(Anne Marshall belongs to AquaDestinysEmbrace!)
(Chris Rudy, Misty Rudy, and Chelsea Jernigan all belong to Chris Rudy!)
(I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, Code Lyoko or any kind of names or brands that appear in this story. I do own all OCs unless specifically named as they appear above this message.)
(Thanks to AquaDestinysEmbrace for helping a lot with this chapter!)
The next morning, all of the motel people and all of Rick's group had left the highway, and by noon they were in a caravan heading down Fairburn Road together.
Driving one of the RV's was Lilly, and the other was being driven by Dale. Both RVs were filled to the brim with members of each group.
With the abandonment of the motel and the presumably-temporary halt of their journey to Fort Benning for now, their destination was the Greene Family Farm. Most of these travelers were just anxious to finally get somewhere where they can rest without fear of walkers sneaking up on them at night.
Anyway, the two unified groups finally noticed the Greene Family's mailbox. The convoy had to stop for a minute or two so that Doug and Mark could go out and open up the farm's front gate, and the two stayed behind to shut and lock it behind the convoy as they headed onto the dirt path which led to the farm. Neither Doug and Mark minded having to walk the remaining half mile to the farmhouse itself.
As the cars and the two RVs drove down the dirt path, some members of the groups peeked out through the windshields and they marveled at the pristine atmosphere of the Greene Farm. They were expecting to find some people struggling to stay alive, but it was like this place hadn't even been hit by the undead at all!
"Holy shit... Look at this place! Look at it!" Kyra gasped as she looked at the farm through the window of her group's RV. The teen was stunned to see somewhere peaceful for the first time in weeks.
"The owners definitely took good care of the place..." Dale complimented to the teen as he pulled their group's RV up to a group of trees not far from the farmhouse.
In his truck, an anxious Kenny sighed as he got a good look at the farm again, seeing the place for the first time since Shawn Greene was killed. Already the terrible memories of that poor boy's death were coming back to the front of his mind...
God, Hershel was not going to like seeing him or Lee again...
"You as worried as I am?" Kenny asked his passenger without looking away from the road.
"Yep..." Lee muttered to his driver in response. Personally, despite the risks out there, Lee was perfectly fine with leaving if Hershel demanded it, but he just hoped that the farmer would at least be willing to allow Clementine to stay here and be safe...
The convoy all found places to park by some trees a good distance away from the farmhouse. After everyone got out of the cars and the two RVs, most started setting up a huge camp for them all to stay at.
Tents were set up, furniture and coolers were laid out, several campfires were made with the wood and stone each group took with them. Carol, Katjaa, and Lori all also got to work cooking up some of what remained of their food supply since everyone was hungry.
As they unpacked and set up the camp, some of the others looked around and simply took in the scenery around them. This farm went above and beyond their hopes...
This place felt like a true oasis in the middle of the new walker-filled hell they were trying to survive in... If they were lucky, then maybe Hershel would allow them to stay, and they wouldn't have to risk their lives traveling to a fort which might not even exist anymore...
Soon, Hershel Greene opened the front door and he walked out onto the front porch after he saw the convoy park outside. The elderly farmer was extremely relieved that everyone else in Aelita's group and the people from the other group had finally showed up to the farm. Thank God for that.
Everyone at the campsite noticed Hershel and his daughter Maggie as they walked down the front steps and headed towards them. Rick, Chris, and Lilly all decided to go and meet up with him so that he wouldn't have to walk all the way to their new campsite.
The Lyoko Warriors who traveled with the two groups saw their friends who had been staying at the farm with Aelita. They all met by the front porch, greeting each other with hugs and happy words.
The teens who were with the two groups were all very anxious to see Aelita. But they all managed to find the will to be patient and allow the introductions to be made between Hershel and the three first and foremost.
"Y'all the people that those kids told me about?" Hershel inquired as he and the three representatives all met up.
"That's right." Rick nodded before he gestured to the other two with him. "My name's Rick Grimes. These two are Lilly and Chris." he introduced.
"Hello." Chris greeted the farmer with a respectful nod.
"Yeah, how's it goin'?" Lilly also greeted, though her tone wasn't as friendly as the others hoped it would be.
For the sake of first impressions, Hershel ignored Lilly's flatter and less friendly tone. If she wouldn't start this all off on the right foot, he would do it for the both of them.
"I'm Hershel Greene. Welcome." Hershel likewise introduced himself to the newcomers. "This is my eldest daughter, Maggie." he further introduced his daughter.
Rick, Lilly and Chris all nodded and they each shook hands with Hershel and Maggie one after another. Lilly might be a grump, but Rick and Chris were happy to make a new friend or two in these turbulent times and they both hoped that they could get to know Hershel some more. But for now they had to focus on the task at hand.
All three of them, and also everyone else here with them at the farm now, needed to know what was going to happen next for both Aelita and their newly-combined groups. Were they going to have to leave eventually and try to continue their journey to Fort Benning, or would they get to stay here at this farm instead?
With this in mind, a few of the other adults from both groups also came over to speak with Hershel...
"What's the situation with Aelita?" Andrea asked, feeling a little worried about the teen girl due to what she had heard back at the highway.
"Better. A lot better." Hershel informed her. "She's been unconscious since yesterday, but her breathing is much stronger now and so is her heart rate. Should only be a matter of time before she'll finally wake up."
"Oh, thank god..." Dale smiled, relieved to hear the great news. He felt like a lead weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"How did she even get shot in the first place?" Chris asked, the question bugging him ever since he first heard about Aelita's situation.
"Hunting accident, that's all." Rick told him with a nod. "Just a stupid accident, nothing more..."
In the midst of a world full of endless flesh-eating hordes of the walking dead, Aelita almost died because of a bullet in a complete accident... The idea of it was so crazy that it was almost laughable.
"Shit..." Misty muttered. She felt terrible for that poor girl... Aelita was just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Hershel nodded at Misty's words. 'Shit' captured pretty much everyone's feelings about Aelita's shooting, including his own...
