Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead or its characters. I only own Elise Young.

A/N: So, chapter fifteen is finished and it is completely my own content with nothing from the show in it. This chapter should show a more ballsy side to Elise, and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all the continued support. It really does mean a lot to me!

ShadowxMoonlight: I'm glad this story is getting better for you as you read it. I'm really hoping you'll enjoy the future chapters just as much, if not more than this one.

shika93: Thanks again for your continued support. It means a lot.

Happy reading!

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Can't Make It Alone

Chapter Eleven: Hostages

"You're not doing this alone." Rick told Glenn as the younger man announced his plan to the group.

Glenn was talking about going out and getting the guns by himself, which sat well with no-one in that bland office. Elise stood chewing on her thumb absently, watching the argument go on between the men. She wasn't going to interrupt the discussion. She trusted Glenn's judgement and his logic. He knew the streets better than anyone. He'd even drawn a cute little map on the floor with a marker to formulate a good strategy.

"Even I think its a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl commented, glaring at the Asian kid who sat on the floor next to T-Dog.

"It's a good idea, okay? If you just hear me out." Glenn began, "If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast."

"He's got a point." Elise said, sitting on the desk behind her, earning a look of thanks from Glenn.

"Look..." The young man continued, placing a black clip on the floor map he'd made, "That's the tank. Five blocks from where are now."

Picking up a scrunched up post-it note, he placed it just in front of the black clip, looking up at an expectant Rick.

"This is the bag of guns. This is the alley I pulled you and Elise into when we first met." He explained, putting a piece of gum on it, "This is where Daryl, Elise and I will go."

"Why us?" Daryl asked.

"Your bows are quieter than his gun." Glenn answered, indicating Rick, "While Daryl and Elise wait here in the alley, I run up the street and grab the bag."

"But you got us elsewhere?" Rick asked with concern.

"You and T-Dog. Right." Glenn replied, placing an eraser on an alley two blocks away on the floor map, "You'll be in this alley here."

"Two blocks away?" Rick asked again, "Why?"

"I may not be able to come back the same way." Glenn answered, "Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl and Elise. I'll go forward instead, all the way round to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here."

"I gotta say it, Glenn, you're one hell of a smart guy." Elise chuckled, "What did you do before all this happened?"

"Delivered pizzas... Why?" Glenn replied, watching Elise and Daryl share a knowing smirk.


The climb down the fire escape into the alley was quick. Elise remembered the last time they were in this alley. Walkers were attempting to climb the fire escape to get to them. It caused her to shudder, just thinking about it. As she reached the bottom, she sensed a presence behind her and stilled instantly. She hated people coming up behind her like that.

"Hey... It's just me." Daryl's voice was gravelly and quiet, "Just making sure you get down okay."

"Thanks." Elise replied, giving him a small smile, "Sorry... I'm a little paranoid."

Daryl just nodded in response and the trio headed into position down the alley. Glenn quickly removed his outer shirt, leaving him in a dark blue t-shirt and handed it to Elise, who looked at him incredulously. They'd moved quietly, and were all as scared as each other. Elise's heart was pounding hard in her chest, making her feel sick.

"Where do you think I'm gonna put this?" She asked, "In my bra?"

"Tie it round your waist. Anything." Glenn replied, "Just don't lose it. I like that shirt."

Elise quickly took off her quiver and handed it to him, as well as her bow, before quickly fastening the shirt around her waist, tying it off at the side. She murmured something under her breath that the others didn't catch as she quickly got her weapons ready. Men... She cursed men.

"You got some balls for a Chinaman." Daryl said as he loaded his crossbow.

"I'm Korean." Glenn said with a hint of annoyance before taking off into the street.

"Whatever." Daryl replied, hearing Elise snort slightly, "What?"

She just shook her head, watching after Glenn. Her heart was in her throat. She could barely breathe. Daryl watched as she swallowed heavily and aimed her bow, ready to fire at a moment's notice. What if something went wrong? What if Glenn got bitten? What if the guns weren't there? Daryl pulled her next to the dumpster and the pair crouched down. Elise quickly moved forward, keeping hidden from the walkers, but keeping Glenn in sight.

"Whoa, don't shoot me? What do you want?"

Elise shot round at the sound of a young male voice and saw Daryl with his crossbow aimed at a kid who couldn't be more than a teenager.

"Daryl!" She hissed, looking back for Glenn.

"I'm looking for my brother. He's hurt real bad." Daryl told the kid, "You seen him?"

"Daryl!" Elise hissed again, hearing the kid start to shout, "Shut him up!"

When Daryl started asking for answers and the kid continued to scream, Elise saw two guys approaching who she'd never seen before. She had to admit, angry Daryl was kind of hot. It was a long time since she'd seen an angry man who was so sexy. Before she could even throw a punch at the two men coming at them, the biggest of the two lifted her off the ground and threw her down the alley. She hit the ground with a sickening bang, and felt a flood of pain rush through her left hip and leg.

"Fuck!" She swore, looking up to see the two men kicking the hell out of Daryl.

