Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Twilight and the Walking Dead. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and Robert Kirkman. I do own the original characters created for this storyline. Please support the official release.
Writer's Notes: Decided to update again! Love the reviews. Bella has a lot to work through. She's getting there but there is a lot of pain there that makes it hard for her to imagine true happiness. But don't fret. This is a Daryl/Bella pairing as promised so just hang in there! As always I appreciate all of you! Don't forget to follow favorite and review!
Merle was saddling up for the mission. Bella told him to stay behind but he wasn't about to miss out on something like this.
Sam, Rick, Daryl, Tyrese, Abraham, Merle, Bella and Bob were all going to go and retrieve Jasper and his sister. Bella was uncomfortable with pulling this many people away but Glenn said he could handle things with Alexandria while they were gone.
Bella was in the armory with Rick as they grabbed their weapons, they brought in with them. Bella's bag of bombs was low but it would have to do. They took tequila from the pantry there Olivia gave them and they were using the alcohol as Molotov cocktails.
"How many flashes do we have?" Abraham asked.
"Four." Bella said. "We have 6 big bangs. One M4 and then 10 clips on the 9." She said and grabbed her bow and arrows. Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and picked up a machete.
"We circle our distance. Stay hidden. There are likely traps." Rick said. "And defer to Bella. She's leading this op."
Bella nodded. "Lets go." She said, blowing out a breath.
Abraham stopped her and then planted a hard kiss on her. "That's just in case."
Bella slapped his arm. "Don't talk negatively. We're coming back in one piece Sergeant." She said and glanced to Daryl who had looked away. "Lets move out."
[Martin's: 3 miles west]
Bella used binoculars to look at the building. There were semi trailers likely filled with walkers. There were only a few walkers lurking behind the fence. The front of the store was probably crawling with walkers at this point. She looked for movement of the living and spotted a man with a pole arm moving a walker into a pen. They were herding them in like cattle.
"They're putting the walkers together. They're using the walkers as a defense." Bella said and looked over at Rick. "We need to split up. Abraham, Tyrese, Merle. I want you to round that side over there. Wait for my signal. I'll pop a flare when I'm ready for you." She said and looked at Bob. "Bob, you Daryl and Rick will stay here and wait for the signal. Sam and I will circle the front. We're looking for a way inside. Watch for trip wires or other snares."
Rick nodded and checked the clip on his gun. "Be careful everyone."
Merle smiled, his gold tooth shining. "That takes all the fun out of it." He said cocking the shotgun he brought.
Bella shook her head and she looked at Sam. "Ready?"
"Ready, Master Sergeant." Sam said. "On your six."
Bella nodded and motioned to move out. She went into full tactical mode, her stance going back to her military training.
Daryl watched her and Sam leave. He had seen her move before. Her ability to quickly glide from walker to walker and taking them down without injury. But seeing her serious and ready for action was different. It was like she flipped a switch.
Merle set a hand on his brothers shoulder. "She'll be okay baby brother. We all got a job to do. Let's do it." He said and patted his shoulder.
Bella and Sam flanked to the front, keeping their formation. They hunkered down behind a shipping crate. They saw people loading trucks. It was just boxes of stuff. Which meant they were taking things from Martins and moving it somewhere else. They all had 'W's branded on their heads. They were dirty, signs of living the hard life with the walkers.
Bella made used hand signals to communicate with Sam. Stay left. Using flash.
Sam nodded his understanding and readied himself.
Bella pulled the pin on the flash grenade and tossed it in. It flashed and banged startling the men there were carrying things. Bella tossed the smoke grenade and flooded the area with smoke to provide cover for Sam and Bella to move.
Bella aimed her bow and shot her arrow, hitting one guy in the chest. His agonizing screams were loud.
Sam lit the Molotov fuse and threw it. If shattered and set everything on fire in it's path. More screams.
Bella moved with Sam and they kept to the outside of the smoke tossing another flash grenade into the opening and got some more yells from people inside. Bella paused, shooting the flare signaling the others to get to their positions. She looked at Sam taking the nine millimeter and the silencer from it's holster. They entered the building. It was dimly lit with torches on the walls. She shot two men as they advanced towards them with weapons. So far no one was armed with guns. Only knives and longer swords.
They heard agonizing screams of torture and it caused Bella to freeze.
