Silentlysurffering98 - Fanfiction Is My Love Language - Tumblr Blog

ARE YOU TODAY’S DATE?

BECAUSE YOURE 10/10

I love this so much!

Wild Rooster Chase | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley thinks about you more than he should, and his feelings for you run deeper than they ought to. You've never given him an indication that you want to take the teasing touches and playful flirtation to the next level, so he never pressed his luck. When you surprise him by sending a text message that could change everything, he's ready to chase you all over San Diego for some answers.

Warnings: adult language, fluff, angst, drinking

Length: 5700 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Check out my masterlist for more! Banner by @thedroneranger

"What are you ladies doing here?" Bradley asked as you walked in with Halo and Phoenix on either side of you. "Thought tonight was the bachelorette party?"

"The Hard Deck is our first stop of the evening," you informed him as you planted your palm on his chest with a smirk, and he let you push him away from the bar. "We couldn't miss out on letting you guys see how nicely we clean up."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, as if he wasn't actively ogling you in your mini dress and high heels. He'd never been one to hide it, and he'd never been one to check out the other two, either. But that didn't mean he was going to act on it, because he was absolutely convinced this was just a game for you. One that he loved participating in. One that he knew was never going to go anywhere real.

"Yeah," you verified with a laugh. "We look hot."

"An indisputable fact," he whispered as he pretended like you were actually pushing him further out of your way. He'd move wherever you wanted him to, as long as you just kept touching him.

"Shoo," you scolded, looking up at him as your knee bumped his leg. "I need to buy some drinks, and you're in my way."

He covered your hand with his big one and immediately stopped moving. "Nice try, Blaze," he said with a grin as you attempted and failed to get him to budge more. "But I'm definitely buying you all a round for Callie's big night." He tossed his credit card onto the bar and draped one arm around Halo and the other around you before leaning in close to you and whispering, "And you always look nice. Even in your flight suits."

"What can I get for you ladies? And Rooster?" Penny asked, cutting him off just as he had you rolling your eyes. "Wait... he's not going out for Halo's bachelorette night, is he?"

"Absolutely not," you told her, tilting your head to look up at him with a devilish grin that made him a little nervous. His arm was still heavy across your shoulders as you said, "He's just here to buy us three Johnnie Walkers. Blue Label. Neat." 

"What?" His voice was strangled, and his eyes were wide. "That's over a hundred bucks!"

"But it's what we want. Isn't it, ladies?" you asked Halo and Phoenix as you tried not to laugh.

"It is," Halo confirmed. "And I'm the one getting married next weekend." 

When Bradley moaned and nodded at Penny, you gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Rooster. You're the sweetest."

"You mean I'm a sucker," he said, finally releasing both of you. "So where are you headed after this?"

Halo accepted her expensive Scotch as she said, "Cowboy Star for a steak dinner."

Bradley snorted. "Don't forget to take Jake with you," he said, nodding to where the other guys were hanging out near the dart board. 

"No boys allowed," you reminded him. "Especially not since we're taking Halo to Cheetahs after dinner."

"Strippers?" he asked as you picked up your Johnnie Walker. "Looking at hot, naked chicks? Sounds fun. What else?"

"Dancing at Pleasure Town!" Phoenix said, taking the last Scotch and holding it up. You and Halo both tapped your glasses to hers.

"Thanks, Rooster!" you said before taking a sip. He just shook his head as you pressed your lips to the glass, but a few seconds later, he ran his index finger along your arm and leaned a little closer again.

"Hey, you call or text me if you need anything, okay? I'll keep my phone on all night for you girls."

A chill seemed to run through your body, and just the mere thought of you calling him in the middle of the night left his mouth dry with need.

You chewed on your lip and looked up at him. "I'll let you know if I need you."

-----------------------

I'll let you know if I need you.

Bradley couldn't stop thinking about that sentence. If you ever told him you needed or even wanted him for anything, he'd be there instantly. He wasn't afraid to admit to himself that he'd had a crush on you from the first day you arrived at Top Gun. He was sure you knew it, too. But there were some things he just didn't want to mess with. Your call sign was Blaze for a reason, after all. Too fucking hot to handle. Too damn enticing to be interested in him.

So he did what he always did on Saturday nights. Found the second cutest girl at the bar and tried his luck. 

It was two hours later and three drinks in with the redhead, and he knew he could probably get as lucky as he wanted to. Her hand was on his thigh, inching closer to the hem of his tropical print shirt, and she was all smiles.

"Let's play something on the jukebox," she told him, and he agreed as he followed after her. To his dismay, she picked your favorite song, and now he was having a bit of a hard time staying focused on the task at hand as she tucked herself against the wall and pulled him closer by his shirt.

"You like this song?" he asked, glancing at the jukebox like he expected you to be standing there. 

She shrugged and said, "Not really. I just pushed some random buttons," with a little giggle. "Now, come here."

Alright, so her lips were soft, and her tongue tasted like bourbon. She placed his hands on her hips, and he gave a little test squeeze which resulted in her tongue in his mouth. But the song was pulling up some other memories of you and him dancing together on New Year's Eve. When he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, it was almost a relief to pull away.

"Hey," she complained, reaching for him as he unlocked his phone. "I'm over here, Rooster."

"Sorry," he muttered, looking at her briefly, but he really wasn't. The text he got was from you. He held up one finger and took a step back as he opened it up. 

Blaze: Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

"What the fuck?" Bradley said out loud as his eyes scanned the message again. It was a joke. It had to be. Or else he was reading it wrong? "Holy shit."

When he finally looked up, the redhead was pouting with her arms crossed. He needed another opinion, and he'd already lost interest in her anyway. He held up his phone and asked, "What does this mean?"

He watched her eyes as she read it, and a little crease appeared on her forehead. "It says get a life, jerk." She went walking off toward her friends as Bradley looked around for someone else to help him out. The guys were all playing pool and darts, but he didn't trust them as far as he could throw them anyway.

"Hey, Penny," he called out, cutting off several people who were trying to order drinks. He leaned all the way across the bar top to where she was pouring a martini. "Tell me I'm not losing my mind."

When he held up his phone, she squinted at the screen, and then her eyes went wide as she smiled at him. "I think someone overdid it and finally stated the obvious."

He was sweating now, afraid he was going to get this all wrong. "Like you think this is actually how she feels?"

She laughed and handed off the martini before pouring some wine. "Well, I don't want to speculate on someone else's behalf..."

"Bartenders are supposed to speculate," he told her, ready to climb over the bar and chase her down as she turned away from him to serve the wine. "It's your god given obligation."

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Well, then, merely speculating, I would say that the way the two of you cozy up with each other seems a little more than platonic."

He shook his head. "No, that's probably just me you're reading in the scenario." But she was shaking her head back and forth as well. "It's her, too?" Now she was nodding as she reached for a pint glass. "Like she might actually want to make something happen here?"

"Speculation," Penny told him. "But I think you should find out for sure."

He could call you. He pushed himself away from the bar, found a nice, quieter corner, and he tapped your number in his phone.

'Hi, it's me. I can't answer my phone, probably because I'm flying a seventy million dollar aircraft at the moment. Leave a message.'

"Damn it," he groaned, already thinking about how nice it would be to sling his arm around your shoulders and lean all the way in next time. Let his lips meet yours instead of hitting the brakes like he'd trained himself to do. "Wait!" he said to nobody in particular now that he'd walked away from Penny. "Cowboy Star!"

Bradley had the fortitude to keep his phone out and use the rideshare app he had downloaded. He was definitely not sober enough to do this in the Bronco, and he couldn't stop fantasizing about your song playing on the jukebox while he had your body pressed up against the wall. He needed to get to you and get some questions answered. 

He chose the closest driver in the app, and while he was waiting for Julian in his white Toyota Camry to arrive, he read your text again.

Blaze: Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

"Is she so serious right now?" he asked the night air as he waited in the parking lot. "Is she so fucking serious about this? I think about it, too!  A lot!" he practically shouted as he responded to your text.

Blaze, call me back. Are you talking about a kiss on the cheek? Or something more? We need to discuss ASAP.

"Hey, are you Bradley?"

He looked up to see the white Toyota was just sitting there. You had his head so messed up at the moment, he hadn't even noticed it.

"Julian?"

"Yeah, man," the driver replied, and Bradley quickly climbed in the backseat. "You're heading to Cowboy Star?"

"Yeah," he grunted as he buckled his seatbelt.

"I love it there," he said as he pulled out onto the road that ran parallel to the beach. "My wife got me the porterhouse for my birthday."

Bradley stared at his phone screen, hoping you'd write back or call him. "I'm not actually going for dinner. I'm trying to find a girl."

Julian whistled and shook his head. "Man, you should have just stayed at that bar."

He tipped his head back and groaned. "It's a very specific girl. And she's out with some friends for a bachelorette party."

"You know dudes aren't really supposed to go to those things, right?"

Bradley rubbed his free hand across his face and said, "I know, but she sent me this text that is very thought provoking." 

"What's it say?"

He kind of felt like an idiot telling his story to his Uber driver, but he still wasn't sure he was understanding your words correctly. It just didn't make sense. 

"Julian, I am very firmly in the friend zone with this hot girl from work, and tonight she sent me this message: Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time."

"Bro," Julian said as he hit the accelerator a little harder. "You're so in, man."

"Am I?" Bradley asked, squeezing his phone and wondering why you weren't calling him back. "Like, this girl is smoking hot. She's cool as hell, too. And we flirt a bit, but it never goes anywhere. And now she's not answering me."

"Just hang on." Julian went a little faster still. "I'll get you there so you can sweep her off her feet."

Bradley hung onto the door handle, not even sure he knew how to sweep you off your feet. What kinds of guys did you usually go for? He'd be lying if he said he never noticed that your last boyfriend kind of looked like him. And in general, you seemed to have a thing for guys with brown hair who were pretty tall. 

"Shit," he grunted, just torturing himself by imagining he could be the one holding your hand and making you laugh. "Are we almost there?"

"Hell yeah, dude. Next block up."

When Julian stopped at to the curb, Bradley lunged out onto the sidewalk as he shouted, "Thank you!"

"Good luck!"

The restaurant was absolutely packed, and even the line to talk to the host was long. After a few seconds, he simply walked to the front and cut everyone else off.

"Hey!" complained the woman who was now behind him as he cleared his throat and addressed the host. 

"Excuse me, but do you know if there are still three hot women here eating dinner together?" he asked the host who gave him a bland look. "They were all in tight little dresses. One was red, one was blue, and one was like a gold color. And one of them was wearing a bachelorette sash!"

"Oh," he replied with a little smirk. "Those three." Bradley didn't appreciate the way his little grin grew as he said, "Hot is certainly the right word to describe them."

"Are they still here?" he asked impatiently, trying to look past him into the dining room now.

"No. They left about an hour ago."

"Fuck," he groaned, pushing away from the podium and storming back outside into the night. He found a spot on the busy sidewalk where he could stand, and he tried to call you again. 

'Hi, it's me. I can't answer my phone, because I'm probably flying a seventy million dollar aircraft at the moment. Leave a message.'

He wanted to scream, but he calmly said, "Blaze, it's Rooster. Call me back." When he hung up, he opened the rideshare app again, and he luckily saw Julian on the map immediately and tapped on his little icon. "Come on, Julian," he muttered, already looking down the street for the trusty Toyota to make its return. "Yes!"

Bradley threw himself into the backseat once again as the driver asked, "That was quick, bro. What happened?"

"They already left for the strip club," he groaned.

"Cheetahs?" Julian asked, tapping at his own phone before he started driving again. "Not gonna pretend I've never been there before."

Bradley tried to call you again, and once again he got to hear your voice tell him you weren't available. "I just don't understand why she's telling me this now, you know? I've known her for almost two years."

"Two years in the friend zone? Bro, do you have no game?"

"Julian, do not test me right now," Bradley said with a laugh. He held up his thumb and index finger and added, "I was this close to sealing the deal with another girl at the Hard Deck when I got the text from her."

"Ohhhh. So you're in love with her. Understood, my man."

Bradley sat back against the seat and stared out the window as the city lights streaked past. In love. Was he? You always seemed too perfect to get involved with. But love? Is that why he never pushed for more? 

"Damn," he muttered. "Maybe." Was the fear of crashing and burning what was ultimately holding him back? 

That was when Julian pulled a slick u-turn and coasted into the parking lot of Cheetahs which was advertising fully nude girls. He should have been concerned that suddenly the only girl he wanted to see that way was you. "Thanks, Julian," he said as he hopped out and slammed the door closed.

"You got this!"

Well at least Julian thought he could pull off something impossible tonight.

"Whoa, I'm going to need to see some ID." 

Bradley realized that his path was suddenly blocked by an absolutely massive bouncer with a bushy beard. 

"Come on," he complained, digging his wallet out of his back pocket. "I'm thirty-five."

"No ID, no entrance."

"Yeah, yeah. Understood," he said trying to get his driver's license free as one of the strippers walked outside for a break. He craned his neck to see through the open door as the loud music filtered out before the door closed.

"Hey, Cherry," the bouncer grunted, and Bradley looked down at the stripper who was leaning against the wall wearing a pink wig, the tiniest g-string and some pasties. 

She was looking at Bradley a little skeptically as she replied, "Hey, Murph." She kicked a rock out into the parking lot as she told Bradley, "You're getting here awfully late. All of the private rooms have been reserved for the rest of the night."

"I'm not here for that. I'm just looking for some girls," he replied, waiting patiently while Murph inspected his ID.

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "We've got plenty of those. The hottest ones in San Diego, if you believe the neon sign above your head."

"No," he told her, really not in the mood to recount his story again. "I'm looking for some women I work with."

Now Cherry looked downright unconvinced as she asked, "Are you a stripper?"

Bradley accepted his driver's license back and gave Cherry a hesitant look. "Well, no, I'm not."

"Didn't think so," she muttered, and Bradley stopped in his tracks before he even reached for the door handle.

"Excuse me?" he asked, giving her a much more scathing look. "What's that supposed to mean? I'd be a fantastic stripper."

She shook her head and adjusted her tiny underwear. "You don't have the right build for it."

Bradley burst out into sardonic laughter. "Cherry, you must be joking," he said as he tucked his wallet away and flexed his biceps. "I could totally be a stripper."

"What song would you dance to?" she asked in an accusatory tone. 

"Sweet Emotion," he told her immediately. Yeah, he'd thought about it before, and yeah, he knew he'd absolutely kill it up on stage. But she just made a face in response. "What's wrong with my song?"

"Nothing, I guess, but there's no way you'd be raking in the tip money."

Bradley pointed across the parking lot to Hard D Boys, the male club that was associated with Cheetahs, and said, "Just for that, I'm coming back for their open auditions night, because you have no idea what you're talking about." She shrugged, and he shook his head. "I don't have time for this. Have you seen three hot women? A red dress, a blue dress and a gold dress? Like short dresses?" he asked, tapping his thigh with his hand to indicate that your dress left little to his imagination. "They are like around this tall?" he added, sticking his hand in the air around your height.

"Sorry, Mr. Sweet Emotion, but I only take note of the biggest tippers."

Bradley groaned and pushed the door open, and the music was so loud, it wasn't even worth trying to ask the bartenders if they'd seen you. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he walked around the cavernous club, trying to locate you three, but it was mostly men. And then he had the disturbing thought that maybe some guys tried to pick you up.

"Why are you doing this to me, Blaze?" he whispered to himself as he walked back through every corner he could find. He even asked a woman to check if you were in the ladies' restroom. He came up empty handed again. 

"God damn it," he said once he was back outside with Murph.

"To be fair," Murph said as he lit up a cigarette, "I think you'd make an okay stripper."

"Thank you for that," Bradley told him sincerely as he tapped his rideshare app again, but then he heard a horn honking and looked up. It was Julian, hanging out his car window. He'd waited for him. 

"She's not here?"

"No, Julian. She's not here!" he said as he rushed toward the Toyota and climbed in.

"Well, where are we going next?"

Bradley closed his eyes and thought about what Phoenix had said earlier at the Hard Deck. "Pleasure Town. They were going dancing at Pleasure Town."

"On it," Julian told him and shifted into drive.

It was after midnight now. Pleasure Town wasn't too far away, but he'd be lucky to even find you in there on the weekend. But if he did, you'd be dancing like crazy with the biggest smile on your face, pretending you liked the music they were playing while you thought about your own playlists instead. You'd be drinking some neon colored cocktail and trying to talk the girls into leaving to get cookies from that place that was open all night. You'd maybe even be checking your phone and finally, finally texting him back.

"Yeah, you're right, Julian."

"About what, my man?"

Bradley rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm in love with her."

Julian reached his arm back at a red light, and Bradley fist bumped him. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! I could tell right away. Don't worry. We'll find her."

But it got harder to be hopeful the longer he was in the dance club. There was barely any room to walk around, and there were dozens of women in little dresses that looked like the one you were wearing, but none of them had your face or your smile. You weren't here. 

He stood on the dance floor and read your text one more time.

Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

He wanted to know what kissing you would feel like. Now that you opened his mind to something more, he'd never be able to stop thinking about it. But this time, he let himself finally focus on the word regret in your message.You'd regret what you said in the morning. He knew you; he knew you would never go for the idea sober. But he texted you one more time anyway.

Blaze, please call me when you get this. It doesn't matter what time it is. Just call.

When he walked back out into the cool, night air, Julian was right there at the curb waiting with a hopeful look on his face. "Bro, is she here?" When Bradley didn't respond, his face melted into sadness. "Or did she say the 'just friends' shit?"

"She's not here," he replied, once again climbing in the back of the now familiar car.

"We going somewhere else now? The pursuit continues?"

Bradley grimaced and said, "I think I should just throw in the towel and regroup. Can you take me back to the Hard Deck? I'm definitely sober enough to drive home now."

But even Julian sounded disappointed now. "Of course, dude. Anything you want."

"Thanks," Bradley grunted, watching as the city lights faded a bit as they got closer to the beach. When Julian parked near the Bronco, he said, "I appreciate all your help tonight."

