think about it."
"Do you feel guilty for not thinking about it?" I asked him, sitting next to him on the log and taking his rough hand in mine. I placed our hands on my leg as he cast his eyes downward.
"I shouldn't but I do."
"Hey I killed my mom technically so, I think on the guilt factor your should be good." I laughed. His eyes shot up to mine, a look of pure shock covered his handsome features.
"What?"
"My mom died giving birth to me and my brother had to shoot her in the head after so she didn't turn and attack the group. Aunt Maggie delivered me."
"And then my mom was the one raising you?"
"I guess for the first few months it was her that fed and changed me and all that." I said. "I don't remember it though."
"That doesn't make us defacto siblings does it?" He asked skeptically.
"I don't think so, and I sure as hell hope not." I laughed. His lips curved up into a small smile as he looked at me.
.
.
.
We stayed out there for a long while, enjoying the silence of nature and each other's company. "What did you do while you were alone?" I questioned.
"Wandered around and killed walkers. Not really much else to do but survive." He answered. "I looked around for my parents and then I came across your tracks instead of theirs."
"I'm glad you did, and I'm sorry for the way I acted that day." I told him. His smile grew a bit wider as I thanked him.
"You did the right thing, I may have turned out nice but..."
"Not everyone does." I finished. "It's just so random that we ran into each other in this world and we technically come from the same group."
"But never met because of what happened when you were a baby." He said. "My dad told me about the Governor once, all the things he did."
"My dad never talked about it, Carl my brother ended up telling me after we left Alexandria." I said. "He told me how he tortured our people, and killed many of them including your grandfather. Maggie liked to tell all kinds of stories about him. My favorite story was the one where your mom tossed Maggie's birth control medicine into a pond..."
"And then put on her most innocent face and told him they were doing nothing." He laughed as he finished the gist of the story. "My mom tells it a little differently though."
"Well of course." I replied. "Oh and the story of how he would save dogs that were stray and nurse them to health." I said. "Apparently they kept many of them over the years."
"Yeah my mom got bit by one when she was little which made my grandmother but a stop to the strays."
"Maggie never talked about Annette much, she mentioned her in passing a time or two but never embellished anything." I told him a little sadly.
"Apparently they have different mom's and Maggie didn't take well to my grandmother at first." He said, I smirked a little, realizing that that is exactly what Maggie would be like.
"She is a hot head." We laughed a little as the sun started to go down. "We should get back before they send out a search party."
"Yeah." He agreed. I stood to leave, he followed suit grabbing my hand and spinning me around. His lips found mine quickly, the kiss deepened as I moved my free hand to the back of his head to hold him in place. I moaned into the kiss as did he, we pulled apart slightly, our breathing ragged. "Now we can go." I laughed a full belly laugh as his hand wrapped around mine gently. The walk back to the cabin was shorter then it seemed before, but it didn't matter. All that mattered now was that Jack and I were together, most of our family was together again.
We opened the door and stepped into the warm cabin living room. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN." Daryl bellowed as the door closed tightly behind us with a thud.
"Dad really, you need to keep it down, don' wanna attract all the walkers in the area." Jack said much quieter than his father.
"I'm sorry we worried you sir." I said, his eyes went from hard and cold to soft and warm in a matter of seconds. "But hey the perimeter is secure."
"I know because I went out and checked it, you kids can't go off to far on your own anymore." He said softer this time.
"I'm not a kid."
"You are only eighteen." He said seriously.
"Um Daryl you are forgetting that you started a relationship with my little sister when she was only eighteen." Maggie piped in, coming to my rescue. He stumbled for words as Beth came in to save him.
"Hun just leave it okay. They survived all this time on their own no need to worry now and she is not a kid. Neither is Jack we have to realize that at some point."
"I don't want to."
"Daryl." She scolded. If it wasn't for the fact that he was insulting my age I would have laughed at the situation.
"Fine." He grumbled walking out of the room. She followed him quickly leaving us alone with Aunt Maggie.
"Where is Ben and Uncle Glenn?" I asked her. She looked back towards a small bedroom.
"Sleeping." She said simply. "You two were gone a really long time, you had us all very worried."
"We just went for a walk to clear our heads and talk a little. Nothing to crazy, we both had our weapons, we both know how to handle ourselves with walkers and other humans on the not so nice side."
"Judith I know that but you have to remember that you have family again who worries and it's not just you out there anymore."
"Alright, we will try and be better for you all." I said ending the conversation. I lay down on the small sofa, throwing my arms over my eyes to help me fall asleep. Dreams of Jack soon filled my mind, dreams of the future and of the past.
.
.
.
A loud bang on the door woke me from a deep sleep. Jack jumped up from his place on the floor by the sofa, his hand going to his knife automatically. The others soon emerged from the other rooms as snarls of the dead filled the air around us. All of us were on guard with our backpacks ready to go if needed. The banging kept on getting louder and louder as the door splintered and broke in two. Walkers began to flood the small cabin.
Let me know what you think!