When The World Ends

Make-up?

Standing there at that moment, I had no clue how much everything was going to change, but the one thing I did know. I was furious. It wasn't at the walker's littering our home but the three figures walking towards us in the far fences. I blink not because I needed to but because I couldn't believe my eyes. They have the nerve to come back here. I pace back-and-forth to the back of the group. I don't think I can handle seeing him.

My eyes boiled with rage as the three of them arrive at the gate, Beth opens it up. After stepping through all hell breaks loose, my eyes meet his. I start my way towards him. I use all my force and push him back into the gate.

Drowning out the noise of yelling behind me I look at him. I've never seen such fear in his eyes when looking at me, but those Georgia blue eyes should be. I've collected myself back up. I let go of the black velvet material and let my right hand fly into his cheek.

I let out a huge breath tripping backward. I correct my footing and swerve around on my feet back into the cellblock, making my way through everyone. Marching all in and up the stairs, his room catches my eye. I step carefully into it. The walls are bare, absolutely nothing. He didn't want to stay. He had everything on hand.

"The hell is wrong with her?" The door to the cell block opens up as pushing myself on to the rail to sit. I see everyone walk in. Small conversations take over, Daryl and Carol looking up at me from time to time; I shoot her a glance.

"We aren't leaving. We've fought hard for this place." Rick fixes his gun. I look down at my hands that are in my lap. Conversations become how to fortify this place for the Governor attacks. I swing my feet over the edge and walk into my cell when Merle starts talking. He's here, I don't have to like it, but I have to put up with it.

I wait till all talk is over to poke my head out to call to Hershel. He wastes no time climbing the stairs to come and talk to me. Glances over the cellblock make me realize everyone's eyes are on me. I roll them and add a curtain over my door once Hershel enters.

"What do you need?" His voice lined with anger at Rick.

"I want to make sure everything is okay, I ran to save you after all. I'm sorry but if I hadn't gotten to you in time I would have blamed myself. Your daughters wouldn't have been easy on me." I sadly say. He places a hand on my arm.

"I understand. Let's check." He nods to the bed. The good news, nothing was broken. I just need to rest. The bad news, Merle was still here, I take down the curtain and we both make our way downstairs.

"Maggie is staying on the watch." Rick comes over to us. I lean against the door while Hershel stands behind me.

"We are just stuck here with no food, no ammunition." Glenn points out to Rick.

"We've been here before. Calm your panties." Daryl makes his way down the stairs. I don't even look in his direction.

"No, but now we have a snake."

"We need him. Merle's staying, he's apart of us now." Daryl scoffs and flees back to where he came from. We part ways again having nothing to do. Starting to get bored of these plain walls, I go through my bag and lay everything out. Scanning over the items I start to fold them, memories coming back.


You bitch! God, you never shut up! I want this; I want that, crying all the time. Make one more sound and you get the closet. The cool leather across my back adding new marks. I didn't cry anymore when it happened. I took to mother's fits with a grain of salt. It was never really my fault, but she sure made it out to be.

***

Talk from the cell in the far corner catches my attention.

"You should go to her."

"She doesn't want to see me."

"You don't know that. She built up her walls again and if she keeps them. She won't come back. Just try." Silence comes as the voices go to nothing but a whisper. Footsteps approach, a figure deflecting the light coming into my cell.

"Go away." I put the plastic bag of memories into my pack.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" His voice breaks. My heart drops, she told him. Tears try to make their appearance, but I blink them away.

"So, what it's not like you care. You ran out with your brother without even asking." I toss a shirt in my bag.

"I didn't mean to leave."

"No, you did Daryl. You didn't even think about how it would affect everyone here!" I finally look at him and his eyes display something I've never witnessed until now towards me, pity and genuine sadness. I scoff pulling myself to my feet. "And now you don't get to walk in here and pretend like everything is okay! Because guess what, it's not!" My lips tremble.

He steps forward, but I push him away. He tries once more and again, but he makes no advancement.

"You don't think I care about you?" His voice hurt.

"You don't. You don't remember the words, "You're nothing to me!" Huh?" My eyes threaten to water again at the mention of the sentence.

"I just said that, so you would let me leave." Daryl's voice raises a little.

"You don't say shit like that at all, Dixon." I turn and run my hair through my fingers.

"You can't shut me out!" He yells.

"Yeah, I can. I've shut everybody out. Don't take it personally." I look at my wall, but a hand turns me around.

"So that moment we had in the yard days ago didn't mean anything to you. Me, kissing your forehead at the farm or hugging you never meant anything?!" He steps closer to me. He keeps his hand on my arm as he does.

"Of course they did, but you never seemed to notice. Obviously they didn't mean enough to you or else you wouldn't have left as you did." I look in his eyes.

"You are so naive." His voice has dropped to a whisper. He leans in closely, his breath fanning over my face. His hands graze my arms from the wrists to shoulders. "You mean everything to me!" He barely gets out before he crashes his lips with mine. They are rugged but gentle at the same time. Warm and welcoming, I start closing my eyes enjoying it, but it hits me that I'm furious at him. I bit his lip hard and knock him away. His eyes clouded with shock.