He gave Bradley another fist bump. "You gotta start fresh tomorrow, man. And you can't leave me hanging, okay? I need a wedding invitation."

Bradley chuckled as he climbed out for the last time. "I'm about to leave you the biggest tip."

He tapped two hundred bucks into the app as Julian drove off shouting, "Good luck!"

With nothing else he could do right now, he climbed in the Bronco, cranked the engine and started to drive himself home for the night. He was tempted to swing by your place or at least try to call you one more time, but he decided to let you get some sleep before you started to regret your message. That way he'd have a little more time with this hopeful feeling in his chest.

----------------------------

There was pounding. There was so much pounding. Maybe someone turned the music up even louder at Cheetahs? Or were you at Pleasure Town now? "Make them turn it down," you moaned, trying to cover your ears. That's when you realized you were in your bed. At home. Someone was knocking on your front door.

"Wait," you croaked as loudly as you could, your ears still buzzing from the loud music all night long. The bachelorette evening had been highly successful. Halo had a great time. But now you were hungover and not in the mood to deal with anyone. 

As you climbed out of bed, you grabbed your phone from the nightstand to check the time. The battery was almost dead, and you had a bunch of missed texts and calls, but you couldn't even focus on that until the pounding ceased.

"Please stop," you whined, flinging your door open before you even checked to see who it was. When you saw him it felt like someone poured warm caramel sauce on your heart or shoved you hard into a wall made out of soft foam: he always made you feel good and gooey and squishy in the most heart pounding, confusing way. "Rooster."

When he moved slightly, he stopped blocking the sunlight behind him and you squinted your eyes and groaned as you took a step back. "Blaze," he said in that raspy as sin voice as he blessedly closed your front door behind him. "You have a hangover."

You nodded, but even that was too much. "What gave it away?" you asked him softly, still holding your phone.

He snorted. "Well, for starters, you're still wearing your dress from last night."

"Oh." You hadn't realized that as you looked down at yourself for confirmation. "We went pretty hard. I can't even remember much after you bought us the Johnnie Walker at the Hard Deck."

He remained quiet until you looked back up at his face. "You... remember texting me?" His tone was one you'd never heard before, and it took you a few seconds to realize he was nervous. On edge. Hesitant. He was never any of those things with you, and you didn't like this at all.

"I texted you?" When you lifted your phone higher, you started to wonder why he hadn't hugged you when you opened the door. He usually always did. He swallowed hard, and you watched the scars along his neck as his Adam's apple bobbed.

"You really don't remember?"

Now he just sounded really fucking sad, and for some reason your brain was screaming at you that there was something you were definitely supposed to recall from last night. Something about Bradley. You left him at the Hard Deck after he paid for the Scotch, and then you went to dinner and drank more while you thought about him the whole time. But there was definitely something else.

"No. I really don't remember," you whispered, annoyed with yourself. You felt like it was somehow your fault that his lips were pressed in a tight line and his brow was creased.

"It's not important," he replied, all businesslike now. "Can I see your phone for a minute?"

"Yeah," you told him, handing it over and watching while he punched in your passcode. "What did you end up doing all night?"

He sighed and looked at you. "I ended up following you around to no avail."

"Why?" you asked, still clearly missing a piece of this whole puzzle as he started tapping your phone screen with his thumb. 

"That's not important either," he whispered, and you decided you didn't like any of this. 

You snatched your phone out of his hand and wrapped your arms around his neck. Almost reluctantly, he hugged you back before reaching his hand up to where you were holding your phone, trying to get it again. "What do you want my phone for so badly?"

He was acting strange, and when he said nothing in response, you lunged out of his grasp and tapped on your text thread with him. 

"Blaze," he barked out, but it was too late. You read what you'd sent him last night.

Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

"Oh my god!" you screeched. "I didn't delete that?! I hit send!" You couldn't even meet his eyes now as you tried to figure out how to get him to leave so you could cry in peace.

"Blaze, it's okay," he promised, but you knew it wasn't.

"You were going to delete that message. And the ones you sent to me after it," you accused. "Weren't you?" When he just stared at you silently, you realized he was trying to save you from being embarrassed, but it was way too late for that. He didn't want you. He was never going to want you.

"No hard feelings," he said softly. "Go ahead and delete it yourself. We can pretend this never happened."

"No hard feelings?" you practically wailed, afraid you were going to cry in front of him. "I just ruined everything. You were never supposed to know how I feel about you, Bradley."

As soon as you ducked your head away from him, his fingers were under your chin tipping your face up so you were looking him in his impossibly endearing brown eyes. "I need you to explain this to me. Okay?" He took your phone gently from your hand and held it up with the message displayed. "Please, Blaze. Did you mean it? Is that how you think about me?" When you nodded slightly, he readjusted his hand on your face so he was cupping your cheek instead. "Baby, I followed you everywhere last night. I called you and texted you and rode around in a white Toyota with Julian for hours on end."

"Who's Julian?" you ask softly as Bradley slid your phone into his jeans pocket.

"He's my new friend," he replied, which cleared up exactly nothing for you. "I went on this insane chase from Cowboy Star to Cheetahs to Pleasure Town just to try find out if there was even the slightest chance that you really meant what you said."

He closed the distance between your bodies as he stroked his thumb along your cheek. "It was supposed to be my little secret," you whispered. "I just typed it out to see how it would look. I read it in my head and imagined how you might take it. It was supposed to get deleted. You were never supposed to know."

"Is it really so bad that I do?"

His question hung in the air between you, and once again you nodded. "Yes, Bradley. Yes, because it's going to complicate everything now. Work, and our friends, and hanging out at the bar. It's all ruined. Because you'll never look at me the same way you used to."

"Blaze," he rasped. "Baby, I don't want to look at you the same way I used to. Like I was never going to measure up. Like I could never be what you wanted."

You gasped as your eyes went wide. "What are you saying?"

He groaned and pressed his lips to your forehead, and you melted against him. "I'm saying that I chased you all over the city last night hoping like hell that you meant what you said. And that you didn't regret it."

Your head was spinning, but not from the hangover as you thought about how it could feel to be with this man. "You want this?" you asked in awe as your hands eased up along his chest to slip around his neck again.

"Desperately. And if you think you want to see where it goes, we can take it slow, you know?" he asked, his brown eyes hopeful once again. "We don't have to rush into anything crazy."

But you knew you were already kind of crazy about him. You had been for a long time. So you whispered, "I think I could fall in love with you," and his lips came crashing to yours. You moaned into his mouth. His lips and his mustache were even better than all those times you'd imagined kissing him. His huge hands were bunching up the fabric of your dress at your hips. You wanted every part of your body to be touching him from now until forever.

This was how good it felt when you and he stopped pulling your punches. When you both stopped pumping the brakes. You raked your hands through his wavy hair, gasping for breath as you asked, "Did you really try to find me last night?"

"Of course," he promised as you kissed along his mustache and across his cheek. "It was enlightening. I learned a lot about myself. Hey, do you think I'd be a good stripper?"

"God, Rooster," you groaned just thinking about it. "You'd be an excellent stripper."

"I fucking knew it," he grunted, half guiding you and half carrying you to your bedroom. "Listen, we should cuddle right now, but I'm going to need you to come to Hard D Boys with me one night. I'm pretty sure it's just to prove a point, but you never know."

You really weren't positive what he was talking about now, but it didn't matter. His lips were on your neck, and his weight was pressing you down onto your bed, and he was saying the most wonderful thing.

"I know for sure I could fall in love with you."

-----------------------------

He's such a simp, he would chase you anywhere. Imagine taking your brand new boyfriend to his stripper audition just because he has to prove a point. I mean, I wouldn't complain lol. Thanks for reading! And thanks to @beyondthesefourwalls and @thedroneranger

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Ngl, actually getting feedback from readers actually makes me want to write!!

You know what I think its grossly under-rated in fandom? Second loves.

What it's like to love and lose and then love again. To suffer through either the death of a loved one or the death of a love you used to share. To know that loss, to know that hurt, and to still make yourself vulnerable to someone again. To love scared, to love wounded, to love anyway.

Loved this!

Whumptober 2024 No.8

Prompt: Forced to stay awake

Warnings: Allusions to torture

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

gif is not mine - google

“Oh, Daryl, Daryl, Daryl.” Negan swung Lucille around languidly as he paced the small cell, his smile one of amused condescension. “You know what you have to say. Just tell me who you are and the song stops.” Daryl trembled but remained silent, his nostrils flaring with each quick, restraining breath. “You’ll get a room, a bed, some real food and not this crap that—” Negan toed the untouched sandwich with his boot. “What the hell even is that?” With a cringe, he shrugged. “Anyway. Hell, Daryl, you tell me what I wanna hear right now and I’ll let you have one of my wives.”

One of his— The disgust must have echoed in Daryl’s expression because then Negan was laughing as he stepped across the threshold to hover just outside the doorway.

“You could have it all, Daryl.” The archer lowered his head, never giving the offer a single consideration. He knew he’d never kneel. He’d die first. When his name was said again, he looked up to find it was you in the doorway.

“Daryl.”

“What’re y’doin’ here?” He croaked, voice rough from disuse. He didn’t move. He dared not. If Negan saw what you meant to him, what would he do to you? “Y’need to go.”

“Go?” You stepped into the cell and his blood ran cold.

“The fuck’re y’doin?! I said ya need to go! Y’can’t be here!”

“Daryl.” The was a sadness in your expression but your demeanor was calm and unafraid. You were always so brave, especially when it came to him. “Daryl, you’re not there.”

Not— He looked around the cell, startled and confused. One blink, he was in the cold, cramped concrete room. The next, the light from the hall was the single candle on the bedside table. The walls were dancing with shadows cast from the flickering flame. There were windows and a bed. He was in a trailer.

“I—” It only took a moment to realize he was huddled in a corner, his knees pulled tightly against his chest. “I was—”

“You need to sleep, baby.” You crouched in front of him, tilting your head while that sadness shifted into concern. “You’re with me at the Hilltop. You’ve been back for two days.” His blue eyes tracked your movements as you reached for him, placing a hand on his knee. “I know they didn’t let you sleep. That they—” you swallowed hard, “they did things to you, but you’re not there. You’re here. You’re with me. It’s safe to sleep now.” He watched you stand, offering a hand to help him to his feet. “I’ll watch over you.”

“I—” He didn’t know what to say. Could he sleep? He had been dreaming, right? Or had he been hallucinating? The thought of closing his eyes was daunting. What if when he did, the song began to play and then you were gone when he opened them?

“I’m here, Daryl.” He hesitantly accepted your offer and allowed you to help him stand. He winced as the movement aggravated his healing wounds, the pain assisting in bringing him further into reality, closer to you. “I’m real.” You continued, stepping into his space to brush his hair out of his eyes. “Let’s get you settled.”

“Okay.” He finally agreed, following you to the small bed. You held up the blankets and he crawled beneath, nearly melting into the mattress. Maybe he could sleep after all. You climbed in behind him and molded yourself against his back, holding him loosely and placing a kiss against his shoulder blade.

“Sleep.” You whispered, pressing yourself impossibly closer. You began to hum a gentle tune, one that drove that vile song from his mind and brought him to a level of calm he had forgotten was possible. He was sound asleep within moments. “I’ve got you.”

This is beautiful!

Whumptober 2024 No.7 & No.11

Prompt 7: “It’s us or them.”

Prompt 11: Used as Bait (Alt)

Warnings: Allusions to torture; Allusions to violence; Allusions to death.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

A/N: War of the Worlds was responsible for a portion of this.

gif not mine - google

“They’re gonna lead them right to us, Daryl.” You rocked back and forth, exhausted and bloody, beaten down physically and emotionally by Alpha and her followers. You had been dangled in front of Daryl as bait, a means to bring him to his knees in front of the psychotic woman. Daryl—being Daryl—had refused her demands, knowing full well that he would crawl through hell to rescue you regardless.

And he did.

He was in just as rough of shape as you, giving just as good as he got in order to free you. Now, you were huddled in the corner of a small bunker, attempting to rid your mind of the memories of what Alpha had put you through. A young couple—obviously troubled, likely victims of the Whisperers’ devious plots themselves—bickered and raved over how they would destroy the entire horde with only their weapons and their meager might.

There was no hope of succeeding, but their raised voices of boisterous exclamations were doomed to bring the enemy down on your heads. Daryl had tried relentlessly to reason with them, all but begging for their cooperation and silence. He even offered them a place in Alexandria. They had laughed at him, called him a coward.

There was nowhere else to run. If Alpha discovered the bunker, you and Daryl were as good as dead.

The archer stood a few feet away, chewing on the inside of his cheek, his gaze darting between you and the two idiots standing at the open hatch. After a moment, he sighed and pulled his bandana from his pocket.

“Y’trust me?” He crouched in front of you, blue eyes searching yours, seeking an answer.

“More than anyone.” You replied shakily. He nodded, covering your eyes with the fabric and tying it at the back of your head. His calloused hands then took yours and brought them up toward your ears.

Your brow furrowed behind the bandana. “Daryl?”

“Sing me somethin’.” He waited you out and when you didn’t respond, he continued. “S’us or them.” He whispered, a hint of a tremor in his tone.

You knew what he meant then, what he was going to do regardless of the cost to himself. He knew you couldn’t fight, that you were hurting and tired and broken. He was going to protect you. You swallowed hard, nodding as you allowed him to place your hands over your ears.

“Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.” You began quietly, your voice trembling. You felt his warm touch pull away, knew the moment he had stood, the second he had left you there. “Never let it fade away.”

You couldn’t hear what was happening but you could feel the vibrations against the dirty, cold concrete behind you. “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.” You flinched—something hitting the side of your boot—and drew your knees to your chest while your breath hitched with barely contained sobs. “Save it for a rainy day.”

You were unaware of when the silence ensued, continuing with your quiet tune until you felt the warm presence slowly position at your side. With a deep breath, your trembling hands left your ears and pulled the fabric from over your eyes. Daryl was next to you, his knees drawn up with his arms hanging over them. His head was bowed. There was blood dripping from his fingertips.

“Daryl.”

“S’gonna be okay now.” The light from the single candle in the center of the bunker cast shadows over his face, what wasn’t already hidden by his hair nearly impossible to see. The hatch was closed and there were two bodies lying motionless below it. With slow and careful movements, you pulled his arm across your shoulders, thankful when he held you tighter of his own volition. “You’re safe.” He whispered.

The snarls and shuffles and whispers above ground passed by quickly, never realizing their prize was just below their feet.

The Anatomy of Passing Out: When, Why, and How to Write It

Passing out, or syncope, is a loss of consciousness that can play a pivotal role in storytelling, adding drama, suspense, or emotional weight to a scene. Whether it’s due to injury, fear, or exhaustion, the act of fainting can instantly shift the stakes in your story.

But how do you write it convincingly? How do you ensure it’s not overly dramatic or medically inaccurate? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the causes, stages, and aftermath of passing out. By the end, you’ll be able to craft a vivid, realistic fainting scene that enhances your narrative without feeling clichéd or contrived.

2. Common Causes of Passing Out

Characters faint for a variety of reasons, and understanding the common causes can help you decide when and why your character might lose consciousness. Below are the major categories that can lead to fainting, each with their own narrative implications.

Physical Causes

Blood Loss: A sudden drop in blood volume from a wound can cause fainting as the body struggles to maintain circulation and oxygen delivery to the brain.

Dehydration: When the body doesn’t have enough fluids, blood pressure can plummet, leading to dizziness and fainting.

Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension): Characters with chronic low blood pressure may faint after standing up too quickly, due to insufficient blood reaching the brain.

Intense Pain: The body can shut down in response to severe pain, leading to fainting as a protective mechanism.

Heatstroke: Extreme heat can cause the body to overheat, resulting in dehydration and loss of consciousness.

Psychological Causes

Emotional Trauma or Shock: Intense fear, grief, or surprise can trigger a fainting episode, as the brain becomes overwhelmed.

Panic Attacks: The hyperventilation and increased heart rate associated with anxiety attacks can deprive the brain of oxygen, causing a character to faint.

Fear-Induced Fainting (Vasovagal Syncope): This occurs when a character is so afraid that their body’s fight-or-flight response leads to fainting.

Environmental Causes

Lack of Oxygen: Situations like suffocation, high altitudes, or enclosed spaces with poor ventilation can deprive the brain of oxygen and cause fainting.

Poisoning or Toxins: Certain chemicals or gasses (e.g., carbon monoxide) can interfere with the body’s ability to transport oxygen, leading to unconsciousness.

3. The Stages of Passing Out

To write a realistic fainting scene, it’s important to understand the stages of syncope. Fainting is usually a process, and characters will likely experience several key warning signs before they fully lose consciousness.

Pre-Syncope (The Warning Signs)

Before losing consciousness, a character will typically go through a pre-syncope phase. This period can last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, and it’s full of physical indicators that something is wrong.

Light-Headedness and Dizziness: A feeling that the world is spinning, which can be exacerbated by movement.

Blurred or Tunnel Vision: The character may notice their vision narrowing or going dark at the edges.

Ringing in the Ears: Often accompanied by a feeling of pressure or muffled hearing.

Weakness in Limbs: The character may feel unsteady, like their legs can’t support them.

Sweating and Nausea: A sudden onset of cold sweats, clamminess, and nausea is common.

Rapid Heartbeat (Tachycardia): The heart races as it tries to maintain blood flow to the brain.

Syncope (The Loss of Consciousness)

When the character faints, the actual loss of consciousness happens quickly, often within seconds of the pre-syncope signs.

The Body Going Limp: The character will crumple to the ground, usually without the ability to break their fall.

Breathing: Breathing continues, but it may be shallow and rapid.

Pulse: While fainting, the heart rate can either slow down dramatically or remain rapid, depending on the cause.

Duration: Most fainting episodes last from a few seconds to a minute or two. Prolonged unconsciousness may indicate a more serious issue.

Post-Syncope (The Recovery)

After a character regains consciousness, they’ll typically feel groggy and disoriented. This phase can last several minutes.

