It's My Life

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Charlene and the random odd characters like Eric, and Jack and such.

Chapter 16: Whiskey Lullaby


Charlene collapsed to her knees before the little mound of dirt that lay before her. Her hands dripped blood onto the hot Georgian dirt- the shovel was next to her and the crimson liquid soaking it's wood was the very testament to the pain that broke her heart a little more with each passing second.

Several hours had passed by since the awful and tragic death her little boy had suffered. Her face twisted into a disgusted snarl as his screams of horror rang in her ears endlessly and maddeningly. Her jaw flexed angrily as she fought the knot rolling in her throat- teeth gritted together as she sucked in a shaky breath.

Her head turned to the side as she heard Andrea speak. "I'm sorry, Char." She could only give her a pained smile in response. "I am too." Charlene rose to her feet slowly. She swallowed the lump angrily as she looked down at the grave. Jim lay next to him and two shoddy crosses jutted from the ground. The blonde woman's voice came again and interrupted her self-deprecating thoughts.

"What are you going to do?"

The soldier gave a shrug as she looked out into the thick of the forest. Her eyes squinted against the harsh sunlight. "Rub some dirt on it." Andrea stared at her in disbelief as the other woman walked away from the grave without a second glance.

Charlene approached the group of men. Rick and Shane instantly hushed their talk and faced her with expressions filled with sympathy. She snarled, "Wipe that pity off your face's before I do it for y'all." Rick's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. She didn't wait for a response as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. "What's the plan?"

Shane shook his head. "Plan? What plan?"

She snapped impatiently. "The plan. We still going to the CDC? If yes, when? And what happens if when we arrive that place is infested?" They nodded their heads carefully. Rick started calmly trying to cool the woman down. "We're still headed for the CDC- and if we get there and find it infested we'll turn around and head to Fort Benning."

Charlene chewed on the inside of her cheek and bobbed her head in understanding. "Let's get to it then- we don't have much daylight left." The two of them watched her retreating back towards the jeep. Her steps didn't slow neither did her gaze falter as she passed the large pool of blood near the RV. Rick pressed his lips together thoughtfully. "You better keep an eye on her." Shane shrugged. "I think she'll be fine- whoever 'Eric' is, isn't gonna be fine once she gets her hands on him though."

Rick snorted in agreement.


Charlene stood near the back of the group and watched the darkness for any shuffling characters. Daryl argued with Rick and Shane over the stupidity of the decision. The group was in uproar over what to do. The woman felt her nerves being wore thin as she whirled on them, "Y'ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

They quieted and turned to stare at Charlene as she glared them down. "Y'all need to quit your bitching over Rick's decision. If y'all didn't take any part in trying to lead this group you have no right criticizing the guy who did." No one dared opening their mouths upon the woman's final warning glare.

Charlene turned her back on them and continued to watch around the darkness. She faintly heard her brother and the sheriff debating up front and Rick banging on the shutters in frustration. Daryl chewed on his lip- his eyes squinted in their gaze at the woman beside him. His eyes followed her slumped shoulders to her pain-filled stance. He watched her jaw flex as her teeth ground into each other.

No one knew how much she blamed herself.

The roar of the shutters interrupted his thoughts. Standing in the blazing light was a single man dressed in a white science coat. Daryl and Charlene were the last one's inside. The woman eyed the man with her bow in hand. Her eyes were narrowed distrustfully and her tone was aggressive. "What's your name?"

"I am Dr. Edwin Jenner."

Charlene gave a noise of disappointment. "Know any Eric's or Jack's?"

"Not anymore." His face was stoic and gave no expression to what his thoughts on her furious questions might be. Charlene suddenly snarled causing those around her to jump in surprise. "What does not anymore mean?"

Jenner gave a noncommittal shrug. "The only Eric I knew left here several months ago. Took a large portion of the armory and soldiers with him."

No one processed the woman flying across the room and slamming Jenner against the wall until it had already happened. Shane and Rick shouted and moved to subdue her as she growled angrily. "Why?"

The scientist leaned away from her as her arm laid across his windpipe threateningly. "They were thrown out- not everyone was able to cope with this world. They were taking citizens and using them as bait- playing games with them."

Her eyes hardened as her lips curled back in a menacing sneer. "Games?" The doctor nodded. "Throwing citizens in an enclosed area of infecteds and betting on how long they lasted."

