Complicated ✔

Ch. 51 - Gone

KATHRYN'S POV

I stood up in the guard tower, hours after half of our group left to go bring back Maggie and Glenn. All that was left here were me, Carl, Carol, Beth, Hershel, Axel, and our little sister which he finally named Judith. I thought that name suited her. I sat on the upper balcony to the tower, staring off in the direction that they'd gone in to bring back our friends. Dad didn't know how long they'd be gone, and in a sense he left Carl in charge of everything. I had a say in the decisions too as I was the older sibling, but I think Dad wanted him to do it more. As I sat there, I thought back to a couple hours earlier when I spoke to Daryl those short minutes before they left.

I stood off to the side, watching as Daryl, Dad, Carl, and Oscar loaded the Hyundai with whatever supplies they'd need for the trip to get our people back. "Hey," Daryl said, catching my attention as he walked back over to where I stood by myself. I smiled weakly at him before glancing to where Dad and Carl were talking, only to look back at him when he stopped in front of me. "I'll look after your ol' man don't worry," he said as he peered down at me with his blue eyes. "I know," I said nodding as I looked over to Dad again. "Stay safe," he said jerking my gaze back over to him. "You stay safe," I said back, "and come back to me safe and sound. You promised don't forget." "I know," he said nodding, "I promise. We'll be back soon."

I had this knack for almost always knowing when something wasn't right. And I was almost always proven correct somehow. For example, after they left, I got this feeling that something was going to happen and sure enough a few hours later Carl came back with this group of five people from the tombs and one had been bitten. But that feeling didn't go away after they got here. I didn't know if that meant that they were going to cause us trouble, or if that meant trouble was going to happen back wherever Dad and the others were. Honestly, I hoped it was neither. But I was never truly that lucky to get what I was hoping for. Some way, somehow, whatever I was feeling always happened in the end. I just had to go with the flow, when most times it felt like I was being washed away by a tsunami.

"Hey," a voice called out, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Axel standing in the opened hatch to the tower and looking up at me. "Hi," I said a little uncomfortable. "Mind if I join ya," he asked. I merely shrugged before looking back out towards the direction I had been staring in before he showed up. "Suit yourself," I said in a whisper before I heard his footsteps as he climbed the rest of the way up and made his way over to sit down beside me. I didn't look at him, but I could feel his gaze on me and it was making me twitch in discomfort. "That baby in there," he started after a few minutes, "she's your sister? And the boy's your brother?" "Half-brother," I said glancing at him for a second, "and half-sister." I watched as he nodded before I glanced away again.

"So you and that guy," he asked after a moment of silence, "Daryl?" Glancing over at him I narrowed my eyes. "No," I said curtly as I eyed him with suspicion. "Sorry I just thought," he started to say but paused when he saw the look on my face. "No," I said once again in the same clipped tone as before. "Sorry," he said as I kept my glare on him, "how old are you?" "I don't see how that's any of your business," I said as I stood up, "but I'm 18. And I'd be careful of who it is I hit on. I'm the daughter of the man that could've easily sent you and Oscar packing before." I left him with that to digest, climbing down from the tower and heading back into the cell block. I ignored the looks I got from the newcomers and went inside, going over to where Carol was and decided to talk with her a bit to find out what happened while I was MIA for those few days.

CAROL'S POV

Kathryn came back in, after spending hours out in that tower watching for Rick and the other. I knew she was watching for her dad and Glenn to come back. She was watching for everyone from our group that went out to come back safely. The sun had set by now, and I could see how worried she was as she came to stand next to me. She just wanted to talk, take her mind off of everything that was going on so she wouldn't worry too much. Axel came in not too long after she did, while we were talking. He glanced our way for a second before disappearing into the cell that Beth and Carl were in with Judith. I had asked Kathryn something, but before she could answer it, as she opened her mouth we could hear Axel talking with Beth. Casting a concerned look towards the cell, Kathryn glanced back at me before she led the way to see just what was being said between Beth and Axel.

