A Shot Rang Out
THE SUNRISE PAINTED the sky a light shade of pink and orange, awakening the farmlife. Inside her tent, Kenzi rolled from her back to her right side, clutching her pillow tightly, a light coat of sweat on her forehead, which her dark hair clung to.
[Kenzi's memory]
Bo stood by what was supposed to pass as the girls' dinner table, which was used for everything but. Tonight it was covered in wine bottles, DVD cases, and several varieties of junk food. "We've got Chardonnay, licorice, Tremors, your second fave Bacon flick, and Footloose, your number one favorite-well, everyone's number one favorite-"
"Bo, I can't." Kenzi cut her off, setting two suitcases down by her feet.
Seeing the suitcases and leather knapsack, Bo froze in place, "What's going on?" the Succubus questioned, feeling her heart twinge in pain.
"I can't keep being the lost human in the Fae world trying to be Fae." Kenzi admitted, shaking her head. "I'm not Fae."
Bo stepped closer to her best friend, "That has never mattered to me." she reminded.
"But it does to me." Kenzi's voice cracked, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I have learned so much from you. From everyone. But,-" she licked her lips, "I just lost the man I love, Bo." The image of Hale standing at the altar with his back to her flashed across Kenzi's mind. "I died."
"Hey, but now you're here." Bo added, taking Kenzi's hand.
"Which is why I have a second chance." Kenzi lightly squeezed Bo's hand. "And I need to try something new. Something for me." A small smile spread across her lips, "Something human. And for the first time in I don't even remember, I'm okay with that." she took a breath, "I need to go." she added in a whisper.
Bo's jaw fell slack and another twinge of pain hit her heart, feeling almost as if it were about to break. Kenzi wrapped her arms around the Succubus' neck in a warm hug. Bo wrapped Kenzi in her arms, her heart slowly breaking. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she stroked the human girl's hair. When they pulled back, Kenzi turned and headed for the door.
"Kenzi?" Bo halted.
"Hale left me some Santiago land off the coast of Spain." Kenzi informed, trying to smile and sound like her chipper self.
"Wow." Bo sighed. "You've never been out of the country."
"Never even had a legitimate passport." Kenzi added with a chuckle, "It seems like a sign."
She turned and slung her backpack strap over her shoulder and picked up one of her suitcases, Bo grabbed the other, meeting Kenzi's eyes as they stood on opposite sides of the doorway. "We're sisters." she reminded. "We're in each other's lives for good." Bo smiled, handing Kenzi her second suitcase.
"Hell, I couldn't even keep you out of my afterlife." Kenzi pointed out with a wave of her head. Both girls chuckled.
Bo looked over Kenzi, realizing how much she's grown since they first met. She was proud of the human she had grown to love as her little sister. "I love you, Kenzi." Bo said. "Sometimes I think it's the only thing I'm completely sure about."
Kenzi smiled, keeping the tears inside, "Goodbye, Bo." On that, she left and went to the towncar that was parked outside the 'crackshack' Kenzi had called home for the last five years. The driver put the two suitcases in the trunk of the car and opened the backdoor for Kenzi, who slid inside. She glanced out the tinted window, seeing Bo standing with her back against the windowpane. Kenzi's eyes welled with moisture as she placed her hand on the window, "I love you too, Bo."
As the car pulled away, that's when Kenzi let the tears fall.
[End]
A hand reached out and touched Kenzi's shoulder, jolting her from her sleep. She shot up and came face to face with Dale, who had pulled his hand back when he realized he'd startled the young girl. "Sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to startle you." Dale apologized.
"Oh, no Dale. It's fine." Kenzi sniffled, wiping her tears with the corner of her blanket.
"You okay?" the older man questioned, seeing hints of sadness reflected in the young girl's eyes.
Kenzi nodded. "Yeah, just a dream, or a memory I guess is a better term." she brushed off with another sniffle. Dale placed his hand over Kenzi's, caressing the back. When she looked up and met his eyes, she bit her lip to avoid crying, but a few tears still fell. "I should've said 'I love you too' instead of 'Goodbye' when I left." she sobbed.
Dale pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back, "I'm sure your sister knew you loved her." he assured, soothing her. "There's no way you could've known the world would end."
Kenzi laid her head on his shoulder, relaxing in the embrace of her surrogate grandfather, which is what she's come to view Dale as. "I waited till I was in the car to say that aloud. I should've said it sooner." she whimpered, pulling back to wipe her eyes. She reached over the took the Cherokee Rose, holding it in the palms of her hands.
"Do you know the story behind that flower?" Dale asked.
