A/N: Been a little while since my last update. But I think the effort is well worth it, and your patients will be well rewarded.
With Maggie now part of Chris' group, things are certainly going to change even more than they already have. But don't take my word for it.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Walking Dead.
A couple hours after returning to the motel, Chris and Kenny immediately got to work on the RV. All the while the fighter told the older man what had happened back in Macon and what Maggie had told him about what had happened back on her family's farm.
Even though he was heavy hearted for what she had to go through, Chris was glad to know that at least certain events were playing out like the series back home. And he knew that Hershel and Beth would be in good hands in Rick's group.
But with Maggie somehow winding up on her own, and now with his group, he wasn't sure how much of the plot had changed. And if things would still play out the same or be different as well.
"You think she's going to be okay?" asked Kenny. His voice sympathetic toward Maggie's situation.
"Hard to say," Chris replied honestly as he tightened a few bolts on the RV's engine, "All we can do is help where we can."
The fisherman nodded as they continued to work. "What are we going to do about the bandit situation? If they cornered you in town there's no telling what they're going to do next."
"That's why we need to finish this, pack up and leave." answered the fighter. "The sooner, the better."
"I still don't see why we have to leave," the two men looked up and found Lily approaching them. "We're perfectly safe as it is."
Kenny scoffed, "Safe? If you haven't noticed, princess, but this place is the farthest from safe. Or did you miss the bullet holes and arrows sticking out of the walls outside?" he winced and held his side where his bullet wound was located.
"The decision has already been made." Chris said heading off an oncoming fight. "Everyone voted to leave, it's what's best for the kids."
"It's suicide out there!" Lily exclaimed.
"We'll die in here." Kenny fired back. "This is why you're not incharge anymore, someone needs to make these kinds of executive decisions for the group and you just weren't able to follow through."
Katjaa, Mark and Carley approached hearing the commotion. "At it again are we?" asked Carley with a shake of her head.
"But out, Carley." snapped Kenny before glaring back at Lily.
"Don't order people around, or is that the position given to you by our so-called leader?" asked the woman snarkly.
Chris stepped between them, "Enough." he said icily making everyone clam up. "Kenny, go take a walk. Have Kat check your wound to see if it's still clean." The older man looked to want to say something, but stalled and sighed before heading off with his wife. Mark and Carley took the que to leave as well.
The fighter turned to Lily, "Alright, enough bullshit Lily. What the hell is the problem? Ever since we got back from the dairy you've been sniping at everything and everyone. I know you're still upset over what happened to your father, I understand that. But going on like this isn't helping our group's situation."
"You want to know what my problem is?" she asked, gritting her teeth. "My problem is the fact that no one had a problem with me in charge. But the minute things started getting bad everyone turned tail and ran to the next possible person to make decisions for them."
Throwing her arms up, she stomped away a couple feet and stopped, "Don't be surprised that somewhere down the road they'll replace you at some point. It's just pathetic! Everyone can't always have it their way!"
Chris watched her rant and pace, getting out her frusterations and getting a small handle on why she had been acting the way she had while keeping his own temper in check. "I wasn't expecting to be thrust into it, Lily. But everyone believed that I can do this and I promised to do the best that I can. But I need to have everyone work together if we hope to survive this at all."
He leaned back and crossed his arms, "And as for the choice to leave, you know as well as I do that this place won't last forever. Those bandits are worse than the walkers could ever be. We won't survive if they keep attacking us."
"What I know is that we won't fair much better out there!" she shouted while rounding on him and pointing in the distance. "You think we'll last any longer leaving this place?! Are you willing to take that chance?! What kind of caretarker are you that you'd put Clementine's life in danger like that?"
What restraint Chris had on his anger broke. Taking two long strides he was right up in Lily's face. "I will die long before I let anything happen to that little girl." he said low and dangerous tone. "And as her 'caretaker', I won't let her life be put at risk making her stay somewhere with psychopaths knocking at the door when they feel like it. Especially when I don't have the means to keep her safe."
Lily took a step back, knowing that she had crossed a line with the somewhat younger man while trying to keep a stern expression. "How can you talk about keeping her safe when you're bringing more stranger's in like stray cats-"
"That woman's family helped us when things first started going to shit!" the fighter snapped. "She lost everything, like most of us. I owe her for the kindness she showed Clem and I without a second thought, and it'll be a cold day in hell that I don't help her the same way."
He turned from the woman and started working on the RV again. "You want to stay here? Fine. No one's going to make you do anything. But everyone else is leaving when this thing is done. You're either with us, or you're on your own. And if I were you, I'd make that decision and fast."
Lily stood motionless for few seconds before storming away. Slamming the door to her room loudly as she disappeared within. Chris glared at the door before returning to the engine infront of him.