Disorientation: The character may not immediately remember where they are or what happened.

Lingering Dizziness: Standing up too quickly after fainting can trigger another fainting spell.

Nausea and Headache: After waking up, the character might feel sick or develop a headache.

Weakness: Even after regaining consciousness, the body might feel weak or shaky for several hours.

4. The Physical Effects of Fainting

Fainting isn’t just about losing consciousness—there are physical consequences too. Depending on the circumstances, your character may suffer additional injuries from falling, especially if they hit something on the way down.

Impact on the Body

Falling Injuries: When someone faints, they usually drop straight to the ground, often hitting their head or body in the process. Characters may suffer cuts, bruises, or even broken bones.

Head Injuries: Falling and hitting their head on the floor or a nearby object can lead to concussions or more severe trauma.

Scrapes and Bruises: If your character faints on a rough surface or near furniture, they may sustain scrapes, bruises, or other minor injuries.

Physical Vulnerability

Uncontrolled Fall: The character’s body crumples or falls in a heap. Without the ability to brace themselves, they are at risk for further injuries.

Exposed While Unconscious: While fainted, the character is vulnerable to their surroundings. This could lead to danger in the form of attackers, environmental hazards, or secondary injuries from their immediate environment.

Signs to Look For While Unconscious

Shallow Breathing: The character's breathing will typically become shallow or irregular while they’re unconscious.

Pale or Flushed Skin: Depending on the cause of fainting, a character’s skin may become very pale or flushed.

Twitching or Muscle Spasms: In some cases, fainting can be accompanied by brief muscle spasms or jerking movements.

5. Writing Different Types of Fainting

There are different types of fainting, and each can serve a distinct narrative purpose. The way a character faints can help enhance the scene's tension or emotion.

Sudden Collapse

In this case, the character blacks out without any warning. This type of fainting is often caused by sudden physical trauma or exhaustion.

No Warning: The character simply drops, startling both themselves and those around them.

Used in High-Tension Scenes: For example, a character fighting in a battle may suddenly collapse from blood loss, raising the stakes instantly.

Slow and Gradual Fainting

This happens when a character feels themselves fading, usually due to emotional stress or exhaustion.

Internal Monologue: The character might have time to realize something is wrong and reflect on what’s happening before they lose consciousness.

Adds Suspense: The reader is aware that the character is fading but may not know when they’ll drop.

Dramatic Fainting

Some stories call for a more theatrical faint, especially in genres like historical fiction or period dramas.

Exaggerated Swooning: A character might faint from shock or fear, clutching their chest or forehead before collapsing.

Evokes a Specific Tone: This type of fainting works well for dramatic, soap-opera-like scenes where the fainting is part of the tension.

6. Aftermath: How Characters Feel After Waking Up

When your character wakes up from fainting, they’re not going to bounce back immediately. There are often lingering effects that last for minutes—or even hours.

Physical Recovery

Dizziness and Nausea: Characters might feel off-balance or sick to their stomach when they first come around.

Headaches: A headache is a common symptom post-fainting, especially if the character hits their head.

Body Aches: Muscle weakness or stiffness may persist, especially if the character fainted for a long period or in an awkward position.

Emotional and Mental Impact

Confusion: The character may not remember why they fainted or what happened leading up to the event.

Embarrassment: Depending on the situation, fainting can be humiliating, especially if it happened in front of others.

Fear: Characters who faint from emotional shock might be afraid of fainting again or of the situation that caused it.

7. Writing Tips: Making It Believable

Writing a fainting scene can be tricky. If not handled properly, it can come across as melodramatic or unrealistic. Here are some key tips to ensure your fainting scenes are both believable and impactful.

Understand the Cause

First and foremost, ensure that the cause of fainting makes sense in the context of your story. Characters shouldn’t pass out randomly—there should always be a logical reason for it.

Foreshadow the Fainting: If your character is losing blood, suffering from dehydration, or undergoing extreme emotional stress, give subtle clues that they might pass out. Show their discomfort building before they collapse.

Avoid Overuse: Fainting should be reserved for moments of high stakes or significant plot shifts. Using it too often diminishes its impact.

Balance Realism with Drama

While you want your fainting scene to be dramatic, don’t overdo it. Excessively long or theatrical collapses can feel unrealistic.

Keep It Short: Fainting typically happens fast. Avoid dragging the loss of consciousness out for too long, as it can slow down the pacing of your story.

Don’t Always Save the Character in Time: In some cases, let the character hit the ground. This adds realism, especially if they’re fainting due to an injury or traumatic event.

Consider the Aftermath

Make sure to give attention to what happens after the character faints. This part is often overlooked, but it’s important for maintaining realism and continuity.

Lingering Effects: Mention the character’s disorientation, dizziness, or confusion upon waking up. It’s rare for someone to bounce back immediately after fainting.

Reactions of Others: If other characters are present, how do they react? Are they alarmed? Do they rush to help, or are they unsure how to respond?

Avoid Overly Romanticized Fainting

In some genres, fainting is used as a dramatic or romantic plot device, but this can feel outdated and unrealistic. Try to focus on the genuine physical or emotional toll fainting takes on a character.

Stay Away from Clichés: Avoid having your character faint simply to be saved by a love interest. If there’s a romantic element, make sure it’s woven naturally into the plot rather than feeling forced.

8. Common Misconceptions About Fainting

Fainting is often misrepresented in fiction, with exaggerated symptoms or unrealistic recoveries. Here are some common myths about fainting, and the truth behind them.

Myth 1: Fainting Always Comes Without Warning

While some fainting episodes are sudden, most people experience warning signs (lightheadedness, blurred vision) before passing out. This gives the character a chance to notice something is wrong before losing consciousness.

Myth 2: Fainting Is Dramatic and Slow

In reality, fainting happens quickly—usually within a few seconds of the first warning signs. Characters won’t have time for long speeches or dramatic gestures before collapsing.

Myth 3: Characters Instantly Bounce Back

Many stories show characters waking up and being perfectly fine after fainting, but this is rarely the case. Fainting usually leaves people disoriented, weak, or even nauseous for several minutes afterward.

Myth 4: Fainting Is Harmless

In some cases, fainting can indicate a serious medical issue, like heart problems or severe dehydration. If your character is fainting frequently, it should be addressed in the story as a sign of something more severe.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Quillology with Haya Sameer; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! While you’re at it, don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

Would you consider writing a sequel/alt ending. Where there is something wrong with the flight? And Jake holds her close as he explains what is going on to the best of his abilities. And like the plane crash/have a water landing.

TURBULENCE

summary: jake would never get over how ironic it was. You, the wife of a naval pilot, scared of a little turbulence

paring: Jake Seresin x reader

word count: 329

“Don’t laugh,” you wine at your husband as he chuckles get louder causing the people around to look at him weirdly.

“I’m sorry Darlin’. It’s just a little funny,” Jake is loving how ironic this all is.

“It’s not funny.” He kisses your pouty lips when your grip on his hand gets tighter, “I know honey.”

Currently the two of you were sitting in a commercial plane on your way back to Texas for the holiday. Mid flight a storm picked up causing the plane to catch some turbulence.

It was safe to say you are absolutely terrified of flying, the plane rocking back and forth wasn’t helping and somehow your husband found the situation absolutely hilarious.

How ironic was it that the wife of a commander with two confirmed air combat kills was scared of flying.

Opposites really do attract.

Another wave of turbulence passes and Jake swears by the time they land his hand will be broken with how hard you're squeezing it. Not that he’s complaining.

He may be giggling at current circumstances but he still made sure to hold and comfort you.

“How come you never get this skittish when I’m flying?” Jake asks. He knows the answer, he’s asked the same question before but right now he’s just hoping to distract you.

Whenever you were in the backseat of his plane you were still scared out of your mind but never afraid when you were with him.

“I trust you with my life and I know you’ll never let anything happen to me.”

“That’s right,” Jake agrees. “I’ll never let any danger come to you as long as we both live. So believe me when I tell you there’s nothing to worry about, we’re okay.”

“I believe you.”

“Okay.” He pulls you closer when you let out another whimper at the sudden motion of the plane. Jake plants a peck on your forehead before resting your head under his chin, “shh, I got you.”

I hope to one day write something that lets someone feel this way about it.

you know those fanfics that have a permanent place in your heart. the ones that take your favourite characters and put them somewhere where canon can’t hurt them; the ones you go back to time and time again and find something new to love each time. the ones that feel like home, the ones you can’t believe beautiful people on the internet work hard on and post for free. whether it’s a series or a one-shot or a drabble, there’s fics out there that change people forever, that forge new friendships and resurrect old ones. there’s fics you can quote lines from, ones that make you cry like a baby over and over whenever you revisit them. fics that feel so fucking real because the people who wrote them are, and that should never be taken for granted. <3

Tears so many tears

Desert Rose

Chapter 63 ~ Death's Deaf Ears

Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

Era : Season 5

Word Count : 5.9k

In this chapter ~ Grief was an odd thing, and it seemed to come when someone least expected it. As Rose mourned the loss of a girl who had truly touched her heart, she finds that the hits just keep on coming as yet another person falls victim to their fate.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ROSE POV *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Numb. That's all I felt. Utterly and painfully numb.

After Beth died right in front of my eyes, something changed. Losing her was something I never thought I would ever experience, but here I was, continuously living my life without her. I didn't know how I would move on from this; I didn't even know if I could move on. It seemed like the most impossible thing in the world. She was always this little light at the end of a very dark tunnel, so positive, happy, and having her ripped away from me was one of the hardest things I think I would ever have to experience.

Daryl kept his promise; we buried her. I couldn't stop crying as I watched the dirt being piled on top of her, nor could Maggie. I still could hardly look at her, feeling ashamed and guilty as if it were somehow my fault. All I remember was Glenn holding her tight as Gabriel said some words from the bible, a moment of silence following after he was done.

Although the silence wasn't exactly silent.

Maggie and I sobbed throughout the entire thing as the others around us let a few tears spill as well for the loss. I remember just staring at her grave and nothing else, thinking about the last moments I had with her. Though no amount of time would've ever been enough. I was so angry. She was the last person on earth that deserved to pass so cruelly, and I hoped to God that the bitch who killed her rotted in hell forever.

Her funeral was two weeks ago, but somehow that's all I could remember. I stopped paying attention to where we were going. I stopped attempting to eat much of anything. I stopped caring about everything as a whole. The only thing I found I started to do, was push people away. I didn't have the energy to talk...I didn't even have the energy to care.

I distanced myself from them every chance I got. To be completely honest I didn't know why I was doing it, I was just completely heartbroken, and it felt like it was the only way I could cope. Nobody could say or do anything to make the pain go away, or to make me feel better at all. I just followed them wherever they decided to go, not caring about which direction we went or where our final destination would land. I was just trying to survive.

The group talked about the difference between surviving and living one night around the fire that one long winter, and I think I was finally starting to understand what they meant. Living is actually enjoying the life and opportunities you're given, basking in it almost, but surviving is just...surviving. You're just moving, eating, and drinking to stay alive, not for a purpose. It was depressing but it was true.

Over time, everyone was starting to get the hint that I wanted to be left alone...well, everyone except Daryl. He could never seem to leave my side no matter what. Every time I would go off into the woods by myself to have some peace and quiet, he would wordlessly follow right behind me. He would offer me the rest of his food when he noticed I didn't eat much. He somehow was always clung to my side, worry only consuming him more every passing day when he looked at me.

Don't get me wrong, I loved this man more than anything in this world, but I didn't want him to be constantly hovering over me the way he was, and he sure as hell knew that. He knew how badly I wanted to be left alone, but he just wouldn't allow it as if he feared I would just walk right up to a walker and let it attack me. I wasn't suicidal by any means, even though it wouldn't be that mind blowing if I was. I just needed space, desperately wanting him to understand that.

But I never put up much of a fight whenever the familiar pattern occurred, because I knew if I did, I would absolutely lose it. With everything I was bottling up inside, I knew I would freak out on him, and that wasn't something he deserved. But holy shit was he testing my patience.

That's why when I overheard the group mention something about a place that Noah wanted to visit, his old neighborhood, I wordlessly got up to join them. It took them all a bit by surprise that I was willing to come along, but they didn't seem to question it as I figured they silently appreciated the extra hands to help out. But the truth was I just needed to get away.

It was as if I were constantly suffocating when I was here with the rest of the group. So, it felt like a breath of fresh air when we all finally piled into the car, silently heading towards the old sanctuary that Noah was so anxious to see.

I sat in the very back of the vehicle next to Glenn, briefly hearing the conversation Ty and Noah were having all the way up front as I stared off into space. Though their voices were too muffled to make out any clear kind of word. Leaning my head against the coolness of the window, my tired eyes watched the trees pass by in a flash with how fast we were moving.

Tears slipped from my eyes as they usually did, from the utter exhaustion and depressive feeling that constantly weighed me down, but I just subconsciously wiped them away as more came to fall down my cheeks. It had sadly become a regular habit that haunted me, not knowing anymore if I was crying because my body was begging for sleep, or if I was crying because of the crushing loss. Perhaps it was both.

These past couple weeks I've just been a complete mess of emotions all the time, and I was growing tired of seeing how everyone else looked at me. All I saw was nothing but pity in their eyes every damn time, and I hated it. I didn't want or need anyone to feel sorry for me, but they still did anyways, and I found I had to tell myself that it was something that I unfortunately couldn't control.

Glenn continuously kept subtly stealing glances at me every time I moved my hand up to wipe my cheeks, watching it happen from the corner of my eye. Not even needing to look over and see his face, I sensed his eyebrows were knitted together in concern. They always were.

His hand then hesitantly moved over toward me, landing gently on my knee as he gave it a light squeeze, trying to offer some sort of comfort. My eyes looked over to him, seeing him sending me a small, yet reassuring smile, but I only scooted further away from his touch.

My gaze panned back out the window, my head now turned completely away from him as I heard him sigh quietly in defeat. I didn't let it bother me though as I started to absentmindedly play with Beth's bracelet that was now on my wrist.

Looking down at the woven colorful strings, made me think of the very moment I gave it to her. It was during one of the nights we spent together talking for hours on end, remembering her mentioning how her friends used to make cheap friendship bracelets, and she missed old times like that. So, on the next run I went on, I made sure to keep an eye out for any kind of string so I could make her something special just like she had in the old world.

When I found the supplies and made it for her, she was absolutely overjoyed to see the bright strings tied together to make a colorful band just like the one she had in the past. It hit me then and there that she was one of the few people I would do just about anything for. Like hunting down that new guitar and teaching her more songs, or singing with her in front of the group just to make her happy, or making sure to take care of Judith when she needed a little break.

More tears pooled in my eyes at the thought of never doing anything special for her again. Never having the late night talks we used to share, or never hearing her sing ever again. I was going to miss her voice. She was such a pure soul, and now she was gone. Ripped away selfishly from all of us forever.

Sighing to myself, I wiped my eyes once again and tried to stop my emotions from spilling all over the place, wanting to gather myself as much as I could as to not let Glenn see me completely break down. Luckily the car coming to a halt snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked around to see that we had finally made it after the long drive.

We all climbed out of the car and I trailed behind everyone as they led the way, a machine gun held loosely in my hands. It was a longer walk through the trees before we finally came up to the gated neighborhood, Glenn being the first one to climb up and peer over to the inside. Though he only seemed to glance around the street on the other side for a moment or two, before looking back down towards us and shaking his head sadly.

For some reason, it didn't click in my mind back at the hospital what Rick was talking about when he mentioned Noah wanting to go home. But I understood now, wanting to get back to his community that he was once ripped away from, the family and friends that he thought were here waiting for him. But we all silently knew just by Glenn's action meant that none of them made it through something that happened recently.

Noah's eyes widened as the realization hit him like a bus, quickly limping over toward the opposite side of the guarded place, hopping over the edge to see for himself what was left inside. We all followed his lead quickly as we didn't know where he would go, rushing over the gate just as he was nearly jogging down the streets, desperately trying to see if anyone was left alive.

The kid didn't stop, not even when Rick called out for him quietly, only slowing down the second he saw a few dead bodies ahead lying on the concrete, along with a few walkers wandering around on the grass. He broke down completely and fell to the ground, starting to sob in the middle of the street at the loss of his people. My heart broke for him, knowing the feeling all too well when we all got separated back at the prison. Thinking your family is dead- or worse, knowing your family is dead, is just about the worst feeling in the entire world.

The walkers that were still lingering around the area suddenly began to take notice of the sobbing boy, their eyes then panning over to the rest of us in pure hunger and desperation. I watched as Michonne wordlessly took out her sword to take care of them before they could get any closer to us, but I stopped her with a wave of my hand.

"I got them." I muttered under my breath, taking out a few knives as they only inched closer.

Four of them managed to make their way over, spread out from each other, making it easier for me to take them on. I gripped the knife in my hand tightly before chucking it at one of their heads, watching it slowly fall to its knees before completely crashing onto the concrete below.  I easily killed another, spinning around out of its reach right before it could grab me, kicking its leg out from under it before stabbing it in the back of the head.

I quickly retrieved my other knife from the dead walker's head, before stabbing the next one coming at me straight through its eye. Though with everything going on, my attention being drawn in too many different directions, I seemed to lose sight of the fourth. But right as that thought ran through my mind, familiar loud growls were heard from just behind my frame, giving me no chance to react.

In the split second I whipped around to face the monster, the steel of a sword was going straight through its head before it could sink its teeth into me, the blade almost poking me in the nose with how close it was to my face. The walker fell harshly to the ground by my boots when the weapon was retracked back, revealing Michonne huffing like she had to rush over to make it just in time.

I scoffed as I put my knives back in place around my hips, "I told you had it." I spoke stubbornly.

She looked slightly taken aback, "You had it, huh?" she asked, following me the moment I tried to walk away, "You got a death wish or something? I was helping you."

"Don't." I snapped, turning around to face her again, "I don't recall the last time I needed anyone's supervision, I'm fine."