"We'll need to do some actual gun training..." Lilly changed the subject to something which had been on her mind for a bit. "People can't be walking around with just knives anymore, even if we're in a place like this."
The farmer shook his head at such a statement. Hershel was determined to ensure his farm remains as safe and peaceful as possible, and in his view this meant that there just shouldn't be a bunch of armed people running around all over the place. The Wildfire Virus plaguing the country and making so many people sick shouldn't change that.
Plus... his farm, his rules. Simple as that.
"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property." Hershel told her and the others. "We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp..."
"With all due respect, you won't think that way if you get a crowd of hungry walkers wandering their way through here..." Lilly retorted, not even bothering to hold back the disdainful tone in her voice. How on earth could someone not want guns around them these days?
Hershel was clearly getting annoyed by Lilly's hostile manner, but Carley stepped forward and helped calm him down.
"We're guests here." Carley reminded her fellow motel survivor. "This is Hershel's property and we must respect that."
Ignoring the sudden glare from Lilly, Carley illustrated her point by pulling her Glock from her jacket and setting it down on the hood of a nearby car, one of the ones driven by Rick and his people.
Since someone had taken the first step, others, one by one, and some more reluctantly than others, took their rifles and pistols and set them down next to Carley's gun on the hood. This included Rick and his Colt Python, Shane with his own Glock, and Chris's twin Berettas.
Hershel was satisfied by this. He didn't mind these people keeping the guns, he just wanted them all locked away somewhere safe...
... as they set aside their guns, no one noticed how Hershel and Maggie exchanged a glance, with him softly shaking his head at his daughter. These people couldn't know about their little... 'secret'...
"Alright, first things first - set up camp." Chris stated to the others. "The sooner we get that done before nightfall, the better."
"I'll go gather and secure all the weapons. Make sure no one's carrying 'till we're at a practice range off site." Shane volunteered himself for the duty.
"Right." Carley nodded before turning to the farmer again. "Hershel, I know you don't want guns around, and as I said we will respect your rules... but can we request to have just one rifleman on lookout? Set up a post on top of the RV for security?"
"Dale's got experience." Shane agreed with the former reporter.
That look of annoyance suddenly reappeared on Hershel's face. Clearly he wasn't very comfortable with the idea of even a single rifleman setting up on his property...
"Our people would feel safer," Rick reasoned to him, "less inclined to carry a gun."
The logic was sound enough, although Hershel was definitely still unhappy about it. Nevertheless, Hershel nodded in agreement to the request.
"Thank you." Rick expressed his gratitude. The less in conflict with Hershel the groups could be, the better.
Most of the others turned to leave, needing to go get some of the extra tasks done before the sun sets. The groups still had a lot of work to do in setting up the camp, and they'd all want to be at their best strength since they intended to help with some of the chores which Hershel needed done around the farm. Getting their hands dirty with cattle and crops or doing some hard labor was the least they could do in repaying the Greene Family for saving Aelita.
Rick stayed so he could continue speaking to Hershel and Maggie for a bit longer. So did Chris. Lilly couldn't be bothered to give the farmer or his daughter more of her time.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rick could see Lee and Kenny watching the conversation from afar, both men peeking around the corner of Dale's RV. He clandestinely urged them to stay back so Hershel wouldn't see them.
If he saw Kenny or Lee, who knew what would-
"That stuff you brought," Maggie suddenly drew Rick's attention back to the conversation, "got more antibiotics? Bandages? Anything like that?"
"Just what you've seen." Chris told her. "We had a lot more, but between Aelita and Anne as well as Patrick getting hurt before them... we've already used up most of it."
Maggie nodded. "We're short already," she stated, "I should make a run into town."
Rick and Chris suddenly looked a little alarmed. After what happened at the high school FEMA center...
"I hope you don't mean the place where Otis and Shane went?" Chris asked her.
"No." Maggie eased their worries with that single word. "There's a pharmacy just a mile down the road. I've done it before..."
Although Maggie's trip probably wasn't going to be dangerous, Rick was more than aware that anything could happen out there. Walkers were all pretty stupid but they could be surprisingly crafty, always jumping out at you when you least expect it...
Rick turned to look at the area where everyone was setting up the group camp just a short distance away. He could see Glenn was among those who were working.
"See our man there in the baseball cap? That's Glenn... our 'go-to-town' expert." Rick figured his description of the man crude in word... but more or less accurate. "I'd ask him along just to be cautious." he suggested to the farmer and his daughter.
Hershel and Maggie shared a glance. When Maggie nodded at him to show she was okay with the idea, Hershel granted permission for it. Guess Maggie's gonna have a helper to scavenge around with for once...
The people who were talking soon noticed that the Lyoko Warriors were now walking over towards them. With that, Chris and Rick all decided to head back to the camp and continue helping the others unpack, deciding to give all the teens their space as they went to speak to the farmer. Maggie likewise went to prepare for the run to the pharmacy.
Hershel eyed the group of teens for a moment as they approached him, as he was surprised to see that there was so many more of them. But despite his surprise, he was very much looking forward to properly learn the names of the ones he hadn't met yet.
"We're all friends with Aelita..." Kyra told the farmer, meeting his smile with her own.
Rebecca nodded at what her friend said. "Is it okay if we can go inside and see her?" she then asked Hershel on behalf of the group.
It was obvious to Hershel even from the start that these teens were all very close with one another. The farmer truly felt terrible for everything that these teens have had to go through so far, and he hoped that they wouldn't have to suffer anything else as horrific as what happened to Aelita...
Giving a nod to Rebecca's request, Hershel told the group that Aelita was laying in the guest bedroom of his house, the third door down the hall. He told them that they were welcome to stay with her for as long as they wanted to as long as they don't try to move her.
The teens all thanked Hershel before they headed up to the front porch of the farmhouse together, each dreading what they might see once they would go into that guest bedroom...
