#Aaron Raleigh x reader

[emisanemu]

I’m not even halfway done 😭

[mydarllinglover]

Alone || Mine

Previous

After the funeral, Carol had approached  Natalia, when Daryl had been distracted with getting his things ready.

She had been preparing herself to settle the tension between herself and the woman, and to ask her to join them, but Natalia was already a step ahead of her, she had already chosen that she would be accompanying them to the herd, but when she was asked why, she refused to give a reason, just that she needed it to end, once and for all, and that meant any way how, she needed to do her part.

Daryl, who still refused to say a word to her, had all but dragged the woman onto the back of his bike, whilst Carol and Aaron rode two horses.

Once they got to their destination, "parking" their "vehicles", Connie, Kelly, Jerry and Magna had appeared from the foliage.

"Hi." Daryl greeted them.

"Hey, D." Jerry replied. "Nat!"

"Jerry" She grinned, jogging forward to hug the man. "How's Nabila, and the kids."

"Y'know, like normal, heard what happened to Rosita and Archie, they alright?"

"They're... they're all good, I have a lot to thank her for." She nodded, before moving on to greet Connie, as well as Kelly and Magna.

"Let's get to it. Screw these freaks." Magna sighed. "I say that in Siddiq's honour."

"That's the spirit." Natalia looked around the woods, seeing if she could spot anything.

"Thanks for helping." Daryl thanked Connie, patting her on the shoulder.

She pulled out a notebook, preparing to give a reply.

Natalia couldn't see what it said, but she couldn't deny that she craned her neck to see.

"You okay?" Aaron peered at her, as they walked.

"Fine." She smiled at him, pretending to not even notice the two conversing.

It was nightfall by the time they had reached the new border, and with a heavy sigh, they crossed it.

Daryl had been the last person, waiting after the others.

At some point, Carol had drew her bow, seeming to have spot something, though no one really took notice, except for Daryl, as per usual.

"Hey. Wait." He called to her, spotting the bear trap. "Coulda lost a foot." He commented, when she had saw it.

"They laid traps. Means we're getting closer. I saw something over there." Carol said.

"Will you stop this shit?" Daryl asked her. "Please. You want her dead so bad, you don't even care what happens to you."

"That's not true." She denied.

"You never came off that boat." He shook his head. "It's been like talking to a goddamn ghost."

"I'm doing the best I can."

"You didn't have ta drag my wife along with this, she didn't needa be out here."

"She wanted to come." Carol corrected. "I didn't make her."

"Yeah, only cause she thinks she owes you, she blames Henry's death on herself, bin beating herself up about it all morning, causea what happened to Siddiq, with Dante. I know you went and asked her, specifically when I wasn't around."

"She's useful, Daryl. You've been forgetting that, for a while. She's skilled and she knows her way in a fight, better than most of us."

"Not anymore, she's not meant for it out here, anymore, hasn't for a long time."

"You underestimate her, she's still capable."

"Well, the way you bin acting, I don wan' her getting hurt in the crossfire." He stated, before heading forward, to join the rest, temporarily stunting Carol.

The sun had risen high when they reached a clearing, the place Mary had said the horde was, and yet, it was an empty field.

"God damn it!" Daryl cursed, turning away as though it was an offensive sight.

"Wait." Aaron told him.

"For what?" He asked.

"This doesn't mean Mary lied to us, alright?" He tried to reason. "They were protecting this place. T-They put a trap in the road as a deterrent."

"Yeah, from some hunter a decade ago."

"No, that thing was rigged more recently than that, and you know it." Aaron pointed out.

"You wanna stand around and figure it out?" Daryl challenged. 

"Look, the herd could have been here last week or yesterday."

"Or not at all." Natalia interjected.

"We!" He glanced at the woman. "Had an obligation to come check this out."

"Nah. Time to find Lydia. Let's go." He walked away, Natalia shook her head at Aaron in sympathy before also turning and leaving.

"She's our main priority." She reminded.

"You didn't have to snap at him like that, not in front of everybody." Natalia told Daryl, as they walked further ahead than the rest.

"What?" He grunted, trying to look for tracks.

"He was sure on this, and he had hope, its Aaron, you know what he's like, but you didn't have to shoot him down like that."

"I don' need a lecture, alright, we're looking for Lydia so we can get the hell back home." He finalised.

"Oh, how I wonder where our daughter gets her pessimistic attitude from." She sighed to herself.

They hadn't spoke again until they reached water.

"Lydia would have taken this river downstream." Daryl told the group. "Back to our side."

They followed, until they noticed that Carol wasn't,

"Hey, Carol. Let's go." Daryl called for her.

"You go on. I'll meet you." She told him, walking the other direction.

"Nope. We all stay together." He clarified, as though he was some chaperone on a school field trip.

She didn't back down though, so they changed course, following her.

Even when she darted through the tree's.

"Hey!" Daryl shouted, sprinting after the woman. "Carol!"

"It's Alpha, she's following her." Natalia shared, spotting the woman through the leaves as she also ran.

She had managed to pass Daryl, being faster than him, but he got the chance to catch up when she ran into walkers, taking them down, throwing them into the same hole they had passed all those months ago to find Henry and Evie.

"You alright?"  He asked, when she had thrown the last one down.

"Still got it." She huffed. "Come on. Carol's still going after her." Natalia reminded, carrying on.

Daryl had waited back though, checking for more to come, as they ran, Natalia led the rest of the group into the same walkway she saw Carol going through, though she froze when she heard it, the large chorus of walker groans.

"I think we found the herd." She sighed, as the others also stopped staring down at what looked like a hundred walkers. "Well done, Carol.

"Guess they did move them." Aaron spoke lowly.

"Y'know, it's kinda reminding me of both of my pregnancy reveals." Natalia commented, raising her brows.

That's when a loud collision sounded, Daryl rolling along the ground just above them, stopping just before the edge.

"Speak of the devil..." She sighed, whilst Jerry and Aaron helped him up.

"Pregnant?" Daryl sputtered as he got to his feet.

"No, you idiot. I said, I was getting flashbacks to both reveals." She gestured to the horde.

"Yeah, we got a way bigger problem than memory lane." Magna looked around the cave, and so did the others, without the hundreds of walkers, the cave was a danger, alone, it was small, cramped, could possibly collapse at any moment and there looked to be no way out.

"Uh. Hey, guys?" Jerry called over the noise of the walkers, looking up, bringing attention to Alpha, who was stood on a high ledge, holding an torch of fire.

Carol stared at the woman with pure hatred, the realisation that she had been tricked got to her, then... she just screamed, loud, agonisingly and long, letting out all the rage she felt, and Alpha left her to it, exiting the cave.

"Give me a boost, I think I can reach it." Magna said, staring at the platform.

"Maybe Natalia can give it a go, she'll probably be lighter." Kelly suggested, sizing everyone up.

"Pipsqueak?" Magna, assessed the small woman. "Yeah, she won't reach a thing." She then gestured for the three men to help her up, and spot her.

"Ouch." Natalia muttered to herself, halting back, letting the others help up Magna, as she dealt with the walkers that were able to climb above the others, getting pushed towards them. 

"Aah!" Magna screamed, losing her grip and falling to the ground.

"Damn. You okay?" Daryl asked, helping her up.

"I almost had it." She told him.

"Nah, it's too high, no one's getting up there." He said. "You risk breaking your neck."

"We could try hopping across." Natalia suggested

"What?" Aaron asked her.

"Look." She moved Daryl's hand, the one holding the flashlight, showing off the small platforms above the walkers. "Could use those to jump across." She signed as she spoke, her and Daryl had been learning it, as well as teaching the kids, they had decided to, after they met Connie.

"Nice." Daryl nodded, looking at her proudly.

"Wait. For real?" Kelly asked.

"Uhm, yeah, Unless you got a better idea." Natalia asked her. "I'll go first, follow my lead, but don't all bunch up, leave a spot in case I need to turn back."

"Wait, Nat, are you sure?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Just that... you know, you got kids."

"Yeah, so do you, and you, and you." She pointed to the men in group, who were all fathers. "Alright, ready?"

"Let's go." Daryl slightly squeezed her hip as she got ready to jump, flashing the light over her head.

"Follow after, If I want anyone watching my back, it's always gonna be you." She looked up at Daryl, speaking to him quietly.

"'M always gonna. Don't die." He murmured lowly.

"You either." Then she jumped, reaching the small rock, and the walkers instantly swarmed around her.

"She did it!" Jerry whooped at her success.

"Hey." She grinned. "Look at that, I'm so small, they can barely reach me." She looked right at Magna, who didn't seem at all impressed, but Connie was also smiling nudging her friend.

"Alright, baby, keep going." Daryl told her, moving the flashlight to show her next spot.

She moved up, letting Daryl take her previous space, as she jumped to the next, which was a bit more crowded, having to kick walkers away from her, as she moved around the rock, before running along a small pathway, stopping in a crook, catching her breath.

Natalia lightly threw her arms around Daryl when he sat beside her, kissing his cheek, as the others moved along, towards them.

"You alright?" He asked.

"We're still alive, is it weird that I'm kinda having fun?"

"Yes." He stared at her.

"I don't know, guess I kinda missed when my life was on the line, getting from point A to point B, that kinda stuff, I don't know." She shook her head looking around the cave. "Up there." She pointed, standing up and moving towards it, as Carol came flying towards them.

"Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on!" Aaron began shouting at Kelly, who had just jumped, but fell, hitting at walkers as she scrambled to her feet.

"Come on, I gotchu!" Daryl told Carol, as she prepared to join them.

Carol jumped, but had also skidded, falling and landing on her stomach, walkers reaching at her feet whilst Daryl pulled her up.

"Nice going, like a real knight in shining armour." Natalia commented at him completely not having her.

"Shut up." He scowled, when they were sure Carol was alright.

They then helped the rest over, making sure everyone was okay.

That was until one walker had clung onto Kelly's foot, but Jerry acted quick, using his large axe to chop it off.

"Hey, hand me that thing." Daryl told him, gesturing to the arm.

"Knock yourself out, dude." Jerry said as he passed it to him.

He had ended up turning it into a torch, using it to navigate as they made their way through the mine.

"Alright, I need you to stay here, alright, keep everyone together." Daryl told Natalia, passing her his severed arm torch.

"What, where you going?" She asked.

"Gonna go look around for a way out." He told her, as though that were obvious.

"Nuh uh, Connie, take this, I'm going with you." She handed the severed arm torch to Connie, following Daryl.

Should I even ask how we're doing on food?" Aaron asked Jerry.

"Not great."

"Food?" Kelly asked. "How long do you think we gonna be here?"

"Hey, no worries. Walkers got in here somehow. We'll get out." Jerry attempted to reassure her.

"I think we know exactly how they got here.  Alpha put them here. These are theirs. We have to assume we're not alone." Aaron theorised.

Connie signed to Carol, asking if she was okay.

"I'm fine. Just a lil winded." She replied.

"She's claustrophobic." Daryl answered, as they made their way back over.

"Why didn't you think about that before you got us all trapped down here?" Magna asked.

"Hey." Aaron told her, not wanting to start anything. "It's not the time for this."

"Why not, seems like we got plenty of time for this." She shrugged. "What the hell were you thinking, huh? Running off like that by yourself?"

"Because she doesn't think, she see's and she does." Natalia said. "That's Carol, to hell with the actual important stuff that's going on."

"Hey! We ain't got time for this shit." Daryl told them. "We got in this mess together. We're gonna get out of it together. Now follow me, I think I found a way out."

They had found a large "room" to set up camp in, sorting themselves out, plotting.

"What did you mean, when you said that this place reminded you of when you found out you were pregnant." Kelly asked, filling the silence.

"Long story." Natalia answered, as she layed on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"It's either that, or we can go back to figuring out who's to blame for all of this." Magna said, her tone sounded awfully sarcastic, though.

"Fine, It was a whole bunch of us, all the leaders, basically, we took a trip to a museum in D.C and they have, had this uh, glass floor, so you could look down at all the exhibits, though, at this point, the only thing you could see was dozens of walkers, and as I was walking along it, it started to shatter, which did wonders for my self- esteem , as you can imagine, and as I fell through, like a swinging pinata, Siddiq decided to radio in and tell me that I was pregnant... with twins." She recounted that time, around seven years ago.

"Wow." Kelly raised her brows.

"Yep." Natalia had closed her eyes, her head leaning on her folded arms.

"And the other time?" Magna asked.

"Oh... I didn't actually find out then, he did." She pointed at her husband, who was sat by himself, in front of a fire he had built.

"The story of Archie? We never got to hear about this, either." Aaron, who was beside Jerry, shared.

"Yeah, I wanna hear this." The large man grinned.

"Too bad, I don't feel like sharing anymore." She decided.

"But..." Aaron began to complain.

"I don't wanna talk about it, because instead of being with my 1 year old baby, I'm stuck in a fucking cave."

"You chose to come." Carol remined.

"No one mentioned a cave." She replied. "Or that we were gonna be here... for hours, with nothing to do... just waiting... for a stroke of luck, or death... hopefully soon, I'm not picky."

"She's kidding." Aaron assured Kelly, who was looking terrified by each passing word. "Nat... Nat tends to get morbidly sarcastic when she's either bored or scared. Right now, that's both."

"Naming your son Archie, is a lil on the nose, isn't it?" Magna asked, looking at Daryl.

"I didn't name him, wasn't even there when he was born." He sniffed, examining his knife.

"What do you mean?" Jerry asked.

"Birthed and delivered him, myself, just like the twins. Not bad for a pipsqueak, huh?" She opened one eye, glancing at Magna, who rolled her own. "And I named him after two of my best friends, father and son, just combined the first letter of their names though, Archie Carl."

"Natalia, you are the most terrifying person I've ever met." Aaron complimented her.

"Thank you, Aaron, it means a lot to be taken seriously."

They had sat in more silence, until Magna stood up, walking towards Daryl, with a limp.

"Hey. Hey... can I, Can I get matches?" She asked him.

"You should try to take it easy for a minute." He told her.

"I can't." She breathed heavily. "I need to do something."

He caved, handing her the box.

"Thanks." Magna said, as she accepted them, then walked away, then Carol sat beside him.

Natalia moved to lay on her side, her back to them, so she didn't have to unwantedly over-hear their conversation, she needed to rest, for her own sanity, but she really, really didn't want to die in this cave,

It was quiet for quite a while, before Magna had shouted at them.

"Skins!" She cried, and everyone was up in the second, running towards her.

Magna was trying to fight one off as more emerged.

One, a stocky looking man, had lunged at Natalia, aiming to stab her, but she managed to duck, knocking him on his ass, before stabbing her knife into his skull, she turned around and the others were doing the same, killing without hesitation.

Daryl stood back from his, looking around, whilst another came running at him from behind, but Natalia was quicker, throwing an knife into their head.

"Let's go." Daryl decided, turning in the way they had come from, bending slightly to retrieve Natalia's knife, wiping it on his trousers, handing it back to her as though it were a relay race.

They had ran into another room/spot.

Connie began signing in frustration.

"If we don't follow each other in the dark, we're gonna get split up." Kelly translated.

"She's right. We stick together." Carol agreed.

"At least we know there's a way out now." Aaron said.

"Yeah, but where?" Magna asked.

"I think they went this way." Jerry suggested.

"You see where they went?" Daryl asked him.

"Not exactly, but... I know a road sign when I see one." He shone his flashlight on an arrow, that had been carved into the rock.

Daryl followed it, and the rest followed him.

"Hey, come on." He hollered, reaching something that had caused him suspicion.

Connie shone her light into the crack, but nothing seemed to be jumping out at them, just a path.

"I'll go through." Natalia suggested.

"Naw." Daryl shut her down, instantly.

"I can fit." She argued.

"So can I, I'm going first." instead of giving her space to make her piece, he squeezed through the rock.

Natalia huffed, folding her arms in frustration, leaning against the wall.

"He loves you." Connie signed, nudging her. "And he wants to protect you."

"I don't need protecting, I'm fine to look after myself." She signed back, though hers was a lot slower as she remembered which word meant what sign.

"He knows that, but he's scared, and the best way he can deal with that is by taking charge."

She shrugged not knowing what to say, but feeling slightly defeated.

"Are you guys doing okay?"

"You seem to know more about my husband, then I do, these days."

"This is it." Daryl called, from inside the tomb.

Natalia was the first to move, pushing off the rock to go after him, letting the others follow after her.

"Hey, Nat?" Jerry called, from the back. "I'm really jealous of you, right now."

"I would love to trade, Jerry, obviously, after we get out this cave." She replied, back. "We're almost there, anyway."

