Angel With A Shotgun (Walking Dead Fanfic)

Chapter 30: The Silence Said It All

Chapter Thirty


The Silence Said It All


▬ First Person- Electra’s P.O.V ▬ 

     “He’s not here.” I pointed out, slowly glancing up to meet the eyes of Shane who had just entered through the creaking door, treading as if he were walking across hot coals. “Is he?” I questioned him for validation and confirmation, my mismatched eyes straying away from his navy graduation robes and connecting with his soft amber eyes which pretty much said it all.   

     “No, he’s not here.” Shane sighed, confirming my own thoughts. Exhaling, I nodded at him before resting my head in the palm of my hands, bent over in the uncomfortable blue plastic chair. With another sigh of his own, Shane sunk down into the chair beside mine.

     “He couldn’t just sober up, could he?” I enquired, shaking my head slowly, laughing bitterly. “Not just for one day.” I muttered, closing my eyes. “One day, Shane, that’s all I wanted, just one day and I really thought….” I cut myself of harshly, not wanting to continue any more. “I really thought that the day might be today. I mean, whose father is too drunk to come and see their own graduation?” I put the question to no one in particular, though Shane was the only other person present. “Well….I should know by now not to get my hopes up……” I trailed off, biting down hard on my lip. “How could I be such an idiot?” I smacked myself on the side of the head.

     “Ellie-”

     Shane had attempted to put his arm around me but before he could manage to, I shot up out of the plastic seat. Inhaling, I paced a little, backward and forward whilst Shane slowly raised himself up out of the chair with a pitying frown on his face.

     “You-” I started, turning to face Shane, finally stopping my pacing. “You know what, Shane?” I enquired, cocking my head at Shane who awaited for my explanation. “I’m going to get through graduation without him.” I assured him in a whisper, nodding my head slowly. “I am going to get myself a great job, without him.” I foretold, my voice raising in volume so it reached normal volume. “I am going to fall in love with a brilliant man and I am going to walk down that aisle in a wedding dress, without him.” I predicted at the same volume.

     “El-”

     “Then I’m gonna have beautiful kids who will grow up into beautiful people, without the scars to tell them they’re not beautiful or the scars to tell them that they’re worthless.” I was aware that the volume of my voice was raising but I didn’t care who could hear me and quite frankly, they could hear, I wasn’t ashamed. “I don’t need him, Shane!” I told my brother in a shout.

     I flipped a chair and then aimed a kick at the table. 

     “Why doesn’t he want us, man?” I managed to choke up, fully aware of the tears brimming my eyes as I looked my brother directly in the eye. It was not long before I was engulfed in his warm and strong embrace which is exactly what I needed.


     “Woah.”  The voice of T-Dog alerted me that I was daydreaming causing me to snap out of it, with a slight jerk which I failed in hiding. Chuckling, he sat down on the fold out chair beside my own. “Where’d you go?” he enquired curiously, picking at his food with his fork.

     “Nowhere.” I told him with a shake of my head. “I went nowhere.” I muttered under my breath without clarity, fully intending to make sure that T-Dog could not here it. Judging by his facial expression, I had succeeded. Glancing down at my good, I took in a mouthful.

     “Dale explained the whole Jared situation.” T-Dog informed me before taking a whole mouthful of his own breakfast. Slowly, I turned my head to view him gulp down the last bit. “So there’s no need to clarify anything,” he elaborated, scraping any remains off of the bowl. “And there’s no need for you to worry, this is just between us two.” He added on, reassuring me a great deal.   
        
     “Thanks, T.” I thanked him gratefully with a exhalation of relief. “Can I ask you a question?” I asked him innocently, taking another mouthful. Signalling that I had a go ahead, I chewed at a faster pace. “What’s going on with you and Thea?” I angled an eyebrow at him. “Last time I recalled, you both didn’t return back to camp until early this morning….” I said before waggling my eyebrows at him suggestively.

     “Do I even need to clarify that?” T-Dog questioned me causing me to chuckle a little…..Christ, I was immature. “I like her, Electra……a lot.”  He admitted. “And if I could blush, I’d be blushing right now.” He clarified for me, I resisted the urge to ‘Awe’. “I know that she lost her fiancé recently, but this world. We don’t have much time, might as well put that time to good use.” He stated.