She surprisingly wasn't frustrated at my snappy tone, her calmness never fading as she looked at me with the same damn pity I had been witnessing constantly. "You didn't need to take that on alone."

I silently knew the double meaning behind her words, and it just made me scoff, "I'm fine." I repeated before I continued to walk away.

But the more I began to think, the faster I got my second wind, turning around with a pointed finger in her direction, "You think I haven't noticed the way everyone's been staring at me lately? Like I'm so fragile or something that you have to tiptoe around me. But I'm the same exact person that's dealt with one loss after another...and this isn't any different."

I felt my face get hot with how much emotion was suddenly filling my voice, spinning around on my heel the second my sentence was finished so she wouldn't see me crumble. I knew she was just trying to help, but again, I didn't need people thinking that I was weak just because I lost somebody important.

My steps became slowly hesitant as I approached the group once more, seeing Noah in the same spot on the ground as he cried with his head in his hands. Though Rick saw me coming out of the corner of his eye, walking up to speak to me lowly.

"Listen, we're planning on picking through a few houses to gather up what we can. Try and get Noah back on his feet to come back with us...you good with that?"

I shrugged, "It doesn't matter."

"It does." he insisted.

I didn't bother to answer him as I just simply turned around to head into the few houses that were the closest to me, wanting to grab whatever was left inside before we were ultimately back on the road with the others. I hadn't brought my bag, but I could only assume there would be at least one in the houses I picked through, something to carry everything back. Rick called after me, but I just ignored him and kept going, itching to finally be alone for once in what felt like forever.

I walked up to the closest structure I saw and went in through the garage. I opened and shut the door loudly behind me to alert any potential walkers inside to make themselves known. But when I was only met with silence, I took that as my cue to head in deeper as I trucked up the stairs into the living room. Right away I spotted an old backpack hanging on a doorhandle, peeking inside to see if there was anything useful, but it was only a few crumpled folders and a poetry book. I scanned the cover, the title seeming to intrigue me a bit as I decided to keep it before slinging the bag over my shoulder to look for supplies.

I raided through the kitchen and was only met with one can of beans and two cans of corn left in the cabinets. Down the hall were a few extra rooms to pick through as I silently hoped to have a little more success. I checked out the bathroom first, wanting to see if there was some medication I could bring back. All I was met with were some empty pill bottles and some really expired tums, but I did a double take when I looked in the mirror.

It was safe to say I looked terrible. There were bags under my eyes that could carry someone's groceries, and the cuts on my cheek and neck were almost completely healed; but scarred like a mother fucker. Though I was silently thankful that whoever stitched me up at the hospital picked the stiches that dissolve on their own so I wouldn't have to worry about taking them out myself. That would've been a bitch to do.

I then headed toward the few bedrooms that had yet to be checked, finding the master didn't have much to offer other than a few clean shirts that I managed to take. Even the bathroom attached to the space hardly had anything at all, but I was lucky enough to find some tampons. Lord only knows how scarce those were. I put the box in my bag whilst I looked toward the remaining bedrooms, one looking to be a child's. There was clearly nothing worth taking from there which led me to the final room on the right, assuming it was a teenagers based on the decorations.

My eyes scanned to see the space was pretty clean, but my attention was immediately drawn to the object that sat tall on the twin bed. A guitar.

A lump formed in my throat as I looked at the instrument, biting the inside of my cheek to try to keep myself together. I felt my shoulders sag in defeat as I slowly lowered myself to sit on the ground, exhaling a shaky breath as I thought about the one girl that hadn't left my mind for one second in the passing weeks. She was everywhere. Everywhere I looked there would be some sort of sign that she was there with me.

The first night after she passed, I had to move away from the sleeping group because I couldn't stop sobbing, fearing I was being too loud. It was the only time I was able to sneak off without Daryl following close behind me, feeling as though I could actually get away. I didn't know if he did it on purpose or if he just didn't realize. But in the back of my mind, I knew that he was aware, he just wanted me to have a moment to mourn by myself.

I walked further into the woods as I tried desperately to pull myself back together, my head tilting up toward the sky in attempt to stop the waterfall of tears from falling. But that action caused me to catch a glimpse of a shooting star passing through the night sky, just like the first night I had grieved the loss of Hershel. It was like her own little sign of telling me that not only was she safe, but she was with her dad again. And it only made me cry harder.

After that, the signs just kept appearing over and over. Like a single flower blooming in the middle of a dead, yellow field. Or when I came across a tree with just the single letter B carved into the wood of the trunk. And now this guitar sitting before me, almost mocking me. She was everywhere I looked, and I didn't know whether to find comfort or sadness in that aspect.

My head then snapped up when I heard the sound of the door beside me creaking open, seeing Glenn standing there with a sorrowful look on his face. I mentally groaned that he was witnessing this yet again, looking away from him as I dried my eyes, feeling him come to sit down right beside me without uttering a word.

I didn't know if I wanted his company or not, but frankly my mind was too scrambled to even think about it for too long. So, I let him stay. He was silent for a while as I put myself together again, before his gaze landed on the one thing I kept glancing back to, hearing him sigh to himself in defeat.

"I miss her too."

"Stop." I cut him off, sniffling and pulling up my sleeves to help dry my cheeks.

He shook his head insistently, "Ro, you don't have to go through this alone, just let us help-"

"I'm still grieving." I breathed, now looking over at him, "Have you said any of this to Maggie? Have you even uttered a word to her about Beth?"

His silence spoke louder than my own voice did, and he didn't need to say a word for me to know the answer. "I didn't think so." I muttered.

Another long and loud silence passed as he truly didn't know what to say to me anymore. It made me think about how the hell we even got here, the losses we've taken only driving us further apart while we mourned in different ways.

"I'm sorry." he finally whispered, "I know how close you were with her, but-"

"No, no," I said, shaking my head, "But nothing. I was close with her, and then I lost her, and now I'm grieving...end of story."

"But you don't need to do it alone." he nearly pleaded.

I shook my head again in disbelief, "You don't get it." I let out a breathy, humorless laugh, "I was alone my whole life...I never got too close to anyone, and that's the only way I knew. I've never lost anybody like this before, not one this tragic. All of you can understand what it feels like to lose someone important...but I have no idea what it's like. This is all so new to me...losing someone I cherished so much. And...I need to figure it out on my own."

When I finally got the nerve to look him in the eye after spilling my heart out, there was a clear mist of tears glistening in his eyes at the feeling I described, easily sensing he wanted nothing more but to wrap me in a tight hug. But he didn't. He was scared it would only make me uncomfortable, push me away further, so he just stayed put as he thought about his next words carefully.

"Daryl slipped up one night...a long time ago about how, um..." he swallowed thickly, "About how you tried to run after Sophia died." he quietly admitted.

My eyes slightly widened as I made a mental note to kill Daryl later. "I just- I don't know...I guess I'm just making sure you don't run this time...because I can't lose you too, Ro."

His emotions were clear as day as he fully bared his soul to me it seemed like, my heart nearly shattering at the thought of him worrying that I would just disappear. I didn't want him to think that, I didn't want anyone to think that. I just needed to process all the emotions and difficulties for however long it took. I wasn't going to just run away, because the truth was, that would break me even more.

"I'm not going to run," I promised as I looked over at him sadly, "I'm staying right here...I just need some time...okay?"

He nodded slowly, "Okay..."

But the moment we were having, even if it was a small one, was completely cut short as the front door of the house opened and closed with a slam, followed by rushed footsteps until Rick suddenly appeared in the doorway, "Come on! Tyreese was bit!" he spoke in a panic.

Barely even processing the words he was saying, his franticness was all it took for me to jump to my feet and sprint behind the man to get out of the house as quickly as we could. My legs were moving faster and faster as my heart was harshly beating out of my chest. I didn't care how badly my lungs burned or how tired I felt from the lack of rest I'd been getting; I was determined to get to him. To save him.

We all rushed inside the house to find him in one of the bedrooms, laying on the floor and bleeding out profusely. All the color was drained from his face as he had a hazy look in his eye like he was about to pass out from the blood loss. Rick hurried over and pulled his arm out as far as he could, catching a glimpse of where the bite mark was embedded in his flesh. Though it didn't even look like the movement had affected him at all as he laid there almost limply.

Michonne quickly whipped out her sword and with one swipe, she was able to cut his limb clean off. I just stood there in shock, not being able to move or even breathe as I watched them slice his arm completely from his body. I told myself I'd save him, but I couldn't even do that. The scene was so gruesome and horrible, almost too much to even fathom right now.

Rick and Glenn didn't hesitate to find some kind of sheet to wrap around what was left of his arm to slow down the bleeding, before then hauling him up to help him out of the house, the man's weight resting heavily on their shoulders. I snapped out of my sudden trance as soon as they brushed passed me, not hesitating to follow them out of the house and back down towards the gate.

I kept up them as the two practically jogged with him in their grasp, the others just behind us as the gate was slowly coming into view, yet just out of reach. But we had to think fast, climbing back over wasn't exactly an option and the gate was chained shut, the sound of walkers now on the other side as they tried to claw their way in.

"We have to break the lock!" Rick yelled.

I nodded frantically, rushing over to fumble with the thick chains before they finally became loose enough to open up the large wooden doors, sending the walkers from the outside piling in toward us. I reached for my bow and started to fire arrows at the ones coming our way while Noah held Tyreese up and away from the chaos, trying to get him to keep his eyes open.

The rest of us fought off the corpses one by one so we could make our way through, needing to get him back to the car as fast as possible. We managed to kill them off within only seconds, Rick and Glenn quickly turning back to help him up as the rest of us ran ahead to make sure the area was clear. We booked it towards the car through the familiar route we took earlier, my eyes constantly darting back multiple times to see Ty still awake, yet barely conscious.

Killing a few more dead ones along the way, we eventually all picked him up one limb at a time while Noah directed us back to the vehicle just ahead of us. The pace we were once going was far too slow, and when we saw the amount of his blood staining the sheet that he held loosely, we knew we had to pick up the pace. I felt the sadness building as I tried to hold it together, shaking my head to try and prevent it from happening. He had to stay alive. I couldn't lose myself in my emotions if I wanted him to stay alive.

After what felt like ages, we finally made it to the van, pushing myself to get in first to help lower him onto the middle row so he would be laying down flat on his back. I held onto his legs while his head was resting on the opposite window, Glenn and Michonne quickly climbing over to get in the back. Rick ran around to the front as Noah got in the passenger seat and as soon as the kid closed the door with a slam, Rick floored it to race back to the others.

My chest rose and fell with every heavy breath, looking over at Tyreese's face to see his eyes start to grow heavy, my hand immediately tapping on his leg so he wouldn't pass out.

"Come on Ty, stay awake." I said, trying hard to hide the desperation in my voice.

He lazily opened his eyes once again and I sighed in relief, "We're getting closer, just hold on. You're going to be okay...you're going to be fine."

I kept lightly tapping his leg, praying that he would stay conscious as my other hand moved to now put more pressure on his gaping wound. The car swerved around back and forth aggressively, Rick trying to speed as fast as he could to make it back. I could hear Noah yelling the directions at him frantically, which ways to turn, but it all just ended up fuzzy in my mind, not being able to focus on anything as my mind spiraled.

My gaze shifted down once more to check on him again, but his eyes were now completely closed. I tried to keep calm as I saw his state, tapping on his leg a bit harder to get his eyes to flutter open again.

"Ty?" I asked.

He didn't flinch.

"Ty? Tyreese, open your eyes."

Rick's head spun around at the sound of my words, hearing him sigh dreadfully in defeat, but I didn't give up as I only shook him harder in the bumpiness of the car. "Tyreese you have to open your eyes. Open your eyes. Come on." I begged.

I felt the car begin to slow down to a stop and instinctively looked out the window to see we were pulled over onto the side of the road. Panic flooded through me, quickly hopping out of the car along with everyone else. They all pulled Tyreese out of the van, but he still stayed unresponsive, my eyes widening as I instantly pushed Noah and Glenn out of the way and got down on my knees next to him.

I leaned down to rest my ear against his chest, trying to listen for a heartbeat, but was met with nothing. No. He wasn't going to die. I quickly shot back up and folded my hands together, starting to firmly push over his heart to start CPR, mentally counting to thirty as I tuned everything else out.

"Rosie." I heard Rick's distant voice from behind me, but I ignored him.

I kept counting silently in my head, tilting his head up to breathe into his mouth twice before going back to push on his chest, counting again. I briefly heard them talking around me, but I couldn't bring myself to hear, focusing on him and him alone to try and keep him alive.

"Rose." Rick tried again, sadness filling his voice.

I ignored him once more as I aggressively pressed on Tyreese's chest again and again, before suddenly feeling his hand wrap around my arm in attempt to pull me back, "No." I snapped, ripping myself out of his hold to keep going.

I felt his hand pull me again, "No! Rick, no!" I yelled as I fought to get away from his grasp.

"Rose, come on." he spoke quietly.

His voice and protests meant nothing to me. I couldn't let him die. But both of his hands suddenly brought my arms back, pulling me away from his body, "No! I can save him! Please!" I screamed as I thrashed around to try and get out of his hold.

But he didn't let me go, slowly inching me further away from him, "I can save him! I can save him Rick, please!" I pleaded desperately as tears began to stream down my face once more.

He got down on his knees and held me back by my shoulders as I saw Michonne slowly walking over towards his head. "No! No, please don't! Let me save him!"

But my words only fell on deaths deaf ears, everyone around me sadly ignoring my protests as they all knew what needed to be done. I kept fighting, begging for them to listen to me, squirming harshly in Rick's arms as he tried to shush me.

"Don't look Rosie...don't look." he whispered right beside my ear, his arms squeezing me softly.

And before I could even bat an eye, Michonne quickly stabbed Tyreese in the head with her sword in one swift motion, squeezing her eyes shut as she listened to my sobs.

"No!" I yelled, watching his blood trickle down her weapon as my vison only blurred more with tears.

Rick gently pulled me closer to his chest as I continued to cry, whispering reassuring things that only I could hear, but I couldn't be bothered to listen. My eyes didn't stray away from Tyreese's dead body in front of me, feeling a fantom weight beginning to crush me at yet another person I couldn't save.

I mindlessly watched from a distance as Gabriel once again read from the bible at another dreadful funeral. Everyone around his grave was taking turns to scoop some dirt to cover him more and more, but I just couldn't force myself to do it. My eyes were puffy, my stomach churned as I felt like I could throw up with how much not only I've lost, but what we've all lost. I could see so clearly that everyone was holding on by a thread, and I was only finding myself closer to my own breaking point.

My eyes lingered on Sasha as she fiddled with the necklace that used to be around Tyreese's neck and brought it to her lips to kiss, the beanie he always wore being placed on the makeshift cross above where he would rest peacefully. It couldn't have been more devastating.

Looking up, I saw that Gabriel was finished and people were slowly starting to disperse after their silent goodbyes. Finding myself leaving as quickly as I could. Not because I wanted to, but because I could hardly stand to look at the scene any longer. My steps were slow and heavy as I began to walk back to the makeshift camp we had set up, but I quickly felt a presence lingering behind me. And I didn't need to turn around to know who it was, the sting of his eyes on me was all too familiar.

He wanted to say something to me, I could sense how desperately he was trying to find the right words. But the truth was, we hadn't uttered a thing to each other since Beth, and I silently knew he had no idea how to even approach me anymore. However, that was the least of my concerns. He was breathing, and that seemed to be all that mattered to me.

All I could focus on now, was surviving.

~ Thanks for reading! (Whew, this one was hard to get through just like the last. It really doesn't get easier does it?)

Taglist ~ @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering @mystictf @remuslittlesister

Beautiful! Absolutely Beautiful!

Day Three [Protect Thy Savour]

Summary: When Jake and Hollywood are enjoying a fire in the comfort and silence of Jake’s courtyard, Hollywood reminds Jake that nothing was ever his fault.

Warnings: PTSD. Shared Trauma. Jake Seresin x F!Reader. Mentions of Captivity. Survivor’s Guilt. Mental Health

Word Count: 0.9k

Whumptober Prompt Day Three: Shared trauma, survivor’s guilt, “It’s not your fault.”

Author Note: Please make sure you read the warnings provided. Disclaimer: I do not condone nor endorse the actions that are written about during the month of October. These works of fiction are just that, fiction and should be treated as such. Thank you to @ailesswhumptober for this year's prompt list.

Whumptober Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Bruises Masterlist

“I wish this moment could last forever.” Time is a strange thing. When you’re waiting for something good to happen, it can often feel as if time is dragging on. But when you want it to slow down? It goes by in the blink of an eye. 

“We can stay right here, like this, for as long as you want Hotshot.” The odd part is time isn’t real. It’s a concept imagined by scientists based on the imperfect movement of Earth around the Sun. 

“Hmm, sounds perfect,” So why do people put so much importance on something that’s just a theory? The simple answer to that loaded question….is that it’s sometimes all people have. 

There’s never enough time. Work, friends, being held hostage in the middle of nowhere for months on end, life, death. Something always cuts our time short. So our best bet is to make the most of the time we have. Or we can strive to make up for lost time. But sometimes, if we’re really lucky….time stands still. 

The crackle of the fire pit filled the comfortable silence you and Jake shared. His courtyard had become a space where the two of you would go to fill the empty void you both shared. The void where innocence and hope in humanity once resonated within your souls. 

The orange hume cascaded down your shared silhouettes in the midnight darkness. Still, it could never be as dark as the pit of hell the two of you had shared. 

“Your hair smells nice.” Jake sighed as he held you close to his chest. Your back was pressed firmly into him as he let the side of the concrete seat hold both his and your weight. His arms hung around your shoulders as your fingers danced up and down his forearm. 

“Black plum and vanilla,” You replied, a little drowsiness in your tone. “It’s new, Phoenix made me this basket full of products, said it was a pamper kit.” You chuckled softly, the kindness of those closest to you hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

Jake didn’t reply, he simply stayed holding you close, afraid that if he were to let go he’d wake up and still be in that godforsaken cell he spent months being jealous of the rats that got to come and go as they pleased. It had just been one of those days. One where Jake couldn’t for the life of him quiet the voices in his mind. The voices that told him everything had been his fault. That he was responsible for all your pain and the trauma that would follow you for a lifetime. 

