So my husband came home and listened to me whine about my charger. He fixed it. :D Hopefully it stays fixed. I've heard your pleas though and I wrote another chapter the second I had a free moment.
"When I walk beside her, I am the better man. When I look to leave her, I always stagger back again." Brian's voice was soft as they trudged through the slop and rain. "Once I built an ivory tower so I could worship from above. When I climbed down to be set free, she took me in again"
Sophia glanced over at him as he continued singing low and mostly to himself. It wasn't that she'd never heard him sing before because he was like his dad. They were always singing something and being loud.
"I've heard that before." Sophia kept her voice just as low. "My dad was singing that."
Brian looked up at her and nodded but his eyes went back to sweeping the area. Sophia ignored the way her side twinged and the pain in her legs from walking so long.
"When she comes to greet me, she is mercy at my feet. When I see her bitter charm, she just throws it back at me" Brian's voice was the beat of which they continued to walk. It was the distraction she needed from the destruction behind them.
Looking up and smiling at the break in the rain she let out a breath. She wanted to set down. She wanted out of wet clothes. She wanted her family. She wanted to know that her mother was okay and that Daryl made it back.
"What're we going to do Brian?" Sophia questioned refusing to pretend things were okay. She was terrified but wasn't going to buckle. She was a Dixon and made of tougher stuff than the average every day pussy. At Least that was how Merle put it. "We need to find somewhere for the night and get dried off. It's going to get cold tonight."
Brian blew out a breath and looked at her hard, "Do you know where we are?"
Sophia paused and looked around. Nothing looked familiar and she felt terrible suddenly because she hadn't paid a bit of attention as they'd been moving. Instead she'd followed him knowing Brian would never lead them astray. She trusted him completely.
Brian chuckled, "Another mile or two as the crow flies."
Sophia smiled at the turn of phrase. How many times had she heard that when they were in the woods with their dads? A lot. That's when it slapped her across the face where they were and she grabbed Brian's arm. He turned looking at her wide eyed and his knife was in his hand suddenly. He looked around and then scowled at her. Sophia stared at him hard for a second but just grasped his hand instead of snapping.
"I know now." Sophia smiled.
Brian looked over again and swiped sweat and rain off his brow, "Took you a second. Daryl will demand taking you out freshen up on your skills."
Sophia huffed at him, "Do you always have to prove you're better than me?" Sophia growled, "OH look at me I'm Brian and I've never done anything wrong in my life ever and I can piss standing up." She mocked in a voice similar to his.
He stopped and stared at her. Sophia stared right back and really looked at him. Worry crowded around her heart and she stepped closer to him. He was pale and looked way more fatigued than he should. She knew they'd been gone for hours, hiked miles, and hadn't really eaten but this was more than that. Brian looked death warmed over and was still going. Sophia knew he'd run himself into the ground as long as she needed him because she would do the same for him.
Her eyes swept over him and she sucked a breath when the red stain on his shirt jumped out at her. He shifted and started walking again. He didn't wait on her and Sophia rushed after him. He was focused intently on the issue at hand.
"You have to let me look at that." Sophia pointed out. "Infection."
"When we get tucked away." He huffed.
"You best remember that Brian Dixon."
"Nag." He muttered.
Sophia was quiet after that her chest burning now that she knew he was hurt. A sick feeling was churning in her chest. If something happened to him out here she'd really be alone. It'd be like when Rick abandoned her all over again. Daryl would find her though and she knew that with everything in her. He'd always found her and came back for her before. It'd be no different this time it was just survival now but that sick feeling was spreading. It was like a poison leeching into her system. A cancer eating at her mind.
The day passed by as they kept moving. They'd been quiet for the most part and Sophia let Brian have his quiet. He was flushed now and looked mad. He looked more than mad. He was livid and she knew it wasn't at her but the situation. She was too but he'd been sparking between that and a weird calm ever since he'd found her in that clearing. Not that she wasn't upset about it because she was. She was downright disgusting and terrified at the thought of one of those men touching her. But Brian was almost eerie with the way he would wield his knife like he was seeing someone else instead of a walker.
