Summary: When circumstances change, so do people. The group has grown closer, but when strangers threaten and bonds are broken. Will this group make or break?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my two characters :)
Rivers thundered down the footpath, his eyes narrowed into suspicious slits while the Governor's house resided in his sight. He traveled lightly up the stairs and slammed through the door, the Governor strictly in his sights. He was held back abruptly, the Governor's henchmen surrounded his table and looked at him angrily.
"You got a lot of nerve barging through here" A familiar southern voice drawled.
Rivers looked to his side, only just registering the Governor's intimidating presence. He shrunk back into the henchmen's hold, a grimace contorting his face as they held me roughly. The Governor gave him a sinister smile, nodding his head towards the henchmen and allowing Rivers to stumble forward freely.
"Mighty bold, you are" The Governor stated, brushing past Rivers and taking a seat at an oak table and offering Rivers one too. "Did Andrea send you over?"
"Yes" Rivers spat, taking the offered seat. He peered over at the Governor.
"Then you'll know that I want you to help guard the wall tonight" He stated simply.
"I'm afraid I can't do that" Rivers retorted quickly.
The Governor's eyes widened slightly, he was obviously not use to being denied. "Oh? Is that right?" He said, a patronising smirk tugging at his lips. Rivers narrowed his eyes challengingly, pushing back the sickening feeling he felt.
"I don't know what Andrea told you, but we're leaving in an hour" He sniffed while rising from his seat quickly. He was shoved back down roughly, the Governor's henchmen moving in quickly and holding his shoulders in place.
The Governor lent forward, his face only inches from Rivers'. "I don't think so" He stated, "Andrea needs rest, and going back on that road doesn't seem fair"
Rivers frowned, "You seem awfully fond of my woman" He said through gritted teeth.
The Governor laughed loudly and lent forward even further, he clutched Rivers' shirt and pulled him forward. Rivers struggled against his grip, before smelling a particular scent. He inspected the Governor's neck, finding a small array of tiny bruises. He pulled back with a hiss, slamming himself back into his chair.
"You bastard!" He shouted.
"So you'll be watching guard tonight" The Governor said, smugness evident on his face. "And don't try anything funny, you'll regret it" he warned.
"You can kiss my ass you sonofabitch" Rivers spat.
#
"Daryl" Stone mumbled, outstretching her hand and grabbing his arm gently.
He retracted roughly, a harsh look overcoming his face while his eyes narrowed into a glare. His free hand curled into a fist, his knuckles turning white with strain. She recoiled her hand, chewing on her lip anxiously while staring at him questionably.
"It was just a k-"
"Save it" He spat, turning on his heel and bombarding his way out of the hallway.
Stone mournfully followed after him, her head hung with guilt. It wasn't like it meant anything, a simple mistake shared between Glen and her. Stone tried to force the ashamed feeling away, willing herself to believe that it was just another angry episode from Daryl. But the feeling remained, Daryl never looked at her like that. Never.
She found herself squinting as she exited the building, the prison yard was bathed in sunlight with warmth radiating onto her. The small moment of bliss ended as quickly as it came, when her eyes adjusted to the light she found Rick barking questions at Hershel. A wave of relief surged through her, she was glad that both Beth and Hershel were safely caged in.
She stood next to Oscar, cautious not to stand next to Daryl. She studied him over Oscar's shoulder, his jaw was tense and his eyes narrowed at Glen's back. She shook her head and looked up at Oscar.
"You found any of the rest?" She asked.
"Ya friend, T-Dog, he's dead 'n tha older woman, Carol, gone too" He stated brazenly.
Stone felt the air being knocked out of her, "What?" she whispered, Rick's shouting drowned into background buzz while she processed the loss. She brought her hand to her mouth, letting Rick's loud voice wash over her. She slumped against the closed door behind her, her stomach churned uneasily.
The group had grown closer over the eight months, tighter than blood relatives. Sure she didn't get on that well with Carol anymore, but she definitely didn't wish death on the woman. She felt her stomach heave and she became increasingly aware of the walker limbs and guts covering her. She shoved the limbs off her, throwing them across the yard and away from her, a dry lump forming in her throat.
