AN: And here is chapter ten! I hope you really like this one. It's a little longer than last chapter, but not by much. Hopefully the content makes up for that though! Next chapter they will all be back on the road and encounter the huge herd of walkers like on the show. I just wanted to drift off and do my own thing for a little while. Reviews:
Kalista: Yeah I made that kinda obvious, but oh well haha. And oops false alarm with her and Daryl kissing, but it's bound to happen eventually…right? ;)
Jasmine: Your comment made my day! Thank you so much! You made me want to put up this chapter right away!
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
We continue driving for about another hour before we come to a stop in front of a gas station.
"Thank God, I really have to pee!" I say, relief filling my voice as I jump out of the truck expectantly.
"Couldn' keep that ta yourself?" Daryl chuckles, also exiting the truck.
"Well I'm not the only one," I point to where Sophia, Carol, Lori, and Carl hurry to the door as Rick, Shane, and T-Dog return outside from the store.
"All clear!" Rick calls, waving everyone in.
The men head over to the gas pumps to see if there is anything left while the rest of us file into the store.
While everyone finishes up in the bathroom, I take a moment to browse through the shelves to find anything worth salvaging. I grab boxes of granola bars and bags of peanuts for snacks. The others grab what they can, too.
I notice a few cases of water in the corner and call to Lori, "Do you wanna help me move these to Shane's jeep?"
She looks slightly uncomfortable, but replies, "Yeah sure."
As we lug the heavy water cases to the jeep, I catch Val and Shane making out near a gas pump. Lori doesn't notice, so once we load everything, I walk over to them and tap Val on the shoulder.
"Sorry to break up your love fest over here, I mean, everyone appreciates PDA," I joke, "but do you guys need anything in particular?" I ask, grinning.
"Like?" Val asks, laughing while Shane grabs the back of his neck nervously.
"There's a candy aisle that I thought you in particular would be interested in," I tell my sister.
Her eyes widen as big as the moon, "You know me too well. Anything for you Shane?" she asks him as a second thought.
"Nah," he clears his throat, "I'm just gonna go see if Rick and everyone needs any help."
"So what was it that you needed to tell me back at the CDC?" Val whispers to me.
"Oh, well, it was about Daryl and Drew."
"No surprise there," she rolls her eyes.
"Was it that obvious something was up?" I ask, a little embarrassed.
She shrugs. "I can always tell when something is bothering you."
From there I explain the story of how Daryl and I were talking in the kitchen, Drew interrupted, told me he loves me, blah, blah, blah. I leave out the part about how Daryl almost kissed me. Even though she's my sister, she wouldn't let that go and that is something I need to forget about because it makes Daryl uncomfortable. Val has a big mouth so if she were to slip up, I would be in trouble.
When I finish, she looks at me knowingly. "No wonder he thought you were stupid, everyone could tell that he was in love with you."
I shove her lightly, "Gee, thanks. Why do I go to you for help again?" I ask sarcastically.
"Because I'm your "other half" according to everyone who knows nothing about twins."
"I think everyone knows how different we are. But seriously, do you think Drew will forgive me?"
Val purses her lips in deep thought as she scans the candy aisle and selects a crunch bar. "He will come around eventually. He's just really hurt right now. He always thought you liked him at least a little bit."
I raise my eyebrows at her. "You know this how?"
"Shawn told me a while ago. Like months before the outbreak began."
"You never thought to mention it?" I ask, clearly annoyed.
"Just because we are sisters doesn't mean you get to know everything. I thought Drew could tell you himself. He has a mouth of his own."
We finish up and head back outside where everyone is gathered.
"Alright," Rick begins, facing everyone, "We need to start looking for a place to stay tonight because it will be dark in a few hours. There were a few houses back in the direction we came from that didn't look like they would be a problem when we passed them. We can clear those out and lie low for the night."
We all hop back into our vehicles. As I sit in the truck with Daryl, I unwrap a Hershey bar.
He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
I stop myself from taking a bite and look at him. "What?"
"Chocolate?" he asks curiously.
"Hell yeah. That's one of the things I've missed the most about the old world."
Daryl just snorts. "Don't worry, I got one for you too," I reassure him.
"Don' want it," he replies, shaking his head at me.
"I'll give it to you at the house," I say, ignoring him.
We all pull into the driveway of one of the large houses that Rick had mentioned.
"Okay, Shane, T-Dog, Daryl, Angela, and I will all clear out the house in case there are any walkers. Glenn, Drew, and Shawn, you three can scout around the yard and make sure the perimeter is secure. Everyone else can wait in the RV." There is still a fairly large group left, but Andrea, Lori, Carl, Carol, Sophia, Dale, and Val all file into the RV without complaint.
"Follow me," Rick motions us forward. He turns the knob and it is surprisingly unlocked. T-Dog and Shane go left while Daryl and I turn right. Rick begins the climb up the first flight of stairs.