The sky was darkening and Sophia grasped his arm stopping him. He looked over and Sophia motioned to the side. He looked over and let her lead him to what she'd seen. When they got through a thicket of bushes and bracken she paused and smiled. Brian didn't see this because he'd been with his dad but she'd been with Daryl. It was like Daryl shown her every nook and cranny of this area as a just in case. It paid off.
Brian smiled at her and Sophia shoved her pack into his arms. He stumbled and looked at her. She pointed and he went without a word. He was at the edge of the cave and Sophia moved fast knowing he was seconds from coming back out. The rain was starting again and that worried her. If it kept raining then Daryl wouldn't be able to find their tracks. They'd wash away.
Grabbing more wood and hoping that it wasn't completely waterlogged she trudged to the cave. Brian was waiting on her and already ready to start it. It took some effort with the wood being damp but they'd lucked up finding some in the cave. It was clear enough that it'd been used once but it'd been a long time.
Brian set heavily as the fire started burning better and Sophia picked up her pack. Unzipping it further Brian jerked back suddenly as Xena lept out and onto his lap. The cat yowled loudly and stretched. He looked at her wide eyed and blushed.
"You packed a fucking cat?" Brian's voice was amused, "Our worlds on fire and you pack a goddamn cat."
Sophia shrugged and pulled out the first aid pack. Brian reached for it but she shook her head and shuffled forward. He kept looking at her like she was going to go into shock. Maybe they both were in a state of shock. She felt cold all over but it was more than just the rain that'd eaten at her.
"Take your shirt off."
Brian peeled it off and he tossed it away. He moved closer to the fire and Sophia grimaced at his side. He was cut and it was still oozing blood. It was in an area that with each step he'd taken his torso moved and it'd kept it from being able to properly clot. Sophia moved closer to him and met his eyes when she'd gotten the alcohol out. He grit his teeth and looked into the fire.
"Did you get this from helping me?" her voice was quiet.
"This isn't your fault Sophia."
"You're hurt though."
He looked over and hissed harshly through his teeth but she kept cleaning the cut. He was glaring down at her hands and his fist were tightened. His knuckles were bloodied and scabbed. He had so much blood on him now that she really looked at him she wasn't sure what was his and what was those men's.
"I'm fine you know." She whispered. "They...they-"
He let out a harsh breath and Sophia hiccuped and he met her eyes. His were calm compared to the storm that was raging around them now. She rubbed antibiotic ointment onto his wound and then set back some while getting a bandage. His chest was rising faster and he seemed to be getting upset. Sophia swiped at the tears that were making their way down her cheeks without her permission. She'd been stupid earlier in the day for fighting with him. If she'd just not started the fight they'd never been separated and maybe things wouldn't been so bad. Maybe Carl would have been alive.
Sophia went to move but Brian caught her wrist and drug her closer to the fire. He was looking her over. He looked furious again and Sophia knew she looked bad. Her lip was split, she had a cut over her eyebrow and her cheek was bruised. Even she could see it. Anything other than that she wasn't sure beyond the bruising on her arms but the way he was looking at her scared her.
His hand went to her throat and Sophia swallowed. He looked like he was going to say something but his eyes were just wide and upset. He looked like his dad when Hannah had started all her crap and Brian got hurt. There was a glint to his eyes that any man looking at him should be scared of. It was raising the hairs on her body and she shifted.
"You stopped them." She blurted out.
He met her eyes then and his fingers continued tracing visible bruises.
"They roughed me up and were trying but you got there in time."
He shook his head, "We shouldn't have even been separated."
Sophia couldn't agree more. She started taking in the damage on him and wanted to cry. His chest had a large bruise on it and she could tell it'd been from where he'd gotten kicked when he was fighting the men that were attacking her. He had a bruise along his jaw that was black and deep shades of purple already, his lip was busted worse than hers and his side was cut up.
Sophia shivered and Brian let her go. He tried to push Xena off him but the cat hissed at him and he looked at her. Sophia picked up the cat and smiled. It immediately tried to climb back on him. Brian grabbed his pack though and started pulling out clothes. They were dry and Sophia looked longingly at them. She'd sacrificed clothes for her cat.
"Put something dry on." He handed them to her.
Sophia stared at him and shook her head, "These won't fit me!"
