** I cut this one a little short so I could have it up sooner rather than later, next chapter should be up in maybe a week, or even less! Thank all so much for reading!
"Rose," Maggie sobbed out leaning her head against the metal wall as Glenn held her hands in his, "Rosie, Rose, can you hear me? Rose? Please tell me you're alright..." She cried, shaking her head as she waited for Rose to answer.
It had been a little over two hours since Maggie heard what had been happening to Rose, and then she heard the gunshot… After Rose's crying died down and the building fell silent the Governor dragged her out of her cell, and got her to tell him about the prison… Everything Rose had gone through, everything she took just to keep the group safe was in vain now, because Maggie couldn't stand the thought of loosing Glenn.
"Rosie," Glenn spoke now, knocking on the wall, "Come on Rose please...please just tell us you're okay." He said, leaning his head back against the wall.
"I… I'm okay," Rose voice was weak, but they both turned to the wall, sighing in relief, "I'm fine guys." She said, placing her hand on the wall… "How are you guys?"
Maggie let out a small sob, "Rosie I'm so sorry… they, he.. he knows about the prison." She cried, Glenn holding her closer now, rubbing her back, "He had a gun to Glenn, I-I panicked."
Rose sighs, shushing her through the wall as she leant her throbbing head against the cool metal, "It's alright Maggie." She muttered, "It's alright, just… we just need to figure out a plan to get out of here."
"The gunshot," Glenn spoke up now, biting his lip, "Are you hurt?"
Rose sucked in a breath, "I… No, I'm not hurt."
"Ryder?" Maggie asked, the air falling silent, and she sighed, "God Rosie…"
"I ain't dead yet," Ryder coughed, the couple smiling just a bit, "Soon though… the bastard left me in here to turn." He said, glancing over at Rose, who sat beside him, covered in his blood, "You two have to get Rosie out of here." He said, "You've got to go find Jamie."
Rose turned her attention back to Ryder, blocking out the two in the next room as they spoke softly, "You're not going to die." She mutters, wiping her hands onto her legs, her hands trembling still, "Don't be a pussy."
Ryder let out a laugh, "Those are exactly the words I needed to hear on my deathbed." He joked, before he started coughing again.
"We just need to keep pressure on it," Rose said, putting her hands over top of his, both of them trying their best to keep pressure on his leg, but his blood was still spilling out all over the floor.
"It hit an artery right?" He asks, looking over at her, biting his lip, "That means I'm just gonna keep bleeding out till I die Rosie, doesn't it? You went to bed school after all, that's what it means right?"
Rose shook her head, her hair creating a curtain around her face, "N-No, well yes… b-but if we just keep pressure on it, I few just keep it fro-,"
"Rose Marie Waters stop sputtering," Ryder sighed out leaning his head against the wall, "I'm dyin' ain't nothing you can do about it but get away from me before I turn into one of those things."
Rose shook her head, "No.. No if we just keep pressure on it then you'll be okay."
"Rose, I've already painted the entire floor a nice shade of red, there ain't no okay." He said looking back over at her when she winced because of his words, "Rosie… You need to get out of here," He said snapping his fingers, getting her attention, "You need to find Jamie, and you need to kill that motherfucker."
Rose bit her lip, letting out a shaky breath, "What am I supposed to tell Jamie?"
Ryder smiled, "Tell her, her daddy died a hero's death."
"You got shot in the leg well chained to the floor" She laughs a bit as she remembered her conversation with Jamie, "Like a dog."
Ryder chuckled shaking his head, "Like a dog."
Rose tried to laugh with him, but her laughs turned into sobs, and Ryder shushed her when she laid her head against his uninjured leg, her hands clutching the fabric of his jeans, "Shush now, it's all gonna be alright Rosie, it's alright." He murmured, running his hand through her hair, shaking his head, "I'm the one that should be cryin', not you."
Rose shook her head, "Jamie's just got you back." She whispered against his jeans, "She just got you and now she's got to lose you."
Ryder nods, "I know baby…but she'll be okay, she's got you… she's got that group and…. She has Daryl." He said shrugging some, "She'll be just fine, you just gotta make sure our girl doesn't lose her momma too."
Rose nods slowly, sitting back up, "You're a good man Ryder… sometimes." She mutters, her trembling hand going to his cheek, "I forgive you.. for everything." She mutters, and Ryder smiles.
