I'm back! I know some of you guys really want me to update more, but try and understand- I'm trying to ration my updates, since I only have so much more I can do before I hit the wall that is the end of Season 4, and I'm trying my best to make them last throughout the summer so that we all don't die from withdrawl. I'm really sad that the reviews have decreased, but j understand. still, however- I'd love you forever if you review!
They were running, yet again. All she could think of were the moans behind her and knowing that Beth and Daryl were beside her.
They finally burst out of the brush, onto the road. There was an old, broken down chevy. The thunder crackled, and she knew they were coming.
Beth stepped over the body of a dead walker, trying the key that was left in the engine. Nothing happened. It was then Daryl noticed the trunk was open, and spacious...
Jamie had been standing guard for Beth while she tried to start the car, and he motioned furiously to them. The moans were getting dangerously close...
"C'mon."
Both girls piled into the trunk, Jamie ditching her bow, sliding it under the car, knowing there was no way it would fit. Daryl jumped in as well, forcing the trunk top down- it wouldn't close all the way, but he tied the latch to the hook with his bandana.
There was a crack of lightning, then, and more thunder, as the moans grew louder. They had a small gap in which too see out of, between the hood of the trunk and where the trunk bottom started, and Jamie took one look and tried to stop her hands from shaking. There were at least twenty of them, clambering over the trunk and beside it...
Daryl quietly pushed her and Beth farther into the corner of the trunk, his crossbow aimed through the gap incase he needed it. God forbid one of them smelled they were alive in this trunk and tried to pry it open, or they were screwed.
Beth's eyes were filled with tears, and Jamie looked afraid, as well, but she drew her knife anways, worming her way forward to be beside Daryl again. He shot a glance at her- she was in an awkward position, but ready to stab or back him up if necessary.
Still, another bolt of lightning struck, and by the light it provided Jamie got an idea of just how many of them were outside. He could feel her start to shake. They were cornered, and Daryl knew from expirience Jamie HATED being cornered... Hell, he wasn't a big fan of their situation now, either. But the girls didn't need to know that.
He shot another glance at Jamie. She was as pale as hell, but holding her position beside him. That was his girl- even Beth was being surprisingly tough at the moment, biting her lip and not allowing a single whimper to escape.
The top of the trunk bobbed up and down as walkers crawled over it, and he watched Jamie take a newrly silent breath and steady her hands. Gradually, the moans lessened, and the trunk stopped bobbing so frequently, and then, they were left alone in silence, besides the occasional thunder or lightening strike.
He lowered his crossbow, and, seeing what he'd done, Jamie sheathed her knife. Damn, it was cramped in here. But it was better than being outside for the night.
"We're good." he ground out quietly.
Jamie and Beth both relaxed slightly, Jamie nuzzling up to Beth's side. Soon, they were both asleep. He stayed awake, though, waiting until morning.
When it was light enough they all ventured out, scrounging what they could. Beth grabbed some window glass and a broken reaeview, and Jamie helped Daryl recover the hubcaps, whicht hey tossed in a black trashbag, before they moved on.
The morning was busy- Beth got a fire lit using the rearview mirros and glass, and Jamie worked on rigging up a makeshift tent and stringing the hubcaps as a noisemaker while Daryl hunted.
Mid-morning, he came back with a snake, which Jamie seemed overly excited about. Beth picked away the unsavory pieces of hers, but Jamie didn't really seem to care, eatting ravenously and spitting out what she didn't like.
Beth took a breath. Now was as good a time as any to bring up her proposition.
"I need a drink."
Daryl wordlessly tossed an old, lableless soda bottle which contained water of questionable origin to her.
Beth looked at it for moment before she spoke again. "No. I mean a real drink. As in alchol."
Daryl once again said nothing, simply continuing to knaw on his piece of snake, though Jamie perked up slightly at the mention of alchol.
"Can we? I could go for some booze..."
Truth be told, she'd been having nightmares. She could still taste the gunsmoke and hear the scream and moans of the prison, still remember running for her life. And she kept dreaming of Carl. Of him screaming her name as his gun clicked hopelessly and the walkers surrounded him, of hearing Judith's screams of pain as they ate her flesh... So yeah, bloze seemed like a good option right about now.
Daryl again said nothing, and Jamie studied her boots, disappointed. Her boots were getting small, actually, it hurt to walk in them, but she could suck it up. It wasn't like their was a shoe store around here anyways...
