ELEANOR . NEGAN

062.

"I'm scared." RJ cooed, clutching onto Eleanor's ribs while crying into the skin by her neck. If he was a normal-aged person and not a little kid, she would've pushed him and away and screamed that he hurt her. But come on? Like Eleanor was ever going to do that. "Is Uncle Daryl gonna be safe?"

Judith frowned and budged up closer to Eleanor and RJ. "Of course Uncle Daryl is gonna be okay, you silly goose." Elle smiled softly and ran her semi-normal fingers to his ribs, watching as he crawled up into laughter. "He's been through worse things."

Judith laughed, "Like- like when you hid his bike?" Elle bit down on her lips to keep her laughter concealed. She remembered that day like no other. Back when Daryl was mean and cold all the way back at the Greene farm, he said to her 'go back to fuckin' Wales, ya bitch' and Eleanor didn't take it kindly. It wasn't, at all, the harshest thing anyone said to her, but it gave her the opportunity to use it like it was and revenge herself. So, in retaliation, when Daryl went out on his daily hunt, she rode his bike to the back end of the farmhouse and kept it there until he screamed at her to give it back — like a child.

Weirdly enough, it brought them closer.

"Exactly, Jude." Elle smiled and wrapped her hands around the two children. "He'll be okay, we'll be okay — everyone will be okay."

"What about you?" Another child asked, her name was Gracie. It was Aaron's kid and she'd always see the little girl whenever Maya was on babysitting duty and brought them over. "Will you be okay?"

No. "Yes." Nope. "I'll be fine, always am." I'm wrong. "Just a bit bruised up but hey, it's alright. You all be safe either way, I'll make sure of it."

It made them smile, but their happiness or fake grins didn't last long when the echo of growls from surrounding walkers only broadened across the dark horizon. RJ clutched tighter onto her, and even if Judith tried to make it seem she was strong and powerful, she also moved closer to her body.

The only blessing they had right now was the fact it didn't make Adam cry, or wake him for that matter. Elle was once cradling the baby in her arms, but the more he fussed the more it brought an ache on her bones. In normal circumstances, she would be able to hold a fucking baby... but not right now.

She made him a makeshift cot beside her hip, circling a rolled up towel and using it as a bed frame almost, before put a folded blanket over the edges and plopping him in. He giggled and cooed and it brought Eleanor warmth through her whole body, and she let him play with her working and clean fingers until he drifted asleep.

"Can you smell that, Miss. Stark?"

Eleanor didn't know what to be confused on. The fact a random eleven-year-old called her Miss or the fact there was something in the air that was catching into their scents. Elle sniffed, but nothing was working. Of course not. For fucks sake.

"What do you smell, Lovely?" She asked with a soft tone, smiling in support to the child who was scared. "Hey, it's okay, Kid. Come over here if you want to."

The small body shuffled to Eleanor's feet before she lent her head against her knee. "Smells like smoke." What. "Fire."

It was like comedic timing in a TV show, except this wasn't a TV show and everything that happened only meant it ruined them.  A large boom in the distance shook the small caravan and it made Eleanor freeze in her seat. "Everyone..." she said calmly but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Get your shit, we need to move."

Urgency was in the air and everyone got onto their feet while Elle grabbed a knife and tucked it in her hip, before picking up Adam gently in her arms. She gave a headcount to everyone, spoke about the Buddy System, and left the caravan with all children attached to her hip.