FATHERS RIFLE • C.Grimes

ೀ⋆｡˚ CHAPTER 27 ೀ⋆｡˚

THE GROUP TRAVELLED
down the train tracks all night long, faye's legs grew tired, basically begging for a break. she kept herself and carl entertained by creating a challenge on who could stay balanced on the edges of the tracks for the longest, they both reached their arms out attempting to push eachother off, making them fall slightly behind michonne and rick.

eventually faye fell off due to carl scaring her. "i win. pay up." he grinned, pleased that he'd won. "you cheated" she complained as she handed him the small chocolate bar. "d'ya think we can speed this up a bit? we're gonna be here all day." rick called out with a knowing grin on his face, a few feet away from the two along with michonne. "sorry" the girl breathily chuckled as she ran up to them. carl caught up to the three, handing faye half the chocolates they'd been spending the last half an hour fighting for. she gave him a look as if to say "are you sure" in which he nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips.

after while the group decided to set up a small camp "how hungry are you.. scale on 1-10." rick spoke up as he placed another stick into the campfire. "15." carl replied. "28" michonne added.

"yeah well.. it's been awhile. i'm gonna go check the snares." the man announced, standing up. "can i go with you?" his son asked, eager to help his father. "well how else are you gonna learn?" he grinned at his son, sliding his gun into his waistband.

"hey, yall too." rick nodded at michonne and faye as carl put the fire out. faye stood up from the ground, brushing off the dirt from her worn out jeans. "we'll stay here a couple of days, get some rest." rick explained as he lead the 3 through the woods.

"we're close now. right?" carl asked his father.

"to terminus?" rick tilted his head at his sons question. "yeah."

"when we get there.. are we gonna tell them?" faye chimed in, she'd been quiet for awhile now and it certainly didn't go unnoticed. "tell them what?" the groups pace slowed down. "everything that's happened to us. all the stuff we've done. are we gonna tell them the truth?" faye finally spoke up about what had been flooding her mind for the past few hours.

"we're gonna tell them who we are." rick bluntly told her. "but- how do you say that? i mean, who are we?" her voice carried a hint of confusion.

a snarl of a walker drew the attention away from the girl. the four all approached the one walker, each carrying their weapons intimidatingly.

〰️

later on, the group came across a dusty blue car. michonne took out the walker who was crawling towards them while carl and faye peered in the front windows. "we'll settle here for the night." rick announced, shutting the trunk.

a few hours later, michonne and rick sat around a small campfire outside the car while carl and faye sat in the front seats. the two sat in comfortable silence, glaring off into the distance often stealing glances at eachother.

carl found himself admiring the girl longer than he should, he thought back to the moment in that house when she kissed his cheek. it was just a friendly thing right? she didn't mean anything by it. they were just friends why did he care so much about her.

holy shit, he had a crush on faith dixon.

faye's eyes darted back to the adults infront of the car, now being held by gunpoint. her heart raced, her grip on carls hand tightening in fear. a bang on carls window made the girls head shoot across the car, a man with a sickening grin on his face.

she could hear the man holding rick at gunpoint begin to count down before being interrupted by a familiar voice. she could almost feel her heart fall out her throat as she watched the familiar man walked infront of the car. it was daryl.

another one of the men tackled daryl to the ground after a few moments. faye let out a small gasp as she watched the men begin to beat her father black and blue. she was ready to get out the car and attempt to save him before another man dragged her out the car, straining her arms, his grasp tightening on her as she fought back.

faye was overpowered by the grown man. he held her hands behind her back as she was knelt down on the ground, the man close behind her, breathing down her neck.

"first, we're gonna beat daryl to death, then we'll have the lady, then the boy, then i'll shoot you and i think we may just keep the girl around with us." the man that stood over rick, known as joe, sinisterly smiled.

rick whispered something to joe, before swinging his head back making the man jolt back and letting out a bullet. as the man who held faye, loosened his grip on the girl and turned his attention away from her. faye managed to slip her hand into her waistband where her pocket knife sat. she slid it up the sleeve of her brown jacket waiting for the perfect moment to use it.

suddenly, rick bit joes neck. faye took this opportunity to turn around quickly and stab the man who held her close in his throat,  slight blood splattered against her cheek and onto her black boots. the final man standing was the one holding carl, he kept a knife to the boys throat, backing away and threatening to kill him. "he's mine." rick whispered making the man let go of carl, throwing him to the floor where faye rushed to his aid.

she wrapped her arms around him protectively, placing her head ontop of his as they both watched rick stab the man over and over again. "don't look." faye whispered to the boy, feeling sick from watching it herself.

after a few more moments of everyone being silent. faye loosened her grasp on carl and quickly rushed over to her dad. daryl wrapped his arms around his daughter protectively, relieved she was alive. "oh god." he muttered, holding her head into his chest, placing a small kiss on her head. "i thought you were dead." she mumbled into his chest, her adrenaline still pumping from the recent events.

the next morning, faye didn't sleep much. her head rested on the window of the car as carls head rested on her lap. her fingers fidgeted with his hair, her mind off in another universe. michonne noticed the two teens, how quick faye was to rush to carls side asoon as he was let go, how comfortable carl was with his head on faye's lap. faye gave the woman a tight lipped smile in which she received one in return.

after awhile the group hit the train tracks again, faye and carl were behind the others talking amongst themselves quietly. michonne and rick lead the way with daryl close behind them, often glancing back at his daughter and carl.

they reached another sign for terminus "we're getting close. we'll be there by sundown." daryl spoke up, turning to rick.

"now we head through the woods." rick instructed "we don't know who they are." he began to lead them into the wooded area on the sides of the tracks.

they walked until they reached a rusted old fence, the girl peered through the fence seeing a brick building with the letters

T E R M I N U S

written on the side of the building

"we all spread out, watch for awhile, see what we can see and get ready. we all stay close." rick instructed, his eyes darting to each person. carl went off with michonne while faye went off with her dad not wanting to leave his side after being separated for so long.

"you okay?" daryl mumbled as he wiped the dried blood from his daughters cheek. "yeah." she replied quietly. daryl raised his eyebrows, not believing her for one second. "whats going on with you and grimes' kid." he changed the topic swiftly, his tone carrying a hint of tease. "nothin." she attempted to hide her smile. "he's a good kid." daryl stated, looking off into the distant building known as terminus.

RIRIS NOTES
i feel like this chapter kinda sucks
17/09/24