"Screw it. I'm getting a drink, whether you come or not." Beth said, irritated, before she marched off.
Daryl looked up to watch her go, before, to his surprise, he saw Jamie standing as well, grabbing her bow.
"Not you too. Stay." he ordered.
Jamie rolled her eyes at him before starting off after Beth, leaving Daryl to feel slightly surprised. Sure, Beth was always running off, but Jamie, too?
Beth currently had her back to a tree as walkers stumbled towards her. There were four or so, and she stooped, picking up a stone and tossing it as far as she could withiut attracting their attention. Sure enough, it made a crunch when it hit the leaves some feet away, and the little group of walkers turned, heading away from her.
She let out a breath and turned, finding Jamie beside her.
"What's the plan?" she whispered.
Beth stared, surprised. "You're coming?"
"Hell yeah. I want some booze, even if it ain't my first drink..." her first drink had beenw ith carl back at the prison. She felt a pang at the memory. That was why she needed booze now, though- to forget the things that'd haunt her in her sleep.
Just then, a twig broke behind them, and they both whirled to find Daryl standing there.
"C'mon." he growled. Wordlessly, feeling like scolded children, both girls fell into step behind him, though Beth was excited.
"So I think if we keep going this way, we'll get to the booze." suddenly, she ran into the hubcaps they'd hung up. They clanged together and she jumped back, angry.
"Are you serious!? You brought us BACK here?"
"You two had your little fun. Almost got yourselves killed, too. Now ain't the time to shoot your mouth off and rebell like some little bitch. Understand?"
Beth glared at him. "Fuck you, and fuck this suck-ass camp. I can take care of myself." she flipped him off before she marched off, yet again. Jamie looked at him appoligetically, before she, too, was trotting to keep up with Beth, leaving a frustrated Daryl to sigh before he set off behind the two. Since when did raising daughters become so damn hard?
They stumbled out of the woods at a golf-course- there was an overturned golfkart, and a few walkers stumbling around the course about thirty feet away. Farther uo the hill, they could see what looked like c ountry club, and Beth smiled.
"Golfers like to booze it up, right?" she asked.
Daryl said nothing, still pretty pissed, and they all entered carefuly, Daryl barring the door behind them with a golf club.
People had hung themselves, and Darly managed to find a flashlight. Beth found one, as well, and thry slowly started their search of the place.
Daryl was stuffing a bag with money and loot, which Beth scoured the area for any form of alchol.
Jamie found a maglight in a walker's hand, and cautiously stepped on its head before prying it from its grasp, turning it on and shining around. She was looking for booze, as well, but she also looked for any decent-looking walker with a pair of boots about her size, but she found none.
Walkers had started banging on the door, by now, and they all raced farther downstairs. Beth found a bottle of cooking winem but a walker had stumbled iut and grabbed her. Jamie pulled back her bow, but Daryl quietly angled it downward. He'd jump in if Beth needed it, but right now they'd weight.
Beth struggled, shattering the bottle of wine un the process, before managing to draw her knife and kill it. She turned to Daryl, looking distraught and a bit pissed. "Thanks for the help." she said sarcastically.
Daryl shrugged. "Said you could take care of yourself. You did."
They wandered into what had to be the giftshop, then, Daryl having the hardest time of all of them crawling under the brooen trophy cases and tipped clock in one hall, having to righten it so he could make it through.
Beth smiled slightly, finding a new, clean yellow polo shirt and a white jacket to out on overtop.
Jamie looked around the room, distaste evident, She didn't need new clothes- hell, she'd kill someone if they tried to keep her now sleeveless denim jacket from her. And their were no boots here, either- like she'd figured earlier, rich people didn't walk around in hunting boots like a country girl.
Beth looked over at her quietly. "Aren't you going to get anyhing?" she asked quietly.
Jamie shook her head, hands unconciously pulling Ryder's old jacket more tightly around her. A look of understanding crossed Beth's face, though, before she occupied herself witht aking down the torso of a woman turned walker that someone had placed on a manequinn wearing only a bra, with the words 'rich bitch' scrawled onna piece of paper slapped on her shoulder.
Daryl looked up from where he'd been trying to get into the register to help as well, and Jamie suddenly felt out of place here. Soon, though, they were heading down another hallway, and she was aloud to forget her uneasiness...
Until the goddamn grandfather clock started chiming.
Daryl swore under his breath- they were freaking everywhere.
She pulled her bow off her shoulders, knotching an arrow as they rapidly backed up.
