Another week, another on time chapter update! lol
Didn't get a chance wish ya'll 'Happy Easter' but hope ya'll had an awesome Easter this past Sunday! I spent the entire weekend doing things, giant easter egg hunt on friday night with my nieces and nephews, Easter drag races on Saturday and Easter Luncheon on Sunday. Very eventful weekend so I'm shocked that I was able to get this chapter out. Probably had something to do with that fact that I was off on Monday lol strangely enough but hey, worked out in your favor lol
Anyways, this chapter kind of went back and forth with me. Some moments I felt like I was just writing it up to get it up and then other times I actually found myself enjoying that specific scene so I apologize ahead of time if it feels like the emotions are all over the place!
Followers/Favorites: Mammps, LillianOrtega and cravenato426!
Reviews:
TwilightEclips: LOL Well, you are not the only one that has mentioned a potential Rick version of this story. Honestly, it is in my thoughts every day, and honestly, I wouldn't mind doing it. Maybe when this version is done and over with, I'll whip up a Rick version, who knows lol
KatFaye: Thanks love! Glad you enjoyed the convoy between Ana and Carl, it is always enjoyable to write a scene between the two of them because I feel as if Carl in some way, looks up to Ana. Maybe not like a mother but someone he can always confide and trust in cause god knows, the boy needs someone he can lean on, even just a bit.
Frankie: LMAO doesn't make you a bad person to wish for something like that, makes you a sane person if anything lol, believe me, it'll happen, sooner or later, you can count on that!
Gracie Miserables: Awwww, thank you! I'm always praying I'm doing this story justice so I'm glad to hear that you think I am!
Dark Rose Charm: Lori pisses everyone off to be honest lol
Disclaimer: I do not own the AMC's The Walking Dead or its characters, just Ana!
Hope ya'll enjoy this one...
Ana's POV...
I watched silently from the side as Rick hesitantly passed out what weapons we could trust them with, even just a bit. I didn't trust any of them and any time I met Thomas's glance, I couldn't stop myself from smirking proudly at the sight of a brewing black eye, his nose now caked with dried blood.
I had done that and I hoped the man would remember any time he thought of doing something stupid.
"Feel better if ya stayed back with the others." Daryl approached me, the only reason I could pull my eyes from Thomas.
"Back with the women, ya mean?" I reiterated his question with a teasing smirk causing him to snort, looking at me less than amused.
"Ya know what I fuckin' mean." Daryl spat out defensively as I let a soft bubble of laughter pour from between my lips.
"I know and like I told ya earlier, ya need me. These shit for brains ain't to be trusted. Better with more people watchin' yer back." I explained under my breath, turning my eyes back to the sight of T-Dog eyeing the men down.
"Ya know if shit's about ta hit the roof with this?" Daryl then asked as I snorted, shaking my head, knowing exactly what he was fishing for.
Ever since I had come clean on the farm about my 'foresight' as I liked to jokingly call it, the man had been at my heels whenever he could. I knew how he was, he just wanted to be prepared for anything that was coming, especially when it came to the group. He just wanted a heads up but he also knew I couldn't spill anything. Sure, back on the farm, I might have spilled everything but now, weeks after the farm, months now, I had learned from my mistakes. I had come to terms with the consequences of my big mouth, Dale included. I had saved one only to sacrifice another. It still hurt, but yet, I knew I could do nothing about it now. I could only help where I could without giving away too much.
But I knew that shit with warning Glenn about Beth was going to hit me hard, down the line. I knew both Shane and Lori had known about it, now Carol had joined that grapevine, a grapevine I did not want to build on any longer.
"You know I can't say shit, stop askin'." I moaned out annoyed before Rick's whistle pulled us from our argument to him and T-Dog.
"Why do I need this, when I've got this?" Thomas was the first to speak his opinion on Rick's chosen weapon for him.
"You don't fire guns. Not unless your back's up against the wall-" Daryl barked out, his hand on my lower back pushing me to head towards the group, where I now stood between Rick and T-Dog.
"Noise attracts them, really riles them up." I cut off Daryl, glancing over to see his eyes snap in my direction, a question floating through his furrowed brows causing me to roll my eyes.
"We'll go in two by two, Daryl and Ana will run point. T and I will bring up the rear." Rick began pointing at various people as Daryl stepped over to myself, tapping his elbow against my arm to get my attention.
"Keep ta signals in there. Still remember?" Daryl absentmindedly asked he fiddled with his bow.
