Guys, I'm back! I'm eternally sorry for letting you all wait so long. I literally did not have internet. It was almost impossible to get it. With the help of a friend I'm finally back on track, but things aren't great yet. However, I did write an ending to this story. Not quite satisfied yet, it needs some work, but I will no longer keep this chapter from you.
Happy to be back! So, where were we... Oh yeah, that's right. A reunion at the most unpleasant time ever. Reminds me of something...
Ben's POV:
The girl stared at me as if she had seen a ghost. I could understand why, though, I felt the exact same way. It was as if her eyes could pop any second now. However, there was no time for that.
I reached for her hand, something she reluctantly accepted. "Demi! There is no time to explain, you have to come with me."
"Come to where?" She asked, disbelief displayed in her eyes, and not moving a muscle. "What are you doing? Why are you shooting at the Governor? And Merle?"
"I will explain everything, but you will have to come with me," I whispered. "Please, Demi."
She looked a bit uncertain, almost doubtful of my intentions. I tried not to show that got to me. There simply wasn't time.
Still dazed the blonde woman gave me a light nod, and I tugged her with me, over to the others. Shots were fired from every direction now, it almost seemed like war. Or was it?
We took cover behind a trailer, just in time to see Oscar getting shot. Maggie bowed down over him, but it was too late, the man was gone.
"Come on Ben," she yelled at us, "we gotta get goin'!" She climbed the trailer, jumping down at the other side, making her escape.
"Come on Demi, follow her," I instructed, a little worried we wouldn't have enough time to make it.
Her eyes went big. "But what about the others? I can't leave them behind!"
"There's no time for that. I'm really sorry, Demi."
I shoved her onto the trailer and tugged her with me to the other side, following the others as we crawled to safety. The people at the perimeter tried to spot us with their lights, but we were safely hidden behind a car.
Suddenly we got startled by a rustling sound, and Michonne came up behind us. Everyone, except for us, pointed their weapons at her.
"Where the hell were you?" Rick asked in a dangerously low voice. "Get your hands up."
The dark-skinned woman did so, a little hesitant. She turned around on Rick's instructions, and he took away her katana.
"Where's the rest of your people?" She asked, her eyes downcast. Then it hit me. Daryl was gone.
"They got Oscar," the Asian boy, Glenn, stammered. "And Daryl's missing," Maggie added, still shaken. "You didn't see him?" The woman shook her head immediately.
"If anything happens to him…" Rick threatened her, but she cut him off by saying: "I brought you here to save them."
"Well, thanks for the help," the man taunted.
"You'll need help to get them back to the prison, or to get back in there for Daryl, either way you need me." I knew she was right, and Rick probably did, too. She was a skilled fighter, one they could use.
The man just snorted. Then his eyes fell on Demi.
"And who's this?" He asked, not looking away from her. "You smuggle a girl out?" I heard Demi swallow next to me.
"I know her," I hastened to say. "Had to get her out of there."
Rick narrowed his eyes before turning to Glenn. "You and Michonne, go back to the car. Michonne knows where the car is. Take these two with you," he pointed at us. "The rest of us will go get Daryl. There's no time to waste."
Glenn nodded. "Alright." Michonne kept silent, clearly not satisfied with this.
"Can't I come with you?" I asked the man, in an effort to save my friends. He just shook his head. "We don't have time for that. I need you here." A little disappointed I hung my head.
We all watched as Rick and the others made their way back into Woodbury.
"Okay, let's do what Rick says," the boy spoke, not feeling completely comfortable either. "Draw your weapons, it could be dangerous out there in the woods. The gunfire probably drawn some walkers here."
I turned to Demi. "Have you got anything to defend yourself with?" I still had the handgun Rick had given to me, but that was all I had. The blonde quietly shook her head. "I dropped my gun."
"Alright, use this." Glenn offered Demi a metal pipe. "It may not be much, but it should be enough to make it to the car." She took the pipe, a little indecisive. "Thank you."
Fast but on guard we travelled through the woods, following our new companions. Demi and I didn't speak much, only to warn each other for possible threats. She saved me from an approaching walker, and I got her back when she took one down, but other than that I still had no idea where we were standing. It was so unreal to see her again, after all this time.
I was relieved when we finally reached the car. Demi slid down against the back of the car, her hands in her hair. I lowered myself next to her. "Hey, you okay?" She stared at me with these big green eyes of hers. I still couldn't believe she was alive. She had definitely lost more weight, and her hair was longer now, but other than that she was still Demi. My Demi. I hadn't seen her in months, but the sighting of her still made butterflies flutter through my stomach.
"I don't know," she finally said. "What's going on? Who are these people you're with? Where have you been, these past couple of months? What… I…" Her voice trailed off, and she looked more confused than ever. "I thought you were dead."