After what happened at the dairy, he'd been doing all in his power to remain patient with Lily's random outbursts and overall negativity. He couldn't truly blame her for acting that way, she'd been tricked into eating a part of her own father, who then died and turned. Anyone wouldn't be in the right state of mind after something like that.
But that wasn't an excuse to put the group at risk. And everyone agreed with his idea to leave. If she didn't want to stick it out with them, then it was her choice, but he had everyone else to look after.
"Is Lily mad at you?" Chris stood upright and found Clementine looking back at him.
The fighter sighed, "Yeah, she is."
"Is she still sad about her dad?" asked the girl.
"She is, but she also doesn't want us to leave the motel." replied Chris, "Can you hand me that wrench overthere, sweetheart." he added, pointing to the makeshift table with various tools spread out over it.
Clementine grabbed the tool and handed it to him as he continued working while she spoke. "Why doesn't she want to leave?"
"It's because she doesn't think it's any safer out there." said the fighter. "And she might be right. But at the moment, with those bandits running around, everyone here is in serious danger. That's why we need to leave."
"We're going to Savanha, right?" his charge asked, "Does that mean we can start looking for my parents when we get there?"
The hope in her voice was strong, making Chris smile, while at the same time giving him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had been a long while since the topic of her parents had come up, but he knew deep down that it was a long time coming.
But he didn't know what to tell her. There was a chance that they had survived the outbreak and were holed up somewhere like they were...but there was also a stronger chance that they were dead, or worse.
Taking a deep breath, the fighter put on a smile. "We'll try, Clem. Savanha's a big place, but we'll try."
It was about as good an answer he could give, and Clementine accepted it with a nod thankfully. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, peering over the edge of the RV's front and looking curiously at the engine he was working on.
"As a matter of fact, there is." said Chris, "Can you go up to our room and check on Maggie? She's been a sleep for a while and I want to be sure that she's okay." The little girl beamed and gave a small salute before going over to the stairs. Watching after her for a moment, the fighter returned to his work.
If things went well, they'd be able to leave by tomorrow at the earliest. Though the sooner, the better.
X
Clementine opened the door where she and Chris slept and peeked her head inside, her eyes centering on the older woman who was curled up under the blankets on her guardian's bed.
Stepping inside quietly, she approached the bed and found Maggie shivering a bit, sweat breaking out along her forehead as she tossed and turned.
"Maggie?" she asked, reaching out and shaking the woman's shoulder.
The farmer girl jerked awake with a deep gasp, eyes wide as she bolted upright. Clementine yelped and fell back on her rear in alarm as Maggie spun her head left and right, the memories of where she was coming to her as she relaxed herself.
"Clementine?" she asked, seeing the girl looking up at her from the floor and realizing that she scared her. "I'm so sorry, sweetpea. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Clementine replied as she stood back up. "Were you having bad dreams?"
Maggie nodded, wiping the sweat from her face, "Yeah, I guess I was." she looked to her left when the little girl climbed into the bed and hugged her side.
"I have them too. Chris helps keep them away sometimes." said the little girl, making the older woman smile at her.
"Sounds like he's been taking good care of you."
Clementine smiled back, "He really does. He even started teaching me and Duck how to protect ourselves." she said with a bit of excitement in her voice, "And we're going to Savanah soon too, Chris promised to help me find my parents when we got there."
Maggie felt happy for the little girl, knowing that she had such a strong supporting person in her life through all this hell. It made her think about her family, and the farm where she'd grown up...before everything fell apart.
Seeing the woman's demeanor change, Clementine stepped closer and wrapped her in a hug. Surprising the southern-belle where she sat.
"Chris told us about what happened to your family and the farm. Are you okay?" she asked.
"I will be, sweetpea. In time." Maggie replied, wrapping her own arms around the girl. A knock at the door made them pull apart and look to see Chris opening the door and poking his head in.
"Just coming up to see if everything's alright." he said before stepping inside.
Maggie smiled at him, "Everything's fine." she replied, ruffling Clementine's hair and making her giggle.
The fighter couldn't help but smile as well at the interaction between the two. "We're going to be having a group meeting in a couple minutes. And as our newest member, I figured you'd want to be there too since it affects everyone."
Nodding, the farmer girl got up and left the room with Chris and Clementine leading. All three of them heading down to the parking lot by the RV where everyone else was already situated and waiting.
"So, what's the word?" asked Kenny when everyone was finally together.
Everyone save for Lily, anyway."
"The RV's fixed." Chris said clear enough for all of them to hear. "We can leave the motel at anytime. And with the situation in town the way it is, the sooner the better."