      “Awe.”

     “Shut up!” T-Dog snapped at me but it was in a good manner, but this only caused me to giggle like a little school girl. ♫ ‘I will go down with this ship.’ ♫ “I’m serious, Electra.” He told me, this only made me laugh a little harder. Rolling his eyes, he hit me on the arm playfully.  

     “Um, guys.” Glenn called out attention but I was too busy laughing to take action, it was T-Dog nudging me that caused me to turn my laugh into a cough before dimming it down into silence. Now, everyone’s eyes were on Glenn. “So, the barn is full of walkers.”

     What?

     The short silence of the realisation was broken by me loosing grip of my spoon in shock, causing it to drop down back into my metallic bowl, the clinging sound echoing around camp for but a second before the silence entered once more. I didn’t need to turn my head and look around at my group to tell that they were all in shock, the silence said it all. We were dumbfounded.

     Rick and Shane shooting up to their feet, kicked us all back into action. Everyone but the children dropped their plates and utensils and followed our leaders who were advancing in the direction of the barn. I motioned for both Carl and Stacie to stay where they were before I caught up with the rest.

     No words were needed. Uneasiness, uncertainty, fear, conscious, insecurity and betrayal were coursing throughout everyone. There surely were in me, along with curiosity. Why would the Greene’s even keep walkers in a barn? Just, why? My eyes slowly trailed away from the barn and too Jared who I could see out in the distance.

     As quick as lightening, Shane walked up to the doors of the barn and pushed himself right up against the barn. Resisting the urge to, step forward and pull him backwards I simply watched on whilst he peaked through a crack in the well-constructed barn.    

     “You cannot tell me you’re alright with this.” Shane said, exhaling as he passed through the small space in between Rick and myself. Uncertainly, I gazed at Rick in the corner of my eyes. He wasn’t….was he? Nervously, I adjusted Shane’s police cap on my head.

     “No.” Rick shook his head, causing me to exhale out of relief. “I’m not happy about this, but we’re guests here, Shane.” He reminded my brother causing him to exhale sharply. Rick did have a point though, we had to be smart with whatever plan of action we were going to take. “This isn’t our land.”

     “God, this is our lives, man!”

     “Shane, lower your voice.” I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, it seemed to work for a little whilst seeing as he stopped pacing and concentrated on his breathing. Without words, I glanced back to Rick unsurely.

     “We can’t just sweep this under the rug.” Andrea pointed out.

     “It aint right.” Shane muttered under his breath, beginning to pace once more. “Not remotely.” He shook his head before he looked to Rick once more. “We’ve either got to go in there, we’ve got to make things right-” Shane suggested calmly.

     “And what, making it right is right by them?”

      “-or we’ve just got to go.” Shane finished his point, not making it clear whether he was ignoring my point or whether he had made up the second option due to my own point. “Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time.” He said to Rick.

     “We can’t go.” Rick told Shane.

     “Why, Rick? Why?” Shane questioned.

     Immediately Rick’s eyes met my own. Of course, why did I even wonder the same thing as Shane? We couldn’t go anywhere collectively. Lori was pregnant. Being pregnant was a death sentence, hell I sobbed my heart out when thinking I was. I knew why Rick looked to me, it was because I was the only one who could make my brother listen nowadays….or at least reason with him.

     “Rick’s right.” I backed him up, giving him a knowing glance before transferring my glance on to Shane who had turned so that he was facing me. “We can’t go, Shane.” I told him stubbornly, this caused him to place a hand on his hip and send me a querying look. “We can’t leave Soph behind.” I stated.

     “Okay.” Shane agreed with me but it was clear that he did not as he covered his mouth with his hands and inhaled deeply. “Okay, I think it’s time that we all start to just consider the other possibility.” He said, removing the hands from over his mouth.

     “Shane,” Rick addressed him head on. “We are not leaving Sophia behind.”

     “I’m close to finding this girl.” Daryl stated, gesturing wildly in an attempt to rebuke Shane’s words. “Hell, I just found her damn doll two days ago.” He pointed out.

     “You found her doll, Daryl.” Shane laughed, not with humour, covering his mouth once again. “That’s what you did.” He said, placing emphasis on the you part. “You found a doll.”

     “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Daryl told him, meaning to close the space in between himself and Shane but Rick positioned himself in between them so that Daryl was unable to.

