Wow. This came out a lot darker. Jamie is a little scared here, and this... this is the chaoter where the prison goes to shit. It's kinda dark and tense, but it had to happen. I follow Kirkman, so...
In response to Lila Catser's review, I know Daryl may appear soft to some. I interpret this as Daryl finding someone like him- shitty childhood, no family, and someone he wants to protect. I have him act soft eith her since, I think, he's trying to teach her to survive on his own, and unconciously preparing her for the day when he won't be there and she'll have to survive by herself.
Jamie also may read as a Mary Sue to some, I agree. This is probably because she's the main focus of the story, along with Daryl, and she's pretty tough, but she's had to be to survive. I'm really haooy you ship Jamie and Carl, though!
Lila, I'd like to thank you for the review, since I find it as really respectful, constructive criticism. I would've told you this via PM but I couldn't find you to message.
Thanks again everybody, and please review!
They were laying side-by-side in the grass, in the shade of a shed that'd been built, watching the clouds drift. They were still holding hands.
"Things are never gonna be the same, you know." Carl said, looking over at Jamie.
She nodded seriously. "Yeah. I know. So many dead. But we can re-build, make this place even better..."
"You really think so?" he asked, surprised.
Jamie gave him a playful smile before she leaned over, giving him a quick peck on the lips. She felt more light-hearted, now, the epidemic was over. "I know it, Grimes."
He smiled as well, then, and they both looked up at the clouds.
"I brought you these." Jamie dug in her pocket, opening her hand a moment later to reveal a handful of green acorns she'd managed to gather last night. "Cuz you're a nut."
Carl laughed and batted them out of her hand, and they scattered in the grass. He darted a nervous look over at her, then, as though he were afraid she'd disappear.
"Where were you last night?" he asked quietly. He clearly expected her to tell some horror story about a herd cutting them off or falling into a ravine or something, and she felt guilt wash over her. She hadn't even considered how Carl would feel about her camping for a night in the woods, and she'd made him worried...
She sighed. "I camped out with Daryl. I was pretty tore up about Carol, I guess, I just went out there looking for her. It was stupid, I wasn't paying attention. Almost got myself killed- was half drowned and almost bit before Daryl got to me. An' then... I didn't wanna come back. Couldn't, I mean, I just needed to get away, you know?"
Carl nodded, his gaze understanding.
All around them, people were rebuilding, improving, fixing things. They were watching the prison build up around them.
"I don't care. You're here now." and with that, his lips were on hers.
He finally pulled back, amiling, their bright eyes locked...
"Guys?" they looked up to see Beth standing, looking slightly antsy. She ran a hand through her slightky frizzy blonde hair. "Sorry, I don't ,ean to be a third wheel or kill the moment or..."
She was rambling. Jamie turned and smiled at her friend. "It's fine, Beth. Spit it out."
"Have you seen my Dad? He's been gone for two days- he left with Michonne yesterday morning. He was supposed be back by now..."
There was a deafening blast, then, and an instant later Carl was ontop of her, trying his best to shield her with his own body incase something else were to explode.
She managed to shove him off and stared, shocked. Carl rolled onto his back, scrambling to his feet, and Beth looked up from where she'd been cowering to see the guard-tower, the one she and Daryl slept in, no less- gone. Flames licked the floor, the platform was the only thing remaining of the top...
And there was a tank. A freaking tank standing outside the chainlink. With the Govenor. Hershel and Michonne knelt outside the fence, hands bound behind them.
"Fuck." Jamie breathed, before she was running, scrambling for her bow. Thank god she'd left it leaning against the fence. She siezed it, throwing her quiver over her shoulder, before running to the inner-part of the fence, the second gate to the prison yard, finding herself beside Daryl, who held an assult rifle. His crossbow leaned against the fence beside him.
Everything around them was chaos- people running for rifles, someone screaming orders...
But Daryl locked eyes with her. "Whatever happens, stay by me."
And she nodded, though even though she was shaking in her boots. Daryl noticed, but didn't care. Now wasn't the time to care, either- the Governor was here, which meant his goal was to keep their asses alive. He didn't blame Jamie for being scared of the Governor- hell, even he was afraid of the man. Because the Governor just might kill everyone that mattered to him today.
But he'd have to go through one hell of a fight succeed.
