A/N:

Well here we are, chapter six! I'll try to make it more lively than the last.
Didn't think I was going to get around to this today, we had to have my dog
of ten years to sleep this afternoon and it's been rough. But then I thought...

What better time to write another chapter? ;P Now I can be sad AND creative!

Hope you enjoy - I don't own The Walking Dead!

x

Hope had managed to weasel her way out of conversing with Andrea any more on the matter of Glenn. That was most certainly not something she wanted to discuss. Hope had never been good with boys before the end of the world, it's not like she was about to just magically be fantastic with them after the fact. Yes, Glenn was sweet. He was caring, he was...comforting. She may even go as far as to say that he was charming. She really was starting to feel like she could trust him. (She would always throw "starting to" to make herself feel better) But all of those things were pointless when it came down to it. So what if they fell in love? What were they supposed to do...screw each others brains out? The world wasn't a great place before - she definitely didn't want to bring any kids into this wonderful new change of scenery! A relationship would be pointless. They were trouble a year ago, and they're trouble now. She didn't need any of this mess, and she wouldn't attach herself any more to him!

Of course, those thoughts flew threw the window as soon as he walked through the doorway.

"Hope?" He called, squinting in the dim lighting. When he realized that it was in fact Hope sitting on the little couch, he quickly walked over. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She nodded, her disheveled hair falling over her shoulders with the movement. Still concerned, he sat next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Hope looked at him in that moment, trying to read his eyes. She had started to feel like some kind of circus freak and she wanted to know if she was more than just a way to pass the time. The look he had was one of pure concern...worry even. It made her brave expression crumble, and she looked at her hands resting in her lap.

"I don't think I woke anyone up this time." The dream had been just as terrifying and disturbing as the last. Instead of seeing her mother this time, however, she saw her grandmother. It hurt just as much to see her face ripped to shreds. How she woke up, though, was strange. She knew she was screaming in the dream, but she was finding it hard to breathe. When she finally woke up, her hand was clasping her mouth tightly while her face was completely buried in her pillow. The boys had managed to clear out a room for Hope and Andrea to share, so she only had to worry about waking one person. She was surprisingly stealthy with only one fully functioning ankle.

"Don't worry about that." Glenn insisted, bringing her back to the present. "Are you okay?" There he went again...being so concerned. It made her sick. (She wished it made her sick. It was actually the polar opposite) Not knowing what to say, Hope just nodded and watched him as he sighed. "You know, you nearly scared me to death." He smirked at her, knocking into her shoulder gently. "Kinda creepy just sitting here in the dark."

"Well I can't really turn on any lights." She gave him a tiny smile in return. After a moment of silence, Glenn spoke up, his tone quieter and more careful than before.

"Do you wanna try sleeping again?" He could only barely meet her gaze this time. Hope knew he had just finished his watch-shift and that he was probably tired.

"I'm afraid I'll wake Andrea up." She said, not exactly lying. Making excuses isn't lying, is it? "You go on ahead, I'll stay here."

"That's not really what I meant." His voice was still quiet, but she could tell that he hadn't meant to respond so quickly. Despite being a bit flustered, he was able to look her in the eye again. "I'm not leaving you alone here." It dawned on her.

"Oh...you mean.." Her voice trailed off and she felt like she was turning pink. They sat awkwardly for another moment before she nodded lightly and reached behind them for the blanket that was hanging there. Though it began in a much more awkward moment than the previous night, the two curled up on the couch together, Glenn wrapping his arms carefully around her so she wouldn't fall off the couch (Obviously.) and the pair slowly began to doze. It surprised her, how awake and ready to go she felt a moment ago, but now she felt relaxed...calm. (Happy?) With most of her mind elsewhere, she turned in his arms and snuggled up close to Glenn, nestling her head against his collarbone. Vaguely her brain registered that Glenn's arms had wrapped more tightly around her and he had begun stroking her hair gently.

They were both too tired to realize what they had done. (At least that's what she was going to tell herself in the morning)

x

The group met them with another round of curious stares. Friendlier this time, since they'd all had a full night's sleep...or at least they hadn't been interrupted by a crazed girl screaming at the demons in her head. As she looked around some more, Hope realized that they weren't just looking friendly...they were downright grinning at them. She supposed the rumor mill had started early that morning.

"There you are, Hope!" Andrea said, patting an empty spot next to her. "I was worried about you." Hope - helped by Glenn, of course - limped over to the table while Glenn himself took a seat across from her.

"How are you feeling?" Rick asked in a friendly tone while smiling at her. She returned his smile and nodded. They all knew her voice worked, but she didn't necessarily want to make a habit of using it. She wanted as little attachment to these people as possible - was that so much to ask?

"Glenn takin' real good care of ya'?" Daryl asked from his usual spot, leaning against the wall. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as her smirked at the younger man once again.

"Not in the way you're thinking!" Glenn scowled, flustered. "We just fell asleep."