... all they knew was that they wouldn't like seeing their friend with a bullet wound.
As Odd reached out to open the front door for the group, the Lyoko Warriors suddenly heard the start of a commotion behind them.
"What are you two doing back here?!" they heard Hershel demand to know, his demeanor suddenly turning furious.
"Easy, Hershel, we don't want any trouble!" they heard Kenny say with as much of a diplomatic voice he could muster.
The Lyoko Warriors turned around and watched as Hershel stormed toward Kenny and Lee, clearly enraged to once again see the two men who he viewed as responsible for his son's death. Everyone in Rick's group and the motel group stopped what they were doing to see this play out.
"I told you both that you're not welcome here anymore! Get off my property!" Hershel again shouted at the two men.
Lee took a step forward, his hands raised. "Hershel, we just wanted to-" he tried.
"GO!" Hershel again demanded, not even bothering to listen. "Get off my farm before I have to get my gun!"
Lee and Kenny instantly went silent at that threat. Same with everyone who was watching. Shane felt tempted to grab his shotgun, but he kept himself in place.
Clementine and Duck exchanged looks of shock and sudden fear... were Lee and Kenny, or 'dad' in Duck's view, safe?
"I said GO!" Hershel again demanded, storming toward the two men for a moment as if he was ready to hit them. Luckily, Lee and Kenny both stepped back, avoiding anything which Hershel might've tried to do.
Before Hershel could hurry back to the farmhouse and make good on his threat, a blonde girl suddenly rushed out from the house and ran over to the elderly farmer.
As everyone watched the scene, the girl, who Jeremie and the earlier visitors to the farm knew as 'Beth', gently took one of her father's arms into hers and gave it a squeeze.
"Dad, you can't kick these people out!" Beth urged her father, wanting to get him to calm down.
"Those two got your brother killed!" Hershel sternly told his second daughter. He tried to pull his arm out of Beth's grip, but only softly, as he didn't want to hurt her.
Beth didn't budge and she kept a tight hold on her father's arm. "That was an accident, dad! That's all it was!" she insisted. She watched Shawn's death through the window of her bedroom... it was a horrifying sight, and one which still haunted her even now...
She regretted not getting the chance to save him. If only she had looked a little earlier, and not only a few seconds before Shawn died...
"They're both murderers! Killers!" Hershel protested. Now he was definitely going to grab his gun. He was gonna-
"Daddy, listen to me!"
Although he was still caught in a rage, Hershel turned his attention to Beth and forced himself to calm down a little, if only for her sake. He could clearly see she was upset...
"You can't kick them out yet... not while their friend is still healing inside..." Beth reasoned to her father, loosening her grip on his arm slightly.
"They're with the men who killed your brother!" Hershel firmly told her. "For the sake of Aelita I won't kick out her and her friends, but those two monsters have to go!"
"Daddy, that isn't Christian..." Beth stated, her voice gentle as she spoke.
Hershel went silent, and that angry look on his face suddenly mixed with that of inner confliction.
Beth reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand, looking her father deep in the eye.
"Daddy, please..." Beth sounded close to begging. "they got kids with them..."
Out of the corner of Hershel's eye he saw some of those kids himself. That girl with the blue and white baseball cap, that freckled boy with that scared look on his face, that little blonde girl wearing that rainbow tank top, and that little boy with the sheriff's hat standing with Shane...
After a long moment, Hershel let out a sigh and stopped fighting his daughter. Beth hesitantly let go of his arm as a result.
"... fine. But only for now." Hershel finally conceded, though it was clear he was only doing so because his daughter asked him to. But if it was any other circumstance...
Hershel flashed another glare at the two men. "But if you break any of my rules, or if you put any other of my children in danger, then you're all gone." he warned Lee, Kenny, and all of the newcomers - motel group and Rick's people and even Lyoko Warriors alike.
Then, Hershel looked straight at the two men who he blamed for his son's death. "And neither of you ever try to interact with me or my family again." he further warned.
"We aren't gonna-!" Kenny began to say, only to be silenced by Lee. Last thing they needed was to make the farmer even more mad...
Having said what needed to be said, an angry Hershel simply turned and hurried back into his house with his daughter following close behind.
When Hershel went inside the farmhouse, he slammed the front door behind him and Beth so hard that the handle on the outside broke off... marking yet another thing which he had to fix around the farm.
The newcomers outside only stared at the door, many feeling unnerved by the exchange they had witnessed... Clearly everyone was going to have to be careful not to cross Hershel Greene at all while they stayed here. And who could say if he was willing to let them be here on a permanent basis either...
Now with a lot more hesitance than before, the Lyoko Warriors exchanged glances before they headed for the house to see Aelita...
The Lyoko Warriors all silently gathered in the guest bedroom and looked down at Aelita, who was still laying unconscious on the bed. All of the newcomers looked at their friend with shock and dismay at seeing her like this...
Those who had been here either since Aelita's shooting or in the hours after - Jeremie, Dylan, Chase, Anne, Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, and Miranda - were the ones who were sitting or standing close to Aelita's bedside. The newcomers all stood around them.
Even as the teens looked down at their pink-haired friend, it was still somehow unbelievable to them that Aelita had actually been shot. The newcomers had to actually see it to believe it and finally comprehend it.
None of them ever thought that something as horrible as this would happen to Aelita... After everything they've been through with her ever since Jeremie discovered her and the supercomputer years ago, it was still crazy to think that Aelita's life almost ended like this.
Charles approached Jeremie and wordlessly handed him Aelita's backpack. He, Yumi, Robert, and Kyra had kept the rest of the group's stuff with them ever since they all got separated back at the CDC Building in Atlanta. The four of them were happy to finally get the opportunity to return it all.
Jeremie thanked Charles before he reached into Aelita bag and grabbed something which he knew she had missed with all her heart after the CDC. When he pulled the item out and looked at it, he couldn't help but smile...