She had reached Daryl, who was stood, staring at another hole, except this one wasn't walk through-able, they would have to crawl through it.

"Mine." Natalia decided, getting ready to climb in.

"Nat, no-"

"Nuh uh, this has my name written all over it, you can join the queue." She told him.

"I don't want ya doing that."

"And you think I want you to? Look, I can easily get through that, you're gonna struggle, and so is everyone else, I don't wanna wait behind you lot, besides, if it's a dead end, it's gonna take me half the time to figure that out, then it is you, so I'm going first."

"She has a point." Magna said.

Natalia saw the confliction on his face, and as he was about to speak his mind, she kissed him, briefly, giving her enough time to startle him and sneak into the hole, crawling through.

"Hey, you alright, back there?" Aaron called to Jerry, as the rest were crawling through.

"Yeah, sure, I'm just a 6,2ft dude that had trouble fitting into airplane bathrooms. Why wouldn't I be okay?" He grunted.

"Fair enough." Aaron nodded.

"Hey, quit your whining, I can see the end." Natalia called, "It's like, a hairs away."

"Who's hair are we talking about, before the twins, or after?" Aaron called.

"Don't get her started." Daryl sighed.

"Aaron, you know I don't like to talk about that, okay? It's a real sensitive subject for me." She admitted. "Hey, I'm out! Baby, come on!"

"I'm comin'" He breathed, crawling forward.

"It's so spacious out here, oh wow, come on, keep coming, the oxygen here is great."

Daryl came struggling out, then Magna, Kelly was after.

"I'm good." She told them, as she fell to the floor, despite Daryl helping her out.

Carol's breathing had gotten out of control, by the sounds of it, she was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, if she wasn't already in one.

"Carol! Carol!" Daryl shouted down the hole, trying to spot her in the very dim light.

"I'm here." She said, weakly.

"Hey, Carol, there's nothing to be scared about, alright, you're so, so close, just a little further." Natalia told the woman. "You've almost made it, and this is like the least scariest thing you've ever done, this is nothing compared to the thing's you've accomplished."

She was still struggling.

"Carol, I get your pain, okay, I understand, I understand it more than anyone could, okay, you know my daughter, my first one, before Evie, damn, when I lost her, I thought my life was going to end, and it did, it did feel like that, but then it didn't and I- I got to greive and I got to live a life that I could imagine her being a part of everyday, but yet, the vengeance I feel, that's never left me, to this day, I still wish I could cause harm over what happened to her, so I get your need to hurt Alpha, believe me, I do, but you're not going to get that satisfaction if you die in here, because you refused to move, but when you get out, I promise you, nothing on this earth will stop me from helping you see her bleed, I swear that on my life, but I need you to get out of that damn crawlspace, so we can drop that bitch and be done with this, with her stupid rules, and her meetings, all of it, so I need you to get the hell out, Carol."

"I can't." She whimpered. "I can't!"

"You can!" Natalia snapped. "You can, y'know why we named our daughter after you? Because you are brave, and you are strong, and one hell of a fighter, nothing stops Carol Peletier from getting to where she needs to be, nothing, because you are not scared of anything, even crawling through this, don't make us have named our child after someone who couldn't crawl through a damn tunnel, at least go down fighting, so we have a story to tell."

They heard movement, Carol was crawling through.

She felt a pat on her back, looking to her side.

"Thanks." Daryl muttered.

"I didn't do it for you, she needed a reality check, it's a long time coming." She smiled, reaching for his hand to hold.

When Carol had reached them, Natalia took the flashlight from her hands so that Daryl could help her out.

"Go ahead." She told him, as he carried her out of the cave

"I got you, I got you." He grunted, dealing with her weight.

"You did it." Natalia whispered to the woman, smiling, before turning back to the hole. "Right, three of you guys left, you got it."

"Hey, love the support, Nat, I really do, it's a nice change for you... but, just be quiet for a second." Jerry instructed, as something started whizzing.

"What is it?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron, man, be quiet." Jerry told him, as the whizzing continued.

Then was the sound of angry walker growls.

"Go, go, go! Go!" Jerry shouted, as Connie and Aaron clambered forward.

"Go, go, go!" Aaron tapped Connie, pushing her forward, faster.

Connie soon emerged, Natalia stepping back so she could climb out.

"Jerry, come on!" Aaron called back, as he also clambered out.

"Come on! Come on!" Daryl encouraged.

"Jerry, come on! You're almost there!" Aaron bellowed, when Jerry got to the tight bit.

"Guys! I'm... I'm stuck." He told them.

"Here, take my hand." Daryl said, reaching to grab for him.

Jerry groaned as he stretched himself tall, reaching for the other man.

"My feet! My feet! They got my feet! They're biting my feet! My feet!"

"Take your gear off!" Aaron suggested. "Take it off!"

He did as told, passing it forward.

"Come on, come on, give me your hand!" Daryl continued, as Jerry kicked at the walkers.

Daryl and Aaron were able to get a hold of him, pulling him out.

Natalia stabbed the walker that followed.

"You good?" Kelly asked, as they checked him for bites. "It's okay. They didn't bite through. You're good. It's all right. It's okay."

They all looked ahead, there was a small light, from up top, shining down onto the dark rock.

"Hey. Hey!" Magna called, standing up. "Look"

"Wait!" Daryl grabbed her around the waist, as she almost plummeted to her death, a large, dark void was just below.

Daryl tore off the arm of Natalia's latest kill, lighting it on fire and dropping it down, illuminating the horde just below them.

They had found another area, that had been boarded up with slabs of wood, Daryl had been the one to break through it.

The group walked through, silently, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did, and they hadn't found anything, either.

"Why are we standing around, just looking at it?" Magna asked.

"We got to be very careful." Kelly translated for Connie. "We take out the wrong piece, this whole thing's gonna collapse."

They took this in mind, as they looked for their exist.

"Alright, find something to dig with." Daryl told everyone, as they heaved and hooed.

"Hey, Aaron, can you help me with this?" Jerry asked, as they worked together.

"Yeah, yeah." He nodded.

"Kelly, what's that?" Natalia asked the young woman, seeing the box she had just uncovered.

"Look for yourself." She grinned, holding up a stick of dynamite. "Guys, look what I found!"

"Kelly! Uhm, that's great, but, that is dynamite, and unless you want to blow up into a million pieces, drop it!, like it's a new born baby!" Natalia demanded.

"What's going on?" Carol asked.

"Nothing, uhm, it's nothing, she thought she found something, but she didn't, it was just a cool looking rock." Natalia lied through her teeth, blocking Carol's view.

"But-" Kelly intervened, having dropped off her new find.

"Zup"

"No, but I-"

"Zup." Natalia repeated.

"But-"

"Kelly, go help the others, now." Natalia told her, pushing the girl around Carol.

"Nat?"

"It's fine, I don't wanna bore you with a rock, we haven't got time for that." Natalia walked away, quickly.

"Want to take a break?" Aaron asked Magna, as they lifted things around.

"I can rest when... when we get home." She replied.

"You in a hurry?" He pried.

"I just don't wanna hang out here any longer than I have to. Do you?"

"No, but... you barely rested, haven't eaten anything. You never stop."

"I didn't leave things good with Yumiko." She breathed, heavily.

"I'm sorry." He squeezed her arm in condolence.

"Me, too."

Daryl had found something, yanking at it hard, until it broke, falling to the ground with a cloud of dust.

"You okay?" Natalia asked, as he backed away, covering his mouth.

"Yeah." He nodded, "Fine, now." He pointed at the window he just opened up to the outside. "Come on, go." He gestured for Kelly to peep out."

"Just a little more." She told them.

"Where's Carol?" Daryl asked, as the others gathered around the exit.

"I have an idea," Natalia grumbled, heading towards the now rifled through, box of dynamite. "For fuck sake." She sighed, heading back to where Carol would be.

When they had found her, she was hanging of the edge of the rock, right over the horde, struggling to get up.

Natalia had been the one to go to her, she didn't trust Daryl getting over the rocks.

"Carol, come on." She held her hand out for her. "Just grab my hand, okay? I'm right here."

Carol latched on, and together, they were able to get her up.

"You okay?" Natalia asked, as they still clung to each other?

"We can take out half her horde from here." Was Carols reply.

"And that's worth risking your life for?"

"She killed my boy." Carol broke down.

"I know, Carol, and I am so sorry that she did, but this? You just can't do this, you can't live your life suicidally, he would never want that, you can't let his death be in vain, cause then, then she would win, and you can not let her win, we need to make her pay, this? She can always get more walkers, and she'll just double it next time, no, you need to do what she did to him, to them, you need to take her head, and that's when it stops, that's when this ends, and you can't do that if you're down there. Come on."

Natalia went to move back, and she thought Carol would too, but then she reaching for the stick, dropping it, and they both watched in horror as it fell into the horde.

"Hey! Come on!" Daryl called to them to come back, as the walls around them shook.

"She- She's bleeding." Natalia wheeped, as they reached Daryl, blood was dripping down Carol's face, it was all she could see.

"So are you!" He told her, grabbing hold of her, just as Connie and Magna came, helping support the two.

"Come on! Come on! Hurry!" Magna rushed them towards where Jerry was holding the support beams, by himself.

"I can't!" He grunted, struggling with the weight.

Magna helped Natalia stand, whilst Daryl squeezed her arm.

"You keep her safe, you get her out of here, Imma help from up there." He told her, squeezing the woman's hand again, before darting to the top.

"Give me her hand, I'll pull her up!" Daryl shouted down, when he was ready.

"No, no she goes first, she's bleeding." Natalia urged.

"Nat, so are you!" Magna told her.

"She's bleeding, get her out of here!" She pushed, hitting Connie to get Carol to move.

Connie helped push Carol up, as more rubble fell down.

"We've got more skins!" Magna cried, letting Natalia stand on her own, so she could fight.

Jerry screamed in agony refusing to let go.

"Get outta here!" Magna cried.

"I- I gotta help" Natalia, who was going considerably pale, stuttered, looking for her knife.

"Nat, I love you, but you need to get the hell out of here, before I drop this on you" Jerry told her.

"Hey, come on!" Daryl shouted down.

"But they're-"

"Go!" Jerry screamed at her. "Daryl, your wife, she ain't looking so great, you're gonna have to help her!"

"Nat, baby, come on, just give me your hand!" Daryl told her desperately.

She caved, staggering up, and as soon as they caught sight, Aaron and Daryl yanked her up.

"She's bleeding, real bad." Aaron looked at Daryl nervously.

"Jerry, come on man!" Daryl ignored it, wiping at the blood coming from a large gash on Nat's hairline, dripping down her face.

"We gotta help them" She almost whispered, reaching down as, they tried to pull her away, whilst Jerry climbed up.

They had three seconds to run before the mine exploded, sending a large thick cloud of dust into the air.

The group coughed as they got their barings.

Daryl looked around him, but he couldn't see her, he could've sworn she tried to pull away, but he held on to her, he did, right, he pulled her back, so why wasn't she by his side?

"Nat? Nat! Natalia!" He called, running to the rubble, turning over the rocks. "Nat? Nat, baby, where are you?"

He threw the rocks, as more dust clouded his vision.

"Natalia!"

"No!" Kelly cried, realising that her sister hadn't emerged from the mine, neither had Magna, but he couldn't focus on that right now. "No! No! No!"

"Nat, baby, where are you, please." He begged, as he searched.

Aaron had helped him, then, he found her.

"Daryl..." He said, his voice shook. "Daryl... I- I found her."

He turned in a mili-second, almost running to the man, until he froze, staring at her body, her unmoving body.

"Daryl...." Aaron whispered, as he darted to her.

"Nat?" He threw the large plate of rock that was over her arm, now, it looked out of place, her wrist was bent, he could've sworn that was her bone sticking out.

Her eyes were closed, there was a slash across her cheek, her head injury looked more and more bloody, her skin, that he could see under the dust, was ghost pale.

Daryl held her, her head fell down as his arm supported her neck.

"Nat, baby..." His voice was weak, he layed his head on her chest, listening for a heartbeat. His own fluttered when he could hear it, weak and soft, but there, her pulse was near enough the same, but she was still alive. "Help me!" He shouted to Aaron. "Help me!"

"Daryl-"

"Help me! She's alive! She's-... she's alive, just, just help me, please!"

"This blast is gonna call walkers and Whisperers from a hundred miles from here!" Kelly yelled, staring at the wreckage, from where her sister was buried in. "We don't want our backs pressed against this mountain when they come. We can't save her if we're still here, and we can't save them if we're dead."

"She's- we're, help... help- we're gonna get help, and they're gonna, they'll" Daryl could barely make out his sentence, his eyes welled up as he held Natalia tightly, lifting her off the ground.

"Go ahead, say it to me." Carol

whimpered, clinging onto his arm, but he shoved her away. "I deserve it. Just say it to me. She's going to die because of me. You were right about everything. Just say it to me."

He struggled to get past her again, but she grabbed him once more.

"No, please." She wailed. "You care about her. You've loved her for so long. And now she's going to die because of me. Please, just say it! Please say it!"

He ignored her, turning back to Aaron and Jerry.

"Take her. Go home and get her help, you... you'll get her there. Evie, Rosita, they can help her." He walked towards Jerry, who met him half way. "You... you protect her, you keep her breathing till she can get help." He told him, not giving her up yet.

"I will, Daryl, I will." Jerry looked at him sincerely. "All of us will have to have been dead before anything could happen to her."

Daryl looked down once again, even like this, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever graced his eyes on.

His lip trembled as he took her in, leaning his forehead on hers.

"You stay alive" He whispered. "You stay alive for Evie, For Daisy and Bambi, for Archie, and for me. God damn it, you stay alive for me, Natalia Isabelle Dixon, you fucking stay alive... I love you." He kissed her forehead before letting the large man take her, gently, he made sure she was safe and comfortable, even if she was unconscious, before he turned away, passing Carol without acknowledgement, once more.

"Tell the others we found the horde." He told the group.

"Where you gonna be?" Aaron asked.

"They got out before us." His voice shook, as he fought back tears. "There's gotta be another way in." He needed to stay busy, there was nothing he could do for Natalia, and he'd lose the strength to not hurt Carol if he stayed around, he needed to stay busy, and away.

Jerry walked in the direction of home, holding onto Natalia tightly, muttering words to her every so often, to remind himself that he wasn't holding a dead body, no matter how it felt, Kelly walked in his shadow, whilst Aaron limped behind, focusing on getting home, focusing on getting one of his best friend's back so she could stay alive.

They left Carol.

Next

[eurusholmmes]

Be Peaceful| Aaron Raleigh

Prompt: You are Aarons best friend, his moral support, his grounding compass. So when you are one of the few to push through the firefight against the Saviors, the last thing you expect to see is your best friend collapsed in the middle of the road as he watches the corpse of the one he loves amble away. 

- Ross Marquand was the best part of the entire episode last night, and Aaron is one of my favorite characters so in all honesty.. I felt like I owed him this. I hope you guys enjoy it!

You hear him before you see him. That’s the tendency with Aaron - because he is so vocal about things, especially when he’s passionate about a certain issue. You’ve known Aaron Raleigh well before The Apocalypse blasted the planet into oblivion, and you were constantly thanking whatever God was left that you’d been gifted with such a selfless, compassionate man as your best friend. 

The air reeked of blood, the taste pungent against your cracked lips as you emerged from the dense smoke that had gathered during the fire fight. Inhaling deeply, you allowed your lungs to take in clean air as you surveyed the extent of the damage. Corpses of the fallen had now risen to feast on those who had been rendered unable to reanimate.

But oh.. you could feel the pain radiating off of him. 

Your feet felt as if you were dragging lead blocks behind you, each step heavy as you slowly made your way down to the gates of the outpost. In the distance there was a fresh walker ambling away, wearing faded clothing now coated in blood. It was the familiar shade of reddish blonde that stole your breath away, because almost immediately you knew that walker was Eric. 

And the painful, agonizing, heartbroken screams were definitely coming from Aaron. 

Grief was not a luxury for you. You had been through enough both before and during the end of the world that bottling up your emotions was a common occurrence for you. And while you wanted nothing more then to break at the sight of one you loved now torn away.. You had to be strong. 

You had to be strong for Aaron. 

You whipped around and tightly gripped the bottom of your rifle, eyes snapping upward to meet those of Eric Raleigh. “If anything happens to me, you keep him safe. You don’t let him wallow in his grief, and don’t let me dying change him. You know..” The red head swallowed thickly as his trembling hands struggled to keep a firm grip on his weapon. “You know what kind of man he is and how rare that is.” 