     “I’m just saying what needs to be said.” Shane said, holding his hands up in the air as if he were innocent. I resisted the urge to growl and simply shook my head, making it clear that I disagreed with him. “You get a good lead, it’s in the first 48 hours.” He regurgitated his police training to us all.

     “Shane, Shane, Shane, be quiet!” I told him, all throughout his speaking, waving my hand at him in dismissal. Poor Rick was also trying to do the same as me, but he appeared to be doing a significantly worse job than I was. “Shane, seriously. Just be quiet.”

     “Let me tell you something else, man.” Shane ignored me and continued his point, directing it at Daryl. “If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your buck knife, and geek ears around your neck-” Hold up, (A) Since when did Shane refer to them as geeks and (B) Walker ears….around his neck? What? “She would have run in the other direction, man!” he yelled at Daryl now, knowing fully well that he was provoking him

     Chaos.

     “Shut up!”

     “Stop.”

     “Watch who you’re talking too!”

     “I said stop it.”

     Daryl had advanced towards Shane, wanting to challenge him….this really didn’t surprise me at all. Luckily, Rick had once again managed to intervene. But what did surprise me was that Shane was raring for a fight too, and wanted to go for Daryl.

     “Hey! Hey! Hey!” Shane called Daryl who was standing behind Rick, Shane himself being held back by Andrea, Glenn and T-Dog. “I’ll beat your ass! You don’t come at me! You come at me and-” Shane warned him over our shouting but now Daryl was simply staring at Shane, squinting at him. “You come at me and I’ll beat your ass!” Shane threatened him causing me to place a hand on his chest.

     “Keep your hands off me.” Shane said pointedly, pointing directly at me once I had removed my hand from his chest. I don’t think anyone missed the glint of surprise and pain present in my eyes after he had said this, him included. Now I was staring at him whilst he walked away.

     “Ellie, just leave it.” Rick told me quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder as if I were going to start something. ‘Don’t worry Rick…..I will.’  I thought bitterly to myself, still staring at Shane out of disbelief. He had never spoken to me like that in his life. “Now, just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out.” He told Shane calmly.

     “What are you gonna figure out?!” Shane roared at Rick, turning on the spot in order to address him directly. A flicker of rage burned in his amber eyes which caused Rick to slowly loose grip on my shoulder. I could only thank God that Stacie nor Carl were witnessing this.

     “Enough!”

     “If we’re gonna stay,” Rick began, his tone much calmer and more controlled than my brothers. “If we’re gonna clear this barn,” he continued, gesturing aimlessly in the direction of the barn. “I have to talk him into it.” He made clear causing Shane to exhale quickly. “This is his land, Shane.” he reminded him.

     “Hershel sees those things in there as people,” Dale stepped forward both literally and figuratively. “Sick people.” He clarified to those of us who were unable to comprehend. “His wife, his his his his stepson.” He informed us, stumbling over his words.

     “You knew?” Rick questioned him, tilting his head.

     “Yesterday, I talked to Hershel.”

     “And you waited the night?”

     “I thought we could survive one more night.” Dale turned his head to face his attacked who was Shane on this occasion. “We did.” He spat before slowly turning back towards Rick. “I was waiting till this morning to say something. But Glenn wanted to be the one.”

     “That man is crazy, if Hershel thinks those thing are alive or no.” Shane started yelling again causing Rick to start yelling along with him. What is with the yelling? I could yell if I wanted to, but I chose not to. Their yelling however, was cut short by the rattle of the walkers pushing against the barn doors…..slamming against the barn doors. Instinctively, I pulled Shane backwards by his arm over protectively.

     “Look.” Rick started as everyone looked to him. “Y’all just need to head back to camp.” He ordered, no one looked convinced. “I’ll talk to Hershel.” He assured us all causing everyone to gradually start gravitating in the direction of the camp. “Shane-”

     “I hear you.” Shane snapped at him. “You just concentrate on talking Hershel.” He told him. “ But I’m not going to risk anythin'," Shane added on causing Rick to glare at him. "I’m gonna stay back and make sure the barns secure....you can at least give me that.”

"Alright man. Alright,"


►►►


     “Is everything alright?” Carl questioned us the instant we came into view of our lil’ old makeshift camp, running towards me. “We heard yelling.” He explained to me, jerking his thumb in the direction of Stacie who had just caught up with him.  “Is everything alright?” he queried again as if I hadn't heard him.