"What do you mean you haven't seen them?" Rick yelled, bringing Stone's attention back to the yard.
"I told you Rick, I ain't seen Lori, Carl or Maggie since they went back into the cell block" Hershel retorted, he limped down the stairs and stood in front of Rick, with Beth at his side. Rick's eyebrows pulled together, he mumbled incoherently and picked up his axe. He went to command the group, before being interrupted by a soft gurgle.
The group's attention was brought to the wired cage leading out of the prison yard. Carl walked out slowly, Maggie following after with a small bundle wrapped in her arms. Stone peered curiously at the bundle, her head tilting to the side before her eyes widened with realisation. She stepped forward instinctively, her eyes set on the bundle. Glen stepped forward as well, his eyes only on Maggie's blood splattered face.
"Rick.." She gasped, a dry sob passing her lips.
"Where's Lori?" Rick asked, his voice strained intensely.
"In-" Maggie spluttered, her short hair cascading forward as she gulped heavily.
Rick looked at her urgently, gripping his axe and moving hurriedly towards the cage.
"Rick...No" Maggie pleaded, her eyes brimmed with tears.
Rick looked at her, staggering in his spot. He dazedly dropped his axe, his attention falling on Carl's tear stained face and balled fists. Rick gulped loudly, studying his son's pained face, "No!" Rick moaned, "Aww. No!" He whispered, looking down at his boy.
"Oh god no!" He cried while stumbling backwards.
Stone watched on, as the strong man who led this group with passion and bravery broke completely. He broke down, dropping to his knees and laying on the ground with heavy sobs. He cried hysterically, his eyes contorted with pain and his face strained.
"No!" He sobbed hard into the ground, his fists beating against the gravel until blood poured from his knuckles.
It stung Stone to watch Rick loose himself, he was more than a brother to her and it broke her heart to watch him cry. She turned her head away, her attention falling on the baby in Maggie's hands. Stone stepped forward, ignoring Maggie's sobs into Glen's chest. She slid the baby from Maggie's arms and gripped the young one in her arms. Stone looked down at the infant, pulling back the blanket to check the gender.
A sad smile tugged at her lips and she spluttered from the irony. A baby girl. She shook her head, realising that a woman left the earth as a new baby girl entered. She hugged the baby closer to her, making sure to wipe the birth liquids from her tiny face. This erupted tiny cries from the baby, a sound Stone had never heard in real life. She blinked at the unfamiliar sound, unsure if she was holding her right.
#
Daryl's P.O.V
He wanted to believe it wasn't true, he wanted Glen to turn around and scream surprise. He couldn't believe that he was thinking like this, rather than feel pain for the loss of three friends and watch Rick break entirely, he was breaking over the news of Stone kissing Glen. Stone never lied, she was as brazen as one could come but hearing her revelation churned his stomach.
It angered him to know that the Asian had placed his lips on hers. Her lips. They were his! He had made himself perfectly clear that she was his, no one else's and she had agreed. Admittedly, he felt as if she had cut him open with razor blades and dripped lemon juice into the wounds. He tried to ignore her presence but she stepped into his vision accidentally with the baby clasped in her arms.
He watched her hold the baby, her face contorting with confusion and apprehension. She looked at the baby worriedly, her eyes searching Hershel's face while the baby awkwardly nestled into her arm. Daryl wanted to go over to her, he wanted to look at the baby as well but he held back. Stone was unmistakably new to this baby stuff, her eyes flooded with panic as another cry rose from the baby.
"I don't understand" She whispered, her voice straining from stress and anxiety.
Daryl felt his chest pull, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and just be with her but images of Glen and her only angered him more. A bitter attitude surrounded him like a cloud, he glowered at Stone while she focused entirely on the baby. He felt greedy while thinking her attention should be on him and apologising. A sick sense of jealously surrounded him as he stared at the baby.