  “Eric-” 

  “Promise me!” 

You should’ve known that you would have to make do on your promise. 

Aaron inhaled sharply as tears fell from his eyes, vision blurred as he barely registered the familiarity of light fingers gliding across his shoulder blades to wrap loosely around his torso from behind. “He-” He rasped, voice hoarse as his knees threatened to buckle at the weight of his grief. “Y/n.. E-Eric-”

You gently hushed him and wrapped your arms around his neck, taking the opportunity to hide your face in the crook of his shoulder. His head fell to your own almost instantaneously, the sheer power of his heart broken sobs wracking his body as he molded perfectly into your own. 

Almost as if he were willing himself to hide in the safety that was your arms. 

Ever since the two of you had met, that’s what you were. When there was no home, you were each others home. The moral compass. The voice of reason. When Aaron had initially come to Alexandria and met Eric, you had pulled away when realizing just how much he really cared about him, deeming it necessary to find someone else to rely on. 

Of course he wouldn’t let you. That was who Aaron was. Hard headed, compassionate, intelligent, fully loving of all people. Aaron Raleigh. If he loved you, he was going to love you with his entire being. 

  “Sh. I know.” You whispered, fingers carding through his curls as you gently guided him away from the path and back towards the blockade of vehicles that hadn’t been damaged in the firefight. “That’s not him anymore, sunshine. That’s not Eric.” 

  “He-He didn’t deserve-” 

  “You’re right. He didn’t deserve that at all.” You lead him to the front of the outpost where Rick and Daryl had claimed they would meet the rest of you afterward to regroup and reconvene back in Alexandria. “But you know what he did deserve? The way you felt about him. Eric was grateful for everything you ever did for him, Aaron. You were a good.. are a good man.” Your fingers slowly came up to cup the side of his tear stained face, glassy cerulean eyes now locked with your own as you managed a weak smile. “This is something that should fuel you to continue through the rest of this fight against the Saviors. If it’s time to go.. It’s okay.” Your other hand rested against his jaw as his lips grazed your forehead softly. “Be peaceful.” 

When he died, all things soft and bright and beautiful would be buried with him. 

- Madeline Miller 

[castielli]

How to request:

Send your request featuring the character you want, the plot (+ANGST, FLUFF…) and anything I need to know about the reader. I write MALE READER only

MASTERLISTS:

MOVIES/TV SHOWS

KDRAMA/KPOP

OCs PROFILE:

@nathan-ocs

Fandoms I write for under the cut!

——————————————

(a -> z)

BARBIE

Allan

Ken (Ryan)

Ken (Simu)

BROOKLYN99

Jake Peralta

Terry Jeffords

All the others (platonic only)

CALL OF DUTY (MW/WWII)

Alejandro Vargas

Alex Keller

Drew Stiles

Frank Aiello

Gaz Garrick

Ghost Riley

John Price

Joseph Turner

Phillip Graves

Red Daniels

Robert Zussman

Rudy Parra

Soap MacTavish

Vladimir Makarov

William Pierson

CRIMINAL MINDS

Luke Alvez

Penelope Garcia (platonic🫶)

Spencer Reid

DETROIT BECOME HUMAN

Connor

Gavin

Hank

Josh

Luther

Markus

RK900

Simon

DIVERGENT

Caleb Prior

Four

Peter

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Albus Dumbledore

Credence Barebone

Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen)

Newt Scamander

Theseus Scamander

FNAF (movie)

Mike Schmidt

Steve Raglan

GLADIATOR I / II

Caracalla

Commodus

Geta

Lucius Verus

Marcus Acacius

Maximus Decimus

Ravi

HARRY POTTER

Cedric Diggory

Charlie Weasley

Draco Malfoy

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Neville Longbottom

Oliver Wood

Percy Weasley

Remus Lupin

Ron Weasley

Seamus Finnigan

Sirius Black

Tom Riddle

Viktor Krum

HUNGER GAMES

Cato

Coriolanus Snow (young)

Finnick Odair

Gale Hawthorne

Haymitch Abernathy

Marvel

Peeta Mellark

Sejanus Plinth

LA CASA DE PAPEL

Berlín

Denver

El Profesor

Palermo

Río

MARVEL (Avengers/X-men)

Alex Summers

Bobby Drake

Bruce Banner

Bucky Barnes

Charles Xavier

Clint Barton

Deadpool

Druig

Eddie Brock

Erik Lehnsherr

Hank McCoy

Ikaris

Jake Lockey

Loki Laufeyson

Marc Spector

Matt Murdock

Mobius M. Mobius

Peter Maximoff

Peter Parker (Tom/Andrew/Tobey)

Peter Quill

Phil Coulson

Pietro Maximoff

Quentin Beck/Mysterio

Sam Wilson

Scott Lang

Scott Summers

Shang-chi

Stephen Strange

Steve Rogers

Steven Grant

Thor Odinson

Tony Stark

Wanda Maximoff

Wolverine

MAZE RUNNER

Gally

Minho

Newt

Thomas

NCIS

Jimmy Palmer

Nicholas Torres

Timothy McGee

NOW YOU SEE ME

Chase McKinney

Dylan Rhodes

Jack Wilder

J. Daniel Atlas

Merritt McKinney

RIVERDALE

Archie Andrews

Chic

Fangs Fogarty

FP Jones

Hiram Lodge

Jughead Jones

Kevin Keller

Moose Mason

Reggie Mantle

Sweet Pea

SCREAM

Billy Loomis

Casey Becker

Dewey Riley

Randy Meeks

Sidney Prescott

Stu Macher

Tatum Riley

SHAMELESS

Carl Gallagher

Ian Gallagher

Kevin Ball

Lip Gallagher

Mickey Milkovich

SHERLOCK

Greg Lestrade

Jim Moriarty

John Watson

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

STAR WARS

Anakin Skywalker

Finn

Kylo Ren

Luke Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Poe Dameron

STRANGER THINGS

Billy Hargrove

Dimitri

Eddie Munson

Jason Carver

Jim Hopper

Jonathan Byers

Robin Buckley (platonic)

Steve Harrington

SUITS

Harvey Specter

Mike Ross

SUPERNATURAL

Bobby (platonic)

Castiel

Chuck

Crowley

Dean Winchester

Sam Winchester

TEEN WOLF

Aiden Steiner

Corey Bryant

Danny Mahealani

Derek Hale

Ethan Steiner

Isaac Lahey

Jackson Whittemore

Jordan Parrish

Liam Dunbar

Mason Hewitt

Peter Hale

Scott McCall

Stiles Stilinski

Theo Raeken

THE BOYS

Billy Butcher

Frenchie

Homelander

Hughie Campbell

MM

Soldier Boy

THE BOYS IN THE BAND

Alan McCarthy

Bernard

Cowboy

Donald

Emory

Hank

Harold

Larry

Michael

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (I still need to finish the last seasons🥱)

Ben Hargreeves

Diego Hargreeves

Klaus Hargreeves

Luther Hargreeves

Number Five

Viktor Hargreeves

THE WALKING DEAD (+TELLTALE GAME)

Aaron Raleigh

Abraham Ford

Daryl Dixon

Doug

Dwight

Eugene Porter

Glenn Rhee

Kenny

Lee Everett

Mark

Morgan Jones

Negan Smith

Paul Jesus Rovia

Rick Grimes

Shane Walsh

Simon

Spencer Monroe

The Governor

WHITE COLLAR

Clinton Jones

Mozzie (platonic)

Neal Caffrey

Peter Burke

911 (and LONE STAR)

Bobby Nash

Carlos Reyes

Eddie Diaz

Evan Buckley (Buck)

Howie Han (Chimney)

Jud Ryder

Mateo Chavez

Owen Strand

Paul Strickland

TK Strand

CHRISTIAN BALE

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

PEDRO PASCAL

Agent Whiskey (Kingsman)

Dieter Bravo (The Bubble)

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

Francisco Morales (Triple Frontier)

Javi Gutierrez (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)

Javier Peña (Narcos)

Joel Miller (TLOU)

Marcus Moreno (We Can Be Heroes)

Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones)

Silva (Strange Way of Life)

I WON’T WRITE:

-Smut (for anyone)

-R*pe

-Female readers/GN readers

-Suic*de

-inc*st

-Crossdressing

-Romantic/Suggestive stories for underage characters (only platonic, basically)

If the character you wanted to request is not on the list, you can try and ask me anyways.

[wakatoshislovebot]

rules

fandoms/characters:

attack on titan

➸levi ackerman

➸jean kirstein

➸mikasa ackerman

blue period

➸takahashi yotasuke

criminal minds

➸aaron hotchner

➸spencer reid

demon slayer

➸any character except shinobu, tamayo, yushiro, and nezuko

final fantasy vii

➸reno sinclair

haikyu

➸tobio kageyama

➸wakatoshi ushijima

➸hajime iwaizumi

➸kei tsukishima

➸kenma kozume

➸tooru oikawa

➸osamu miya

➸atsumu miya

➸i can do more haikyu characters i'm just most comfortable writing for the ones mentioned above

jojo’s bizarre adventure

➸any character except those from part 7 & 8

jujutsu kaisen

➸literally any character except for the newer ones from the culling games arc

kuroko’s basketball

➸atsushi murasakibara

➸taiga kagami

my hero academia

➸katsuki bakugo

➸shoto todoroki

➸tenya iida

obey me!

➸beelzebub

➸mammon

➸lucifer

➸diavolo

ouran high school host club

➸takashi morinozuka

➸kyoya ootori

➸kaoru & hikaru hitachiin

pacific rim

➸chuck hansen

➸raleigh becket

requests:

~I won’t write smut anything(just because I suck at writing it not bc it makes me uncomfortable), yandere, incest, rape, pregnancy inserts, age inappropriate stuff, and anything that could be considered ‘dead dove do not eat’.

~reader x character only please(character x reader x character is okay!).

~i try to write to make the reader gender neutral as i don’t know how to write for a male reader so I will only do gn or female.

~i am not obligated to do your request especially if it makes me feel uncomfortable or uninspired.

~please give a story description or prompt you want.

~don’t give me criticism on headcanons, if you disagree keep it to yourself(my headcanons aren’t facts) :)

[lukesmachete]

info dump abt the blog

a lil more abt me

i’m a minor, i use he/him, i play the piano, fictional characters are my escape from the painful reality by getting so immersed in their painful reality i forget abt the real one

i don’t really feel comfortable using my real name on here so just call me luke

dni: incest/pedo shippers, negan apologists, ne*gie shippers, proship, all the usual dni’s

edit acc: @lmsedits

what i’ll write (note that i’m an extremely slow writer pls forgive me for that):

♥️ - canon x canon ships

♦️ - x reader (reader gender doesn’t matter unless specified, might be bad)

♠️ - platonic ONLY

(platonic is always open for any character listed here)

intense (like fights or other stuff like the 10 of hearts game)

angst

hurt/comfort

hurt/no comfort

fluff

aus

headcanons (bulleted list)

death

fics w/o any real plot (character dependent)

drabbles (100-400 words)

ficlets (500-1000 words)

oneshots (1100-3000 words, will prolly change the max)

what i won’t write:

suicide/self harm (thoughts are ok as long as it’s not too graphic)

sexual content

very detailed gore (unless it’s negan)

incest

pedophilia

aging up characters so they can get with adults (i.e making carl 18 so ce*an isn’t pedo)

fandom list & the characters i’ll write for:

~~ the walking dead (tv) ~~

glenn rhee (♥️ (x maggie only))

maggie rhee (♥️ (x glenn only))

hershel rhee (♠️)

enid rhee (♥️, ♦️)

tara chambler (♥️, ♦️(f reader only))

carl grimes (♥️, ♦️)

rick grimes (♥️, ♦️)

judith grimes (♠️)

michonne hawthorne (♥️, ♦️)

daryl dixon (♠️)

paul ‘jesus’ rovia (♥️, ♦️(m reader only))

aaron raleigh (♥️, ♦️(m reader only))

rosita espinosa (♥️, ♦️)

alden sutton (♠️)

ron anderson (♥️)

~~ alice in borderland ~~

arisu ryohei (♠️)

usagi yuzuha (♠️)

chishiya shuntaro (♦️)

tatta kodai (♠️)

kuina hikari (♦️)

karube daikichi (♦️(f & gn reader only))

chota segawa (♠️)

takeru danma | hatter (♥️)

morizono aguni (♥️)

other beach executives depending on the fic

~~ brooklyn nine-nine ~~

jake peralta (♥️)

rosa diaz (♦️)

amy santiago (♥️)

raymond holt (♥️)

kevin cozner (♥️)

terry jeffords (♠️)

charles boyle (♠️)

gina linetti (♦️)

norm scully (♠️)

michael hitchcock (♠️)

~~ squid game ~~

seong gi-hun (♠️)

ali abdul (♠️)

hwang jun-ho (♦️)

hwang in-ho | the frontman (♠️)

kang sae-byeok (♥️, ♦️)

ji-yeong (♥️)

~~ the walking dead (game) ~~

clementine (♥️, ♦️)

louis (♥️, ♦️)

javier garcia (♥️, ♦️)

gabe garcia (♥️, ♦️)

mariana garcia (♠️)

lee everett (♠️)

luke (♥️, ♦️)

paul ‘jesus’ monroe (♥️, ♦️(m reader only))

~~ all of us are dead ~~

lee su-hyeok (♥️, ♦️)

lee cheong-san (♠️)

choi nam-ra (♥️)

yang dae-su (♠️)

basically every other major character except gwi-nam

~~ gravity falls ~~

dipper pines (♠️)

mabel pines (♠️)

stanley pines (♠️)

the author | stanford pines (♠️)

wendy corduroy (♦️)

soos ramirez (♥️)

robbie valentino (♠️)

waddles the pig (♠️)

melody (♥️)

bill cipher (weirdmageddon only)

requests must include:

character(s), fandom, relationships, plot

what au it is (if an au)

if reader insert, the reader’s gender, what they’re like, their relationship dynamic w other characters, etc (note that i’m not experienced in any way at reader insert)

further details abt the story is much appreciated

last updated: march 5, 2022

[crashdevlin]

Zed Word: Ch. 2 Carpe Diem

Zed Word Masterlist

Author’s Note: Originally posted to ao3. This was inspired by a series of tweets between Jeffery Dean Morgan and Jensen Ackles…. Sam and Dean never found John, but everything went the same way anyway until Season 5. Adam never said ‘yes’ to Michael. The fight at Stull Cemetery never happened but Lucifer (jumping from vessel to vessel ‘cause Sam wouldn’t say ‘yes’) and Pestilence managed to infect everyone with Croatoan, turning everyone into zombies when they die. The boys have traveled the apocalyptic landscape killing zombies and saving people ever since.

Summary: Reader has been living in Alexandria since Daryl saved her life. When she ventures out of town for the first time in months, Sam and Dean save her life and she takes them back to Alexandria, a town on edge since Negan showed up. Dean takes an instant interest in the woman, and when Negan shows up again, he does, too.

Pairing: Dean x Reader, Negan x Reader

Story Warnings: Kidnapping, torture, Non-con/dub-con, unprotected sex of a forced nature, pregnancy, mentions of abortion, PTSD, *THIS IS A DARK FIC*

Chapter Warnings: Kidnapping

Eric walked in halfway through the sermon (one about faith in the face of overwhelming odds and humility after surpassing those odds) and stood next to you. You could see him appraising Dean from the sidelines as Gabriel preached. "He's super cute." He whispered.

"Told you."

"You still need a wingman?"

You scoffed. "You know, I don't think I do. He was flirting with me. Even I can't deny that's what he was doing."

"Ooh, good for you! Is he coming to pasta night?"

"They both are." You cast your eyes to the front of the room and smiled politely at Gabriel, who was looking at you and Eric with disappointment.

"Well, I got your water started. You'll just have to kick it up to high when you get home." He winked and walked to the back, sitting in a single empty chair.

After Gabriel wound down the sermon, everyone stood and greeted each other. Eric walked up and smiled at the men. "Sam, Dean, this is Eric Raleigh."

"And do you two have surnames?" Eric asked, shaking their hands.

"Winchester. Like the rifle." Sam responded.

"Ooh. That's a name. Well, I will see you at the house for spaghetti, right? You can meet Aaron."

"Yeah. We'll be there. Who are we to turn down a home-cooked meal?" Dean put his hand on your shoulder as he spoke. You froze and Eric definitely noticed.

"It's actually pretty amazing what this girl can do with canned tomatoes and dried pasta. She's had that that sauce going for hours."

You rolled your eyes and pulled away from the men. "Okay, y'all, let's... head back to the house."

