Author's note!: So, it was near dead even on the whole makeup/beat the hell out of eachother, so I combined the two! Sorry it took so long to get this out there! my computer has a virus :( anyways, enjoy!
Dislaimer!: No owning of TWD!
Thank yous!: To the lovely lot of ya! Fioras, Lucy Freebird, LillianaKay2011, The Immortal Chaplin, constantlylost, viktorskrumpet, katiespencer83 (and thanks for all the movies I must now watch!) Rickii101, hickchic09, ShiveringTree, Rinku Miyavi Sama, ThisSideOrTheOther, and the lovely Kazz the 13th. whorship her people, she approved the tree idea.
Chapter 9!: Pain Is Just Weakness Leaving The Body
*Cali*
I rubbed circles into my temples as I listened to the camp chatter around me. There was so much we had to deal with now. The bodies, the walkers, and Jim. God help him. Rick had lead him away, to safety or some other thing like that. Camp Clueless was now currently having an emergency meeting. We needed do figure out our next plan.
There were three ideas on table at the moment.
There was Plan Rick- try our luck out at the CDC, and hope that they would have a cure, or a way to help Jim.
Or, Plan Shane- try our luck at Ft. Benning, which was a hundred miles in the opposite direction. The fort held the promise of shelter, ammo, and other survivors. And the stability of a community.
I like how they were willing to go off of luck. We had to be the unluckiest group of people left in the world. Hell was bound to follow us no matter where we went, which lead me to the third plan.
Plan Daryl- we put a pick ax in Jim's head and then play it by ear from there.
Yep…we were fucked. Hardcore.
"Well," someone sighed. "Can we just stay here?"
"Wouldn't work." I answered before I realized it. "The walkers are pulling a colonist approach to this." the entire camp stared at me. "Come on guys, the colonists? Okay, the early settlers, what did they do when they got here?" I was met with blank stares. "Okay…well, the colonists set up stock in one area. Then more and more colonists started showing up, that caused them to have to expand. That's what the Walkers are doing now. They're expanding their territory."
"Really?" Shane shot me an amused smile. "Then what do you propose we do?"
"We play it like the Indians, and we use the terrain to our advantage."
"Not even close to the same thing." Rick shook his head. "The Indians were there first, they had the advantage of actually having the land. For all we know, this mess has spread across America. We're outnumbered no matter where we are."
"Outnumbered sure," I agreed. "But the Walkers, they're not exactly the smartest things out there. Any prior knowledge they had before being bit has been lost. They're as clueless as the original settlers, which means that everything we know about the land can be used to our advantage."
"Speed it up and get to your point."
"The mountains. We need to get up into the mountains. The amount of Walkers already up there would be minimal compared to what we're dealing with this near the city. Besides, I can't imagine the Walkers having a very easy time of getting up a mountain. For all we know, it could be the safest place we have left."
"Or it could be a death trap." Shane sighed.
"And Ft. Benning isn't? Or the CDC? I mean if we're taking shots in the dark here, why not?"
"We don't know what's up those mountains. At least with the CDC or Ft. Benning we have some idea of what we're up against."
"Yeah, an army of Walkers!"
"Listen here kid-"
"Kid!"
Mine and Shane's argument was interrupted by a low moan. I turned towards Andrea, and saw with sickening realization that Amy had come back. Her hand was lifting slowly, and reaching toward Andrea. The hand she had lifted off the ground still had my bracelet tied around it.
Shane and Rick stared walking over toward her, I tried to follow, but Glenn held me back. "You won't want to see this. Trust me on this one."
"I think-I'm gonna-" was all I managed to get out before I rushed over to the bushes, and threw up what whiskey was left in my system. Glenn, being the greatest human being left in the world, held my hair as I continued to dry heave.
Amy was just a kid. Just like me, how could she be dead. There was no justice in this. Not even close. I wish there was something I could do, something that could prevent the coming back.
I used to fear death. It seemed stupid now, but I had been afraid of dying, afraid of what happens after. But now, I found myself wishing that if I die, I want to stay that way. A new, sick kind of bedtime prayer.
Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord I stay dead
Sure, it didn't rhyme, but it explained my point well enough.
I finally stopped puking, and during my reprieve form the stomach clenching, I heard the gunshot.
Loud, powerful, and final.
"Oh Amy." I whispered. Tears filled up my eyes once more, but I brushed them away immediately. I had to be done crying. Crying just made me less alert of what was going on around me. Glenn knelt down next to me, and wrapped his arms around me.
"She's okay now. She's finally okay." He told me. I bit down on my lip and prayed that Glenn was right.
.:.
