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[kittieswritingspot]

The Long Road

SEASON 1 EPISODE 4: VATOS

A/N: for those of you who are new - thank you for reading and welcome to kittieswritingspot!  This is the second chapter of The Long Road, a Walking Dead fanfic based off the script with the addition of an OC of mine.  Some plot lines will be different to incorporate her, some lines will get mixed up (just fyi), some original scenes will be included to make up for unaccounted time.   Chapters are long but I appreciate your time!  I hope y’all enjoy!

Warnings: again this is SUPER LONG; swearing; blood, gore, the usual zombie apocalypse stuff; also, grammatical and spelling errors (I’m counting it! It bothers me and might bother some of y’all)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x OC (eventually…like a long ways down the road. Get it? Lol I entertain myself)

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This can’t be happening. What the fuck is going on right now? He can’t be dead, what the fuck was he thinking?  Oh, of course, nothing.  He probably thought we left him for dead, I always knew he was like a goddamn animal…

Thoughts raced through Selene’s mind as she stared down at the severed hand on the rooftop.  She couldn’t seem to look away it all seemed too surreal.  If it wouldn’t have been so comical she would’ve pinched herself to make sure this wasn’t some terrible dream.  Sniffles from Daryl brought her back to the moment.  She couldn’t imagine what he was going through.  She was just about to turn to comfort him when he swung his crossbow up with a growl and aimed it at Glenn’s head.

Rick’s response was immediate.  Barely a second passed before his Python was drawn and pointed at Daryl’s head.  Glenn had immediately stilled, sweat dripped down his face and a slight whimper escaped his lips.  Selene was unsure of what to do.  All she could do was watch with her mouth agape, praying to whoever or whatever was listening that the situation did not get out of hand.

“I won’t hesitate,” Rick said softly, his voice and hand steady.  “I don’t care if every walker in the city hears it.”  Daryl hesitated for a second before nodding slightly and lowering his crossbow, giving Glenn a slightly apologetic look.  Glenn let out a shaky breath and nodded to Daryl.  

“You got a rag or somethin’?” Daryl asked Glenn quietly.  Glenn reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue rag. Daryl took it and opened it up on the rooftop.  “I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs,” he said, picking up Merle’s decaying hand and folding it up in the rag.  “Ain’t that a bitch.”

Standing up, he gestured to Glenn to turn around.  Glenn did with a look of disgust when he realized what Daryl was about to do.  Opening up the pack, Daryl put the hand on top of whatever else was in there before turning around to pick up his crossbow and survey the area.

“He must have used a tourniquet,” Daryl said, taking notice of the blood that had fallen.  “Maybe his belt,” he continued, starting to follow the blood trail.  “Be much more blood if he didn’t.”  The group followed him as he followed the trail of blood to another set of stairs.  Glenn followed last after gathering up Dale’s tools that had been left behind with Merle. Selene let Rick follow Daryl, wanting to check up on her friend.

“Hey,” she said softly, grasping Glenn’s hand softly, “you okay?”

“Yeah,” Glen nodded, a small laugh escaping.  “I thought I was dead for a second there.”

“He wouldn’t have done it,” Selene replied.  “He was just acting out.  Besides, Rick wouldn’t have let him.”

“Why do you do that?”  Glenn questioned her.  His eyes searched her face; trying to see behind the wall she always had up.  “Why do you always back him up?”  His accusatory tone made her take a small step back.  Releasing his hand, she turned away from him, the wind blowing her hair in her face. She could hear Daryl calling for Merle in the stairway below.

“We should catch up,” she muttered, starting forward toward the door.

“Just tell me why Selene,” Glenn insisted, grabbing her hand, pulling her around to face him again.

“He saved my life Glenn,” she said with tears in her eyes.  “He didn’t have to, but him and his dumbass brother both went out of their way to save my life.  I owe them everything.”  She pulled her hand out of his and wiped the tears away before they could fall.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, once again turning away from him, “he didn’t mean it, I know he didn’t.”  She walked away from him without waiting for a response, hurrying through the door to follow Rick and Daryl.  

“I know,” Glenn said to himself, sighing before following her through the door and down the stairs.

Selene caught up to Rick and Daryl in a kitchen where they were examining a lit stove and what looked like an old fashioned iron with burnt bits stuck to it.  Next to that was a bloodied belt.

“What’s that burned stuff?”  She asked, taking a step closer to examine it thoroughly.

“Skin,” Rick said, causing her to take a step back and retch a little.  “He cauterized the stump.”

“Told you he was tough,” Daryl spoke up, his eyes scanning the room, resting briefly on Selene as she dry heaved in the corner.  “Nobody can kill Merle but Merle.”  He moved on when he saw Glenn catch up and rub Selene’s back, helping her fight the revulsion.

“Don’t take that on faith,” Rick replied, also looking around.  “He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Yeah?” Daryl scoffed, reloading his crossbow with a loud click.  He walked around again and stopped at a smashed window he had missed earlier.  “Didn’t stop him from busting out of this death trap.”

“He left the building?” Glenn asked, looking up from Selene as she gave him a thumbs up.  “Why the hell would he do that?”  The group gathered around the window to contemplate the possibilities.

“Why wouldn’t he?” Daryl retorted.  “He’s out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he’s got to do. Surviving.”

“You call that surviving?” Glenn asked incredulously.  “Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out?  What are his odds out there?”  He gestured to the broken window.

“No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks,” Daryl sneered at him.  “You couldn’t kill him.  Ain’t so worried about some dumb dead bastard.”