Beth ran into what must've been an abandoned apartment, both archers hurrying after her.
Beth was backed against the wall as they poured thriugh the hallway. Daryl took out the first with his arrow, and the second with a deft swing of his crossbow, using the weapon to force it back...
As he was forcing the walker back with it, another walker emerged from the halkway, going to bear down on him, but there was a gush as Jamie's arrow tore through its skull.
She didn't flinch, reaching into her quiver and knothing another arrow in one swift motion, drawing back and shooting the next walker as Daryl finished his with a knife through the forehead.
Daryl ditched his crossbow on the ground, then, instead siezing a golf club and nodding to Jamie. She let him have the next walker that stumbled through, and he busied himself with blugeoning the hell out of it while she shot the next one.
Guts ended up spattering both the walls and Beth's sweater, and both Jamie and Daryl stood, panting, for a moment.
And then the last walker stumbled out, right into Jamie.
It seized her by the shoulders and she stumbled forward, surprised, falling onto her face. She was struggling to turn over onto her back, now, while awkwardly stiff-arming its face...
Daryl had at first rushed to her aid, knife ready, but now he stood, ready to step in if needed. She'd need to learn to fight her own battles- more than she did already- if she was going to make it in this world.
"Go for it, Jamie. 'M right here if you need it..."
The words were barely out of his mouth when she managed to free her knife from under her. In one deft twisting motion, it was through the walker's skull.
She laid their for a moment, panting, before forcing the walker off her. She got to her feet, pulling her knife from its head and wiping the blood off on her jeans. He noticed she was smiling slightly- she was proud to have done it by herself- and she should've been.
She was normal badass in general, but he knew that since the prison had fallen, she'd lost a lot of self confidence. It was harder for her to be cocky when she remembered all those people who'd had her back, who'd died...
She was dealing with it well, though.
She stood, brushing herself off. Beth watched th exchange, feeling a pang. If only her dad was still alive... That was why she needed a drink, though, and she continued down through a cooridor, Daryl and Jamie behind her.
Beth searched the bar carefully- all that was left was a bottle of Peach Schnapps. But it'd do, she figured.
Daryl had taken all the darts from the dart board and was throwing them at the pictures of all the rich bastards that'd funded this place.
Beth forced a smile, looking at Jamie happily. "Peach Schnapps. Think it's any good?"
"No." Daryl growled out before she could answer.
"Well it's all that's left..." Beth said forlornly.
Jamie could see the sadness on her friends face and hopped up on a stool beside her friend, helping her look for a glass to pour it into. She quickly realized it was pointless, though, that some bastard, just to spite them, had managed to get blood in every glass...
"It's in every glass." Beth said quietly, looking hopeless for a moment, before struggling to open the bottle in a hurry. Still, the cap had been out on tight, and she was shaking slightly, though she'd tried the best she could to fight back the tears...
There was a bang as another one of Daryl's darts hit another picture.
Beth started to cry quietly, then.
"Beth- hey. It's alright, really- fuck glasses, we'll chug this shit right outta the bottle. It'll be fine, see..." she was trying desperately to cheer her friend, but it was clear it was pointless.
Daryl paused a moment with his dart throwing to watch Jamie fumble with the cap to the bottle- it must've been tightened on purpose, though, probably by the same asshole who'd put blood in all the glasses...
Jamie pulled her knife from its sheath, instead moving to pry the cap off. Daryl turned back to his dart throwing. Jamie would pry open the bottle, Beth would have her drink, and they'd go...
"Shit!" Jamie's knife clattered as it hit the floor- the tip had slipped as she'd been working to get the cap off, and somehow managed to slice into the palm of her other hand...
Beth looked up for a moment, shocked, before she sobbed even harder. Jamie took a shaky breath- she could control pain. She was her own master, nothing else could control her, not even pain...
Daryl strode over, seizing the bottle of peach schnapps. Wordlessly, he let it drop to the floor, where it shattered into a million pieces of glass.
He turned to Beth. "You'll get your first drink- but it ain't gonna be no damn peach schnapps."
And with that said, he started towards the door, his two girls trailing after him.
Well? I know Daryl refers to the girls as daughters in this chapter mentally, but I think Beth deserves that title- she's been close to Jamie for awhile now, they've been great friends, and now that Hershel is dead, Daryl knows in his heart he's all she's got- as does Jamie- so I think that for these few episodes Beth also becomes like a daughter to him. Please review as to what you guys think!