Sam shot two more guys and glanced at Bella. "Master Sergeant." He called. "Bella. Hey. We're not in Kuwait. This isn't the same." He recognized the distance stare. He saw more men flooding towards them and he cursed, popping off shots.
Bella backed against the wall; her eyes wide as she heard the torturous screaming coming from somewhere.
Sam shot three more people and then turned and framed Bella's face with his hands. "Bella. We're not in Kuwait. We're in Virginia. That is not Corporal Call screaming. He is dead Bella. Stay with me. We need to move."
Bella blinked back tears as the screams continued to paralyze her.
Sam looked up at Bob, Daryl and Rick entering from their side. "The screaming is down there. That's where they're all coming from." He motioned with his hand.
Daryl saw Bella against the wall and Sam trying to calm her down. He rushed to her side. "What happened?"
"PTSD. She's in a flashback." Sam said and shook her lightly. "Master Sergeant!"
Walkers started coming in from another door. Someone released them one of the wolves to try and ward off Bella and the others.
Merle, Abraham and Tyrese made it in and were closer to the screams. Rick yelled to them. "The screams. Stop the screams!" he yelled to them.
Merle nodded going towards the sound.
Bella was still paralyzed in her mind. Rick and Bob warded off the walkers. Slashing through them as fast as they could.
Daryl moved Sam to the side. "Help them. I got her."
Sam nodded and went to help Bob and Rick.
Bella was shaking now. "Call, I'm sorry." She murmured closing her eyes.
Bella woke sandstone enveloped her and the ground was sandy. She looked around. Her throat was dry. Her head hurt and the last thing she remembered was riding transport and then… explosion. She looked over, seeing Uley. He was unconscious but she saw the rise and fall of his chest. He was alive. "Corporal." Bella rasped and half crawled over to him. She patted his face. "Corporal."
Sam's eyes blinked open and he looked around. He sat up slowly pain radiating in his side. "Master Sergeant."
"Are you guys okay?"
Bella heard Sergeant Major Hale. "Sir, who's with you?"
"Corporal Call. He's breathing. Private McCarty… he's okay too." Jasper said back.
Bella got to her feet and she walked towards a door.
The flashback flashed forward. Corporal Embry Call was drug away. The TV on the room came on and it showed Embry in a different room.
Bella shook her head. "Isabella Swan. Master Sergeant United States Army. 567889033." She looked at Sam. He was a little worse for wear. Torture. They were using torture.
They stripped Embry naked and chained him. Bella closed her eyes, listening to Embry's screams as they tortured his naked body.
Daryl framed her face and then kissed her hard. "Bella. Please. Please come back."
Bella felt Daryl's lips on hers. The familiar touch snapped her back. She gasped, wide eyes staring back at Daryl. "Dixon."
Daryl felt relieved. "You're back."
Bob cried out in pain as a walker bit his shoulder. Bella moved away from the wall and pushed past Daryl and fired on the walkers.
The torturous screams stopped but they were having to fall back. Bob went down to the ground in pain and Bella hooked her hand on the back of his collar and drug him back as she fired at walkers. They got to the door and was confronted with people from the wolves. Rick fired at the people and Bella kicked the door closed to stop the walkers from coming out on them. She dropped her 9mm, pulled two grenades from her pockets then pulled the pins with her teeth and tossed both at the same time.
"Big bang. Cover now." Bella said to Daryl, Sam and Rick before she covered Bob with herself and the explosions went off. There were some screams but Bella didn't hesitate. She pulled her knives from her side and threw them at the wolf members that were still coming at them. She nailed three of her targets in the head and she grabbed she grabbed her knife, twirled it as one guy got in close on her. He swung his knife at her and she dodged, her movements fast despite her stitches reopening on her side. She parried a few blows before she struck up under the guys arms and nailed him in the chin with her knife. He gurgled blood and she used her foot to kick him back off her knife. She saw a man advancing on Sam as she turned throwing her knife and nailed the man in the back of the head with extreme accuracy.
"Sam, Molotov. Light it up!" Bella yelled over at him and doubled back towards where Bob was, sitting against the brick wall of the building. "Bob are-"
"Bella. You worry about getting the others out alive. I know this is my end." Bob said solemnly.
Bella felt rage inside. She was mad at herself for getting lost in her head. It cost Bob his life.