“What about a thousand dumb dead bastards?” Rick snapped back, stepping close to Daryl.  “Different story?”

“Why you don’t take a tally?” Daryl spat back.  “Do what you want.  I’m gonna go get him.”  Selene rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall, waiting for the posturing to end. At the same time, Rick blocked Daryl’s path.

“Daryl,” Rick said, “wait.”

“Get your hands off me!” Daryl shouted.  “You can’t stop me.”

“I don’t blame you,” Rick reasoned, still blocking the way.  “He’s family, I get that.  I went through hell to find mine.  I know exactly how you feel.  He can’t get far with that injury.  We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head.”

Daryl glanced at Selene briefly, watching her nod along with Rick’s words. “I could do that,” he said calmly.

“Only if we get those guns first Rick,” Selene interjected.  “I ain’t walking through those hordes with just my pistol and bow.”  Rick and Daryl both looked back at her before exchanging a glance.  They nodded, knowing that the smarter move was to look for the guns for added protection before facing the walker infested streets below.  

“Alright,” Rick started.  “So how to we go about getting those guns?”  He looked over at Glenn who was already deep in thought.

“Here, I have an idea,” Glenn said with a nod.  “Give me a sec’.”  He moved off into an office-like space to plan.  Rick followed him with Selene just behind him.  Daryl grabbed her arm, pulling her back, and waited until Rick disappeared through the entryway.

“You alright?”  He asked Selene, pulling her around to look at her face.  

“I’m okay,” she nodded, pushing her hair out of her face.  He studied her for a second, taking in her pasty appearance and the quiver in her lip.  

“Okay,” he mumbled before pushing past her to follow the others into the room. If she didn’t want to tell him, that was her business.  And besides, she did seem fine.  When he entered the room, he saw a crude map Glenn had drawn on the floor, with small office supplied standing in as landmarks.

“I can go get the guns on my own,” he was saying, starting to point out his plan to Rick.  

“You’re not doing this alone,” Selene said sternly, standing next to Daryl who was leaning backwards against a desk.  Placing her bow on the desk, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Glenn.

“Even I think that’s a bad idea, and I don’t even like you much,” Daryl offered.

“It’s a good idea okay,” Glenn sighed, “if you just hear me out.  If we go out there in a group, we’re slow, drawing attention.  If I’m alone, I can move fast.”  He started pointing out the different markers on the map as he explained.  “Look.  That’s the tank, five blocks from where we are now.  That’s the bag of guns.”  He pointed to an empty corridor on the map.  “Here’s the alley I dragged you into when we first met,” he said to Rick. “That’s where Daryl and I will go.”

“Why me?” Daryl asked.

“Your crossbow is quieter than his gun,” Glenn explained.  “Selene can cover Rick with her bow.  While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag.”

“You got us elsewhere?” Rick questioned, wanting to get all the details down.

“You two will be in this alley here,” Glenn answered, pointing to another offshoot from the main road.

“Two blocks away?” Rick asked, exchanging a confused look with Selene. “Why?”

“I may not be able to come back the same way,” Glenn said matter of factly. “Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won’t go back to Daryl.  I’ll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me.  Afterwards, we’ll all meet back here.”  The other three looked at each other and nodded, somewhat surprised at the depth behind the plan.

“Hey, kid, what’d you do before all this?” Daryl asked him.

“Delivered pizzas,” Glenn replied before stopping to think about the question. “Why?”  

Selene snorted with laughter while Daryl and Rick exchanged amused looks before nodding to each other.  She laughed again when Glenn looked at her questioningly.  

“Don’t worry about it,” she giggled, picking up her bow off the desk. Glenn’s brow was still furrowed with confusion when they started to make their way out of the building via the fire escape.  Rick went down first, followed by Glenn, then Daryl, and finally Selene.  When they all reached the street the pairs split up, taking off in opposite directions to their respective locations.  Briefly before leaving, Daryl had placed a hand on Selene’s shoulder and nodded to her, turning away quickly and charging down the alleyway.

“So what’s with the two of you?” Rick asked her quietly when they reached their alleyway.

“What d’ya mean?” she responded, confused as to what he was talking about. The only thing running through her mind was to keep an eye out and her ears open for walkers.  

“You and Daryl,” Rick pushed, also standing ready to fight, his gun in his hand.

“What? Nothing,” she replied in an annoyed whisper.  His question surprised her when she finally understood what he was talking about.  

“Well it’s just that sometimes you two seem pretty close,” he continued, his eyes scanning the road.

“Rick,” she said between gritted teeth, “is this really the time?  There’s nothing.  He, his brother, and I were on the road together before we met up with the rest of the camp, you just grow close with that sort of thing.  We’re like brothers…except that I’m a girl so I’m probably more like a sister.”  She shook her head at the ridiculousness of the situation.  “Do you seriously want to have a conversation like this at a time like this?”

“Well I just thought we’d pass the time,” he said with a huff of laughter. “Didn’t mean to get you all riled up.”

“I am not,” Selene shot back, her voice rising.  “I swear to God, if Merle doesn’t kick your ass when we find him, I just might.”

“I know,” Rick snorted, “the way you took down Shane, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to take me down as well.”  Selene smirked at that and was about to reply when they heard an unfamiliar voice yelling from the direction of the alley Daryl and Glenn were in. Exchanging a terrified glance, they took off towards the alley, afraid of what they would find.  More yells erupted as they raced down the alley, Daryl’s and Glenn’s voices added to cacophony of sound.  