Ever since the group's separation, Aelita had felt a bit lost without her old childhood doll, Mister Puck. Now thanks to the group being reunited, she'll get it back.
Mister Puck, a little doll which looked like an elf wearing a tall wizard hat, was a Christmas gift given to Aelita by her parents when she was just a little girl. After Waldo and Aelita went into Lyoko to hide from the Men in Black, the doll had been abandoned for ten years hidden in a wall of their old home behind a poster. Not long after she was rematerialized back on earth, Aelita was guided back to its location through dreams and visions.
Since then, the doll had been a precious reminder of the family Aelita wanted back... She continued to keep it close even after her family was returned to her.
The other Lyoko Warriors watched as Jeremie gently set Mister Puck down next to Aelita, carefully wrapping her left arm around the doll so it wouldn't fall to the floor.
Seeing his chance to be a good pup, Blaze also hopped himself up onto the bed and nuzzled himself in the crook in-between Aelita and her right arm, his head resting against the spot where her arm met her chest.
For a brief moment, as he turned to look at his friends, Jeremie was sure that he saw Aelita's lips curve up into a weak smile as she held Blaze and Mister Puck in either arm. But when Jeremie turned back to look at her face again it was already gone.
Whatever the case, Jeremie just hoped that Aelita somehow felt comforted by the presence of the doll and the dog... she deserved that.
As Jeremie kept checking on his girlfriend, the others continued to silently stare at Aelita, unable to really comprehend what they were looking at here...
"...this is so messed up." Alexandr finally broke the silence with a mutter as he looked down at his unconscious friend on the bed.
"That's the understatement of the century, Alex..." Patrick sighed, obviously feeling deeply worried about his pink-haired friend. He couldn't believe how bad things had gotten for the group in such a short time... His stomach wound still hadn't fully healed yet, and then something like this happens to one of his friends...
Aelita's blanket-covered chest gently rose up and down with each breath she took. But unlike before, her breathing was strong and consistent and healthy again. There was no doubt in the minds of any of the Lyoko Warriors that she would be strong enough to recover, even if it might take some time...
But even though Aelita will recover physically, being shot and coming so close to death would weigh on anyone... even someone as strong-willed as Aelita.
And then who knew how she will get over the fact that Otis died for her to live...
"Aelita's gonna need our support... all of us..." Yumi stated to everyone else.
"She'll have it. Anne too, if she needs it." Rebecca assured.
Anne smiled and nodded in gratitude to the English teen. Felt nice to have friends she can truly trust and rely on...
For a bit longer the group simply stood or sat in silence, all watching Aelita as she slept. Although she got through her surgery, none of them would feel truly at ease until the pinkette was back up on her feet. Though they also had another concern on their minds...
"... you guys think we'll be okay here? At this farm?" Odd suddenly wondered aloud, wanting to try and get a topic of discussion going. Anything which could distract them from worrying about Aelita for a moment.
"Not the time or place for that conversation, dude..." Dylan glared at his friend. Being worried sick about his hurt sister was already hellish enough without having to worry if she'll be kicked out to the curb or not.
Odd shook his head. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that..." he assured. "I just... well, I-"
Dylan sighed, realizing after his moment of anger that his friend held no offense when he asked his question. He shouldn't lash out at him over that...
He gave an apologetic nod to Odd before he looked back at his unconscious step-sister.
"Sorry, Odd..." Dylan apologized to him. "I know what you were trying to do but I just got a lot on my mind right now... I shouldn't take any of it out on you."
"It's okay, I get it..." Odd nodded in understanding before patting Dylan on his shoulder. The guy was just worried for his sister... Odd admitted to himself that he'd probably be acting the same way if this was one of his sisters on the bed instead of Aelita.
"Your question is something we all do need to address, Odd..." Jennifer agreed. It was something which weighed on everyone's minds ever since arriving here.
Miranda nodded. "This could make for a good home for all of us..." she said. Open land, safety, medical help, bountiful food, clean water, electric power - what more could any reasonable person ask for during the end of the world? Plus it didn't hurt that there was some pretty good eye-candy in the form of Maggie...
"Will Hershel even decide to let us stay on a permanent basis after Aelita heals...?" Ulrich pointed out the fact which seemed to go unspoken.
Everyone went dead silent at Ulrich's words. No one really had seemed to consider the possibility that Hershel wouldn't let them remain here...
What if he told them to leave after Aelita's finished healing...?
"If we have to go... we could still try for Fort Benning." Verity reasoned. "We might have to scavenge a little but we can make a hundred miles..."
"But the question I want to know is if there is even anything left there? At Fort Benning, I mean..." Charles asked the others after a moment.
"Honestly...? I doubt it..." Yumi sighed, shaking her head in dismissiveness. "If the CDC got overrun by the walkers, and if the rest of Atlanta got overrun by the walkers too, and if all the world got overrun too... then I don't think Fort Benning survived against the walkers either."
"If we have to leave the farm, and if it turns out Fort Benning is actually lost... where do we go?" Kyra suddenly asked.
The other teens all glanced at each other as if they were each desperate for an answer from someone, anyone even. Unfortunately, none of them spoke up.
Fort Benning was still an option... but if the fort really had fallen, then they'd all likely be heading straight out to their deaths if Hershel ordered them to pack up and leave... To many of the teens, their only chances for survival right now was to stay on this farm.
Dylan sighed. "Look, let's just try not to worry about Fort Benning or Hershel until there's an actual problem, guys." he told the others. "I think we've still got a while before any of us needs to ask Hershel if our living situation is permanent or not. There isn't a reason for us to start worrying unnecessarily." he reasoned.
"Dylan's got a point." Odd agreed with his friend's words. Seemed like the rest of the room did as well.
Suddenly the group heard a soft knock on the open bedroom door. They looked to see it was Beth, Hershel's second daughter.