Charlene snarled in disgust. "I want information on Eric and everyone else that was thrown out with him." Jenner grimaced visibly. "I will gladly supply you the information- I'm glad you chose to cooperate." Charlene gave a tilt of her head in confusion.

She suddenly realized the feel of a barrel pressed into her abdomen. The woman looked down to the weapon that Jenner had armed himself with- poised to pull the trigger if necessary. Charlene suddenly laughed.

"Offer one hand and arm the other. Smart. I like you, Doc." The soldier withdrew from the man who gave her an expressionless stare as he adjusted his coat. "Now, that the introductions have been taken care of- lets get to those tests."

It wasn't more than a few minutes later when Charlene found herself in a chair before Dr. Jenner. He gave her a grimacing smile as the inserted the needle into her skin. The woman didn't flinch and or say a word to him. Her eyes were downcast on her disgusting and gore-covered body. "Were you in the military?"

Charlene nodded her head, "Yuh. Had a medical discharge about six or seven months before the shit hit the fan." As Jenner pulled the syringe away, he spoke again. "Did you lose somebody?"

The woman stood before him and gave a shrug. "We've all lost someone." Jenner nodded his head in understanding. "What business do you have with Eric Carpenter?"

Charlene snarled more to herself than the scientist before her. "He's the reason I've lost someone."


Daryl had just gotten out the shower, thrown on clean clothes, and was walking down the hallway towards the dining room. The empty bottle of alcohol swung in his hand. He passed by Charlene's room, the door was slightly ajar and he heard a rustling of papers and mutterings. Curiosity caused him to push the door open a little more and walk in to see the woman moving back and forth around the room in her little black shorts and white tank top.

He tore his eyes away from her backside and looked around at the papers littering the room. There were pictures of people taped to the wall all over and a map of Georgia was on the floor with each of her six throwing knives pegged in different spots around the Atlanta area.

His brow was furrowed as his eyes leapt to Charlene- a bottle of Jack Daniels' swung from her hand as she moved sloppily back and forth. Her gun sat at the edge of the desk- the whole situation bothered him to his core. "What the hell ya doin?" He drew closer to one of the papers on the wall. It was a picture of a man named Eric Carpenter.

Charlene slurred drunkenly. "Bastard's ass is mine." Daryl's head whipped around to face her- her eyes reflected complete and utter devastation. She began again pointing at the picture he had just been looking at. "Eric is going to die. I know what weapon he was using and the range of that weapon. I've got all the possible hideouts pinned on that map." Her hand gestured to the floor where her knives were pinned.

The hunter said nothing as his eyes scanned the wall- there were at least twenty other pictures of men. The woman had turned her back to him and was hunched over the desk where a shot glass lay uselessly as she swigged from the large bottle of alcohol. Daryl growled in realization of the amount of men Eric would have with him. "Stop bein' stupid. None of us stand a chance against twenty soldiers."

Charlene shot a nasty glare his way. Her rage flared to life as her voice snarled angrily. "Get out." The hunter didn't move from his place near the wall of pictures. "I ain't riskin' my neck for some dead boy." The woman ripped around and screamed furiously. Daryl ducked the shot glass that shattered against the wall near his head.

His eyes narrowed as he crossed the room in two strides and yanked the bottle of jack from her. Charlene faintly heard it explode against the wall. Daryl shoved her onto the bed roughly and began ripping the papers from the wall, crumpling them up and tossing them in the corner.

The woman yelled in protest and stumbled to her feet in a drunken rage. Daryl ripped the map from the floor and yelled at her angrily, "I ain't gonna let you get yourself killed." She punched his shoulder feebly as the map was tossed to the corner in shreds.

The man turned on her and grabbed her wrists- halting her assault then and there. Charlene's lips trembled as the tears gushed from her red swollen eyes. He heard her cry his name quietly. "Daryl." Her body collapsed against his, tiny hands clutched his shirt as she sobbed into his neck.

It was then he had truly seen how much she blamed herself- how devastated and broken this strong woman was before him. It struck him as he realized how much of a burden Charlene had been carrying all this time that no one had even slowed down to ask or help her with- he doubt anyone noticed the amount of pain the woman was.

It all started with the bitten little girl she was forced to shoot. Her time spent in the city alone- the death of Derek- the little boy she had promised Abigail to protect. Daryl wrapped his arms around her trembling body tentatively. "I promised." She murmured into his skin. He stilled at those words.

