Chapter Text
"No! My daughter is not going out there to risk her life like that!" the scared, yet fierce voice of a woman could be heard among the group of men that gathered around her and her daughter.... the first one, could be on her fifties or late forties, the second one.... no more than 22.
"we need more manpower, the roamers are gathering around camp and we can't take them all"
"She's but a child!"
"She knows how to use a gun... that makes her manpower" the jerk lured into her with a menacing stare "you and your daughter better start cooperating.... or you want to keep you share in... other ways" his lascivious gaze traveled from her to the young woman; but a slap turned his face back to the older woman.... his sly smile turned into a frown, he was showing his teeth in anger.
"my daughter hunts for you every.single.day. she does enough!?"
"I'll decide when she does enough!?" he screamed in hate
"Mom... mom" The young woman stepped in and turned to her mother "I can do it.... it's going to be alright.... it's the same as hunting right?" she said in an optimist tone, trying to ease up the tension, she turned around to face the man, with a decisive tone "I can take it....I'll do it"
"That's more like it.... you start tomorrow.... bait meat"
**************
Eleanor's eyes opened, and she grimaced in pain.... having a terrible headache.... the orange rays of the sunset that shone right into her eyes, thought weak, were not helping at all. She turned her head to the side, and she felt a tugging sensation on her mouth, she was reaching to rip off what ever it was, but her hands didn't move. She wide eyed and squirmed around forcefully, her screams and panicked whimpers were covered by a cloth on her mouth. She looked up still fast breathing, resting her face on the large tree she was tied to.
She was finally remembering; and if she hand't her mouth covered, she could be cursing her head to oblivion.
Nervous, having her breathing still elaborate, she looked around. Her guns and blades were gone, of course they were gone. And she was lost in the woods, god knows where exactly, and she sighed. Eleanor closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself down...... she hated being tied, it brought back unwanted memories. She glared at the fast darkening sky and then to the lonely woods surrounding her.
'I'm fucking getting you for this Shane'
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"But it can't be...." Said Hershel, opening and closing the barn "it was locked from the outside.... Eleanor locked it... are you sure she did.
"I saw it.... it was locked" said Tog "I-I don't know man, maybe he got through the roof"
"There's a window he could get through" suggested Andrea, but Hershel dismissed the idea.
"No... , with that leg... It would be a miracle if he's running"
"Maybe he's faking it; maybe he was fine and he just pretended to limp" said Maggie, even accusatory, her tone was reluctant and worried.
"I saw him this morning... Eleanor gave him good and water.... Why would he run away?" Retorted Dale.
"Talking here ain't gonna do nothing... Pizza boy... Get movin" said Daryl, while he interned himself in the woods.
"I knew it... We should have never let him stay" did T-dog... The rest walked to the house, if Randall was armed and almost all men were gone... They were unprotected.
Lori walked to the house nervous... she didn't expect any of this happening, she trusted Eleanor was right this time around... She was hopeful that the act of mercy the young woman initiated was a good example for her son; she feared that Shane and Rick's eagerness to kill him would just harden him even further, and she almost resented to be on his husband's side when she wanted to have a more pacifist solution..... but this happened.
"Mom?" she heard to her right and almost jumped, Carl stood on the frame of the corridor, and she mentally cursed, how was he able to sneak up on people when they really didn't want to answer questions "Have you seen Ellie... i thought she was in the house" Lori could only swallow nervously and didn't know what to say, at that moment, more people entered the house; Andrea, Maggie, T-dog and Hershel; she cursed mentally again, as she noticed Carl picked on their restless demeanor and frowned, he turned again to his mother "did something happen?"
"yeah.... something like that, your father and Eleanor went to take care of it... so we should stay inside" she countered, hoping he wouldn't ask further, it's not like he knew that much about Randall in the first place. "why don't you go upstairs and rest a little while before we make dinner" she suggested; not taking too much time to think about it, he turned around and turned to the corridor, Lori could feel herself breathing again, and she passed a hand through her hair and forehead; again... Eleanor, it was always Eleanor, why couldn't she get out of trouble for once in her life.