"Fuckin' hell, course I remember. Ain't hard ta remember." I scoffed irritated as I elbowed him lightly in his side, pleased when he let out a low yelp before ducking away from my elbow.
"Stay tight, hold formation, no matter how close the walkers get. Anyone breaks ranks, we could all go down, anyone runs off, they could be mistaken for a walker, end up with an axe to the head." Rick added as my eyes met Thomas's as he continued to stare at me.
"Careful out there chica, this is where the big boys ride." Thomas slurred sending me rolling my eyes irritated.
"Do me a favor, run off on yer own so I can do some target practice." I sang teasingly as I pulled one of my newly sharpened machetes from the holster before aiming the tip at him for emphasis.
"Just remember, go for the brains." Rick stepped between us, effectively cutting us off as he stared back and forth between the inmates.
"Keep close, keep low." Daryl whispered to me lastly before the two of us began to lead the pack into the darkened hallways.
Daryl's POV...
My body was tense, ready to spring at any given minute as my eyes snapped back and forth between the darkened hallway in front of me and the woman beside me. I didn't fucking trust these inmates, no matter how much Grimes preached about helping them out. Who the fuck cared about them? We should have kicked their asses out the second we had a chance? Why give them the fuckin' option between stayin' or goin'? It was us or them and with that fuckin' Mexican already messing with Ana, I couldn't give two shits about that happened to this group.
My eyes panned over my shoulder quickly, pinned immediately on the Mexican asshole who was openly eyeing Ana's ass, of all things. I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to peg him to the fuckin' wall, turning to eye Ana whose full attention was in front of us before shaking my head. Sooner or later, hopefully, sooner, I was gonna plant my bow so deep in that assholes forehead, that I wouldn't have to worry about him any longer.
Got ride of Shane only to gain another asshole.
"Man, it's too damn dark in here!" One of the inmates suddenly complained anything but quietly as both my eyes and Ana's snapped over our shoulders in irritation.
"Shut yer fuckin' mouth." Ana hissed as I passed her a quick shake of my head, annoyed that she even spoke to the lowlives.'
"It's coming!" Another shouted this time as my body sprung quickly in front of Ana, blocking her as a pair of walkers made their way towards us. Crossbow aimed and ready to shoot, Ana pushed me aside with an annoyed look before the inmates took off charging down the hallway at the two walkers.
I didn't move, a big part of me just wanting to watch silently as the group was ripped apart by those bastards. I glanced over at Ana who stood silently beside me, that annoying look still present on her face as she watched like me.
"I have half of mind ta turn around and leave um...dumbasses." She suddenly spoke as I scoffed, shaking my head, knowing I completely agreed with her words.
Author's POV...
Glenn sat silently beside Hershel, the small pocket watch that had been gifted to him by said man, lying still in his hand. It was quiet as everyone stood stalk still in the cell, all eyes on the still unconscious man lying still on the worn out mattress.
Not long past before a rustling outside the cells gathered the attention of the group, all eyes snapping to the sheet separating them from the outside world just as Carl barged in with a proud smile, a backpack now on his back.
"Thought you were organizing the food?" Glenn asked confused by the sight of the bag as Carl's smile brightened up further as he pulled the bag from his shoulder and to the ground.
"Even better! Check it out!" He exclaimed as Lori and Carol were quick to open it, a sinking feeling now embedding itself deep in Lori's chest when the sight of medical supplies peeked back at her.
"Where did you get this?" Lori asked nervously, her eyes snapping up to meet her sons as he grinned, pointing over his shoulder.
"Found the infirmary. Wasn't much left, but I cleared it out." He proudly admitted as the cell grew silent once more, all eyes on the pregnant mother pushing herself to stand. Carol eyed her in worry as Lori bit into her lip, wanting to voice her anger and above all, fear of her son going off into the unknown depths of the cell alone but they had run out of clean bandages a little while before. Ana had only left one roll behind for them to use, no one knew if she had any more left so they had just begun to discuss what other items they could use in place of bandages.
Quietly, Maggie assisted Carol and Lori in replacing the soiled bandage on Hershel's leg before Lori snapped. She couldn't hold it in anymore. What gave her son the idea that going into the prison alone was a good idea?
"You went by yourself?" Lori grabbed Carl's arm, not wanting to have this conversation with half a dozen eyes on her, and begun pulling him from the sell and towards the stairs.
"Yeah." He answered innocently as the others followed, peeking from the cell to watch the interaction. Lori wanted to scream at them to mind their own business but by the look on Carol and Maggie's face, she couldn't find it in her to say such things to them.
