Make my Way Back

Chapter 7

(I don't own the walking dead)

Reg was buried the next day, Pete being buried outside down the road as Rick said "We don't bury killers here". The days that passed were tense, eyes carefully watching Rick wherever he went. Beth dropped a casserole over at Deanna's, trying to ignore the angry way Spencer looked at her as he took the dish. They were grieving, everybody did it differently.

Beth watched as Daryl spoke with Carol, holding Judith on her hip as Carl made funny faces at her. Although they hadn't talked about their relationship again with everything that's been going on but Beth was comfortable with how it was at the moment. They still slept next to each other each night, she'd let him make the next move when he was comfortable.

Their eyes meet for a moment, she smiled briefly at him, using Judith's little have to wave at him, he smiles back subtly, turning back to his conversation.

"So, are you and Daryl boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Carl blurts out, pulling back her attention

"W-what?" she gasps, "Why would you say that?"

"Well it's kinda obvious. You're always together, he sleeps in your room at night. Everyone can see the way you two look at each other"

She lets out a nervous laugh, playfully shoving his shoulder with her free hand "Always asking the tough questions huh?... I-I don't know what we are at the moment, I guess we're still trying to figure it out"

He shrugs "Well I think you two would be good together, you make each other better, happier. You're different when he's not around, it's as if you're subconsciously looking for him. He's the same"

A dreadful creaking sound interrupts their conversation, the both of them stepping off the porch to see where the sound was coming from. They both looked just in time to see the bell tower collapse, taking down a large piece of the wall with it. Walkers started to stumble in, their groans audible over the sounds of the panicked screams of the residents of Alexandria.

Handing Judith over Carl she turned to him "Take your sister and get in the house. Now Carl!"

"No way! I'm not going to hide like some kid, I can help" he protests over the wailing of his baby sister.

"Carl, I don't have time to argue over this. I'm the adult here and I need you to protect your sister okay? Please just go inside" she says, sternly, reaching for her gun.

He bites down his protests, unhappily retreating to the house with Judith. She turns her eyes back to the situation unfolding as soon as their inside. People are running left and right, locking themselves in their homes. She can see Jessie run towards her, her sons, Gabriel and Deanna behind her.

"Get in the house, GO!" Beth shouts, ushering them towards her home.

Daryl runs up to her, Carol on his flank "c'mon Greene" he says, pulling her along with him into the house. He rushes into their room, Beth following after him. He quickly grabs his crossbow and bolts, handing Beth an extra gun "I gotta find Rick, just stay here with the kids. I'll be back soon"

She frowns, grabbing at his arm when he attempts to leave "What?" She scoffs "No, I'm not letting you go out there alone, I'm coming with you"

"Beth, I ain't arguing with you about this, you're staying inside. That's final"

"You can't control where I go Daryl, you don't make my decisions for me"

"It ain't safe out there, there's walkers all over the place!"

"But it's fine for you to go out? For you to put yourself in danger?" she shouts

"That ain't the same" he sighs

"Why? Because I'm a woman?" She snaps, "All these weeks, you've been telling me how strong I am. Did you not mean a- "

He cuts her off by swiftly pressing his mouth to hers, cupping her face in his hands. It's over in a few seconds, she only just closed her eyes when he pulled away, resting his forehead on hers.

"I-I can't lose you again… I can't" he mutters, his breath fanning against her face "Please... for me, just stay inside"

She's still in too much shock to reply, nodding her head against his. Before she has a chance to even try to kiss him again, or think about how that one action had irrevocably changed their relationship, the door slams downstairs.

They break apart, each quickly moving downstairs. Rick and Michonne are standing by the door, both equally out of breath.

"What happened?" Is the first thing Daryl asks as he bounds down the stairs to his friend.

"The tower just collapsed, must have been more damaged than we thought from the wolves attacking us" Rick pants "there's walkers everywhere"

"Anyone get hurt?" Jessie asks from where's she's standing with Deanna

"Saw a few people go down, not sure who… Maggie's okay, she's hiding up on one of the walls" Rick says, glancing at Beth who mouths her thanks.

"What do we do now?" Carl asks, bringing Judith around to her father.

"I might have an idea, but you're not going to like it"

Beth gagged, pushing the vomit rising in her throat back down as Daryl and Rick dragged in a dead walker. Walker's never smelt nice but as Rick tore open its flesh with his knife the whole room was filled with the most awful stench she had ever smelt. Everyone pulled on their coats and then got to work, smearing the insides of the walker over them.

It was decided that since Gabriel wasn't good with a gun or a knife, he'd look after Judith as they made their way out. She was carefully strapped to his chest before the coat was pulled across, shielding her.

Beth grimaced as she spread more guts over herself, some getting into her hair, turning the blonde locks brown. She glanced towards Daryl, who had been staying as far away as he could since they came downstairs. He was busy talking to Rick quietly as they prepared their weapons.

She looked away, glancing around the room. She noticed Deanna sitting on the couch, the only one not getting ready to move out. She sat and watched as everyone got ready, a pillow clutched to her stomach.

