The Anti Hero ⥤ Rick Grimes

[10] Remembering

"JJ?" Cal croaked, reaching out to me. His shoulders barely touched me before I flinched.
I stared at Alison, his pregnant partner. She rubbed at her belly.
"You've grown so much." I whispered. Alison grinned.
"I know, JJ. Weird that there's a little baby inside of me."
I stared down at my own stomach for a second.
"Weird." I mumbled.
Cal noticed, clearing his throat.
"JJ...are you still...you know..." he motioned towards Alison's pregnant stomach.
"Yes." I quickly answered.
"Does he know?" Alison questioned.
"No."
Cal shook his head.
"You should have said something to him, y'know. He would have gone easier on you if you told him you were carrying his baby. I mean he would have fed you! Given you a bed! Look at how well Alison is being treated now that he knows she's pregnant. Imagine how you would be...given it's his child."
"It is." My voice was broken. I was broken. A single tear ran down my cheek.
"Your baby is healthy. Come in for another check up tomorrow. I'll make sure to watch them over the next couple of days. You'll be due soon."
Cal shook his head- anger in his face.
"And what about you?! Are you going to watch over your own damn baby?" Cal shouted.
"Yes!" I shouted back. "I'll tell him tonight!"

I stop breathing for a while, my heart beating so fast. I begin drowning- sinking into the pit. Cal disappears and suddenly the net begins lifting, trapping me in it. I stare around wildly. It's not just Cal. There are others, at least five of them, all reeling me up inside the net. I get dragged out, pressed against dead walkers.
"Well there goes our catch." A tall angry looking man says. I thrash around, pushing myself out of the net. I go to sprint away- but Cal tackled me to the ground before I could.
"JJ! Stop!" Cal growled, pinning me down. I start screaming bloody murder.

Maybe this is it!? Will Cal take me back to Tarzan? Will everything I've ever feared happen right in front of me?

"Stop!" Cal covered my mouth with his hand- and I stopped thrashing. He looked down at me. Staring- just staring at me.

"It's really you." He whispered, staring with pained eyes. "Please don't scream. I just want to talk."
He releases his hand from my mouth. I stare up at Cal, his black hair and beard.
"I'm not going back." I whisper, tears pouring out of my eyes. I'm frozen. I can't even believe it.
"Me neither. This isn't like the last time. I'm not going to hurt you. You aren't going to hurt me."
People begin to surround us.
"W-what?"
"I'm not with Tarzan anymore. I left. Me, Richard...Alison...Tori." Cal pulled himself off of me, yanking me up with him. "Not long after you left." He rubbed his dirty hands on his jean pants. "I can't believe you're here. We thought we were far enough from Tarzan and his men. We thought we were in the clear."
"I don't know." I hiss. "I was being chased and I fell into your...trap. I don't know anything about his camp anymore."
"Small world." I gritted, rubbing my sore hands.
"It is. Come back with us, JJ. Come see Victoria."
I flinch.
"No."
"You have somewhere better to be?"
"I don't fucking trust you, Calum. You could be lying. You could be. I don't want to go anywhere with you bottom line. I don't even want to risk it."
Calum shook his head, rolling up his jeans and pointing to a long scar going from his kneecap and travelling up his leg.
"Look at this. Look at what you did to me last time I tried to take you back. You shot me in the god damn leg. I'm not lying to you, JJ. Come back."
I shake my head, wiping my tears.
"I don't want to."
"Please. Stay. Come to our camp, rest up, eat. If you want to leave you can leave."
I unclenched my fist, nodding weakly. I was defeated.
"Timothy." Cal called out. "Pack up the trap. I'm taking her back home."
I followed behind Cal, to a car at the end of the forest.
He opened the door and I climbed inside. As soon as I was sitting in the seat, I pulled out my knife.
Cal climbed in.
"You won't need that." He noted, starting the car.
"What's the trap for?"
"For biters. You'll see."
I nodded my head, watching Cal drive.
"Why did you leave?"
"Because he changed, JJ. When he learnt that you ran off...with his baby...he sent out ten groups a day looking for you. He got angry- and power craving. He took on other compounds. Made deals with other groups. They became savages. All of them."
I nodded. "I get that."