"Are you crazy?" Lori began calm, not wanting to blow up at the first chance she got.
"No big deal, I killed two walkers!" Carl shrugged as Lori clenched her jaw, biting her tongue at the same time to stop specific words from escaping.
"Do you see Hershel?" Lori asked through a wavering voice as she pointed to the cell they had just come out of.
"That was with the whole group! It's dangerous out there! Especially for you!" The look her son was giving her was the last straw. That look of hate and defiance was the straw that broke the camels back as she yelled at her son to see what she was trying to get at. That look didn't change, if anything only grew darker after she yelled those words at him, a scoff replacing the smile that had once been there.
"We needed supplies, so I got them!" Carl yelled back as Lori's chest tightened further, her eyes attempting to betray her anger as they filled with tears.
"I appreciate that, but..." Lori placed a hand calmly on his shoulder, only for him to shake her off in the next second, taking a step back from her.
"Then get off my back! Stop trying to act like my mother now!" Carl now had tears streaming down his face as he screamed at his mother, Beth stepping out in the next second to scold Carl.
"Carl! She's your mother, you can't talk to her like that!" Beth scolded harshly as Carl's eyes slid over to her.
"Listen, I think it's great that you want to help but..." Carl met Lori's gaze as he shook his head, the next words leaving his lips enough to send the expecting mother to her knees at the truth behind them.
"Ana trusts me, believes in me. Why can't you? I wish...I wish she was my mom." Lori's heart dropped like a stone into the pit of her stomach, bile slowly rising as she watched in horror as her son ran off, disappearing into one of the further cells, leaving Lori frozen in her spot.
First, that woman took her husband. Now, she had taken her son.
Daryl's POV...
We could only stand and wait so long before it was too long. With all the noise these assholes were spewing as they repeatedly stabbed the walkers anywhere but the head, I knew within minutes, we'd have a horde down on us.
Not waiting another second, I let a bolt fly, piercing the forehead of the nearest walker, startling the idiots holding him.
"It's gotta be the fuckin' brain!" I snapped impatiently, marching over and ripping my bolt free before pushing the diseased corpse to the ground.
"Not the fuckin' stomach, or the heart, the brain!" I turned to the other two inmates holding the last walker.
"I hear you, the brain." They answered as one of them stabbed the walker in the head, watching as it finally fell dead between them.
"Ain't no fuckin' time to measure our dicks, we got more headin' our way!" Ana's voice rang through the hallway as she pushed past me, swiping her machete blade across another walker that had emerged from the darkness before she used that same blade, tossing it into the head of another.
As high school as it sounded, the sight of that woman easily taking out these dead fucks was something I'd enjoy watching till my time was up. She wasn't like normal women who squealed childishly at the sight of blood or scream at the sight of their teeth inches from their own skin. She held her own against them, almost too easy.
"Fucking hell..." Another voice spoke as my eyes ripped away from Ana who was now cleaning her machetes to the Mexican who stood not a few feet from my right.
"Where'd you find a chica like that, gringo?" He sang, tilting his head as if to get a better look at her.
"She's like fucking superwoman." Another added sending my blood boiling hotly beneath my skin.
I stood stalk still between the two of them, my mind already plotting on the different ways to kill each and every one of them before Grimes all but pushed past me, his eyes landing on me for a moment longer before turning to the inmates.
"Stay in tight formation, no more prison riot shit!" Rick barked out at them allowing me enough time to slip past the group and towards Ana.
"What's gotcha fuckin' undies in a twist?" She was quick to question me as I kept my eyes on the inmates all staring at her in amazement.
"Nothin' let's go." I shook my head, turning and heading down the hallway further, my hand naturally pulling her alongside me.
I'd never leave her alone with them, not ever.
Ana's POV...
We fought like hell down the hallway. A group of walkers narrowing in on us from both sides, giving us no choice but fight our way out. I kicked the last walker off of my blade, watching in mild relief as it fell back onto the ground with a loud thud. My eyes quickly found Daryl just a few feet in front of me, yanking a bolt free from the walkers head before his eyes lifted to meet mine.
"Ana!" Rick's voice startled me as my eyes shot over to see him gesturing for me to come over. Sheathing my machete into the holster around my shoulder, Daryl walked with me towards the man before my eyes landed on the bite mark evident on Big Tiny's shoulder.
"I'm telling you! I don't feel anything, it's just a scratch!" Big Tiny desperately pleaded as I glanced at him in pity before turning to Rick who waited for my word. I shook my head, enough of a gesture to let the man know there was no saving the guy, sadly.
