Chapter Text
“No. no way in hell” Liv whispers harshly, keeping her voice low so the group of three, two men and one woman, can’t overhear us. I had been about to agree to their request when she had pulled me aside, dragging me probably ten feet away and fixing me with a glare so formidable it would make anyone else quiver in their boots.
Instead, I match her fierce expression, lifting an eyebrow “they’re people, Olivia, they need help.” She knows I only call her by her full name when I’m serious. The three travellers had wandered into our campsite and seen our freshly hunted venison roasting on the fire. They’d told us they were starving, and needed strength to find their group, asking us to consider sharing our hunt.
To my girlfriend’s utter disbelief, I’d invited them to join us in a heartbeat, we’d shared a pleasant meal together, despite the icy disapproval raining down on me the entire time in the form of Liv’s glare.
“They’re strangers, Maggie” she huffs, “they could be infected, they could be bandits, we don’t know anything about them” she closes the distance between us and looks down at me, I see her eyes soften, I feel her palms come up and cradle my face. “I won’t put you in danger like that. I refuse to.”
I get a little lost in her chocolate eyes as she holds my gaze, pleading with me to let this go, to send the strangers on their way. I shake myself out of the state she puts me in “would you let them join you if I weren’t here?” I ask her, disbelieving.
She lets out a scoff “the only reason I’m even considering it is your ridiculous need to take care of every stray you meet” her face turns serious, and she places one hand on the small of my back, and another behind my neck, pulling me closer and burying her lips in my hair, gently kissing the top of my head. I know this move, it’s her last-ditch attempt to persuade me. She knows it makes me weak, but I know that it’s her last resort, that she’s close to giving in. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you” she continues, “I can’t lose you Mags”
I pull back and catch her eye, fixing her with a stern but sympathetic stare, “Humanity’s gone to shit, there are bad people out there. People who would abandon other people in need. I can’t be that person.” She stares at me for a few seconds, most likely gauging how committed to this decision I am, and how hard it would be to talk me out of it. A moment later she’s sighing in defeat, lifting my chin with her finger and leaning down to press a kiss to my lips.
“Okay.” She gives in softly, I beam, and the hard lines of her face soften slightly.
We’re on the last leg of a supply run, we’ll be back in the settlement within the week, four days before we’re expected back. We’re one of a group of five teams sent to find medical supplies and other things we can’t produce on our own at the settlement. We’ve been gone for two weeks, it’ll be nice to be within the safety of the settlement again, in our modest little hut, surrounded by friends. We’ve done well, we found a stash of meds in an abandoned ruin that I made sure was abandoned, I didn’t want to steal medical supplies from someone who might be coming back for them. These would help the settlement, peace of mind in case of accidents or sickness.
Olivia and I have known each other since we were babies, she was born three years after the outbreak, and I was born 2 years after that. We were close growing up, she had a sister who was closer to my age, but Abby and I never got along as well as Liv and me.
Our mothers were friends in the quarantine zone in Chicago, and us three girls were inseparable. When their family moved out of the quarantine zone when I was 12 and Liv was 14, it was like a piece of me went with her. 3 years later, my parents became infected and were shot dead by the military in the quarantine zone, after that I lost all faith in the government’s protection.
I managed to leave, travelling on my own for nearly six months with no skills or combat knowledge, using avoidance tactics to keep myself alive. Until I ran into some trouble that brought me back my best friend. I ran astray of some clickers and was rescued by a group of kind hunters, they offered to bring me back to their settlement for food and a warm place to stay.
Walking into the gate of the settlement made me feel uneasy, the large numbers of people reminded me of the quarantine zone that had claimed the lives of my parents, right in front of my eyes. ‘But this isn’t a government run zone’ I reminded myself ‘they’re a community.’
Suddenly, to my left, I hear a commotion and a familiar voice shouting. “wh--Maggie?... Maggie!” I turn at the sound of my name and am met with a dark blur and a crushing force that nearly knocks me off my feet. I can barely breathe when suddenly I’m pushed back and met with a face that I would recognise in a heartbeat, Long dark hair, dark almond shaped eyes the colour of chocolate. She’s a lot taller than when I last saw her, her face a little more defined, but it’s unmistakable. “Liv?” my voice is quiet with disbelief, she beams and pulls me back into another bone-crushing hug.
“I’m so fucking glad you’re alive” she breathes, placing one hand on the small of my back and another behind my neck, placing a chaste kiss to the top of my head. I lean back to look at her with tears in my eyes, hands on her shoulders, to get a good look at her “when did you get so tall!?” I estimated that the top of my head barely reached past her chin.