"You know, if you can't handle him touching your shoulder, you're never gonna break that dry spell." Eric whispered as you walked out of the church.

"Thank you, Eric." You groaned.

"Hey, Maggie! Are you coming to dinner?" Eric called.

"No. I can't take the acid. Thanks, anyway." Maggie dropped her head as she headed toward the Grimes' households.

"Her husband was one of the ones Negan killed. She's pregnant. So sad." You whispered as you walked toward Eric and Aaron's house.

"It's a tragedy." Eric agreed. "To lose someone like that."

"Yeah." Sam could barely be heard. It was evident that they had definitely lost people, too.

As you approached the house, you could see Carl on the porch, bouncing Judith up and down. "Oh, the Grimes kids are here. They've been really eager about these dinners since Carol left. Carl!" You rushed toward the porch, with a big smile.

"Those the guys?" Carl asked, resting Judith on his hip.

"Yep. They saved me. I know distrust is your first instinct, but don't be a jerk."

"When am I ever?" Carl asked, with faux innocence, as you pushed the door open. Carl followed you into the kitchen.

"Who else is coming, you think?"

"Dad and Michonne said they might be coming. Dad was kinda... uh..."

"Pissed? You can say it. I knew he wasn't gonna be happy about us bringing in new people." You clicked the pot of water up to high and stirred your sauce as the front door opened and Eric entered with Sam, Dean, Michonne, Rick and Eugene following behind. You grabbed two boxes of pasta and set them on the counter, before walking to the fridge and pulling out a six-pack of beer. "Will you take these into the living room, Carl? And tell everybody fifteen minutes on food, please?" The teen took the beer without a word and disappeared from the kitchen.

You could hear snippets of conversation from the living room, filtering in over the sound of boiling water. "... a mechanic. I got into it by fixin' up our Dad's old Impala. Just had a knack. Sammy was gonna be a lawyer. Went to Stanford an' everything."

"Is it just you two?" Rick's tone was accusatory, like he didn't believe the brothers had survived together alone.

"That's kinda our life story. Sam and Dean against the world." Sam responded.

"Gotta say; cold beer, I thought I'd never have one again. You guys have it so good here. I can see why other people might be a threat."

"Don't worry. We know you aren't here to take what we have." Michonne's tone was warmth and strength. Of all the females in Alexandria, she was definitely the one you were happiest to call 'friend'.

"... brings you to Virginia? Headin' anywhere specific?" Eric cut through as you placed a strainer in the sink.

"...best to just keep... one place for long. Makes you a target. We didn't have a place with walls like..." Sam's voice went in and out as you poured the starchy water and spaghetti into the sink.

Suddenly, you were aware of a presence at the stove, stirring your sauce. You turned to see Dean, beer in one hand, ladle in the other. "You should be out there, mingling, making new friends." You said as you set the giant pot on a cold burner.

"Well, Sammy has their attentions right now and I realized that you are all alone in here. Doesn't seem fair. You're doin' all the work and not even gettin' company in return."

You grabbed a stack of plates from the cupboard and began to plate the pasta. "Maybe you just wanna spend time with me. You sweet on me, Dean?"

He smiled, brightly, at that. "I thought I was hidin' it pretty well."

You pointed to a cupboard beside the sink. "You wanna open that and grab the bottle on the second shelf?"

Dean set his beer on the counter and reached into the cabinet, coming back with a bottle of mahogany red liquor, about three-fourths full. The label was faded, but 'Macallan' was still legible. "What's this?"

"It was my Dad's. Macallan Cask Strength. It survived the journey from Florida to Alexandria."

"Cask Strength?"

"Scotch gets diluted down to about 90 proof, usually. This isn't watered-down. Sits at about 130 proof. A little goes a long way." You answered, beginning to ladle sauce over the plates of pasta.

"So, don't drink from the bottle, is what you're tellin' me?"

You pointed to another cabinet. "Cups."

"How many people are gonna imbibe?"

"It varies. You should get a head count from the living room."

Dean crossed the kitchen, bottle in hand. "Hands up if you're havin' some of this kickass Scotch. Yeah, nice try kid." He returned and grabbed 6 cups. "Assuming you're having a glass."

You grabbed the first round of plates and headed to the living room with them. "Bon Apetit."

Dean helped bring in the rest of the plates and you smiled as everyone waited to take their first bite until you'd taken a seat in a chair next to Aaron. "I wanna dedicate this meal to Sam and Dean Winchester. Without them, I'd've been a meal for walkers this morning, so... thank you, enjoy and... go slow on the Scotch. Salud." You held up your glass and everyone held theirs up, too.

"Salud." The room chorused.

You watched as Dean twirled his fork in the pasta and shoved it into his mouth. "Aw muh gaw! Ish ih uhmay-ing." You laughed as he swallowed. "After years of dehydrated shit and cold Beanie-weenies, this is like a porterhouse."

Sam nodded his agreement. "This is the best thing I can ever remember eating. Thank you, so much."

You blushed and took a sip of your Scotch.

*******************************

As everyone slowly filed out of the house, you found yourself sitting on Aaron and Eric's couch, nursing the end of your first glass of Scotch. Dean was sitting next to you, nursing his second one as Sam helped Eric and Aaron with the dinner dishes. You were suddenly very aware of Dean's proximity and your levels of anxiety skyrocketed as you began to worry about his obvious interest in you and your lack of experience and if you maybe you forgot to shave part of your leg when you were in the shower.

Dean reached over and placed his hand on your thigh and leaned over, whispering, "I'm not going to ask you to bed, y/n."

"What?" You squeaked, turning to him.

"You looked nervous, so I thought I'd take the pressure off."

You swallowed. "Did I do something... wrong?"

"No, not at all. It's just..." He cleared his throat and set his glass down. "You're pretty much a virgin. It's been a decade for you and I doubt your high school boyfriend knew what he was doing. And I, for the first time in years, I'm actually drunk and I'm not gonna rush into this with you and fuck it up."

"But... I... we could die any day." You whispered, looking down.

"You're right, and 'carpe diem' is a great way to live in the apocalypse, but we are relatively safe here and if I'm gonna seize you, I'm gonna do it right."

"Right. Guess that makes sense."

"Hey, but I do plan to carpe. Just not tonight."

You chuckled, scooting backward on the couch. "That definitely takes the pressure off."

"That's what I was goin' for." Dean said, as the water in the kitchen turned off.

Eric seemed a bit disappointed that you and Dean weren't all over each other when they entered the living room.

"Ready to head back?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded, standing and wiping his hands on his slacks. "Thanks for having us over. This was an amazing welcome. Hope we can live up to the hype." You stood, walking to the door and letting them out. "Tomorrow?" Dean asked, quietly, as he passed through the doorway.

"Tomorrow." You confirmed.

You closed the door and turned to Eric and Aaron, both of whom were staring at you. "So?" Eric asked.

"So... what?" You deflected, picking up your empty glass and draining the last bit of Scotch from Dean's.

"So, Dean Winchester, that's what. Do we hear wedding bells?"

You rolled your eyes and headed for the kitchen sink. "We've known each other a day, Eric. Let's hold off on the 'Say Yes to the Dress' event, okay?"

"Oh, come on. Does he like you?" Eric asked, frankly.

You turned around and sighed. "There was some talk about carpe-ing my diem. Yes, I'd say he does."

"Good for you. You deserve the happiness." Aaron smiled as he spoke.

"Like I said, I met him this morning. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Yeah, but..." Aaron tilted his head away from his boyfriend. "...you could get lost in those eyes."

You sighed, deeply. "I know." You shook your head at yourself and walked toward the stairs. "See you in the morning, gentlemen."

************************

The next morning was more tense than other recent dawns and it didn't take long to find out why. Negan would be there in just a couple hours. As the time dragged on, you decided to check on the Winchesters. Sam answered the door. "Have you guys been told? That Negan's coming?"

"Yeah. Maggie told us to stay in. She doesn't want him seeing us." Sam gestured for you to come in, so you did.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I mean, he doesn't know you exist, so he can't hurt you. We're gonna pass him off some of our stuff, he'll leave. Least, that's how it's supposed to go, but last time he came in contact with our Alpha males, he killed two people, tried to get Rick to chop off Carl's arm, then he abducted Daryl. It's better he doesn't know you're here." You said, as Dean walked down the stairs.

"I don't see why we don't just go against the man, head-on."

"Because it's not just him. It's him and his Saviors and Negan seems to have prepared for every contingency. He's not just crazy, he's smart, too. Please, stay in."

"You gonna keep us company?" Dean asked as shouting from the gate drew your attention.

You looked out the window to see people running toward the gate. "No, I'm sorry. I can't. I... he has Daryl. Daryl's the one who brought me here, gave me the chance to be a damn person again. I have to know if he's okay."

Dean grabbed your hand as you reached for the door. "What if he kills you?"

You chuckled and grabbed the doorknob with your other hand. "Then you should've carpe'd last night. Stay in. I'll be fine." You rushed out the door without another word and ran for the crowd at the gate, pushing your way to the front.

Your stomach flipped to see him; black leather jacket, holding that barbed wire-decorated bat. 'Menacing' wasn't a strong enough word, but you couldn't think past your fear to a better one. "This can't be all of it, Rick."

"We... don't have more to give."

The bat came down on the ground next to where Rick was kneeling. "You're gonna give me twice this next week, understand? Or I start culling your herd 'til you can do your job without worrying about how many worthless mouths you gotta feed. Do you understand, asshole?"

Rick nodded, quickly, and Negan pointed the bat at two of his men, who rushed forward to grab Alexandria's offering. The nightmare man turned and started to walk out of the gate, so you pulled on every bit of your courage, screwed your eyes shut and called out, "What about Daryl?!"

Gasps went through the crowd and you had to force your eyes open and deal with your actions. Negan was walking toward you, a sickening grin on his face. "What about Daryl?" He stopped five feet away, holding the bat, menacingly.

"I-is h-he..." You couldn't control the shaking in your voice any more than you could the weakness in your legs. "Is he dead?" You pushed out.

"You wanna know if Daryl's okay? That's sweet. You know what, princess, 'cause you asked so nicely... you can come see for yourself. Take her." Negan turned to Rick as you were grabbed under each arm and dragged out the gate. "You've been holding out on me, Rick. You've got women; soft, curvy women who don't remind me of my old drill sergeant. Hard to find a bitch without hard edges in the world today, so I will consider that one the other half of your payment."

Negan's eyes fell on Michonne, who was staring after you in fear. "Oh, don't worry about her. I'll treat her like a fuckin' queen. Assuming she doesn't fight me, I won't even hurt the little cunt. Hell, she might even like it." He stood straight and walked out the gate, a happy bounce in his step.

[darley1101]

You know when you’re about to do something and your mind is screaming this is a bad idea but you do it anyway? Yeah, that’s me right now with this list. I solemnly do swear that I will complete this if drives me over the edge into sheer madness. If you would like to submit a request for one of the following pairings you may do so: 

Days available: 2 3 4 5 7  8 9 10 12  13 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 30 31

TF: Chris x Aria, Zig x Emily, Zig x Aaron 

PM: Damien x Ava 

OH: Bryce x Aniston, Ethan x Loren

NB: Nik x Lianna

Platinum: Raleigh (M) x Ashley/MC

BB: Adrian x Annabel, Lily x Kamilah 

RCD: Matt x Ashton/MC

BSC: Sawyer x Morgan 

TRR: Liam x Karin, Maxwell x Riley, Drake x Olivia

ILB: Parker x Katarina

RoD: Logan x Aly

OR any friend/platonic character combination from any books. Including Cross overs eep.

Tagging a few writers and readers who might be interested in doing this challenge as well or in submitting a request: @ao719 @alicars @akrenich @blackcatkita @brightpinkpeppercorn @boneandfur @connorshero @choiceslife @elles-choices @endlessly-searching-for-you @flowerpowell @fluffy-marshmallow-heart @drakewalkerfantasy @galaxyside-0 @hellospunkiebrewster @i-miss-trr @laniquelovewrites @lizzybeth1986 @lizeboredom @queerchoicesblog @queen-among-writers @riseandshinelittleblossom @thehonorarybeaumont  OR anyone else who wants to take part! 

If you write for this challenge please tag me so I can enjoy and share your work! <3

Choices July Challenge 2019

Hello my lovelies! I am pleased to announce that I have officially finished writing the prompt list for July’s Challenge 💙 I managed to get this written over an hour before I had anticipated so, without further ado, here are all 31 prompts for the Choices July Challenge!

1) Home

2) Regret

3) Peace

4) Independence Day

5) Mistake

6) Secrets

7) Reflection

8) Honesty

9) Angst

10) Love

11) Acceptance

12) Revelation

13) Forgiveness

14) Celebration

15) Friendship

16) Uncertainty

17) Light

18) Family

19) Trust

20) Commitment

21) Hardships

22) Sunset

23) Beauty

24) Memories

25) New Beginnings

26) Vacation

27) Nature

28) Happiness

29) Comfort

30) Bitterness

31) Endings

Requirements for Entry:

All things that are submitted to this challenge will be put on a master list for that specific prompt; masterlists will be posted the day after as, due to time zones (and the fact that where I am in the world means that I am asleep when over half of the world is awake), I need to allow a certain amount of time to pass so that I do not forget to include people.

There’s no set guidelines as to what can be presented for this challenge. However, when entering an edit, piece of fanart or a fanfic for this challenge, please could you include this blog and my main (@kinda-iconic) in your tags; this will make it a lot easier for me to find and reblog your work! #choicesjulychallenge

Thank you ever so much to all of those that have already shown an interest in this challenge, and I am very much looking forward to reading/seeing all of your beautiful work!

Happy Writing,

kinda-iconic xx

[criminallyimaginative]

Without A Trace Pt. 2

A/N: So...wow. This was more well received than I originally thought it would be, but as promised here is part two of without a trace. This is mainly the taunting of the BAU and dipping into the reader’s POV briefly. (Side note: this got so much darker than I ever intended for it to be.) Again not as many Hotch X Reader feels in this part, but it will be in the next part I promise :)

Warnings: swearing, implication of rape, and mention of a rape.

Rating: T

Word count: 2.5K

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4

Hotch and Rossi walked back in from their much needed short walk outside, which unfortunately for you had been around the back of the building, not the front. Hotch glanced around the room mentally checking off each team member and monitoring what their activities. The lack of your presence disturbed him greatly. “Where’s (Y/N)?” He asked Prentis because she was the last person he saw you with.

“She’s not with you?” she asked clearly alarmed as she looked back and forth between him and Rossi.

“Why would she be with us?”

“Because she made a possible connection that might lead us to our unsub when she saw who our missing woman was, and she ran outside to tell the two of you.”

“And you let her?”


“She really didn’t give me a choice,” Emily defended.

“Which way?” Hotch demanded. Emily pointed to the front door of the station. “Damn it, we were out back,” he growled, jogging to the doors. “(Y/N)! Are you out here?” Aaron shouted, as he threw the doors open. You were nowhere to be found. “(Y/N)! Where-”

“Aaron,” Rossi muttered, kneeling down to look at something on the ground.

“What is it?” Aaron asked hesitantly, as he slowly turned around. Rossi shook his head and picked your credentials up off the ground.

“He’s got her.”

“Damn it!” Hotch shouted, slamming his fist against the wall. “I knew that I should’ve-”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Rossi cut him off. “It happened and now we do something about it. The longer we stand here, the longer he’s alone with her. Now get your head out of your ass and let’s find her.” Hotch took a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his face.

“You’re right, I just-”

“I know and we are going to find her, but we can’t do that standing here without the team,” Rossi replied and walked back into the station with Aaron following close behind.

“(Y/N)’s gone,” Hotch stated as Rossi tossed your creds on the table.

“What? She couldn’t have been out there for more than five minutes if that long!” Emily cried.

“Which just proves that he has perfected his method of abduction. No one heard or saw anything,” Rossi muttered.

“Maybe there’s something on the cameras,” JJ suggested.

“I doubt it but I’ll get Garcia look anyways,” Morgan replied, pulling out his phone

“Guys, there’s a note,” Reid said, pulling the small folded up piece of paper from your credentials. “‘Thank you for my new toy. She was well worth the chase. I think that I’ll take my time with this one.’ signed the Raleigh Ripper,” he read. Hotch repeatedly clenched his hands together trying to stay calm. “He’s getting bolder. He’s never taunted law enforcement before.”



“He’s also never taken two women in one day. The abduction of the M.E. should’ve been it. What changed?” JJ asked.

