AN: Heyo, lovely people. Before I start, I just wanna say I kind of cried when I saw I had six followers following my story. Sure, it might be six people to you, but to me that basically means "I really wanna know what happens next. Your story is intriguing." And I love it! So thank you to those six people, you really make my day.
I kinda added in a little Daryl part, but I know when the big Daryl part happens, don't worry. Right now I'm focusing on advancing the story between Robyn and Shane and wedging Daryl into the plot as best I can. If you want to follow along with the story (episode wise) from here on out I'll be mentioning the title so it'll be easier for y'all to know where the plot is in TWD world.
Chapter 9: Arguments
After the memorial, Rick was insistent on us all being formally introduced to one another. It only took a few minutes before everyone felt awkward in the silence and went on to do other things, leaving Hershel, Rick, Daryl, Shane, Andrea and myself to huddle around one of the women's Cherokees.
"How long's the girl been lost?" inquired Hershel, standing beside Rick in his sheriffs uniform; I guess someone didn't get the 'we're in a zombie apocalypse' memo.
"This'll be day three," he answered, making room for Maggie as she rolled a map on the hood of the car.
"County survey map; shows terrains 'n elevations." She placed two stones on the paper to keep it down whilst everyone poured over it to observe.
"This is perfect," Rick said as he dragged his finger across the map. "Finally get this thing organized. We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams."
"Not you, not today." Hershel was right, with the condition Rick was in, he'd never make it in this heat.
"Yeah, Rick. You gave three units of blood, you wouldn't be hikin' five miles in this heat before passin' out. I'll take your place." I offered, giving Rick a reassuring nod. He nor Hershel seemed alright with my suggestion because they stepped in a shot it down immediately.
"Same goes for you, Robyn. After what happened the night you got here and yesterday, you'll end up in a worse condition to Rick." Hershel patted my shoulder, smiling apologetically. "You're as much my concern as you are theirs. And your ankle, Shane... Push it now, you'll be laid up a month."
"Guess it's just me," Daryl huffed, leaning in closer to point out his trail for us. "Imma, uh, head back to the creek, work my way back from there."
Shane wasn't impressed with sitting on his ass and letting Daryl do all the work, and tried every way he could to physically be helpful throughout the day. "I could still be useful- drive up to the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back."
"Alright, tomorrow we start doing this right."
"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. We need to gun train 'em." Shane pointed out.
Everyone had turned to Hershel, discreetly implying his people should be taught. "I'd prefer you not be carrying guns on my property. We've made it this far without turning it into an army camp."
"With all due respect," Shane interrupted. God damn, he always had something to add. "There might be a crowd of 'em walking in here one day, then what?"
I looked Shane dead on and shook my head. "Why can't you respect his wishes? This ain't your place to interject your opinions."
Rick cut us off before either of us could continue bickering. "We're guests here. This is your property, and we will respect that." Without taking a second to reflect, he pulled his gun out and placed it atop the map.
One by one everyone followed, all hesitantly pulling out their guns, including myself. It caught me by surprise when Andrea and I pulled out identical looking Ladysmith's.
"Not you, too." Daryl grunted, shaking his head.
I shot him an instant, unsatisfied glare, picking up my gun and twisting it around. "What's wrong with my gun?"
"Y'all think you can rule the world with that shit. It ain't nothin' but a pussy pistol." Infuriated by his comment, I slammed my gun on the car and side-stepped Andrea (who didn't seem phased by any of this), making my way for Daryl.
Shane acted on impact and stopped me, standing between me and a smirking Daryl. "Glad this 'pussy pistol' ain't the only weapon I got. I got my mossberg that could destroy-"
"Hold up, she gets a gun in the house but we ain't allowed no weapons out in the open?" That definitively wiped the smirk off his face.
"We have it locked up," Hershel said calmly, looking to Rick to change the topic.
He gave Daryl a little glare and returned to the map, looking around the area. "First things first: we set up camp, find Sophia-"
"I hate to be the one to ask but I got too... What happens if we find her and she's bit? We should all be clear on how we handle that." No one answered Shane's curiosity, obviously waiting for someone to mention the right conclusion.
Finally, it was Rick who answered, not wanting to be the one to say it directly, either. "You do what has to be done."
"And her mother?" Maggie added. "What do you tell her?"
Andrea, for the love of God, finally uttered something. Though it was short, she finally contributed to the conversation. "The truth," she said matter-of-factly.
They went in to talk about the rifles and safety of their people, to which Hershel caved and allowed the shooting range to take place in the fields. He wasn't pleased, but it was what had to be done.
I had tuned it all out and walked away from the group, still feeling agitated towards Daryl for his comment and also to busy myself with some task to keep me from engaging in a conversation with anyone from Rick's group. Anything but that.
/_\
I had accompanied Hershel and Patricia inside to prepare some food for our temporary guests, but from my position I could see Rick and his stupid uniform. I couldn't help but make a comment on it.
"Yo, Sheriff Grimes," I hollered, stepping out onto the porch from behind the door. "Authority's not intact anymore, you can get rid of the costume."
Rick, amused by my tone towards his clothes, smirked and tipped his hat off his head, placing it on mine. "Neither is that god awful necklace." He gestured to the chain around my neck and flicked it- the same necklace I was try to untangle the night before. The pendant that hung off the chain was a small, studded robin with most of it's jewels missing.
