No Tomorrow

.

"...I was tied to a tree and my clothes were almost cut all the way off with the filthy knife..."

His breathing caught in his throat and when I looked at him he had tears in his eyes, when he saw that I noticed he let my wrist go and buried his face into my shoulder this time, snaking his arms around my waist in a hug. He sat that way crying for a few minutes until he stopped shaking and forced himself to sit back up.

"Sorry, I just felt like you needed one. I hope he never hurts you, I'd probably have to kill him if he did."

The both of us were brought to attention when we heard a faint wailing noise and my hands flew to my ears on instinct while I jumped to my feet.

"The prison-"

The wailing continued and Jay joined me as I ran outside and began to strip my clothes off with one fluid motion, my bones already vibrating with the transformation.

"We need to help them or something! That noise will draw in every walker for miles!"

As soon as my clothes were tied to my leg I let the fire flow freely through my limbs until my body shuddered and I was no longer human.

*

Three more on your left!

Jay snarled and took down the walkers before they reached the fence and I wanted to shake my head until my ears fell off, the wailing was so l o u d in these ears and Jay was right; if they didn't find a way to shut the noise off it would draw them in by the dozens or more. It was honestly starting to hurt me and I felt him agreeing with that statement.

God damn it they need to cut the power to that shit!

I whimpered and staggered into his side and he shook his head from side to side too, whining and pawing at the grass with a bloodied paw.

Any fucking second now...any fucking s e c o n d...

The wailing cut off and I shook my head a few more times in the wake of no more noise from the wailing siren, my ears felt like they were throbbing at the bit and they were ringing like the bugs you heard of a summer night.

Thank god, I wonder what their problem is, letting that thing wail on like that...

I huffed and nosed open one of the gates just enough to slip in and held the thing open for Jay to follow through, eyes roaming the woods for a sign of anymore strays; I knew the half dozen or so that we'd taken down on our way back was only going to be the start but I couldn't sense any others right now. I could sense Jay probing my mind but I didn't bother telling him off this time.

I've had dreams of that before too you know, what our life could have been I mean. What it could still be, even now, even if it meant sharing you with that asshole. But I'm not going to pressure you about anything ever obviously, but I just wanted to let you know that I've seen them too. It's not a bad thing.

When we got closer to the main compound we spotted Beth and Hershel near one of the locked doors that had a small cage on the outside, it looked like he barred the door with one of his crutches but I was happy to see him up and moving around; we nosed the last gate open and kicked it shut before we looked around some more. There were more bodies around but nothing seemed too out of it until I saw what was left of a dark leg peeking out of a door further on down.

Looks like TDog died...that's a shame.

I padded close to the door Hershel was behind and he smiled at me when I got close enough for him to see my face.

"Belle?"

I nodded my big head and he smiled again before he hobbled over to the door and removed his crutch from the rusted pulley lever.

"They told me what you did to help my leg, I wanted to thank you personally, but...we had a problem. I think whoever Rick was trying to save is the one who set off the alarms."

Another door opened and my ears twitched when I saw Rick, Daryl, and Glenn come out with bloodied weapons and battered looks; Daryl looked relieved to see me but I moved out of the way when Beth pushed open the door behind me to let her father out.

"Any sign of the others?"

Hershel shook his head.

"Ok, Daryl, Glenn, we're going back  and check the other-''

Another door opened and everyone stopped talking when we heard the soft cries and whimpers of a little baby, we all looked over and saw Maggie following Carl out into the sun holding a wiggling bundle with bloody arms. Rick dropped the axe he was carrying and walked to his son with wobbly knees, Maggie started to cry when he breezed right past her without looking at the baby and it clicked in my brain.

Lori must have gone into labor when the alarms went off...do you think?...

Rick looked at Carl and fell to his back on the ground before he let out a sob and clutched at his face in pure agony.

Must not have, if she's not out here with them.

"Let me see the baby."

I followed Maggie's path to her father where he peeled back the shirt the baby was wrapped in, his knobbly fingers touched her tiny head for a second before he wrapped the shirt back around her and leaned back on his crutches.

"She's healthy which is good, but she'll need more formula then what we've got right now or she'll die."

Daryl eyed me before shaking his own head and looking at Maggie, in the back corner of my eye I saw Rick pick up his axe and slip back inside the door Maggie and Carl had came out of.