Slowly getting to her feet, Elise pulled one of her knives from her belt and headed towards the men, limping, but moving fast enough to get there before they could hurt Daryl any more. Then she saw Glenn enter the alley. The men were after the bag. When they jumped on Glenn, Elise broke into a run, almost falling immediately due to the pain in her side.

"No, no, no!" She cried, "Glenn!"

By this point Daryl had sat himself up, and she turned just in time to move out of the way of an oncoming arrow, which got the bigger man straight in the ass. Daryl, sweating and red in the face, got ready to shoot again as the men dragged Glenn into a car that pulled up just outside the alley.

"Daryl! Elise!"

Before they could move the car had sped off and Elise had to quickly pull the gate to the alley shut as walkers closed in on them fast. The pain in her leg was so intense that she lost her footing as she stepped back and fell, scooting away as fast as she could from the walkers. All she could hear then was Daryl shouting about kicking the kid's nuts up his throat as Rick tried to calm him. She just laid her head on the floor and let the tears come. She was so relieved to be safe, but so scared for Glenn that the emotion just came pouring out.

"They took Glenn! That little bastard and his homie bastard friends!" Daryl shouted, pointing at the kid who T-Dog was restraining, "I'm gonna stomp your ass!"

"Guys! We're cut off!" T-Dog shouted, watching Elise struggle to her feet with tears streaming down her face, "Elise is hurt! We gotta go!"

"Get to that building! Go!" Rick ordered, watching T-Dog drag the kid away before picking up the bag of guns that was still strewn in the alley, "Elise..."

"I'm fine." Elise snapped, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand before limping to her weapons and putting them away, "Let's get outta here."

"You gonna be able to climb that fire escape?" Daryl asked, earning no response as she just started climbing.

Her left side was obviously causing her pain as she grunted with every step she took on that leg, and by the time she got to the top, she was struggling to walk on it. Rick approached her and carefully took her arm, placing it around his shoulders as he slid one of his around her waist to support her.

"Steady now..." He told her, "Not far to go."

"I just need to sit down... It's gonna be bruised pretty bad for a couple of days." She breathed, "Bastard literally picked me up and threw me, like I was a flimsy ragdoll or something."

"You're anything but flimsy." Rick replied, earning a small chuckle from her.


Back in the building, tensions were high. Daryl was infuriated. Elise was now sat, easing the pain in her leg, but her arms were crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed. Rick was going to question the young boy, who had a lot of attitude for a kid so young. T-Dog, meanwhile was barely able to believe that plan had gone so badly wrong.

"Those men you were with." Rick began, leaning down to talk to the teen, "We need to know where they went."

"I ain't telling you nothing." The kid replied, face cool and calm.

"Jesus, man, what the hell happened back there?" T-Dog asked, looking up at a fuming Daryl and a devastated Elise.

"I told you, this little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped us." Daryl replied, pacing back and forth angrily.

"You're the one who jumped me, puto." The kid replied, "Screaming about trying to find his brother like its my damn fault."

"They took Glenn." Daryl said, still pacing, "Could've taken Merle too."

"Merle?" The kid scoffed, "What kinda hick name's that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."

Daryl went to hit the boy but much to his amazement, in a blur of colour, Elise got there first, hitting the kid so hard he fell off his chair. She grabbed him by the vest and lifted him off the floor so she was almost nose to nose with him.

"If we wanted smartass comments, we'd ask him." She snarled, indicating Daryl, "We ask. You answer. You got that? They took one of ours and we wanna know where he is. If you don't start talking, this fist is gonna start pumping, and don't you start thinking that because I'm a woman I won't beat the shit outta you, 'cause nothing would give me more pleasure than making a mess of your face, kid."

"Elise..." Rick said quietly, "Get off him."

Elise went to Glenn's backpack and reached inside, swallowing down bile as she put her hand on what she was looking for. She looked at Daryl who eyed the do-rag and he nodded at her, unable to take his away from the raging storm in her eyes. She had amazingly fiery eyes when she was angry. She was one of those women who could scare the balls off of any man within a ten mile radius, Daryl could tell.

"You wanna know what happened to the last guy who pissed me and him off?" She asked as the kid got back on the chair, indicating herself and Daryl.

With that, she revealed the do-rag, unwrapped the contents and then threw it in the kid's lap. The boy screamed and jumped out of the seat, hitting the floor hard. Elise was quick enough to yank him up again and sit him in the chair, giving him a glare that could put every living person six feet under.

"We'll start with the feet this time! You tell us where he is, 'cause my patience is wearing thin." She snarled, leaning forward so she had arms on either arm of the seat, "I also wanna kick the shit out of the fat fuck who threw me down that alley. Maybe I'll take his feet too."

"The men you were with, they took our friend." Rick said calmly, moving Elise out of the way, "Ignore her. All we wanna do is talk to them, see if we can work something out."

Elise felt the pain shoot back up her leg as the adrenaline of the past events died down. Rubbing it slowly, she felt the heat and pain intensify, and she let out a long loud groan, as well as a few curses as she started to sink down slightly. Daryl carefully turned her and eased her down onto the desk next to them, looking at her with just a hint of concern.