"Heard that'sa problem with a lotta yer kind." Daryl moved out of the way when Glenn's hat came flying in his direction, and the table erupted in laughs. Despite herself, Hope found herself laughing along with them. Maybe she was getting a little big-headed, but she could've sworn the room lightened even more as everyone realized she was laughing as well. She couldn't blame them for being relieved that she was showing some kind of positive emotion. Breakfast continued on like that. Everyone was laughing and making jokes. Hope continued to laugh, but never made a joke herself...she was never very good with jokes, anyway. She mostly just did things to make people laugh. (Sometimes it was intentional) After everyone was finished, Hope helped do the dishes...mostly she just dried them, but it was a start. She had never been very domestic, always joking with her friends about how what a terrible wife she would make someone someday. Oh, how times had changed.

x

It was nearing the end of the day and everyone had generally stopped doing their chores and seemed to be trying to relax. They were sitting in the room that held the most couches when Glenn entered with Shane and Dale, carrying an assortment of things.

"Hey, we found some stuff in some of the rooms." His arms full, he walked over to the small table and set them down. "Civilian rooms, I'm guessing.." He looked sad and went quiet for a moment, thinking of the people that used to occupy the rooms. Dale spoke up, snapping him out of it.

"Mostly just books...board games. We gotta deck of cards here, too."

"And this." Shane said, lifting an older looking, tan acoustic guitar. Glenn saw Hope perk up as soon as Shane mentioned it.

"Oh, does anyone know how to play?" Carol asked while sitting on the floor between Carl and Sophia. Shane sat on the floor near the couch where Andrea and Hope sat, plucking at a few strings.

"Does that sound right?" He asked, making a face as he tried to tune the instrument. No one was paying him much attention until Hope held out a hand. At that moment, everyone looked up from what they had been doing and watched as Shane handed her the guitar carefully, an amused smile on his face. No one spoke as she tested out the strings, adjusting the machine heads every so often. After a moment of her fiddling, she stroked the strings and smiled a bit, offering it back to Shane. He shook his head and held up a hand, still grinning.

"You know any songs?" She looked bashful for a moment, and Glenn felt his heart swell. It took him a second to realize that he was smiling at her like an idiot. She glanced at him as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lip lightly, as if she was thinking of what to play. Adjusting the pick in her hand, she started playing a light tune. He didn't recognize it, but it felt a little folksy. Maybe it was something from her childhood - he had never heard it. When she finished, everyone clapped, slightly in awe. It seemed like it had been so long since they had heard any kind of music.

"That was amazing!" Lori laughed, clapping her hands together once more. "Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"I was a music major." Hope's voice sounded out of place in the quiet room, and she instantly realized it, looking down at the pick in her hand. He thought she was going to clam up again, but she spoke again, looking a little bashful at no one in particular. "And I've been playing since I was twelve..." Silence settled in the room again. Then, surprisingly, Sophia spoke up.

"Can you sing?" The little girl was excited, and everyone smiled. Especially Hope.

"What do you want me to sing?" Sophia scrunched up her nose and shrugged, still excited in the way only a child could be. Hope scrunched up her nose in return and relaxed as she thought for a moment. Without another word, she started strumming on the guitar again. She began to sing familiar lyrics, and Glenn swore he had never heard anything so beautiful in his life. Her voice was soft, but strong. The lyrics may not have been her own, but she owned them. The song held so much emotion, and she looked like she was in a different place. Her body was in front of them, but her mind, her spirit was somewhere else. It was moving. Glenn didn't even think about looking around at everyone else to see their reactions. He was, in a word, enchanted. The song ended too soon, and everyone began their rounds of clapping again.

She smiled at him and continued to pick at the strings.

x

Everyone was sitting around the dinner table, laughing and having a good time. It was strange...even Carol seemed to be at ease around her. Hope didn't feel like so much of an outsider anymore. Sure, everyone else was, well...noticeably in sync, and Hope just wasn't. But that was to be expected. They had all obviously been together for a while. And Hope didn't need to be in sync. She just needed to make it as long as it took for her ankle to heal. As she finished off the last of her food, T-Dog walked in.

"Hope, do you need some more water?" Lori asked kindly as she stood from her seat.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." She shook her head. (So much for staying quiet.) She saw T-Dog stop in surprise.

"She talkin' now?" Rick nodded, and T-Dog paused for a moment, then turned to face Hope fully from across the room. "She tell you what happened to her?" Everyone in the room froze and Hope shifted uneasily in her seat.

"No." Rick answered carefully, but T-Dog sighed, aggravated and Rick was forced to continue. "We don't need to talk about this right now." He stood, giving the other man a firm look. It didn't help.

"Man, why not? Girl's been eatin' our food for days now, ain't barely said so much as a thank you! Now you all gettin' chatty while I'm sittin' up on that roof, but she still ain't tell you where she came from?" He was getting angry, and Hope began to slide out of her seat.

"T-Dog, you're just tired. There's no need for this, calm down."

"Calm down?" He shouted angrily. "No way, man! I'm tired of this! She needs to tell us where she came from, or she can go!"