The first room we enter is the living room. A huge flat screen TV covers one wall while two couches and a reclining chair occupy the space around it. Everything is very decorated and neat in this house.
I stay alert with one knife raised if the need to use it should arise. My eyes scan the walls filled with picture frames of a once happy family. They were a family of five, just like my own. Two older sisters and a younger brother in between them just like my own little brother, Cody, smile at the camera.
I have to turn away before the memories come rushing back. Just as I turn, I bump into a body and gasp loudly, throwing my arm forward in an attempt to bury my knife in the walker's eye.
"Whoa there blondie, it's only me," comes a familiar, rough voice. The owner has my wrist caught in their hand to prevent me from making contact.
Not a walker.
Daryl releases me, but eyes me carefully as I give him a weak smile.
"Sorry," I whisper, taking another peek at the family that resembles my own. I feel his gaze follow mine.
I clear my throat quietly. "We should keep moving."
I take the lead once again and we enter the kitchen. I perk up at the thought of extra food in those cabinets.
As I look around, everything in here screams modern and expensive. All of the appliances would have been sparkly clean if it weren't for the thin film of dust from lack of use gathered on them.
Daryl moves ahead of me to check what appears to be an office. I check a guest room down a separate hallway and a bathroom. Nothing.
After sweeping through two more rooms in this freaking huge house, the two of us bump into T-Dog and Shane.
"We didn't see any walkers," T-Dog reports.
"We didn' see none either," Daryl replies.
Rick descends the stairs and says, "We should be safe here, at least for a little while."
"I don't know man; remember what happened at the CDC?" Shane reminds us.
I turn to him, a little annoyed. "Well, I'm pretty sure the house isn't going to blow up unless someone decides to build explosives. Sure, not everywhere is safe, but this will do at least for the night so why can't you be happy about something for once, even if wasn't your idea," I snap. Everyone is completely silent, staring at me, shocked.
I swiftly open the door and am out on the front steps. I take a few steadying breaths to calm down. I know I shouldn't have snapped at Shane, I guess I was still just overwhelmed at the thought of seeing my brother alive again.
I hear the others follow me out and Rick calls everyone over. The other patrol group agrees that it should be safe for tonight and we all gather our things to move into the house.
I catch Drew going into the RV and jog over to him.
"Hey," I greet him softly as I grab a bag off of the table. He doesn't look at me.
"Drew…"
"Just please don't talk to me right now, okay? I can't look at you," he pushes past me with his and Shawn's bags in hand.
I stand there, gaping at the empty space before me. That was harsh. I guess I deserved that though.
Everyone in the house is already picking rooms to sleep in. I have already mentioned the size of this house before, but there are three floors. It's kind of ridiculous.
I walk by a room that Val and Shane are sharing. Then I pass by Dale who has a small guest room all to himself. Carol and Sophia are of course sharing, as are Rick, Lori, and Carl.
I walk into an empty bedroom and lean on the door frame.
"Looks like we are roomin' together, blondie," Daryl says from behind me and I turn to see him grinning.
"How exciting," I say sarcastically and nudge him playfully. We both enter the rather large bedroom and throw our stuff on the ground.
A king size bed rests underneath wide bay windows overlooking a small pond outside.
"Who's taking first watch?" I ask while staring out at the pretty view.
"Glenn and your sister, then me and you," he answers while cleaning his crossbow.
I sigh and sit on the bed, sinking into it a little bit. Then I sit upright and race to our bathroom.
"What are ya doin'?" Daryl asks, confused.
I turn on the sink and water pours from the faucet. "Yes!" I shout. "We have water!"
Daryl walks in and folds his arms across his chest.
"What?" I ask, my face falling. Then the water goes dry.
"Knew it," he says, walking back out.
"Dammit, I got all excited," I sulk, coming back out.
"Ya were like a kid on fuckin' Christmas," he chuckles.
I curl up on the bed after kicking my boots off. "Wake up when it's our turn to go on watch."
"Angela! Don't leave me! Please!"
"What are you doing?! Help him!"
"We need to go now!"
"Angela! Angela!"
"Blondie, wake up," I am shaken roughly and bolt upright, scrambling backwards on the bed and falling off the other end.
"Ow," I moan.
"Th' hell? Are ya a'right?" comes Daryl's concerned voice as he jogs to my side of the bed.
"Never been better," I mutter as I pull myself up and stretch. "Bad dream," I explain to him. It hadn't really been a dream though, just echoes of terrified voices screaming at me to make a decision.
We silently make our way outside and climb up to the roof to relieve Glenn and Val of watch.
"Thought you would never get here," Val says, stifling a yawn. Glenn gives us a light smile as he gets down off the roof by the ladder we have leaned against the side of the house.