"I'm sorry man..." Rick apologized to him as he stared at us in disbelief.
"I can keep fighting!" Big Tiny added in confidence as I sighed.
"You cut that old guy's leg off to save his life!" Andrew yelled at me this time as I turned to him in defense, Daryl quickly swiping out to stop me from approaching the man like I wanted to.
"Look at where the bite it, ya dipshit!" I snapped over at Andrew who turned to glance at the location of the bite mark.
"I can cut it off, but it'll kill him quicker than that fuckin' bite mark." I shook Daryl off of me, rolling my eyes at the irritated look he handed me in return.
"Guys, I'm fine! Just...I'm fine. Look, look at me, I'm not changing into one of those things." Big Tiny was obviously losing the confidence he had at one point as he tried to get us all to agree to what he was saying. But he hadn't been out in the real world just yet. He didn't know what happened when you got bit, the steps or whatnot.
"Ain't gonna happen quick, dude. You'll fuckin' burn up first, turn pale and then you'll turn. Ain't gonna be nice either, sorry ta break it to ya." I decided to be blunt with the man. He was a grown man after all, why sugar coat the inevitable?
"Overheard your group say you're a nurse. Look, there's gotta be something we can do." Oscar was the next one to turn to me as I put my hands on my waist impatiently, staring at him with a look that said 'i'll give ya 2 seconds to zip yer lips before I do it for ya'.
"Ain't shit I can do. I cut off Hershel's leg because it was just that, a leg. Ain't anything important attached to that. I cut yer boys shoulder off, I'd be cuttin' through vital arteries, muscles and possibly his heart and lungs. Ain't wastin' my time on that." I explained to the man who sighed, turning to his friend apologetically.
"Lock him up, then! Quarantine him!" Axel shouted soon after as I turned to Daryl, my eyes pleading with him to just till these idiots.
"We gotta do something! Why are you just standing there, we gotta save him!" Andrew then turned, screaming into Rick's face as we watched the Sheriff push the man away from him in defense.
"There's nothing we can do! If she says we can't, we can't!" Rick bellowed back as Andrew scoffed, turning away with a curse.
I knew what was coming and honestly, I didn't want to be the one to put the man down so I pulled Daryl out of the way, feeling his confused eyes on me as I nudged my head towards Thomas just as he marched over, stabbing Big Tiny in the head before beating his brains in with his hammer.
I felt nothing as I watched, knowing the man was far from help as the remaining inmates stared in horror as Thomas stood from their friend's dead body, his face completely caked in his blood.
"You..." Axel began to say as Thomas stepped over Big Tiny's body with a scoff.
"No time." He marched past us and down the hallway while those left behind silently stood there, various emotions crossing their features.
Back in the prison yard...
Carol had led Glenn from his post beside Hershel and down into the prison yard. Glenn had a hunch on why they were out here, but he had been waiting on an explanation from Carol herself.
"I want to practice a cesarean on a walker." Carol explained calmly as Glenn turned to the walkers now gathering around the fenceline.
"Everything you're saying is completely sane, you wanting to use a walker for practice is a sane thing, I mean it. Okay? I'm just, trying to wrap my mind around it." Glenn explained, noticing the judgementally look Carol had briefly past him a second before.
"Lori's overdue. She had Carl by C-section, she's probably gonna have to have this one the same way. Hershel had a little bit of experience with this kind of thing but he's not gonna be able to do it anymore." Carol added as Glenn watched her closely as she eyed each and every walker lining up along the fence.
"Ana will be able to do it, I know she will don't you trust her?" Glenn then asked, wondering if there was some underlined thing he wasn't catching onto.
"Of course I trust her, but compared to Hershel, I feel as if her limited experience doing such an operation could be bad for both Lori and the baby." Glenn's eyes widened slightly at her confession. Had Carol realized she said she trusted Ana yet doubted her in the same sentence?
"So, you want to practice on walkers to gain experience in that? Because Ana won't be able to do it either?" Glenn had a hunch at what the woman was getting at, but like before, he wanted to hear her say it, admit to it.
"You heard her, she's only done book work. The fact that she was able to cut and cauterize Hershel's leg without completely killing him was a miracle in itself. We don't have that leisure when it comes to birthing a baby into this world." Her words weren't said in a condescending way, but the way Glenn interpreted it from his standpoint, was just that. Carol didn't trust Ana, she didn't even believe she was capable of doing anything medical. She doubted the way Ana dealt with Hershel's leg and dare he say, she may even believe that what Ana did for Hershel would end up killing him anyways.
