Papá's Girl

Make A Stand

©JRF2016

Shane and Merle were walking through the woods keeping an eye in the massive herd an making sure they stayed in the road following Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham. "So I guess you got your way with my little girl after all." Merle gritted his teeth but didn't turn to look at Shane. Shane huffed and the rubbed his hand across his head. "You really hate me that much or are you just trying to play the protective daddy just to make up for your mistakes?" Merle stopped and looked at Shane. He stared for a minute before finally shaking his head and walking away. For once Merle actually kept his mouth shut. He took the high road and as he thought about that a smile for me on his face. Isabella would be proud of him right now.

Everything seemed to be going as planned until a horn started blowing back toward Alexandria. "Shit!" Merle yelled, "What's going on back there? Can't they shut that damned thing up?"
Shane note the worried look on his face. "I'm sure Izzy's safe. She's a tough girl, she's your daughter after all." Shane chuckled and Merle rolled his eye. He spun around when he heard that growl and was face to face with a walker. The walker lunged at him, jaw hanging loosely from its face and slinging blood and black bile everywhere. Merle grabbed his rotten shirt and pushed him backward against the tree and then sliding his hand/blade into the dead man's eye socket. "We gotta get outta here pretty boy." They run through the woods until they come to a ghost town. Buildings boarded up, cars left to rot in the street, and a few walkers still roaming around. They duck into the closest building just as the massive herd catches up to them. "Now what?" Shane asks peeking through two boards nailed across the window, "We're stuck here."

"Maybe if we stay quiet they'll just move on." Merle sits down in the corner and pulls out the picture of Isabella he still carries around and stares at it. Shane walks over and sits next to him. Merle looks over at him and then scoots over away from him. "Merle I know you don't like me, but I love her. I'll do anything to protect her." He doesn't acknowledge Shane's declaration, he looks up and stares out the window. It's already starting to get dark.

The next morning Shane wakes up to see Merle at the window staring out. "What ya thinking about Merle?"

"I gotta get outta here and back to Bella."

"So, you thinking about just making a break for it?" Merle just nods. Shane slides over to the window and peers out through the boards as well. "Looks like a lot of 'em have wandered off. I think we can make a stand and fight our way out of here." Merle doesn't wait for him to finish before running out the door and into the crowd. He starts stabbing walker after walker in the head as he runs back toward Alexandria. Shane lets out a sigh before following.

*************************************{Isabella's POV}**********************************

It's getting dark and not everybody that went out is back. My only concern though, is Shane and Papá. I hope they are safe wherever they are. I stand on top of the guard tower and stare out over the wall. Waiting, watching, hoping. I just got my Papáback and now he's lost out there, again. Everyone I love is out there. I wipe away a tear that slips out of my eye. "They will be back." I turn around to see Rick climbing up the ladder. I nod to him as I take his hand and help him up. "I hope you are right." I turn and look over the edge of the wall and down at the herd that as piled up against it. "You really think it will hold?" I ask as he walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me. "It'll hold." He sounds so confident and I want to believe him, "And they will be back." I relax a little. "Why don't you go on back to the house and get some sleep, I'll keep watch." Rick squeezes me and then turns me around kissing me on the forehead. I smile and climb down the ladder.

I wake up late and everyone is already outside milling about. I see Maggie on the wall now. She has been driving herself crazy worrying about Glenn too. "Hey!" I yell up to her holding my hand over my face blocking the sun out of my eyes, "See anything yet?" She turns and shakes her head. I start walking back toward the house when I hear a cracking sound. I turn around and see the bell tower swaying. I start to back away slowly at first and then I start to run as the tower starts falling. Dust flies up in the air all around me and then I hear it. The groans of the dead, they are getting louder as they get closer. I pull out my knife and stab one in the head before it can rip into me. I hear Rick yelling and I run toward him, he is holding up Deanna, she's hurt. I get on the other side and put her free arm around me as we try to get her to safety. We get cut off by a swarm when Jessie runs out of her house and pops a couple giving us space to run and screams for us to follow her.

We're safe in here, for a while but they keep piling up against the house. They are going to bust through eventually and we will have to run. I sit with Deanna trying to tend to her wound when I realize it isn't just a wound, it's a bite. I stare at it causing Deanna to look herself. "Well, shit." She says laying back on the bed. We take our turns talking to her and saying our goodbyes until Rick comes up with the plan to camouflage ourselves with walker guts and make our way to the armory. Good plan, and it all goes great until Sam gets freaked out. We lose Jessie and Sam in mere seconds as the walkers chomp down on them. I see Rick's face and I turn around to see Ron with a gun raised up to Rick. He was going to shoot Rick but ended up shooting Carl's eye out instead, when Michonne tried to stop him by stabbing him.

Now I'm sitting here next to Michonne as Denise is stitching Carl up. Rick had just walked out the door and now the rest of the gang have joined him out there fighting to take this place back. Michonne looks at me before kissing Carl on the forehead. "Stay with him," she tells me. I peek out the window and see some of the Alexandrians have gone out there and joined the fight as well. I look back at an unconscious Carl. Should I go out there and help or stay here with him? I should help. I reach over a pick up a machete and head for the door. "I'll be back kid," I say to Carl before running outside.

By the time it is all over with there is fire on the lake and twice dead bodies all over the ground. We are all gathered out front of the infirmary, waiting on word, and covered with walker blood and guts. "Bella Rose, e un aspetto di merda bambina!" {Bella Rose, you look like shit baby girl!} I turn to see Papáwalking toward me with Shane right behind. "Lei non sta guardando Papáda soli cosi caldo." {You ain't looking so hot yourself Papá.} I yell back at him with a huge grin on my face and I run and jump into his arms. "Easy baby girl, you ain't so little anymore, and Papá's gettin' old." I stare at Shane as I hug Papá. He has that usual grin of his plastered on his face. "I see you brought my husband back with you." I hear Papágroan as I let go of his neck and walk over to Shane. He takes me into his arms and squeezes me like he'll never let me go again. "Non perche volevo," {Not because I wanted to.} Papágrowls. I let go of Shane and walk back over to Papástaring into his blue eyes. "Non e divertente vecchio. Tu non sei quel ragazzo e lo sai." {Not funny old man. You are not that guy and you know it.}

"You know, I only did it for you because for some ungodly reason this prick makes you happy. I'll do anything as long as you're happy Bella, even I don't like it." I jump into his arms again and kiss his cheek.

"No, it's because you're a good man Papá. I love you so much."

"Yeah, yeah. Quit with all that mushy stuff now."