"We, um... we're about to have a memorial service for Otis if you'd all like to join." Beth told the teens, her voice making clear her hesitance and shyness to speak to the other teens, along with her sadness about Otis dying. She suddenly turned and left before any of the group could respond to her.
After Beth left them, the Lyoko Warriors exchanged glances with a shared sense of curiosity. A memorial service for the man who sacrified his life for Aelita's...
With the amount of death they were constantly surrounded by, the idea of a memorial service, or any service to honor a dead man, sounded almost incomprehensible. But at this farm there was none of that... Here they could give the dead the respect they truly deserved. And in the eyes of the teens, there was no one better suited for that than a hero like Otis.
Deciding to set aside for now the discussion of their living situation, Jeremie got the attention of everyone else.
"Hershel said that any of us can stay here in the room with her until she wakes up." Jeremie told the others as he started getting up from his chair, but he was soon stopped by some of the others, who reached out and made him sit back down again.
"You should be the one, Jeremie." Dylan stated on behalf of himself and his brother and all the others.
"Right..." Chase agreed with a nod. "You stay here and keep an eye on our princess, okay? You should be the first one she sees when she wakes up..."
Jeremie wanted to be the first to go out there and thank Otis for what he did to save Aelita... but he knew the others were right. That can come later. Right now he had to stay here and be here for Aelita...
With a nod, Jeremie settled in his chair again and reached out to retake Aelita's hand into his. At the same time, Blaze happily nuzzled firmer into Aelita's embrace, the little pup feeling happy that Jeremie would help him keep Aelita company as she slept.
The rest of the room readied themselves to leave for the memorial service. Odd smiled at the others and gestured to the door.
"... let's go thank Otis for saving Aelita's life, guys."
The teens gladly followed Odd's suggestion. Each of them bid Jeremie, Aelita, and of course little Blaze goodbye as they made their way out of the room one by one.
Dylan, however, lingered for a little longer before he finally left. He purposefully stayed back behind everyone else as they left the house.
As he followed the group out, Dylan immediately didn't head toward the distant oak tree where everyone was gathering. He went to one of the posts of the fence separating the farmhouse area from one of the planting fields.
He stood there for a few moments to gather his thoughts, though soon he heard a pair of footsteps approaching him from behind...
"You okay, hon...?" he heard the familiar voice of his Rebecca as she came up and hugged him from behind.
Dylan felt her lean her chin onto his shoulder, and he reached down to gently place his hands on top of hers.
"Just thinking about stuff, that's all..." he told her, gazing off into the distance to watch some of the distant livestock eating or trotting or simply laying on the ground.
Rebecca tightened her hold on him a little more. "You wanna talk about it...?" she offered herself as a good listener.
With a soft sigh, Dylan nodded. "'Becca... a lot of our friends and family are dead..." he reminded her, "I can't risk us getting kicked out of the farm, you understand?"
"No, not really..." Rebecca blinked.
"I'm saying that I can't... that I won't let anything happen to you..."
The English girl remained silent as she processed what Dylan was telling her. She didn't like the sound of it...
Hesitantly, Dylan turned to look away from the cattle and back at Rebecca.
"I was only seven when my dad disappeared..." Dylan began to say, "My mom died in that car wreck with Chase and I just six months later..."
Rebecca's face turned saddened as she listened to Dylan's words. She knew all of what had happened to him and his brother when they were younger, but it always broke her heart whenever any of that trauma was brought back up... she couldn't imagine how much it hurt him...
Dylan sightly shut his eyes as he continued. "Then we almost got killed in Atlanta... then we almost got killed again by Dr. Jenner at the CDC. Then I had to watch my sister get shot a few days ago, along with one of my best friends..."
"Dylan..."
".......I don't care if Hershel decides we should leave, 'Becca." he told her, his voice now resolute and firm, "I won't ever let him kick us out of the farm no matter what he says... I'll keep you, my brother, and my sister all safe no matter what. I won't lose any of you."
The blonde girl took in everything Dylan had to say. She understood and sympathized with his need not to lose more people in his life... but she hoped he wouldn't try to hurt Hershel or anyone else over this. She'd never want something like that...
Wordlessly, Rebecca approached Dylan and gently took his hands into hers, giving them a loving squeeze as she rested her head on his chest and smiled softly.
"Dylan..." Rebecca began to say. "Look, I know you're really worried... I'll be honest: I feel the exact same way about you and the rest of our friends as well..."
Rebecca pulled her head back to look at Dylan's eyes, but she saw he was averting his gaze. She gently reached up to his cheek to turn his head, their faces now meeting.
"But we're all going to be okay, Dylan..." she promised him. "I know it looks bleak out there in the world right now, but I know we'll survive the against the undead whether we're here at Hershel's farm or not... But right now just focus on one thing: we're safe, Aelita's okay, and that's all that should matter for the moment."
Dylan listened to what Rebecca had to tell him, and soon enough a smile formed. With a smile back at him, Rebecca pulled away so she could look up at her boyfriend's face, and to her relief it seemed that he wasn't that troubled anymore.
"...thanks, 'Becca." Dylan told her, glad for her words of comfort.
Rebecca smiled back and nodded as she pulled his head down so it would lean against hers. "No problem, Dylan." she smiled, admiring his hazel and blue eyes.
The two then shared a kiss, and they finally resumed their trek toward the oak tree where Otis's funeral service was to begin...
Neither Dylan nor Rebecca noticed Anne watching them from afar, a soft look on her face as she saw them lock hands...
A short while later, the Lyoko Warriors, sans Jeremie, and all of the people from the two groups had gathered near the oak tree with Hershel and all of his people. The only ones who weren't there aside from Jeremie was obviously Aelita, who was still unconscious, and Lilly... who just felt that something like this was a complete waste of time. She was back at the camp doing an inventory of their food supply.
Wisely, Lee and Kenny both also kept their distance as well. While everyone else gathered for the ceremony, the two men watched from very far away on the back of Kenny's pickup truck.