"You're good with her," Axel said as we came to a stop just at the edge of the cell, "you got any younger sisters?" "No," Beth said innocently as she shook her head and looked at him before looking back down at the baby in her arms. "How old are you anyway," he asked and I felt Kathryn stiffen next to me. "I'm 17," Beth answered as she looked up at him confused. "Interesting," Axel said smiling at her and when I glanced at Kathryn, she had her fists clenched and she was glaring at the man beside Beth. "May we speak to you," I finally said stepping forward into the cell and catching his attention. "Me," he asked looking up confused. "Yes you," Kathryn said beside me as she crossed her arms and he looked over at her. "Uh," he said before standing up, "okay."

I turned and walked off with Kathryn, we both waited for him by the stairs as he walked up smiling. "What's the problem," he asked when he got closer. "Stay away from her," I said as my eyes drifted back to where the cell was. "You couldn't get attention from me so you went to Beth," Kathryn asked as he looked to her, "she's younger than me. Stay away from her if you know what's best for you." "This isn't about you trying to repopulate the earth," I said as he looked back up at me. "I didn't mean no offense," he said looking back and forth between me and Kathryn, "I've been locked up a long while. And well there weren't many women. Maggie, she's with Glenn, you're a lesbian, and I don't know about Kathryn."

KATHRYN'S POV

I bit back the laugh I was holding in as I covered my mouth. Carol glanced at me before she looked back to Axel. "I'm not a lesbian," she said shaking her head as she silenced whatever else he had to say about it. "You've got the short hair," he said motioning with his hand while all she did was shake her head, "you're not a lesbian?" I watched as Carol gave him this really look while he smirked back at her. "My," he said leaning against the stairs and smiling at Carol, "this is interesting." "No it's not," Carol said laughing. "I'm just going to go and still my baby sister from Beth now," I said stepping away from the two and walking back to the cell. I knew Carol could take care of herself and this now meant that Axel would be leaving me and Beth alone.

It was mid to late morning the next day, I was standing outside in the small fenced in area with the outer tower next to it. Carl was beside me as we kept watch, still waiting for Dad and the rest to return. "So Daryl was calling Judith Lil Ass-Kicker," I asked smiling at my little brother. This was the first time we had gotten some time alone since Daryl found me yesterday in the tombs before he and Dad left to get Glenn and Maggie back. "Yeah," he said smiling up at me, "do you think Judith was a good name for her?" "I think Judith is a wonderful name for our little sister," I said smiling down as I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and pulled him against me. In that next moment, we heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and both of us turned to look in the direction it was coming from. "Please be them," I heard Carl say from beside me before the familiar Hyundai pulled into view.

Sighing in relief at the sight of the familiar car, we both ran to the gate and Carl unlocked it before I pulled the gate open, allowing our group to drive right in as he ran and unlocked the next gate for them. Closing the gate back quickly and locking it, I turned to watch as Carl pushed open the second gate while Dad climbed out of the car. "Drive on up," Dad said into the car, "I'll meet you there." I didn't hear a reply as I walked up to him. "Daddy," I called out, causing him to turn around in time for me to run into him and hug him tightly. He then released me and went to hug Carl while I turned to peer into the car. "Where's Daryl," I asked instantly fearing the worse as I looked back to Dad while he stood to his feet.

"It's alright," Dad said quickly walking over to me and placing his hand on my shoulder, "he's alive." "Then where is he," I asked panicked as I looked around for him, hoping he'd come walking out of the woods. "We ran into his brother," Dad said noticing the look on my face, "they went off together." "He left," I asked as I tried to keep my voice from breaking, "Daryl left? Is he coming back?" "Hey," Dad whispered and instantly wrapped me in a tight hug as I felt a tear slip down my cheek. "He said he'd be back," I cried as I buried my face into my dad's shoulder, "he promised." Dad rubbed his hand up and down my back, trying to comfort me. But I knew that wouldn't work. I was upset. Daryl said he'd come back to me, but he broke his promise. I should've never believed he would come back. I was, after all, just a kid to him in the end.