"Those are better last words," He murmurs placing his hand over top of hers, "I'm getting sort of sleepy." He whispers, Rose shaking her head.
"No, you can't go to sleep, not here, you gotta stay up just a bit longer Ryder," She said moving her hand from his cheek to his neck, checking his pulse, her heart dropping when she found how slow it was, "Ryder, you've gotta stay awake." She said, slapping him on the cheek, him groaning, his head rolling to the side, "Come on Ryder, you've got to stay awake, for Jamie's sake… just stay awake."
"Mm sorry Rosie," He whispers, giving a sort of laugh, "Wish I could of at least had a taste of that king cake you used to bake."
Rose smiles just a little, "You stay awake for me and I'll be sure to make it for you… my momma's very own recipe, I know it by heart, you stay alive and you can have all of the king cake you want." She said, moving to put more pressure on his leg again, "You've just gotta keep your eyes open." She said nodding, "Just stay awake."
Rose turned back to look at him when he didn't say anything, "Ryder?" She called out his name, "Ryder?" She shook her head, her hands going to his face, "Ryder Marks don't do this!" She cried, her fingers going to his neck, "Please don't die Ry… Please." She sobbed when she wasn't met with no pulse, falling back away from his body now.
He was going to turn into one of those things, and here she was, broken and useless with no way to protect herself. Her baby's father just bleed to death, chained up like a dog, and she couldn't do anything to save him… she couldn't stop the Governor from… from.. she let out a sob as she remembered, scooting further away from the body until her back met the wall, and she was under the table, pulling her knees up to her chest, her hands going over her ears when she heard Maggie and Glenn calling out for her.
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Jamie was tip toeing around in the building she was living in with Mr. Governor, he was gone still, Karen wasn't around and neither was Andrea. So this was her chance to finally be able to see what the man was hiding, if he was hiding anything… but she was sure he was, and if he wasn't well, she could get away with it when he found out, he seemed to like her. She snuck out of her room, and crossed the hall to where the Governor lived, turning the door knob slowly as she peeked in, spotting no one.
She remembered the locked door in that room, one she tried to sneak into before but wasn't able to because Andrea came in… but now was her chance, she sort of remembered what Daryl told her about picking locks, and her mom even taught her how to with a bobby pen before too. She reached into her hair, and pulled her bobby pen out, her bangs falling in her face as she quickly scurried across the room, and to the door. She bit her tongue, wiggling the pen around in the hole of the door knob, turning it a bit, trying to remember how to do it… but she had only seen her mom do it, and known what she and Mr. Daryl told her… she had no practice.
"What are you doing," Jamie screamed when she heard the voice, and she jumped quickly turning and dropped the bobby pen, coming face to face with the Governor, her eyes going wide.
"I-I," She had no idea how she was going to cover up what she was doing, and she swallowed when he came over to her, pulling a necklace from around his neck.
"You want to see what's in there?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, Jamie nodding slowly as she scooted away from the door, and the Governor smiled, "This is my daughter's room, my Penny."
Jamie's eyebrows creased together, "P-Penny?" She asks as he nods, and unlocks the door pushing it open.
"Go ahead, go on in." He said gesturing for her to enter, "I'm sure she'd love someone to play with."
Jamie peeked into the dark room, the only source of light coming from some sort of… fish tank she thought, "Is she sleeping?" Jamie asked, and the governor shook his head, pushing her into the room.
"She's just shy."
Jamie looked up at him as he shut the door behind him, and flipped the light switch, which caused her to scream when she saw what she thought was a fish tank.
"No! No please I'm sorry, don't make me stay in here!" She cried out as she tried to run for the door, by the Governor just snatched her up by the arm, and forced her to sit in her chair, her eyes still on the floating heads in the tanks, that were still moving… walker heads.
"You're just like your mother," He said shaking his head, pointing at her when she tried to get up again, "Always making things hard." He said and Jamie looked up at him.
"My mom? How do you know my mom?" She asks and he shrugs.
"She's here," He said kneeling down in front of her as he smiles, "And if you be a good girl you'll get to see her again." He said, brushing her hair from her face, making her let out a whimper, "Penny hasn't had a friend in a while." He said, turning back to the caged area, where Jamie could sort of see the shadow of someone else in the room. "She won't hurt you though, she can't hurt you."