Hershel tolerated them watching the ceremony... though he still didn't like the fact they were here on his farm again. They were both very lucky that Beth was a kinder person than him...
Everyone had gathered a stone from a small pile, as Patricia and several members of Rick's group collected them earlier in the day specifically for this ceremony. One by one everyone walked forward and set a stone down upon a mock grave to honor him. Since no one could recover Otis's body, this was simply the best that they could do for him.
Hershel was dressed in his best suit. He held a King James Bible in his hands since he was the one leading the service for his old friend.
"Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Hershel began to say as more rocks was put on the pile.
Patricia was quietly sobbing as she watched the others place a rock upon Otis's mock grave. She loved that man with all her heart, and even now it was still unfathomable to her that he was actually gone...
"Praise be to him for the gift of our brother, Otis...
Odd set down a rock on the pile, then Jennifer, then Ulrich. The teens were followed by Lori, then Rebecca, then Lee and Clementine.
"For his span of years, for his abundance of character..."
Yumi walked forward and she set down a rock, then so did Chase and Dylan. The mutual hatred which all three held for the man had completely vanished, and it was now fully replaced with respect and gratitude for how he gave his life to save Aelita's.
In their minds, the man had fully redeemed himself. And now they truly were sad that he was gone...
"Otis, who gave his life to save a child. Now more than ever our most precious asset..."
Next to place their rocks was Chris, Misty, and Chelsea. All of them had only just met the Lyoko Warriors and Rick's people, but they still were thankful that Otis saved Aelita. If only the man didn't have to give his life to do so...
"We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived: in grace."
The group continued to leave rocks to honor Otis, one by one. Soon, the only one who had not set down a rock on the grave was Shane, who was silently watching the service but trying not to get involved in it. The memories of what happened at the high school were still fresh...
However, Shane noticed that Hershel had turned his attention over to him, and that the elderly farmer was gesturing in his direction.
"Shane? Will you speak for Otis?" Hershel asked since the former cop was the only man that was there with his farmhand when he died.
Everyone turned their attention over to Shane so they could hear him speak for the recently deceased. But Shane was very unwilling to talk about Otis or about the events at the high school in any sort of light. In cold blood he had sacrificed an unwilling Otis by allowing him to get eaten alive.
Although Shane felt justified, even he knew that it wasn't right for Otis's killer to just speak kindly of him less than a day later.
"I'm not good at it... I'm sorry." Shane said, dismissing the suggestion.
The refusal only made a sobbing Patricia sob even harder. Her heart was already broken, but she had to learn about her husband's final moments from Shane... She had to know what happened to Otis no matter how horrible it likely was for him or her...
"Y-You were the last one with him..." Patricia stated, barely keeping herself together as she spoke. "You shared his final moments..."
With tears falling down the sides of her face, Patricia looked close to openly begging the man to speak. "Please..." she urged. "I need to hear... I need to know that his death had meaning..."
Shane knew that he wasn't going to get out of this no matter how much he wished to avoid it, especially after listening Patricia's pleas... But he knew that he had to tell her something at least... although: 'Hey, I shot your husband in the leg and I left him to be eaten by the walkers like he was a delicious Christmas honey-glazed ham... not like he wasn't as fat as one already' certainly wasn't going to cut it either.
With a great reluctance, Shane glanced towards all of the other funeral attendees before he finally walked out to the pile of rocks. As he did so, he thought of what he could tell the grieving widow and everyone else without raising any suspicions about Otis's true fate...
After a couple of silent moments of thought, Shane figured out what he could say to Patricia and the others.
"... we were about done." Shane began, mournfully lowering his head. "Almost out of ammo... We were down to pistols by then. I was limping - it was bad..." he explained. At least for this part he was being entirely truthful.
Patricia listened to Shane's words and the tears only flowed harder. However, she continued to listen... she had to know everything.
"'We've got to save the girl'... See, that's what he said!" Shane told the group Otis's false last words. In reality he gave none, as he was screaming while being eaten alive by the dead. "He gave me his backpack... He shoved me ahead. 'Run', he said..."
"He said: 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover you.' And when I looked back..." Shane lied, trailing off as he remembered the look in Otis's eyes as he left him for dead.
Most of the atendees was buying everything Shane was telling them. They had no reason to suspect anything amiss. Shane and Otis went to that high school for the supplies they needed to save Aelita. They got them, but one of them got unlucky and died... In this day and age it shouldn't be anything suspicious.
But there was a few who knew something was amiss...
Miranda scrunched her face in deep thought as she listened to Shane tell his story, trying to put the pieces of everything together herself. In the end, after she had gotten all of the facts, there was at least one thing which she couldn't find a good explanation for...
... if Otis gave Shane the bag, and if he told him to run and that he'd cover him... then why did Shane come back with all three of the guns that they took with to the school? Shane's shotgun, Otis's hunting rifle, and Jeremie's pistol... Otis couldn't have possibly covered him if he didn't have at least one of those guns with him when he died. He would've been allowing himself to be eaten alive, and Miranda just couldn't imagine anyone being that fucking dumb.
Next to Miranda was Dale, who, having seen Shane gradually become more and more unreliable and, in his own opinion, unstable, thought the man's story was just bullshit. His mannerisms, the vagueness in his story, the fact that he had seen Shane aim his shotgun at Rick when they were checking the forests around the Quarry after the walker attack which killed Andrea's sister and several others...
The man was just... God, he was just becoming insane. And in Dale's mind, if Shane was willing to aim his gun at his best friend, aiming at Otis would've been nothing.
Daryl, likewise, realized the same thing. But unlike Miranda and Dale, he fucking knew on the spot that Shane killed Otis... but if the others, especially Rick or Lori, couldn't or wouldn't realize that for themselves, then that's their damn problem and not his.