The door opened to reveal Dale, entering the house, Lori was grateful Carl didn't see him..... he managed to unsettle her even further.
"Is everyone inside?" he asked and Lori nodded, he looked down and then to Lori; then, she frowned in confusion, when Dale gave her his rifle.
"Dale why are you giving me this?"
"I'm taking my personal gun, I'm going to look for Eleanor" he said with decision "It is better if you have this to stand watch..... and--"
"Dale, you can't go out there, we need you around here, Daryl and Glenn went and without them... if something happens only T-dog would be around to--"
"They are searching for something they will never find!" Dale cut her, exasperated "This, this is not right! Randall didn't run away, he could barely stand!"
"You heard Maggie, he could have been faking it" she reasoned
"Now? until this morning he thought he was going to die.... if he had been faking it, he would have escaped sooner..... no" he shock his head in disbelieve "I've got to do something, even if i'm the only one to see it"
"Dale, you are making no sense, what are you talking about"
"It's a lie...... all of it" he whispered, and Lori couldn't help but wide eye "Shane is lying.... a-and I fear- no, I know he did it.... he killed Randall, and maybe he is going to kill Eleanor..."
"stop! just... stop" said Lori angry "you can't go around blaming people like that! he might have done certain things that don't look right to you or Eleanor or everyone else, but he is not a coldblooded murderer"
""I don't know what he is, but what i know is that... that... child, has been the only one standing up against him; with the barn and with Randall, and I'll never forget how he treated her that day.... or how has he been looking at her ever since" his lips trembled, and Lori couldn't take in the emotion and alarm he was pouring on his words "so I'm going..... and pray to god he hasn't done an insanity yet"
Dale walked out the door again, and Lori stood there, rifle in hand.... completely disoriented.... She denied to believe Shane would do something like that, she denied to believe Shane would change like that....
From the bottom of the stairs, in a dark corner, Light blue eyes looked down in confusion, fear and also denial.... but he wasn't disoriented... and he needed the truth.
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"This is pointless...Give me a light"
Glenn reached to his right and gave Daryl a light, as expected from autumn, the unset lasted just as long, and now it was night.... pitch black. Daryl pointed the flashlight to the ground and sighed frustrated, returning a few steps; cursing, Glenn only followed behind him.
"we are returning?" he asked
"Lost the track for a moment there..." Daryl commented until he stopped, Glenn looked down and noticed that some dry leafs were moved around, and assumed it was their trail "There's two sets of tracks right here.... Shane must've followed him a lot longer than he said" he commented "I don't see Elle's tracks anywhere" he frowned, and Glenn did too.
"I thought he was with her, they got lost the second time they came searching?"
"We are in the dark and we found it" that comment left Glenn even more on edge, and suddenly felt something was not right; Daryl pointed then to a tree and Glenn noticed there was a red mark on it "There's fresh blood on this tree.... There's more tracks; Looks like they're walking in tandem.... Yeah, there was a little dust up right here" Daryl pointed down to some kind of sweeps on the dirt
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, something went down" Daryl walked further in the trail and noticed a black piece of cloth, and picked it.... they both could recognize it as the blindfold Randall was having. His mind speeding up, Glenn wanted to conclude that he fought with Shane and escaped, but.... why taking the blindfold with him up to that point... why did he felt that they were tracking backwards when it was clearly not like it
"This is getting weird" he concluded uneasy, but the conversation ended when they heard some rustlings on the far end. They both hid behind some trees and with a whistle, Daryl threw him the flashlight. Being the one that had to confront him first, Glenn took a deep breath before turning around to the walking body he assumed was Randall, but when he lifted the flashlight.... what he found was something far from what he expected.