One of those days where if he closed his eyes and never woke up, Jake wouldn’t mind. He’d welcome the sweet release of death if it were to take him tonight. The only person who kept him sane enough to remember to breathe was you. 

“Hey Seresin?” You mumbled as you snuggled a little deeper into Jake’s warm embrace. 

“Yeah?” Jake replied as he felt tears welling in his eyes as he let his chin rest against the top of your head. Your touch was grounding, all-consuming, settling. It was the only medicine Jake would admit he needed. The anti-psychotics, the pain meds, the sleeping tablets, he didn’t need any of them in his damaged mind. All he needed, all he wanted, was you. 

“It’s not your fault,” Battle. Fight. Win. Loose. These are the words we use when someone is diagnosed with an illness or disease. People tend to use militarised language that implies it’s a fair fight. “None of what happened to us was your fault.” 

But when it comes to life and death, what does winning really look like? Is a person you love a loser for dying when the outcome isn’t really in their control? 

“What happened to you, me, us, none of it falls on your shoulders, Jake,” You continued as the crackle of the fire filled the silence. Jake never responded, all he did was hold you closer, hold you tighter. His tears streamed down his cheeks freely, to the point that when they fell your hair sucked up the moisture. 

“I love you–” Jake whispered as the heat from the fire and the warmth of your heart kept him sane. “Thank you,” He followed up as he placed a simple kiss to the spot where his tears had fallen on your head. “I love you with everything I have, with everything I’ve lost.” 

“I love you with everything we’ll build together,” You mumbled as you moved Jake’s hand up towards your lips. You couldn’t help but to leave a gentle kiss on his knuckles. “I Promise.” 

When it comes to medicine, who’s to say what’s winning or losing? There’s just as much value in trying again as there is in letting go. Letting go of suffering, regret, pain, fear. Instead of saying someone we love is battling, beating, fighting, winning or losing, why do we just tell the truth? 

That its not always a fair fight. 

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

BEAUTIFUL. This was beautiful

Whumptober 2024 No. 1

Prompt: Panic Attack

Warnings: Mentions of torture; anxiety attack

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

gif by @daryl-dixon-daydreams

It happened so fast. 

One moment, you were in the kitchen, preparing dinner—a stew of venison and vegetables. The next, you were crouched in front of Daryl, whispering words of encouragement while he tried to catch his breath. 

Tara hadn’t meant any harm. Over for dinner, she had been rummaging through a box of records—a bonus from a recent run that had gone smoothly. The record player and vinyls had been the reward you had bestowed upon yourselves when you had extra time due to the lack of walkers to dispatch. 

First, to Daryl’s utter joy—expressed by a grunt and appreciative nod—she had chosen Johnny Cash, allowing the record to play through in its entirety before deciding to try her luck with a random choice. The moment the song began, you knew—even before the sound of Daryl’s knife and whetstone clattering on the floor—what would come of it. 

We’re on easy street

“Tara, no!” The spoon you had been using to stir was abandoned somewhere in the kitchen to be found later. Your steps were hurried, finding Daryl with his back pressed against the wall, eyes wide and shining, unseeing. “Daryl. Baby.”

“What’s—I didn’t—” Tara stammered from across the room, her hands flailing uselessly. You waved her off, somewhat urgently. 

“Just turn it off.” Your focus was centered on the man in front of you, his face pale, breaths quick and shallow. “Hey. Hey, you’re okay.”

“Can’t—can’t breathe.” He gasped, a hand coming up to lay against his throat, the other palm flat against his chest. “Don’t—I can’t—”

“You’re not there, Daryl. You’re here. With me.” You yearned to touch him, to ground and comfort him, but knew that he would only flinch away, lost in the torment of those days trapped and tortured at the Sanctuary. “You’re safe.”

“Ain’t—” His breaths were sobbing rushes of air that he thought he couldn’t capture. He was pale, his skin glistening with perspiration. “Y/N—”

“I’m right here.” You followed him as he slid down the wall, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. “Breathe, Daryl.”

“Can’t—I can’t—”

“You can.” You replied, encouragement outlining each syllable. “Do it like me.” Your gaze honed in on the flutter of his pulse beneath the skin of his neck, too fast. If you didn’t help him gain control, he would pass out. He would be mortified by the display of weakness, an entirely new issue but not a surprising one. Still, if it could be avoided, that would be ideal. “Like me, Daryl.”

He finally dropped his hands, swaying where he sat as his gaze locked onto yours. He blinked hard, attempting to focus. You drew in a deep breath and held it before exhaling, slowly for but a few seconds more. Daryl gasped and hiccuped, trying to imitate your efforts with intense struggle. 

“I’m going to touch you, okay?” You said, simultaneously reaching for him. With a gentle but firm hold on his wrist, you placed his palm against your chest and continued your breathing techniques. “There we go.” You whispered. The redness coloring his skin was receding, the strained tendons in his neck beginning to relax. He was wheezing but each hiccuping breath appeared to come easier than the one that preceded it. 

While you continued your gentle coaxing, you glanced at Tara from the corner of your eye and thanked every deity you could possibly recall that she noticed and grabbed her coat on her way out. You didn’t want her to dwell on guilt. You would talk to her later. 

“You’re doing so well, sweetheart.” You could have cried when Daryl finally dragged in a deep breath, the fog that had clouded his eyes mercifully receding. He said nothing while all but collapsing toward you, his forehead meeting your shoulder roughly. “You’re okay.” His willingness to lean against you was all the permission you needed to fold your arms around him. One hand cradled the back of his head while the other rubbed circles over his back. 

“M’sorry.” It was barely a whisper around breaths that still seemed too fast but came without struggle. 

“Don’t you dare apologize, Daryl Dixon.” He tensed beneath your touch but for a mere heartbeat. “What you went through was not just cruel. It was barbaric.” You held him tighter and felt his right arm encircle your lower back. “But you survived. You came back to me. You’re here and you’re safe.” Nuzzling your cheek against his hair, you pressed a kiss against the spot right above his ear. He had yet to pull away and buried his face against the junction of your shoulder. 

“Ain’t none’a us safe.” He mumbled, the words muted. He was right, of course. The world that existed didn’t offer safety or security. All you had known since the turn had been running, surviving. Still—

“We have each other, Daryl.” You pulled back, willing him to meet your eyes. It was a struggle for him. He loathed any display of what he thought was weakness, of what was truly just humanity. His gaze was searching, a hint of sadness outlined with something akin to hope. “Isn’t that enough?” You offered. You brought a hand to his cheek, your thumb wiping away moisture there. Sweat or tears, who knew? 

After a moment, he sniffed and cleared his throat, his hand coming up to cover yours. 

“Yeah.” He said. “Yeah. S’more than enough.”

Wait, you were actually born in the 1900's? Thats so cool

i am going to eat my own entire skin

A Teaser for

Always You

Not my GIF

Rosalie Barlowe a highly trained agent working at the GBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigations. Has her life turned upside down when the world goes to shit? How will she feel when a band of misfits, are there to watch her back when no one else has ever been? What will happen when she starts to harbor feelings for one of them?

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Hello, readers. This is the first Fic that I'm publishing here. If you are hooked by the very small teaser above please think about following along for Rosalie's story. I am so excited for this story to come to fruition and not just live in my head as an idea. I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I do, however, own Rosalie Barlowe and her story. I do not give permission to translate my work or change it in any way. I do however invite you to reblog and comment to let me know your thoughts. If you want to be added to the tag list just message me.

Tag list

@d1xonss

See there’s a problem with reading this the days it’s posted. That just means I have to wait for the next chapter to be posted. 😭 But it’s not like I can’t read it the day it comes out. Ugh the torture!

Desert Rose

Chapter 62 ~ Deafening Cries

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 7.2k

In this chapter ~ Rick and the others head into the city when they heard the news about what happened to Beth and Rose. Though they hit a few bumps in the road to get their people back, it seems for a moment that everything worked out in the end. That is until a horrible and sudden death occurs right when they least expect it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THIRD PERSON POV *~*~*~*~*~*~*

It all happened too fast. One minute Daryl was helping the kid back up to his feet to follow right behind where Rose had run off to, and the next she was on the ground, unmoving, laying there practically lifeless. It took him all of one second to process the fact that she was hit by a car, but the moment it registered in his mind, he was surging forward in an instant in attempt to get to her. But the kid quickly grabbed onto Daryl and held him back so they would stay out of sight. He felt terrible for doing so, but this was the only way she would get help.

"No! Let go of me!" Daryl yelled as he thrashed around in his arms.

"No, no, wait, they can help her! They're the only ones who can. They have medicine, machines, a doctor. You go out there, you'll have to kill them, okay? And then she won't get taken care of, is that what you want?"

They both watched helplessly as two men emerged to put Rose on a stretcher to move her into the car. Daryl was panting as he continued to struggle in the young man's hold, but in the back of his mind, he knew he was right. If they went out there, she wouldn't get the help that she needed. But he just got her back. After losing her for days, thinking she was dead, he got her back now only to lose her again. He felt like a failure.

"We can get her back. We can get Beth back." the kid reassured.

The car then sped back off down the street, with her just in the backseat as Daryl finally shrugged the kid's arms from off of him, "What's it gonna take?" he huffed.

The man just looked at him sadly, "A lot. They got guns...people..."

"Yeah...so do we." Daryl grumbled.

And without another word, the two quickly took off back into the city to try and find a running car so they could make it back to the church where the others stayed. It was a struggle as they felt like they were searching endlessly, before finally finding a truck that Daryl hotwired, the vehicle having just enough gas to get them back.

The whole ride back was just filled with silence. Neither one of them knew what to say, the only thing being exchanging names amongst the quiet. Though after a while of driving, the kid, Noah, slowly began to tell Daryl some of the things that had gone down at the hospital. Things he felt the man should know before they walked in there, guns blazing.

However, this only made Daryl's panic rise. Beth being trapped there was one thing, but now the two of them being stuck blindly with no way out, it was a whole other story. He couldn't bear the thought of them dealing with the assholes this kid has had described, they sounded deranged. The newfound information only made him pick up speed to get to the group faster, his foot stepping harshly on the gas as he swerved. They would get Beth back. They would get Rose back. That's what he kept having to tell himself over and over to stay calm as he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Once they made it back to the church, Daryl didn't hesitate to tell the group everything he could recall...or to his surprise, what was left of the group. It initially confused him to see the new people were suddenly gone, along with Glenn and Maggie who weren't anywhere in sight. Rick then had to break the news, telling him the whole mess of a story about how they had to leave for Washington, but the rest didn't want to leave him and Rose behind.

But to Daryl, that was far from important right now.

He laid everything out on the table for Rick, explaining piece by piece of what had happened when they traveled back to Atlanta, in attempts to get Beth, but only ended up biting off more than they could chew. Though after hearing everything, Rick didn't hesitate to round up everyone to move out, wanting to get their girls back as fast as possible. His heart about fell out of his chest when Daryl informed them that they managed to take Rose too. He wasn't about to let that fly, not at all.

It was clear that all of them were set with a certain determination, to save their people after losing so much already.

Back at the hospital, Beth was prepared to fight back. She had never been more ready to get out of here and back to her family, though she didn't even know where to start looking. They could still be separated for all she knew, practically stuck on different planets from how far away they seemed. But that wasn't about to stop her, knowing she would rather be on her own then spend another second locked away here.

She walked through the corridor with a scalpel in hand, the intention to put an end to all of this after seeing Noah escape from just beyond her reach. But she stopped suddenly when she saw the doors on the other end of the hall being shoved open, a few people carrying in someone new on a stretcher who looked to be unconscious. She moved out of the way to the opposite side of the space so they could get through to an unoccupied room, but when she caught a glimpse of the stranger, she could've sworn she stopped breathing for a moment.

There she was. Right in front of her very eyes. Rose.

Worry immediately filled within her as she saw the state she was in, the deep cuts on her face, the bruises forming on different parts of her body. Beth's mind ran wildly though she attempted to stay calm, knowing there was no way she could leave now. Not without her. But then again, this coincidence led her to believe that someone else from the group might now where she is. And they were no doubt coming for her, giving them the perfect opportunity to escape.

An hour ticked by excruciatingly slow since they first brought her in, getting her situated with some medication and stitched up the gashes along her skin. Beth hadn't stopped lingering by that area since, not wanting to draw attention, but not wanting to leave her alone either.

As she made her thirtieth loop around the long hall, she couldn't bring herself to stay away anymore, gaining the courage to peek her head in to see her laying there peacefully with an IV in her arm. The bruising she had was terrible, her left side almost completely covered in black and blue marks as her stitches looked red and painful.

"Excuse me." came a sudden voice from right beside her.

Beth jumped a little at the man's presence, quickly moving aside so the doctor could walk in and check on her. She tried to act nonchalant for both of their safety, pretending she hardly knew the woman at all, but it was getting harder for her to hide her concern. Beth wondered if Daryl ever found Rose, or if he even found anyone from the group at all. She could only hope that someone was on their way to them, and they could get out of this place together.

"Is she going to be okay?" Beth asked before she could stop herself.

The doctor gave her a weird look, "Yes...she should be just fine."

She breathed a silent sigh of relief and made a mental note to come back and check on her herself when no one else was around. She prayed that Rose would wake up soon so she could talk to her, set up some kind of plan for when the time came. But now, all she could do was wait.

The group of five made it back to the city after a long and painful drive, now held up in a building near the hospital, discussing a strategy. They all listened intently while Rick talked about what the best approach would be, but all they could do was worry. Sasha alone wasn't in the right state of mind after losing Bob just the other night, the images of the people from Terminus coming back for revenge lingered in the back of their minds.

Daryl remained a complete mess. Not only did his wife get captured by a bunch of strangers, but she was also hurt far worse than she was before. Two car accidents in one day, that had to be a new record. He just needed to get her back, he needed to know that she was okay considering the condition he last saw her in.

"At sundown we fire a shot into the air, get two of them out on patrol. Then once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks in one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out." Rick spoke.

"How?" Tyreese asked.

Rick looked up to him, "He slits his fucking throat." he said simply.

Everyone around could see how fast Rick was changing, though no one could blame him in the slightest. After everything they've been through, it wasn't a surprise, and now the absence of Rose was enough to tip him over the edge. They all knew he wasn't going to be kind or patient about this considering the number of times he had lost her already.

"This is all about doing this quietly, keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us. From there we fan out, knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast." he continued.

He then pointed down to a sloppy map he drew out of the hospital, with a little help from Noah. He instructed where each person would be, when they would attack, and what was the best route to get to them. It seemed pretty simple if everything would go according to plan, but Tyreese began to grow uneasy.

"This is the best case scenario, what's the worst case? All it takes is one of those cops going down the hallway at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck. We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around." the man pointed out.

"If that's what it takes." Sasha said.

Ty shook his head, "It's not. If we get a couple of her cops alive out here, we can do a trade. Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home."

Rick stood up, "Yeah, I get it. And it might work. But this will work. We're getting those girls back. I don't care what it takes."

The rest stayed silent as the two went back and forth, but eventually after a lot of convincing, Tyreese finally got everyone on his side for the plan he assured would work better. It took a little while for Rick to come to terms with that, but he was running out of options and most importantly, time. Which is why he reluctantly agreed, the group moving out to get this taken care of.

They spread out in different directions, Rick firing a single shot into the air as they then waited for the cops to come check out the noise. Drawing them out like moths to a flame. It didn't take long for a car to slowly drive through the area where the gunshot was heard, cautiously getting out of their vehicle as they scanned the area around them for anything unusual.

Rick silently nodded over to Noah, the kid nodding back in response as he slowly slid out from where he hid, wanting the cops to notice his presence. As he stepped out into the open, the two spotted him immediately, drawing their weapons out to aim at his head the second they saw a gun in his hold.

"Drop it!" the male officer commanded, "Drop it now!"

"Okay." Noah complied in mock defeat, setting his weapon on the ground in front of him, watching as the two rushed over to get him down on his knees.

"I thought you were smart Noah; you didn't think we would hear you?" the female officer asked, zip tying his wrists together.

The other one looked around confused as his gun was still trained on the kid, "Where are those rotters you were shooting at?" he asked.

Then a single whistle was heard from just behind their heads, spinning around to see the rest of the group coming out with guns of their own. The two officers became suddenly panicked at the numbers they were seeing, their widened eyes only growing as they slowly realized this was a trap.

"Hands." Rick demanded.

"What do you want?" the female officer asked.

The male officer began shaking his head in shock, "Whatever this is, we can help." he spoke up, his voice slightly wavering.

Rick only raised his gun higher, "You do what we say, and we don't hurt you."

The two looked at each other, almost as if having a silent discussion with their eyes before doing as he said. They placed their weapons on the ground in unison, raising their hands up high for Rick to see.

"Good, now turn around." Rick demanded, "Get on your knees."

They did as they were told, Noah standing up from his position and walking towards Ty so he could cut the ties off his wrists. Daryl and Sasha moved over to the officers, binding their hands together the moment they were steadied on their knees, forming some kind of circle around them to which they couldn't escape.

Rick picked up their guns off the ground, placing them behind his back as he moved his way to stand in front of their faces. "We need to talk." he said lowly.

Just a few miles away from the group's chaos, Beth noticed that Rose's room was finally unoccupied, taking the chance to hesitantly step inside to see her, but not before glancing behind her a number of times just to make sure there was truly no one around. From the looks of it she still seemed to be out like a light, but she was alive, and that's all that mattered to her. The girl shut the door quietly and made her way over to sit at the foot of her bed, slowly taking Rose's hand in her own.

"Ro?" she called out softly.

She was met with silence, the only noise being the heart monitor beeping in the background, Beth closing her eyes while squeezing her hand softly, "I just wanted you to know I'm here." she whispered.

Nothing.

