The Walking Dead: Guardian Angel

Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I no own.

Charlotte & Eddie ducked behind the counter as the three black SUV's careened around the corner after their group as they sped away, they drew their weapons as they heard gunfire exchanged.

"Oh, shit, we have to hide." Charlotte said as she looked around desperately for a way out, she knew that gunfire would bring walkers out in droves … & quick." They found a staircase that she assumed led to the break area, she prayed it wasn't locked, she didn't want to have to break the lock.

She tried the door … locked … fuck. "Give me your shirt." She ordered, in the seriousness of the situation, he forwent a stab at suggestive banter & simply gave it to her, she balled it over her fist & smashed the door's small window.

"Okay." She said as she reached around & unlocked the door. Once inside, she looked frantically around for something to cover the hole she made. Seeing nothing, they decided that a bookcase would have to do for now. She locked the door back & they moved it in front of the glassless window.

Years in this world taught them never to assume they were alone, so they made sure they were. As they checked the last room, they heard a rustling noise somewhere in the dark. They readied their weapons & steeled themselves as whatever it was came at them.

It was a dog, some kind of medium sized shepherd mix. He was terribly thin, probably the office dog that everyone forgot about when this all went down. "Hey fella, you hungry? Everyone forgot about you, huh?" She cooed as she reached into her bag & pulled out one of the cans of dog food she happened to pick up 'just in case'.

He gobbled half of it before she could even pour it onto the floor, he finished the rest in hast & jumped up to lick both of them out of gratitude. Then, suddenly, his ears perked up & he slinked under a nearby desk. Eddie & Charlotte took a peek out the window & cursed, a huge herd of walkers were milling around.

"Well, it looks like we're stuck here for a while." Eddie said, Charlotte nodded as she unhooked her weapon's belt & laid it on one of the desks as the abandoned dog silently entered the room & slinked under the desk.

"I think I'm going to call him Shadow." Charlotte said as she peeked under the desk at the matted, shaggy dog. the faint light from the summer sun reflected in his eyes, giving them a errie green glow. Because he slinks around so quiet, like a shadow." "I'm sure he learned quick that if you make noise … you die." Eddie said.

"Yeah but … walkers wouldn't eat a dog … would they?" Eddie looked at her for a long while before nodding slowly. "I guess you haven't been through any of the big cities … half eaten bodies of cats, horses … dogs. So yes, I would assume correctly that they would eat this guy."

Charlotte let out a low whistle. "They must be starving, running out of people to chow on, which explains why the ones we have run into are so emaciated & why they respond to sound faster than they used to … they're learning!" She said with a shudder.

"Did we lose them?!" Daryl bellowed. "She's bleeding out!" Hershel said, not hearing him as Beth helped him put pressure on the gunshot wound Carol had suffered in the shootout with the mysterious SUV's as Sophia sobbed into her hands.

"We have to stop." Hershel said, the look in his eyes said everything, she was gone & they knew what they had to do. they didn't want their loved one walking around as a souless, evil monster. "Daryl waved his hand out of the window at Rick's vehicle in front & they all pulled off to the side of the road.

Rick looked at Hershel & he shook his head, Daryl cursed & kicked the side of the Tucson. "Glen & Maggie, take Sophia to the suburban." Rick said as Carl drew his pistol & in once silenced shot, it was done.

"Let's go, before anything finds us." Rick said expressionlessly, they all knew better then to question him anymore, only Daryl lingered at Carol's body, his eyes stinging as he laid a single Cherokee rose on her chest.

"You know, i have an idea how we can pass the time." Charlotte said as she drew close to Eddie, her body, hard & lean from years in this harsh world pressing against his.

Eddie's hands balled into fists as he struggled vainly to control himself, but he couldn't help it, his body just responded to her. Charlotte snaked her hands around his neck & nuzzled the valley of his collarbone, making him shudder with desire.

He wanted her so badly, he always had, but back then he fucked up. He didn't make his actions back up the words he told her & he blew it; now there she was, wanting him, all he had to do is take her.

But ... the small voice that was his conscious poked him, 'this is wrong' it nagged him, his hands came to stop hers as they reached for his belt. "Charlotte, you know that I love you, I always have & I always will. I know I fucked up in the past, but that isn't the person I am now. Before we do this, I need to know something."

"Do you love me? I don't want just a fling, or a fuck buddy, I want to be your man, your one & only man. If you can't do that, then me fucking you now would just make things worse for … for you ... & the man I know ... you really love."

He almost choked on the last sentence, he knew the truth, he knew that deep down she loved this other guy, & since he loved her, he couldn't let her make this mistake. Not her, not after all the shit she had been through.

Charlotte stepped back & averted her eyes. "I can't. I can't say that I love you, not in the way you want me to. If we so this, it will just be a fuck buddy thing. I'm sorry." She said, with tears stinging his eyes, Eddie nodded in understanding.

"I will still be there for you in any way I can, I want you to know that." He said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Through her tears, she nodded, cursing her stupid heart, her stupid feelings.

Eddie was the better man romantically speaking, a relationship with him would be as easy as breathing, she wanted so badly to love him … but she didn't & she knew it, & she hated herself for wanting to take advantage of that love he had for her just to get her rocks off. "I'm sorry." She whispered, he flashed her a grin. "Don't sweat it, cabrona. I've been through worse."

"I think we can make a go for one now, I don't see any more walkers." She said as she strapped her belt back on & they moved the bookcase out of the way. "Yeah, but they aren't marked, how in the fuck are we supposed to know which key goes to which RV?" Eddie said as he studied the huge ring of hundreds of keys.

Charlotte shrugged. "I guess we'll have to try one til we get a winner." She replied as the dog they called 'Shadow' came out from under the desk & waited with them at the door, wagging his tail. Charlotte laughed at the look on Eddie's face, he saw the doig as just another mouth to feed.

"You know we can't leave him here." she said, he rolled his eyes. "Let's go." he said as they slowly opened the door.

Author's Note: Okay … I know that a lot of you like totally hate Eddie & I was going to go a different way with this story anyway but since I love my readers, I decided to revise it ….

Your welcome. ^_~