Sorry this chapter is so short, but the next chapter will be up by tomorrow! Please leave me a review and let me know what you guys think!
~I do not own Walking Dead! I only own Piper, Claudia and Bailey!
Night came and Piper found herself reluctantly joining the group around the main fire to eat the canned beans and other assorted vegetables the group had scrounged up for dinner that night. Her mother had come into the tent shortly before this and coaxed her into coming out to eat. She was adamant at first to just stay in her tent, but Claudia was a very persuasive woman and she knew exactly what to say to get her out to the fire.
"If you're serious about going after Merle tomorrow, you need your strength so you can make it back to Bailey and I. Nobody is going to bring you food in here so you just go out there and make nice and eat your dinner." She had said firmly. Piper was in no mood to argue with her mom, and the fact that she wasn't trying to forbid her to go into the city was shocking enough, so she just sighed and mumbled as she stalked out of the tent.
She found herself seated between Carl and Shane with Bailey once again in her lap. An odd placement in her opinion, but her mother was seated beside T-dog and Jacqui and was animatedly talking to them both. Dinner consisted of Rick telling the story about how he woke up from a coma to find himself in this dead world. How he found a man named Morgan and his son Duane. How Glenn found him and saved him from being eaten by a herd of walkers and then he told them about Merle and how he got himself handcuffed to the roof.
"Has anyone put any thought as to what Daryl is going to do when he gets back and finds out he's gone? It's not going to be pretty…" Dale said earnestly. Piper snorted and everyone's eyes turned to her.
"Well of course not. How would you feel if the last family you had left was chained to a roof and left to die?" She bit out harshly before crossing her arms around the little girl sleeping in her arms and glaring at the fire. Her anger was building the more they talked about it. She tuned out what they were saying for a while as she stewed in her chair.
Amy rose from her chair and set her plate on the ground. She walked up to Piper and grabbed her hand, pulling her up and started to lead her away from the fire. Piper paused and looked at Shane with a silent question as she gestured to the dozing girl in her arms. Shane nodded his understanding as he set his plate down to accept the little girl into his arms. The group watched curiously, but said nothing as Amy then continued to drag her up to the RV and started climbing the ladder to the roof. They were taking a chance not having a watch on the RV tonight, but there were several people walking the perimeter so they were relatively safe.
Piper didn't know what her friend was up to, but she followed her up nonetheless. Amy walked over to the edge overlooking the quarry and leaned against the barrier there. Piper followed suit and placed herself next to her, waiting for her to speak.
"So. You really care about those guys don't you?" Amy cut right to the chase. Piper was watching the water reflect the moonlight and was quiet for a moment before she spoke.
"They saved my mom and I. Without them we would be dead right now. And they've been helping us survive ever since. They said they were just going to take us as far as Atlanta, but they didn't. They stuck with us this whole time. We're even camping next to them. You know they aren't really people-friendly, but god, they've been real lifesavers to us." She swiped a stray tear from her face. "Nobody deserves that. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."
Amy nodded in understanding and rubbed her friends shoulder comfortingly. "You know, Merle is a tough bastard. I'm sure he'll be fine and when Daryl goes to get him he'll come back here ranting and raving." Piper laughed and couldn't help but agree.
"Thanks Amy. You're a good friend and I'm glad we met." She threw an arm over her friends shoulder and leaned her head against it.
Amy rested her head on Piper's and the two friends watched the stars for hours before finally heading back into camp for bed.