“(Y/N). He tried to abduct her, but since I was there he ran and couldn’t finish what he started. He saw her as a challenge,” Derek clarified.

“Ok, but what’s his end game? Now he’s got two women, one of which is a federal agent, he has to know that this isn’t going to end well.”

“I hate to say this, but what if he knows that there isn’t anything to connected him to any of his victims and that we probably won’t find them until it’s too late?” Reid mumbled quietly. The whole team fell silent at that thought.

“Not an option and we aren’t giving up. Morgan get Garcia to pull records. I don’t care if the person is an eight-year-old, I want to know every person who’s ever been in those buildings, and get her to put a lock on (Y/N)’s phone. He’s good, so I can almost guarantee that it’s off, but if it turns on again I want to know the second it does,” Hotch said, fighting the urge to walk out of the room and break something. “Reid go back through all the case files and see if there’s anything we missed. Prentis and JJ, look into the workplaces again. Rossi help Reid. I’ll be back in a second, I need to make a call and update the detectives.” Aaron stormed off toward the conference room and shut the door behind him.

“Rossi, is he alright?” JJ whispered, watching Hotch close all of the blinds in the room.

“No, he’s not. Right now he’s feeling like he failed at his job and that it’s his fault that she’s gone,” he replied.

“How do we help him?”



“Right now, you can’t. Just work on finding the slip up so we can get (Y/N) back,” Rossi said and walked over to the conference room. He knocked twice on the door, before opening it. “Aaron?” he called, hesitantly. He walked in and shut the door behind him. Hotch didn’t move or acknowledge his presence. He just sat in one of the chairs, leaning forward with his head in his hands. “Aaron, beating yourself up about this isn’t helping her.”

“I feel responsible,” he grumbled.

“I know, but we all feel responsible. We knew she fit into the victim pool, and-”

“All the more reason that I should’ve made her stay back in Quantico where she would’ve been safe.”

“Hotch-”

“Dave, I haven’t felt this lost and helpless since-”

“Foyet,” David finished for him.

“I can’t lose her like I lost Haley, Dave, I just can’t,” he muttered, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

“Aaron, you need to have faith in our team. Right now, we have the best chance of finding her alive if we can get to her within the first twenty-four hours, but to do that we need all hands on deck,” David said trying to comfort his friend.

“But what if we can’t? What if we find her dead on some bench? I’ll never-”

“Aaron, you can’t think about that right now. Right now she’s terrified, probably in a lot of pain, and all alone. Right now, you need to concentrate on finding her rather than what ifs.” Hotch sat almost rooted in place. He wiped the tear from his cheek and looked up at Rossi.

“Ok.”

“Good. Now let’s get out girl back,” Rossi said, smiling sadly at Hotch and walked back out of the conference room. Aaron sat there another moment trying to find his composure. He stood slowly and looked out the window to the outside world.

“(Y/N), we are coming for you. Please be ok,” he muttered and strode back out into the main area of the station to aid the team as much as he could in his present state.

You groaned as light flooded into the room. Your head was throbbing with intense pain. “What the hell?” you muttered, trying to shift and stand up. Your movement was abruptly stopped by thick metal chains that were secured around your wrists and throat. You were shackled to a wall, the chains only allowing you to move your arms high enough to touch your shoulder and your wrists were bound together. The collar of your blouse had been torn, exposing more collarbone and cleavage than you ever would’ve considered showing in public, and your pencil skirt had ridden up. Your shoes also were missing for some unknown reason. Noting that you were in a basement of some kind, you suddenly remembered what happened. “Oh, shit.”

“Well, look who finally woke up,” the man chuckled. You slowly turned your head to look around. “You were so worth the chase it took to get you here,” he snickered taking a drag on the lit cigarette in his right hand.

“Where am I?” you demanded, rattling your shackles.

“Somewhere your little FBI friends won’t be able to find you.”

“Ha,” you snorted, “You don’t know my team. They are the best at they do and they are going to find me, you sick son of a-” he lunged forward and pressed the lit end of the cigarette down on your exposed collarbone. You bit down on your lip and tried your best not to cry out, knowing that would be giving him exactly what he wanted. You grit your teeth and clenched your fists.

“Oh, tough girl ain’t ya? Well, I guess you’d have to be to be a woman in the FBI,” he cackled, taking your face in his hands. “I’m going to enjoy slowly breaking you, torturing you until you scream for mercy.” You narrowed your eyes and spit in his face. He recoiled back and slapped you hard across the face.

“Go to hell, bastard,” you spat.

“Bitch,” he growled, wiping his face, “I’ll teach you some manners later, but I have to deal with my other toy first.” He slapped you again, before storming out of the room and locking the door behind him. You could hear the screams of the other woman who you assumed was the M.E. he’d kidnapped before you. You let your head fall again and resisted the urge to start crying. You needed to find the faith you claimed moments ago to have in your team, but you also had to find a way to help yourself and try to help the other woman being held captive. The burn on your collarbone stung as you tried to move your shoulder. You lifted your head again and began to study the room around you. It was still slightly clouded with cigarette smoke. You figured you had to be in some kind of basement, but you had no idea where or what building. A bloodcurdling scream rang through the room making you jump slightly. You noted the presence of two small windows on the wall in front of you. You sighed and pressed your head into the cold wall behind you.

“Guys, I’m sorry for being stubborn and stupid,” you mumbled to no one in particular. For some reason, you felt the need to express your regrets vocally instead of just talking to yourself in your head. The sound of the lock turning in the door pulled you from your thoughts and your captor came back in.

“Time to go, bitch.”

“What did you do to her?”

“Nothing like what I’m going to do to you,” he growled and slapped you. He quickly unlocked the lock that shackled your neck chain to the wall and hauled you up to your feet. You threw your shoulder into his chest and swept his legs out from under him. He yelped in pain as he landed his side. You made a mad sprint for the door, but the man was up and after you before you had made it across the room. He stomped on the chain attached to the collar around your neck. The action effectively choked you briefly and sent you rapidly to the ground. You hit your head hard against the door in front of you and groaned as you collided with the floor. “You just don’t have any manners do you, I’ll have to start your lessons now,” he snarled and started to unzip his pants.

“No, no, no,” you whimpered, trying to crawl away. He pinned you to the ground and started ripping at your skirt as you silently cried.  

Every passing moment that you weren’t around seemed to be wearing down the team’s hope of finding you. Hotch had been pacing in a straight line for so long, Rossi thought there would be a permeant trench where he had been pacing. After four hours of searching, it still wasn’t looking good. “Please tell me someone has something,” Aaron asked, stopping to look at the team. Everyone looked around at each others' blank and sad faces. “Garcia?”

“Sir, I’m running through backgrounds on everyone who works or has worked in all of these buildings, but that’s a lot of names and that’s going to take some time,” she replied sadly.

“Time is one thing that we don’t have a lot of right now,” Rossi muttered returning to the file he was looking at.

“Oh my god!” Penelope shrieked, typing quickly.

“What is Baby Girl?” Derek asked.

“Her phone! (Y/N)’s phone just turned back on.”

“Can you get a fix on it?” Hotch demanded, rushing toward the table.

“It’s running through hundreds of different towers and frequencies, but if it’s on long enough-” the sound of Aaron’s phone ringing interrupted the conversation. He fished it out of his back pocket. The sight of your name flashing across the screen sent chills down his spine.

“I’ll try and keep the call going as long as I can,” he muttered and accepted the call setting it on speaker. “(Y/N), are you-”

“Aaron Hotchner?” a gruff male voice asked.

“This is special agent Aaron Hotchner, who is this?”

“Your agent has been telling me about your team and how you are going to find her, but considering she’s still here this seems less than true,” he snickered, laughing sinisterly. Hotch clenched his fists at his side.

“Listen to me, we are going to find you and you are going to rot in prison for the rest of your life, and if anything happens to her-”

“Oh plenty of things have already happened to her,” the man sneered. A metal clack was heard and your scream echoed into the room.

“(Y/N)-”

“Such a tough one, but she doesn’t have any manners or respect for authority figures does she?”

“Just let her-”

“Do you know how much faith she has in you, very special agent Hotchner? She kept screaming out your name over and over again, begging you to come and save her as I took her and made her bleed,” he cackled, ending the call. Hotch slammed his hand against the table.

“Please tell me you got it and we found her,” he muttered.

“Not long enough for an exact location,” Penelope cried in frustration. “But I- Oh my god.”



“What? What is it? What’s wrong?” JJ asked hurriedly.

“Are you near a laptop?”

“Yeah, why?” Emily asked. Suddenly a web browser opened up to a video feed that turned the team’s blood cold. The video seemed to be being streamed from a basement somewhere. You were strapped down by your wrists and ankles to a surgeon's table. Your clothes were tattered and torn in places they clearly should not have been. You had a white rag tied around your mouth as a gag, makeup streaming down your face with your tears. Three long cuts ran down the center of your back.

“Oh (Y/N),” Derek muttered.

“Garcia,” Hotch prompted, praying that she at least had something.

“Right sorry,” she mumbled, wiping the tears from her face. “So that sicko ended the call before I could get an exact location on the phone because he was running it through so many towers, but the call lasted long enough that I narrowed it to a five-mile radius.”

“How many-”

“Abandoned buildings, warehouses, and sketchy places are within that radius? Already done. There is one abandoned warehouse and then two construction sights that would fit the bill, and I can rule out the warehouse because it is currently being demolished. Both of the construction sights were deserted six months ago when the projects fell through. The head on each of the sights was a Daniel Owens,” she chronicled and a picture of your attacker opened on the screen.

“That’s him,” Morgan confirmed.

“Both addresses have been sent to your phones. You’re about ten minutes away from both.”

“Good work, Garcia. Reid, Rossi, JJ you take the first location. Prentis, Morgan, and I will take the second,” Hotch delegated as the team strapped their vests on.

“Sir?” Penelope said hesitantly.

“What is it, Garcia?”

“Please bring our (Y/N) home. I can’t imagine a world without that angel,” she pleaded.

“We’re going to do our best,” Hotch promised, ending the call. The team sprinted out the SUVs and drove off to the two locations. All of them were praying that you would hold on until they got there.

[emisanemu]

*°Almost Me Again°*

Aaron (Raleigh) x Plus-sized! Fem! Reader

Word count: ~7000

Rating: 18+ MDNI

Warnings: Minor character death, smut, cursing, accurate in depth descriptions of body parts, Negan, mentions or murder and death, unprotected sex, PiV, fingering, nipple sucking, female anatomy, male anatomy.

Genre: Slight Angst, smut, fluff, friends to lovers.

{Author’s note: yes, I am acutely aware of the fact Aaron is gay, this is an OOC fanfic where he chooses to sleep with a woman. If you do not like it, don’t read it, I am not erasing the character’s identity or what have you, it’s my own interpretation.}

It was a quiet night along the vast stretches of Alexandria, for the first time in a long time the air was filled with the subtle chirping of crickets and the crackling of leaves fluttering to the ground. The usual rot that fills the air is instead replaced by the scent of fresh tomatoes growing in the makeshift garden, and the nostril nipping aroma of embers from the small fire pit Deaana had built just beyond her home. This, the quiet, the peace, the assurance was all new to you, having spent the last two or so years betweens camps and the unforgiving roads. You had arrived around a day after Rick’s group, covered in mud, blood, and looking utterly filthy, the ‘guards’ on post at the front gates had at first mistaken you for a walker, that was until you vehemently protested being shot. The look of shock on their faces that you were not some rotter would have been comical if it wasn't so utterly pitiful. That had been roughly two and a half months ago, not that you made a habit of keeping track of the hours or days any longer, not that it would matter, each day just seems to blend together, or at least it did for a very long time.

Now, for the first time in years, you truly yearned to savour life, to savour the setting sun and the quiet nights. Simply just surviving had faded into living, to actually living for the first time in what seemed like forever. Although, despite the euphoria that came with safety, you could not help but to feel restless at times, unable to sleep, still on edge as if you were hiding out in some dingey cave again rather than sleeping in a bed. You stood up from the bed, your cold, sockless feet settling against the shaggy carpeted floor below you, cringing slightly as the aged wood beneath creaks slightly. A lot had happened since your arrival, the joining of the various communities surrounding Alexandria, the loss of many beloved members of the community, including the leader herself, Deeanna, Negan endlessly terrorizing Alexandria as well as the other communities, and the impending ‘war’. You wanted to hunt the man down and kill him yourself, anything to return to the previous sense of peace and serenity you had once known, yet your fear of succumbing to the fate so many others had fallen to, held you back. So instead you remained placid and idle, offering your services when needed, but not putting yourself too far out on the line.

You slowly meander across the carpeted floor to the white door of the room, hoping to whatever higher power, if you even believed in one anymore, that you wouldn’t wake your housemate, Aaron. The pairing was unconventional to say the very least, but Rick’s group, at first, were not the epitome of trusting, and the other residents of Alexandria had looked upon you as if you were some wild animal who had wandered into the community. Aaron, as well as Eric when he was still alive, had not. Just as they had welcomed in the rabid, almost feral Daryl Dixon, they had welcomed you in as well, scars, dirt, and all. You were always thankful for them, for the kind solace they had offered you, Eric’s death had hurt you, but it hadn’t affected anyone more than Aaron. When you saw him, you swore you saw a shell of a man walking amongst the rest of the community, wandering and fighting almost aimlessly. You slowly make your way out of the room and creep past Aaron’s room and to the stairs, cringing each time the floor sighs and creaks.

Although, when you reach the bottom of the staircase and turn towards the living room, you silently jolt in surprise at Arron’s figure sitting with his back turned towards you on the couch. His head is down and you can hear the distinct sound of sniffles coming from between his lips, which sends a spark of sadness and empathy through your heart.

“Aaron?”

You speak softly, like a gentle coo, almost as if you are beckoning a frightened animal, which you know feels a tad condescending, but you cannot help but want to offer comfort, rather than questioning and judgement. He all but whips around, his eyes are red and puffy with still flowing tears, and his face is wet, he looks like a man broken by the world, left shattered and in pieces. He knows he looks pathetic, almost pitiful, sitting in the dark, quiet living room, crying as if he is some young child. He does not want to appear weak like that, like some kind of broken mirror of his former self, shattered and splintered apart by the events of his life, by the loss of his love. He swiftly wipes the tears from his face, hoping desperately you had not seen them fall in the first place, even though he knows from that worried look on your face that you had.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He speaks softly, his voice gravelly from crying, all you do is gingerly shake your head and step forward, your voice a quiet croon as you speak. “No, I couldn’t sleep…you’re fine.”

Your reassuring smile that you flash him does little to quell the ache deep in his chest that melts and seeps far into his bones like a sickness that can never be cured. You walk slowly towards him, as if you are scared of spooking him, which only serves to deepen the pit within his stomach, making him feel smaller, as if he is physically shrinking in on himself. He can still feel the sting in the corners of his eyes, remaining from his previous fit of choked tears. He almost wants to protest your presence, to vainly insist that he is fine, when without a single doubt, he is far from being fine, so far he doesn’t think he even remembers what feeling ‘fine’ means. You stop just in front of him, tentative to move or speak, the air feels thick, as if it could be cut with the edge of a knife. Yet, unexpectedly, your presence doesn’t crowd him, rather it blankets him in a rare form of peace, the warmth and earnest radiating off of you in waves, like a soothing balm to his perpetual aching soul. Just you being there causes his heart to ache in a way that he doesn’t quite know how to explain, although, he doesn’t know if he even wants to explain in, or just allow it to fester, to bubble beneath the surface.

He wishes in this moment he could pull back, to retreat somewhere secret and deep within himself, where comfort can not find him. He feels so undeserving of solace, undeserving of peace, not after what happened to Eric, not when he feels it is so deeply his fault. Eric had been hesitant, not wanting to fight, insistent on being the even benevolent, peaceful presence, yet he had chosen to protect Aaron, something Aaron had failed to do so in return. He almost wishes he had left and taken Eric with him, started something new away from it all, protected his peace, protected his love. He had chosen what feels to be an unwinnable fight over what he knew in his heart would have been the right thing, and for what? For people he barely knew? For a community he didn’t even know if he believed in anymore? All of it seems to pale in comparison to the ever loving, ever steadying presence that Eric was. When he looks up into your eyes, and sees that glimmer, the shine of empathy and understanding, it lights a fire of self loathing within him that threatens to burn him from the inside out, to tear down the weak walls he has built up, to tear him down.

“You don’t have to pretend, Aaron.”