I trudged up the hill with Glenn, and the rest of Camp Clueless towards the holes that had once been a lullaby, but now only held promises of nightmares.
Daryl was already there, talking with Shane and Rick. "-Because some Chinaman gets emotional? I thought everyone got burned! Isn't tha' th' rule?"
"There are no rules!" Rick countered.
"Well, that's a problem." Lori said, stepping into the ring. Good on her, I didn't have the patience for those men right now. "We need something to hold on to. We need to mourn and bury our dead. Because that's what people do."
There must be something in Southern woman, because I could say something, and get brushed off. Lori on the other hand, she only has to think something, and those Southern gentleman jumped right on it.
Damn it Wyoming. You failed me again.
As per Lori's request, we buried our dead. Which was hard enough.
Then came Amy's turn.
That was my best friend that they were dropping into that grave. The first person to accept me in this camp. Not only that, but Amy was an innocent. She was a kid. She didn't deserve this, not in the slightest. She was hurt the most out of all of us. She had to die, then she had to come back, only to die again.
I wanted to die.
But for some damned reason, I wanted to live more.
What do you even have to live for? What is there left to live for? I smirked ruefully at my thoughts. You are your own worst enemy, isn't that the saying?
I had nothing to live for, which also meant I had nothing left to lose by surviving. A paradox I guess, but I was going to live. If for no other reason then to spite the world. A final 'fuck you' to the universe.
They seemed to take their time burying Amy, but they finally covered the grave, and the camp began to shuffle back down to the campsite. Except Andrea. She only stood at the grave, staring a hole into the ground. I chewed on my lip, and approached her slowly. "Andrea?"
"What?" She mumbled. I walked up until I was next to her. I untied the knot that held the partner to Amy's bracelet from my wrist.
"I think you should have this." I smiled, holding the string out to her. She only stared at it.
"I couldn't take that from you Cali."
"I-I can always make another one. This way, you guys are still together. Connected no matter what. She's want to be connected to you, rather then me, I'm sure." I smiled and dropped the string into her palm.
"T-thank you."
"Not a problem." walking towards the campsite, I tried to catch my breath.
Survive. Just focus on surviving.
.:.
I leaned against a tree, and listened as the Lawman and the Deputy duked it out over the CDC/Ft. Benning dilemma. At this point, I didn't really care where we went. I just wanted something to expect. The two officers looked like they were about ready to kill each other. Dale, ever the peace keeper, wormed his way in between the two men.
"Since we can at least agree on that fact that we're leaving, how about we pack up the camp, that way, we call all give where we want to go some thought."
"Sounds good." Rick sighed.
"Yeah, let's pack all this up." Shane nodded. The crowd started to disperse, but Dale grabbed my shoulder gently and pulled me back.
"California, would you mind grabbing a few of the tin can lines we have out there? I'd like to start ringing those in. We're all on high alert as it were."
"No problem." I smiled and headed off towards the forest. I needed this actually. I was so fucking mad right now, and I really didn't have a sound reason why. I just was angry, and I needed to be angry.
And being alone in the woods was the perfect place for it if you ask me.
The task was monotonous enough that I was able to put my mind on autopilot while I did it. Take off the can, wind the string. Take off the can, wind the string. Take off the can, wind the-
"Could ya be any louder?" my spine instantly bristled. I was still mad at him, and I didn't really want to talk to anyone.
"Go away."
"Shut yer damn cans up then! What, ya wanna 'nother Walker attack?"
"Shut your damn mouth!" I whirled on him, and moved close enough that I could stab my finger into his chest. "I'm sick of your 'fuck you all' attitude! Grow the fuck up!"
"Oh listen here lil' girl, ya best not be getting inta my face like tha'!"
"Like what!" I shoved him. "You backwoods bastard!"
"Yer a dumb little bitch who needs to wake th' fuck up and realize what th' fuck she's dealin' with!" Daryl snarled back.
I snapped then. I threw my fist back, and it connected with his stomach. Daryl groaned and reached for my arm, which he managed to grab. I wasn't having that. I threw my knee into his chest. His grip tightened and he lifted up his other hand and pushed me against a tree.
"Calm th' fuck down ya crazy bitch!"
"Fuck you!" I seethed. "Fuck you! You think I don't know what I'm dealing with out here! I'm still alive Daryl! I'm just as good as you are! I'm obviously doing something right!" I lifted my foot and slammed my shoe into his shin. He groaned.
"Best stop hittin' me!" he growled as he pulled my from the tree slightly, then slammed me back into it. The bark connected with my bare shoulders, causing pain to prickle from that area out. I groaned and screwed my eyes shut.
"Ow! You damn bastard-" when I opened my eyes, he was right in my face. My sentence died on my tongue.
