Protection (Rick Grimes)

Chapter Eleven

Me and Daryl run through the woods, jumping over fallen trees, trying to get to whoever was yelling.

What if it's Chelsea?

This only makes me run faster. I pass Daryl and find a small shop with the doors wide open. I hear groaning and moaning from inside the shop along with an occasional scream. I get my gun out and run into the shop. About 20 walkers surround a truck. I look at who was on top and see...Chelsea!

"Chelsea!" I call. She looks up, relief filling her eyes.

"Danielle! Help!" She yells. Some of the walkers begin walking towards me as Daryl appears by my side.

Daryl and I begin killing the walkers left and right until every single one was dead. Chelsea jumps off the truck and rushes to me and Daryl. She brings us both into a hug and buries her face into our shoulders.

"I thought I was going to die." She mumbles. She pulls away and gives us a smile.

"Now will you come back to the lodge?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'm tired of being alone. But...I don't know anyone there." She says.

"Don't worry 'bout that. You'll be fine and you'll get to know 'em." Daryl assures her. She nods and follows me and Daryl.

On the way back to the lodge, me and her begin messing around and start shoving each other or trying to trip each other. Typical for us.

Daryl says nothing to either of us. I thought he would talk to Chelsea more once we found her, but whatever.

When we get back to the lodge, everyone is sitting around the camp fire. Carol and Maggie are cooking while Michonne and Tara are boiling water.

Me, Chelsea and Daryl walk over and everyone looks at us. Lyndon looks at Chelsea and his eyes widens.

"Chelsea!" He cheers and runs to her. Chelsea laughs and hugs Lyndon back. I smile and turn to everyone.

"Guys, this is Chelsea. My best friend. She's the one who has been leaving the messages and making us look for her." I explain then go into introducing everyone to her.

I sit down by Rick and he wraps his arm around my waist. I smile and lay my head on his shoulder.

"Where did y'all find her?" Glenn asks.

"An old shop, trapped by walkers." Daryl speaks up and sits down by Lyndon. Lyndon smiles at his Uncle, but Daryl doesn't notice. You can tell that Lyndon looks up to Daryl.

~•~

After a while, everyone begins warming up to Chelsea. And she begins to do the same. We eat the rabbits me and Glenn got the other day and some left over squirrel.

Right now, I'm helping Chelsea get situated into a room in our lodge.

Me and Chelsea finish getting everything out of the way. The room she is sleeping in has boxes everywhere. So we moved them all to the side so she could walk through her room.

I feel someone wrap their arms around my waist and I instantly know it's Rick.

"All done?" He asks and kisses my check.

"All done." I confirm.

"Y'all are cute. But gross." Chelsea teases and smiles at me and Rick.

I chuckle, "Night, Chelsea."

"Night." She laughs. Me and Rick leaves the room and goes to the room that basically became ours. Me and Rick started out in two different rooms now he's with me and Daryl is in Rick's room. Oh well. It doesn't bother me.

I lay down and place my head on Rick's shoulder. He gets comfortable before placing his hand on my stomach while his other arm wraps around my shoulder.

"Night, baby." Rick says and kisses my lips softly.

I smile, "Night."

~•~

The next day was pretty boring. Nothing much happened. I mean, Chelsea and me hung out, but that's pretty much it. We cooked the food we had left, which was barley enough to feed everyone.

Me and Abraham went to the town that Noah died in and got more canned food and apple sauce for Baby Judith.

Right now, everyone is sitting outside just making small talk.

"Oh, guys." Chelsea speaks up. Everyone looks at her and waits for her to continue.

"The night I came inside the gates without y'all noticing...I found this lodge with an ass-load of weapons in it. They cover the walls and tables." She tells us.

"Which lodge?" Michonne asks.

"Second to the last one on the left. It's on the other end of the property." She explains.

"Let's go." Rick says and everyone stands up. Except Gabriel. He stays behind with Judith.

"What's with him?" I ask Maggie.

"Who? Gabriel?" She says and looks over at me. I nod. Maggie shrugs and adds, "he doesn't believe he needs to kill these things I guess. He says the only protection he needs is God."

"Has he killed any walkers?"

"Nope." Maggie states. I sigh with a nod and follow everyone.

When we get to the lodge, I'm really shocked. There are so many weapons. Like...damn.

"Dani, here." Daryl says. I turn and he tosses me a crossbow. I catch it and look it over. Nice.

"Now you can show us your bow skills, Dani Girl." Glenn comments. I smile. He calls me Dani Girl a lot now. While to everyone else, I'm just Dani or Danielle. Well...other than Rick. He called me 'baby' once. And that was last night. But whatever.

Everyone gets new weapons and more ammo. When we leave here, if we leave, we are definitely going to take as much as we can.

After we get what we want, we all leave the lodge and I put my new crossbow over my shoulders.

I walk back to where Gabriel and Judith are. I pick Judith up and smile at Gabriel. Lately, he's hardly been talking. He hardly talks anyway, but still. I kiss Judith's check and turn to Gabriel.

"You okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He smiled weakly. I smile back and walk off with Judith. Chelsea meets me half way.
She smiles at Judith before looking at me.

"Thanks." She says.

"Anytime." I smile.

~•~

I decide to go hunting by myself after a few hours and deny the offers by Daryl, Lyndon Rick and Chelsea when they say that they would go with me. I love them all, but sometimes I need to be alone.

I walk through the woods, my crossbow in my hands, looking around for walkers and any game.

After a while of walking, I tighten my grip on my crossbow and load an arrow into it. Just in case. I start walking again and suddenly hear something.

I stop and look around. But I see nothing. I look in the trees and get the same outcome. Nothing. I begin walking again and hear a gun shot then I fall to the ground. I hear someone running and I try not to have a panic attack.

Whoever shot me comes into sight and they bend down beside me. They look me over then look into my eyes.

Shit.