"What do you mean?" asked Mark, sitting up a bit straighter."
The fighter crossed his arms and sighed, "Macon's all dried up in terms of supplies, and the walkers pretty much own it now. That being said, we're probably the only place within miles worth raiding...and the bandits that have been hounding us probably now that. It's only a matter of time before they come here in force."
"So we're sticking to the Savannah plan?" wondered Carley.
"Yes." replied Chris, "And with the distance between Savannah and here, I think we should leave at first light tomorrow morning."
Everyone looked at one another a moment, "That soon?" asked Katjaa.
Chris nodded seriously, "I know that's sudden. But the longer we stay here the more likely we're to be hit."
There was a moment or two of discussion, Kenny looked to their leader and nodded, "Alright. What's first?"
"We gather all the supplies and store them in the RV." the fighter answered. "Kenny, Mark, gather weapons and ammo. Carley, Ben, food. Katjaa, take Maggie and get our medical stuff."
The adults all nodded as they set out to get what was needed. "What about us?" asked Clementine from her spot beside Duck.
The fighter smiled down at them, "I want you two to pick up everything of yours and put it into the RV as well. It's a long drive, so make sure you got enough to keep you entertained."
"Yes, sir!" Duck exclaimed with a sloppy salute before he and his charge ran off to get their stuff. Chris looked up at the sky and saw the sun dipping lower, dusk settling in with night soon to follow.
"Hey." he turned and saw Lily approaching him. Her earlier hostility gone and replaced with a hesitant demeanor."
"Something you need?" the fighter asked pointedly, wondering if this was just a prelude to another confrontation.
Lily sighed, "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." she said, making Chris blink in surprise. "I know you're doing what's best for the group, and they made the right decision in putting you in charge. It's just...so much shit's happened in such a short time. And I can't...I couldn't..." she struggled at the end, her eyes shinning with unshed tears.
Chris stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "Lily, I get it. We've all lost someone, and you deserve a chance to grieve. But I need you to pull it together for the time being. We all need to stand strong and together to get through this."
The brunette nodded slowly and took a deep breath, "I'll do my best. Thank's, Chris. I just need a bit of time to-"
A gunshot rang out, Lily's left eye exploded, splashing blood and chunks of flesh across Chris' face. Her body toppling forward, forcing him to catch her as bullets started pinging off of everything around him.
The fighter scambled back, feeling rounds pepper the back of the dead woman's corpse before he fell back and rolled behind the RV for cover. "TIME DO DIE MOTHERFUCKERS!" someone shouted from the trees across the road just before several men with guns came running out into the open. Many of them opening fire on the motor inn.
Chris pulled the sidearm he kept tucked into his pants, flicking the safety off before firing back. He hadn't been expecting the bandits to come at them so quick, but he'd be damned if he didn't give them hell in return.
One bandit went down with a round drilled through his head, a couple of his friends shoving one of the dumpsters the group used as part of the barricade inward to give them a way inside.
Punching two holes through the chest of one of the other bandits and putting him down. Chris ducked back as bullets hit the RV. Taking a few deep breaths and waiting for an opening, he leaned back out when there was a break in the shooting to fire again.
Another bandit stood up, crossbow in hand and prepared to fire. Only for the side of his head to explode and his body to fall over to the side.
Up on the balcony, Kenny pulled the bolt handle of the hunting rifle in his hands back then forward, chambering a fresh round as he fired again.
Behind him, Mark came out with a pistol and fired down at the attacking group as well. Keeping the bandits off balance as they had to avoid bullets from two different directions.
Everyone else stayed out of sight while the firefight took place. The fighter looked to see that Carley and Ben were closest and had the best cover, he needed to make sure everyone got onto the RV before things got worse.
"KENNY! YOU AND BEN GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE!" he shouted as he fired at the bandits again.
The fisherman flashed him a thumbs up as he grabbed everything he could carry and ran for the stairs. Mark covering him while he moved while remaining a step behind him the whole way.
Seeing the duo move, the bandits focused their attention on them. Bullets bouncing off the railings and going through the walls behind them as they went down the steps two at a time to the asphalt. Dropping down behind Kenny's truck to avoid getting hit.
"We gotta get outta here!" shouted Kenny. Standing to shoot a couple times before ducking down again.
A bullet bounced off the side of the RV forcing Chris deeper into cover, "No shit!" he shouted back before leaning out and firing his weapon again, another one of the attacking bandits going down. "I'll cover you guys, get inside!" Kenny nodded, taking out the M16 he picked up from Macon and tossing it at him.
Grabbing the rifle from the air, Chris tossed the now empty pistol into the RV's open door before pressing the stock of the weapon against his shoulder and opened up on their attackers. Giving the other two men the opening to run to where he was and leap into the large vehicle.