He shook the thoughts away, watching as Stone passed the baby fearfully to Beth and wiping, what Daryl assumed, sweaty hands on her jeans. He followed her hands, he noticed how they tangled in his shirt with anxiety, a habit he had noticed over the past eight months. He looked at the baby anxiously, inching forward while Stone turned away. He looked down at the baby, taken back by the small innocent face.
An overprotective sense ran through him, "We got anything babies can eat?" He asked clearly, whilst momentarily watching Stone out of the corner of his eye.
"No" Hershel said honestly.
"Nope, not her" Daryl said, shouldering his cross bow "I'm gunna go out 'n look fer food" He drawled. He looked at Stone quickly, she normally volunteered to go with him but her arms were wrapped protectively around Carl, while he sobbed freely into her blood stained shirt. She hushed him quietly and led him away from Rick. As she led him away, Rick abruptly stood and grabbed his axe, slamming his way back into the cell block.
"I'll go with you" Glen said, causing Daryl to inwardly groan. That's all he needed.
"Me too" Maggie whispered, her eyes bright red from tears.
"Good. Let's go, we're gunna loose the light. C'mon!" He shouted.
Stone was close by, her hand tightly clasped around Carl's. "Daryl" She whispered, reaching for him.
Daryl felt anger stab at his stomach, he grimaced away from her touch with a hard look in his eye. He didn't miss the obvious hurt look in her eyes, the first sign of serious emotion he had ever seen in her. He hoped she felt hurt, because he felt the same.
He turned his back on her, aware of Glen and Maggie following after him.
#
Rivers limped back to his room, incredibly aware of the stares he was receiving. He ducked his head down, limping forward quickly and slipping into his room. He was met with a shocked gasp from Michonne.
"What happened to you?" She whispered, jumping from her bed and pulling Rivers down onto his bed. "Who did this to you?" She pressed, rushing into her bag and pulling a cloth and a first aid kit. Rivers groaned, he pulled himself up and grabbed the beside mirror.
He gazed at his swollen face, his lips was busted open and his cheeks bruised badly. His eye had swollen shut and his leg had been beaten severely.
"Rivers!" Michonne demanded, grabbing his face between her hands "What happened?" She repeated.
"What do you think? The Governor happened" He hissed, wincing away from her touch.
"The Governor did this to you?" She whispered, moving her hand over his face. "We need to get out of here" Michonne said urgently.
"I told him we wanted to go, and this is what he did to me" Rivers murmured.
"Rivers, we have to leave" Michonne pressed.
Rivers fidgeted uneasily, his strained to keep his eyes open and he felt his head bob in agreement before blackness swallowed him.
#
Stone sat down with Carl, the air between them silent.
They sat out in the prison fields, their backs resting against the chained fence while they watched Axel and Oscar shovel out three graves. Daryl and Maggie had been gone for an hour, Stone urgently wanted to talk to Daryl, what was their status now?
She looked to her side, focusing her attention on the quiet boy beside her. She felt herself instinctively brush a loose strand of hair from his forehead, a protective sense overwhelming her. "Are you alright Carl?" she murmured.
Carl snapped his attention to her, an incredulous look on his face. Stone held up her hands, "Right, stupid question" She mumbled. Another silence surrounded them, she was aware of Carl closing his hand into a tight fist and loosening it.
"Y'know, I lost my mum when I was eighteen" Stone said quietly. Carl looked up at her, a questioning look in his eyes.
"My mum taught me a lot of things, she taught me how find herbs that could suffice for medicines, taught me how to grow certain plants for certain needs. She was a good mum, in that sense but she drifted from me not long after I touched down in Georgia. The Cherokee community slowly cut her off, including me, my older and younger brother. I was oblivious for a while, only realising after living there for a year that my step-dad use to beat her." Stone paused and looked down at Carl, hoping this story would help in some way.