     “Everything’s just fine, guys.” I assured them both, crouching down so I was at their level, I always hated being taller than people. “Well, it will be.” I corrected myself, glancing over to Rick who was approaching the Greene’s ranch house. “You’re dad’s gonna work it out with Hershel.” I explained, flicking Carl’s cowboy hat before I straightened back up again. In the corner of my eyes I could see Daryl heading towards the stables. “Now run along, I’ve got stuff to deal with.” I stuck my tongue out at them both.

     Whilst they turned their backs on me and walked off I stayed stationary, my eyes following Daryl who slipped into the stable. Removing my eyes from him, I glanced around at everybody else. Was no one else seeing this? Apparently, they either didn’t see or they didn’t care.

     Shiftily, I looked around once more before seeing that Daryl had completely disappeared into the stables. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and found myself walking in the direction of the stables myself. Treading swiftly, I shook my head and cursed before entering the stables to see him messing around with a saddle.

     “I can’t let you do that, Daryl.” I called, making my presence clear. A deep sigh was coherent and he stopped in his tracks. “You do know that, don’t you?” I queried him, treading further inwards. He ignored me and continued. “Daryl, you can’t.”

     “I can and I will.” Daryl said dismissively, fiddling with the horse saddle, ensuring that it was in good condition. At least he was being cautious, it showed that he wasn’t being a complete idiot. I made my sigh loud and clear as I placed a hand on my hip. “I’m fine, Electra.” He snapped at me, trying to get me off his back.

     “No.” I denied, shaking my head. “You aint.” I corrected him, leaning against a wooden pillar that made up the stables. “Now, I don’t feel like having to prick my wrist again ‘cause you’ve been an idiot and ignored that Doc’s orders.” I told him sternly.  “Hershel said that you needed to heal.” I enforced.

     “Yeah, I don’t care.”

     “Yeah, well, I do, Daryl.” I stated whilst he moved over towards one of the stalls and opened it to prepare the Arab that I had ridden previously. “Rick and Andrea are going out later to follow the trail, probably Jared and T-Dog too.” I assumed causing him to turn on me.

     “What, Jared? The guy who’s trying to hook up with you?” Daryl scoffed, dealing with the horse’s halter, securing it tightly and rightly so.  I growled, was it really that obvious? “What’s stopping you, anyway?” he put the question to me causing me to roll my eyes.

     “Look, I couldn’t give two shits about Jared Greene.” I spat at him. “And that is not what I came in here to talk about, I came in here to try to talk some sense into you.” I explained causing him to scoff loudly. “You can’t go out there, Daryl. Not today.”

     “Yeah, well, I aint gonna sit around and do nothing.”

     “No.” I shook my head, viewing him fully, moving so that I was leaning on the pillar closest to the stall. “You are gonna go ride out there and get yourself hurt even worse.” I warned him. “You are no use to anyone without your rest, Daryl..... your words.” I repeated his words. “You talked sense into me and now I’m gonna talk sense into you because I owe you that much.” I stated. “Look, Daryl, as much as I hate to say it: We don’t know if we’re gonna find her, Daryl.” I said after a short pause of reflection. “We don’t.” I reinforced.

     Slowly, Daryl lowered his eye line so that he was looking to the floor rather than dealing with the horse’s halter. Slowly, he raised both his head and his eye line so that it rested on me. He had definitely taken in my words. Slowly, as if he meant to build suspense, he approached me slowly knowing there was more. I turned my head to the side a little so that I avoided his eyes.

     “What?”

     “Look, even Carol accepts the fact that we may have lost Soph, I-I was talking to her about it yesterday.” I explained, with a deep breath….he didn’t move. “Believe me, Daryl, believe me….I’m not accepting it either.” I informed him. “But….I’m not about to go and lose you, too.” I told him, my eyes boring into his own. “I-I-I mean….I-....I don’t want to lose anyone else, especially a good friend, Daryl.”

     With something still in hand, he placed it down before walking off, giving me a little space to breath but his eyes were still glued to me and they were furious. All a sudden, he picked up the saddle he had placed down on a stool beforehand and threw it causing him to bend over in pain and grunt.