Kenzi nodded, "Yeah." she answered. "Daryl told me yesterday when we found a patch growing outside an old farmhouse." She smiled and tucked the flower behind her ear again, swinging her legs over the side of her cot.
"You two have gotten close these past few days huh?" Dale noted, helping Kenzi to her feet.
"We're just friends Grandpappy Dale." Kenzi chuckled, digging out a black and red checkered flannel and her ripped jeans.
"Well, breakfast is ready for ya outside." Dale quickly changed the subject and kissed the top of the young girl's head. "See ya."
Kenzi nodded and, once Dale left, proceeded to change out of her sleeping clothes. Her ankle was still sore from the previous day and her stitches were starting to itch, she made a mental note to talk to Lauren about that. She minded the stitches when she slipped into her heeled boots. Kenzi slid on her flannel as she walked out of her tent.
"Morning K." Glenn greeted, handing her a breakfast plate.
"Hey Glenn." Kenzi smiled, taking the plate. "Thanks."
"How's your ankle?" the Korean asked.
Kenzi took a bite of the eggs, "Still sore, and a little tight." she answered. "But, it's nothin really. I'll be fine." She put on her traditional grin and finished her breakfast, joining the others who were part of the search party; Shane, Rick, Daryl, Andrea, T-Dog, and Jimmy, who's the boyfriend of Hershel's youngest daughter, Beth.
"All right then." Rick cleared his throat.
"What's up ya'll?" Kenzi chuckled, joining the group around the truck, standing opposite of Daryl.
"New search grid assignments." Rick answered, giving the young girl a smile.
"Which you're not goin' to be goin' on." Shane added. "Dr. Lewis' orders."
"I know genius." the dark haired Russian rolled her eyes. "Doesn't mean I can't sit in on this conversation."
Shane adjusted his cap and cleared his throat, "Nothing about what you two found screams Sophia to me." he spoke up. "Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse."
"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea threw out. Kenzi gave a nod in agreement.
"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." Daryl held his hand up level with his hip, indicating a child's reletive height.
"It's a good lead." Rick backed up. "Maybe we'll pick up her trail again."
"No maybe about it." Daryl stated. "I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, get a bird's-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there, I'll spot her."
Kenzi nodded, "Good idea." she agreed with a smile.
"Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too." T-Dog chuckled.
"Chupacabra?" Rick repeated with a raised brow.
Dale let out a chuckle. "You never heard this?" he questioned. "Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra."
Rick glanced at everyone who nodded in agreement, except for Kenzi. "That was before I came along." she informed. "Maybe you can tell me that story sometime?" The young Russian quirked her eyebrow and smiled. "Think you might be on to somethin."
Jimmy tried to hide his smile, and failed. A laugh escaped him, causing both Kenzi and Daryl to shoot a look in his direction. "What are you braying at, jackass?" Daryl snapped.
"You actually believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Jimmy questioned, with an amused expression on his face.
"You believe dead people walking around?" Kenzi retorted, her hand planted on her hip. She leaned into the truck and raised her brow. "Trust me farm boy, there's more out there than you think. And I'm not just talkin about the walkers."
Jimmy's face fell and he reached for one of the shotguns on the truck's hood. "Hey." Rick halted him, grabbing the young man's wrist. "Ever fire one before?"
"Well, if I'm going out, I want one." Jimmy defended.
"Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees." Daryl shot, strapping his crossbow over his chest.
"Ha, good one." Kenzi giggled.
"Why don't you come train tomorrow?" Shane asked, directing the question to Jimmy. "If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor."
"For now he can come with us." Andrea said, looking between Shane and T-Dog.
"He's yours to babysit then." Shane stated.
Kenzi rolled her eyes and followed Daryl to the stables, minding her injured ankle. She leaned against the doorframe, her arms folded over her chest. "It's admirable, you goin out every day lookin for her." she said, her lips forming a smile.
"Well, I know the woods, plus trackin." Daryl defended, saddling up the light brown mare.
Kenzi shifted her stance, rubbing her arms, "Hey, be careful out there." she warned, watching Daryl mount the horse. "Don't know how many walkers are hidin out there."
Daryl gave her a nod before riding off. Kenzi watched as he disappeared into the woods and her shoulders sunk with a sigh as she turned her ankle. Knowing she couldn't do much in terms of looking for Sophia, Kenzi limped her way over to Lori and Carol, who were busy folding the group's laundry.
"Anything I can do?" she asked, propping herself up on the table.
Lori handed her a pile of clothes, "Start foldin." she chuckled.
Kenzi shrugged and took a pair of ratty jeans and began to fold. "Hey, Mackenzie, how do you feel about helpin us cook dinner tonight?" Carol asked, glancing in her direction. "Since Hershel and his family have taken us in, we thought it would be a way for us to thank them."