When Selene and Rick reached the end of the alley, they saw Daryl against a chain-link gate that was blocking the end of the alley, keeping a group of walkers out.  The bag of guns, along with a sheriff’s hat on the ground next to him, a Mexican kid they didn’t recognize and no Glenn.  Daryl was shouting after a car that was speeding down the road and out of sight.

Selene stopped just short of the kid, aiming an arrow at his head.  “What the fuck is going on?” she growled at him. Rick had run on past the kid, towards Daryl, stopping Daryl from turning around and running after the kid, probably to beat him up.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Rick said loudly, trying to get his voice over Daryl’s. “Stop it!”

“I’m gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!” Daryl threatened the boy. The boy turned as if to run, only to remember that Selene was still standing their, bow raised and ready to fire.

“Get out of my way,” the kid said, trying to side step Selene.

“Chill out,” she replied, following his every move.

“They took Glenn,” Daryl yelled from the end of the alley.  Rick was still trying to hold him back.  “That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends.  I’m gonna stomp your ass!”  Daryl made a motion as if to kick the kid and Rick took that opportunity to push Daryl back, forcing him to stop his tirade to regain his balance.

“Come on guys!” Selene called, her arm was tiring from holding her bow at the ready for so long.  “We’re cut off, we gotta go!”  Rick turned to her and nodded up the alley.

“Get back to the room.  Go.”

Selene nodded and put down her bow, grabbing the kid’s arm before he could run off and leading him to the fire escape ladder.  She pushed him up first and followed him, checking to make sure that Rick and Daryl were following.  They were a few yards behind her, Daryl had his crossbow slung across his back and Rick was hauling the heavy bag of guns up the ladder, his Sheriff’s hat on top of his head.

When they reached the room Selene drew her gun on the kid and motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs.  She stood there watching him until Daryl and Rick made it through the window.  Putting their weapons down, Rick took over questioning the kid.  

“Those men you were with,” he started, leaning in close to kid’s face, “we need to know where they went.”  Selene imagined this is what it looked like when Rick was interrogating people for his job.

“I ain’t telling you nothing,” the kid spit at him, looking defiantly into Rick’s eyes.  Selene wasn’t fooled though, she had had a younger brother, and she knew when kids were covering up fear with bravado.  

“What the hell happened down there?” she questioned Daryl, pulling her gaze away from the interrogation happening in front of her.  

“I told you!” Daryl exploded; all his pacing back and forth was doing nothing to calm him down.  “This little turd and his douchebag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me.”

“You’re the one who jumped me, puto,” the kid fired back, “screaming about trying to find his brother like it’s my damn fault.”  

“They took Glenn,” Daryl said to Rick, “could have taken Merle too.”

“Merle?” the kid asked with a laugh.  “What kind of hick name is that?  I wouldn’t name my dog Merle.”

Selene couldn’t help herself when she snorted with laughter.  Daryl ignored her as he went to kick the kid in the face, only to be stopped by Rick pushing him back.

“Dammit Daryl, back off,” Rick huffed, holding him back with his arm outstretched.  Daryl glared at Rick for a second before an idea came to him.  Crossing to where Glenn had stashed his bag, he rummaged through it until he brought out the folded up rag.  Glancing at Selene, he unwrapped Merle’s hand.  

“Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?” Daryl threatened as he threw the hand into the kid’s lap.  It took a moment for the kid to realize what he was looking at but when he did, he freaked out and fell out of the chair in an attempt to get away.  

“Start with the feet this time,” Daryl taunted, pulling on the front of the kid’s wife beater while the kid whimpered in fear.  Both Rick and Selene pulled Daryl off the kid.  She held him back while Rick turned his attention back to the kid.  

“The men you were with took our friend,” he said calmly.  “All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out.”

The kid nodded meekly, still staring at the hand that had landed on the floor.  “They’re at a building a few blocks from here,” he said shakily, “I can take you there.”

“Okay,” Rick nodded, “let’s go.”  Selene had started to remove her pack from her shoulders when a hand stopped her movement.

“I think you should stay here,” Daryl’s gruff voice said behind her.  “We dunno what we’re getting into.”

“You’re kidding me,” she scoffed, turning to look at him.  “You had no problem with me coming along on this run to begin with.  Why’s this any different?”

Daryl just stood there a moment, staring at her, chewing on his lip.  Rick had the kid by the arm, already halfway out the room when he turned to look at the pair, a look of urgency on his face. Flicking her eyes to him, Selene nodded knowing that time was short.  Whatever complex Dixon was having right now, she brushed it aside; Glenn needed to be saved.

“We don’t have time for this Daryl,” she snapped, jerking him out of his thoughts.  “We need to save Glenn.”  She readjusted her quiver and reached around him for her bow, feeling his gaze bore into her.

“Fine,” he said with a sneer.  “You do what you want.  See if I care.”

She snorted at his remark.  It wasn’t the first time she heard a sentiment similar to that from him.  The first time it happened, she had taken it seriously and started packing up to leave.  The more she thought about it though, the angrier she got and by the time she was packed up to leave, she swung a fist at him instead, effectively putting an end to his sourness at her.  It would pass, it always did.  Besides, Glenn was her friend and she wasn’t about to leave him to a bunch of assholes.

She brushed passed him to follow Rick out the door, discussing the strategy they would use when they reached the hideout of the kid’s buddies.  Daryl caught up with them when they reached the street; by then Rick and Selene already had a plan in place.  Judging by the kid’s reaction to certain guesses they were making, they figured out that the hideout was pretty well fortified and that there were a lot more of his friends than they had originally thought.

“So Daryl and I’ll take the kid up to the door,” Rick was saying when Daryl caught up.  “You’ll keep an lookout from a vantage point and cover us.”

