Black Sheep - Rick Grimes x Male

Still

"We should do something." Beth spoke to Moon and Daryl from across the fire. The three sat around the dancing flames. It entertained Moon. He didn't try to stop himself from thinking about what just happened.

What they just lost, who they just lost. Moon's mind filled with images of Hershel. But they weren't bloody images. They were good ones for a change. He thought of the first time he met the doctor.

He introduced himself as Moon, not Moorti. Moon never introduced himself as Moorti. Hershel was impressed by his manners. He told him, not a lot of young men respect themselves enough to respect others. That encouraged Moon to continue being polite to everyone, even after all the horrors he's endured.

"We should do something." Beth repeated when she got no response. Daryl was too caught up in blaming himself to care about what she wanted. Maybe, if he kept looking, the Governor wouldn't have taken so much from them. That was what he thought.

Moon turned to her, showing he was listening. "We aren't the only survivors. We can't be. Rick, Carl, Judith. They could be out here. Glenn and Maggie could have made it out of A block... They could've." She insisted.

He nodded, knowing she was right. "They're alive." He spoke quietly. He wouldn't let himself believe any different. Or else he would be dead, just breathing. It would kill him to be wrong.

She was relieved Moon believed, just like her. It meant she wasn't naive or delusional. There was hope. "You're a tracker. You can track. Come on. The sun will be up soon. If we head out now, we can..." Beth paused when Daryl finally picked his head up to look at her. She could see it, he was giving up.

Moon turned back to the flames. At the moment what Daryl thought didn't matter to him. He didn't want to see or hear his friend giving up.

Daryl stood without a word, kicking the fire out. Moon laid on his back, his hands behind his head. He hated sleeping without Rick. When he or Rick had night watch. The other would bring blankets to the watch tower and sleep there. Just so they didn't have to sleep alone.

Moon put his hand on his thigh, pushing down. He imagined it was Rick, with his head on his lap, sleeping peacefully. Beth laid down beside Moon while Daryl took watch. She closed her eyes, seeing her father's last moments. Her eyes immediately snap back open. Beth glanced at Moon, watching him stare at the stars.

She scooted closer to him, looking for comfort. Moon took the arm from behind his head, stretching it out for her to rest her head on. "Watch the stars, Beth." He told her quietly, staring at the brightest star closest to the moon.

~

"Come on." Daryl urged the other two into the trunk of a car. Dozens of feet could be heard within the trees. The growling grew closer and closer. Beth got in first then Moon. Daryl climbed into the small remaining space, closing the trunk behind himself.

Moon peeked through the small crack watching corpses shuffle past the car. They bump into the trunk, forcing it open. Daryl quickly pulled it back down, tying a bandana around the latch to stop it from opening, only leaving about an inch gap for air. 

The entire night passed and no sleep came to the small group. Moon had his knife in front of him, the grasp he had on the handle kept him awake and aware. Rain pounded down on the trunk, it didn't slow down until the next morning. 

They were in the same position when the rain stopped. Sweat covered them as the tight humid space only got worse the longer they stayed in. Beth was the one to unto the bandanna, getting out first. Moon climbed out behind Daryl. They picked up the trash around the car, planning on using it as sounders. They would tie the garbage to a string, and if a walker stumbled into it, it would let them know it was there.