My Damaged Protector

Chapter Twenty-Two ~ Home

Judith passed out for the rest of the night after I managed to calm Rick down and get them both to sleep. Morning came all too fast and I was up helping Rick fortify the prison as Beth watched the baby. Michonne, the woman we met a few days ago, was out looking over the toppled bus as I pulled wooden pallets in front of the fence, giving us some protection from the gun fight Rick feared we'd come across when the Governor found us.

As I worked, I had managed to keep an eye on Rick as well as get to know Michonne. So, when Rick had set his sights on the grassy area on the other side of our main gates and walked out, she and I exchanged questioning looks as well as a silent agreement to keep our eyes on him.

Michonne had offered to grab us lunch and a table for the two of us once she was done with her job, but I waved her on, telling her I'd be in eventually.

I never did go in for lunch. Instead, I spent the day outside, away from the group, in order to work and distract myself from the one missing person in the group that had done so much for me over the time we knew each other. I couldn't believe he would just leave; I get that his brother and family is important, but the group, me, we're his family too. No one came out to bother me until Jasper joined me in the afternoon, sitting in my lap as we watched the grass sway in the light breeze in the middle of the field.

A gunshot suddenly ran out in the silent air, my body instantly pushing Jasper to the ground and pull my own gun out. Slowly I managed to get Jasper and I behind the overturned bus with Michonne, taking a small risk my peaking around the corner and seeing a man stood on a car with a riffle in his hand. Rick and Hershel were both ducked down into the grass, Hershel on our side of the fence and Rick out in the open on the other side. More and more shots rained down around the prison as I held Jasper tightly, keeping a hand over his mouth to keep the other group from hearing him.

I looked Michonne in the eyes, giving as much seriousness as I could. "You watch him. I gotta go help Rick or he's not gonna make it." She nodded, pulling my brother into her side as I took off. A large white van came barreling into the front yard of the prison, taking our gate down with it. The truck stopped in the middle of the field, only for the back door to open and walkers come stumbling out, filling the yard quickly.

"Damn it." I mumbled under my breath, running faster to get to Rick before he was overwhelmed. I fired my gun as I got closer, hitting multiple walkers, but not enough for us to be in the clear. Rick was fighting to keep three walkers from his neck as I got to him, wrapping my hands in the material of the first walker's shirt and pulling, tossing the body a few feet back, enough time to get my knife out and plunge it into the skull. A walker had stumbled up behind me, pinning me to the fence before I could fight it off, my knife slipping from my fingers as I collided with the metal. Another walker had stacked up against the first one, making it near impossible for me to hold them back off, knowing Rick was overwhelmed with walkers as well.

I was so focused on keeping the dead away from my throat that I didn't notice what killed them, just that the weight was suddenly gone, and I was able to get my knife and kill the remaining two as I managed to get back inside the gates and up to Jasper. He was shaking in fear as I scooped him up, thanking Michonne in the process. "You're ok, I promise. I got you."

"Don't leave me again." He cried, holding onto my shoulders as I walked him up towards Hershel.

"I won't bud. You're stuck with me, forever. I swear." As I started calming down, the walker's death was becoming clearer in my head. An arrow killed the walker that was moments away from tearing into me. An arrow. "Buddy stay here. Give me a second, ok? I'll be right back I promise." I turned around after setting him down and scanned the field, my eyes locking onto a familiar silhouette with shaggy brown hair and a crossbow slung over the shoulder. My feet started moving before I even noticed, carrying me over to Daryl in a flash.