AN: Sorry it's taken so long to update. But here you are, chapter 9. Things start moving in this one but warning there are some gay slurs and offensive language to some in this chapter.
Tommy and I walked into the small dining area where everyone was piling in. Tommy walked with me to get some food the guided me to an empty table. Sarita came and joined us first, she was followed shortly after by Kenny. I watched the others gather at the other table and caught a look from Luke, he seemed angry about something.
"So what's your take on this new group?" Kenny asked his counterparts, seeming to forget I was a part of said group.
Before anyone could speak Kenny asked another question. "Who runs things for you guys? No offense but you all seem pretty unorganized." Kenny said earning a hard look from Sarita. I was going to answer but I watched Clem walk into the room and smiled at her. It was then that both Kenny and Luke waved at her to come sit with them. She traded looks with both parties but came to sit between Walter and me. Had I chosen the right table? I wondered. Walter who sat beside me slid Clem a bowl of the peaches and beans. She happily dug into the food like everyone else.
"So, Clem, we were just talkin'…what's the deal with the kid? What's his name…Luke? He in charge? You trust him?" Kenny asked as he took a break form eating.
"I like him. He's a good guy." Clem said briefly looking over her shoulder at our friends.
"Would you trust him with your life?" Kenny asked a dark sense of seriousness overthrowing his usually carefree tone.
"I think so."
"And you, Scarlett? What's your take on him?" Kenny asked me and I felt my brother's sharp eyes waiting for an answer.
"Dido," I said swallowing a spoonful of food. "They're good people, saved our lives," I said looking down at Clem who cast a short glance at her still-bandaged arm.
"I saw him watching you earlier," Walter added.
"What?!" Tommy said sharply gripping his spoon so tight his knuckles turned white. Walter chuckled.
"Nothing to get worked up over, I'm just saying he's very observant of you, Scarlett." I looked at him confused, what did he mean?
"That guy…Big Al? He said you were on the run."
"There's a guy, real dickwad, pardon my french, he's looking for our group. I'm pretty sure we lost him, though." I said as I put down my spoon.
"Well, you don't got to worry about that no more. They'll go tomorrow and you can stay here."
"Both of you," Tommy added and Kenny looked at him and nodded.
"That's right both of you." Clem and I exchanged confused and unsure looks.
"Thank you," Clem said I was thankful she said something.
"This is like a dream. Damnit, I am so happy right now, I can't even tell you." Kenny said banging his first one the table. Walter stood up and grabbed my shoulder.
"Why don't you come introduce us to your friends a little better?" He said and I smiled standing up to join him and Sarita. Tommy remained at the table with Kenny and Clem. I watched Nick and Luke as they got up and traded places with us. I caught an almost annoyed look from Luke. What the hell? I sat down next to Sarah and Carlos. On the other side of the table, Sarita sat near the end of the bench next to Alvin and Walter sat on the other side of Rebecca.
"So how long have you folks been on the move?" Walter asked as the others looked around suspiciously.
"About a week now, it's been hard traveling," Carlos said.
"Well, then you must have been happy to have found this place." Sarita chirped "We're very happy to have you all here."
"Thank you again for all your hospitality," Carlos said as he put his spoon down.
"Please, don't fight!" Clem pleaded and Walter stood up fast and walked over to assist the angry group at the table next to us. He dealt with them and took Clem outside for a walk. I wanted to jump up and follow them but I thought I should let her talk with someone other than myself for once.
"Scar," Rebecca called getting my attention. Sarita had risen from her seat and gone to sit with the others, hopeful to keep the peace.
"We heard someone say something about you and Clem stayin', is that true." I looked at her then over my shoulder to my brother. He looked more than pissed but refused to move, that was Tommy.
"I don't know. I mean, my brothers here. My family."
"Were your family now, too," Rebecca said. This took me by surprise. This woman wanted nothing to do with me just a week ago and now she called me her family. A lot can change in a few days. I met her large brown eyes and there it was again. The feelings, deep ones. I cared for these people now, whether I liked it or not. If something happened to them it would kill me, but if something happened to Tommy, I don't know what would happen, something worse? After just getting him back I couldn't lose him, not again. He was so important to me, he was my brother and family came first. But like Rebecca said they were my family too now. Fuck.