Your voice is a soft soothing murmur when you speak, so earnest and sweet it almost physically pains him. He turns away, his eyes squeezing shut and his hands white knuckling the arm of the recliner he is sitting on. The way you speak, despite himself, makes his heart stutter in his chest and his breath hitch slightly, and all he wants in that moment is to dive into that pool of delicious warm relief that you offer. The way your eyes glow with unspoken affection and care, it makes him feel things he has buried so far down he never thought he’d feel them again. Everything about you is a tempting, fragile thread pulling him closer, urging him to let go of the walls he’s built, the armor he’s worn for so long. But fear grips him, cold and sharp, like a phantom clawing at his insides. If he gives in, if he leans into you—into this softness—will it break him? Will he lose himself in the comfort you offer, only to be torn apart when the world turns against him again? He swallows hard, trying to steady his breathing, but it only makes everything worse. The beat of his heart quickens, and for a moment, he’s paralyzed, caught between the need for your warmth and the panic that comes with letting someone in again.

“You don’t have to face it alone…” You place a gentle hand onto his shoulder, a soothing, caring, yet simple gesture. “...and you don’t have to keep blaming yourself.”

Your voice sounds like syrupy gospel to his ears, and your hand on his shoulder sends sparks through him, all the way to his core, shaking him slightly. His jaw tightens at the simplicity of it, the truth in your words that cuts right through him. He wants to believe you, wants to hold onto the idea that there’s more than just survival left in this world. That there’s something here worth saving. But how could he? How could he after everything he’s seen, everything he’s lost? It’s easier to stay numb, to keep his heart locked away behind walls too high to climb. But, you make it so immensely difficult by simply being who you are, by being so open and understanding, even in the face of everything you hold a flame of hope he can only hope to have.

“I…” He starts, his voice hoarse, not entirely sure of what he’s trying to say. Words are too hard to come by right now. “I don’t know how to do this,” he admits, the crack in his voice betraying him. “I don’t know how to let anyone in again.”

The words fall from his lips like a weight, heavy and raw, and the ache that swells in his chest feels almost unbearable. He hates how broken they sound. He hates how much he wants to crawl into the comfort of your presence and just stay there, hidden from everything, but he’s too afraid to. Afraid of being hurt again, afraid of the pain that might come if he gives his heart to someone only for it to be torn away. But something about you... it makes him want to believe again. It makes him wonder if there’s a sliver of hope left in a world so empty. His hands tighten around the armrest of the recliner, his knuckles white, as if bracing for impact. He can't let you see the way his heart falters, the way it aches with longing and fear all at once. He’s afraid if he does, it will ruin everything—everything he’s built up over the years. But when he looks at you, when he sees the care in your eyes, the quiet strength you’ve always carried, he wonders if maybe it’s time to let go

“I….” He trails off, not sure how to force the words from his throat, how to admit the one thing he’s tried so hard to push down, to hide even from himself, knowing it’s too painful at times to admit. “I don’t know how to forgive myself, he’d still be here if it weren’t for me.”

He admits weakly, so quiet he almost hopes you didn’t hear him, but the way your hand falls away from his arm, tells him all that he needs to know. Despite himself, another hot, wet tear slides down the length of his cheek, pooling at his furry, bearded chin. He half expects you to just walk away, to leave him in his never ending self-loathing, yet you don't, instead you shock him as the warm pad of your thumb rubs underneath his eye, wiping away his stray tear. The motion is gentle, intimate in a way that sends an electric current straight to his chest. His heart stutters at the softness of your touch, and he feels something in him crack wide open. He had braced himself for the silence, for the distance he’d come to expect when he let people in too far. But your hand is warm, steady, and unwavering. It offers something he hasn’t felt in so long—hope.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you whisper, your voice soft but firm, and he wonders if you can feel how much those words sink into him. “And you don’t have to do this alone. You don’t have to carry the weight of it all.”

His breath hitches, chest tightening, as he looks at you. The fear that has always gripped him, the guilt that has suffocated him ever since he lost so much, now collides with the raw tenderness in your eyes. He’s not sure if he’s ready to confront the truth, if he’s ready to let go of the guilt that has haunted him for so long. But the sincerity in your gaze makes it hard to hold back any longer.

“I couldn’t save him,” Aaron chokes out, his voice trembling. “If I’d done things differently—if I’d just been there...” You shake your head gently, cutting off his spiraling thoughts. “You can’t carry the weight of things you couldn’t control,” you say softly. “It’s not your fault, Aaron. You did everything you could. But sometimes... sometimes, we lose people no matter how hard we try to hold on. It’s the world we’re in.”

The way you speak, so matter-of-fact but with such compassion, makes his heart ache. You’re not excusing his pain, not pretending that it doesn’t matter. But you’re giving him space to feel it without letting it consume him entirely. The words are raw, and they cut deep, but somehow, with you there, they feel less suffocating. He feels something shift in him—a slight easing of the burden that’s been crushing him for so long. It’s almost as if the weight of his past—the guilt, the fear, the grief—can finally breathe for the first time. It’s still there, lingering in the shadows, but it no longer holds the same power over him. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to let it all go just yet, but with you beside him, he feels like maybe it’s possible. Just maybe. He swallows thickly, his throat tight with emotion, but he doesn’t pull away from you. In fact, he leans closer, seeking the comfort in the steady presence you’ve offered him without hesitation. You’ve become his anchor, even when he feels like he’s about to be swallowed by the storm inside his own chest.

“I don’t deserve your kindness,” he mutters, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. It’s not the first time he’s said something like that, but it feels truer than ever now. He’s lived a life of mistakes, of things lost, of people gone. How could someone like him deserve someone so full of warmth, someone who sees him without judgment? You shock even yourself when you speak up, your tone almost angry, angry that he could talk about himself like that. “How can you say that?”

You speak more forcefully than you initially intend to, but your voice isn’t harsh, instead it holds an air of hurt, both for yourself and for him. Your hand falls away once more and you take a step back, your chest feeling tight, almost painfully tight. He looks at you with shocked, wide eyes, thrown off by your outburst, never quite seeing you act in such a way, he has seen you act fiercely, but never towards him. Your voice isn’t harsh, but there’s a rawness to it, as if the words are more than just for him—they’re for you too. You take a step back, your chest tight, the pressure rising within you. You can feel the weight of the emotion swirling in your throat, fighting to break free. You weren’t expecting to react this way, but something about seeing him so broken, so full of self-loathing, cuts deep. Aaron looks at you in stunned silence, eyes wide with confusion. He’s never seen you act like this, not toward him. You’ve always been gentle with him, understanding, patient, but now there’s something different in the way you stand. There’s a fire in your eyes, a desperate need for him to see himself as you see him.

“I don’t understand,” you continue, your voice more quiet now, but still fierce. “Why do you think you don’t deserve kindness? Why are you punishing yourself like this?” Your hand falls away from him, fingers curling into a fist at your side, unable to keep your frustration from showing. “You’ve been through so much, Aaron. I see you. I see the good in you. I know what you’ve done, what you’ve lost, but you’ve also given everything to keep others alive. You deserve kindness.”

The words settle into the space between you like a quiet storm, and Aaron’s gaze falters. His eyes drop to the floor, his shoulders tense, the familiar weight of guilt pulling him further inward. There’s a heaviness in the air, the kind that only comes when someone is too full of emotion to express it, and it settles heavily on his chest.

“But I’ve made so many mistakes,” he whispers, almost to himself. “I’ve lost too much. And people... people died because of me. I couldn’t protect them.” He swallows, his voice shaking with the admission. “I don’t deserve to feel good, I don’t deserve forgiveness, not after everything.” You step forward, your heart aching for him. You know the kind of pain he’s carrying. You can see it in the way his body tightens at the mention of loss, the way his words tremble like they’re coming from a place too dark to reach. But you refuse to let him pull away. “You didn’t kill him, Aaron, you loved him, more than I have ever seen a person love someone. You didn’t kill Eric, the world did, and you can not keep blaming yourself for that.”

You speak earnestly, so much so your words nearly make him ache. You lift a hesitant hand to his cheek, caressing his stubbly, pale skin gently, tracing along his scars and the lines along his face with the tips of your fingers. He shivers gently at the contact, he hasn’t so much as had a hug since Eric died, your simple, caring touch sends shocks through his system, and causes his heart to pound dangerously against his ribcage. It is foreign to him, never had he thought he would have butterflies in his stomach for anyone but Eric, especially someone of the fairer sex, yet, they flutter treacherously in his gut making him feel almost nervous. His eyes flutter closed for a moment as your touch lingers, the unexpected warmth grounding him, pulling him away from the spiraling thoughts he has been carrying for so long. The weight of his past, the mistakes, the loss—it all becomes a little less suffocating, softened by the gentleness in your touch. He never realized how starved he’d been for this kind of tenderness, how much he'd longed to be seen and cared for again. It’s almost disorienting. To feel this much, to feel this good, after everything. He can’t remember the last time he felt safe enough to let go, to trust someone. To feel like he matters. But right now, with your fingers lightly tracing the contours of his face, everything feels a little more bearable. The heaviness in his chest isn’t gone, but for the first time in a long time, he doesn’t feel so alone in it.

“Aaron…” Your voice is soft, quiet, and it makes him want to close the distance between you, to allow himself to sink into the warmth and safety you’re offering. His heart flutters unsteadily at the way you say his name, the care in your tone pulling at something deep inside of him. He’s so afraid of feeling this way, but he can’t stop it. And, despite the fear, he doesn’t want to. Not anymore.

His breath catches as you step even closer, your presence overwhelming in the best way possible. He finds himself reaching for you without thinking, his hand trembling slightly as it moves to rest on the curve of your waist. The simple touch feels monumental—his pulse racing beneath his skin, reminding him of the emotions he’s spent so long suppressing. Before he can stop himself, his hand moves, lifting gently to cup your cheek. His thumb brushes against the soft skin there, tracing the curve of your jawline. The touch is almost too tender, like he’s afraid he’ll break something precious. But he doesn’t pull back. The space between you grows even thinner, and you can see the war in his eyes—the battle between wanting to pull away and desperately wanting to lean in. The tension in the air is palpable, but it doesn’t feel like pressure; it feels like something waiting, something he’s not sure he’s ready for but can’t fight anymore. Without thinking, his face inches closer, just enough for his lips to hover over yours. He can feel the heat from your breath, feel your pulse thrum beneath his fingertips. He hesitates for a moment, just a moment, his eyes flicking to yours, searching for reassurance. You don’t pull away. In fact, you close the last inch of distance between you with a slow, deliberate movement, your lips brushing his with the gentlest of touches.

It’s like the world shifts beneath them, everything but the two of you fading into nothingness. The kiss is tentative at first, a soft, hesitant thing as if you’re both testing the waters—neither one of you is sure what the next step will be, but both of you are willing to take it. His heart is pounding in his chest, and for a moment, he wonders if you can feel the thrum of it through the space between you, through the kiss. But then, something shifts. The kiss deepens, and Aaron finds himself unable to resist any longer. He pulls you closer, his hand slipping to the back of your neck, his fingers threading through your hair as he tilts his head slightly, deepening the kiss. He’s not sure if it’s the fear of losing you or the raw emotion that has built up inside him over the months, but it’s everything at once—comfort, fear, need, desire. His lips taste of mint, coffee, and something so distinctly him that it all but turns your brain to mush and leaves you completely and utterly breathless.

Your lips taste of some kind of lip balm he assumes you must have found on a recent supply run, mixed with mint toothpaste and something fruity that he can't quite identify, but it is oh so addicting. He almost can’t help as his tongue darts out from behind his lips to caress yours, asking silently for entrance into your mouth, which to even your surprise, you grant without a moment of hesitation. His tongue, commanding yet tender, slips beyond the barrier of your lips, nudging at your own, spongy pink organ, caressing and feeling the waiting cavern of your mouth.

~18+ beyond this point~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He moans, a small gruff noise that bubbles up from the back of his throat, into your mouth. It vibrates past your lips and down the column of your throat, your hand comes up, gripping almost desperately at the front of his shirt, your mind warring between pushing him back and pulling him impossibly closer. His appreciative, desire fueled moan sends shocks straight to your core, and your panties. Despite the want and yearning that is pooling in your lower abdomen like a coiling snake, you pull away, although your resolve almost crumbles as his mouth chases after yours. The hand you have on his chest stops him, and instead his forehead presses against yours, his breathing heavy and mingling with yours. He can feel his own desire swirling deep within himself, the hardness in his pants that is pressing into your lower stomach a testament of that. Aaron’s eyes bore into yours, his breath still hot against your mouth. He’s waiting, waiting for you to make the next move, to decide if you’ll give in to the unspoken heat between you. His hand grips your waist possessively, his other comes up to cup your face, his thumb brushing over your swollen lower lip. You feel the pressure of his fingers as he grabs your waist, his touch burning you through your clothes. You swallow hard, trying to find the right words.

“Are you sure?” You whisper softly, your breathing still laboured, your hand is pressed gently against his chest, your fingers splayed against the black fabric of his shirt. He wants to laugh, you’re so caring, still so soft despite the cruel world that surrounds you both, he just caresses your chin and utters a simple, “Yes,” before he swoops his head down and reconnects your lips with his.

Your eyes widen slightly at his boldness, but then flutter closed at the feel of his slightly chapped lips against yours and his stubbly mustache pressing against the skin underneath your nose and you allow yourself to melt into the passionate embrace of his kiss. His right hand slides up from your chin to the back of your hair, tangling into the locks of your hair and pulling you closer, the one at your waist squeezes your hip through the fabric of your bed pants, the soft plush expanses squishing beneath his grip. His hands are firm but still tentative as he explores you, squeezing at your hips, sides, and back, yet never straying down past your waist, ever being the respectful man that he is. Your left hand glides up from his chest to his face, gasping his cheek, the pad of your thumb caressing his beard clad jaw, while the other hand goes almost tentatively to his shoulder.

Your eyes threaten to fly open with shock as he sits back onto the recliner, pulling you along with him so you end up on his lap, straddling either side of his thighs. The contact even surprises him, it is all so new to him, you’re so delicate and feminine against him, the soft, chubby curves of your body pressing against his lean muscular form in a way he has so solemnly experienced. He allows his lips to move away from your lips and down your jaw, another moan bubbling up from his throat at the soft feel of your jaw against his mouth. His hand slides down to grip the meaty flesh of your thigh through your bed pants, again, heat spreads through him at the soft tantalizing curves of your plush body beneath his calloused fingertips. He kisses along the side of your neck, allowing his tongue to dart out, giving himself a taste of your sweet, silken skin, you taste of salty sweat, some faint soap, and something so uniquely you that it all but makes his head spin. Your breath catches in your throat as his lips trail down your neck, sending tingles throughout your body. You lean into his touch, tilting your head to give him better access. Your fingers tangle in his hair, gripping gently as waves of pleasure wash over you. His hands continue to roam your curves, kneading and caressing with a reverent tenderness. You rock your hips instinctively, drawing a low groan from him that vibrates against your skin. The sound ignites a fire deep within you.

His strong, warm hand traveled higher, reaching beneath your sleepwear to caress your stomach, sending shivers down your spine. You gasped, and he immediately froze, his breath hot on your earlobe. "Are... are you alright?" he rasped out, his voice thick with arousal yet clouded with concern. His fingers were lightly tracing hypnotic patterns on your belly, the calluses on his fingertips sending goosebumps across your skin.

You manage a weak nod as his hands dance up and underneath your bed shirt, caressing and feeling the smooth expanses of your skin, squeezing your plushness gently between his fingers. The pads of his fingertips explore every dimple, freckle, and stretch mark along your skin as if he is adventuring the Earth itself, worshipping your skin, because in that moment you are his own personal heaven. His goddess to pray to at bended knee, his solace in a world so broken, and the glue that can fix a broken, shattered man. Sure there were better ways for this to happen, when he is more clear headed and put together, where he can delicately drape you across his bed and feel every part of you so deeply. Yet, he can not bring himself to move, partially because he doesn’t dare snap you out of this haze, nor does he want to move away from you for even a fraction of a second, revelling too much in your warmth and your desire for him. When your hips rock forward, almost on their own accord, he lets out what can be described as a low growl of approval against the side of your neck, right where your clavicle meets your shoulder.

His hands slide up higher, finding the heavy, fleshy mounds of your breasts, nearly weighing them in his grip, squeezing and squishing the soft plush of your chest. You let out a small, breathy gasp and arch into him, pushing your breasts further into his gentle grip, which causes him to smile into the skin of your shoulder. His thumbs react in an exploring manner, brushing over the hardened peaks of your nipples, playing and swirling around the buds gently. A shiver goes through you at the touch, and a small moan falls from your lips, your hands tighten in his hair, pulling at the deep chocolate coloured locks. His lips move back upwards, trailing hot, open mouthed kisses up the side of your neck to your ear. The heat of his breath against your ear sends shivers down your spine, and heat rushing towards your core.