“Sounds good,” Selene replied, “I won’t let you down.”

Daryl brushed against her arm as he walked past her to catch up with Rick, pushing the kid along the road.  It wasn’t long until they reached a cluster of buildings.  One in particular stood out, a strong door completing the look of the fortress-like appearance.  Rick briefly pointed out a smaller building with a direct line of sight to the clearing in front of the door.  Selene nodded stiffly, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.  She reached into the bag and found a rifle, running her hands over it; she familiarized herself with it while Rick readied himself with a shotgun.  She could feel agitation rolling off of Daryl who stood next to her, leaning against a crumbling brick wall.  He was chewing on his lip while keeping an eye on the kid, who was sitting on the grass at Daryl’s feet.  

“You sure you’re up for this?” Rick asked her, noticing her nervousness.

“Yeah,” she replied, exhaling a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“You know how to use that?” Rick continued.  Selene shot him a look before realizing he didn’t mean it in an insulting way.

“Yeah,” she said, “used to go hunting with my dad.  It’s just been awhile, is all.”  Rick nodded to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder before sending her off.  Sparing a look at Daryl, she grabbed the duffel bag and walked away towards the building Rick had indicated earlier.  She could hear the other three talking, something about the leader of the kid’s group.  Picking up the pace, she jogged to the entrance of the building, hoping to get in position before they made their move.  The duffel bag slowed her down as she raced up the stairs.  By the time she reached the roof, she was huffing and a pain was stuck in her side.  Guess I gotta start working out more, she thought to herself with a grim smile.  Placing the duffel bag on the rooftop, she found her vantage point and got in position.  The rifle rested heavily in her hands as she peered through the scope.  

Rick and Daryl had the kid in front of them, and the doors to the fortress were slowly opening.  Taking a deep breath to steady herself Selene watched the events unfold in front of her, wishing she could be down there with them.  She knew that Rick was right, however, Daryl was the more logical choice to have down there and they did need someone to cover them.  It didn’t mean she had to like it though.  Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she went back to the task at hand.  They were talking with a rather skinny Mexican guy.  She couldn’t hear what was said but it didn’t look like they were making a lot of progress.  

Suddenly, two other guys came out of the door, one holding a rag to his ass, limping a little.  He was gesturing towards Daryl with his gun, accusing him of something.  Selene tensed, her finger edging closer to the trigger until it looked like the leader was telling his man to calm down.  She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. More talking…more gesturing.  What’s taking so long?  She was getting impatient.  At one point, Rick tilted his head in her direction, the leader following his gaze, spotting her and smirking.

“Come on, asshole,” she muttered, adjusting her grip on the rifle.  “Just make the fucking trade.”

She saw the leader call out and two men appeared at the edge of the roof of the fortress above her, a bound and gagged Glenn between them.  Terror pasted itself to his features; his breathing was erratic and he was visibly shaking at his predicament.  Fuck, Selene thought, her heart racing at the sight.  Tearing her eyes away from Glenn, she forced herself to focus on the situation on the ground.  A few more words were exchanged before the groups backed away from each other, the kid still in their custody, Glenn still in the hands of the gang.  Growling in frustration, she stood up and headed back down to the ground to meet up with Rick and Daryl.

------

“We need to regroup,” Rick said tersely, leading them out of the immediate area.  

“What the fuck is going on?” Selene asked as Daryl stomped off to a nearby building.  

“We were given an ultimatum,” Rick replied, pushing the kid along and following Daryl.  “We give them the kid and the guns or we go out shooting.”  Once they got inside Rick pushed the kid down onto the floor and told him to stay there.  He then opened the duffel bag and started to divide up the guns.  Selene was still trying to process what Rick had told her, only looking up when a conversation started.

“Them guns are worth more than gold,” Daryl spoke up, pacing slightly back and forth in front of the desk Rick was working on. “Gold won’t protect your family or put food on the table.  You’re gonna give that up for that kid?”

“You’re kidding me right?” Selene snapped at him, stopping him in his tracks.  “This is Glenn we’re talking about.  The only question is whether or not we can make sure that Vato keeps his word.”

“You calling G a liar?” the kid accused from the floor.

“Are you a part of this?” Daryl yelled at him, slapping his head.  “You want to hold on to your teeth?”

“Do you think he’ll keep his word?” Selene pushed Rick.

“No,” Daryl interrupted, “the question is what are you willing to bet on it?  Could be more than them guns.  Could be your life.  Glenn worth that to you?”

“What life I have I owe to him,” Rick said, stopping Selene before she could launch back at Daryl.  “I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank.  He could have walked away, but he didn’t. Neither will I.”

“So you’re gonna hand the guns over?” Daryl asked incredulously.

“I didn’t say that,” Rick replied with a shake of his head.  “There’s nothing keeping you two here.  You should get out, head back to camp.”

“And tell your family what?” Selene asked heavily, her head in her hands.  She peeked up from between her fingers at Rick, waiting for some sort of decision to be made.  She already knew that she was going to do whatever she could to help get Glenn back; she just hoped she wouldn’t have to do it alone.  After looking at her, Rick turned his gaze back to Daryl.  There was a moment’s hesitation, where Daryl mulled over the situation in his head, before he finally nodded, reaching forward to grab a shotgun offered by Rick.  Selene also reached over and plucked a shotgun off the table, checking to see that it was loaded and familiarizing herself with the weight.  