"I'm got to go to the bathroom," I said standing up from the table keeping my eyes trained on the floor. I walked inside the poorly lit bathroom and was happy to find the place empty.
Fuck! What have you gotten yourself, into Scarlett? I continued to swear this time out loud, I kicked the wall a few time and slammed my fist into a stall. Then I did it again and again until my hand hurt and the stall had a small dent. I took a deep breath, I couldn't lose my temper, not in front of everyone. I took another few deep breaths before walking swiftly out of the bathroom. No one would have been the wiser to my little meltdown. I found Nick sitting in a chair by the fire and took a seat next to him.
"How are you doing?" I asked leaning back into the chair, resting my head agents the soft fabric.
"I'm fine. Just getting real fucking tired of everyone acting like I can't do nothin'."
"They're worried."
"Yeah, well, they shouldn't be. I've worked through my issues with Pete. I'm ready to help. If Luke would stop treating me like a fucking child maybe he'd see that." He said all but throwing himself back in the chair as he mimicked my position.
"Give him time, I'm sure he'll figure it out soon. Besides while were here you ain't got much shooting to worry about."
"Well, that Kenny guy damn near blew my head off earlier, and I thought he might strangle us at dinner. I mean what's that guy's problem anyway?"
"Clem told me he lost his wife and son awhile back. That's got to take its toll on a person."
"Still, he doesn't need to be a dick because of it. We've all lost people. Fuck. I just want to move on. I'm worried Carvers gonna show himself any minute now."
"I think we're far enough away. I doubt he's gonna come this far to find us."
"I don't know, with Rebecca and the baby he just might." This was something no one else had ever brought up before. I had my suspicions that the baby was Carvers, that's what he had told me. But was it true?
"Is it Carvers? I mean no ones told me the full story?" I asked my tone a little lower just in case someone was close by. Nick looked over at me surprised.
"You and Rebecca are tight now, I thought she would have told you." I shook my head. She hadn't said a word.
Nicked looked around quickly before leaning a little closer to me and explaining.
"Look I don't know all the details but Rebecca and Carver had a thing back at his camp. She never told Alvin and he never found out, or maybe he did like I said I don't know. Anyway, Rebecca got pregnant and everyone assumed it was Alvin's, everyone but Carver. He paid special attention to her once he found out. I wouldn't put it past Carver to come this far in search of her." The conversation had mostly died down as everyone went to bed and for the first time in what felt like years I was relaxed. I watching the fire, without a worry in my mind.
My lovely little world of calm was shattered when Clem came looking for me, she seemed worried.
"You okay, Clem?"I asked as she came to stand next to me as I still sat on the couch with Nick.
"I'm fine, Luke's looking for you. He asked me to come find you. He said it was urgent." I began to stand up and traded a quick look with Nick who didn't seem all that worried.
"Where is he?" I asked and she pointed me over toward the kitchen. I headed over that way and she was close on my heels. Luke nervously walked back and forth behind one of the tall wooden pillars.
"Scarlett." He said seeing me, he looked scared.
"Whats wrong?" I asked
"I got to tell you somethin' That guy on the bridge." He paused handing me a photo. "Was Walters friend." I took the photo and saw the man Nick had shot standing next to Walter. Shit.
"I don't think Walter knows yet. So we have to keep this quiet. I mean, who knows what the hell he'd do it he found out." I looked to Clem, she looked so worried.
"It's fine, I won't say anything." I said "Fuck." I mumbled under my breath. Luke told Clementine to go get ride of her knife, the one she had found back near the bridge. Then something clicked. Tommy.
"Wait a second, wait a second," I said causing the others to both snap their attention to me.
"Tommy told us that that guy was just some asshole. But if he was Walters friend, Tommy would have known him, right? He would have known who he was and what happened and didn't tell anyone." Luke looked totally surprised like he hadn't even thought about that yet.
"God fucking damnit," I mumbled clenching both hands into fist my at side.