She moved towards her, sitting beside her on the couch "You should get ready, we're probably going to head out soon"

Deanna looks up, a grim smile on her face "Not really much point"

Beth shakes her head "You can't think like that, you're this towns leader. They need you now more than ever"

"I was wrong about you" Deanna admits, "When you first arrived, I thought you would be bad for the community. I thought you were too damaged, wrong in the head… I was wrong. I'm glad you'll be here to look after my town after I'm gone"

A frown crosses Beth's face as she watches Deanna lie back onto the couch "What are you talking about? I get that things seem bleak right now but you can't just give up, your town needs you"

Deanna smiles, shaking her head "I'm afraid I won't be much use to anyone soon" she says as she moves the pillow that was shielding her stomach from view. The bottom of the shirt was tinged reddish brown, old and dried blood covering her side.

Beth's eyes widened as Deanna pulls up the shirt slightly, a sizable bite deep on her left side.

"Oh god" Beth gasps, her shaking hands going to apply pressure to the still bleeding wound.

Deanna chuckles "there's no use for that now, I'm already starting to feel hot"

Beth's eyes water as she bows her head, willing herself not to cry. She wasn't on the best terms with Deanna, but she never wanted this for her. To be taken away from her son so soon after the death of his father, it was cruel. Sucking in a deep breath she looks up "What can I do?"

"You can help me get upstairs, I don't want everyone to see me like this" Deanna says, pulling down her shirt and leaning up against the couch. Quietly, Beth helps Deanna upstairs, only managing to get a few looks from Daryl and Michonne.

She helps her down on the bed, noting the way Deanna is shivering as she lays down. She quickly slips out of the room and grabs a washcloth from the bathroom, wetting it before going back to Deanna. As she lays the washcloth on her head she can literally feel the heat radiating from her skin, despite how clammy and pale she looked "Do you want me to see if I can get Rick to find Spencer?"

Deanna shakes her head weakly, "No, I don't want him to see me like this. Better that his last memories are good ones, not of a knife going through my skull"

"I'm so sorry Deanna"

"It's alright, I guess I'll be reunited with Reg sooner than I thought. Was never cut out for this world anyway" Deanna states, turning and coughing "promise me you'll watch over my people after..."

Beth nods, moving closer towards the bed "Of course"

"Good" she croaks, "They'll need someone like you when all of this is over"

The sound of footsteps approaching the door turns Beth's head, Rick's voice calling out her name in the hallway. She looks back to Deanna, who nods. Before she leaves the rooms, he says one final thing to Deanna, letting go of all the hurt she had been feeling the last few weeks "I forgive you".

Rick turns when she calls out to him, his eyes immediately going to the obviously non-walker blood on her hands and clothes "Beth? Daryl sent me up to look for you… Is that blood?"

"It's not mine" Beth says, moving to grab another towel and wipe it off "There's something I have to tell you"

Rick straightens up, focusing all his attention on her. Gesturing to the door she just came out of, she continues "Deanna's in there. She's been bit"

Rick's eyes fly to the door, rapidly moving between it and Beth multiple times in shock "Beth? Why didn't you say anything?"

"She asked for privacy, she's already feverish Rick, she doesn't have much time" Beth states, finishing cleaning off the last of the blood.

Rick nods, before entering the room. Beth decides to give them some privacy, heading back downstairs. She feels multiple eyes on her when she reaches the bottom, but it is Michonne who approaches her.

"Is everything ok?" She asks, lowering her voice so not to raise alarm.

Beth shakes her head "You may want to go upstairs" she suggests.

The raven-haired woman nods, before quietly making her way up. It is not even 10 minutes later when they come back down, one less gun on Rick's belt.

"It's time to go" he announces, going to where his children were, Judith already safely strapped onto Father Gabriel.

Slowly they make their way out of the house, tensely watching as walkers made their way past them. They all link hands once they're outside, Beth staying close to Gabriel and Judith. Gunshots ring out from the house behind them and Beth winces, knowing that it meant Deanna was gone.

They slowly make their way to the hall, the sky getting continuously darker. As Rick and Daryl lead the group on one end, Daryl holds the back, crossbow at the ready. She hears Sam, Jessie's youngest son cry out for his mother, her usual calming words not soothing him. A couple of walkers turn at the noise as Jessie desperately tries to calm him down but it's too late.

A walker bites down on Sam's head, eliciting a scream from his as he is dragged away from his mother. Jessie loudly weeps, helplessly watching as her son's life ends and so she too is being overrun by walkers, her hand still gripping Carl's.

Beth is forced to watch helplessly for a few moments as Carl struggles to pull his arm back, getting dangerously to being bit by the undead swarming around him. She flinches when the first blow of Rick's machete lands on Jessie's arm, fresh blood spraying onto the ground. Blow after blow land until Jessie's arm is severed, releasing Carl from her grip.

The group only has moments to take in the deaths before Ron is pointing a gun at Carl at Rick, mumbling "You" over and over again as he shakily holds the gun. Michonne sneaks up behind him, stabbing her katana through his chest at the same time a gunshot rings out.

There's a few seconds of silence before Michonne gasps, causing multiple heads to turn to where she was looking. Carl stumbles forwards, blood freely dripping from the gunshot wound over his right eye.

"Dad?"

…...