"I'm okay." She told him through gritted teeth.

When they looked back at Rick, the smile on his face told them the boy was going to lead them to Glenn. Elise was relieved. Maybe their friend would come home safe after all.


With T-Dog heading off towards a higher spot nearby the abandoned building the boy had led them to, Elise, Daryl and Rick were left on lower ground. As Rick loaded his gun, Elise picked up her bow and gave the ex-cop a nervous smile. They had no idea what they were walking into and it made all of them scared for Glenn's safety as well as their own.

"One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass." Daryl warned the kid, "Just so you know."

"G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so you know." The boy replied snottily.

"G?" Elise asked, watching the teen warily for any sign of him wanting to pull a fast one on them.

"Guillermo. He's the man here." The boy replied, watching Elise with fear as she pulled her knives out and checked the blades.

"Okay then." Rick said quietly, "Let's go see Guillermo."

Elise picked up her bow again after she'd sheathed her knives, and Daryl watched her elegantly draw an arrow and get ready to aim. She took a deep breath, trying hard not to limp on her injured leg as they walked out into the open towards the large doors of the building. Pushing the boy in front, Rick watched Daryl help Elise carefully into the yard through the chain fence, and they made their way closer to the hideout of the men who took Glenn.

When the doors opened and a man an inch or so smaller than Elise walked out she fought to contain the laughter that was ready to burst out of her mouth. She simply flared her nostrils and bit down on her lip, fighting to keep a straight face. She had to laugh at arrogant men who were shorter than her and thought they were a big shot. It was pure entertainment for her.

"You okay, little man?" He asked the teen, not even acknowledging Rick, Daryl and Elise.

"They're gonna cut off my feet." The boy said worriedly.

"Cops do that?"

"Not him." The kid began again, "This bitch and her redneck boyfriend. They cut off some guys hand, man, she showed it to me."

"Shut up." Elise snapped.

"That's him!"

Looking behind Guillermo, Elise saw the fat bastard who threw her down the alley emerging with a handgun. He was yelling about Daryl, who looked more and more angry by the second. Elise glared and aimed her arrow right between his eyes. What she wouldn't give to take him out at that moment. That man had made her a liability to her group.

"He shot me in the ass with an arrow!"

"That's what you get for throwing her around, man." Daryl answered, watching the look on the smaller man's face change, "Yeah, he picked her up and threw her down that alleyway."

"This true?" Guillermo asked his friend, who nodded in response, "Well... Apologise to the lady, Filipe."

"I don't want his apologies." Elise snapped, "He can take 'em and shove 'em up his ass along with my buddy's arrow."

"We were hoping for a calm discussion." Rick stepped in, shooting a warning look Elise's way.

"You fascinate me." Guillermo replied, not budging an inch.

"Mistakes were made. On both sides."

Guillermo stopped, studying the trio for a few minutes, giving Daryl the once over and then Elise. Elise fought to suppress a shudder. She hated being looked at that way, no matter how innocent it was. It brought back some of the worst memories of her life when someone looked at her like that. Shaking the horrid thoughts from her mind, Elise looked back at the men in front of her, eyes narrowed and focused.

"Who are these two to you anyway?" He asked, "You don't look related."

"They're part of our group, more or less." Rick replied, "I'm sure you have a few like them."

"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asked, edging forward a little.

"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys." Guillermo answered, "But I got Asian. Interested?"

"We got one of yours. You got one of ours." Elise said, moving closer herself, "Sounds like an even trade."

"Don't sound even to me." Guillermo replied, looking her up and down again.

"G..." The boy cried, "Come on, man."

"My people got attacked." Guillermo said quietly, "Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering? More to the point, what about my bag of guns?"

"Our bag." Elise corrected, indicating Rick, "He and I own that bag of guns."

"What's to stop my people unloading on you now? Taking what's mine?" Guillermo threatened as his homies loaded their guns.

Elise, Daryl and Rick stood firm, ready to fight at any moment. The whole situation could blow up in their faces, and they could end up dead, leaving Glenn to God knows what fate. The three of them knew that they were definitely strong enough to try and fight, no matter what the consequence.

"You could do that." Rick scowled, looking up to the rooftop where T-Dog was aiming right at Guillermo's head, "Or not."

Guillermo looked straight at T-Dog and then hollered something up to the roof of his building, and Elise's jaw dropped in horror as Glenn was dragged to the edge of the roof with a bag over his head. The bag was removed and Glenn was found to be gagged, making Elise's stomach churn.

"You son of a bitch." She breathed, glaring at Guillermo before taking out another arrow, lining them up on her bow and turning it sideways.

She was aiming both at Guillermo and Filipe. Daryl stared at her, mouth slightly agape at the fire in her eyes. Would she actually be able to hit them both if she had a chance? When he realised he was staring, he quickly looked away and stared back at the small man in front of them.

"I'll give you two options. You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, and everybody walks." Guillermo said, "Or you come back locked and loaded, and we'll see which side spills more blood."

-TBC-


Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading so far!

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