Jamie watched as he opened the door, and took a step back, a little girl with a bag on her head running towards her, making her scream, pushing herself back into the chair, "What did you do to her?" She cried, watching as the Governor pulled the bag from the girl's head, showing Jamie that the little girl, who had to been her age, maybe a little bit older was a walker.
"She got bit," He said sadly, petting the walker's hair lovingly, like her mother always did to her, "Her and my wife both." He said, turning to look at Jamie, "I want you to learn a lesson Jamie." He said as he placed the bag back over the little girl's head, and went to Jamie who shook her head.
"No, no, no please no, no, leave me alone!" She cried, trying to pull from his hold as he grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her up off the chair, "Please I'm sorry! I promise I'll be good! I'll be good!" She cries out, and he shushes her, pulling her to his chest, hugging her close.
"It's okay honey, it's okay, you're going to be fine." He whispered before dragging her over to the cage, and threw her in with Penny, locking the door.
"NO! NO PLEASE LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!" She cried going to the bars, screaming when the little walker got near her, snarling and biting at her from under the hood, and she ran to the other side of the little cage, pushing herself up against the wall, sobbing.
"I'll be back in a few hours honey, you just sit in there and think about what you did." The governor called out, his footsteps heading away from the cage.
"NO! Please don't leave me! Please! Please! I'll be good! I'll be good!" She screamed, putting her hands over her face, trying to hide from Penny, "LET ME OUT! PLEASE LET ME OUT!" She cried, hearing gunshots off in the distance, crying out for her mother, her father, for Daryl.
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Sometime during her time under the table Merle had come in and retrieved Ryder's dead body, which had yet to become a walker, but said nothing to her, hell, he didn't even look at her… but of course she didn't look at him either, she just kept herself under that table, even when she heard the gunfire from outside, Maggie and Glenn's shouts… her rescue team she was sure, but their plans failed, and she was still stuck in that cell, under the table, wondering why Merle and his men weren't dragging her out to be executed with her friends.
"Rosie!" Rose heard someone calling her name, and she glanced at the door, noticing the smoke filling the room, "Rose!"
"We've got to move, I hear more comin'."
"I AIN'T LEAVIN' HER HERE!"
"WE HAVE TO MOVE!"
Gunshots were fired, and there was shouting, everyone was shouting. Rose closed her eyes, leaning her head against her hands, listening to the chaos unfold outside the door before the gunshots grew distant, then stopped all together, creating an eerie silence all throughout the room.
So they didn't get her… she expected as much, with the way the events had turned she would most likely not be saved, she'd be stuck here with the Governor until… until Daryl found a way to save her.
The room to the door creaked open, and Rose looked up, seeing Merle hurrying in, "Come on now pretty girl." He said snapping his fingers at her, "We gotta get goin' if we're gonna catch up to my brother, gotta get you away from the Governor."
Rose stared up at him a moment, before crawling out from under the table, her eyes going to the huge pool of blood, and she let out a whimper, Merle shaking his head.
"Don't do that now Rose, we ain't got time for that, we gotta get outta here." He said, and nodded towards the door, "Now come on, let's go before someone comes." He said heading back over to the door, and peered out of it, "Come on now, coasts clear." He said, Rose nodding as she followed him out of the door.
Rose swallowed as she followed after Merle, who manuverred them throught he building and out into the streets unseen, "J-Jamie." She said suddenly to Merle, "We have to get her, WE HAVE TO!" She all but shouted when he started to shake his head, and he cursed, grabbing her by the wrist and dragged her into a alley, some of the townsfolk running by, armed heavily.
"Look, I get it, it's your girl, but we gotta get you to safety first." He said, snapping his fingers when Rose started to cry, "Stop that now you here, your tears ain't helping anybody, now get your head out of your ass and focus you hear." He demands, Rose nodding slowly, "The Governor ain't gonna hurt her," He explains, glancing out into the street again, "But you? You he will hurt, now let's go."
Rose let out a shaky breath before following after Merle, "We're gonna get outta here Rose." Merle said from in front of her, "We'll be fine."
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Jamie sobbed quietly in her corner, Penny the walker right next to her. She learned quickly that since she was being quiet, Penny didn't bother her, so she forced herself to stop crying as much as she could, and Penny went off, and continued to pace around in the cage. She could hear the shouts of people outside, the gunfire, all of it, and she hoped that those were for her, maybe Daryl coming to save her, her mommy alive and coming to save her.