Glenn stared at the woman in disbelief, shocked at what he was hearing from a woman who could still call herself a mother thanks to the woman she was speaking of. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do at this point. He had known Carol for longer than Ana, but he felt like he had known Ana for much longer. It was hard not to like her, befriend her. And now that this woman was doubting his friend, he was torn between the two and how to go on.
Prison Corridors...
"You see the look on his fuckin' face?" Daryl whispers over to Rick as they trailed behind the group, both Ana and T-Dog now leading confidently from the front.
"He makes one more..." Rick warned as Daryl smirked, mildly pleased to hear that the man hated the Mexican just as much as he did.
"Just give me the fuckin' signal." Daryl added, almost excited at the thought of putting that piece of shit down.
"Think it's the entrance to the cell blocks." Ana announced as they found themselves in a large room, a pair of large doors the only option. Daryl doesn't waste any time, tossing a ring of keys at Thomas who fumbles to catch them so suddenly.
"I ain't opening that..." Thomas scoffs, gesturing over towards the pair of doors that they could easily hear walkers behind.
"Ya, ya are." Ana threatened, her machetes now exchanged for her pistol, aimed and ready at Thomas who didn't look even the least bit threatened.
"If you want this cell block, you're gonna open that door. Just the one, not both of them, we need to control this." Rick explained, eyeing Thomas in apprehension as Ana then turned her attention to the door, knowing that within the next couple minutes, walkers would be pouring into the room from the cell block.
"You bitches ready?" Thomas asked mockingly as he began unlocking the door, tugging on the door though it made no move to open on his first attempt. Ana stood rigid just a few feet from him before he yanked both doors open. The scene broke out in front of her as she gaped in realization just as they were bombarded by a small herd of walkers. Ana had no time to pull her machetes out and began to unload her clip into any walker within sight.
"Shit happens!" Thomas yells out, sounding almost as if he was proud for going against Rick's wishes.
Ana turns to Rick as she hears the man let out a surprised yelp only to watch as Thomas pushes a walker onto Rick before turning to her, his hand swinging out and catching her off guard. The back of his hand collides with the side of her face, sending her sprawling across the floor with a walker now pinning her to the floor.
"Fuck!" She yells in anger and frustration, her machetes pinned to her side, her gun on the ground somewhere behind her as she fought with the walker above her.
"I gotcha!" Daryl's voice pierced through the fight above her as a knife shot through the walker's forehead, it's body being pulled from her in the next second. She didn't waste any time on laying there as Daryl pulled her from the group, his eyes narrowed dangerously towards Thomas who was spewing excuses towards Rick.
"What the fuck was that, gringo?" Daryl hissed as the Mexican turned with a pleased smile at the red mark caking Ana's cheek.
"Was just fuckin' pushing her out of the way. Walker was sneaking up on your girl, man." Thomas slurred as Ana scoffed, watching as Thomas turned back to Rick.
"Give me yer fuckin' bow..." Ana hissed beneath her breath, her hand already out and waiting for that exact bow as Daryl hesitantly placed it in her hands. She shoved her gun into the back of her pants, her eyes never moving from the back of Thomas's head as he continued to argue with Rick.
"Bastard, shit happens." She muttered with a growing smirk as she aimed before shooting in the next second, the bolt lodging its way through the back of Thomas's head, scaring Rick. She found herself pleased with the sound of the bolt slipping through the man's head, the sight of him standing on shaking legs only adding to her pleasure.
Thomas falls to the ground dead soon after just as Andrew jumps at Ana, trying to attack her with his baseball ball. Daryl quickly reacted, kicking Andrew in the side, away from Ana, sending him sprawling face first on the ground. Rick was the next to move as she was quick to grab the man's bat off the ground, lifting it and resting it on his shoulder as Daryl threatened the man with his crossbow.
Andrew eyed his options, pushing himself to stand before he took off running out of the room, Rick quick on his heels.
"Hey, get down on your knees!" Daryl yelled at Oscar who turned to the 3 still standing there and doing as told.
"Daryl, it's alright. He's alright." Ana stepped up to Oscar's aid, smiling gently at the man kneeling before turning to Daryl and T-Dog who looked at her confused.
"Trust me, he's okay." Ana added, this time directly to Daryl who stared at her a while longer before nodding, dropping his bow back to his side before stepping back.
If Ana could help it, she wanted to save these inmates for as long as she could. She knew they'd come in handy in the long run but she hoped they didn't also come with consequences.
Hope ya'll enjoyed it!
Until next week~
