Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself. Anyway, it just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernatural's Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles...
This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!
And since you've gotten this far, a review or two would rock my world! Thanks!
T-Dog let them through the gate, his heart breaking when Trouble walked through with blood stained hands and a terrified child in her arms. Her tear streaked face told him something had gone very wrong, and it only took one look at Sam and Dean's dazed expression to tell him it was Ian. Ian was gone. He shut the gate back again and Trouble dropped to her knees just past them.
"Rose, you can open your eyes now. We're home." She said softly, and the child opened her eyes and released her tight grip on her neck.
"It's a field." She said, looking around, and back down at Trouble in confusion.
"My house is right over there. I just wanted to talk to you first."
Rose looked at the three men behind them and stepped even closer to Trouble. "Who are they?"
Trouble looked back at them. "That's Sam. That's Dean. They're my cousins. And that's T."
Rose looked at T closely. "Is he your cousin, too?"
"He's my friend." Trouble said and T got down on one knee next to them. Rose ducked away from him and threw her arms around Trouble's neck again. "Don't be afraid. He's not going to hurt you, Rose. Nobody is, ever again." T-Dog got the cue, and she nodded at him as he got up and stepped away.
"Rose, there are more people in the house, but I need to be brave, ok? They are all my friends, they're good." Trouble said, and Rose nodded.
"Are you going to leave me?" She asked, her eyes widening in fear.
Trouble shook her head. "No, I won't. I promise." She picked the child up again and turned to T-Dog. "Rick and Shane will be coming."
"I'll take care of it." He said, and she turned and started walking toward the house. Dean came with her, but Sam stayed with T-Dog. The gate slid open for them when they got to the house, and Rose buried her head in Trouble's neck again, trembling in her arms.
Rick watched as the woman's eyes widened when he pointed the gun at her head. He pulled the trigger without emotion. She had killed Ian, broken Trouble's heart, and there was no coming back from that. Shane had moved over the car barrier and dropped one of the men who had woken up. Rick followed and they put a bullet in the head of each body. When they got to Ian, Rick ran his hand over his face again. The young man looked calm, peaceful, his dark hair falling over his eyes and his blue eyes closed in sleep forever.
"Do it in the back, so they don't see it." He said, and Shane fired quickly, before Ian could wake up. They picked his body up and put it over Trouble's bike, wheeling it back to the house.
"She's going to blame herself." Rick said as they walked.
"It wasn't her fault." Shane said simply.
"We're going to have to make sure she knows it. She loved him."
"I know." Shane said grimly. He'd never liked Ian, but seeing the guy like this, knowing how badly Trouble was hurting. It was going to be torture to watch.
"And the girl?" Rick said. "She's been abused. She's scared."
"She's focusing Trouble. She was going to kill that bitch before you reminded her the girl was there."
"I hope she does. Trouble's going to go off the deep end if she doesn't find an outlet. Did you see the way the girl went to her?"
"Yeah." Shane nodded, turning the bike up the gravel road. "She trusts her."
"Everybody does. It's just her, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is." Shane said and they finished the walk silently. Sam was waiting with a tarp when they got to the gate. T-Dog let them through and locked the gate, turning the switch on and followed them as they put Ian on the ground and wrapped him tightly. They laid him inside the lobby and parked the bike, and when they got down to the common room, Sam went right for his brother.
Dean got into the common room and Trouble saw him go to the wall and slide down it, his head in his hands again. She had to focus on Rose, though, and she carried the child to her room. When she closed the door and Rose saw they were alone she relaxed a little, and even let Trouble put her down. She looked around the room with wide eyes, and followed Trouble to the bathroom. She put the child up on the sink and washed her hands, her tears falling as Ian's blood ran down the drain. She sniffed and grabbed a washcloth, running it under the warm water. She brought it to Rose's face and wiped the grime and dirt away, uncovering a fresh purple bruise on her cheek.
Rose put her hand up and on Trouble's cheek, wiping away the tears, and Trouble looked at her, surprised. She paused and looked at the girl.