"I still can't believe you're here. I mean...I knew you were alive; I had always had feeling. I just wish I could've seen you again under better circumstances. They wouldn't tell me what happened to you...but I just know that you're in here because of something they did. They aren't...they aren't good people. But I'm gonna get you out if it's the last thing I do...I promise."

Still nothing.

Beth sighed sadly at the lack of reaction, bowing her head as she did something she hadn't done in a long time...she prayed. After her dad died a horrible death, she didn't really feel like praying anymore, questioning if God even existed after having to witness something so horrid. But right here, right now, she found herself pleading. Knowing that if there were some higher power out there, that's what could help her in a moment of need.

It seemed almost impossible, a miracle she would guess, but the moment her silent prayer ended, she felt Rose's hand move slightly in her own. Her head snapped up to see her face, watching as the woman groaned softly, before slowly opening her eyes. An instant smile was brought to Beth's face, quietly thanking God for his fast works as she waited patiently for Rose to fully wake.

Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, taking them a few seconds to adjust to the sudden bright light shining down on her, for a moment she thought she was dead with how blinding it seemed. Though the more she blinked, the more she gained consciousness, the more she felt the sharp pain in her side as she let out a deep sigh at the pressure that lingered there.

When her eyes finally focused, glancing briefly around the room, she could've sworn she was dreaming. There right in front of her eyes was Beth sitting at the edge of her bed, her hand grasped tightly in her own.

Rose's eyes widened as she sat up a little, hearing Beth let out an airy laugh with tears forming in her eyes, "Beth?" she whispered.

The blonde nodded her head, confirming that everything was in fact real, and Rose didn't hesitate to sit up immediately to pull her into a tight hug. She couldn't bring herself to care about the aching pain in her side, or where the hell she even was. All she seemed to care about was the fact that she had found her, although it almost didn't feel like reality.

She felt Beth shake a little as she cried onto her shoulder, still holding onto her for dear life, scared to death that she wasn't going to see her again. They stayed in each other's arms for what felt like forever before Rose finally pulled away to take Beth's face in her hands.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the cuts and marks all over her face.

Beth laughed again, feeling Rose wiping the tears that fell from her eyes, "You're asking if I'm okay? Rose, you're beaten and bruised and-"

She shook her head, "I don't care, are you okay?" she asked again.

"I'm okay." Beth whispered.

Rose couldn't help but bring the young girl in for another hug as she tried to hold back her own emotions. It was like everything was finally falling into place. Now that she found her and knew she was alright, she couldn't wait to get out of here. But judging by how Beth wasn't able to escape with the kid whom she met moments before the disaster, it probably wouldn't be easy.

"What happened?" Beth suddenly asked, pulling away to look her in the eye.

Rose sighed, "It's a really long story. But we all managed to find each other again...and Daryl and I somehow spotted a car similar to the one who took you. We followed it, ended up running into the kid that you helped escape, and then...I got hit by a car." she said bluntly.

Beth blinked a few times, "You got hit by a car?" she asked, with wide eyes.

"I think so, it's still kind of fuzzy." she muttered as she rubbed a tender spot on her head, "But Daryl knows where we are...we're getting out of here." Rose assured.

Beth nodded her head, "Good. We need to just wait for the right moment."

"Has there been any signs that they're coming? It could be anything."

Beth tried to think for a moment or two, before suddenly remembering when she was talking with Dawn only minutes ago, hearing the commotion on the radio attached to her belt. A few officers went on and on about a random series of gunfire close by, wanting to check it out. It was a long shot that it could be the others, but there was a chance.

"There was a gunshot that rang out near here. I overheard a few of them talking about it." Beth informed.

Rose nodded confidently, "It's them. How long ago?"

"Just a few minutes, I think. They just went to check it out."

"Okay, good. Do you know where they're keeping my stuff?" Rose asked.

The girl nodded, "They might've stored it in a room not too far from here, I can go get everything. But they can't know you're awake. If someone else comes in here, just pretend you're still asleep, okay?"

Rose nodded a bit uneasily, "Okay..."

Beth went to stand, wanting to get out before they were caught, but then stopped as she squeezed Rose's hand again one final time, "I missed you so much." she whispered.

Her face softened as she squeezed her hand in return, "I missed you too. I'm so glad you're okay, honey." she replied.

Beth smiled as she nodded, "I'll go get your stuff, it might take a bit for me to come back. Just wait here."

Rose nodded in response, laying back down in the same position to pretend she was still unconscious, hearing Beth open and close the door lightly the moment she shut her eyes.

She let her mind run, knowing she would be alone for a long while before Beth returned. She hoped that wherever the others were right now, that they were being safe instead of reckless. The last thing she needed right now was to lose someone else.

Daryl was pacing back and forth in the abandoned building that they were holed up in, waiting for Rick to return. Of course, the plan didn't go as smoothly as they would've wished, and there were a few bumps in the road.

They ended up finding a third officer that was also willing to help them after he had the whole story, but the moment he was left alone with Sasha, he knocked her out as he made his great escape. Knowing all the information now, they all assumed his plan would be to run back to Dawn to fill her in on everything. Like a damn rat.

Rick was the one to take off after him the moment he found out, the rest of them silently knowing that the man wasn't going to make it back to the hospital. Sure, all of that was bad, but that wasn't the thing that worried Daryl the most.

Rose continued to cloud his thoughts heavily. Not knowing for sure if she was okay, if she was even alive, just brought back the same feeling he had not too long ago when he first lost her. He promised her that he wouldn't let her go again and he would always protect her, but he couldn't even do that. He couldn't follow through on one simple promise he made to her, and now God only knew what was happening to her now.

Noah kept trying to reassure him that she was fine, that they would take care of her, but he couldn't make himself believe that. He didn't know if he could ever believe that. All he wanted was to see it with his own eyes, wanting her with him where she was safe from all harm.

The female officer noticed Daryl's repetitive steps, back and forth for minutes on end, and got up the courage to ask, "One of the people in there...it's someone you care about, isn't it?"

He stopped in his tracks to look at the woman with narrowed eyes, silently daring her to continue to question him. She noticed immediately that she struck a nerve and put her head down to not make eye contact with the man.

"His wife." Ty suddenly spoke up, answering for Daryl.

Daryl's eyes snapped up to meet Tyreese's as he glared daggers at him. He didn't understand why they owed these people any information whatsoever when it wouldn't matter in the end. He didn't trust them one bit to have any kind of knowledge, they could easily use it against them for all they knew. After the one officer escaped, they couldn't take any more chances with the two that remained.

Just then, Rick walked in through the entrance loudly as his boots clicked with a constant echo, immediately nodding for Daryl to follow him away from the other officers so they could talk privately. The man instantly moved toward the other end of the room and once they were far enough away, Rick spoke quietly.

"He wouldn't stop." he said simply, implying that he had taken care of him.

Daryl nodded, "This change things?" he asked.

"It has to," Rick confirmed, "The one guy who said this whole trade would work is dead. Maybe we gotta rethink this."

"They also said the cop in charge didn't have any respect for 'em. Maybe he did her a favor." Daryl stated.

Rick shook his head, "I don't know if they'll play ball."

"Let's find out."

They nodded to each other in agreement before making their way back toward the others. The officer that escaped had went on and on about how their plan could work. The head officer, the woman who ran the place, allegedly would take the deal, you just had to know how to talk to her. Now Rick was thinking that it was a bunch of bullshit just so he could escape, but they still didn't know for sure. Both men just wanted to get a move on, get in and out of there fast.

But before Rick could breathe a word to the two officers they had left, the woman spoke up, "He was a good man. He was attacked by rotters...we saw it go down."

Rick tilted his head at her, "You're a damn good liar." he stated.

"We're hanging on by a threat here," she informed, "He was attacked by rotters, that's the story."

Daryl spoke up, "Ya said the trade was a bad idea. What changed?"

"Lamson was our shot," she said, referring to the now deceased man, "So it's this, or you go in shooting up the place, right? You don't want that."

Daryl moved closer to her, "If this is some bullshit yer spitin and things go south-"

"I know." she interrupted, "I know the good ones from the bad. Let us help you."

Rick looked at her for a moment, contemplating what she said very carefully and weighing out his options, before turning towards the man, "What about you?" he asked, "You wanna live? How much?"

He stared at Rick for a moment, "Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Thinks it'll tip things against her, hell, it will. She'll see this trade as a rip off if she thinks you took out one of our guys. So...it's a good thing Lamson got aced by rotters."

The group looked at him with a mixture of shock and understanding. They were in.

Beth barged into Rose's room with her clothes and her weapons, "It's me, you have to get up."

Her eyes flew open, sitting up quickly to see Beth with an anxious yet hopeful look on her face as she laid out everything at the foot of the bed, "One of the officers talked to Dawn over the radio. They said that a man with a group wanted to make a trade, two officers they had for the two of us." she continued.

Rose's eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face, "Okay, good."

She then slowly stood up, wincing as she did so to move and change into her real clothes, the process slow and tedious as Beth offered to help. The ugly nightgown was tossed aside carelessly as she replaced her weapons around her, adjusting everything as fast as she could, practically itching to get out of this place.

Though her excitement got the best of her as she quietly gasped at the sudden pain in her side, Beth catching on instantly as she held her hand out for support.

"Do you need a wheelchair or anything?" she asked.

Rose shook her head, standing back up straight with a discomforted face, "No, I'm fine." she breathed.

"Ro, you were just hit by a car." Beth said.

She looked up at the young girl, "I'll live."

Beth hesitantly nodded her head and gently pulled her along so they could exit the room together. Though when they were almost to the door, Rose managed to catch sight of herself in the reflection of a mirror just a few feet away. It was like she didn't even recognize herself, the wrecked state she was in almost made her a different person.

Beth gently tugged on her arm to keep walking, exiting through the door slowly as they bumped right into the doctor in the hallway. He looked shocked to see Rose awake and walking around, "I- I didn't know you were up-"

"Yeah, I've been up." Rose interrupted him harshly as she seemed to not waste any time, "Where are my people?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to formulate a response, before just simply nodding for the two to follow him, and they didn't hesitate to keep up with his strides. Neither one of the girls knew what this would lead to, how everything would play out, but they had hope. That after everything and long time apart from one another, they could finally just breathe the minute this was all over.

The doctor lead them down the hall, slowly stopping short once they saw a line of officers planted right in the middle of the walkway. They were all facing the other direction as if they were still waiting, watching for the group to enter on the other end of the passage.

Seconds of silence passed like that, anticipation building in everyone's chests before the door suddenly swung open, the others trailing inside with the two officers held in custody as promised. They all paused at the other end of the corridor, leaving a decent amount of space in between, though Rose wasn't planning on waiting around for another second.

Beth had come to a full stop next to the officers, but Rose kept going, continuing to make her way over to her group in a fit of impatience. But her movements were stopped in an instant when someone grasped her arm harshly, yanking her back a step so she couldn't make it to the other side. Glancing over her shoulder, she could only assume this was the woman in charge, glaring at her for moving without permission.

"We do this my way." she said through gritted teeth, "You're not leaving unless I say so."

Rose scoffed, "I'll leave whenever the hell I want to."

She ripped her arm from her tight grasp, turning slightly to take another step, but stopped once she saw Dawn's hand hover over the gun in her holster. Rose laughed lightly, "Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"You're not the one I'd shoot." the woman threatened, her eyes slowly panning over towards Beth.

Rose's blood began to boil at the implication as she glared at the woman, leaving Dawn smirking at the reaction she received. "Get back." she demanded.

Rose closed her eyes as her frustration grew, before slowly moving back to stand beside Beth once more, watching their people share concerned glances with each other at the little interaction they witnessed. It was quiet, she knew they didn't know for sure what was said, but the action was enough for them to grow uneasy.

Rick was the first to speak amongst the silence, "They haven't been harmed."

"Where's Lamson?" Dawn asked.

"Rotters got him." the female officer said, "Saw it go down right in front of us."

Dawn faltered for a second at the unexpected news, "Oh..." she muttered quietly, "I'm sorry to hear that, he was one of the good guys. ...One of yours for one of mine."

"Alright." Rick agreed, motioning for Daryl to hand over the male officer that he had in his hold.

Dawn looked over at Rose and nodded for her to go first and she scoffed at her, "Oh, now I can go." she muttered under her breath as she walked away with another officer right on her tail.

She met Daryl in the middle as he let go of the man carelessly and was quick to wrap her in a tight hug. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled back to scan her face, "Ya okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "I'm fine."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her to bring her back to the group, all of them smiling in relief to see her seemingly unharmed. Rick didn't hesitate to bring her in for a quick squeeze, his touch delicate to make sure he didn't hurt her further, before they both faced the other side to make sure Beth would make it over as well.

They watched as Dawn grasped her arm aggressively, bringing her in towards the middle just as Rick stepped forward with the other officer. Once Dawn let go of Beth, she picked up her pace to make it over to Rick and he cupped her cheek, muttering something to her quietly as she nodded. She then walked all the way back to the group and hugged Rose again as they both sighed in some kind of relief, knowing that they both made it safely with no complications.

"Glad we could work things out." Dawn said loudly.

Rick looked back at her once more, a scowl on his face, "Yeah." he muttered bitterly.

Seeing as everything was done, the group turned to make their way back out the doors they once came through, but Dawn's voice stopped them in their tracks, "Now I just need Noah. And then you can leave."

Their heads all whipped back over to her and stared at her with wide eyes. Rick took a few steps back toward her, "That wasn't part of the deal."

"Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and now I'm losing her, so I need him back." Dawn said, "My officers put their lives on the line to find him, one of them died."

Anger filled Rose completely at the nerve of this woman, stepping away from Daryl much to his dismay to defend him, "It's not his fault your officers don't know how to take care of themselves, he's not staying." she snapped.

"He's one of mine, you have no claim on him." Dawn said.

"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him." Rick clapped back.

She stared at him, the mask she wore slipping from her face for a split second, "Then I guess we don't have a deal." she said calmly.

"The deal is done." Rose raised her voice.

Noah came up closer from behind them, "It's okay." he assured.

Rick didn't take his eyes off Dawn as he protested, "No, no it's not-"

Noah shook his head as he handed his gun back to Rick, "I gotta do it." he said quietly.

Dawn smirked a little to herself as she watched Noah hand over his weapon, the act somewhat surrendering, "Then it's settled." she said.

Rose wanted to pop a cap in this woman for her narcissistic tendencies, but she knew if she did, all hell would break loose. That wasn't something she was willing to risk. Though she didn't know Noah very well, hardly at all really, she knew he shouldn't have to stay here just by what she's seen and heard about this place.

"Wait!" Beth suddenly called out just as Noah turned to leave, beginning to rush toward him.

Rose's attention snapped to her, catching her arm before she could get too close, "Beth..." she warned with a shake of her head, wanting her to be safe.

But the girl just smiled at her, gently pulling herself out of her hold, "It's okay." she whispered.

Rose could hear the sadness in her voice, the tears that were suddenly brought to her eyes despite her smile. Though she tried to be reassuring, silently telling her it was okay to be upset as she regrettably let her go. Beth immediately walked over to give Noah a tight hug, one last embrace before she was forced to say goodbye.

Rose stayed completely still as she watched the interaction, standing firmly in her place even when she felt someone behind her begin to tug her arm back a little. She had a bad feeling that something was about to happen, everything seemed oddly calm, and she didn't like it at all.

After Beth finally let Noah go, her eyes narrowed towards Dawn as she suddenly approached her next. Rose tensed up at the sight, instinctively reaching back for her gun as her eyes scanned the scene playing before them. She wanted to call out to her, tell her that whatever she was going to say wouldn't be worth it.

"Beth." she spoke, shaking her head silently as she gestured for her to come back. But she didn't, clearly set on her decision as she simply smiled reassuringly, before turning her full attention back to Dawn.

None of them could hear what the young girl said, it was far too quiet for them to make out. But the space grew oddly tense afterwards. And then...all hell broke loose.

In one quick move, Beth took something sharp out of her pocket to stab Dawn near her shoulder. The woman let out a gasp of pain, her hand initiatively pulling the trigger on her gun that was aimed right near Beth's face, her head jerking back as the bullet flew through her skull.

Everyone froze in a state of shock, Rose's eyes widening at the sight of the girl's limp body falling to the ground. Blood began trickling out of her head, everything happening in slow motion it seemed like. Dawn's eyes widened, beginning to stumble over her words after realizing what she had done, repeating over and over again how she hadn't meant for it to go this far. But she was quickly silenced.

Rose stepped forward in an instant as she pulled out her gun, shooting the woman dead without a trace of remorse in her eyes at all. Though that only started a chain reaction, the officers at the other end of the hall beginning to draw their weapons out to aim at her for her actions. But she couldn't bring herself to care, hearing her people follow suit with the clicks of their guns as this had turned into some kind of face off.

"Wait, hold your fire!" one officer called out, "It's over! It was just about her...stand down." she said sternly to her group.

A moment of complete and unsettling silence passed before they all slowly lowered their guns at the harsh command, the group following suit a few seconds later upon watching them comply. Rose however didn't falter. She held her gun high with the intent on killing every last one of them, not caring what kind of excuse they spat just to spare themselves. None of them deserved to live in her eyes.

She stepped closer as if trying to intimidate them, but she soon felt the tears spill over her eyes as she attempted to control her breathing, unable to hold her emotions back anymore. A hand then landed on her shoulder, not even needing to turn around to know who it was and what he was silently asking. She shook her head in silent defeat, before her arm slowly dropped to place the weapon back in her belt, a sob escaping her lips in the process.

Her eyes glanced down at her sister's lifeless body, slowly falling down to her knees on the ground next to her with tears streaming down her face like a rapid river. It didn't even register in her mind that the sobs and screams that filled the air where her own, the ringing in her ears being far too loud for her to hear. She took Beth's face in her hands and brushed away the hairs that stuck to her forehead. Her heart felt like it completely shattered in half, slowly and painfully, as she didn't see any life behind her eyes anymore. Her cries didn't die down as she mourned the loss of the special girl, feeling everyone's eyes staring at her with nothing but pity.