“You’re so beautiful,” He rasps huskily against your ear, his hands squeezing your breasts as if to emphasize his point. “So perfect and beautiful.”

His mouth pulls away from the side of your neck for a mere moment to pull your loose bed shirt up and over your head, allowing it to fall haphazardly onto the carpeted living room floor. He pauses, and for the first time since his lips touched yours, he feels unsure, he is just completely and utterly mesmerized by the sight of your bare front. The heavy, plush curves of your breasts, the hard peaks of your nipples, the plush mound of your stomach, the hills and valleys of your stretch marks and the dimpling along your skin. You look like magic in human form, so aggressively beautiful and feminine, it causes his breath to hitch in his throat. He swallows deeply and allows instinct to guide his mouth towards your chest where his lips envelop your hardened nipple, pulling the aching bud into his mouth and swirling around the peak with his hot, wet tongue. Again, you arch into his touch, your breasts pressing into his face causing his beard to rub at your soft, sensitive skin, sending another needy mewl to fall from your lips, almost yearning and begging for him.

His ministrations become more desperate and feverish as he allows the sensitive bud of your nipple to slide between his teeth where he nibbles gently. He smirks against your bare breast at the way you moan almost needily for him, your hands pushing his face deeper into your skin. His free hand, the one that isn’t lavishing your other nipple with attention to match the movements of his mouth, slides down past your stomach to the waistband of your sleep pants. Your breath catches in your throat as his fingers tease the edge of your pants and his blue eyes glance upwards, searching for the permission he so desperately craves. Words don’t seem to find you in this moment as you just almost too eagerly nod your head, something you would be embarrassed about if you weren’t so blindingly desperate for him. His hand slips down past your waistband, immediately seeking out that warm, slick heat between your legs. He feels a little out of his depth as his fingertips glide along the edge of your panties, feeling your slick that has dampened the fabric. It is different and new, yet rather than feeling trepidation he feels anticipation as he slides his fingers further down to push your panties aside.

He almost gasps as his finger makes contact with your hot, soft, wet skin, his pointer and middle digits slide down through your slit, gathering the wet arousal onto them. A soft moan escapes your lips at his touch. You arch your back slightly, pressing yourself against his exploring fingers. The sensation sends shivers of pleasure through your body. His fingers move slowly, teasingly, as if memorizing every curve and fold. You can feel his breath quicken, matching your own rising excitement. He leans in close, his lips brushing your ear as he whispers huskily, "You're so wet for me." The low rumble of his voice makes you tremble with desire. His fingers continue their sensual dance, circling and stroking in a maddening rhythm that has you aching for more.

A shudder runs through your body at his touch, and you arch into his hand, craving more. His fingers explore you slowly, teasingly, circling your most sensitive spots without quite giving you the pressure you need. You whimper softly, your hips rocking against his hand. He watches your face intently, drinking in every flutter of your eyelashes, every parting of your lips. When his thumb finally brushes over your swollen bud, you cry out, clutching at his shoulders. He smiles, continuing his ministrations as tension coils tighter and tighter within you. Just as it begins to build, he pulls his hand from your panties and out of your sleep pants, causing a whine of protest to fall from your lips.

“Shh…” He croons out gently and allows his lips to travel up your jaw, over your chin and to the corner of your lips. “...I just want to go slow, beautiful.”

His words cause heat to rise to your cheeks and you nod almost shyly, causing a small amused smile to etch its way onto his lips. He caresses your bare side gently before pulling his hands away ro reach to the hem of his black long sleeved shirt. He pulls his shirt up, slowly, almost teasingly, and over his head allowing the article to join your own shirt on the shaggy carpeted floor. Your eyes roam over his exposed torso, drinking in the sight of his toned muscles and smooth skin. The dim light of the room casts shadows that accentuate every curve and plane of his body. You reach out tentatively, fingers ghosting along his collarbone before trailing down to his chest. His breath hitches slightly at your touch, and you feel a thrill of excitement course through you. He captures your wandering hand in his own, bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss on your palm. The tender gesture makes your heart flutter. He leans in, his forehead resting against yours as his free hand cups your cheek. For a moment, you both stay like that, breathing each other in, savoring the intimacy of the moment. He leans in, reconnecting his lips to yours in a deep, sweet intimate kiss.

He brings his free hand back down to the waistband of your pants, grabbing gently at the fabric as he begins to pull them down. “Lift your hips, pretty girl.” He coos softly, coaxing your hips up, which you do without hesitation, pushing yourself up onto your knees on the recliner so he can pull your pants down. With some clumsy maneuvering he manages to pull your pants and underwear down your legs before discarding them into the growing pile of clothing on the floor. You settle back into your seated position on his lap, letting out a soft gasp at the feel of his hard bulge pressed right against the bare fat of your pussy. He grinds up against you, a small, gruff breathy moan falling from his lips at the feeling of your slick staining the front of his jeans. His hands move to his belt, which he makes quick work of removing and casting aside onto the floor before he fumbles with the button of his jeans. He pushes the now damp, blue denim fabric down his legs, along with his boxers, exposing his achingly hard manhood.

He is long and thick, pale with an angry red leaking tip, long blue veins up his girthy shaft, uncut and perfect. He has a thicket of dark curls at the base, adorning his pretty cock perfectly. His balls are full and heavy, every part of him aching for your slick silken heat, he reaches down, unable to resist as he gives himself a few languid, teasing strokes, both to quell the ache and to give you a show of what is to come.

“Are you ready?”

He asks quietly, although he wants nothing more than to take you immediately, but he won’t push you or force you, he wants to make sure you want him just as badly as he needs you in this moment. You manage a weak nod and lift your hips, pressing forward to allow his swollen tip to slide between the slick folds of your pussy lips, nudging at your waiting heat. He moans softly the minute he makes contact with your womanhood and gives you a nod back before his hands come up to grip your hips, guiding you downwards towards his aching cock. His tip notches against the entrance of your wet tunnel before in a slow grinding thrust he presses up into you. You both let out breathy wanton moans at the sensation, and your hips move down almost on their own, pushing him deeper within your silky heat. He fills you, inch by delicious inch, every ridge of your tight, wet pussy squeezing his aching cock, making it difficult for him to keep his composure and not just bucking up into you with reckless abandon. In a moment you’re fully seated on his bare, muscular thighs, his cock filling you at depths you didn’t even think were possible to reach. You grind down experimentally, the tip of his cock kissing your cervix as you do.

“You feel so good.” He groans into your bare shoulder, his hands sliding down to the thick plushness of your ass, squeezing roughly, as if trying to ground himself and not move too hard too fast. “I almost can’t control myself.”

You want to respond but your words seem to get caught on your tongue as he bucks up into you gently, causing a whiny moan to fall from between your lips, like a beautiful siren song to his ears, beckoning him deeper into your silky slick pussy. You grind your hips down, your pelvis nudging against his, your pussy mound meeting his pelvic bone. His hands grip your hips tighter, guiding your movements as you rock against him. The delicious friction sends sparks of pleasure coursing through your body. You arch your back, pressing your breasts forward as waves of sensation wash over you. His eyes roam hungrily over your form, drinking in every curve and contour. You lean down to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, tongues dancing as you continue to move together. The coil of tension builds low in your belly with each thrust. You break the kiss, panting, and rest your forehead against his. His breath is hot on your skin as he increases his pace, driving deeper. His hand travels down to rub circles with his thumb against your neglected swollen clit, and almost like a trigger on a gun, it sets you off.

Your hips still, your entire body clenching as you cum, your pussy squeezes him in an impossibly tight vice grip, sending him into his own finish. His cock presses deeply into you as he expels his hot wet seed into your waiting channel, filling you to the brim with hot wetness. You rock your hips a few more times, riding out both of your highs before you fall forward collapsing against his chest. Your breathing is hard, the same as his, and your heart is pounding rapidly in your chest. You can feel a thin sheen of sweat coating your bodies as you settle against him, not even making a move to pull him from your spent, and still spasming pussy. You both fall into a semi silence, only broken by the sounds of your heavy pants, and the small kissing noises as he places gentle pecks along your shoulders, trying to bring you down from your intense pleasure fuelled high. At this moment, neither of you speak, but you both know this is just the beginning of something new, a peace between the two of you that cannot be turned on its head, not even by the harsh world you now live in. In this moment, and hopefully for many more moments to come, it's just you and Aaron.

[mydarllinglover]

Alone || From a Friend

Previous

The sun was beating down hard, the group had no water and they were struggling to find any.

The last bit of water Natalia had, she poured it into her palm so that her dog could drink it.

They were weak, slow and dehydrated.

The van had eventually ran out of gas.

"We're out, just like the other one." Abraham sighed.

"So we walk."

The group climbed out the vehicle.

Sully jumped off the van, as soon as he landed on the concrete ground, he whined, lifting his front left paw as he looked at his owner.

Natalia bent down, feeling the burning hot tarmac on her hand.

"Come here, baby." She muttered, lifting her dog into her arms, deciding that she'd have to carry him until the temperature decided to cool down.

The further they walked, the slower she was getting, and the heavier the dog was in her arms.

"Here." Daryl said in a quiet voice, taking the dog out of her arms.

"You don't have to." She shook her head, going to take him back.

He nodded, squinting in the sunlight as he looked down at her.

"I got him, you can barely keep yer self up."

They walked a bit more, Daryl looked over his shoulder, Sully panting in his hold, a group of walkers were beginning to build up behind them.

"We're not at our strongest." Rick said, looking over as well, Judith was in his arms. "We'll get 'em when it's best. High ground, something like that. They're not going anywhere."

No one answered him.

"It's been three weeks since Atlanta." He changed the subject. "I know you lost something back there, you both did." He looked past Daryl, at Natalia, who stared at the searing road.

"She's hungry." Daryl said, looking down at a fussing Judith.

"She's okay." Rick replied. "She's going to be okay."

"We need to find water, food." Daryl told him.

"We'll hit something in the road. It's gonna rain sooner or later."

"I'm gonna head out. See what I can find, let the dog get some shade in the trees." Daryl suggested.

"Don't be too long." Rick told him.

"Come on." Daryl tapped Natalia's arm with his spare hand, heading for the trees, setting Sully down.

"I'll come with you." Carol said.

"We got it." He refused.

"You're gonna stop me?" She teased.

"Course you can come." Natalia smiled at her, but she didn't sound too convincing.

They had headed through the trees finding some long grass.

Sully ran through it, glad to be on something soft that wasn't burning his paws.

At least he was happy about something.

"Anything?" Carol asked the tracker.

"No, it's too dry. There ain't nothing here."

"Maybe we should start back." She suggested. "Nat?" She called to the woman who had walked further along, watching her dog like a hawk.

"You go." Daryl told Carol, Natalia didn't even bother to acknowledge the woman calling her name.

"I think she saved my life." Carol admitted, catching both of their attention. "She saved your lives, too, right?"

Natalia put all her focus back into watching the dog, not wanting to let memories cloud her mind.

Carol walked towards Daryl, passing him a sheath.

"It was hers. We're not dead. That's what you said. You're not dead, neither is she." She whispered to him, nudging her head at the other woman, who's back was to them. I know you. We're different. I can't let myself... But you, I know you. You have to let yourself feel it. You will." She brushed his hair out of his face, kissing his head. "I know her as well, she needs to know that not everything is doomed, even when it feels like it."

Carol then walked away, back to the group.

Daryl whistled, catching the dog's attention, Sully ran towards him, past his owner.

"Nat." He called. "Lets go."

Natalia breathed heavily, turning around and heading towards the trees.

"You made it out of Georgia." She said, through their walk in the woods.

"Then you gotta learn how to ride a bike." He cottoned on. "I'll teach ya, soon as we find one."

"I'm glad you helped her, she got to complete hers." Natalia whispered. "I wish I told her more about Winnie, when she asked, instead of brushing her off."

This was the first time he had heard her say that name since she first told him about her daughter.

He didn't have anything to say, instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"No point thinking about that, now." He sighed.

When they had got back to the group, they were fighting off the walkers that had been walking behind them, beside a broken bridge.

Daryl ran to help Rick from having a walker bite into his arm.

Natalia picked up her dog, running towards the other side of the bridge, where some of the others were, until the walkers were no more.

"Dad, look." Carl pointed ahead when they had walked some more.

Three cars were idle in the middle of the road.

"I'm gonna head into the woods, circle back." Daryl declared.

"May I come with?" Carol asked.

"Nah." He said far too quickly. "Just me, and the dog." He looked at Natalia, taking Sully out of her arms once again and letting him jump to the ground, letting out a whistle to follow as he headed for the trees once again.

The group checked the cars, seeing if they worked, or had any supplies.

Maggie and Natalia checked the furthest car in silence.

The keys were still in the ignition.

Maggie took them out, and the pair headed for the trunk.

She slotted the keys in, opening the door as they peered down at a walker, female, she was tied up and gagged. She was blonde.

Natalia thought about the time she, Beth and Daryl spent the night in that trunk, during the storm, how scared the girl was, how they held hands throughout the whole night, as Natalia whispered to her.

She was brought out of the memory, when Maggie slammed the door shut, leaving the keys in it.

The walker began thumping and hitting against the space, inside.

Natalia didn't bother to intervene when Maggie walked back, trying to turn the key, but it was stuck. She pulled out her gun, aiming it at the metal.

Natalia waited for the familiar sound, but it never came.

"Maggie." Glenn whispered.

"There's one..." Maggie trailed.

"Keys are stuck." Natalia finished, walking away from the couple.

The group had found a small bit of shade to sit in, as they waited for Daryl to return.

Daryl had shown up, empty handed.

Natalia gently ran her fingers across Sully's fur, sitting alone beside the group.

Abraham pulled out a bottle of orange liquid, unscrewing the lid and taking a sip.

"So, all we found was booze?" Tara asked.

"Yeah." Rosita answered.

"It's not gonna help."

"He knows that."

"It's gonna make it worse." Tara continued.

"Yes, it is."

"He's a grown man." Eugene weighed in. "And I truly do not know if things can get worse."

"They can."

Sully suddenly rolled over, standing up as he began growling across the road.

"Sully, stop." Natalia told him.

He didn't listen barking louder, as the group looked at where he was pointing out.

"Sully!" Natalia gritted through her teeth, holding on to the dogs collar to stop him from running off.

Other growls had started, from the other side.

Four dogs had emerged.

They had stalked towards the dog, and the group, snarling at the people.

Sully's barks were only getting worse, as Natalia struggled to pull him away.

Silenced gunshots ran out, Sasha had put all the dogs down, except their own.

Natalia loosened her grip on the collar, as he moved towards the still dogs, sniffing them.

Rick got up, picking up a stick, he then began breaking it.

"Don't" Natalia told him.

"We gotta eat." Abraham hummed.

"Have fun with that." She shook her head, pulling her dog away, away from what the group were about to do, she wasn't gonna turn him into a damn cannibal, either. "Sully, come on."

"Nat." Michonne called after her as she headed for the trees.

"He ain't a member of Terminus, cause we killed them all, remember?" She commented before disappearing behind the leaves.

She didn't return until nightfall, when they were just finishing their meal.

The next day, they carried on walking.

The little bit of water that was handed to her, was given to her dog, letting him lap it up in her hand and sprinkling it along his head.

Daryl had disappeared again, but he didn't take Sully with him.

They were stood around jugs of water when he came back, a note layed on top of them.

From A Friend.

Rick passed it towards the other man, letting him read it.

Natalia averted her eyes from his left hand.

"What else are we going to do?" Tara asked.

"Not this. We don't know who left it." Rick replied.

"If that's a trap, we already happen to be in it." Eugene said. "But I for one, would like to think it is indeed from a friend."

"What if it isn't? They put something in it?" Carol asked.

Eugene stepped forward, picking up a bottle of water.

"Eugene." Rosita called.

"What are you doing, dude?" Tara asked.

"Quality assurance." He said, before bringing the bottle to his lips, he didn't get a chance to take a sip though, because Abraham smacked it out of his hands.

"We can't." Rick told him as water dripped from his face.

Thunder rumbled in the sky.

Then the rain came, pouring down on them.

Sully had started howling at the claps of thunder, Michonne let out a laugh as she soaked up the water, others joined in.

Rosita and Tara layed down on the ground together, laughing and grinning wide.

"Oh, god." Tara sighed.

"I'm sorry, my lord." Gabriel sobbed to himself.

