Chapter 19: Kat the hero
(P.S...are you ready for a marathon?! Two chapters will be flying your way. This chapter and then the next! Enjoy! I won't answer the reviews until the chapter after this one! So...stay tuned and leave me reveiws for both chapters!)
LPOV
~10 years ago~
Carl and I were sat on a bench, watching Kat perform her gymnastics routine, a smile on my face and my eyes glowing with pride. She performed beautifully. Elegant and charmingly. "Hey baby girl!" I called to her when it was finished, she walked to me with a smile plastered on her face. "You were so good!" I complimented her, this made her smile but slowly it faded and turned into a frown.
"Did...did I make you proud?" she asked me sadly as she looked to the ground. Her eyes shy and sad as she shuffled a little on her feet. Her brown curls were up in a bun and her small figure was in her outfit for the show. Taking one of her arms in my hand, I looked to her and was confused as to why she would ask me this.
"Of course you did! Why would you ask me that?" I asked her stunned that she would even ask me that. Holding her arm with one hand, the other holding Carl to me and my eyes watching her curiously.
"I...I feel like I don't. Like I just keep making you disappointed," Kat said, her bottom lip pouting a little and her face sad. Her eyes never met mine and I just held Carl to me, looking to her I felt a little sad and gave her a warm, sad expression on my face.
"Oh baby girl...no matter what you do or how you do it...I will always be proud of you. Always have been and always will be. I'm always proud of you Katherine," I tell her softly as I pinched her chin lightly and nuzzled my nose to hers. This made her smile and I held her closely to me in a hug. Smiling as I held her, I felt the words never feel as true as they did then.
Present day...RPOV
"All right...me and Daryl are going back to the farm, to check and see if Kat and Andrea made it," I say as I gathered up my weapons and headed towards the others, they had all woken and ate a little food that we had gathered. All of us resting in a house that we had found a drive away from the first night we spent away from the farm.
"When you're ready...you can find me by the car," Daryl spoke as he agreed to my instructions, he walked out and held onto his crossbow. Walking up to my family slowly, I saw Carl and Lori stood side by side watching me.
"Hey..." I spoke softly as I got closer to them. Both of them hugged me tightly, Lori gently kissed my cheek and Carl was holding back his tears from the fears he held back.
"If Kat's still alive...you'll bring her back...won't you?" Carl asked me this silly question, making me chuckle and look to him with a small smile. What a silly question to ask me. She's my daughter...his sister...our blood.
"Of course," I answered him. Holding the back of his neck and shaking his head a little. Lori smiled at me sadly, she too was worried about Kat and her well being. Such a silly question.
"Good luck...and be careful. Please. We don't know how many walkers you will find on the farm. Not after what happened," Lori told me as she rubbed my arm gently. Days ago she didn't want anything to do with me...now...she cares.
"I know. I'll be fine. We just got to worry about Kat and Andrea right now," I tell her and she carefully placed her hand against my cheek. Her thumb rubbing it softly and calmly. "Besides...I have Daryl with me," I remind her as I took her hand and slowly pulled it off my face.
"I know..." she answered with a small smile. Her hands reaching down to hold Carl against her. Holding the top of his shoulders as she looked up at me and he stayed there. Looking up at me.
"Please be careful dad...we already lost Kat...I don't want to lose you too," Carl said sadly as he looked up at me with those blue eyes and then quickly looked away. Kats face popped into my mind and made me frown a little.
"I'll be okay. Promise," I promised him as I crouched down to his level and he reached out to hug me to him. Holding him, I held the back of his neck and ruffled his head kindly. My eyes looking up at Lori who sniffed as to hold back her tears.
"Keep together and don't go somewhere without a partner or armed. We'll be back soon," I ordered the others, opening the door and heading out. I saw Daryl stood by the car and waiting for me. Hopping I started the car and drove out towards the farm. Back to Kat and Andrea. To find them.
NPOV
The two drove silently, Rick was tense enough with the thought of his daughter our there and with no clue as to what state she was in. Daryl was tense himself at the same thought. He wanted nothing more than for Kat and Andrea to be okay. So that they could return and calm the stilled heart that missed them so.
When they reached the farm, there were few walkers and they sneaked to the farm. Using the crossbow to take down any walkers and slowly walked to the house. Searching around the farm, they came across too many dead bodies to figure out if Andrea or Kat had survived or not. They came across too many footprints for Daryl to tell for certain if either women were alive.
What did surprised both men was something they came across. There were shot down bodies, too many to be exact so they couldn't tell that it had been the three walkers that piled onto Kat. The bodies were rolled around, spread away from each other and many more bodies surrounded them. What they did see though...was a machete.
Rick's heart sank, his jaw clenched and he swalled a hard lump in his throat. Daryl's eyes turned sad as he noticed it, both men looking down at the very familiar machete and while Rick crouched down to retrieve it, Daryl stood guard and watched for walkers.