"I don't see why not." Kenzi admitted, setting a folded shirt atop her pile. "I mean, it's not like I can do much heavy liftin." she motioned to her ankle. "I'm in." She smiled, looking up to Lori. "Hey, Lori, are you feelin okay?" she asked, her eyes concerend. "You look a little tired."
"I'm fine sweetie." Lori brushed Kenzi's bangs aside. "Nothin to worry your pretty little head over." She tapped her nose.
Kenzi giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Okay, mamma bear. Just makin an observation." she glanced at the older woman. "Seriously though, you should talk to Lauren."
"Talk to me about what?" the aforementioned doctor asked, approaching the three, carrying three bottles of water. "Dale thought the three of you could use some hydration." Lauren set the bottles down.
"Thanks Lo." Kenzi unscrewed the cap of her water and took a few sips.
"So, what were you three talking about?" Lauren raised a brow.
"Well, we were discussing arrangements for dinner." Lori answered. "Since Hershel and his family have done so much for us already, we thought to repay them by cooking dinner tonight."
"I think that's a great idea." Lauren agreed. "I'd be happy to help."
"Lauren does make some pretty good grub." Kenzi praised, grinning at her doctor friend.
"You, not so much Kenz." Lauren pointed out, lightly jabbing the young girl's knee.
"Never said I did." the young Russian held her hands up in defense. "I am good with a knife, so if anything needs sliced and diced, I'm your girl."
"Good to know." Carol laughed.
"Yeah, once we get this laundry finished we can talk with Patrica about tonight." Lori voted.
"I won't keep you, I just need to check on Kenzi's ankle, just to see how it's healing up." Lauren sat down on the bench and unzipped Kenzi's boot, revealing the stitched up wound.
"What exactly happened to you?" Carol asked, seeing the wound.
Kenzi brushed her off, "Oh it's nothin." she scoffed. "A stair gave out from under me and some jagged wood cut my leg." Kenzi winced as Lauren cleaned the wound. "It's a bit tender though."
"I should be able to take those stitches out in a few days." Lauren observed, standing up. "There's some Ibuprofen in the RV if you need it for pain, just ask Dale."
Kenzi mock saluted, "Gotcha."
A few hours passed by when two of the search teams returned. Andrea, T-Dog, and Jimmy were the first, shortly followed by Rick and Shane. From the kitchen window, Lauren and Kenzi could see them entering the camp. "Looks like they didn't find much." Kenzi sighed, pulling her hair into a low ponytail.
Seeing the distress in her eyes, Lauren placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder, "There's always tomorrow." she reminded. "And Daryl's still out there. Maybe he'll find something."
"Yeah." Kenzi's lips curled into a smile at the mention of the archer's name. "He's determined. A tough son of a bitch, that's for sure." she chuckled. "Hell, Daryl's the reason I'm still here."
"He may have brought you to that camp, but you've kept yourself alive." Lauren nudged her shoulder.
Patricia, Lori, Carol, and Beth came into the kitchen and helped set things out. Carol set some potatoes in front of Kenzi, asking her to peel and cut them. Taking a large knife, Kenzi twirled it and gave a nod.
Lauren brushed past Lori on her way out, "I'm gonna go check in on Carl, check his vitals and see how he's doing."
Lori took her hand, "Thank you, Dr. Lewis." the brunette's eyes were full of sincerity. "For helping my boy."
Lauren smiled and held her hand, "Please, call me Lauren." she insisted. "And no thanks neccesary. I want to do my part, help where I'm most needed and right now, that's medical help." She smiled and headed to the bedroom where Carl was resting.
"I never thought I'd be so happy so see a potato peeler." Carol mused with a smile.
Kenzi chuckled, "Yeah, well for a change, it'll be nice not to roast squirrls over a fire." she started slicing through a spud. "No offense to Daryl's hunting skills or anything."
The five woman continued to have small conversations over the dinner preparations. However, something caused them to stop. A sound that would make any sane human being drop everything.
"Was that a gunshot?" Beth asked, holding onto Patricia's arm.
"Sounded like one." Kenzi noted, rushing out of the house, despite the pain in her injured ankle.
Everyone gathered around the RV, where Andrea was standing tall with a proud smile on her face. Shane, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog were already running into the field to see exactly what Andrea had shot.
"Are you trying to give us a heart attack?" Kenzi panted, looking up at the blonde. "That shot rang out and I nearly cut my finger off."
Andrea looked down at her, "Hey, I saw a walker and I shot it." she defended. "A 'thank you' would be appreciated."