The fighter used the RV to steady the weapon as he looked down the iron sights, switching the fire-selector to semi-auto. When one of the men stood up he pulled the trigger, hitting him right through the left eye.
"GO NOW! MOVE!" Chris called out to where Katjaa Maggie were hunkered down with Duck and Clementine.
The group of four ran, the two women keeping the children between them safe from harm as they reached the RV and got onboard.
Aiming over the hood, Chris watched a walker come up behind one of the bandits and yanked his head back before biting into his neck and dragging him to the ground while he fired wildly into the air. He could see more walkers starting to shuffle up the street, drawn by the sounds of gunfire as they began to converge on the motor inn as well.
"WE GOT WALKERS!" the fighter called out, targeting one of the invaders outside the fence and shooting him in the leg. The man went down screaming in agony the undead turning and falling on the easier meal and dividing the rest of the bandits' attention.
With everyone else on the RV, Chris looked to Carley and Ben and waved them over, both making a break for it.
There was another gunshot, Ben spun in place a half-turn and hit the pavement a foot away from safety. "BEN!" Chris shouted dropping the rifle in the RV and running out into the open, grabbing the man by the arms and pulling him with Carley covering with her pistol before helping him pull the teen inside the RV.
Blood gushing from a wound in the side of his neck he was feebly covering with his hands.
Kenny started the large vehicle, shifting it into gear and punching it. Running down a handful of walkers before smashing out of the weakened fence and speeding down the road.
Onboard, Chris and Carley were on their knees doing what they could for Ben while his wound continued to gush. The fighter pressing a rag to his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding, the teen's skin already becoming very pale.
"Dammit!" he said as the cloth stained dark-red and began to cover his hands.
"He's bad." said Carley in distress, digging into a medical kit they had on hand.
Maggie sat with Clementine on the nearby bench, the little girl curled in the older woman's lap with her face in the crook of her neck while her guardian tried desperately to save the boy's life.
Ben coughed wetly, crimson liquid spraying free and splashing on his face as he tried to breathe. "Hang on Ben! Just hold the fuck on!" Chris shouted as he applied a little more pressure, but deep down he knew that it was all for nothing.
The wound was mortal. The amount of blood he was losing being the best indicator for that even though he tried his best to prolong his life.
Seconds ticked by like an eternity until Ben's breathing stopped, head falling to the side while his eyes remained open and becoming glossy.
A cold silence filled the RV as Chris moved his hands away from their dead friend. Blood staining his hands as he bowed his head.
"Fuck..." he muttered, gritting his teeth before punching the floor several times. "God! Fucking! DAMMIT!" he shouted between hits. Stopping long enough to breathe and collect himself just enough to speak again.
"Kenny..." he called just loud enough for the older man to hear him. "Stop the RV."
Kenny looked back, his eyes widening when he saw Ben's body with a dark stain spreading along the carpet beneath it. Knowing the severity of the situation, he pulled the vehicle to the side of the road, the skies darkening with each passing minute as the cool night began to set in.
When they came to a complete stop, the door opened and Chris stepped out. Taking a deep breath, calming his nerves and pushing down his emotions as he prepared for what needed to be done. He turned and began pulling the body out, Carley and Mark helping him as they moved toward the woods.
Both doing so with heavy hearts having witnessed the young man dying right infront of them.
Laying Ben down in the nearby ditch, lacking the tools and the time for a proper burial, the fighter reached out and closed the boy's eyes before taking out his knife.
"I'm sorry, Ben." he said lowly before, kneeling down next to the body and stabbing into the temple. Ensuring that he didn't come back.
Chris looked down at the body for a couple of moments longer before closing his eyes and shaking his head. A hand on his arm caused him to look over at Carley's saddened, concerned eyes. Neither said anything as they headed back to the RV, Mark casting one last look back at their fallen friend before following after them.
"What do we do now?" asked Carley.
"The plan hasn't changed." replied the fighter, buring his emotions deep and focusing on the task ahead. "We head to Savannah, find a boat...and survive. We owe it to the one's we've lost today."
The trio got back onto the RV. Carley and Mark sitting at the table in the back while Chris sat heavily on the bench where Clementine and Maggie were.
Looking up at her guardian a moment, the little girl leaned to his side, tucking her head into his side. His arm coming up and going around her shoulders automatically, everyone remaining silent as Kenny started driving again.
Their tail lights all that could be seen on the quickly darkening road.
A/N: And the group has survived yet again...but not without losses. How will they endure with the long road ahead of them. And are they getting closer to salvation...or farther into hell?
Review when you can, the next chapter is already in the works.