"I'll go." Hope said, her voice sounding shaky, but still strong. She stood, however slouched from putting her weight on one foot. Everyone stared at her, shocked. After a moment, she realized she had to continue that thought. "As soon as I can walk well enough, I'll be out of your hair and you won't have to worry about me being any trouble..." For some reason, she felt a knot welling up in her throat. Whether or not she was afraid of being on her own again, or she was actually attached to these people, she didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to get out of that room. "I'm sorry."

An eruption of voices sounded off as she turned her back and headed towards the hall. T-Dog was yelling with Rick, more than a few people were calling her name. Were they really that upset about it? What was she to them? It was like T-Dog said, all she'd been doing was wasting their water and food. All she'd done for them was dry a few dishes and sing a few songs. She imagined once they finally did get back on the road - she knew they would, everyone always does - that a traveling musician wouldn't really be a necessary part of their caravan. She was almost to her room when she heard Glenn behind her.

"Hope!" The tone he used made her heart crack a little. When she turned around to face him, it made her heart crumble entirely. His expression was a mixture between disbelief and total grief. They only stared at each other for a long while, Glenn with his heartbroken expression and Hope, doing her best to keep up a stoney expression. He didn't seem to be fooled. He took a few steps closer to her. "Did you really mean what you just said?"

"Yes." The quick, cold answer made the young man look even more upset.

"But...why? Do you have someone waiting for you? A group somewhere in the city?" She looked away from him.

"No." When she didn't continue, he pressed on.

"Are they somewhere else? In another town? Are they close." Without meaning to, she snapped.

"No, Glenn, I'm entirely fucking alone!" She was never one to curse, but this line of questioning was more than uncomfortable for her. She heard the other room quiet down after she yelled, which just ended up upsetting her more. Tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly turned away from him, trying to make it down the hallway as fast as possible. "Just go away." She turned a corner and Glenn gently caught her elbow and turned her to face him.

"Hope...why would you want to go off on your own? It's not safe, you won't have anyone there to look after you. You'll be better off with us."

"Why? So everyone can have some source of entertainment? I know it's probably boring around without the crazy chick screamin' every night!" She couldn't hide what she was feeling anymore as the tears freed themselves and began to run down her cheeks. His expression softened considerably and he cupped her face, wiping at her tears with his thumbs.

"You know that's not what it is, Hope." His voice was only a whisper now, and he leaned forward so that he could rest his forehead against her's and still look into her eyes. "We care about you...I care about you. Please...don't even think about leaving."

Hope squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the tears to stop. Before she knew it, her hands were gripping Glenn's shirt, and he pulled her to him, his shoulder soaking up her tears. "It'd be better for everyone if I left." Her voice was muffled as she continued to cry against his shoulder.

"Shhh." He hushed her, rocking a little while running a hand up and down her back. "Stop thinking like that. You just need time to adjust. We're here for you, everyone wants you to stay." She raised her head slowly to look at him, her eyes full of doubt.

"Everyone?" He smiled slightly and moved a hand to her cheek again.

"I want you to stay." He whispered. At that moment, it seemed like the air grew thick and warm. It was as if they were the only ones left in the world. He moved his head back a little and stroked her hair, watching the way it fell in the dim lighting. He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, then down to her jaw, finally reaching her lips. He hesitated for a moment as he felt her tense. Gradually, though, she began to relax and he felt her lean into him. That was all the invitation he needed. Slowly, he leaned closer to her and gently captured her lips with his own. Her hands slid up his chest and her fingers entangled themselves in his hair while he kept one hand on her cheek, the other going to her waist. They stood there for one long, perfect moment. When they parted, both of them were slightly flushed, but they were quietly happy. The couple stood in silence for a moment before Hope found something to say.

"You sure know how to calm a girl down." He laughed softly at her joke and shrugged.

"I try." She smiled back at him while he ran a hand through her hair. "You're probably tired, right?" Her only answer was a meek nod. He smiled again. "I'll let you get to bed." Glenn helped her a few more steps until they got to her shared room. They stood awkwardly for a moment, as if both of them had something on their minds.

"Well...goodnight." He kissed her swiftly on the cheek and move to back away, but she grabbed his arm before he could turn.

"Wait." Her voice seemed really loud again, but it could have just been the ringing in her ears. "Please...stay." The request was purely innocent, they both knew that, no matter how the outside world would interpret it. It could have just been a coincidence, but Hope slept very well every time she was with Glenn...maybe he was her antidote to all this? He nodded once and opened the door for her. As they crawled into bed, he pulled her close and stroked her hair. At that moment, she knew what she had to do. She had to tell everyone her horror stories. For whatever reason, they wouldn't be happy without hearing it. She also knew something she couldn't do.

Leave.

x

A/N:

Cheeeeeese?
I'm sorry guys, rough day. xD

Please feel free to leave a review! I wanna know what you think.

I also have a vague idea for a Daryl story that ties into this one later...
Would anyone be interested in that?
I apologize for all possible typos. My eyes are stinging v.v