No one dared to move or even breathe too close to her, in fear they might upset her further. But Daryl knew better than to do that, and he knew they had to go, they couldn't stay here forever despite the heartbreaking and shocking turn of events. He cautiously crouched down beside her, his hands going to her upper arms in attempt to help her up. But she only shoved him away with a sob as she didn't want to leave her side, leave her here with all of these strangers she hardly knew. Maggie didn't even know, and she had a right to see her.

"Rosie...come on baby, we gotta go." Daryl whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

His chest felt tight with emotion at the loss of yet another person who managed to worm their way into his heart. It hurt him a lot more than he was willing to admit, losing Beth who had a heart of gold and always a positive outlook. But what managed to hurt him even more was seeing Rose wailing for the girl, continuing to try and push him away.

"I-I can't-" she stuttered out as she cried, "I can't leave- her here-"

Daryl shook his head, "We ain't...m' gonna carry her out, alright? We'll bury her, somewhere far from this place."

She let out another sob and turned her body to hug him tightly. Rose had never cried so hard for someone before. She had never felt such pain before. She had never been so furious before. The whirlwind of emotions was messing with her mind, a throbbing pain shooting through her skull. It was all so surreal.

Daryl quietly called Tyreese over, slowly guiding Rose into his arms so she didn't have to walk out alone, not even knowing if she could fully support herself. The man pulled her up and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, trying his best to comfort her as he slowly guided her away. She didn't have it in her to argue, trying to walk as best as she could though she felt so weak, so hurt, so broken.

But she couldn't help but glance back, wanting to make sure Daryl had picked her up, but Ty was quick to tighten his hold on her to make her look forward.

"Don't look, Ro." he said softly, "He's got her." he assured.

Walking out of the hospital was like a nightmare. The group didn't expect to see the rest of their people just outside of the doors, but they had somehow found them, lingering outside waiting. Maggie was outside waiting. Rose looked up at the people before her with tear stained cheeks, and they all grew shocked to see the state she was in. She could hardly bring herself to look at Maggie, silently grateful Ty was supporting her otherwise she believed that she would've collapsed right then and there.

Maggie looked to all of them with a mix of hurt and confusion sketched on her face. She couldn't understand why they were so emotional...until she saw caught a glimpse of Daryl. In an instant the woman dropped to the ground, starting to sob at the sudden tragedy that hit her like a ton of bricks. Rose kept her eyes down the whole time, not wanting to see the pain on her face as the ache in her chest was already too much to bear. Tyreese just held Rose tight as the two girls sobbed for Beth, the rest bowing their heads with a heaviness in their hearts at the distressing scene before them.

~ Thanks for reading! (A moment of silence for the loss of Beth:( This was a hard chapter to get through because I just love her so much. But for both Rose and Maggie's character development later on, it unfortunately needed to happen)

Taglist ~ @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering98 @mystictf @remuslittlesister

Every time I even think about looking at my WIP of a crossover fic between the Maximum Ride universe and the Marvel universe. I know I don't have many, if any followers. But would anyone even be kind of interested in a fic like this? Or is everyone trying to forget that Maximum Ride was even a thing? Please comment, or do whatever it is, private message me. And let me know your thoughts about this idea. If even one person would read it I would put more effort into finishing it.

me: *opens document to write* brain: let’s rethink the entire plot instead

How is he this precious? I can't believe he is real. I want to meet him one day. But my luck it will happen on my deathbed.

I love him (not mine,credit to mgg af on vine)

I audibly screeched when I got this notification. I can’t wait to read this!

Desert Rose

Chapter 62 ~ Deafening Cries

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 7.2k

In this chapter ~ Rick and the others head into the city when they heard the news about what happened to Beth and Rose. Though they hit a few bumps in the road to get their people back, it seems for a moment that everything worked out in the end. That is until a horrible and sudden death occurs right when they least expect it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THIRD PERSON POV *~*~*~*~*~*~*

It all happened too fast. One minute Daryl was helping the kid back up to his feet to follow right behind where Rose had run off to, and the next she was on the ground, unmoving, laying there practically lifeless. It took him all of one second to process the fact that she was hit by a car, but the moment it registered in his mind, he was surging forward in an instant in attempt to get to her. But the kid quickly grabbed onto Daryl and held him back so they would stay out of sight. He felt terrible for doing so, but this was the only way she would get help.

"No! Let go of me!" Daryl yelled as he thrashed around in his arms.

"No, no, wait, they can help her! They're the only ones who can. They have medicine, machines, a doctor. You go out there, you'll have to kill them, okay? And then she won't get taken care of, is that what you want?"

They both watched helplessly as two men emerged to put Rose on a stretcher to move her into the car. Daryl was panting as he continued to struggle in the young man's hold, but in the back of his mind, he knew he was right. If they went out there, she wouldn't get the help that she needed. But he just got her back. After losing her for days, thinking she was dead, he got her back now only to lose her again. He felt like a failure.

"We can get her back. We can get Beth back." the kid reassured.

The car then sped back off down the street, with her just in the backseat as Daryl finally shrugged the kid's arms from off of him, "What's it gonna take?" he huffed.

The man just looked at him sadly, "A lot. They got guns...people..."

"Yeah...so do we." Daryl grumbled.

And without another word, the two quickly took off back into the city to try and find a running car so they could make it back to the church where the others stayed. It was a struggle as they felt like they were searching endlessly, before finally finding a truck that Daryl hotwired, the vehicle having just enough gas to get them back.

The whole ride back was just filled with silence. Neither one of them knew what to say, the only thing being exchanging names amongst the quiet. Though after a while of driving, the kid, Noah, slowly began to tell Daryl some of the things that had gone down at the hospital. Things he felt the man should know before they walked in there, guns blazing.

However, this only made Daryl's panic rise. Beth being trapped there was one thing, but now the two of them being stuck blindly with no way out, it was a whole other story. He couldn't bear the thought of them dealing with the assholes this kid has had described, they sounded deranged. The newfound information only made him pick up speed to get to the group faster, his foot stepping harshly on the gas as he swerved. They would get Beth back. They would get Rose back. That's what he kept having to tell himself over and over to stay calm as he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Once they made it back to the church, Daryl didn't hesitate to tell the group everything he could recall...or to his surprise, what was left of the group. It initially confused him to see the new people were suddenly gone, along with Glenn and Maggie who weren't anywhere in sight. Rick then had to break the news, telling him the whole mess of a story about how they had to leave for Washington, but the rest didn't want to leave him and Rose behind.

But to Daryl, that was far from important right now.

He laid everything out on the table for Rick, explaining piece by piece of what had happened when they traveled back to Atlanta, in attempts to get Beth, but only ended up biting off more than they could chew. Though after hearing everything, Rick didn't hesitate to round up everyone to move out, wanting to get their girls back as fast as possible. His heart about fell out of his chest when Daryl informed them that they managed to take Rose too. He wasn't about to let that fly, not at all.

It was clear that all of them were set with a certain determination, to save their people after losing so much already.

Back at the hospital, Beth was prepared to fight back. She had never been more ready to get out of here and back to her family, though she didn't even know where to start looking. They could still be separated for all she knew, practically stuck on different planets from how far away they seemed. But that wasn't about to stop her, knowing she would rather be on her own then spend another second locked away here.

She walked through the corridor with a scalpel in hand, the intention to put an end to all of this after seeing Noah escape from just beyond her reach. But she stopped suddenly when she saw the doors on the other end of the hall being shoved open, a few people carrying in someone new on a stretcher who looked to be unconscious. She moved out of the way to the opposite side of the space so they could get through to an unoccupied room, but when she caught a glimpse of the stranger, she could've sworn she stopped breathing for a moment.

There she was. Right in front of her very eyes. Rose.

Worry immediately filled within her as she saw the state she was in, the deep cuts on her face, the bruises forming on different parts of her body. Beth's mind ran wildly though she attempted to stay calm, knowing there was no way she could leave now. Not without her. But then again, this coincidence led her to believe that someone else from the group might now where she is. And they were no doubt coming for her, giving them the perfect opportunity to escape.

An hour ticked by excruciatingly slow since they first brought her in, getting her situated with some medication and stitched up the gashes along her skin. Beth hadn't stopped lingering by that area since, not wanting to draw attention, but not wanting to leave her alone either.

As she made her thirtieth loop around the long hall, she couldn't bring herself to stay away anymore, gaining the courage to peek her head in to see her laying there peacefully with an IV in her arm. The bruising she had was terrible, her left side almost completely covered in black and blue marks as her stitches looked red and painful.

"Excuse me." came a sudden voice from right beside her.

Beth jumped a little at the man's presence, quickly moving aside so the doctor could walk in and check on her. She tried to act nonchalant for both of their safety, pretending she hardly knew the woman at all, but it was getting harder for her to hide her concern. Beth wondered if Daryl ever found Rose, or if he even found anyone from the group at all. She could only hope that someone was on their way to them, and they could get out of this place together.

"Is she going to be okay?" Beth asked before she could stop herself.

The doctor gave her a weird look, "Yes...she should be just fine."

She breathed a silent sigh of relief and made a mental note to come back and check on her herself when no one else was around. She prayed that Rose would wake up soon so she could talk to her, set up some kind of plan for when the time came. But now, all she could do was wait.

The group of five made it back to the city after a long and painful drive, now held up in a building near the hospital, discussing a strategy. They all listened intently while Rick talked about what the best approach would be, but all they could do was worry. Sasha alone wasn't in the right state of mind after losing Bob just the other night, the images of the people from Terminus coming back for revenge lingered in the back of their minds.

Daryl remained a complete mess. Not only did his wife get captured by a bunch of strangers, but she was also hurt far worse than she was before. Two car accidents in one day, that had to be a new record. He just needed to get her back, he needed to know that she was okay considering the condition he last saw her in.

"At sundown we fire a shot into the air, get two of them out on patrol. Then once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks in one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out." Rick spoke.

"How?" Tyreese asked.

Rick looked up to him, "He slits his fucking throat." he said simply.

Everyone around could see how fast Rick was changing, though no one could blame him in the slightest. After everything they've been through, it wasn't a surprise, and now the absence of Rose was enough to tip him over the edge. They all knew he wasn't going to be kind or patient about this considering the number of times he had lost her already.

"This is all about doing this quietly, keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us. From there we fan out, knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast." he continued.

He then pointed down to a sloppy map he drew out of the hospital, with a little help from Noah. He instructed where each person would be, when they would attack, and what was the best route to get to them. It seemed pretty simple if everything would go according to plan, but Tyreese began to grow uneasy.

"This is the best case scenario, what's the worst case? All it takes is one of those cops going down the hallway at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck. We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around." the man pointed out.

"If that's what it takes." Sasha said.

Ty shook his head, "It's not. If we get a couple of her cops alive out here, we can do a trade. Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home."

Rick stood up, "Yeah, I get it. And it might work. But this will work. We're getting those girls back. I don't care what it takes."

The rest stayed silent as the two went back and forth, but eventually after a lot of convincing, Tyreese finally got everyone on his side for the plan he assured would work better. It took a little while for Rick to come to terms with that, but he was running out of options and most importantly, time. Which is why he reluctantly agreed, the group moving out to get this taken care of.

They spread out in different directions, Rick firing a single shot into the air as they then waited for the cops to come check out the noise. Drawing them out like moths to a flame. It didn't take long for a car to slowly drive through the area where the gunshot was heard, cautiously getting out of their vehicle as they scanned the area around them for anything unusual.

Rick silently nodded over to Noah, the kid nodding back in response as he slowly slid out from where he hid, wanting the cops to notice his presence. As he stepped out into the open, the two spotted him immediately, drawing their weapons out to aim at his head the second they saw a gun in his hold.

"Drop it!" the male officer commanded, "Drop it now!"

"Okay." Noah complied in mock defeat, setting his weapon on the ground in front of him, watching as the two rushed over to get him down on his knees.

"I thought you were smart Noah; you didn't think we would hear you?" the female officer asked, zip tying his wrists together.

The other one looked around confused as his gun was still trained on the kid, "Where are those rotters you were shooting at?" he asked.

Then a single whistle was heard from just behind their heads, spinning around to see the rest of the group coming out with guns of their own. The two officers became suddenly panicked at the numbers they were seeing, their widened eyes only growing as they slowly realized this was a trap.

"Hands." Rick demanded.

"What do you want?" the female officer asked.

The male officer began shaking his head in shock, "Whatever this is, we can help." he spoke up, his voice slightly wavering.

Rick only raised his gun higher, "You do what we say, and we don't hurt you."

The two looked at each other, almost as if having a silent discussion with their eyes before doing as he said. They placed their weapons on the ground in unison, raising their hands up high for Rick to see.

"Good, now turn around." Rick demanded, "Get on your knees."

They did as they were told, Noah standing up from his position and walking towards Ty so he could cut the ties off his wrists. Daryl and Sasha moved over to the officers, binding their hands together the moment they were steadied on their knees, forming some kind of circle around them to which they couldn't escape.

Rick picked up their guns off the ground, placing them behind his back as he moved his way to stand in front of their faces. "We need to talk." he said lowly.

Just a few miles away from the group's chaos, Beth noticed that Rose's room was finally unoccupied, taking the chance to hesitantly step inside to see her, but not before glancing behind her a number of times just to make sure there was truly no one around. From the looks of it she still seemed to be out like a light, but she was alive, and that's all that mattered to her. The girl shut the door quietly and made her way over to sit at the foot of her bed, slowly taking Rose's hand in her own.

"Ro?" she called out softly.

She was met with silence, the only noise being the heart monitor beeping in the background, Beth closing her eyes while squeezing her hand softly, "I just wanted you to know I'm here." she whispered.

Nothing.

"I still can't believe you're here. I mean...I knew you were alive; I had always had feeling. I just wish I could've seen you again under better circumstances. They wouldn't tell me what happened to you...but I just know that you're in here because of something they did. They aren't...they aren't good people. But I'm gonna get you out if it's the last thing I do...I promise."

Still nothing.

Beth sighed sadly at the lack of reaction, bowing her head as she did something she hadn't done in a long time...she prayed. After her dad died a horrible death, she didn't really feel like praying anymore, questioning if God even existed after having to witness something so horrid. But right here, right now, she found herself pleading. Knowing that if there were some higher power out there, that's what could help her in a moment of need.

It seemed almost impossible, a miracle she would guess, but the moment her silent prayer ended, she felt Rose's hand move slightly in her own. Her head snapped up to see her face, watching as the woman groaned softly, before slowly opening her eyes. An instant smile was brought to Beth's face, quietly thanking God for his fast works as she waited patiently for Rose to fully wake.

Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, taking them a few seconds to adjust to the sudden bright light shining down on her, for a moment she thought she was dead with how blinding it seemed. Though the more she blinked, the more she gained consciousness, the more she felt the sharp pain in her side as she let out a deep sigh at the pressure that lingered there.

When her eyes finally focused, glancing briefly around the room, she could've sworn she was dreaming. There right in front of her eyes was Beth sitting at the edge of her bed, her hand grasped tightly in her own.

Rose's eyes widened as she sat up a little, hearing Beth let out an airy laugh with tears forming in her eyes, "Beth?" she whispered.

The blonde nodded her head, confirming that everything was in fact real, and Rose didn't hesitate to sit up immediately to pull her into a tight hug. She couldn't bring herself to care about the aching pain in her side, or where the hell she even was. All she seemed to care about was the fact that she had found her, although it almost didn't feel like reality.

She felt Beth shake a little as she cried onto her shoulder, still holding onto her for dear life, scared to death that she wasn't going to see her again. They stayed in each other's arms for what felt like forever before Rose finally pulled away to take Beth's face in her hands.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the cuts and marks all over her face.

Beth laughed again, feeling Rose wiping the tears that fell from her eyes, "You're asking if I'm okay? Rose, you're beaten and bruised and-"

She shook her head, "I don't care, are you okay?" she asked again.

"I'm okay." Beth whispered.

Rose couldn't help but bring the young girl in for another hug as she tried to hold back her own emotions. It was like everything was finally falling into place. Now that she found her and knew she was alright, she couldn't wait to get out of here. But judging by how Beth wasn't able to escape with the kid whom she met moments before the disaster, it probably wouldn't be easy.

"What happened?" Beth suddenly asked, pulling away to look her in the eye.

Rose sighed, "It's a really long story. But we all managed to find each other again...and Daryl and I somehow spotted a car similar to the one who took you. We followed it, ended up running into the kid that you helped escape, and then...I got hit by a car." she said bluntly.

Beth blinked a few times, "You got hit by a car?" she asked, with wide eyes.

"I think so, it's still kind of fuzzy." she muttered as she rubbed a tender spot on her head, "But Daryl knows where we are...we're getting out of here." Rose assured.

Beth nodded her head, "Good. We need to just wait for the right moment."

"Has there been any signs that they're coming? It could be anything."

Beth tried to think for a moment or two, before suddenly remembering when she was talking with Dawn only minutes ago, hearing the commotion on the radio attached to her belt. A few officers went on and on about a random series of gunfire close by, wanting to check it out. It was a long shot that it could be the others, but there was a chance.

"There was a gunshot that rang out near here. I overheard a few of them talking about it." Beth informed.

Rose nodded confidently, "It's them. How long ago?"

"Just a few minutes, I think. They just went to check it out."

"Okay, good. Do you know where they're keeping my stuff?" Rose asked.

The girl nodded, "They might've stored it in a room not too far from here, I can go get everything. But they can't know you're awake. If someone else comes in here, just pretend you're still asleep, okay?"

Rose nodded a bit uneasily, "Okay..."

Beth went to stand, wanting to get out before they were caught, but then stopped as she squeezed Rose's hand again one final time, "I missed you so much." she whispered.

Her face softened as she squeezed her hand in return, "I missed you too. I'm so glad you're okay, honey." she replied.

Beth smiled as she nodded, "I'll go get your stuff, it might take a bit for me to come back. Just wait here."