Daryl was extremely uncomfortable. He had no idea how to deal with a crying woman- especially one as drunk as she was. Charlene's face withdrew from his neck. His hands gently wiped away the tears rolling down her face, he wasn't sure why he had done it- but he did and it brought a small smile to the woman's face as she tilted into his touch.

His body froze as her hands grasped his and held it poised in the spot against her cheek. Daryl's free hand rested against her hip awkwardly. His heart thudded wildly when he felt her lips press against his cheek. He lowered his head and turned into the kiss hesitantly, their lips brushed softly.

Charlene's cerulean colored eyes flickered to his. She pressed her lips against his again and whispered pleadingly against him. "Please stay with me?" He nodded his head numbly. She pressed her face into his chest again- Daryl hadn't stiffened in discomfort this time but reveled in the feel of her against his body.

He wanted to hold her tightly and just stand there. There were very few times in his life he had ever felt this much at peace- never had he thought he would find one of those times in the arms of a teary-eyed woman that damn near drove him insane with her stupid heroics.


Daryl woke early the next morning. Charlene was half on top of his body. Her head rested on his chest and one arm curled around his that was wrapped around her body, and the other clutched his shirt. Her thigh rested against his groin.

He groaned as it shifted against him almost enticingly. Daryl gritted his teeth and carefully shimmied out from beneath the sleeping woman. He stood to his feet slowly, her head rested against the pillow- dead to the world. Daryl quietly slipped his boots on and exited the room.

The events of last night hit him then fully. His lips burned in memory of her kisses. Her affections weren't exactly lost on him- but the fact she had been drunk when she kissed him caused him to hesitate. How would she react when she woke up? Did they go on as if things were normal?

Daryl never dealt with shit like this and he hated how panicked he felt. He didn't have a fucking clue on what to do- and that irritated him to no end.


"Filthy son of a bitch!" Daryl rushed Jenner angrily before Shane stopped him. The hunter yelled over the man's shoulder venomously. "What about Charlene?"

Jenner's face fell and he turned from the group that had fallen quiet. "She's on the level that leads to the shutter doors, because of the lack of fuel that entire level has been shut down and all doors and have been opened. It's probably flooded with the infected by now. I'm sorry-"

Her brother had whirled around at this statement. Rage and fear interlaced through his veins. Shane jumped at the doctor angrily. "YOU WILL OPEN THOSE GODDAMN DOORS NOW!"

Daryl stormed the room looking for an out. His heart raced at the thought of Charlene by herself against a horde of geeks once again. It wasn't fair- that woman had already faced enough by herself. He caught the axe Shane tossed to him and began beating against the door angrily.

Jenner called out, "Those doors are built to withstand a rocket launcher."

Daryl snarled and advanced on him with the weapon raised. "I bet your head ain't!"

Rick, Dale, and T-dog grabbed him and forced him away. "Daryl! Give it to me!" T-dog yanked the axe from the hands of the angry redneck.


Charlene had been picking up the crumpled papers from the corner. She smoothed them out as a tiny smile fell upon her lips. Stupid redneck. The lights suddenly cut out from the room- Charlene stiffened.

It was the true meaning of darkness as she stumbled towards the desk. Her hands fumbled around as she grasped a flashlight. The door to her room creaked open and she smiled again. "Daryl-" as she turned with the flick of her flashlight a wrinkled, rotting face appeared snapping hungrily for her.

Charlene yelped and tumbled backwards with the body falling on top of her. She thrust her body upwards and flipped the geek over- her hand grabbed her gun and she shot without hesitation.

The woman leapt to her feet and buckled her belt around her waist. Her hands clasped her bow and arrows and threw them on her shoulder. Charlene charged the doorway just as two more rotting corpses appeared- moaning for her flesh. Charlene steadied her pistol against her forearm and fired twice rapidly.

Sprinting from her room, she slid on the slick gore into the wall and slipped to her knees as she turned to run quickly. Charlene felt hands behind her- she wrenched around and shot into the skull and flung the creature's body away.

The soldier pressed forward down the hallway when another walker grabbed at her arm from a darkened room, she turned around and shot- booting it in the chest. Her back hit something fleshy and solid, she nearly screamed in terror as it grasped her, she jerked away and fired up through its jaw. The towering geek fell to the floor with a thud.