His first thought was 'walker' and the creature got on top of him, Daryl tried to shoot it, but missed and the walker drew his attention to him, that moment, Glenn took the chance to strike him down.... Daryl complimented him briefly, and with he panic moment gone.... they had a better look at it..... it was Randall.
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Eleanor huffed tired and grimaced in pain; she should have known better.... Shane was a cop once, of course he would know how to tie up somebody... And to use Randall's ropes....
She shock her head, trying to forget about the previous hours. She was still denying what happened; wanted to believe Shane just wanted to give her a fright and once he had what he wanted he would return and free her making her promise she would only do as he says..... And once she is free she would punch him in the face, and he would snap her neck just as he said he did with...
Her breathing quickened again and she pulled on the ropes, despite the pain..... It was getting cold, it got dark quite fast, and she could no longer see if someone was coming for her, or not. A dark thought crept on her mind. What he wanted.... what was it? She had an idea; a monstrous idea of what it was, and she even preferred to think that Shane would miraculously give into reason than going as far as her mind was going; after all, he was the only one who knew where she was, no one was coming for her.... no one would dare to come out in the dark, for her.... she was just...
Bait meat
She sniffed, and relaxed her body; she gave a tired sigh to the ground.... maybe Shane was already back, giving an elaborate explanation of how she died... or no explanation at all. Maybe Rick would be mad and would want to search for her, but it would be useless, Shane would know how to guide them away from her. Maybe Dale would be mad, maybe Lori too.... maybe Carl would cry.
She glared at the front.... and she vended her knees and tried to get up, she whimpered in pain but pushed further up.... until her feet gave in and she slid back down the tree, suppressing a scream of pain the best she could... huffing, frowning in front of her. She tempted to try again, but felt completely petrified; grunting and rustling could be heard, and she closed her eyes in desperation. She remained still, praying that the thing would just walk by, but the sound was only growing stronger in her ears; then, realization stroke her and she panicked.... her wrists were most probably injured, and the walker was smelling the blood on them... it appeared on her sight, and her breathing quickened against her will; what could she do against it? she was going to get bit....
Eleanor jumped and gasped when a gunshot pierced into the night and the walker fell in front of her.... a whole on his right temple; she turned to the direction of the sound, she shock her head and her eyes watered.... but she could hear her own nervous laugh under the cloth on her mouth.
From the other side, the gun trembled sightly on his hands. Carl huffed, his heart was beating full force. His face was a mix of confusion and horror, he let the firearm fall into the ground and ran over to the large tree; pulling out his small blade, he hurried to cut the ropes that were around her wrists. Eleanor tried to look behind and around her, trying to spot any more errant walkers, but as soon as she felt her hands free, she pulled down the gag and turned around the tree, pulling Carl into her arms.... she could still feel his elaborate breathing, and reached to caress his nape.
"It's alright..... it's good now..... thank you best friend... thank you" she whispered while he buried his face on her, taking a long trembling breath. She let go after and minute and Carl lifted his relieved face, but at the sight of her, he frowned.
"Where's Randall? He did this... didn't he?"
But before Eleanor could bring herself to answer, another gunshot pierced into the night.... and they both searched and alerted face.... before Carl sprinted out running.
"wait! Carl wait!?" she ran after him.
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Rick walked in front of Shane in a slow move, maybe like a sentenced man going to the scaffold.... and he hated how accurate that turned out to be. He was naive enough to believe Shane's words, and even follow his directions... he was so eager to find Eleanor, he was even searching Randall with the complete intention on killing him... but the hours passed, the cold wind of the night maybe cooled of his mind, refreshed his memory; reminded him that he was walking next to the man that killed Otis, let him die, as Eleanor said herself.... left him as bait. Then, almost instantly, his conversation with her came to his head... bait meat; a sudden feel of rage came over him and he tried to remain calm... he couldn't have.... could he. Rick stopped, and looked back and Shane, who was just behind him.