Brian looked at her like she was stupid and Sophia flushed. She stood on shaky legs and felt exhaustion threatening her. They'd walked night and day, now that the sun was set it was really hitting her. Brain turned his back to her and watched the mouth of the cave. Sophia changed like he'd demanded and was swallowed by his clothes but immediately felt warmer.
"I'm dressed."
He turned then and he started digging in his pack again. His bag was a lot larger than hers. He jerked out red bag that'd she never seen before. The front red something about survival and fire but he moved it before she could read the rest. When he opened it he looked at her for a second and then pulled its contents out. She let out a breath seeing the thick blanket.
"Well on the plus side we won't get hypothermia and die." Sophia tried to joke.
He shook his head and Sophia shuffled closer feeling embarrassed that she packed a cat and just a small first aid kit. If Brian wasn't here she'd freeze to death in wet clothes because he'd obviously grabbed clothes that were to small for him and wouldn't be so big on her. He packed of her. Sophia shifted closer to her and he looked up again and held the blanket open. She almost leapt onto him with the chance of really getting warm.
He grunted as she pressed into him and Sophia crawled around so she wasn't on his hurt side. When she got there he kept digging in his pack. He handed her something and she realized that this wasn't just a pack he'd thrown together right then. This was a go bag. This was something she knew even Daryl had.
He tore into his own MRE and started eating. He grimaced at it and ate fast. They were quiet for a long time as the storm picked up outside the cave. Brian tossed more wood onto the fire now that it was burning more. He kept looking over at her like he was still waiting on shock to really settle in.
He rubbed his face and his elbows went to his knees. Xena was in the blanket purring loudly and Sophia fed her the eggs in her MRE. Brian snorted and shook his head at her.
"You don't believe me do you." It wasn't a question. Brian didn't look at her but she knew him well enough to know his tells. His jaw clenched and his eyes squinted. "I didn't just say that to comfort you. I'm not even comforted Brian. I had to put your bloodsoaked shirt on because my clothes were cut away. But they didn't get that far..."
"But they got far enough." His voice was hoarse.
Sophia's arm went around him and she shuddered as the memories of being pinned down washed through her mind. As their laughing faces as they tore at her clothes mocked her. Maybe something was wrong with her because she wasn't as upset as she knew she should be. Sure she was. No one wanted to be almost raped but that was the thing. She wasn't. She was alive and Carl was dead. Brian had almost gotten killed fighting to get to her and he'd gotten her out. He'd remembered to grab the stuff they needed and he got them to safety. It could have been worse and she knew that she was lucky.
"I'm fine Brian."
He looked at her and she pulled his arm around her. He wasn't touchy feely but she kept pulling and he finally hugged her. He pulled her into his chest and Sophia watched the fire and Xena finish her MRE. She refused to think about what happened anymore because she would always remember seeing Brian when those men shifted and him standing there wild eyed and holding two knives like an extension of his own arms.
Her eyes felt heavy and she knew that she should try to sleep. Brian shifted and pushed her to lay down. Sophia grabbed his arm forcing him to lay down too. They were both exhausted and he pushed more wood onto the fire making it burn hotter. He put himself between her and the opening of the cave. Dragging their packs over they made pillows and Sophia moved back towards him.
Anxiety and worry was eating at her and she pressed into him. It was soothing to know she wasn't alone. His arm was around her and his breathing was growing heavy but he chuckled suddenly. It was such a weird moment and Sophia leaned back trying to see his face.
"Why are you laughing?"
"You're definitely like Merle."
Sophia stared at him and a smile bloomed over his bruised features. It looked painful but the amusement there was almost a relief. He'd been so dark and foreboding all day. He was worse than the storm around them.
"You remembered to get pussy before anything else."
Sophia's mouth popped open and he barked a laugh in her face before laying back down. His eyes were closed and he was shivering slightly but he looked every bit like his father. Sophia tried to think of something to say but just set there. Finally he cracked an eye open and raised a brow before she laid back down. The second she did his arm went around her and she snuggled into his chest. She wanted her mom and dad but at least she had him here. As she drifted off she could have sworn she heard him singing the song that she'd heard him singing earlier in the day. The same song she'd heard Daryl himself quietly singing before. It was comforting and she pressed her face into his chest letting the vibrations and sound lull her to sleep. Both were asleep in no time oblivious to the world around them and the danger that being without walls presented.