Unfortunately, Miranda and Dale didn't know how they could separate the fact from fiction in Shane's story. The only two people there to experience them was Otis and Shane himself, and Otis was dead and Shane was obviously not going to be willing to explain any lies he may or may not be telling everyone.
Not noticing the suspicious teen and old man, Shane then took his stone and he walked over to the memorial pile. Everyone watched as Shane mournfully set this final stone at the top of the pile, and then he turned to look back at them. If only they knew what he had done to that farmhand. If only they knew his sin...
"If not for Otis I'd never made it out alive..." Shane explained to all. "And that goes for Aelita too. It was Otis. He saved us both..."
Patricia nodded, tears rolling down the sides of her face. The man she loved had truly died a hero...
"If any death had meaning then it was his." Shane assured the others, as, after all: Otis's sacrifice did ensure both he and Aelita would live. Right or wrong, that's exactly what Shane's actions ensured.
The grieving widow Patricia broke down completely after Shane finished his story. She would miss Otis for the rest of her life, but at least there was solace in the fact that he died as a hero and saved the life of an innocent little girl.
Otis wouldn't get to grow old and gray... but now Aelita Schaeffer had the chance to do so thanks to him and Shane.
Hershel later spoke a few chapters from the bible and concluded the funeral service with a group prayer for Otis, one which the Lyoko Warriors were happy to take part in. Then, it was over, and one by one everyone left the funeral and went back to whatever it was they were doing beforehand.
Before they left, most stopped to offer some kind words or hugs to Patricia, including all of the Lyoko Warriors. It was the least that the teens could do for Otis after he saved one of their own...
Eventually, the only person left with the stone pile was Patricia herself. The widow silently stared down at it for several minutes, contemplating the fact that her husband was alive a mere twenty-four hours earlier, and that now she'll never see him again...
Knowing she had more chores to help do that day, Patricia gave a loving kiss to the rock at the top of the rock pile: a final goodbye from wife to husband. Then the woman wiped away her tears and turned to head back up to the farmhouse...
Shane's words helped. It still hurt, and Patricia wasn't sure if she'd ever truly get past the loss of her husband... but knowing that his death was something which he willingly accepted, something that he did so he could save the life of an innocent young girl... Patricia took great comfort in it, and she truly thanked Shane from the bottom of her heart.
As she walked, Patricia took a brief last look over her shoulder to that rock pile. She just hoped that Otis was at peace, wherever he was...
As the others went back to camp following Otis's funeral service, Jeremie headed back into the farmhouse with a book so he could be at Aelita's side. Hershel had earlier told him that she should be waking up anytime now, and he didn't dare risk not being there when she'd finally open her eyes again.
The pink-haired teen still had Mister Puck in her embrace as she slept. Blaze was gone though since Chase and Jennifer had come by to take him out for a walk and to let him use the bathroom. The pup made sure to lick Aelita's cheek as a goodbye before he hopped from the bed and followed the couple out of the room and then out of the house. They volunteered to dogsit him for today.
Sitting in one of the chairs next to her bed, Jeremie picked up his book, relaxed, and started to read. It was a classic which he found in one of the museums in New York City: "The Naval War of 1812", by Theodore Roosevelt.
Admittedly there was only a few others in the group who would consider this as an interesting read, but Jeremie and Aelita very much loved reading about things involving history and they both had picked up a couple dozen books on history, science, mathematics, and all sorts of other subjects when they visited the cities along the East Coast.
Unfortunately, most of the books had to be left behind in the overturned van when they first encountered the walkers. Although they still had a fair number stashed away within Dale's RV somewhere. Thankfully these included all of the best ones Jeremie and Aelita had bought.
Jeremie kept his mind stimulated for another couple of hours before he heard a soft groan come from next to him. Jeremie looked at the bed and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Aelita was beginning to stir.
She was finally waking up...
Before Aelita could even try to sit upright, Jeremie had set down his book and hurried over to place his hands on her shoulders, gently keeping her in place as she opened her eyes with confusion and disorientation.
"Easy, 'Lita..." Jeremie told his girlfriend, feeling extraordinarily relieved to see her awake. "You're okay now, but you can't overexert yourself for a while..."
Aelita, slowly but surely remembering where she was and what had happened to her, tiredly nodded and stopped trying to sit herself up. When she ceased moving, Jeremie took his hands off her shoulders and he sat on the edge of the bed.
The boy gently took one of her hands into his and gave it a loving squeeze. Aelita smiled back at him and used what little strength she had to gently squeeze his hand back.
"D- Did I have that surgery...?" Aelita asked, glancing down at her blanket-covered torso. Her voice was raspy and tired. "D- Did I pull through? Am I going to be okay...?"
"You did. Hershel said you'll make a full recovery." Jeremie smiled, overjoyed to actually be able to say this to her.
The pink-haired teen stared up at the ceiling above her as she took in the joyous, wonderful news. After all the terrible events of the last few weeks it felt extremely good to hear a guarantee of life...
Aelita knew full well that she could likely still get eaten alive by a herd of walkers sooner or later... but at least she didn't die from a random gunshot wound or from bleeding out and suffocating on an operating table.
She had another chance at survival, and she was damn sure not going to waste it.
In curiosity, Aelita gently lifted the covers of her blanket a little bit, revealing her chest and her diaphragm. Her emerald-green eyes widened in shock when she saw the sewn-shut opening on her torso. It was very noticeable, very ugly, and she knew that once it healed, she was going to have to deal with it for the rest of her life.
"......my God." Aelita muttered to herself, trailing one of her fingers along the stitches of her wound as if she couldn't believe it was there.
Aelita had never gotten a scar before... not at any point in her life. Not even during the years of fighting against XANA. Now she had this big ugly thing on her skin...
Sensing her shock, Jeremie gently reached over to Aelita's hand and it took it into his to let her know he was there to support her. The blond genius smiled at his girlfriend as he held her hand over her sewn-up wound, using the other to cup her cheek.