"So this is where you plan to do it?" Shane stopped behind him, and Rick turned around.
"It's a good place as any" Rick looked down and even he wasn't sure why, but kept walking, they reached a clearing on the hill... almost to the limits of Hershel's lands, and Rick turned around again.
"Why?.... Why now?" Shane's face was as cold as stone "I thought we worked this all out-" a laugh cut his words, it was Shane who was laughing.
"We tried to kill each other, man. What you think? We was just gonna forget about it?.... We gonna ride off into the sunset together?"
"So you're gonna kill me? .... so that you do what you want, and have what I have?! my family?!....... no" Rick shock his head in disbelieve "I know you......You won't be able to live with this--"
"What you know about what I can live with!? You got no idea what I can live with, what I live with!" cut Shane, he walked up tot he clearing and Rick backed away, his hand resting on his gun, even if he did back away.... Shane was close, far too close now.
"You really believe if you walk back onto that farm alone.... without us... You really believe they're gonna buy whatever bullshit story you cook up?"
"But It ain't no story, I'll not need one.... the only one that would doubt me is already gone-" a punch on his jawline stopped his ranting. Shane stepped back and touched his mouth, and sneered with a smirk. From the other side, Rick huffed.... completely out of himself; he had no right, he had no shame. Rick pulled out his gun in a fit of rage and Shane, instead of drawing back, snickered to Rick opening his arms.
"I know you can't do it Rick!?" he launched at him, and reached for the gun. They both tried to fight for it, and the piercing sound of a gunshot echoed through the air..... they both stopped.... but it was a lost bullet.
....a lost bullet.
A grunt and some gags were the next sound into the night, the first thing that fell to the ground was Rick's python.... while Shane looked at him, and down at his chest in disbelieve, his hands were soaked on his own blood the moment the large blade came out of his torso... he scoffed out blood... it was a pierced lung.
"this is you! not me!?" Rick screamed in pain and anger; Shane grabbed onto Rick's shoulders a he felt to the ground.... taking his last breath, chocking in silence, the life coming out of his body, and Rick kneeled beside him "why!? why did you do this!?....... to us! to me!?" he screamed between cries "you did this on yourself!"
He kneeled and looked down at now the moveless body of who was..... until now, his best friend, his work partner....his confident. He trusted him, he always did..... he wanted to take it back, he had to be stopped... as much as he was sorry... he was too dangerous.... mad, Rick thought he was going mad.
"dad?"
"Dale!.... Dale, please...." Eleanor ran beside Carl and kneeled over a figure that Rick couldn't see due to the tall grass.
He stood up, disoriented, he signaled at Eleanor and shock his head in desperation.... he didn't kill her, but he said he did. He put a hand over his mouth, the lost bullet; he never heard Dale, why didn't he say anything? Did he just arrive?..... He turned to look at his son, and he was even more confused.... he shouldn't be there, this wasn't what he was seeing.... how much did he see... a small desperate whimper from Eleanor brought him back to reality and, lifting his arm to reach for him, he began walking to them.
"Carl?..... you.. you should be back with mom" he began, he could see his small child looking back and forth, from Eleanor and Dale to him.... he felt so guilty.... he didn't know what to say.... how to explain it.
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"What did you do.... why are you here.... Dale" she whispered, he had a gunshot over his chest, right in his shoulders. he was loosing more blood than she would desire and she prayed it didn't bust any important vessel. She tried to reap her hoodie the best she could and use it as compress... and in between her bloodied hands, Dale's aged one came to rest, she looked up to him and she let out a whimper in desperation when she noticed the old man was calmly smiling at her.
A clicking sound alerted Eleanor and she lifted her face, she wide eyed at the horrible sight. Carl raised his gun and Rick froze in place, at first... Eleanor thought that he was pointing it to him, but then she noticed something stirring on the back..... she let out a sight imagining he managed somehow to survive.... but then, alarmed she realized they were all in danger.