Rick picked it up, examining it and feeling his heart sink. He had no idea if she was dead or alive, all he could tell was there was blood on the ground and no body of Kat's to be found. Or of Andrea's. The men were clueless and sadly...thinking the worst possible scene to have happened. That Kat was in fact dead to them. Daryl knew that Kat wouldn't go anywhere without her machete, that it was her side kick.
When Rick stood up straight, he looked to Daryl and slipped the machete where his daughter would hold it. Keeping it in her rememberance and as his own. Daryl and Rick left to go back to the others. Both men were sad but hid it by putting a solid and stern face. They wouldn't breakdown and Rick didn't know if he even could at this moment. Memories of his daughter flooded his mind but he tried not to take notice of it.
LPOV
Seeing Rick pull up with Daryl, I ran towards them and Carl stayed close. We were in a house but stayed silent and waited for the men to enter through the door. My heart dropped when I saw Kat wasn't with them. "R-Rick? Where's Kat?" I asked him my voice cracking at the thought of my daughter truly being dead.
"She's...I...all I found was this," Rick said as he pulled out Kat's machete. My heart sank and shattered. Oh dear God...no...no...no! Tears overwhelemed me in the matter of seconds, Carl began to sob and ran away from us, running up the stairs into a room and shut the door loudly.
"She's...she's dead Rick...she...she would never leave this behind," I say as I sobbed and looked to the machete. The one Kat would never leave behind. It was stuck to her always and now...I had no real proof that she was alive or dead or...a walker.
"We found a lot of blood next to this...can't say for sure if it was her blood or a walkers," Daryl informed me sadly and everyone stood to see me crash and burn. My sobs shook me, my vision blurred and I left the room to be by myself.
"Oh sweetie...I know how it feels-" Carol said as she followed me, she placed her hands on my back and tried to comfort me, rubbing my shoulders and trying to ease my mind. My heart broke at the thought of my poor Katherine out there...
"No! You don't know how I feel!" I shouted at Carol, angered with her for even trying to say she knew what my position was like. "You at least knew where your daughter ended up! I-I don't know where she is! If she's dead...if she's alive...if she's a...walker. God! I don't know where she is and if she's even alive Carol!" I shouted at her, my tears shook me and made me not able to pronounce my words correctly from my anger.
"How dare you say you know how I feel!" I shouted. "I have lost my daughter...my friend...my son won't stop crying out of missing his sister and Rick...he's turned cold. Lifeless! How can you say you know exactly how I feel?!" I growled at her, my voice no longer shouting at her and I slid down a wall to sit on my ass. To pull my legs to my chest and lower my head in guilt.
"I-" Carol went to speak but I just looked away from her. Not meeting her eyes as she crouched down to look at me. Ignoring her the best I could, I shook my head and cried silently to myself.
"Leave me alone," I told her, not looking up at her and keeping my eyes to the ground. Away from her saddened gaze. "Please," I pleaded as I looked up at her, my eyes were sore and my heart was somehow still beating. My mind drowning in my sorrow and guilt. She gave me a sad nod and smile before leaving me to be by myself.
CPOV
"Go away!" I shouted when I heard a knock on the door, my tears making me not sound as threatening as I wanted it to be. My heart was shreaded at the thought of my sister outside there...dead. Alone. A walker. God knew what happened to her.
"It's me...can I please come in?" I heard a small voice call to me. It was one I could recognize from it's softness and timidness. Beth. Gathering myself, I sat a little differently on the bed and pressed my back against the wall.
"Fine...but close the door behind you," I called out to her, knowing she wouldn't be here to sadden me more than I already was. She slowly opened the door, peeking her head inside and stepped in slowly.
"Hey...I'm sorry to hear about your sister," she apologized as she walked in, sitting beside me carefully I kept my head hidden in my knees and didn't look up at her. Is it that people are afraid to say her name or something? Kat. Her name was Kat.
"She must have survived she...she wouldn't give up and..." I said as the tears kept flowing out of my eyes and down my cheeks. I feel so low...she must have survived. Kat she's...she's strong and brave. Braver than me.
"When I lost my mom and Shaun...I wanted nothing more than to die," Beth admitted as she looked down at her legs that swung off the side of the bed. "But...I kept strong. Your mom was the one that told me that there were others that needed me. Maggie...my dad...they need me. Just like your mom and dad need you," she said as she looked to me.
"Just like your sibling will need you," she reminded me of the sibling that was growing inside my mom's stomach. If I failed Kat...what's not to say I won't fail whoever is in mom's stomach? I couldn't even kill the walker that killed Dale...
"I need Kat..." I said as my voice broke. No one gets it...Kat has always been there for me. Since I could remember. She's my best friend and my only sibling. We've been through so much...it's hard to think she just...died. Especially like that.
"I know you do but...Andrea once told me that...the pain doesn't go away. We just need to make room for it," Beth said, her blue eyes reminding my of Kats eyes but...Kats were more angelic blue...like crystals. Beths were more the blue of the sea. Her blonde hair was messy but her face was one of comfort. She's pretty.
"What if to make room for the pain...I just won't feel at all?" I asked her worried that I would go numb just to not to feel that pain. Knowing that the presence of Kat was no longer here. That she was...gone. Forever.