“Come on,” the kid whined, “this is nuts.  Just do like G says.”  He started to rise up from the floor as if to confront the three of them but was stopped when Daryl motioned for him to sit back down. Realizing that there was nothing he could do to change their mind, the kid sat there quietly, hoping that it wouldn’t go south.

“Come on, let’s go,” Rick said when they were thoroughly armed.  To prevent the kid from messing with negotiations, his hands were tied behind his back and a thick rag was tied around his mouth, courtesy of Daryl.  It hardly seemed necessary to Selene; she thought it was pretty obvious what they intended to do.  Slinging the duffel bag across this back, Rick led the way back to the fortress, his gun pushing the kid forward every step of the way.  

As they approached the fortress, the doors opened and they stepped over the threshold.  Selene could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest and her hands starting to sweat. Hearing her shaky breath, Daryl glanced over at her and gave her a reassuring nod.  Just wanting it to be over, she gave a slight nod back, not really looking at him as she took in the sight before her.  There were at least two dozen Vatos surrounding them, each of them armed.  The leader, Guillermo, stepped out from the group to address them.

“I see my guns but they’re not all in the bag,” he said to Rick, gesturing to the guns they held.

“That’s because they’re not yours,” Rick replied, tilting his head slightly. “I thought I mentioned that.”

Christ, Selene thought, shaking her head internally, is this really the time to be a smart ass Rick?

“Let’s just shoot these fools right now, ese, all right?” the same wounded man from earlier shouted.  “Unload on their asses, ese.”  He was directly in front of her, waving his outstretched gun at them.  Selene could feel her skin prickling at the thought of the danger they were in.  Surrounded, in a fortress, with two dozen guns pointed at them, if not more.  They would be lucky to get out of this alive. Her heart hammered in her chest and it took everything in her to take slow, measured breaths and exude the same calm she felt from both Rick and Daryl.

Ignoring his henchman, Guillermo continued to speak to Rick, “I don’t think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation.”

“No, I’m pretty clear,” Rick retorted.  After a moment’s hesitation, Rick lowered his shotgun to cut the kid free. Without looking back, the kid disappeared into the gang.  Quickly putting his knife away, Rick once again raised his gun.  “You have your man; I want mine.”

A visibly agitated Guillermo pushed back, “I’m gonna chop up your boy. I’m gonna feed him to my dogs. They’re the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw.  I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale.  I told you how it has to be, are you woefully deaf?”  He was moving constantly, stepping from foot to foot as he attempted to intimidate Rick.  

At the mention of Glenn, Selene gasped softly, just loud enough for Daryl to hear.  He took a quick glance at her and saw her pale, her stance faltered and her gun dropped ever so slightly.  He immediately stepped next to her, under the guise of getting a better angle to cover Rick. The movement caused her to look up at him and when she did, he quickly shook his head.  He needed her head in the game, they all did, or they wouldn’t stand a chance.  She gave a small nod of understanding and took a deep breath, forcing herself to get back into the situation at hand.

“No,” Rick was saying, “my hearing’s fine.  You said come locked and loaded.”  Daryl and Selene took that as a cue and immediately cocked their shotguns, taking aim at the closest of the Vatos.  “Okay then, we’re here.”  The Vatos reacted instantly, moving the circle closer and aiming their weapons as well. The tension in the air was thick, each side waiting for the other to make the wrong move.  Selene’s finger moved to hover over the trigger, all thought of Glenn momentarily gone from her mind.  The only thing that mattered in this moment was how to get out of this alive, and if she were to be honest, she didn’t think they had a chance in hell.  

Suddenly, a feeble voice called from behind the wall of Vatos, “Felipe! Felipe!”  It sounded like an old woman.

“Abuela,” the injured Vato in front of Selene said when the old woman appeared next to him, “go back with the others…now.”

Others?  Selene tilted her head, trying to assess the situation.  Chancing a glance at Rick, she saw confusion spread across his face.

“Get that old lady out of the line of fire!” Daryl yelled, gun still raised and ready to shoot.

“Abuela, listen to your mijo, okay?” Guillermo said to her, annoyance crossing his face.  “This is not the place for you right now.”

Not listening to anyone, the old lady tugged on Felipe’s sleeve, forcing him to look at her, “Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing.  He needs his asthma stuff.  Carlitos didn’t find it.  He needs his medicine.”

What the fuck is going on right now? Selene thought to herself.  Like Rick, she was slowly lowering her gun. Sure, it could be some kind of elaborate ruse, but would these guys really be so cold hearted as to use an old lady to lure them into lowering their guns?

“Felipe, go take care of it, okay?  And take your grandmother with you.”  Guillermo was visibly annoyed now.  This didn’t seem like it was part of any plan.  Felipe turned to his grandmother to speak to her.

“Abuela!  Ven conmigo por favor.”

Completely ignoring Felipe, the old lady turned to look at Rick, Daryl, and Selene, her eyes widening as if she was only noticing them now.  “Who are those people?” she asked Felipe

Shaking his head, and trying to lead her away, Felipe said more urgently, “por favor, ven conmigo.”

“Don’t you take him,” she suddenly spoke up, walking towards Rick while gesturing to Felipe, a stern look on her face.

Taking an uncertain glance around, Rick questioned her, “ma’am?”

“Felipe’s a good boy,” the old lady said, “he has his trouble but he pulls himself together.  We need him here.”  Rick sighed, looking as if he were trying to figure out how to deal with the situation. With Rick letting down his guard, Selene brought her gun back up again, training it on Guillermo, who was looking very tense at the exchange.

“Ma’am,” he said, lowering his gun, “I’m not here to arrest your grandson.”

“Then what do you want him for?”