     “Are you alright?” I asked, unintentionally going to his aid.

     “Just leave me be.” Daryl rejected my aid, swinging his arm around dismissively as he walked onwards grunting and clutching the pierced side of his torso. He quickened his pace a little, cursing under his breath. “Stupid bitch.” He growled causing me to stand still.

     “I am.” I sighed a little with narrowed eyes. “I really, really am.” I said through gritted teeth before kicking into an action of my own. “I don’t know why I bother, I’m just a stupid bitch for trying.” I grunted right as I passed by Daryl to storm out of the barn myself. 


▬ First Person- Shane’s P.O.V ▬ 


     Lori’s pregnant.

     I could be a dad.

     Ellie could be an aunt.

     Oh God.

     Speak of the devil was the phrase. For that was when, as if on cue, I viewed Ellie marching straight out of the stables as if they were on fire. My police cap crooked on her head, her short waved being blown furiously despite the breeze being gentle, and she was speeding in an unknown direction.

     “Hey!” I called after her but she kept her pace. “Hey Ellie!” I called but she had made a strict point on ignoring me, I couldn’t deny the fact that she had a point in doing so. “Ellie!” I shouted whilst running to catch up with her. “Ellie, look-” I started, walking along beside her.

     “I am looking, Shane.” Ellie cut me off keeping her eyes front. “I am looking at right ahead of me, making sure I don’t happen to walk into a tree.” She breathed causing me to involuntarily raise an eyebrow despite the fact she couldn’t see. “Making sure I don’t happen to try to reach out to my beloved brother to get him to calm down as he explicitly told me to keep my hands off of him.” She snapped at me.

     “Ellie-”

     “No, Shane.” Ellie cut me off once more, clearly not wanting to hear it. “I really don’t want to hear it.” She made clear. “How could you even lash out like that? At, at, at me and at Rick? Claiming that you were going to beat Daryl’s ass? What happened to being the bigger man? What happened to being an example, Shane?” she interrogated me, not pausing for breath.

     “I’m sorry!” I yelled at her before she could intercept once more. “I really am, Ellie.” I enforced causing her to give me a side long glance. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, Ellie. You shouldn’t have to put up with my bullshit, but you did and I’m sorry.” I said before pausing for breath.

     “Alright.”

     “I just-” I cut myself off, knowing that I was only going to make my sister even more pissed and I didn’t want to risk that. Ellie is my sister. “You can’t think a barn full of walkers is alright, Ellie, you can’t.” I stopped in my tracks causing her to turn around and face me head on.

     “Of course I don’t think a barn full to the brim of walkers is alright, Shane.” Ellie confirmed. “You know what I can’t think? I can’t think of leaving without finding Sophia.” I told him. “I can’t think of leaving when our, when our best friend’s wife is pregnant.” She said.

     “You knew?”  

     “Of course, I knew.” Ellie responded. “Being pregnant out there is a death sentence, Shane. Rick, Lori and Carl don’t deserve that. Rick was on the brink of tears when he told me, that man is terrified, Shane. Our best friend is terrified.” She informed me. “I’m terrified, Shane.” She said after a brief pause, looking back up at me with the fear clear in her eyes. “We’ve finally got something here and I’m not prepared to just bail on that.” She said stubbornly. “We need to stay here, Shane, I don’t want to leave. I’m not at my best….Daryl and T are far from their bests and Carl is barely on his feet.” She mentally slapped me. “I don’t know if I can take going back out their again, Shane.” She admitted, looking deep into my eyes.

     “El-”

     “We’re not leaving, we can’t, Shane.” Ellie cut me off in midsentence, obviously not wanting to talk about herself or her feelings. “We just can’t, okay?” She turned on her heel and speed walked in the direction of her tent, my eyes trailing after her as she left.

     ‘Don’t you worry, Ellie.’

     ‘We’re not leaving, you’re big brother’s going to make sure of that.’

     ‘Believe me, Ellie. I will do whatever I’ve got to do to keep us here at this stupid farm, you leave it all to your big brother, lil sis.’

     As fast as I could possibly walk, without gaining any unwanted attention from people thinking there was a danger, I made my way over in the direction of the RV. Glenn shot a short ‘Sup’ at me that I did not return, I didn’t have time for chat. I needed to act and I needed to act now.