Charlene was gasping for air as the anxiety and feeling of claustrophobia at the proximity of the beasties closing in rose through her body violently. She sprinted down the hall, dodging and leaping out of the way of grasping, rotted hands. She slid into the shut doors of the elevator as she turned for the shutter bay where they had initially arrived.

The only thing that separated her from the entrance was about twenty geeks. Light streamed brightly into the large room. Charlene reloaded her pistol and dove into the group of corpses sprinting furiously for the doorway. She kicked and shoved, firing her pistol at those too close to her.

The roof suddenly shook violently in what sounded like an explosion and the shattering of glass. She didn't allow it to sway her from her destination. Charlene felt fingers wrap around her leg and she tripped to the floor only to find herself being drug into the group. She screamed and twisted her body- firing rapidly at the corpse that held her.

Another beast tumbled towards her; Charlene fired again and scrambled to her feet to dodge the collapsing body. The woman raced up the ramp to the outside and flung a knife at a geek standing in her way to safety. She leaned down and grasped her knife mid-sprint fluidly while the remaining dead pursued her from behind.

As Charlene exited the building her eyes caught sight of Dale and Andrea running for the cars. Anything that can make an old man like Dale run like that had her sprinting for her life. Her lungs burned and ached as she reached the sand bags. Daryl grabbed her suddenly and wrenched her to the concrete.

Just as she felt his body slam into hers an explosion rocked the earth and screamed in her ears. Charlene yelled in fear and pressed her face into the man's chest. It was as if the bomb collapsed in on itself, as soon as the explosion had rung out- it quieted and left only the sound of flickers fires.

Her chest heaved beneath Daryl's racing pulse. Charlene snarled angrily, "What the FUCK just happened?" She shoved the man off of her and stood to her feet. He grumbled. "Jenner locked us in the computer room- the whole place was rigged to blow."

She stared at him in disbelief. Glenn was hunched over gasping for air. "How bad was it on your level?"

Charlene growled and wiped the gore off her arms with irritated swats. "Just peachy." Before anyone could say anything, she butted in quickly. "So, what the fuck do we do now?"

Shane fired up his jeep and yelled over the engine. "We get outta here. That explosion is going to attract a lot of walkers."

Rick nodded in agreement. "Let's go everyone!" Charlene felt as if the group was smaller, as she leapt into the jeep she looked around. "Where's Jacqui?" Shane grimaced as he peeled out of the area. "She opted out."

Charlene's eyes narrowed. "Opted out? What a fucking waste of life." Her brother sent her an understanding look.


"Where we headed?" Daryl asked. Rick shrugged, "Haven't figured that out yet. Benning is too far and we don't know of anything between us and there."

Charlene lifted her head from the map of Georgia Daryl had given her to replace the one she had before. She accepted it with a smile and told him how she understood why he had done what he did, and that she promised she wouldn't pull any 'stupid shit'- as he liked to call it.

"How about we head the way of Fort Benning and siphon gas from any cars we find. We don't have to go there- but let's at least be heading somewhere. Maybe we'll find a place along the way that'll provide a good enough defense against the geeks."

Shane nodded his head in agreement. "That sounds like a win-win to me."

Rick stared at her while pursing his lips in thought. "And what about you, Char? What have you got planned?"

The woman stood up straight from the hood of Daryl's truck. She held the sharpie up. "I have all the possible locations for Eric's posse to be held up at. He was using a Barret .50 caliber sniper rifle- so they're incredibly well armed."

Shane shook his head. "I know we took out that tiny base in Atlanta with just three of us- but how do you plan to take out a military force of twenty or more people?" Charlene gave a wicked grin that immediately had all of them shifting warily.

"Have I ever told y'all how I infiltrated the compound that held the SEALs captive?"


So that's it for Season 1! How did y'all like this last chapter? I originally planned to keep it canon, but I didn't feel like copying all the dialogue because that is boring is all hell, soooo I made Charlene end up else where haha.

I want to thank all of my readers and reviewers, y'all are awesome and are the reason I had the inspiration to finish this part. I'm leaving for boot camp on Monday, and I'll be back sometime in late February- Marchish. I'll begin the second season then, and be able to do the third, before season four comes out.

I have some nice concept pictures posted on my profile, if y'all would like to check it out. I'll also upload the link to the second season's concept pictures- though all that will be there is the poster for the second part.

I hope to hear from y'all then! Thank you again for all the support!

Sincerely

Blitz