The Battles End (#wattys2016)

Chapter 23

A/N
hey guys and gals. I would like to ask you nominate characters or such, please go to walkingdeadcommunity
The main one(s) I'd like y'all to try and nominate are:
Cover
Death (TLM): Luca, Angel, Sierra
Death (TBE): Preston, Tom, Alanna, Luke, Angel, Cobalt (it was a death)
OTP: Carl and Sunny, Preston and Enid, Keira and Eugene, Mary and Tom
BROTP: Sunny and Ian, Sunny and Jesus, Keira and Nate, Tank and Chance,
Male OC: Ian, Nate, Tank, Chance, Bow, Braxton, Tom, CJ, (from TLM, one person please do this 😂) River

Thank you for reading this book, and just thank you. So please nominate one of those!
End of A/N

Chapter 23: His Chance

"I think we should pay a visit to the Farm." Sunny spoke to Tank early the next morning. Abraham and Rosita had left already, possibly headed the same direction. It was a promised safe house where they could probably meet with their group.

It had been the night prior, as she recited the battle poem, she hand looked at Chance when she spoke the line of 'for only men win wars, weapons only drown them'.

That very kid was dying to accompany the six five man and the legend of a woman. Very few of the group was awake, but enough to wave off to. Very reluctantly, Sunny allowed Chance to come with. The only reason being her head was pounding and she didn't feel like arguing.

They slipped out of the trade building, knowing very well most of the group inside wouldn't stay very long. The plan was to keep near the wall. From most of the confrontations that had taken place, the Saviors were probably too occupied with looking through the city. The three ducked into the back of the bakery, deciding to hold up there till dark. Sunny sat on the steps caught up in her thoughts. She took off her plaid over shirt, revealing the grey tank top beneath and a few scars that hadn't faded.
"That was pretty cool, the way you recited that poem or song, whatever it was." Chance spoke up quietly.
"It's both." Sunny told.
"Oh. I didn't know. I had never heard it before."
"It's a little before your time." She told the boy. "Mine as well."
"Then how'd you know it?"
"My father would tell me it some nights. He left it in his last journal to me." It was a fact, an explanation. Not opening up. It was as simple as it had always been. Facts, not feelings.
"I can just barely remember my parents. They'd read me stories before bed. Ya know, the normal stuff for parents to do." No, she didn't know. She herself hadn't gotten many bedtime stories or told many to her own kids. Mary and Keira might have, but she was more for stories during the day.
"At the same time I just hardly remember them." This caught Sunny's attention. She looked over at the boy with his short golden brown hair and few freckles. His eyes matched his light brown hair. He was searching, grabbing for any good memory he could find. Tank sat quietly on the other side of the small room, listening in.
"What happened to them?" The taller man asked. Sunny had been wondering the same thing.
"Roamers got them. First dad went, protecting us. We didn't have weapons." The boy's screams from many years ago filled his head as he was finally able to talk about it. "They tore into him. Mom and I ran. The car was surrounded so we had to run to the nearby grocery store. She was behind me. She was right behind me. Next thing I knew I shut the store's door, and I was alone. I was stuck in there for a while." Chance paused, the two listeners knew there was more. The light of a three candles' glow flickered in the dark room. "Then one day a group went in. They were loud but didn't take much. I had hit in a closet hoping they wouldn't find me. Their actions attracted roamers and I listened as some of them were eaten. I lost track of how long it was after that. Another showed up. This time someone opened the closet."
"And we said, hey kid, you okay?" Tank blurted, now recognizing the story. He smiled slightly in the candlelight glow. "Bow came up behind Ian and I as this little squirt clung onto me of all people. I had swore he'd go for Ian. Kid had a death grip on my leg, couldn't have been older than five or six." Tank was only older than Ian by a year but Ian had always told Sunny, from the moment the two met, they were friends.
The large man continued. "Next thing I know Bow hands me something to give him, and the boy takes it. When he was done eating there was no way we were gonna leave the squirt. He hadn't said a word or even indicated anything about his parents. He had sat down leaning on my leg and fell asleep hugging my calf. I looked at Ian and he looked at me. Bow nodded and I picked him up." Tank took in a breath, his Adam's apple bobbed a little.
"We set some blankets we found around him and I went up to the passenger's seat on the way home. No one knew his name, but we did know he'd wouldn't tell us, or wouldn't remember. It wasn't hard to see he had been through some rough shit." Tank smoothed a finger over his top lip in thought. "We debated what to call him once we got back. Everyone got quiet when I said-"
"Chance. The kid's already been through hell. Well now he's gettin a second chance to start new. A second chance at having a family." The boy spoke, now remembering clearly. "It was his chance." He whispered.
The oldest in the room chucked, rubbing his stubbly chin. "Damn kid looked at me like it was his name all along."

It got quiet for a while, before Chance broke it. "Why did you stop coming by? You probably knew I stayed with Keira, right?"
"It was when Ian and I joined the guard. We had training, we moved up in rank. We lost our free time. And we lost track of you. Keira gave us updates now and then, but you moved on, and out. We got swallowed by our work, saved more people. Helped more out." Tank trailed off.
They both let the silence grow a little, before Chance turned to the silent listener.
"Why do they call you hope?"
"It's a long, boring story." Sunny dodged the question. Chance looked down sadly. "But mostly, it's my middle name." The kid looked up, surprised she answered. His eyes spotted her left shoulder through the railing and candle lit darkness.
"How'd you get that scar? Is it because of one of the times you were shot?"
"That's a story for some other time kid. You get some sleep now, cause we'll be up all night."
Chance's smile faded, but he didn't argue, he just laid down and Sunny pulled her plaid shirt back on. It was going to be a long day. Followed by a long night.

A/N
So some background on Chance, a bit of Tank. Sorry it's been a while but I was traveling and I couldn't get into the document I copy this from, and there was a bit of writers block in there, but I'm good now. More traveling coming up soon, I'm kinda busy this summer, but I think I might be able to get this finished soon, cause I believe The Battles End has reached a single digit number of chapters remaining. Might, might not. Idk. I have plans but it matter on what I want to happen when and things like that. But what has been set in stone: I will write the last chapter as one whole thing, then split it into two parts, and after will be an epilogue...... Then, this series is over... Sorta.

Another plan/ announcement I'd like to bring up, is after I'm done with this book, I'm going to make another related to the series. That is where I can answer your questions for this book and The Longest mile, about, well, anything. I might even go over the original. It will also include order of deaths, my oc's or not, and maybe overlooks on some. I think it'd be interesting to add some of my favorite quotes from both books along with some of yours, so please PM me or ask in the comments what you'd like me to answer about anything from this series and its characters or plots and a such. Or even your opinion or thoughts on things you wouldn't mind me using..

Ok. Back to the story.
What is Chance's real name?
Will Tank say anymore about himself?
What's going on with everyone else?

Please remember to comment and vote (and maybe think about stuff you'd really like me to go into about the series for these "behind the scenes" type book) and until the next chapter!