Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.
Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.
Flashback
"Growing up on the farm was the best. We had so much land we could run around on and the animals were fantastic. Daddy would bring in all kinds of stray animals from the vet clinic and Annette never said a thing. Well at least until Bethy was bit by donkey he brought home. She shrieked bloody murder and our brother Shawn came running into the house dragging her behind him. Annette lost it and told daddy he couldn't bring anymore strange animals home."
"Oh man, I wish I knew what she looked like so I could picture her screaming like that." Ben said as we sat listening to Maggie tell a story about growing up.
"It didn't even really hurt her or anything, she just flipped out. She blamed me because I had been playing music and it wasn't the kind of music that would sooth a donkey or as she liked to say, it wouldn't sooth anything." She laughed. "I mean it wasn't meant to sooth, I never liked that boring crap she always listened to."
"What were you listening to?" I questioned.
"A rapper called Eminem. He was pretty great in my opinion."
"Rapper?"
"Yeah it has music in the background but the artist is yelling and talking fast instead of singing like normal. It was awesome."
"That sounds horrible mom." Ben laughed.
"Yeah really bad." I giggled.
"Well you kids wouldn't understand since you don't have the same musical experiences that I grew up with."
"Did grandpa Hershel like this rap?" Ben questioned seriously.
"Nope he hated it, it's why I went to the barn to listen to it. Annette always said it was Satan's music." We laughed as Maggie looked into space, remembering her parents. "Anyway once Annette got Beth all calmed down after her 'near death' experience and I had gotten yelled at for not doing anything, we all pilled into the old blue pickup truck and went into the diner in town for lunch. Normally we had home cooked food because Annette didn't see the point in spending money to eat out when we could stay home but since Bethy was 'hurt' she got to pick what we did for lunch."
"Sounds like she was the favorite." I stated.
"Well she was the baby of the family. Our parents loved us all equally but the baby always gets a little more lee-way with things."
"Why?" Ben questioned.
"I don't really know."
"Did she bleed?"
"Nope no blood just a lot of tears and a lot of screaming." She answered my question. We sat there cross legged on the floor of Maggie's living room while she jumped into another tale of her childhood.
End Flashback
Walking along the side of the highway, cars scattered everywhere with old things laying about in a mess, we stayed quiet. No need to bring unwanted attention to us. Everyone was still mourning the loss of Ben a few weeks prior. We stayed camped out in the old building for a few days trying to regain some composure. Eventually Daryl decided we needed to move on, we had to keep going. Only we don't have an actual place in mind, so we wander aimlessly through Georgia looking for places to crash. I slowed my pace as we came into view of an old house, it would have been very beautiful back in the day. I believe they called it a plantation.
Daryl and Glenn cleared the yard and porch before we all joined in clearing the inside. Not much was left in this big place but furniture and old appliances. We found a few frayed blankets and jackets in the back of a closet. "Let's search the basement." Jack suggested. I followed behind him quietly, leaving everyone else upstairs. "You okay?"
"I just miss Ben is all. He was my best friend." I told him. Ben had been there for me when things got crazy in Alexandria. Things had not always been easy with my dad losing Jessie and then his marriage to Michonne. We may have been kids when we first lost each other but the world made things hard and you leaned on the people around you for support. While I didn't have many secrets as a young child, I knew that if given the chance I could have shared the big ones with him.
"What's it like having one of those?" He questioned. I had forgotten that he lived a life so sheltered he only had his parents growing up.
"It's great. You have another person you can talk to about anything. This person doesn't judge you or want anything from you. He was the person I told all my secrets too."
"Secrets?"
"You are so not getting into my head to get them."
"I don't know much about best friends or friends in general but I'm here for you if you need to talk." He said seriously.
"I can't gush about you to you." I told him with a small smile.
"Gush about me huh? Did Ben hear all kinds of stuff?" He asked playfully.
"No. He died before I got a chance to really even talk to him again." I said somberly. Tears formed in my eyes as I plopped down onto the floor. He knelt down next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I fell into his arms as I let the tears fall freely.
After what seemed like an eternity of crying I pulled myself away and stood up. We walked back upstairs and found everyone but Daryl fast asleep on the living room floor. He gave us a curt nod of his head before he went to lay down next to his wife. "I got watch if you wanna sleep." Jack said.
"No I wanna go do a perimeter check." I told him walking to the door.
"You want company?" He knew me well enough now to know that sometimes I just needed to be alone.
"Nah, I'm good. Keep watch from the window I'll be back soon." I replied hoping out the door and down the big steps to the grass. I wandered around the large property, my emotions were getting the best of me and I knew I needed to head back soon. A sound form an old shed startled me, I whipped my head around and came face to face with a person I never thought I would see again...
Alrighty folks here is chapter 10 in all its glory. I know it is short but I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. Also who do you think it is that she has just come face to face with. A sneak peak at the next chapter for those of you who guess correctly. :)