"No, I'm not dead. Obviously. And I don't really know these people either." She raised an eyebrow. "Look, after… You know, well, I ran into Michonne and her friend. They took me in. We ended up in Woodbury, where I met Merle again. I don't think he recognized me. But the Governor can't be trusted, Demi. He's a bad guy. Merle kidnapped the Asian boy here, and the girl you just met. They tortured them. We came to save them."
Now she just gaped at me. "But Merle… Oh God… And we left Victor there. And Daniel. And Hannah… We have to go back." She wanted to stand up, but I grabbed her wrist.
"We can't, it's too dangerous right now. Rick told us no. He knows what he's doing. We'll go back for them later."
She sighed as she slowly sat down again. "I just… I don't want them to get hurt. I told Vic I was gonna go back to our house, and I lied to him. I can't only hope he didn't go looking for me…" It hurt me to see her like that.
"Vic… How is he doing? Was he… Mad at me?" I hesitated to ask. I had never doubted the fact he'd survive, but I did wonder how my absence had affected him.
Demi shot me a pained look. "He was hurt. We all were. You just left us there, without saying a word. How could you do that?"
"Well, you guys didn't exactly make me feel welcome, remember?" I shot back.
"Because you lied to us!"
I let out a deep sigh, not knowing what to say. After all, she was right. However, the whole situation still stung. I witnessed a walker emerging from the woods getting mauled down by Michonne.
"I'm sorry, Demi. For everything. You have no idea." I was surprised when I felt her hand reaching for mine, and responded by caressing the back of her hand with my thumb.
"I'm sorry too. You obviously needed me, and I shunned you."
"Guys!" we got interrupted by Glenn. "I think I see them! Rick!" Michonne jumped up too.
"Rick, oh, thank God," the boy happily sighed by the sighting of them.
"Glenn, we got a problem here. I need you to back up –" he couldn't even finish his sentence before Glenn and Michonne both drew their weapons, and a small consternation arose. I tried to shield Demi from it all, holding her behind my back.
"What the hell is he doing here?" He spat out, pointing to Merle.
"Woah, put that down!" Rick hissed at both him and Michonne.
"He tried to kill me!" Michonne screamed, panicked.
Everyone started yelling to one another while Rick tried to calm everyone down. I was no longer a fan of Merle, either. I had never been his biggest fan, but he had kept Demi safe earlier, and he had brought us to safety in Woodbury… Or so I had believed.
"The Governor's a real charmer, yeah," Merle snickered to Michonne. "Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea."
"Andrea's in Woodbury?" Glenn stared at them. "Right next to the Governor," Daryl responded.
Michonne immediately drew her katana in Daryl's direction.
"I told you to drop that!" Rick yelled back at her. "You know Andrea? Do you?"
"Yep, she does," Merle taunted them. "Her and blondie spent all winter cuddling up in the forest. Hmm, yeah. Together with the scrawny white boy. That's right, sweetheart," he called Demi out. "Yer boy over here must've had the time of 'is life!"
Rick came up to me now, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. "You know her too?" He asked in a dangerously low voice. I swallowed as I witnessed Demi incredulously eyeing Merle, and then me.
"My Nubian queen here had two pet walkers," Merle drew the attention away from me. "No arms, cut off the jaws, kept them in chains. Kind of ironic now that I think about it –"
"Shut up Merle!" His brother yelled back at him. Rick hurled back at Michonne now, letting go of my collar. I didn't face Demi.
"Hey, man, we snagged them out of the woods," the one-handed man defended himself. "Andrea was close to dying." Everyone stared at him now.
"So what you gonna do now, Sheriff, huh? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs, and cowards."
"Shut up!" The man yelled again.
"Pathetic. All these guns and no bullets in them," he snickered.
"Merle, shut up!" His brother was damn near losing his patience now.
"Shut up yourself! Bunch of pussies you roll –" Rick, having enough of Merle, hit him in the head, silencing him. The guy fell to the ground, finally shutting up.
"Asshole."
We watched from the car as the others were discussing our fate. I knew they didn't wanna take Merle back to the prison, and they were still wary of Michonne, but how would they regard me? Us? Would they leave us here, to fend for ourselves?
I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go to the prison again, but staying out here wasn't ideal either.
Suddenly Daryl started walking, followed by Rick. They seemed to be having an argument. Daryl walked back to the car, about to get his stuff from the trunk.
"Take care of yourselves," he nodded to us. "And take care of little Ass-kicker," he told Rick. "It's one tough kid." With those words he disappeared into the woods, going back to his brother.
"He chose to leave you guys behind?" I asked the man, who was clearly surprised. He watched them leave, and when they finally disappeared out of sight, he turned to us. The look on his face was not too friendly.
"We patch you guys up, and then you are gone," he hissed at us, and I heard Demi gasp.
"Right." Michonne just nodded.
"It's gonna be okay, Demi," I whispered, as I put my arm around her waist. "We'll think of something."
But she kept her eyes on the road.