“He’s…” Rick struggled to figure out what to say, “he’s helping us find a missing person.  Fella named Glenn.”

“The Asian boy?” she questioned, understanding finding a way to her features. “He’s with Mr. Gilbert. Come.”  She walked closer to Rick to take his hand, which he obliged.  “Come, I’ll show you.”  Rick followed the old woman as she led him away, paying no mind to the air of hostility lingering.  Looking over at Daryl, Selene slowly lowered the gun, unsure of what to do.

“Let ‘em pass,” Guillermo said to the gang with an exasperated sigh. Things were obviously not going as he planned.  Daryl gestured for Selene to follow Rick first, allowing him to take up the rear.

Leaving the fortified area, they walked through a garden and up some stairs into another building.  Looking back at Daryl, they exchanged a confused look, still on edge, unsure if they were walking into a trap.  He still had his hands tight on the shotgun, his brow furrowed with concern. Following his lead, she kept alert to any movements around her, until they started passing room after room of elderly patients and attendees caring for them.  The more rooms they passed, the more it confused her.  What were the Vatos doing in a place like this?

There was a slight pause in the procession when Rick stopped to get a better look into one of the rooms they were passing.  Felipe walked past him to urge his grandmother onward, asking her to take him to whoever this Mr. Gilbert was.  They’re protecting these people?  Selene asked herself as realization dawned on her. Relief suddenly flooded through her, they had almost made a huge mistake.

Walking into a larger, auditorium-like room, they heard Felipe helping an elderly man who was wheezing.  They gathered around, almost missing Glenn who was standing there, watching the scene take place, not bound or gagged, a look of concern on his face. When Selene saw him, she breathed a sigh of relief and was surprised to feel all her muscles relax; she had no idea that she had been that tense for so long.

“What the hell is this?” Rick asked him in a hushed voice, confusion at the entire situation winning out.

“An asthma attack,” Glenn responded, eyes still on the old man. “Couldn’t get his breath all of a sudden.”

Annoyed at his nonchalance of the situation, Selene accusingly said, “we thought you were being eaten by dogs!”  Glenn looked around behind him, causing the Daryl, Rick, and Selene to follow his gaze.  There in a pink dog bed were three Chihuahuas.  Selene couldn’t do anything but shake her head at the ridiculousness, turning to walk away.  She wanted nothing more than to go up to Guillermo to beat the shit out of him for creating this conflict but decided against it.  Better to not make matters worse, especially not in front of the elderly people.  She paced back and forth, waiting for the next cue from Rick.  Daryl watched her out of the corner of his eye, also floored by the outcome of the day’s events.

Turning to Guillermo, Rick motioned a room adjacent to the hall, “could I have a word with you?”  Guillermo nodded and walked into the room, Rick right behind him and Daryl, Glenn, and Selene following closely.  Guillermo and Rick walked into the small room, with the other three hovering just inside the doorway to listen.  “You’re the dumbest son of a bitch I ever met,” Rick continued his hushed tirade once Guillermo leaned against a table to look at him.  “We walked in there ready to kill every last one of you.”

“Still might,” Selene muttered under her breath, still annoyed at the situation.  Daryl scoffed lightly and nudged her arm before turning his attention back to the conversation.

“Well I’m glad it didn’t go down that way,” Guillermo replied, a small smile on his face.

“If it had, that blood would be on my hands,” Rick said forcefully, trying to get his point across.

“Mine too,” Guillermo said with a sigh.  “We’d have fought back.  Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to.  Protect the food, the medicine.  What’s left of it.  These people, the old ones; the staff took off, just left ‘em here to die.  Me and Felipe are the only ones who stayed.”

“What are you,” Rick questioned, “doctors?”

Guillermo shook his head, looking at the ground before taking a breath and looking back up at Rick, “Felipe’s a nurse, a special care provider.  Me, I’m the custodian.”  

“What about the rest of your crew?” Rick asked.

“The Vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents,” Guillermo explained.  “They see how things are and most decide to stay.  It’s a good thing too.  We need the muscle.  The people we’ve encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind…plunderers, the kind that take by force.”

“That’s not who we are,” Rick pressed, gesturing to his small crew.

“How was I to know?” Guillermo ask, glancing at the three of them in the doorway.  “My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage…appearances.”

“Guess the world changed,” Glenn said, shaking his head.

“No,” Guillermo looked at him, before addressing the room.  “It’s the same as it ever was.  The weak get taken.  So we do what we can here.  The Vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most can’t even get to the bathroom by themselves, still, it keeps the crew busy, and that’s worth something. So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance.  The Vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait.  The people here, they all look to me now.  I don’t even know why.”

“Because they can,” Rick said, a look of understanding on his face.  Selene understood where he was coming from; the way Guillermo held himself when he was in front of the Vatos was different than his demeanor in the small room.  He exuded confidence out there.  

Fake it til you make it, I guess, Selene thought to herself.  Rick’s movement caught her attention.  He was taking the duffle bag off his back and offering some of the guns and ammo in it to Guillermo, who took them with a grateful smile.  Daryl scoffed next to her and stalked out of the room.  She followed him, not wanting him to make a scene while they were still at the nursing home.

“Daryl,” she started, reaching out to grab his shoulder.  

“What?” he spat, turning to face her briefly.  She merely sighed and removed her hand; there was nothing she could say right now to calm him down.  Seeing she didn’t have anything to say, he spun around and continued walking back the way they had come in, muttering something under his breath. She followed him at a distance, allowing Glenn and Rick to catch up to them, which they did when she was just leaving the first building they were in.  