He was staring at me straight on again. I hated being in his line of sight. It held the same weight as someone under a sniper's scope. Inescapable, and unable to see it coming. The bitter knowledge that you had done something to deserve to be under that scope. I swallowed. His eyes watched my throat as it moved.
A predator. He was a predator in every sense of the word. A wolf. And the dumbshit little lamb had went and pissed him off.
"Shut th' hell up fer ten minutes." He growled. I tried to keep breathing.
"Or what? You'll-" I didn't get to finish my sentence, his mouth had covered mine. He had the advantage, because that shocked the hell out of me. His hands moved from my arms to my hips.
Then I remembered I was mad I at him.
I wound my fingers in his short hair and tugged. I heard his breathing hitch, and I smirked.
He actually was a 'likes it rough and tough' redneck.
He growled once more and pressed me harder against the tree, this time with his body. His leg slid in between mine as his tongue slipped into my mouth, and I instantly started fighting him for dominance. I need to win this. I had to.
I had to prove that the hunter wasn't indestructible.
He brought one of his hands from my hips to my hair, and he gave that a tug. The pain mixed with the pleasure caused me to moan, and buck my hips out. Which brought another growl from the hunter. His retaliation included moving his lips from my mouth to down my neck. I leaned my head to the side, to give him better access. Completely against my will mind you. My body was on it's own at this point.
His lips brushed against my pulse point and I whimpered. I could feel his lips contort into a smirk against my skin. I growled this time, and rolled my hips, eliciting a moan from the hunter. I thought I might have the upper hand at this point.
Then he bit down of the pulse point, hard.
"Oh fuck!" I hissed as the electricity shocked though my body. I felt my back arch off the tree, which only pissed off the hunter more. He slammed me back into the tree, causing more pain to dance along the pleasure. He continued to attack my neck, this time, slipping his hand under my shirt.
His hands were rough, calloused, and caused my skin to explode at the contact. I wanted more. Way more.
I pulled my hands from his hair and brought his hips closer to mine, and I was more then proud to feel the effect I was having on the hunter.
"Shit." he breath caused my body to shiver. "Yer a damn good tease."
"Try me." I snarled as I moved my hands up his shirt, and dragged my jagged fingernails down his back.
His hands slid higher up my shirt, until I could feel the roughness just below my chest, he worked his way towards the back. He bit down on my neck once more, then started to suck on the same spot. I dug my nails into his back.
"Shit!"
"Fuck!"
"Hey Cali-Dale wanted me to-OH HOLY SHIT! SORRY!" Daryl was off of me so fast, but not before I caught a good glance of Glenn covering his eyes.
"Oh my God." I moaned, covering my face with my hands, which I was sure was about nine different shades of red. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!"
"Jesus!" Daryl growled, and walked right past me and Glenn.
"Coward." I muttered. Glenn waited until he was gone before he looked at me.
"What the hell!"
"I don't know!"
"Christ Cali, him! Really?"
"Can we just, never, ever, talk about this again?" I begged him. "Please?"
"Deal." he answered immediately. "Deal. Never, ever again."
We walked out of the trees in a very awkward silence. I could only match it to when my big brother had caught me kissing my boyfriend. I was embarrassed as hell, and just wanted to disappear for a while. I started towards the tent. I could wait for God to kill me while I was packing up all of my shit.
"H-Hey Cali?" Glenn finally spoke.
"Yeah?"
"You've got, uh, splinters all over your shoulders."
Damnit. Damnit. Damnit.
*Daryl*
Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.
I leaned against a different tree, and tried to catch my breath. Fuckin' stupid, doing that. With Nia? What the fuck was I thinking?
Well I wasn't. That much was fucking obvious.
I growled and slammed my fist against the tree, and I felt a little bit better when the skin broke and the heat of my own blood dripped onto my knuckles.
"Hey!"
I looked behind me, and saw the Chinaman standing there, looking pissed off beyond all belief. I smirked. "Th' fuck ya want slant eyes? I ain't got time-"
"Shut your fucking mouth for five minutes." The chink snarled.
I swear my fuckin' jaw was on the ground. I know the meek little chink did not just fuckin' say that to me.
"Th' fuck-"
"Did you not hear me just now? Shut the hell up you inbread fuck, because I'm going to talk, and damn it, you're going to listen."
Ohhh lookit that! I gave Glenn some balls! All in favor of ballsy!Glenn chewing Daryl out, leave a review! Let me know if you want Daryl to get verbally raped by everyone's favorite Chinaman ;) oh, and sorry if the tree-lovin' was a little lame, i'm not very good at smut xD
LOVE!-Eris