"Carl.... put the gun down... it's- it's not what it seems" said Rick, clearly overwhelmed, but the little man didn't flinch.
"Rick!" said Eleanor and, the same moment Rick turned to look at her, Carl fired. The bullet pierced a walker Shane that was just taking his steps over to Rick, this one turned around to see Shane, now for ever unmoving.
"Rick we need to get Dale back as soon as possible, he's loosing blood" urged Eleanor, nodding and regaining control.... Rick walked over to them, he greeted his son with a pat and walked over to Eleanor, asking if she was alright.
"What happened to Shane? Where is the walker that bit him?" asked Carl
"Maybe it was the one who attacked me.... we can talk about this later" she ended, giving a little look at Rick, before lifting a half conscious Dale on their shoulders. Not aware of the shadows lurking from the trees, right behind them.
IT was reaching the forest that they noticed the biggest herd of walkers walking right behind them. They were coming in all directions, and by the time they reached the barn and the house from the woods.... soon enough, they'll be surrounded.
"What do we do, we have to tell the others" said Carl "Can we go around it?"
"No.. there is too many of them" Rick whispered back, and turned to look at Eleanor, they had Dale resting up against a tree, he came back to consciousness, but his breathing was elaborate. he grimaced frustrated as he kneeled beside Eleanor. "Dale there is still a few more steps to go... Carl and me will make a distraction so that you and Eleanor can reach the house"
Eleanor nodded and was ready to lift him, but he resisted
"Dale we need to keep moving"
"You know... that's not happening" he breathed, and Eleanor shock her head, she looked back at Rick and Carl, that shifted nervous
"Go.... I'll take him...." Carl was about to protest, not ready to leave Eleanor and Dale to their own "You have to put Carl save Rick!" Eleanor said in a more serious and decisive tone. after some seconds Rick nodded and grabbed Carl by the hand. He fought and ran over Eleanor
"I'll stay with you"
"You mother must be dead worried... and Rick has to help everyone escape" she began and Carl shock his head again "Dale and me.... we'll take another route... don't worry, I promise we'll make it..... you've got to trust me, you trust me... right" she smiled and Carl hid his face under his hat, but after a moment he nodded. Eleanor gave him a quick hug before urging him to go to Rick that took his hand and began running in between the walkers.
Some meters, that's how much they advanced. She could feel now the possible walkers that were surrounding them; she just saw Carl and Rick disappear in between the shadows of the barn and she could hear some gunshots coming from the house. It was when she saw the green Tucson in the distance, giving turns, that she felt a tugging sensation and her knees hit hard on the ground... she turned to a tired and hurting Dale. She helped him to seat for a moment beside a tree..... she was about to give him words of courage, when she felt something cold on her hands, she looked down.... Dale rested on her hands her pair of blades, she gave a tired smile and proceeded to put them on.... wondering why he didn't say anything earlier, of why she didn't notice..... When she reached down to lift him, her small smile disappeared, Dale offered his hand gun, and she tried her best to not show her frustration.... or resignation.
"You'll never have the chance to survive with me... at least like this, i can help you" began Dale, making a grimace in pain
"I still don't know how this makes me different from Shane" a little tear scaped her face and a trembling hand made it's way to her face, she caressed it.... while it's thumb cleaned the tear away
"You are doing it out of mercy.... a-and not s-self preservation" he countered and Eleanor wanted to restrain a smile, but failed "Don't ever change child.... don't let this world change who you really are.... promise me that"
"I promise...." she whimpered, letting go of the old hand, getting up and taking a few steps away.... the grunting were coming close, and she lifted the gun facing the old man, that grabbed his bloodied shoulder with difficulty. He closed his eyes and looked up, but that calm attitude only made her doubt.