Beaming at Glenn, she threw an arm around his shoulders and stole his hat for a few minutes, happy to have her friend back.  They walked in silence back to the building they had left their gear in, becoming more cautious the further into the city they went.  Daryl was there waiting for them, his agitation mostly gone. He looked apologetically at Selene when she entered to gather her things but she ignored him, tired from the long and stressful day, wanting nothing more than to get back to camp and fall asleep.

“Ready to go?” Rick asked when everything had been packed up and slung over their shoulders.  They nodded in agreement and headed back out to the road, this time allowing their cautiousness to ease up the further they got from the center of the city.  Glenn chuckling to himself caught Selene’s attention as they walked back to the truck.  

“What?” she asked, looking at him as she walked.  He shook his head at first before gesturing to Rick who was walking on the other side of Glenn.

“Admit it,” he chuckled when Rick looked at him, “you only came back to Atlanta for the hat.”  Selene giggled, ignoring the huff of annoyance that came from her left.

Rick smiled, “don’t tell anybody.”

“You’ve given away half our guns and ammo,” Daryl finally spoke up in an annoyed voice, causing Selene to glare at him for ruining the fun.

“Not nearly half,” Rick replied in a weary tone.  

“For what?” Daryl continued, undeterred.  “Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?”

“How long do any of us?” Selene retorted, staring at Daryl.  It took a moment for the two of them to realize that Rick and Glenn had stopped in their tracks.  

“Oh my God,” Glenn breathed.  Turning to look, Selene realized that they were where the truck was supposed to be only it wasn’t there.

“Where the hell’s our truck?” Daryl asked no one in particular.

“We left it right there,” Glenn said, desperation creeping into his voice.

“Who would take it?” Selene asked, looking around at Rick while trying to figure out who else could possibly be out here.

“Merle,” Rick growled, realization spreading across his features.

“He’s gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp,” Daryl said quietly, worry evident in his tone as he looked at the group.  Selene and Glenn exchanged terrified glances at the thought. Even injured, Selene knew that Merle was still capable of heavy damage to the unprepared people of the camp.

“Come on,” Rick urged them, shifting the duffle bag into a more comfortable position across his back.  “We got a long way to go and we gotta hurry.”  Following his lead, they took off at a brisk pace, back down the road toward camp.

“What d’you think he’ll do?” Glenn asked Selene, knowing she knew the Dixon brothers best.  

“Hopefully nothing too bad,” she replied, the brisk pace set by Rick making it hard for her to keep up and talk at the same time.  “If anything, he’ll go after the people who were on the run first…Andrea, Morales, definitely T-Dog.  With luck, he’ll give up after that and move on, maybe wait for Daryl to get back.”

Daryl stiffened slightly at the thought – his brother hanging around, terrorizing the women and kids just to wait for him to get back.  Breaking out into a slight jog, he caught up to Rick and led the group, urging them on to move even faster.  Selene fell behind, unable to keep up with the long legs of her companions.  Glenn noticed first, as he was the one walking beside her.  He turned to tell Rick and Daryl to wait but she motioned for her to keep going.

“Don’t worry,” she called, “I’ll keep up.”  Glenn hesitated for a second before nodding at her, knowing the camp needed them to go back.  Moving on, he was surprised when Daryl suddenly walked past him in the opposite direction towards Selene.  Confused, Selene stood from her bent position.  “What are you doing?” she asked Daryl as he approached her.  He didn’t reply, just grabbed her backpack strap and pulled, yanking it off her in one quick motion that left her spinning.  

“I told ya to stop bringing this thing,” he grumbled, putting the pack on his back and adjusting the straps.  

“The one day I don’t bring it is the one day someone will get hurt,” she bit back, embarrassed by her need for help.  His expression softened slightly when he noticed her embarrassment; the tightness in his lips eased a little, if only for a second, and his brow became less furrowed.  

“Come on,” he urged her, starting to walk away to catch back up with Rick, “we gotta go.”  He walked off before she had a chance to respond, taking her first aid pack with him.

“Okay,” she said to herself, taking a deep breath.  “You can do this.”  Bouncing a couple times, she broke into a jog to catch up with the group, having only her bow and quiver to carry making it easier to keep up.  Rick smiled when he saw her running with the group.

“If we keep up this pace, we’ll probably make it back by nightfall,” he announced, taking the lead once again.

I hope we’re not too late, Selene thought as they jogged out of the city together.

------

Night had fallen by the time the group started to get near the camp.  They had continued their steady jog, for the last couple of miles, the sun going down pushing them past the exhaustion and the pain.  The only time they stopped was when Rick insisted they each have a gun, just in case.  Already having a handgun on her, Selene opted to grab some extra ammo, not wanting to carry the extra weight.  The others had shotguns in hand.  Selene had no idea how the others were keeping up the pace, especially Rick. Since Daryl had taken her pack she was able to keep up with the group but it was still a struggle, the only thing pushing her forward was the idea of Merle terrorizing the camp.  She couldn’t imagine running with a duffle bag filled with guns and ammo slung across her back.  

Looking around, Selene started to recognize her surroundings, and she quickened her pace, eager to get back to camp.  There were no sounds that she could hear, and that was either a very good or a very bad sign; she was impatient to find out which it was.  The feeling of relief was short lived, however, when screaming erupted up ahead and the sound of gunshots could be heard. The group paused for a second, a shiver running up Selene’s spine.  They looked to each other, not knowing what they were hoping for more, that it was Merle running amok back at camp or that it was walkers.  Either of those options was deadly.  When the shots didn’t cease, they ran full tilt up the last hill, coming upon a terrifying scene.