"Why are you crying?" She asked, and Trouble went back to washing her up.
"Because you got hurt by those people. And because they hurt someone I love too."
"Like my momma?" Rose asked, and Trouble nodded, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose. She sniffed and looked back up at the girl.
"How old are you?"
"Seven and a half." She answered proudly and Trouble smiled.
"You're a big girl. One of my friends out there is ten. Carl. Maybe you can be friends."
Rose looked startled and Trouble spoke quickly. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I just thought, someday."
"Am I staying here?" Rose asked.
"I'd like you too. I can keep you safe." Trouble answered, uncovering another bruise on the child's arm.
"In here?" She asked, again looking anxious.
"Would you like to?" She nodded and Trouble nodded back. "Ok, then."
"I'm glad you found me." She said softly and Trouble almost broke down again. A tear ran down her cheek and Rose frowned. "Please don't cry."
Trouble forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Rose."
"My name's not really Rose." She answered, and Trouble stopped again. "It's Juliana, but Bill says that's ugly. They just called me Rose."
"Juliana is a beautiful name." Trouble said, her eyebrows furrowing together in frustration. "I love Juliana."
"Momma called me Jules." She said sheepishly and Trouble smiled.
"Jules it is. If you want." She said and the girl nodded quickly, happy to have her name back. "Well Jules. How long has it been since you had a proper bath?" She was getting almost nowhere with the washcloth.
"A really long time." Jules answered and Trouble nodded. She turned and plugged up her tub and pulled the shower curtain away. She quickly ran a warm bubblebath, using some suds she had on the ledge. It foamed up quickly, and she shut the water off and turned back to the girl. "Do you want some help, maybe with your hair. It's really long." She said, running her hand over the girl's tangled and greasy blond hair.
"Ok." Jules said and Trouble helped her off the sink and leaned down to unbutton the little flower print shift dress the girl wore. She stepped out of it and Trouble pulled her worn out shoes and socks off, helping the girl step into the bath. "It's warm!" She said, sitting down and looking up at Trouble in amazement.
"That's not all we have here. We have food. A lot of it." She said and the girl's eyes went wide. She was obviously nearly starved out there. Bill and Betsy had probably kept anything good for themselves, as fat as they both were. "And we have movies and games. We have a lot of fun." She helped the girl lean back and she began to lather her hair with her shampoo. She rinsed it well and put some conditioner in it too, to help her get the tangles out later.
"When we're finished with the bath, can we get some food?" Jules asked and Trouble nodded, rinsing her hair again.
"Sure." A knock came at the door and Jules jumped, grabbing Trouble's hand. "It's ok, Jules. Hold on, ok? Yes?" She called out and she heard Carol's voice from her bedroom. "Hold on, Carol."
She turned back to Jules, who's eyes had filled with that fear again. This poor child had really been worked over, she thought. "Jules, that's Carol. Is it ok if she comes in? She's my friend, too."
Jules swallowed and ducked behind Trouble, but she gave a little nod and Trouble smiled. "It's really ok. We're in here, Carol." She called out and Carol stepped into the bathroom timidly.
Trouble looked up and Carol smiled sadly at the little girl cowering in the tub. "I didn't mean to bother you, I just heard she was here and I... well, I still have Sophia's clothes." She said, holding out a small bundle. "I thought they might fit."
"Thank you. I was just wondering what we were going to do about that." Trouble gave her a sad smile. "Are you sure?"
Carol nodded. "I'd actually really like to see them again, being worn."
"That's really great, thank you, Carol." Trouble said, and Jules peeked out from around her. "Carol, this is Jules."
"Hi Jules. I'm Carol. Can I make you something to eat?" Carol asked and Jules looked at Trouble for the answer.
"That would be nice, right Jules? She's pretty hungry."
"Well, I'll take care of that. I'll be back in a minute." Carol said and left the bathroom. Trouble heard her door shut and she smiled at Jules.
"See? Carol's awesome. She makes our food most of the time. She's a really good cook."