Since this part of the roof is flat, I sit down and swing my legs over the side. I lean back and gaze at the stars above us, the moon shining a pale light to see enough of the surrounding area if there were any walkers nearby. Unfortunately, that means Daryl can see my face. I still feel uneasy after my brief "dream".
"Okay, what's up with ya? Ever since we have been at this house, ya have been actin' weird," he breaks the silence.
I look down at the ground below. "It's nothing, I just had a bad dream."
"Don' lie to me, I know it's more than that."
Why is he so good at reading me? Even Val hadn't noticed anything was wrong with me unless she decided to leave me alone.
"When I saw a picture in that room earlier, it reminded me of my own family. The happy parents, two sisters, and younger brother…I had a brother named Cody," I whisper, trying not to choke on the words.
"What happened to im'?" Daryl asks softly, probably knowing the answer.
"Walkers," I laugh bitterly, "Of course, but it was my fault. It will always be my fault." I feel empty inside as I begin my story. Memories invade my senses and I am thrown back into that terrible night.
"Angela, we need to go now!" my mom screams at me.
"Wait, where's Drew?!" I yell back.
"He's already out there with Shawn, now move!" Val shouts. "They are everywhere, we need to move now!"
"Where's Phil and Cody?!" my mom shrieks all of a sudden.
My sister shoves us out the door as three walkers wander into our kitchen. "Move!"
We race to our car and throw open the doors. I spin around and run over to search through the mass of bodies in our backyard for my little brother.
"Angela, no!" my mom yells. Drew jumps over the fence bordering the woods just then with Shawn in tow.
"Where are the others?" I ask, trying not to panic.
"Phil said he would get Cody," he tells me, completely out of breath. "There are more pouring in from Saxon Street. It's only a matter of time before the whole town is overrun."
"Then we really need to get out of here," Val whispers, trying to be heard over the moans of the walking dead, but also trying not to draw any more attention to us. We are hidden behind a group of trees.
"I won't leave without my baby, you guys go!" my mother urges.
"Wait, I can climb onto the roof! Maybe I can find him from up there!" I shout, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Then the scream of a boy is heard above all of the snarls. One that sounds exactly like my brother.
"Cody!" we all shout and frantically sprint to the cars.
"He's across the street!" Val screams.
"Get into the cars right now and don't argue with me," I say deadly calm. "I will get him. I promise."
Val is the only sensible one and Shawn helps her yank the other two in the direction of the cars.
"Hold on Cody! I'm coming!" Walkers are on his heels, swarming from every direction. His blue eyes that are an exact copy of mine lock with my own as he desperately tries to evade the onslaught of walkers.
I close the distance between us and grab his hand, pulling him along as we stumble back across the street, to the cars that are already started. We are so close to them and my friend's and families' cries of encouragement are heard loud and clear.
I feel a violent tug and hear an ear piercing shriek as my baby brother is yanked from my grasp.
I spin around to grab him again, but am met with the face of a walker. I bite my cheek to keep from screaming and kick it backward; thank god it was one smaller than me.
"Ang!" Cody screams in agony as one of those awful beasts rips out his hair and tears into his arm. Tears stream down his face and he reaches out for me as more are drawn around him and strip the meat off his skinny bones.
"Cody! NO!"
"MY BABY!" I can hear my mother wailing and the cars start to drive. They are surrounded by too many walkers so they need to move.
I am frozen, but have back up as more of those things reach for me this time. "This isn't real," I say aloud, but my brother's cries of pain are too real.
I grab a baseball bat that is lying on the side of the road and swing at the walkers near me. "Cody, please hang on!" But more and more start to block my way and I can't keep them at bay with just a bat. I need a gun that I don't have.
"Angela! Don't leave me! Please!" comes a bloody gurgle, but I have no choice.
"I am so sorry Cody. I love you," I whisper.
I can't save him now and I will be their next meal if I don't get out of here. I am choking on my tears as I try to gasp for breath, closing the distance to my car. Sobs wrack my entire body and my mother screams, "What are you doing?! Help him!"
Without warning, she opens her door and charges into the throng of bodies. Almost immediately her shrieks can be heard over the roar.
"Mom!" I reach out, but Drew yanks me in the door.
"We need to go now!" Val says, slamming on the gas.
"Angela! Angela!" Shawn is screaming as we speed away. We had forgotten he was in another car and pull him inside.
I collapse on a seat, shaking with sobs and tears blinding me as the pain of Cody and my mother's loss are too much to bear. For the rest of my short, miserable life, I will have their last words and expressions burned into my memory and their blood on my hands.
AN: That was what Angela has been holding in this whole time and why she felt the need to reunite Daryl and Merle. She wanted to help save Daryl's brother if he still had a chance to come back, unlike Cody who was gone the second he was bitten. The next chapter will pick up where the flashback left off and you will hear what Daryl has to say about her little story. Please review! I would really like to know what you guys think of this one.