"Don't hold your breath." Kenzi mumbled, raising her right foot slightly to take pressure off of it, ignoring the pain. "Dale, hand me the binoculars." The older man did just that and Kenzi got a better look at the group heading back. Her blue eyes widened, "Andrea, you dumb bitch." She spat, tossing the binoculars back to Dale. "You shot Daryl."
Kenzi took off running to meet the guys, with Dale a few feet behind her. "Is he dead?" she asked, skidding to a halt. "Please tell me he's not dead."
"No, just unconscious." Rick answered, him and Shane supporting Daryl, who was covered in mud and blood. "The bullet just grazed him."
"O, slava Bogu.[1]." Kenzi sighed, bracing her hands on her knees.
"Look at him." Glenn noted, half scared. "What the hell happened? He's wearing ears."
Rick yanked the makeshift necklace from Daryl's neck and shoved it in his pocket. "Let's keep that to ourselves." he advised.
"Guys." T-Dog called, making the others turn around. "Isn't this Sophia's?" He held up a doll that was covered in dirt, but it was the exact same doll that Sophia carried around since the Atlanta camp.
"It is." Kenzi muttered.
Rick and Shane helped Daryl to an upstairs bedroom, with Lauren, Kenzi, and Hershel right behind them. Kenzi stayed off to the side while the two doctors tended to Daryl's wounds as he explained how and where he found the doll.
"I found it washed up on the creek bed right there." Daryl pointed to a section on the map. "She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere." Meanwhile, Lauren was stitching up the arrow wound in his side.
"Cuts the grid almost in half." Rick noted.
"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl scoffed, pressing a cloth to his head.
"How's he looking?" Kenzi asked, leaning against a dresser opposite the bed. From there she could see faint scarring on Daryl's back, as well as a few tattoos on his shoulder.
"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel stated, cutting the thread. "Any idea what happened to my horse?"
"Yeah, the one who almost killed me?" Daryl rolled his eyes. "If it's smart, it left the country." That comment made Kenzi giggle.
"We call that one Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly." Hershel elaborated. "I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long."
Kenzi leaned off the dresser, "He'll be all right." she assured, giving Daryl a wink. The others filed out of the bedroom, Kenzi being the last one. "Nice to see you in one piece." she gently touched his shoulder. "Get some rest, I'll bring ya some dinner later." With a small smile, she shut the door and joined the others to get ready for dinner.
Everyone sat around the long table in the Greene's dining room, passing dishes around of various foods. There was a smaller table set up where Maggie and Beth, as well as Glenn and Jimmy were sitting. The whole room was silent. It was the type of silence that made it feel awkward. Kenzi sat between Carol and Lauren, dipping her fork in her mashed potatoes.
Glenn tried to cut the tension, "Does anybody know how to play guitar?" he asked, getting glances from everyone. "Dale found a cool one." Everyone looked down at their plates, not making any noises. "Somebody's got to know how to play." Glenn prided.
Patricia set her fork down, twisting the napkin in her lap, "Otis did." she said softly, looking down.
Hershel put his hand on her elbow, "Yes, and he was very good too." he added with a smile. The rest of the dinner fell into another awkward silence.
After dinner, Kenzi and Glenn walked back to the camp by the RV, Glenn all smiles. "Alright spill, what's goin on?" Kenzi asked, her hands in her back pockets. "What's with the grin?"
Glenn chuckled, "Well um..." he stuttered, "Maggie and I-" his cheeks heated up at the mention of the elder Greene daughter.
Kenzi's jaw dropped, "You and the farmer's daughter?" Glenn nodded in confirmation, "You dog. Oh my gosh." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and laughed, "Wow, just- I hate you."
"What? Why?" Glenn asked, semi-shocked but still laughing.
"Because you're getting laid tonight, that's why." Kenzi jabbed his shoulder playfully. "Man, it's been a while since I've had any."
Glenn gave his best friend a one armed hug, "Aw, are you jealous?" he teased.
Kenzi scoffed and pushed away, giggling, "Whatever, just go." she laughed, motioning to the barn. "Get outta here. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting."
Glenn leaned over and pecked her cheek, "See ya in the morning Kenz." He waved as he went to grab a few things from his tent.
"Hey!" Kenzi called, getting the Korean's attention, "Don't blow it, Romeo." she winked and ducked inside her tent for the night.
A/N: I'm so sorry for the long hiatus this story took. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter that has been sitting on my flash drive for months. Anyway, reviews are appreciated. Hope ya'll enjoy!
~XOXO, Cyber
A/N: Translations
[1] "O, slava Bogu"= "O, thank God."