"After a while, the beatings stopped making her scream and he turned on me. I lost my mum before she even died. The one day, she's on a hospital bed and the doctors are telling me she's dead from drug abuse. My mum tried her best to be the best mum, but only ended up failing me harder than my dad." Stone bit her lip, "I resented her for ages, packed up and left. When I returned for the deed to the house, my youngest brother had started being abused and I wouldn't sit there and watch the cycle go again. So I went to pack up my brother and leave, the apocalypse broke out and I had the pleasure of killing my step-dad"
"I guess what I really want to say is that after a while, I stopped resenting my mum. She tried her best and even though she didn't fight for me, we had good memories. Those memories are what keep us human. Moral of the story being; Carl don't forget what good your mum did for you. Take whatever advice she gave you and use it, because one day you're gonna need it" Stone looked at Carl seriously and received a shy nod from him.
"I'm sorry about your mum" Carl mumbled.
"I'm sorry about yours" Stone replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and tugging him into her side. "I know you're trying to be strong Carl, but don't be afraid to cry. I will always be here for, I promised you that" She said. Carl nodded against her side, his arms hesitantly wrapping around her waist.
She stayed like that with Carl, her mind drifting back to a few days ago:
Stone sat in her cellblock, her eyes locked on the opposite wall while she threw a ball up against it.
"Stone?" A voice whispered from her doorway.
"Mmm?" she hummed back.
"We need to talk" The voice murmured, causing Stone to miss catching the ball and it smacked her in the eye. She held up her hand and groaned, she felt the bed sink with weight and she looked to her side. She was surprised by meeting Lori's eyes.
"About what?" Stone asked.
"I know we don't get along that well" Lori started.
"Ha! That's an understatement" Stone scoffed.
"But I need to ask you a favour" She whispered, her eyes traveled over Stone's face.
"Sure" Stone replied.
"You know that I'm about to have a baby-"
"I thought that was bloody obvious" Stone muttered causing Lori to smile weakly.
"If I don't make it Stone-"
Stone opened her mouth to protest and Lori clamped her hand over it, "This is reality Stone, I may not make it and you can't stop that" She said bravely, "If I don't make it, I want to know that you'll be there for Carl" She whispered.
"I want you to help guide Carl through this, to make him stronger than he already is and to make sure he doesn't loose his humanity." Lori whispered through tear brimmed eyes. Stone felt herself nod mutely, "Keep him safe, show him love and let him flourish" Lori was close to crying.
Stone's eyes fell to the floor and she nodded calmly, "Of course Lori. I promise you this" She answered quietly.
#
Rivers opened his eyes groggily, his vision blurred momentarily as his eyes set on two figures at the end of his bed. His hearing cleared only to be followed by aggravated screams. He rubbed his eyes sorely, he noticed Andrea and Michonne yelling heavily at one another.
He sat up tiredly and pushed himself off the bed, his eyes drifting from both Andrea to Michonne.
"I can't believe you'd stand by his side, look what he did to Rivers!" Michonne shouted, this was the first time Rivers had seen her raise her voice. It clearly shocked Andrea too, but not for long.
"Rivers practically went in there ready for a fight!" She exclaimed, frowning at her.
"Did the Governor tell you that?" Rivers spat, causing Andrea and Michonne to jump with surprise. "He told his henchmen to beat me up! I told him I was leaving and they came after me" He argued.
Andrea shook her head in disgust, "You're awful. You went in there to start a fight just to get us kicked out, well now Phillip doesn't want you here" She snapped.
"Good. We aren't staying" Rivers bit back, he picked up his packed bag and slung it slowly over his shoulder.
"What?" Andrea gasped, she looked at them with an agape mouth.
"I said we're leaving." Rivers repeated, watching Michonne pack her gear and move towards the door.
"But the festival.." Andrea trailed off, indicating to the party the Governor was holding.
"Is just a festival" Michonne interrupted.
"Come on" Rivers said, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and tugging her forward.
Andrea pulled from his grasp, her eyebrows tugged down into a frown. Rivers frowned at her, he looked down blankly at his open hand and sighed. "Are you coming or not?" He asked, it strangely felt like his confrontation with Stone last year.
Andrea looked at him silently, a look crossed her face and Rivers felt his heart sunk.
"You know it's strange" He scoffed, "I thought deep down that you loved me Andrea, I really did. But any attention you get and you go running off into that direction" He sneered, he looked at her with disgust.