"I've got to go find Tommy," I said behind clenched teeth. I walked away from my friends searching for my brother. I found him coming out of the men's room just beside the dining area.
"Tommy," I said, in more of a growl than anything. He looked happy to see me at first but that happiness quickly faded when he saw my expression.
"Hey, Scar. You okay?" I came to stand in front of him looking around before I spoke.
"No, I am not fucking okay. You lied Tommy. You fucking lied. Big time." I said and he looked surprised at first before his eyes squinted in realization.
"You told me you didn't know that man on the bridge. But you did! He was Walters friend! You knew he was dead and you didn't tell anyone! You didn't tell us what we had just done! How could you!" I said shouting when I didn't mean to.
"Calm the fuck down, Scarlett. That fagit piece of trash wasn't worth nothin'. Dumbfuck had it coming."
"What the fucks wrong with you? He was part of your group! How can you say that?"
"I wasn't in a group with queer fucks like him!" His voice grew to a shout and I felt rage bubble beneath my skin.
"You didn't like him because he was gay? Get the fuck over it. You hillbilly piece of shit. I can't believe you're my brother!"
"Please just because you got some fancy college degrees don't make you no better than me. You just like I was. You should feel the same way."
"I'm not some closed-minded asshole, who only thinks about himself. I can't believe you, for fucks sack Tommy he was part of your group. And you couldn't care less whether he lived or died." I said looking at my brother with disgust. "I'm telling, Walter," I said before turning away from Tommy hardly able to look at him when suddenly a hand clamped down on my arm. I turned and Tommy stood looking at me with a dark glare in his eyes.
"No, you're not." He said his tone so calm it was fighting. His grip on my arm was so tight it hurt.
"Let go of me," I said tugging at my brother hold on me. He didn't budge. He hardly blinked.
"I said let go of me!" I tugging at his hands with my free arm. My skin felt like it was being crushed beneath his grasp.
"Scarlett, you're not going to say a word about this to anyone. You understand?"
"Fuck off," I said but he wouldn't let go, he looked completely unfazed by my words.
"Scarlett?" A familiar voice asked, to my relief I saw Luke walking toward us. His eyes fixed on Tommy's grip on my arm.
"Everything okay?" He asked sounding a little worried.
"She's fine," Tommy answered for me.
"Well, if you don't mind I'd like to hear that from her." He said coming to stand beside me now a look of dead seriousness overtaken his soft features. Tommy chuckled and let go of my arm. I stumbled away from him. Tommy gave a humorless laugh looking down at his feet then back up to look at Luke.
"You're an asshole, you that?" Tommy said with a slick smile before he swung and punched Luke in the cheek.
"What the fuck?!" I shouted shoving Tommy away as Luke fell to the floor.
"What happens between me and my sister, is for us to worry about." He said shoving me away as he kicked Luke hard in the chest. In a panicked attempted to stop another blow, I kicked my brother's as hard as could and sent him toppling to the ground. Quickly I helped Luke up from the floor. My brother chuckled again looking up at me surprised.
"Well shit, you're stronger than I remember." Tommy got up from the floor. Luke stood next to me holding his chest. Tommy took a few steps towards me but I wouldn't cower down, he wouldn't hurt me would he? As he stood no directly in front of me I thought we might be able to talk as he now stood still, that thought shattered when I received a sharp slap across the face from my brother. I whipped my head back to face him, my hand shot up to my pulsing cheek. I then saw my brother get punch hard in the jaw by none other than Luke, I was going to need to thank him for that. Tommy staggered back a little. He looked at the man in surprises,
"Maybe you're not such a chicken shit after all ," Tommy said with this crazed look in his eyes, one I had never seen before. Tommy was about to say something else when a loud whirling noise cut him off. The three of us turned to where it was coming from.
"The wind turbine." Luke murmured and without another word Tommy rushed for the door, Luke and I followed behind him like nothing had happened.
AN: Thanks so much for sticking through this chapter. Not my best I'm sorry but, there's more still to come. Please review and comment any ideas and feeling on my story so far.