She put some soap on a washcloth and Jules took it, washing the rest of her quickly. When she stood up Trouble had a fluffy towel waiting and wrapped her in it, using another one to dry her hair. Jules finished drying off and Trouble handed her a pair of underwear and helped her put a little pink tee shirt with a unicorn on the front over her head. She helped her pull a soft pair of pink pants on and took her out to the bedroom. She sat her up on the bed and took a wide hairbrush off her nightstand, running it through the girl's waist length blond hair. Clean, it was almost identical to her own.
A soft tap came at the door and Carol's head poked through. She brought in a tray and carried it to the bed, putting it in front of Jules. "Do you like macaroni and cheese, Jules?" She asked, and the child nodded quickly, pulling out of Trouble's hands and diving for the plate. She ate so fast it was sad. In a few minutes, she had finished the macaroni, the mashed potatoes, and gone for the ice cream Carol had put off the side in a little bowl. "Wow, you must have been hungry." Carol said, her eyes going to Trouble. "I'm sorry, Trouble. I heard what happened."
Trouble nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. "Will you stay with her a minute, Carol? I need to talk to... you know."
"Of course." Carol said and Trouble turned back to Jules.
"Jules, I'm going to step right outside that door for just a minute, but Carol is going to stay with you, ok? I promise, I'll be right back." She said, and Carol must have garnered some favor with her because she gave a reluctant nod, and Trouble brushed her cheek. "Ok, I'll be right back. Thanks Carol."
"They're in the hallway." Carol said, sitting down in Trouble's place. She nodded, and opened the door, slipping out.
Rick and Shane, true enough, were in the hallway, sitting across from each other. They jumped up when they saw her, and Shane wrapped her in a tight hug. She put her arms around him too, and wiped away a tear.
"Did you bring him back?" She asked softly, pulling back after a minute.
"Yes." Rick said, hugging her too. She leaned against him and looked up at the two of them.
"Did he... you know." She asked and they both shook their heads quickly. She didn't want to even imagine Ian waking up, and she was grateful. "Please tell me she suffered." She said, her voice going from soft and sad to vicious in a second.
"A lot." Shane answered, just as angry.
"Good. Fuckin bitch. How's Sam and Dean?"
"Currently on their second bottle of Jack." Shane answered and she sighed.
"That means they'll get through this. If they weren't, then I'd be worried." She rubbed her face with her hands. "She's 7. They killed her mother, took her. She's covered in bruises, scared to death and starved. She's in there with Carol now." They shifted angrily, and their faces went red.
"It was too good, what they got." Rick spat and hit the wall with his palm.
"Her name is Juliana. They changed it, can you believe that?" She said, her face disgusted. "She won't see anybody, she's terrified of men. I can only imagine what happened there." Shane looked at the ground, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I've got to get back, she won't let me out of her sight. Tomorrow morning I'll try and get her to come out. But stay with Sam and Dean. Watch them, make sure they're ok. And in the morning, get rid of those bastards' car, burn the bodies. I don't fuckin care, just make sure they go to hell and stay there."
"Yeah, we got it. But, are you gonna be ok?" Rick asked, his hand on her shoulder.
"I'll let you know that when I figure it out. Thank you both." She said, hugging him tightly, then moving to Shane and hugging him, too. "I'll see you guys in the morning."
They watched her slip back into her room and they looked at each other grimly. Silently, they went back to the common room and did as she asked, their brains turning and spinning with anger and sympathy for what these three people, and the little girl, had lost.
Carol picked up the empty tray when Trouble came back, and smiled when she saw the relieved look on Jules' face. "Do you want more?" She asked and Jules shook her head. "I'll make you a big breakfast tomorrow, ok?"
"Thanks, Carol." Trouble said and sat down next to Jules on the bed. The little girl scooted back and curled up next to her, and Trouble pulled the thick, soft sheets and comforter over them both. She laid there and stroked the child's hair, her arms around her tightly.