Sam threw the Molotov, lighting the trucks on fire.
Bella grabbed the gun from the ground and handed it to Bob. "We have to go around the side. I'm sorry."
Bob smiled. "There is no reason to be sorry. Tell Sasha I love her. I'll see her in the next life." He said and fired at a walker that was escaping one of the trailers on the side.
It was another wire tripped. Soon there were hundreds of walkers flooding the area.
Bella, Rick, Daryl and Sam had to leave. They couldn't stay with Bob and it killed Bella inside that they had to. But Bella tried to focus. Taking another tactical position as she rounded the side of the building she found another door and opened it ready to fire but came face to face with Merle carrying a woman.
"She's alive." Merle said and carried her outside. "Tyrese and Abe need help. Go."
Bella didn't hesitate. "Sam, with me." She said and the two entered the building. Rick stopped Daryl and Daryl turned to face Rick.
"Rick I have to-"
"That's not what she told you to do. She asked for Sam. Let's get back to rendezvous with the girl and double back. Walkers are flooding the area. There isn't time." Rick reasoned.
Daryl growled a little but he followed Rick and his brother. Helping clear the way to get her girl back to the rendezvous.
Bella and Sam entered, shooting at walkers before having to clear with machetes. They got to a room and ducked inside hoping that was where Tyrese and Abraham were. They got lucky and they shut the door behind them.
"The chains." Abraham said when he looked up at Bella.
Bella looked at the worn figure of Jasper Hale. His blonde hair was dirty and unkempt and to his shoulders. His face was filthy but his forehead was not branded. He opened his eyes to look up at her. The honey color that matched Gabe's.
"Master Sergeant." Jasper croaked. The hint of Texas was there, his home state. "Why are you here?"
"Leave no man behind sir. Are you bit?" Sam asked for Bella.
Jasper shook his head. "No." he coughed. "Rose she-"
"Our guy got her out." Bella said. They heard the scratching and moaning at the door of walkers taking over. "We don't have time."
Tyrese stood with another figure. A small boy. "He's breathing. Doesn't have any wounds but he's too thin."
Bella turned to look at the boy. His hair was dark, long past his shoulders. His face was sunken in some places. Her heart constricted. "Dead god."
"His name is Eliam." Jasper said and looked at the chains Abraham was trying to pick. "We don't have time to free me. Take Eliam and go."
Bella looked back at Jasper. "No. I'm not leaving you."
"Master Sergeant. That's an order."
"Fuck you." Bella said and she moved pushing Abraham out of the way. "You do not get to give up. I have Gabe. We found him. And he needs you. You're coming home with us so your son can have a father. Do you understand me, Sergeant Major?" She said sternly her hand clasped at the back of his neck her forehead to his. "We're going home."
Jasper wept then. Tears for his son that he thought was killed. His lips cracked when he sobbed, bleeding a little. "Bella." He croaked.
Bella leaned back. "This is going to hurt. Stay strong." She said and she swung her machete down and took off his hand.
Jasper cried out in pain and Sam moved fast to his side, pulling his belt off fast to tie off the stump. Jasper cried, fighting the pain that radiated into his body.
"Abraham, your shirt." Bella said and Abraham tore his shirt off for Bella and handed it to her. She tied it around his stump tight to clamp the vessels the best she could. "Abraham."
Abraham moved to pick him up, shifting him over his shoulder like you would a wounded soldier.
Bella looked at Tyrese. "Sam and me are going first. We'll clear the doors. Then I want you to run and run fast with the boy. Go to the rendezvous." She said and looked at Abraham. "You got it?"
"Copy Master Sergeant."
Bella and Sam moved to the door. She grabbed a piece of flat metal and rotated it a little before nodding to Sam. He opened the door and she shoved the metal at the herd of walkers, knocking them back. She brought her machete up and slashed.
Her and Sam worked the walkers back and cleared the door for Tyrese and Abraham to make it out of the room.
"Corporal. Outside door. Move move." Bella called.
Sam grabbed the door, opening it and shooting immediately at three walkers and kicked another. He swung his machete fast and was like a blur as he moved like Bella had. Bella took up the rear making sure the others made it out. They kicked the door shut then they ran. Bella pulled her bow, and fired repeatedly as they ran.
Her chest burned from exertion, her side was in pain but she could only think of getting to safety now. That's all that mattered.