Natalia copied the other women, laying on her back as she hugged her dog to her, covering his ears as he shook the rain off of him.

"Everybody get the bags. Anything you can find." Rick commanded as him and Abraham snapped to attention.

The thunder got louder, Judith cried as Sully got more frantic.

A tornado was forming.

"It's alright." Natalia hushed, standing up, her dog in her arms as she tried to keep him calm.

Carl used his hat to cover his sister.

"Let's keep moving." Rick told the people.

"There's a barn." Daryl shouted over the noise.

"Where?"

Daryl led them to the barn past the woods.

Rick was the first to enter, a few others followed behind, searching it.

Natalia waited in the rain, rocking the overwhelmed dog, shielding him from the noise of the storm.

When it was clear, She let the dog go, letting him run in the barn as she followed.

He went straight for the hay, the place that was only enough to be for Judith.

He rolled around in it, soaking it, as strands of hay stuck to his fur.

She let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Come on, buddy, it's gonna take me forever to pluck all that out."

The dog listened, getting out, going in search of someone else.

She took off her jacket, the one she got from the foodbank, and placed it down on the hay her dog had just destroyed.

"Made her bed." Natalia told Carl, who was stood beside her, Judith in his arms.

Natalia had found Sully by Abraham of all people, he was sniffing through the blue bag the man had been carrying, before pulling his face out, his rabbit in his jaws, so that's where it went.

He then trailed back to the hay, laying beside it as Carl got comfortable, laying Judith down.

"Guess he's staying with you for the night, you mind?" Natalia asked the kid.

"Nah, he's alright." He gave her a soft smile.

"Thanks, Carl." She ruffled his hair.

Daryl had started a fire, Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Carol and her sat around it.

"He's gonna be okay." Carol told Rick, who was watching his kids. "He bounces back. More than any of us do."

"I used to feel sorry for kids that have to grow up now. In this. But I think I got it wrong." Rick said.

Natalia stared at the fire.

"Growing up is getting used to the world. This is easier for them."

"This isn't the world." Michonne told him. "This isn't it."

"I'm going to take watch." Natalia stood up.

"We're okay." Glenn said.

"Nah, not taking that chance." She muttered, walking away and heading to sit in front of the doors, she let them finish their conversation without her.

She sat with her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands as she listened to the sound of thunder clapping and rain pouring.

After a while, a figure had begun pacing in front of her.

She looked up, already knowing who it was.

"I said I would take watch." Natalia muttered.

"When was the last time you slept, or even ate anything?"

Natalia couldn't find an answer for that question.

"Haven't had many options to choose from, as you can see." She replied, after a moment.

"I don't need ya passing out on watch, go get some rest."

"I got it." She sighed, kicking some stray hay on the floor.

"You don't" He shook his head. "You ain't got shit, haven't for a while."

Natalia looked up at him, her brows furrowed.

"Yeah, 'cause you do, right?" She mocked, standing up.

"You're killing yourself, by not bothering to take care of yourself. Just go get some sleep, Nat." He looked away from her, continuing his pacing. "I ain't arguing with you."

"We're not arguing, I just wanna know where you think you get the audacity to talk about me, when you been dealing with things in your own special way." She grabbed his left hand, raising it to show what she meant.

He yanked his hand out of hers.

"Stop." He warned.

"No, you have no right to tell me what to do, to always come in and rescuing the day, when you're barely hanging on, yourself."

"I ain't the one who's got a wall so high that she's willing to shoot anything that isn't part of the group." He snapped, swinging his arm around.

"And look where that got us, the fucking claimers, who I wanted to leave, they were going to beat you to death, no matter what, it was inevitable it was gonna happen, no matter that I tried to prevent it, I didn't fight back, or defend myself, cause if I did, they'd kill you." With every point she made, she hit his chest. "Terminus, they were gonna kill you, Rick and Glenn, they got a hold of Bob, if it weren't for Carol, we'd all be dead, but you were closer, Grady, we stuck with Tyreese's plan, because of you, and now they're both gone. Back at Woodbury, I wanted to go back there, I could of done it, but we were too busy saving your ass, cause you ditched us, then we lost the prison, too." She hissed, even through her anger, she wanted to keep the conversation private. "So, don't you dare tell me what to do, acting like you're trying to help me, if it wasn't for me, you'd have been dead long ago."

Daryl's shoulders dropped as he stood still, listening to her.

"And guess what, they're dead, it didn't even matter, cause they're dead anyway, people who needed to die, did, and people who didn't, shouldn't of, did as well." She stopped hitting him, stepping away as she ran a hand through her hair, tugging on the roots. "Maybe if I wasn't so harsh to her, if I was just nicer... if I didn't tell her to go."

"Stop." Daryl reached for her, but she hit his hand away.

"Back at the morgue, I should've checked the door, I threw it open like a careless idiot, over some dog, then maybe we wouldn't of got split up, they wouldn't of taken her, then - then she wouldn't be..."

"It ain't your fault." He took the step closer, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing was your fault. I shouldn't of been mad at ya."

Natalia accepted his touch, she moved, reaching tall to wrap her arms around him, hugging the man.

He froze, not understanding what she was doing, before he came to his senses, an arm coming round to hold her back, his other one held her head to his chest.

Natalia breathed out through her nose, opening her eyes.

She caught the flash of lightning outside, through the chained doors that were swinging open.

"Fuck!" She pulled away, rushing to the doors, pushing them closed, shutting out the large herd of walkers heading for it.

Daryl rushed to her side, fiddling with the lock, before pushing against the wood, himself.

The pair struggled to keep it closed as the herd pounded on the door, with the help from the wind.

Maggie sat up from her spot on the floor, looking over at the two. 

She saw what happened, rushing past the gate and helping them, throwing herself against the wood, as well.

Then Sasha looked over, sprinting over to help.

Then the rest came.

Their shoes slid in the mud as they scrambled to fight against the doors.

Carl layed Judith down, she began to cry as he joined the people.

Sully went over to the fussing baby, sniffing her, attempting to comfort the baby as he licked at her face.

Eventually, something gave, mother nature had stopped the herd, and they were no longer against the door.

The group settled down in front of the door, falling asleep.

Natalia sat down beside Daryl, who was watching the door carefully, making sure it wouldn't give again.

"I'm sorry." She started.

"S'fine." He grunted.

"It's not." She shook her head. "I was out of order, I shouldn't of taken it out on you. I shouldn't of blamed you." She reached for his hand, linking their fingers. "I'm just sick of losing. I'm really sorry, Daryl."

He nodded.

"I know."

They stayed like that for a while, not talking anymore, but in a shared understanding.

Sometime through the night, Natalia had fallen asleep, leaning her head against him as she rested.

"So much for being on watch." He muttered under his breath, but didn't move a muscle.

In the morning, Maggie had come over, sitting down beside the pair.

She didn't miss how his eyes wandered down to the woman by his side, making sure she was still asleep as his thumb ran over the back of her hand, then he looked up at the other woman.

"You should get some sleep." She said, quietly.

"Yeah." He replied, it barely being audible.

"It's okay to rest now."

The pair looked over at Sasha, who was asleep, away from the others.

"He was tough." Daryl commented.

"He was." She agreed.

"So was she." He whispered. "She didn't know it, but she was. Nat was always chasing after her, worried. But she handled herself."

He picked up the yellow jewellery box, passing it to her with his spare hand.

"Gearbox had some grit in it." He managed to do it one handed, it wasn't that difficult.

"Thank you." Maggie smiled, accepting it. "Get some sleep, you both deserve it." She looked between the man and the sleeping woman, offering a kind smile, then she got up and headed over to Sasha.

Daryl carefully let go of Natalia's hand, setting her down so that he could take off his jacket, gently placing it down under her head then layed down beside her.

"Hm?" Natalia stirred, prying her eyes open, then realised he was still there, closing them again and drifting back to her dream, turning around as she moved closer to his body.

Sully had woken her up, pawing at her as he whined.

"Stop." She hummed, gently pushing him away.

He didn't.

Something dropped on her.

His treasured rabbit, the one Daryl had picked up at the Big Spot.

Natalia let out a sigh, she looked behind her, typical. He was already up.

She got up, picking up the leather winged vest he had let her use a pillow, heading over to where he was fixing his crossbow, by the looks of it, she had slept in the latest.

Natalia threw the rabbit across the barn, feeding into what the dog wanted, as he chased after it.

"Here." She announced her presence, passing the vest with the wings back to it's rightful owner.

"Thanks." He looked over, for only a second to grab it, going back to what he was doing almost instantly.

"Hey." The voice of Maggie sounded through the barn as she peeked through the doors. "Everyone..."

A man was behind her, looking well dressed and clean.

"This is Aaron." She introduced the man.

Natalia instantly pulled out her hand gun, taking it off safety as she took aim.

The others did the same.

Daryl stomped outside, checking the area, before coming in to frisk the man for weapons.

"We met him outside. He's by himself. We took his weapons and we took his gear." She continued.

Tara closed the door then Daryl finished, locking the barn doors, the group circled the man, their weapons in hand.

"What's he want?" Natalia asked, when everyone else stared at him in silence.

"Hi." Aaron spoke.

Judith began crying loudly, was that a sign?

Rick nodded for Carl to take his sister, which he did.

"Its nice to meet you." He offered his hand, walking towards the leader, but Daryl went to stop him.

"You said he had a weapon." Rick spoke for the first time.

Maggie walked towards him, handing it over.

It was a small gun. 

Rick pocketed it as he continued to stare.

"There something you need?" He asked.

"He has a camp nearby." Sasha answered. "He wants us to audition for membership."

"I wish there was another word. Audition makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance troupe. That's only on Friday nights." He attempted to make a joke, no one laughed. "Uhm, and it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you would all make valuable additions, even you." He looked at the dog, that had stood by his owners legs, ready for attack if there seemed to be a threat. "But it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home." He continued when the woman of the dog glared at him.

They didn't stop their staring, but there was no weapons pointed at him anymore.

"I know. If I were you, I wouldn't go either. Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into. Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack?" He asked, still keeping his hands up and visible.

She thought on it a moment before doing as said.

"Front pocket, there's an envelope." He told Rick.

Rick took the bag, setting it down as he opened it.

"There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community. That's why I brought those."

Rick pulled out an yellow envelope, just like the man said. I apologise in advance for the picture quality. We just found an old camera store last..."

"Nobody gives a shit." Daryl cut him off.

"You're absolutely 100% right." Aaron agreed with him. "That's the first picture I wanted to show you because nothing I say about our community will matter unless you know you'll be safe." He said Natalia's least favourite word. "If you join us, you will be. Each panel in that wall is a 15-foot-high, 12-foot-wide slab of solid steel framed by cold-rolled steal beams and square tubing." Rick stood up. "Nothing alive or dead gets through that without our say-so. Like I said, security is obviously important. In fact, there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The people."

Rick looked towards Natalia, who looked back at him, before back at the man, then he looked at Michonne.

"Together we're strong. You can make us even stronger. The next picture, you'll see inside the gates."

Rick walked towards the man,

"Our community was first contruc-" He never finished his sentence, because Ricks fist went flying to his face, knocking the man clean out.

Daryl and Maggie went to check him over.

People put their weapons away as others went over to help the unconscious man.

"So we're clear, that look wasn't a "lets attack this man" Look." Michonne told him when he walked back over. "It was a "He seems like an okay guy to me." Look."

"Yeah, he's way too dorky looking to be an actual threat." Natalia weighed in, looking at the man on the floor as he was tied up.

"We got to secure him, dump his pack Let's see what this guy really is." Rick ordered.

"Rick." Michonne tried, but was ignored.

"Everybody else, we need eyes in every direction. They're coming for us. We might not know how or when, but they are."

"I don't think they are." Natalia sighed, looking at the leader.

"Me and Sasha, we didn't see him. If he wanted to hurt us, he could've." Maggie defended.

"Anybody see anything?" Rick asked, ignoring the other women who spoke.

"Just a lot of places to hide." Glenn answered.

"Alright. Keep looking."

Natalia stood with Carl as they emptied the pack, looking at the contents inside.

"I've never seen a gun like this before." Carl told Natalia, picking up the orange gun.

"Oh, Rick." Natalia waved him over. "The guy has a flare gun." She took it off the kid, offering it to the man.  

Rick took it, checking the chamber before walking towards Aaron.

Maggie and Michonne comforted and cooled Aaron, who was still tied up and passed out on the floor.

Eventually, he came to.

"That's a hell of a right cross there, Rick." Aaron said, smiling.

"Sit him up."

"I think its better if..." Maggie tried.

"It's okay." Aaron told her.

"He's fine, sit him up." Rick repeated.

Michonne did just that, pulling the man to sit up straight.

"You're being cautious, I completely understand."

"How many of your people are out there?" Rick asked him. "You have a flare gun. You have it to signal your people." He showed off the flare gun. "How many of them are there?"

Aaron sighed before answering.

Natalia got the feeling he regretted on approaching Maggie and Sasha.

"Does it matter?" He asked.

"Yes." Rick told him. "Yes, yes it does."

"I mean, of course. It matters how many people are actually out there. But does it matter how many people I tell you are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say... Eight, 32, 444, zero, no matter what I say, you're not going to trust me."

"Well its hard to trust anyone who smiles after getting punched in the face." Rick replied.

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you in the road?"

"How long you people been following us?" Daryl stepped forward.

"Long enough to see you practically ignore a pack of roamers on your trail. Long enough to see that despite a lack of food and water, you never turned on each other. Or, when you broke away from your group to walk around in the dark, in the woods with your dog, because you deemed it unethical to eat what they were." He looked at Natalia. "You weren't even phased by the herd as you led them away from your group."

"What?" Rick looked at her.

"Nothing, it was nothing." Natalia shook her head, looking away. "Was barely even a herd."

"Okay, bottom line is, you're survivors and you're people. Like I said, and I hope you won't punch me for saying it again, that is the most important resource in the world."

Rick stepped forward, his voice was low as he repeated his question.

"How many others are out there?"

"One." Aaron answered, confidently. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. If its not words, if its not pictures, what would it take to convince you that this is for real?"

Maggie got up from the floor, nobody answered the man.

"What if I drove you to the community? All of you? We leave now, we'll get there by lunch."

"I'm not sure how the sixteen of us and a dog are gonna fit in the car you and your one friend drove down here in." Rick told him.

"We drove separately. If we found a group, we wanted to be able to bring them all home. There's enough room for all of us." Aaron said.

"And you're parked just a couple of miles away, right?" Carol asked.

"East on Ridge Road, just after you hit Route 16. We wanted to get them closer, but then the storm came, blocked the road. We couldn't clear it."

"Yeah, you've really thought this through."

"Rick, if I wanted to ambush you, I'd do it here. You know, light the barn on fire while you slept, pick you off as you ran out the only exit. You can trust me."

It was silent for a moment.

"I'll check out the cars." Michonne offered.

"I'll go with you." Natalia told her, moving to stand with the woman.

"There aren't any cars." Rick said.

"There's only one way to find out."

"We don't need to find out."

"We do." Michonne pushed. "You know what you know, and you're sure of it, but I'm not."

"The guy's harmless, he couldn't do anything even if he tried, at least not with all of us." Natalia vouched, gesturing to the man on the floor. "He's clean, so are his clothes, he looks pretty safe."

"She's right." Maggie agreed.

"Your way is dangerous, mine isn't." Rick shrugged.

"Passing up someplace where we can live?" Where Judith can live? That's pretty dangerous." Michonne threw his words back in his face. "We need to find out what this is. We can handle ourselves. So that's what we're gonna do."

"Then I will, too." Glenn stepped up. "I'll go."

"Abraham." Rick turned to the large redhead.

"Yeah. I'll walk with them." He nodded.

"Rosita?"

"Okay."

"If there's trouble, you got enough firepower?" Rick asked Glenn.

"We got what we got."

Daryl picked up Aaron, leading him away from the doors as the group got ready to leave it.

"The walkies are out of juice. If you're not back in 60 minutes, we'll come. Which might be just what they want." Rick sighed. "If we're all in here, we're a target." He started saying to the others as the vehicle group left the barn.

"I've got the area covered." Daryl headed out as well.

"Hey, take Sul with you?" Natalia asked Daryl as she headed the opposite way with the others. "If we're about to go on a road trip, I wanna tire him out."

Daryl whistled and the dog came running towards him from inside.

He nodded at her as she turned back, walking with Michonne.

"Ain't you got him on a tight leesh." Abraham commented.

"What?" Natalia asked, confused by the man's remark.

He chuckled not delving anymore, and neither did anybody else.

Next

Tags: @fallenkitten