She grins down at me, “that’s not the only thing that’s changed pipsqueak” I can feel her flexing her biceps under my hands and I laugh pulling her in for a hug this time.
A voice interrupts our reunion, “Liv, I’ve got multiple reports of you assaulting someone in th—” the voice stops short when Liv moves to reveal me to the newcomer “Maggie?! Where in gods name did you come from?” I’m swept into another hug, one gentler, but no less exuberant than the last. “Abby” I sigh with relief at embracing Liv’s sister, fighting a mouthful of familiar frizzy hair, “it’s so good to see you. I’m lucky your hunters are so kind, they helped me out with some infected, offered to bring me here.”
“Infected?” I’m swept out of Abby’s arms and held at arms-length by Liv, “what happened” she demanded, “are you hurt? Bitten?” she turns to Abby with eyes of steel “where’s Reagan? She should look her over.”
“Liv, I’m fine” I try to placate her, “your guys checked me, no bites, a few scrapes and bruises”
“maybe food first, then a visit to the doctors” Abby, ever the calm negotiator, even when we were kids.
My dark featured best friend didn’t seem entirely placated, but uneasily agreed, trying to perform covert medical tests throughout dinner. I met Abby’s partner, Reagan, a cheery red-haired woman with delicate features who also happened to be the town doctor, who also kept shooting amused glances at Olivia’s worried fussing.
*****
Within a few months of my arrival Olivia and I were confessing our feelings for each other, it felt inevitable, like we were two pieces of the same puzzle fitting together. I’d been in the settlement with her for over two years now, at the ages of 20 and 22, we were as strong a couple as ever, despite our major personality differences. We were always in each other’s pockets, training together so often we knew every intricacy the other had to show. Our superb teamwork, and Liv’s insistence, meant that we were sent on missions together almost every time. The settlement, and Abby and Raegan and Nora, another close friend of ours, joked that our personalities balanced each other out, that’s what made us such a dream team.
******
After an afternoon of travel with our new companions, we stop to set up camp, it’s much quicker and easier with five people. I mention this to Liv with a massive shit-eating grin on my face, causing her to roll her eyes and smirk at me, placing a muscled arm over my shoulders, “I love when you get all high and mighty.” She places a kiss on the top of my head and moves to help one of our new friends, Kent, lift some firewood from the pile we’d accumulated. I let a secret smile grace my face as I get a good view of her ass.
An hour later we’re sitting in the warmth of the fire, my back pressed against Liv’s front. It looks like a sweet gesture, but it’s a compromise we’ve come to in light of sharing campfire light with strangers. Serving two purposes, this position allows her to keep me close and conceal a knife behind my back. She argues that it’ll be necessary if something goes sour and she doesn’t have time to pull out a weapon. The dark reason for the intimacy doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy it, I trace patterns on one of the knees that frames me and take stock of our company.
Olivia and I don’t just differ in personality, we’re physically different. I’m about 5’5 and stand much shorter than her 6’0, even after she stopped growing I never caught up. Compared to her dark features and straight, long dark hair, I’m olive skinned, with green eyes and light, chestnut hair that falls in waves down my shoulders.
Liv is built solid, she’s brute force, while I’m a little more subtle, unassuming, and specialise in figuring people out. I take the opportunity of calm to take stock of the people we’ve whose company we’ve found ourselves in. Kent, in his early thirties, is a strange man, quiet. He’s more than willing to do his part and his gruff mannerisms seem off-putting at first. But the way that he looks at his wife and talks about the daughter they have waiting for them at home fills me with warmth.
Mina, the woman in the group and the wife of Kent, is soft but conveys great strength at the same time. A similar age to Kent, she reminds me of an older version of Liv. Black hair framing her face, and hard muscle coupled with warm eyes and soft features. She shows her gentle nature more openly than the currently stoic woman sitting behind me, but Liv’s soft caresses against my stomach as she holds me against her show me she’s the same soft Liv that she is when we’re alone.
The other man, Alex, is significantly younger than his companions. He has a goofy aura and has been a great source of amusement throughout the afternoon with his quips in conversation and general light humour. Every time he makes me laugh, Liv makes a show of kissing me, or throwing an arm over my shoulder. This often results in Alex stammering, looking uncomfortable and moving away, much to Liv’s amusement.
I feel myself beginning to nod off between the warmth of the fire and the warmth at my back. Soon a hand squeezes my side gently. “get some sleep Mags, I’ll be on watch” Liv whispers in my ear and I feel her grin against the shell of my ear as her arms tighten around me. Darkness claims me, and I feel safe.
*****
The next morning, we pack up camp and set off as a group. “We won’t be tailin’ you much longer” Mina makes conversation through the journey; her slight southern twang makes me feel warm.