Andrea stared at him speechless, watching him leave with Michonne by his side. She sunk to the ground, tears welling in her eyes while she dry sobbed into her hands.
#
"Carl, she looks like you" Stone whispered over Carl's shoulder.
It had grown darker, Daryl and Maggie were no where in sight and the baby was growing restless with hunger. The group had moved into their cell block, all perched around several tables while they watched as Carl cradled his sister. Rick was still missing, having gone into the corridors angrily and leaving the group to process the deaths slowly. Stone found Carl smiling briefly at the infant and Stone felt proud of him.
The group grew quiet as they head a distant purr of a vehicle. The visibly relaxed when they realised the familiar sound of a motorbike come closer to the prison. It was followed by several shots that cracked through the air like whips. Stone felt her stomach twist as the motorbike closed in one the cell block and rumbled to a stop. A scurry of feet were heard and soon the cell door was slammed open and Daryl and Maggie raced through the door.
Daryl rushed forward while pulling his poncho off, "How she doin'?" He asked Carl while cradling her into his arms.
"Hungry" Hershel muttered while watching Maggie hurriedly make the formula up.
As soon as it was made, the bottle was passed to Daryl. He slipped the bottle into the baby's mouth and her cries dulled into sucking noises. Relief washed over the group, they watched on keenly as Daryl fed the baby with a soft smile.
"Ye thought of ah name yet?" He asked, pointedly ignoring Stone.
"Not yet" Carl mumbled.
Stone's ears perked as she heard a clank behind her. She frowned, turning her attention away from Carl and to a cell door. She rose from her seat while Carl listed names from his mind, she moved towards the cell door and pulled it open. She looked outside, the dark hallways were hard to see through and as her eyes adjusted, she found a figure slumped against the ground.
"Rick?" She whispered, inching forward slowly.
"Rick?" She repeated, lowering herself to her knees and pulling her torchlight from her pocket. She was afraid of what she might see, she hesitantly raised her torch and flashed it quickly over the figure's face. Her eyes widened, "Carol!" She gasped and lunged forward to help the older woman.
"Help!" Stone called out, she weakly placed her arm under Carol's and tried to pull her up.
She was pushed to the side roughly and Carol was lifted easily into familiar arms. Stone studied the arms, she watches as they twitched as the person moved and she felt herself wanting. She looked up at Daryl, his eyes were unreadable as he looked at her. A sigh escaped Carol's lips and Daryl looked down at her.
Stone cursed the older woman for breaking yet another moment between the pair. She followed Daryl as he rushed Carol out of the hallway and into their cellblock. He disappeared into Carol's room and placed her on her bed, Stone tugged at her bed sheet and raised it to cover Carol's body only to have her hand pushed away.
"Leave it!" Daryl commanded.
Stone recoiled from his harsh tone, she frowned at him and went to move forward.
"Leave it" he repeated darkly, dismissing her silently.
Stone definitely moved backwards, she left the room and crept into hers. A feeling of guilt and shame filling her. She laid on the stiff bed and sighed deeply, her mind racing back to six months ago.
"Finally I did it!" Glen yelled, raising his fists and racing around in a circle.
"Shut up!" Stone hissed, hushing the excited man as he shot down a squirrel. "It's only a squirrel" She muttered.
"Yeah and I got it on my first try" Glen teased, growing incredibly excited.
He crouched down again and aimed for another target, Stone's bow locked in his hands. "What are you aiming for?" Stone whispered, making sure not to distract Glen.
"You'll see" He said cockily, before releasing her arrow and then whooping with joy.
"Shut up!" Stone warned, glancing around them cautiously.
However Glen was racing around in circles and she grabbed his arm, he spun her around excitedly before they fell to the ground. Glen fell first and Stone landed on top of him, their lips connecting quickly. Stone scrambled off him awkwardly, her mouth agape as she stared at him. "Oh shit" she whispered.
"Oh no!" Glen hissed. "Don't tell Maggie, please?" He pleaded.
"I'm certainly not taking you hunting again" she muttered.
Gosh this is a long chapter. Hope you liked it xxx