"Is your name really Trouble?" She asked and Trouble smiled against her hair. She smelled good, like vanilla.
"Yup." She said.
"It's a funny name."
"Yeah, I guess it is. But it's what everybody's always called me."
"Do you have another name?"
"I never told anybody what it was, but I guess I can tell you." Trouble said, breaking her one tried and true commitment to herself. "My real name is Amy."
"You have a fake name, too? Like me?" Jules asked, looking up at her. Trouble leaned back and turned the corner of her mouth up.
"I guess I do. But I like Trouble. It fits me." She said, and the little girl snuggled in close to her again. "Get some sleep Jules. Do you want me to leave the light on?"
"Mm-hmm." Jules nodded and Trouble stroked her hair till she fell asleep. When she was out, breathing deeply, Trouble held her tightly and cried silently, thinking of her Ian.
The next morning came quickly. Trouble had cried herself to sleep so hard that she hadn't dreamed. But Jules had. Trouble woke up when the child cried out, tears staining her face and shirt.
"Jules? Jules, baby, wake up. It was a dream." She said, rubbing the girl's face and hair. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed Trouble tightly in her little hands. "Hey, hey I'm right here Jules. Breath, ok?"
The child calmed down, her eyes no longer flicking about the room, panicked. She swallowed hard and looked up at Trouble. "I had a nightmare. That Bill came back and got me. I wanted to stay with you."
"That man is never going to touch you again. He's gone. We got rid of him." Trouble said firmly, and Jules relaxed against her. She looked back at the clock and saw it was 7. Carol would be getting breakfast ready soon. "Do you want to sleep any more? Or should we get up? Breakfast will be soon."
"I don't want to go back to sleep."
"Ok. We'll get up. Is it ok if I get a shower, though. I'll just be right there in the bathroom, ok? I'll even leave the door open." She said, and grabbed the remote. "And while I'm doing that, you can watch tv."
"You have tv?" Jules asked, astonished.
"We have movies and shows. What do you like to watch?"
"iCarly." Jules said. Trouble had never heard of it, but sure enough, there it was on her list. She turned it on and got up, going to her bureau and grabbing some clothes. She got a quick shower, and brushed her teeth. She got dressed in a long sleeved black shirt and her favorite shorts, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a little puffy and they looked flat, dead. Her heart was in shatters in her stomach, but she took a deep breath. Jules, Sam, and Dean, they needed her right now.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Jules said from the door and Trouble jumped a little.
"Sure." She said, leaving the bathroom. Jules left the door open, afraid to be alone, and Trouble brushed her hair out in her bedroom.
"Your hair looks like mine." Jules said, coming in and looking up at her.
"Yeah, it does. I noticed that." Trouble said, going back in the bathroom and grabbing her hair dryer. Jules watched from the door as she quickly dried her hair. She was going to put it up but she looked down at Jules, her long hair falling in tendrils around her face, and she saw hers was doing the same. She left it down. "Here's a toothbrush, Jules." She said, opening her drawer and grabbing a new toothbrush. She opened the package and stood in the door while the girl brushed her teeth. "You can keep it with mine." Trouble said, putting it in the cup hers was in.
"You hungry?" She asked and Jules nodded. "Breakfast is right out there, and Carol will be there. Don't be afraid, and you will be right beside me the whole time. I won't leave you for a second."
Jules looked reluctant, but Trouble smiled. "Have you ever made a pinkie promise?"
"No." Jules said, looking confused and Trouble put her hand up, her fingers folded and her pinkie out.
"This is the most solid, have to do it or else kind of promise. It means you can trust me. Hold your hand like this." Jules did it and Trouble linked their pinkies. "I promise, you go out there with me, you're only going to find nice people, they won't hurt you even a little bit. And I'll be there all the time."
Jules nodded and Trouble took her hand. She opened the door and they stepped into the hallway. Jules was almost attached to her side as they walked through the empty common room and toward the kitchen. When they neared the voices in the kitchen, Jules hid behind her, and Trouble prayed everyone would not scare her any more than she already was.