Jamie raised her head when the door was kicked open, and she wiped her eyes, watching as Penny quickly made her way over to the cage door, groaning as the person walked into the room, Jamie staying quiet, while Penny pushed against the cage door.
Jamie swallowed when the door opened, and woman said 'It's okay', Penny walking out.
"D-Don't," Jamie finally found her voice when the woman went to take Penny off her chain, "She's a monster… she'll eat you." She said, quickly, Penny now turning at the sound of her voice and made her way over to her, causing her to cry out suddenly.
"Jamie?" She recognized the voice when he called her name, and Jamie ran out as fast as she could, away from Penny and into Michonne's arms, and started to sob.
"Shush girl, it's alright, everything's alright." Michonne whispered as she stroked her hair pulling back some, "Are you bit honey?"
Jamie shook her head, pulling away some as she wiped her eyes, "My momma, is she okay? The Governor… he he said he had her." She said and Michonne frowns
"We'll find her Jamie, but you gotta go." She said, and Jamie cries, shaking her head, "Daryl's out there honey, he's looking for her, for you." Michonne whispers, stroking her hear, glancing back at the girl, "We've got to take care of her." Michonne said, "You go stand over there." She said pointing to the corner away from the tanks, and Jamie nods, doing as told.
Jamie closes her eyes, not wanting to watch as Michonne killed the little walker, and then the Governor's shouts made her jump, not moving from her spot when she opened her eyes, seeing Michonne staring at him, her blade ready to kill the walker.
"Don't hurt her," Jamie swallowed as she heard him speak, and she looked around the room, spotting a little knife on the table near the tanks, "It's me you want huh?" Jamie glanced at Michonne, who was still staring at the Governor, keeping his attention as Jamie gripped the knife, and hurried back to her corner, clutching it to her chest. "There's no need for her to suffer."
"She doesn't have needs," Michonne said, and Jamie squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to stay strong and not start to cry.
"Don't hurt my little girl," Jamie opened her eyes, seeing the tip of the Governor's fingers through the doorway, "Please don't." Jamie couldn't help but let out a small yelp when Michonne drove the sword through the little girls skull, and it came out her mouth, the Governor screaming and running towards her, Jamie leaping from her corner and stabbed him in his hip, making him scream out, and knock her to the side, before charing towards Michonne.
"RUN JAMIE!" Michonne screamed, groaning when the governor hit her in the face, Jamie's eyes wide as she picked herself up from the ground not wanting to leave her friend, "JAMIE GO! GO!" She shouted, and Jamie swallows back her tears and nods, quickly running from the room. She ran down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door where she was faced with the smoke in the air, and the sound of gun fire, spotting Mr. Rick.
"RICK!" She screamed out to him, stealing his attention away from the body he'd been looking at, and spotted her, and ran towards her, shouting at her to get down, and she did, ducking behind a trashcan the shots continued to be fired away, Rick scooping her up in his arms, and ran towards Maggie, who took Jamie from Rick, and helped her up and over the buses.
"We gotta get my daddy! My momma!" Jamie said suddenly, as Maggie took her hand once they were on the ground, running towards the trees. Maggie shook her head, picking Jamie up in her arms. "We have to go back! My daddy's still there, and my momma! We have to!" Jamie cried out, wrapping her arms around Maggie's neck as Rick urged them forward, Maggie shush Jamie as she continued to cry, until they finally met up with the others. Maggie set Jamie down, and the little girl stood there crying before Glenn urged her over, and she ran to him, letting him pull her close, as she cried.
"What happened to your face?" She asked pulling back to look at him, Glen sighing as Rick came over.
"Where's Daryl?" Rick asked, looking at Glenn who shook his head.
"He's not back yet," He whispered, stroking Jamie's hair, Rick cursing and everyone turning at the sound of noise coming from the bushes, Michonne coming up to them, and Rick pointed a gun to her, Maggie turning to do the same.
"Where in the hell were you?" He demanded, Jamie raising her head.
"She saved me," Jamie whispered, making them look back at her, "Mr. Governor… he he locked me up in a cage with a walker." She said, shaking her head, "It was so dark… and Michonne saved me."
Rick nods, looking back at Michonne as she sighed, leaning against the old train cart, "Where's Daryl?" She asks, and Rick shakes his head.
"He's missing," Maggie said, lowering her gun, "Oscar got taken down."
Michonne nods, "We gotta find them," She said looking over at Jamie, who buried her face in Glenn's shirt, "This girl can't lose her entire family in one day."