"You're dissing your own gift, idiot." I swatted at the back of his head, only to be captured in a headlock. Even with everything that's going on, we still managed to act like the childish teenagers I left behind last time I lived in King County.
"Shane's the idiot. He chose it, I bought it. Obviously teenage girls will accept anything their crush gives them."
I stood still, mouth open in mock-hurt. "I did not like Shane. I-"
"But you did." Given no time to retaliate, Hershel stepped out to join us on the lawn, overlooking everyone setting up their tents.
On his shoulders were two canteens and a few other weird items, probably for Maggie and Glenn's run to town. I could tell what he came down to tell us, having been warned a little earlier in the kitchen.
"I don't say this easily, we don't normally take in strangers. I can't have your people thinking this is permanent. When you find this girl and your boy's fit for travels, I expect you move on. We need to make that clear." He left it at that, not allowing Rick to get in a word or try to change his mind. Hershel had told me he was set on that, and only because I was one person did he accept my permanent presence.
"I should tell Shane," he murmured, kicking at the dirt with the heel of his boot.
"No, I'll do it." I don't know what came over me, offer in to personally deliver the news to him. But there was no taking my words back now. Plus, Rick needed to tend to his son and group and not worry about his second in command.
"You sure?" Why didn't he believe I could do it? Maybe I didn't believe in myself enough to have a real conversation with Shane without blowing up in his face. "I don't-"
"I'll do it, Rick. It'll take two seconds."
What was supposed to be two seconds felt like thirty minutes. The walk to the picnic table where he and Andrea bonded over disabling guns was unnecessarily nerve-racking and I hated it.
I approached the table slowly, suddenly getting waves of our small conversation last night. The look on his face when he walked away killed me, but I couldn't... I wouldn't...
"Shane would you mind if I-"
Andrea practically flung herself from the table, tapping Shane's hand quickly. "Shane! Shane! Maggie and Glenn are following Dale and T-Dog back to the wells. I think there might be something wrong." Why would you feel the inclination to assume your help is needed in this process?
For some stupid reason I felt a pang of jealousy when Andrea's hideously dry hand rubbed Shane's calloused ones. I didn't really care, but my mind and stomach told me otherwise.
"Uh, you go on ahead. Imma meet you there in a sec." Surprisingly, he seemed more interested in what I had to say rather than Andrea and the exciting well that apparently needs her help. Though she agreed and walked off, she didn't depart before giving me a good, hard glare. Bitch.
"What's up?" Shane asked nonchalantly, pushing the gun remnants to the side. He didn't seem phased by my sudden change of heart to engage in conversation with him all of a sudden.
I slowly plopped myself down onto the seat across from him at the table, drumming my fingers against the table cloth. "It's about Hershel. He doesn't want y'all thinking this is permanent."
"Whaddya mean, he wants us gone?"
"Not right now. You can stay until you've found Sophia and Carl's better, his words."
"I ain't sayin' I wanna go, but if we do, you'll have to hunker down in my tent 'cause-"
"Wait a second," I interrupted. Shane always jumped to conclusions and now he automatically assumed we were suddenly on good terms? "If I did go with you guys, which I won't, what makes you think I'll be sleeping with you? You can't be serious."
"For fuck's sake, Robyn. The world ended, let's let bygones be bygones. It ain't hard."
"I don't want to fuckin' fight every time we talk, Shane. But my God, you don't understand the concept of being hurt, do you?"
I had had enough of him playing the 'it happened, I apologized, forget it' card. He didn't comprehend the fact that I wasn't ready to forgive him after what he left me to go through. This time I got straight up in his face, but he didn't jerk away. "You don't get it, do you? You don't get to do what you did and expect me to bounce back into a friendship-type relationship so easily! You hurt me, Shane. You fucking left me."
"Okay! Jesus, I understand, but I didn't mean for it to happen! I didn't wanna leave, Lil' Bird." Of course, he never meant for it to happen. It was never his fault. What a joke.
"Then why did you?" I inquired, lowering my voice to a nonchalant tone.
It took a few seconds of exchanging glances before he answered, looking away as he did. "I can't answer that."
That was the one answer I always got time after time when I would demand the same question from him. I slammed my hands on the table and got up, stalking towards the house in a huff. I ignored Shane's pleas as he called my name over and over again. Instead, I just concentrated on furiously wiping unnecessary tears from my eyes.
If there was one thing my dad did well in his life, it was give advice. If they make you cry, you set walls up around them. Never let them do it again.
/_\
AN: How was this? Was it alright, good, meh? Let me knowww!
Im starting school tomorrow (September 2nd- oh, God. I'm not ready to be a senior.) so that means ill probably be posting every two-three days. Is that alright?
You wanna know what is definitely alright? The fact that I'm going to comiccon on September 14th and I'm going to get to meet Norman (I KNOW) and I'm bringing a friend along as a birthday gift. I really wanna get a picture with him (which, if I will I'll post it up on Tumblr) and tell him about this fanfic. Who knows? Maybe Norman secretly reads fanfiction and will read this.
Anywho, goodnight, you lovely people. I hope for those of you going back to school or already in school that you stay motivated and positive because if you go to jail for slapping a teacher or doing other stuff you secretly want to do to others, you can't read any fanfic in prison.
xx stay fantastically stupendous.