Rose nodded in response, laying back down in the same position to pretend she was still unconscious, hearing Beth open and close the door lightly the moment she shut her eyes.

She let her mind run, knowing she would be alone for a long while before Beth returned. She hoped that wherever the others were right now, that they were being safe instead of reckless. The last thing she needed right now was to lose someone else.

Daryl was pacing back and forth in the abandoned building that they were holed up in, waiting for Rick to return. Of course, the plan didn't go as smoothly as they would've wished, and there were a few bumps in the road.

They ended up finding a third officer that was also willing to help them after he had the whole story, but the moment he was left alone with Sasha, he knocked her out as he made his great escape. Knowing all the information now, they all assumed his plan would be to run back to Dawn to fill her in on everything. Like a damn rat.

Rick was the one to take off after him the moment he found out, the rest of them silently knowing that the man wasn't going to make it back to the hospital. Sure, all of that was bad, but that wasn't the thing that worried Daryl the most.

Rose continued to cloud his thoughts heavily. Not knowing for sure if she was okay, if she was even alive, just brought back the same feeling he had not too long ago when he first lost her. He promised her that he wouldn't let her go again and he would always protect her, but he couldn't even do that. He couldn't follow through on one simple promise he made to her, and now God only knew what was happening to her now.

Noah kept trying to reassure him that she was fine, that they would take care of her, but he couldn't make himself believe that. He didn't know if he could ever believe that. All he wanted was to see it with his own eyes, wanting her with him where she was safe from all harm.

The female officer noticed Daryl's repetitive steps, back and forth for minutes on end, and got up the courage to ask, "One of the people in there...it's someone you care about, isn't it?"

He stopped in his tracks to look at the woman with narrowed eyes, silently daring her to continue to question him. She noticed immediately that she struck a nerve and put her head down to not make eye contact with the man.

"His wife." Ty suddenly spoke up, answering for Daryl.

Daryl's eyes snapped up to meet Tyreese's as he glared daggers at him. He didn't understand why they owed these people any information whatsoever when it wouldn't matter in the end. He didn't trust them one bit to have any kind of knowledge, they could easily use it against them for all they knew. After the one officer escaped, they couldn't take any more chances with the two that remained.

Just then, Rick walked in through the entrance loudly as his boots clicked with a constant echo, immediately nodding for Daryl to follow him away from the other officers so they could talk privately. The man instantly moved toward the other end of the room and once they were far enough away, Rick spoke quietly.

"He wouldn't stop." he said simply, implying that he had taken care of him.

Daryl nodded, "This change things?" he asked.

"It has to," Rick confirmed, "The one guy who said this whole trade would work is dead. Maybe we gotta rethink this."

"They also said the cop in charge didn't have any respect for 'em. Maybe he did her a favor." Daryl stated.

Rick shook his head, "I don't know if they'll play ball."

"Let's find out."

They nodded to each other in agreement before making their way back toward the others. The officer that escaped had went on and on about how their plan could work. The head officer, the woman who ran the place, allegedly would take the deal, you just had to know how to talk to her. Now Rick was thinking that it was a bunch of bullshit just so he could escape, but they still didn't know for sure. Both men just wanted to get a move on, get in and out of there fast.

But before Rick could breathe a word to the two officers they had left, the woman spoke up, "He was a good man. He was attacked by rotters...we saw it go down."

Rick tilted his head at her, "You're a damn good liar." he stated.

"We're hanging on by a threat here," she informed, "He was attacked by rotters, that's the story."

Daryl spoke up, "Ya said the trade was a bad idea. What changed?"

"Lamson was our shot," she said, referring to the now deceased man, "So it's this, or you go in shooting up the place, right? You don't want that."

Daryl moved closer to her, "If this is some bullshit yer spitin and things go south-"

"I know." she interrupted, "I know the good ones from the bad. Let us help you."

Rick looked at her for a moment, contemplating what she said very carefully and weighing out his options, before turning towards the man, "What about you?" he asked, "You wanna live? How much?"

He stared at Rick for a moment, "Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Thinks it'll tip things against her, hell, it will. She'll see this trade as a rip off if she thinks you took out one of our guys. So...it's a good thing Lamson got aced by rotters."

The group looked at him with a mixture of shock and understanding. They were in.

Beth barged into Rose's room with her clothes and her weapons, "It's me, you have to get up."

Her eyes flew open, sitting up quickly to see Beth with an anxious yet hopeful look on her face as she laid out everything at the foot of the bed, "One of the officers talked to Dawn over the radio. They said that a man with a group wanted to make a trade, two officers they had for the two of us." she continued.

Rose's eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face, "Okay, good."

She then slowly stood up, wincing as she did so to move and change into her real clothes, the process slow and tedious as Beth offered to help. The ugly nightgown was tossed aside carelessly as she replaced her weapons around her, adjusting everything as fast as she could, practically itching to get out of this place.

Though her excitement got the best of her as she quietly gasped at the sudden pain in her side, Beth catching on instantly as she held her hand out for support.

"Do you need a wheelchair or anything?" she asked.

Rose shook her head, standing back up straight with a discomforted face, "No, I'm fine." she breathed.

"Ro, you were just hit by a car." Beth said.

She looked up at the young girl, "I'll live."

Beth hesitantly nodded her head and gently pulled her along so they could exit the room together. Though when they were almost to the door, Rose managed to catch sight of herself in the reflection of a mirror just a few feet away. It was like she didn't even recognize herself, the wrecked state she was in almost made her a different person.

Beth gently tugged on her arm to keep walking, exiting through the door slowly as they bumped right into the doctor in the hallway. He looked shocked to see Rose awake and walking around, "I- I didn't know you were up-"

"Yeah, I've been up." Rose interrupted him harshly as she seemed to not waste any time, "Where are my people?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to formulate a response, before just simply nodding for the two to follow him, and they didn't hesitate to keep up with his strides. Neither one of the girls knew what this would lead to, how everything would play out, but they had hope. That after everything and long time apart from one another, they could finally just breathe the minute this was all over.

The doctor lead them down the hall, slowly stopping short once they saw a line of officers planted right in the middle of the walkway. They were all facing the other direction as if they were still waiting, watching for the group to enter on the other end of the passage.

Seconds of silence passed like that, anticipation building in everyone's chests before the door suddenly swung open, the others trailing inside with the two officers held in custody as promised. They all paused at the other end of the corridor, leaving a decent amount of space in between, though Rose wasn't planning on waiting around for another second.

Beth had come to a full stop next to the officers, but Rose kept going, continuing to make her way over to her group in a fit of impatience. But her movements were stopped in an instant when someone grasped her arm harshly, yanking her back a step so she couldn't make it to the other side. Glancing over her shoulder, she could only assume this was the woman in charge, glaring at her for moving without permission.

"We do this my way." she said through gritted teeth, "You're not leaving unless I say so."

Rose scoffed, "I'll leave whenever the hell I want to."

She ripped her arm from her tight grasp, turning slightly to take another step, but stopped once she saw Dawn's hand hover over the gun in her holster. Rose laughed lightly, "Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"You're not the one I'd shoot." the woman threatened, her eyes slowly panning over towards Beth.

Rose's blood began to boil at the implication as she glared at the woman, leaving Dawn smirking at the reaction she received. "Get back." she demanded.

Rose closed her eyes as her frustration grew, before slowly moving back to stand beside Beth once more, watching their people share concerned glances with each other at the little interaction they witnessed. It was quiet, she knew they didn't know for sure what was said, but the action was enough for them to grow uneasy.

Rick was the first to speak amongst the silence, "They haven't been harmed."

"Where's Lamson?" Dawn asked.

"Rotters got him." the female officer said, "Saw it go down right in front of us."

Dawn faltered for a second at the unexpected news, "Oh..." she muttered quietly, "I'm sorry to hear that, he was one of the good guys. ...One of yours for one of mine."

"Alright." Rick agreed, motioning for Daryl to hand over the male officer that he had in his hold.

Dawn looked over at Rose and nodded for her to go first and she scoffed at her, "Oh, now I can go." she muttered under her breath as she walked away with another officer right on her tail.

She met Daryl in the middle as he let go of the man carelessly and was quick to wrap her in a tight hug. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled back to scan her face, "Ya okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "I'm fine."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her to bring her back to the group, all of them smiling in relief to see her seemingly unharmed. Rick didn't hesitate to bring her in for a quick squeeze, his touch delicate to make sure he didn't hurt her further, before they both faced the other side to make sure Beth would make it over as well.

They watched as Dawn grasped her arm aggressively, bringing her in towards the middle just as Rick stepped forward with the other officer. Once Dawn let go of Beth, she picked up her pace to make it over to Rick and he cupped her cheek, muttering something to her quietly as she nodded. She then walked all the way back to the group and hugged Rose again as they both sighed in some kind of relief, knowing that they both made it safely with no complications.

"Glad we could work things out." Dawn said loudly.

Rick looked back at her once more, a scowl on his face, "Yeah." he muttered bitterly.

Seeing as everything was done, the group turned to make their way back out the doors they once came through, but Dawn's voice stopped them in their tracks, "Now I just need Noah. And then you can leave."

Their heads all whipped back over to her and stared at her with wide eyes. Rick took a few steps back toward her, "That wasn't part of the deal."

"Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and now I'm losing her, so I need him back." Dawn said, "My officers put their lives on the line to find him, one of them died."

Anger filled Rose completely at the nerve of this woman, stepping away from Daryl much to his dismay to defend him, "It's not his fault your officers don't know how to take care of themselves, he's not staying." she snapped.

"He's one of mine, you have no claim on him." Dawn said.

"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him." Rick clapped back.

She stared at him, the mask she wore slipping from her face for a split second, "Then I guess we don't have a deal." she said calmly.

"The deal is done." Rose raised her voice.

Noah came up closer from behind them, "It's okay." he assured.

Rick didn't take his eyes off Dawn as he protested, "No, no it's not-"

Noah shook his head as he handed his gun back to Rick, "I gotta do it." he said quietly.

Dawn smirked a little to herself as she watched Noah hand over his weapon, the act somewhat surrendering, "Then it's settled." she said.

Rose wanted to pop a cap in this woman for her narcissistic tendencies, but she knew if she did, all hell would break loose. That wasn't something she was willing to risk. Though she didn't know Noah very well, hardly at all really, she knew he shouldn't have to stay here just by what she's seen and heard about this place.

"Wait!" Beth suddenly called out just as Noah turned to leave, beginning to rush toward him.

Rose's attention snapped to her, catching her arm before she could get too close, "Beth..." she warned with a shake of her head, wanting her to be safe.

But the girl just smiled at her, gently pulling herself out of her hold, "It's okay." she whispered.

Rose could hear the sadness in her voice, the tears that were suddenly brought to her eyes despite her smile. Though she tried to be reassuring, silently telling her it was okay to be upset as she regrettably let her go. Beth immediately walked over to give Noah a tight hug, one last embrace before she was forced to say goodbye.

Rose stayed completely still as she watched the interaction, standing firmly in her place even when she felt someone behind her begin to tug her arm back a little. She had a bad feeling that something was about to happen, everything seemed oddly calm, and she didn't like it at all.

After Beth finally let Noah go, her eyes narrowed towards Dawn as she suddenly approached her next. Rose tensed up at the sight, instinctively reaching back for her gun as her eyes scanned the scene playing before them. She wanted to call out to her, tell her that whatever she was going to say wouldn't be worth it.

"Beth." she spoke, shaking her head silently as she gestured for her to come back. But she didn't, clearly set on her decision as she simply smiled reassuringly, before turning her full attention back to Dawn.

None of them could hear what the young girl said, it was far too quiet for them to make out. But the space grew oddly tense afterwards. And then...all hell broke loose.

In one quick move, Beth took something sharp out of her pocket to stab Dawn near her shoulder. The woman let out a gasp of pain, her hand initiatively pulling the trigger on her gun that was aimed right near Beth's face, her head jerking back as the bullet flew through her skull.

Everyone froze in a state of shock, Rose's eyes widening at the sight of the girl's limp body falling to the ground. Blood began trickling out of her head, everything happening in slow motion it seemed like. Dawn's eyes widened, beginning to stumble over her words after realizing what she had done, repeating over and over again how she hadn't meant for it to go this far. But she was quickly silenced.

Rose stepped forward in an instant as she pulled out her gun, shooting the woman dead without a trace of remorse in her eyes at all. Though that only started a chain reaction, the officers at the other end of the hall beginning to draw their weapons out to aim at her for her actions. But she couldn't bring herself to care, hearing her people follow suit with the clicks of their guns as this had turned into some kind of face off.

"Wait, hold your fire!" one officer called out, "It's over! It was just about her...stand down." she said sternly to her group.

A moment of complete and unsettling silence passed before they all slowly lowered their guns at the harsh command, the group following suit a few seconds later upon watching them comply. Rose however didn't falter. She held her gun high with the intent on killing every last one of them, not caring what kind of excuse they spat just to spare themselves. None of them deserved to live in her eyes.

She stepped closer as if trying to intimidate them, but she soon felt the tears spill over her eyes as she attempted to control her breathing, unable to hold her emotions back anymore. A hand then landed on her shoulder, not even needing to turn around to know who it was and what he was silently asking. She shook her head in silent defeat, before her arm slowly dropped to place the weapon back in her belt, a sob escaping her lips in the process.

Her eyes glanced down at her sister's lifeless body, slowly falling down to her knees on the ground next to her with tears streaming down her face like a rapid river. It didn't even register in her mind that the sobs and screams that filled the air where her own, the ringing in her ears being far too loud for her to hear. She took Beth's face in her hands and brushed away the hairs that stuck to her forehead. Her heart felt like it completely shattered in half, slowly and painfully, as she didn't see any life behind her eyes anymore. Her cries didn't die down as she mourned the loss of the special girl, feeling everyone's eyes staring at her with nothing but pity.

No one dared to move or even breathe too close to her, in fear they might upset her further. But Daryl knew better than to do that, and he knew they had to go, they couldn't stay here forever despite the heartbreaking and shocking turn of events. He cautiously crouched down beside her, his hands going to her upper arms in attempt to help her up. But she only shoved him away with a sob as she didn't want to leave her side, leave her here with all of these strangers she hardly knew. Maggie didn't even know, and she had a right to see her.

"Rosie...come on baby, we gotta go." Daryl whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

His chest felt tight with emotion at the loss of yet another person who managed to worm their way into his heart. It hurt him a lot more than he was willing to admit, losing Beth who had a heart of gold and always a positive outlook. But what managed to hurt him even more was seeing Rose wailing for the girl, continuing to try and push him away.

"I-I can't-" she stuttered out as she cried, "I can't leave- her here-"

Daryl shook his head, "We ain't...m' gonna carry her out, alright? We'll bury her, somewhere far from this place."

She let out another sob and turned her body to hug him tightly. Rose had never cried so hard for someone before. She had never felt such pain before. She had never been so furious before. The whirlwind of emotions was messing with her mind, a throbbing pain shooting through her skull. It was all so surreal.

Daryl quietly called Tyreese over, slowly guiding Rose into his arms so she didn't have to walk out alone, not even knowing if she could fully support herself. The man pulled her up and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, trying his best to comfort her as he slowly guided her away. She didn't have it in her to argue, trying to walk as best as she could though she felt so weak, so hurt, so broken.

But she couldn't help but glance back, wanting to make sure Daryl had picked her up, but Ty was quick to tighten his hold on her to make her look forward.

"Don't look, Ro." he said softly, "He's got her." he assured.

Walking out of the hospital was like a nightmare. The group didn't expect to see the rest of their people just outside of the doors, but they had somehow found them, lingering outside waiting. Maggie was outside waiting. Rose looked up at the people before her with tear stained cheeks, and they all grew shocked to see the state she was in. She could hardly bring herself to look at Maggie, silently grateful Ty was supporting her otherwise she believed that she would've collapsed right then and there.

Maggie looked to all of them with a mix of hurt and confusion sketched on her face. She couldn't understand why they were so emotional...until she saw caught a glimpse of Daryl. In an instant the woman dropped to the ground, starting to sob at the sudden tragedy that hit her like a ton of bricks. Rose kept her eyes down the whole time, not wanting to see the pain on her face as the ache in her chest was already too much to bear. Tyreese just held Rose tight as the two girls sobbed for Beth, the rest bowing their heads with a heaviness in their hearts at the distressing scene before them.

~ Thanks for reading! (A moment of silence for the loss of Beth:( This was a hard chapter to get through because I just love her so much. But for both Rose and Maggie's character development later on, it unfortunately needed to happen)

Taglist ~ @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering98 @mystictf @remuslittlesister

This scene. This scene. I swear this scene is the reason I love ANGST. I blame this scene for not being able to enjoy fluff as much as I enjoy angst.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk today.

Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, (2014). Dir. Anthony and Joe Russo.

I cackled out loud when I read this! I can see him doing this!

gif by @daryl-dixon-daydreams

Y/N, screeching and slamming the bathroom door: Daryl! Daryl, there’s a spider outside the bathroom!

Y/N: Please, kill it!

Y/N: Daryl!

Y/N, blinking as a note is slipped under the door: Daryl?

Daryl’s dead. You’re next.

Love,

the spider.

Y/N, deadpanning: …

Y/N, wadding up the note: You’re not funny!

Daryl, carrying the spider outside: M’hilarious.

The extended version of "Great Balls of Fire"

I love his dance at the end and they should have left it in! 😍

Instead of "Said", consider

replied

stated

exclaimed

remarked

declared

mentioned

commented

responded

articulated

noted

announced

asserted

observed

suggested

opined

acknowledged

claimed

professed

explained

affirmed

your first draft is going to suck. And that’s okay. It’s supposed to suck. Your first draft isn’t about writing something good, it’s about writing something. You’re just shoveling sand into the sandbox so you can build castles later. Get the words on the page, even if they’re clumsy, even if you cringe while writing them. The magic happens in the revision, but you can’t revise a blank page. So let the first draft be messy. Let it be flawed. Just get it down, because that’s where the real work begins.