“You can stay with us as long as you’d like” I assure her, “god knows I appreciate the extra hands”
Liv chuckles from behind me, “don’t act like I don’t do majority of the work when it’s just us” over the course of the last two days of travel she’s begun to come out her shell, to trust, something I’m incredibly proud of.
I beam at her “what else are those muscles for?” She shakes her head but laughs good-naturedly.
“Either way, we’ll be going west in a ways’, prob’ly split apart some time tomorrow” Quiet Kent enters the conversation.
“That’s fine” I assure him, “you wouldn’t want to keep your daughter waiting” I reach over and grab Liv’s hand and she smiles fondly down at me. Out of the corner of my eye I see Alex’s eyes on our hands, he then looks at his feet, a frown on his face. My smile falters, but my hand is squeezed and I shoot a reassuring look at my best friend.
*****
That night, on account of breakfast and lunch that day, we’re out of venison from the kill Liv and I made a few days ago. A hunting party needs to go out to find something to eat, preferably finding something smaller and less time consuming to prepare than a deer.
Liv volunteers us for the job “Mags is a clear shot with a bow, she’s the hunter between us” she explains.
“Oh well that’s just perfect, Alex is learning to shoot a bow aren’t you honey?” Mina exclaims with delight, “why don’t you two go together, maybe Maggie can show him a few tips!” She turns to Liv, “and Olivia, Kent could use a hand with the firewood, why don’t you stay here and help with that?”
Liv colours, but I shoot her a look, and she instantly cools her expression, still looking uneasy. “I don—”“that sounds like a great idea” I smile “we don’t need three people hunting at once”
I’m on the receiving end of one of Liv’s signature glares but I ignore it, walking to her and pressing a firm kiss to her lips, “I love you, be nice.”
Her expression softens and she places one hand on the small of my back, one behind my neck and kisses me. Once on top of the head, once on the bridge of my nose and one placed firmly on my lips, “I love you.”
*****
Alex and I are walking back each holding two rabbits, I managed to improve his aim a little, but seemed proficient enough without my tutelage. We’ve been gone for probably about an hour and a half, and Alex has been acting noticeably shifty.
“So, you and Olivia seem like a pretty solid couple, that’s hard to find these days. How long have you two been together?” he asks, a hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
I raise an eyebrow and smile, trying to put him at ease “we’ve been best friends since we could crawl, but we reunited about two and a half years ago” I hum a little exasperatedly “sorry if she’s been a little intense, she’s protective, she insisted I learn to use a ranged weapon instead of close combat, keeps me out of danger she says.” He looks even more nervous at my words and I continue, unsure of what’s making him so uneasy. Maybe Liv said something to him, “she’s really sweet when you get to know her” I assure him.
I recognise a split tree trunk and know we’re almost back at camp, I think about warming myself by the fire but I’m startled when I hear a yell. Eyes wide, I race ahead and hear Liv’s voice. Pitched at a low growl, and the unmistakeable sound of pain laced through her tone, “Where the hell is she? what have you done with her?”
"Your partner is fine dear, we needed her out of the way. We’ve been watching you two for a while, you’re both skilled warriors.” I hear Mina’s southern twang and it doesn’t make me feel so warm anymore “the way you hover over each other, we needed to separate you, we need that medicine you’re carryin’, it’ll help the sick in our group, could save our daughter’s life.”
“We gave you the choice to hand it over, and ye declined” a gruff voice joined the conversation.
My eyes widen and I lurch forward, but I’m caught around the middle as a hand covers my mouth, muffling my screams, “I’m sorry” Alex’s voice sounds in my right ear. I fight to free myself but it’s no use, only a few yards away, I hear ragged breathing and the woman I love speaks.
“I’m not negotiating with you bastards until I see her”
“that’s a shame” the gruff voice leaks with feigned sympathy, and a gunshot sounds. I scream against my attacker’s hand and my rage sends me into a frenzy. I’m pure instinct, the only thing on my mind is getting to Olivia and making sure she’s safe. My arms are restrained but I manage to pull the knife that Liv planted in my belt and shove it into Alex’s leg. He releases me with a strangled yell of pain and I yank the knife from his leg to stab him in the neck, the blood that spurts out of him makes it clear that I hit something vital.
I let his body slump to the floor and pull my bow from where it fell, replacing my knife in its sheath and notching an arrow at breakneck speed, bursting through the trees that open to reveal the camp. Liv, my Liv, looks limp laying on the ground by the fire, in my rage I send an arrow straight at Kent’s chest and he drops like a sack of bricks. Mina sees me and lets out an enraged roar that twists her soft features into unrecognisable fury, she takes up a knife and moves toward me, I move to notch another arrow and hear a crack. I feel pain split across my right shoulder. It comes from behind Mina and it occurs to me that they may have backup, they said they’d been watching us, how long, how many were there.