The next five minutes were pure hell. Hershel's head hit the ground. Rick screamed and started to fire. Jamie looked to the right, hearing Beth's anguished scream mixed with the tang of smoke and machine gun fire.
Daryl siezed her arm, though, yanking her closer to him and forcing a pistol into her hands.
"Fight." was all he growled.
And she did, emptying clip after clip into the invaders of their territory. Soon the tank had busted through the outside fence and was fighting towards the last fence, the last line of defense...
Daryl grabbed her roughly by the upper arm, shoving her behind the cage for cover.
"Cover me." he growled. The smoke from the tank was growing so thick that she couldn't see out into the prison yard, but if she could've, she'd have seen the walkers attracted to the sounds of war. As it was, she was incredibly rattled as it was, and it was probably best she didn't see it.
Daryl ran at the tank, dropping the grenade down the barrel and effectively disabling it.
The man who'd been driving it, who was obviously a filthy jackass trying to do anything ti save his own skin, jumped out to be met with Daryl's crossbow.
He put his hands up, a look of fear on his face.
"Hey, I surrender." he said quietly, eying Daryl like a scared animal.
Still, the bastard had done enough damage. He'd been with the governor, no doubt killed his people, and breached their fences...
He still didn't lower the bow, and he made his decision when he thought of Jamie behind him. The bastard could've killed her, infact, he would be right now, were it not for hima nd his grenade... He fired, striking the man in the left breast and letting him fall, leaving him to turn.
He heard sobbing then, looking over to see Beth clinging to what was left of the fence, dishevled, filthy blonde hair falling over her face.
Smoke was lifting, now, revealing a herd of walkers coming. The shit was clearly hitting the fan.
A group of walkers was stumbling towards Beth, who was sobbing her eyes out...
Daryl swore under his breath, and a gunshot sounded from behind him. The walker nearest Beth fell, and Daryl turned to see Jamie standing, pistol raised.
He looked over at her, eyes searching, and she shakily nodded, the unspoken question answered. He got Beth and she'd cover him.
He siezed his crossbow, running towards Beth. He siezed her roughly by the arm, growling at her to move. Tears streaked her face, she'd just lost her father, of course, but she'd just have to suck it up if she wanted to make it out of this shit-snowball alive.
A walker stumbled too close for comfort and Jamie offed it, running over to be beside him.
Beth was still clinging to the chainlink, and Daryl was trying to pry her off.
Daryl turned to Jamie. "Say somethin' to her. You're her friend." he ordered, eying the approaching walkers nervously.
Jamie nodded. She was still looking afraid, but she raised her hand and slapped Beth across the face, leaving a red mark. Beth gasped, and Jamie forced the scariest glare she could muster.
"Get your shit together or we're gonna die here."
Beth wiped a hand across her face, as though coming out of a daze, and let go of the fence.
Daryl nodded to them both, siezing Beth by the firearm. The girl was shaking like a leaf, but he guided her along as they ran to the final door, Jamie on his other side, biw sking across her shoulder, pistol ready.
They raced through the crowd of walkers, ducking and dodging, before the staggered out of the opening the tank had made.
They didn't stop to catch their breath until they'd reached the woods. Even then, they only took about thirty second to pant. Both Jamie and Beth looked back- smoke was rising to fire on the buildings, walkers overrunning the place... And no survivors in sight through the mess.
Daryl looked over at the girls- his girls, now, he realized. It wasn't just Jamie anymore. He could see the pain in their eyes, as they reakized the one place they'd really come to think of as safe over these oast few months was gone.
Beth choked back a sob, and Jamie moved to stand beside her, taking her hand and murmering something, trying to soothe her. Still, the wounded look was still fresh in their eyes, and Daryl knew that they knew- they were never coming back.
"Let's move." Daryl ground out, struggling to hold back his own emotion from his voice.
Wordlessly, the girls fell into step beside him. Beth was crying quietly, Jamie was clutching her hand and glancing over at Daryl nervously. They strode quickly through the woods thiugh, deeper and deeper into the trees. This was going to be rough, he realized surviving with two young girls to protect. But at the same time, he fekt the pain, as well.
He couldn't think of one comforting thing to say, so he settled on the only thing that came to mind. "Don't look back."
NEXTTIME ON LOST CHILD;
Daryl broods