Wow, the mid-season finale was super sad. I'm still depressed about it. (SPOILER ALERT!) FYI, I will not be killing Beth in this story! I had plans for her down the line, and despite last night's heartbreaking episode, I'm not changing my storyline. RIP, Beth. You will be missed. :(
Stella looked around the treehouse for the last time, committing everything about it to memory. Everything was packed into the bus, including as many personal items as Stella dared to take. She tried to tell herself that this wasn't goodbye forever, that she would come back here someday, but she knew that wasn't true. She would very likely never see this place again.
Her eyes traveled over the outdated dark plaid curtains, the rickety kitchen table, the old woodstove that had been their constant companion throughout the cold winter, and the bed that had been stripped of its quilt and sheets. The bookshelves remained full, as Stella had opted to only take an empty journal and her favorite book: The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. The cabinets had been emptied, as had the closets and any other stashes of supplies throughout the house. The house looked so empty and forlorn, which was exactly how Stella felt.
"Thanks for keeping me safe," she whispered to the empty house. She turned and walked out the door, closing it and locking it behind her. She pocketed the keys and descended the ladder. She knew it was silly to take the keys, or even to lock the door, but she refused to completely let go of the place just yet.
Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn were waiting for her by the bus. She roughly wiped the tears that had escaped her eyes with her sleeve. Daryl drew her in for a one-armed hug, and Maggie shared a sympathetic glance with her.
"Let's get moving," Stella said. "If I linger around here any longer, I might change my mind about coming with."
Daryl planted a rough kiss on her forehead and pulled away. He climbed on the bus and took his place behind the steering wheel, as he would be the first one to take a shift to drive. Their plan was to drive until they needed to refuel, and to keep going as long as they could. They had outlined their route on a map. The plan was to start with the town where Glenn and Maggie had run into Daryl and continue on the most likely route north, checking each town for any clues as they came to each one.
The bus roared to life and Stella took a seat across the aisle from Glenn and Maggie. The back of the bus was stocked full of supplies, leaving the front half of the bus as seating room. Stella stared out the window as Daryl pulled away. She could barely see the treehouse through the woods, and she tried to keep her emotions in check as it disappeared from sight completely.
"I lost my home, too," Maggie said quietly.
"The farm?" Stella asked, remembering that the farm had been where she and Glenn and Daryl had met.
Maggie nodded. "We were able to stay there for a while after the turn, but then it got overrun by a herd. We barely made it out alive, and we didn't get to take anything with us. At least you got a chance to say goodbye, and to take some of the things that matter to you."
Stella smiled at Maggie. She was right. Leaving her home was extremely difficult, but she had to do what she did so often and stay positive.
"I should also remember that you guys are more important than a treehouse," Stella said. "I may be losing a home, but I gained three amazing friends in its place."
Maggie and Glenn shared a smile with her, and she caught Daryl's eye in the rearview mirror. Maggie's and Glenn's friendship was definitely a blessing, but she thanked her stars for Daryl most of all. They never spoke about their relationship or their feelings for one another, but both knew that each meant a great deal to the other. Stella had never felt so passionate about someone in her life. Zombie apocalypse be damned; there were still good men to be had in the world.
Stella leaned her head against the window and watched the trees pass by as they drove. Her stomach churned in anxiety of what was ahead, but once again, she told herself to remain positive.
Daryl slowed down as the bus pulled into the next town over from where he had found Glenn and Maggie. He estimated that it was about fifty miles from the treehouse. It was a tiny town, even smaller than the towns nearest to the house. The main street contained a bar, a small grocery and drug store, and several other mom and pop type stores that lined the street. He could spot two church steeples in the town, but there couldn't have been more than a few blocks of houses.
The town seemed deserted, save for the few walkers lumbering about. Daryl pulled to a stop in front of the grocery store and turned to the group.
"Okay, let's make this quick. Glenn, Maggie, why don't you guys check out the inside and see if any baby supplies are missing. Stella, you and I will take care of the biters out front and keep watch."
Stella reached for her new scythe, feeling excited to try it out. She felt like a kid on Christmas with a new toy. Daryl gave her a slight smirk when he saw the excitement on her face. He opened the sliding doors to the bus and exited first, swiftly releasing a bolt between the eyes of a nearby walker. Maggie and Glenn followed and made their way to the front of the store. Stella emerged last, her scythe held tightly in her hands.
Maggie knocked loudly on the door to the store and waited. Three walkers pressed themselves against the glass door soon after, and Glenn quickly opened the door and dispatched two of them with a knife, Maggie taking out the third. Stella couldn't help but notice how well they moved together. She knew that she and Daryl were also a good team together, and the thought almost made her smile.
Stella made her way over to the small group of walkers that were approaching the bus. A ghoul reached for Daryl as he bent down to yank a crossbow bolt from the forehead of a biter he had just downed, and Stella raised her scythe and swung hard. The curved blade sliced through the top of the walker's skull. It collapsed as its scalp and brain matter were flung several feet by the force of her swing.
She let out an excited yelp. Daryl glanced back at her and shared a brief smile before turning his attention back to the threat at hand. He downed two more dead and stopped, saving the last one for her. He swept his hand out toward it, as if it were an offering. Stella grinned and swung her scythe again, this time not hitting her target quite as accurately. The scythe took the ghoul's head clean off, and the head rolled away from its body, jaws still snapping. Daryl walked over and stamped down on the head. The skull crushed beneath his boot and sent ooze and black blood pooling everywhere.
"Aim a little higher next time," Daryl smirked, stating the obvious. "I don't want you accidentally flinging biting heads at me during battle."
Stella grinned sheepishly. "Sorry!"
"S'okay," Daryl shrugged. He moved to her side and put his arm around her. "You just need more practice."
"I have to admit, this thing is fun to fight with," Stella said, turning the weapon in her hands.
"You know, you look fuckin' sexy fightin' with it, too," Daryl muttered in a low voice. Stella smirked at him and tried her best to ignore the surge of heat that had suddenly welled up in the pit of her stomach. She turned her attention instead to Maggie and Glenn, who had just emerged from the store.
"So?" Daryl questioned.
"It's hard to say," Glenn sighed. "There are baby supplies missing, but the whole store has been looted, so it's not much to go on. There's pretty much nothing left in there."
Daryl nodded. "Well, let's just keep heading north on this highway. Maybe the next town will have something better to go on."
"Yeah," Glenn agreed. "Hopefully."
The group climbed back on the bus. Daryl started the engine and pulled away from the curb to continue on their journey. Stella stood and went back to their stash of supplies, grabbing the leather straps she had found in the barn the day before. She went back to her seat and began trying to fashion some form of a holster for the scythe so that she could wear it across her back. She looked up and caught Daryl's eye in the rearview mirror again, and she couldn't help smiling.
Think positive, she told herself again. You have an awesome new weapon, great company, reliable transportation, and best of all, you have Daryl.
She looked back to the task at hand, but the smile stayed on her lips. Daryl made it all worth it.