"You're still that beautiful girl from Lyoko to me, Aelita..." Jeremie assured his princess before leaning in to kiss her. Scars or not he would love her all the same.
When Jeremie broke the kiss, he saw Aelita's cheeks were same shade of color as her hair. The sight of her like this was his favorite in the whole world...
A smile slowly crept up on Aelita's face as she gently pulled on Jeremie's arm, making him get onto the bed with her. Jeremie was surprised by this but he didn't object at all, and within a few moments he was laying under the covers with Aelita and he was letting her use his arm as a pillow.
Together in each other's embrace, the two laid on the bed and looked each other in the eye, each feeling all the love in the world for each other...
"My angel..." Jeremie whispered to her, leaning to give a warm kiss to her hair.
"My genius..." Aelita whispered to him in response, looking up to plant a kiss on his jaw in return.
As they held each other close, Aelita had time to think on things... She knew that Hershel and his family went through an ordeal to keep her alive long enough to save her life. She felt extraordinarily grateful to them, and she hoped that she could somehow repay the Greene's the kindness which they showed to her...
Jeremie was grateful as well, but what his girlfriend didn't know yet was what happened to the man who had accidentally shot her and Anne...
Shane may have survived, but Otis didn't. And that meant that a man died so that Aelita could live... She was owed the truth about what happened.
... but how in the hell could he tell her something so horrible ...?
"Is something wrong, Jeremie?" Aelita asked, suddenly sensing Jeremie's inner conflict as she held him.
"No, nothing..." Jeremie lied, glancing away so he couldn't have to look her in the eye.
Aelita's face fell when she heard his reply. She knew full well that he was lying to her...
The pinkette gently pulled on Jeremie's chin so that he would face her again. The poor blond hated seeing his princess worried about him, but he had no clue how she'd react when she learns of Otis's death...
"Jeremie, I know when something's troubling you... What's wrong...?" Aelita asked him once more, concern evident in her voice.
"Aelita..." Jeremie hesitantly began to explain to her, but he lost his voice before he could continue.
Aelita didn't try to sit upright since she still needed to heal. Instead, she reached out and she gently put both of her palms against either side of Jeremie's face, making sure he wouldn't try to look away again. He saw that serious expression on her face, that look of worry in her eye...
"Jeremie, please... what's wrong?" Aelita asked him as only a lover to lover could. When he didn't answer, she added: "You can tell me, Jeremie..."
"... it's about you, Aelita." Jeremie finally told her after a moment. His voice was clearly reluctant, hesitant to say more.
"Me?" Aelita blinked. "What about me...?"
Another long moment went by without Jeremie saying anything. Aelita was about to open her mouth to speak when he finally did.
"Well... not you..." Jeremie corrected himself, "but something which happened while you were unconscious..."
Aelita remained silent, her confusion and worry evident as Jeremie began to explain to her the circumstances which led to Otis's death...
"Those respirators used during your surgery? Shane went out to a FEMA center at a high school a few miles from here to get them." Jeremie began to explain. "Shane needed backup and someone to guide him there, so he took Otis... the man who accidentally shot you and Anne."
The pink-haired teen was surprised to hear that, but she remained silent so she could hear the rest of whatever Jeremie was trying to tell her. Jeremie took a deep breath to gather up some of his courage before he resumed speaking to his princess.
"You wouldn't have survived the surgery without those respirators." Jeremie gently explained. "Otis was really remorseful about shooting you, and he took Shane with him to grab the respirators. But when they got there, there was a bunch of walkers..."
Aelita felt herself stiffen in alarm. Shane and that 'Otis' man put themselves in danger...? For her...?
"They managed to get the respirators, but they had to hurry through the school to get away from the walkers, and... um..." Jeremie continued, but he soon trailed off.
"Jeremie... what are you trying to tell me? What happened?" Aelita asked, her worries growing as she listened to the story.
Jeremie and Aelita locked eyes for a few silent moments as the blond super genius hesitated in telling her what happened next. Finally, after those silent moments, he sighed and sympathetically took Aelita's hands into his as he stared deep into her beautiful emerald-green eyes.
".......Otis didn't make it, Aelita." Jeremie finally told her with a saddened tone. "Shane told us that he sacrificed himself so that he could escape and so you could survive your surgery."
As Aelita glanced away from Jeremie and dazedly stared at a wall, her eyes widening with shock, horror, and realization... her face paled, and a feeling of heavy guilt settled within her about Otis's death. She even felt sick to her stomach about what she had heard, although luckily she wasn't feeling the urge to vomit just yet.
The pink-haired girl was so desperate to believe she was having a bad dream that she almost slapped herself in the face. However, when Jeremie pulled her in for a needed hug, she realized that this nightmare was real. The man who shot her really died trying to fix his terrible mistake...
A man lost his life for her...
A man died so that she could live...
"O- Oh, God..." Aelita softly mumbled as she started to break down in tears while in his embrace.
Jeremie's heart broke as he held onto Aelita, listening to her quiet sobbing in his chest. He shut his eyes as he held her, helping her let it all out. That's all she needed to do right now was just let it out...
"J- Jeremie... why...?" was all Aelita could say as she sobbed.
"I'm so, so sorry, Princess..." Jeremie soothed as best he could. "It was just a thing that ended badly for him... no one's to blame, 'Lita... least of all you..." he explained as he brushed his girlfriend's silky hair with his hand, slowly.
Aelita simply continued to sob quietly in her love's embrace, unable to respond.
The man who shot her in the forest a few days ago needed to make up for it in one way or another, Aelita knew that. But she never would've wanted him to pay with his life...
The pinkette had never felt so foolish, so naive, so utterly stupid in her entire life... If she had just kept her eyes out a little more while approaching that buck in the forest, then none of this would've ever happened... and Otis wouldn't have died for her sake.
... but the thing which hurt Aelita more than anything else was that she never even got to thank him for saving her life ... to forgive him for accidentally shooting her ...
... and now she never can.