She let her all the air of her lungs escape, before the echo of that single gunshot was lost among the many others. She stepped back, letting the gun fall, hiding her crying.... angry and desperate face on her hands, kneeling to make herself as small as possible.... while she cried she was sorry over and over.... she had Dale's face and memories printed on her mind, she had her mothers agonizing request to end her life echoing in her head again... how could she forget. It was the sudden fall of a walker next to her that brought her back to reality, that reminded her why was she there, and why she fired. Her fear made her take the gun and jump back, run away as fast as she could... searching for the barn.
The strong sound of a car engine alerted her and she cleaned her teary face the best she could.
"you 'kay?" Daryl aid, stopping the motorcycle beside her, she hurried to his side and mounted "good timing to join the fun"
"I need to find Carl and Rick, they went to the barn.... and a vehicle to take them" she said and Daryl signaled with his head to the tree
"That one has a key if you can reach it" he was talking about the RV, and Daryl stopped the motorcycle close enough without running into any undesired walker that roamed around there.
"We have to hit the highway again.... go back to everyone and tell them the same, grab a car and we'll meet all there" she said and Daryl bit his lip nodding with a grunt, and going away. More assured and focused, Eleanor made her way to the large car and got on it, just as she could see the barn catching on fire; she couldn't help but smile at the geniality and she accelerated to get there, imagining Rick and Carl would want to escape from the roof. She let out a relived huff when she could see two silhouettes coming from the window on the second floor, she made some small light signals and accelerated full force, hitting all the walkers making a path, and hoped she could ride away once Carl and Rick were inside, but the walkers were too many, and they were banging on the doors and windows.... feeling vulnerable, Eleanor reached the trap door on the roof and climbed through it just as the walkers were making their way inside the large car.... from the other side, a small pair of arms met her and Rick helped her to get up before they jumped down from the back and made their way to the house.
"Wait... where's everyone... where's mom" asked Carl confused, only Hershel remained, firing all the walkers he could, even if he was soon going to be overpowered. Eleanor looked around and noticed that only the red pick-up remained, and assumed that Daryl could well deliver the message to everyone... and they were on their way to the highway.
"They must have left, i told them the meeting point was on the highway" she answered fast, and Rick nodded, urging Hershel to move. Protesting, Carl obeyed and they four drove away in the red and last car, while Hershel looked back with pain and regret to what had been his home since he could remember..... being taken over by flames and dead bodies...
They arrived at the highway in the early morning.... the supplies they left for Sophia were still there, and the first ones to arrive were Rick and Eleanor. At first.... a sudden uneasiness stroke her... thinking that only they could make it, but minutes later, Daryl appeared with Carol in his motorcycle.... Then Glenn and Maggie on the Tucson, to Hershel's relief, and finally T-dog, Lori and Beth on the blue pick-up. Eleanor gave a small smile to her friends, and watched from a distance how the Grimes family greeted each other in happiness, before being pulled inside by them; she let herself have that moment of happiness, before sorrow.... sorrow for Dale, for Patricia that died being attacked by a transformed Jimmy, for Andrea that got lost in between the heard and they all assumed she was dead. She allowed herself to feel for the losses they suffered, and for the comfort that, even if they were few, they still had each other... she allowed herself that before the bitterness; the bitterness that came in the night, when they had nothing to eat or drink, when they camped in the cold night and when confessions were made.... confessions about the CDC, and the realization they were all infected, and it was just the simple matter of dying that would awake the virus in every single one of them..... confessions about Shane, and how he pushed Rick to kill him, how he actually planned Eleanor to die by the hands of a walker....... She swallowed that bitterness before came the resolution, Rick's resolution and command.... when he finally stepped ahead, ending democracy, ending disorder.... and taking leadership.
That morning, there have been happiness and sorrow; and that night, there had been confessions, bitterness and resolution. But at the end of the day, beside that dying fire, there had been something new, that was created. Among those who became strangers, among those who survived, a word of trust was created..... they were now a unity, they had each other... they had truth, they had strength.... and they would search for a future.
Trust
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