The camp was in utter chaos; walkers had invaded camp and were ripping people apart.  Looking around in horror, Selene saw Amy covered in blood on the ground near the RV, Andrea hovering over her, screaming into the night.  The sounds of the kids screaming for their parents tore through her, causing her to gasp for air as her vision blurred.  Her little brother’s strangled screams as the walker tore into his neck rang out loudest of all.  The sound of a gunshot next to her violently snapped her out of her waking nightmare.  Daryl was standing next to her, firing into the crowd of walkers, yelling something she couldn’t quite make out.

Turning to her, he took precious seconds to shake her shoulder hard, almost making her fall to the ground.  “Selene!” he yelled, his face just inches from hers.  “We gotta go!  Come on!”

Blinking furiously she forced herself to come back to the present, the sound of her brother’s cries fading, replaced instead by the shouts of the others in the camp.  Nodding quickly to Daryl, she pulled out her gun and followed him into the chaos, ignoring the panicked shouts of others in the camp, determination making her hand steady when she pulled the trigger.  She covered Daryl as they made their way through the camp, taking down walker after walker.  

When she heard the scream of one of the children, she broke away, sprinting further into the horde.  She immediately regretted that decision.  Unable to locate the child, she found herself surrounded on all sides, right in the middle of the worst of the mob.  Firing repeatedly, her heart hammered wildly and she fought like mad to keep calm.  Just as her clip was emptied, a walker slammed into her from her left, knocking her to the ground.  She screamed upon seeing the face of the undead above her, its jaws snapping just inches from her face as she fought to keep it at bay.  Using her left arm to keep it from biting her, she reached frantically for her knife with her right hand.  

This isn’t how this ends! She thought to wildly, her fear growing swiftly into anger.  Gotta get this fucking thing off me. I am not fucking going out like this!  With a primal growl, she gave one final push, lifting the walker off of her torso enough to reach down and grab her knife, unsheathing it and plunging it into the walker’s skull.  It immediately stilled and was suddenly dead weight on top of her.  She tried in vain to push it off but the exhaustion from the day’s events was taking over, causing her vision to blur and start to fade.

The fighting had ceased and she could hear Rick calling for Carl and Lori, terrified that they had been bit.  She heard Daryl calling her name, realizing that she hadn’t said anything to him when she made the snap decision to go off on her own.  She tried to call back but it was everything she could do to keep from passing out, the weight of the walker making it increasingly harder to breathe.  On the edge of unconsciousness, she tentatively reached out her hand, hoping someone would notice her pinned under the body.  Thankfully, someone did.

“She’s over here,” she heard a voice call out above her.  The walker was pulled off her and she took in a deep breath, coughing slightly with the effort.  “Selene!  Selene! Hey, you with me?  You okay?” she recognized Glenn’s voice as he gently pulled her up into a sitting position, taking in her bloodstained clothes and trying to discern if she was bit or not.  

“I’m fine,” she wheezed out, still trying to keep from passing out. The darkness was passing but her head was still swimming.  “I’m fine,” she repeated, waving Glenn away as she stood.  He was about to respond when Daryl ran up to them, yanking her up and around to face him.

“You bit?” he asked frantically, holding her at arm’s length while he looked over her bloody clothes.  She shook her head.

“No,” she grumbled, hating the fuss.  “It’s just walker blood, one knocked me over…it’s fine.”  Daryl scoffed, letting her go with a slight shove.

“I can’t believe ya did that,” he suddenly scolded, his voice raised. “What were you thinking?  You should have said something when you took off! How stupid are you?!”  His raised voice carrying into the night, causing those nearby to look over; Glenn fidgeted nearby, uncertain of what to do with himself.

“I heard a kid screaming, alright?” she yelled back, anger giving her the energy to fight back.  “I didn’t have time to say anything!  And last I checked, I’m a grown ass woman, I don’t need to tell you every time I decide to go and do something!”  He glowered at her, his chest puffed out as he breathed heavily.  She returned his glare, feeling everyone else turn away, going back to their grieving.  She took a deep, steadying breath.  “Look I’m sorry alright,” she said as calmly as she could, “but this isn’t the time or place.”  She gestured to the carnage around her.  He looked around and saw people grieving all over the campsite; so many people died. Glaring back at her, he let out a sharp exhale before turning away and stomping off.  

“You okay?” Glenn asked timidly.

“Yeah,” she replied softly, “as okay as I can be I guess.”  They looked over the campsite, bodies littering the ground.  Andrea was crying loudly over Amy, the others slowly gathering at a distance to mourn as well.  Selene hadn’t known her all that well but she liked Amy.  Amy was sweet and meant well, and definitely deserved a lot better than she got.  Her heart also went out to Andrea.  It wasn’t so long ago she was in that same position with her little brother. Shaking her head, she pushed away the thought, now was not the time.  There was work to be done.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope y’all enjoyed it!  As always, feedback is welcome and thanks for taking the time to read!

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@crossbowking @mtngirlforever @jodiereedus22

[kittieswritingspot]

sorry for being MIA

Hey y’all, I just wanted to say thanks so much for those who have been reading The Long Road and are awaiting the next chapter.  I am so sorry I have not posted the next chapter yet...  the end of the semester is kickin’ my butt and I may not have it done until next month if I don’t get a day off to just write.  I have not abandoned the endeavor tho, so never fear! There will be a next chapter, I promise luvs! 

Thanks again for being patient!  Love y’all!

@crossbowking @jodiereedus22 @mtngirlforever