"I thought that too once...but...I guess...no one can ever learn not to feel," she said as though she knew what it was like to go numb. Kat said she once felt numb. When she lost Sophia I saw that blank and dull expression on her face. I knew she was numb then and there.
"I guess you're right..." I say blankly as I let the tears roll down my face slowly. Silently. Looking up at her, I blinked away any other building tears and watched her pale face stretch into a smile and kind expression.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts," she said politely as she got up and wiped down her pants. Leaving me, she walked out and looked back at me, her hand on the handle of the door. Clutching my arms around my legs, I pressed my knees against my chest and sighed, lowering my head and surrendering to my thoughts.
"Thank you...Beth," I mumbled to her as she looked to me. With the smile still on her lips, she walked out and closed the door behind her. Leaving me to myself and to my thoughts. I miss you Kat...
DPOV
"Hey Rick...you all right?" I asked him as I sat closely to him. He had sat down and stared down at the machete in his hands. We weren't doing anything and I was guessing we wouldn't be doing anything until the Grimes family recovered from the knowledge that Kat had died.
"I-...I don't know," Rick said as his voice sounded dull. "I feel like I should be crying...but...I can't force myself to do so. Kat she...she wouldn't want me crying over her and she would want me to stay strong. For the group...for our family," Rick said honourably. He seemed pained and it wouldn't surprise me...he lost his daughter and only had the memories and machete to remind him of her.
"Yeah...she would. She's good and smart like that," I agree as I thought of the blue eyed, pale but slightly tanned girl. Her small but strong looking structer, her curves and fuller breasts compared to her mother. Her sweet smell, pinkish red lips and gentle voice.
"Yeah...she's always been like that. I just...God...why do I feel like this?" Rick asked himself more than me, he rubbed at his face and kept the machete away from his face surprising me in this action. Sighing, I looked to the ground and gulped.
"It's been a rough couple of weeks," I tell him and he laughed dryly, looking around and nodding to himself. I miss Kat...to think I'll never see her again or...argue or even speak to her again...it...makes me sad. I don't even want to know what it's doing to the other Grimes members.
"You can say that again," Rick agreed as he looked to me, his eyebrow slightly raised and his expression was one of frustration and others mixed in. He seems...lost. Like he doesn't know where else to go from this.
"So...what's our next move?" I asked him, hopeful that he had a plan and that he could maybe make him start thinking of something other than his dead daughter. Why is it I feel like we can't say her name out of respect and for not making them sad?
"Find somewhere safe...supplies...what we always do. Sooner or later...we should be able to find somewhere safe enough to live in," Rick said hopeful himself. His voice still dull and dry, almost raspy. He looked at the others, making me look up and notice Beth come back to her family.
"For what it's worth...you can count on me if there is anything you need," I tell him kindly. Someone's got to look out for him. Seeing as both Lori and Carl are still trying to deal with Kat and themselves. Everyone else can feel the pain too. All of us...grieving.
"Thank you Daryl," Rick answered as he looked up at me, his blue eyes a little startling. I could sense...gratitude from them. The same look Kat gave me once. Wow...to think I will only see her blue eyes through her brother and father...I still miss the sparkle and illuminated hope behind her eyes...
RPOV
"Now...from my return of the farm...Kat...she...there's no way to tell if either of them are alive but...judging by the scene that was before our eyes...Kat's dead. She...died a hero," I say as we all gathered around Kat's machete that I placed on the floor.
"She saved me," Carol agreed, reminding us of what happend back at the farm. Carl and Lori were sad, silent and staring down at the machete. Everyone else silent and sad whereas Carl and Lori seemed depressed. They have every right to feel like that but...it isn't good for them or the baby.
"That's right. Kat saved Carol...even-...even if it cost her, her life. She died a hero and a hero is what we'll remember her by," I tell them and looked up at them. Their expressions sad and all of us stared down at Kat's machete. Remembering her in this...funeral like memorial.
"I'm sure that...Lori will feel the same when I say that we are proud as parents...to say our daughter died with honour and as the hero she ended up being," I spoke as I looked up at Lori, her bottom lip trembled, her eyes on the machete and her head nodding at my words.
"Kat the hero," Glenn said as he bent down to place his fingertips on the machete, everyone else repeating his words and placing their fingertips to touch the machete. Joining them, I repeated the words and they all walked away to do whatever they pleased. Taking the machete, I decided to keep it and use it as my own. I'm going to keep hope alive Kat...for you. In honour of you...
So...this chapter was a little hard to write. Sorry it's so short but...you have to live with it! This is to show you one side of the group and the next will be...{Waits} Kat, Michonne and Andrea's little group and how they're getting on. Yes...Kat is alive but now you know how they see it. How they believe things turned out to be.
I felt sad for having to split the family up but...you'll eventually see why. Kat will grow without her family and will...change in ways. As will the Grimes family. It will all make sense with season 3 coming up after the next chapter. Can't wait! So buckle up! Also...please can I have some reviews?
Until the next chapter...
Much love!
HeroJustInTime90 x
