Janie's Got A Gun (A 'The Walking Dead' Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Old Friends

Janie looked up at the man who was slowly walking towards her and chuckling.
"Hey pretty girl." He smiled. "Why don't you show me a smile?"
"Why don't you piss off?" Janie sneered before spitting at his feet. The man's smile suddenly curved downwards and his nostrils flared.
"You don't speak to me like that." He growled, flecks of spit forming on his lips. "You know exactly what you get when you do."
A vain had started to protrude from his forehead as she cowered away behind her knees. He laughed again.
"Oh Janie. Janie, Janie, Janie." He sung but suddenly his voice changed, it got deeper and more frantic, with a familiar southern drawl. "Jane! Jane!"
She felt something cold and wet squishing against her forehead and water dripped into her eyes as she opened them and sat up suddenly, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Daryl was stood over her holding a wet towel, reaching out to dab it on her forehead once again, her breathing slowed down and she realised how hot she was, being practically stuck to the bedsheets with sweat.
Daryl put the towel down and took Janies face in both of his hands.
"It's okay." He spoke calmly. "I'm here."
Janie nodded quickly as she looked into his eyes and inhaled and exhaled at the same time as him. Then suddenly she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his warm chest as he stroked her hair.
"I was thinking of going to see Carol today." He said, trying to take her mind off of her flashback. "Wanna come with?"
Janie lifted her head up and shook it.
"She's your friend." She replied. "You should do it on your own."
"I just don't wanna leave you here." He replied. "We'll need some way of communicating 'cuz if some man-"
"I'll be okay." She replied. "I'll stay here, I won't leave, I promise."

There was a knock at the door and Carol sighed before closing her book. She opened the door and just stood there, her mouth forming an O shape. In front of her was a man she hadn't seen in a while, his chocolate brown hair fell limply over his glassy eyes and the sleeves of his black button up shirt were rolled up to reveal his muscly arms that were coated in a thin layer of dirt, grease and sweat. Slung over one of his shoulders was a black backpack and over the other was a crossbow.
"Daryl." She whispered, her voice breaking as she did, as a singular tear rolled down her face and she stepped over the threshold and fell into his hug.
"Why'd you go?" He asked.
"I had to." She replied.

Janie watched the clock on the wall and tilted her head side to side at every tick.
Left, right, left, right, left, right.
She was starting to wish she joined Daryl, all she was doing here was waiting for him to return.

"I couldn't lose anyone." Carol said as the fire crackled behind her. "I couldn't lose you." Daryl didn't say anything, instead just staring at the flames dancing in the brick fireplace. "The Saviours, did they come?"
He looked down at his lap.
"Yeah." He replied.
"Did anyone get hurt?" She asked studying his solemn face. "Daryl?"
"They came." Daryl finally said. "And we got them all. Everyone's alright." Carol sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheek. "We gonna eat or do I gotta be a king to get some food around here?"

Janie laced up her boots before stepping out into the hallway.
"23, 22, 21..." She whispered to herself as she looked at each door number she walked past. She skipped down a flight of stairs. "13, 12, 11..." She skipped down two more flights of stairs and she found herself in the basement of the apartment block. It was hard to see what was down there due to the lack of lights but a roar echoed around the concrete room telling her exactly what was in here. As her eyes adjusted to the light she saw Ezekiel's beautiful tiger lay down in a large cage that filled more than half of the room. On the cage was a wooden sign and carved into it was the name Shiva.
Janie walked towards it slowly and Shiva watched her closely, she sat down in front of the cage and held out her hand until it was through the bars and Shiva stared at it apprehensively, her nose twitched for a few seconds before she headbutted Janies hand gently. She ran her fingers down the tigers nose and back up to her head again before scratching behind her ears.
"Hey." A voice spoke from the bottom of the stairs. Slowly, Janie pulled her hand away before looking over to see Daryl. She smiled and tapped the floor next to her, gesturing for him to sit down.
"I'm sorry for not staying in the house like I said." She spoke as he sat down next to her.
"You don't ever have to apologise to me." He replied. "As long as you're safe."
"How's Carol?" She asked him and he nodded.
"She's doing okay." He replied. "She said we should trust Ezekial but I guess any guy who has a pet tiger can't be that bad."
"Definitely." She smiled.
"We should head back to Hilltop in the morning." He said. "Get ready for the fight."

- Princexiero xx