My thoughts almost catch me off guard and I barely move out of the way as Mina’s knife sails toward my injured shoulder. She’s trying to take it out of commission so that my strength, the bow, is unusable. She misses her target, but I feel the knife slice the skin of my forearm. I don’t intend to give her the chance for a second attempt. I take another arrow, pain screaming in my shoulder at the motion, and attempt to surprise her. Instead of notching the arrow, I bring the sharp end down toward her neck. She screams as my improvised weapon makes contact and blood spurts out of the wound at an alarming rate. I’m grateful for Reagan’s boring anatomy lessons now, I know just where to hit to be fatal.
Once I know she’s not getting up, I look towards Liv’s still body, moving to make my way to her I freeze, the gunman. Rolling at the last second to make myself a moving target, a bullet sails past me, barely missing my head. I’d almost forgotten about him. Noting where the shot came from I notch an arrow and shoot into the darkness, I hear metal hit wood. Cursing, I notch another arrow and listen, planting my body in front of Liv’s. I hope that the he sees me as the most imminent threat and leaves her be. I use a technique taught to me by Liv herself, planting my feel and closing my eyes, feeling the forest around me, listening for signs of life.
I know that if Liv were conscious she would lose her mind at me for closing my eyes on a battlefield, where a gunman could line up a shot at any second. But the reality is that I’m exposed in the light of the fire, and the dark surroundings hide my attacker. I’m running blind anyway, and I need to focus if I’m going to come out of this alive.
A tree rustles slightly in front of me and on this still night I know it can only be my target, I raise my bow and shoot the arrow where I sensed the disturbance, a loud thump sounds a second later. I grab the knife from my belt and run toward the source, I barely notice the hand reaching for my leg. It’s Kent, the arrow lodged in his chest, heaving as blood runs out of his mouth. Still on autopilot, I don’t hesitate to slide the knife across his throat, he won’t last much longer.
Continuing into the treeline I find a man, I place him somewhere in his mid-twenties with sandy coloured hair. He holds his leg, an arrow, my arrow is lodged deep in the skin of his thigh. I slam him against the tree he fell from, my adrenaline fuelled rage giving me more strength then I knew I had.
“how many are you!?” I demand, holding the knife against his throat, close enough to draw blood.
“four! I swear, there’s no one else!” he pleads, his face contorted in pain.
“if you’re lying to me—”
“I swear, I’m not” he has tears streaming down his face, mixing with snot. I jam the knife into his throat, into his main artery, dropping his still twitching body and walking away.
I should check that the other bandits are dead, to make sure they don’t catch me off guard, but my eyes are only for the woman laying limp by the fire. I rush to her side and lean over her, pushing her long, dark hair out of her eyes to reveal her angular face. Tears begin to rush down my face as I find her unresponsive, I lift her head and shoulders and place them in my lap. Leaning over her, I check the rest of her body for the wounds I know are there. I find a stab wound to her stomach, I’m hyperventilating as I trace the horrible jagged edge of the wound. I don’t notice dark almond eyes opening and tracing my face. A search of her chest finds a bullet hole, right over her heart, her skin is turning ashy from blood loss and I’m frantically trying to balance her body, while compressing the two wounds I know are fatal.
A hand touches my face and I start, looking to the face of the woman I love, she smiles weakly as I catch her eye.
“Thank god you’re alive” she whispers, it looks like it takes humongous effort. “I love you. So much”
I begin to sob, breaths coming short, “Liv, please, I’ll get help, you’re gonna be fine. Don’t leave me, please” my thoughts are jumbled and racing as I work to stop the blood that coats my hands. At this point I don’t know if it’s hers, mine or our enemies.
Her grip on my jaw tightens and she tries to glare at me, her weak voice doesn’t match the idea of her that exists in my head “stop” she murmurs “are they all dead?”
I falter “I-, I think—”
“make sure.” A deep, ragged breath in “grab what you can and go. Do you understand me? get yourself back to the settlement. Abby, Nora, they’ll take care of you”
Her voice is growing weaker the more she talks and the blood that’s covering my hands begins to spill from her mouth.
“I’m not leaving you, please. I love you. don’t leave me”
I’m sobbing as I cling to her, I kneel for what feels like hours, feeling her heartbeat grow weaker. my face buried in her hair. Even when I can’t feel her heartbeat I refuse to let go, endless tears and murmurs of ‘I love you’ go unanswered.