"Not right now. You don't get to come back here and kiss me like you didn't leave." I brush passed grabbing my gun and heading outside. I open the gate enough to squeeze through and run into the tower. Reaching the top, I grab the binoculars to watch the treeline. Scanning the tree line every few minutes, I don't find anything. Passing my gaze over the line for the final time on my watch, I notice something.

A geek with its arms cut off. I keep following it and spot metal around its neck. What the fuck? I think. When the walker reaches the downhill, I see it. The blonde hair that was lost months ago, the last time I saw her, I tried to save her and ended up getting stabbed. She shot Daryl for Pete's sake. Yet, she was right there walking towards us, I turn to Carl yelling in a whisper.

"Run in and get your daddy." He abides and turns to leave Maggie and me out here. The others come out quickly guns loaded.

"Are you alone?" He shouts. I put the binoculars back up to my eyes scanning. A quick pass
exposes no one else.

"Don't look like anyone is with her!" I shout.

"Open the gate, Rick." She pleads.

"Jade, get your ass down here!" Rick yells. I open the hatch, grabbing the latter and climbing down as fast as I can. Opening the door to the outside, I sprint in behind Andrea before they close the gate. I step in, keeping my gun on her as Rick starts in on her.

"Hands up. Drop the weapon and turn." He pushes her into the gate. He grabs both of her hands and cuffs them behind her back. Rick puts her on the floor and asks her again.

"Are you alone."

"I said I was." She says breathlessly.

"Welcome Home. Let's go," We bring her into the cell block and spread out. She walks in and hugs Carol, but after they end the hug I stand guard around her. Eyeing Andrea not trusting her still. She moves on to notice Hershel's leg.

"Where is everyone? Shane? Lori?" Silence captures us as she figures out. I look to Rick making sure he is okay.

"Lori had a baby girl. Lori, however, didn't make it." Andrea's face fills with sorrow looking at Rick.

"I am so sorry." Her eyes land on him by my side. "Carl." I step to my left covering him.

"We don't need your pity. What do you want?" My harsh voice sounds as our eyes meet.

"You guys live here?" Her brow raises.

"In the block, yes." I cross my arms, the long cotton sleeves stretching across my skin.

"Can I go in?" She begins to walk; I place my left hand on her chest stopping her when she closes the distance.

"I won't let you." Rick comes to my aid. Andrea rolls her eyes looking between him and me.

"I'm not the enemy, you guys."

"No, but we had the yard cleared until your boyfriend showed up and tore down our fences and shot at us." Rick stares dead at her.

"He said you shot first." I scoff.

"People will say anything nowadays to keep getting laid, I guess." She sneers at me. I harden my stare at her.

"He killed inmates that were here before we liked some of them."

"They were one of us," Daryl speaks, his underlying meaning being that family is family no matter who they are or where they're from.

"He didn't tell me that." running a hand down her face.

"Just like I said, anything to get laid."

"Yeah, and when's the last time you were, huh? Bet it'd do you some good." Rick grabs my hand keeping me from hitting her. "I didn't know you all were there until after the shoot out."

"That was days ago." Glenn straightens up.

"I came as soon as I could." I refrain from making another joke out of that too. "What have you told them?" She points her attention to Michonne for a second.

"Nothing." She leans against the small cell Merle's in.

"I was with you guys from Atlanta till the Farm and now I'm a stranger?"

"A lot can change in a year." I huff.

"He about killed Michonne. He could have killed us. You have no idea who he is!" Glenn yells at her then looks at me with pity.

"With Merle's finger on the trigger right beside him. He's the one that kidnapped you. He beat you, tortured you, rape-"

"Enough!" I cut her off, closing Carl's ears.

"Look, I cannot justify what Philip has done to you. But I am trying to bring our families together. This needs to be worked out."

"There is nothing that needs to be worked out. He's dying for what he to us and for who he hurt." Rick looks at me forewarning me he's got my back. "We have no plan for when or how, but he will die."

"Rick, this can be settled. No one needs to die."

"Haven't you been listening? People already have! Four of our people have died, is that not enough for you?" She shakes her head.

"We can bring you in. We have room."

"You know better." Merle objects.

"What makes you think he will? Did you hear him say it?" Hershel questions her.

"No." She looks defeated.

"Then there is no use wasting our breath on something that he didn't say."

"He's getting ready for war, training people? Do you guys want that? A whole town up against, what, ten people?"

"We've taken this bullshit for too long," Glenn says to her.

"He wants a war. He's got one." I finish off his sentence. Cries come from our cell block, and I look at Rick. "I got her," I mumble. "Carol, a bottle?" She nods, and I kiss Carl on the head on my way out.

Climbing the metal stairs, I reach Judith's box that has Little-Ass-Kicker on the side. I take her from the box, cradling her body tightly in my arms. Her head in the nook of my elbow and legs in the other. I slowly rock her back and forth suppressing her cries to small groans, after a little bit Carol comes with the bottle.

I take the bottle in my right hand and balance her with my left to feed her. She takes the bottle and instantly goes silent. I watch as her eyes close slightly enjoy the formula. It's moments like this where you forget about everything outside. Her little face is all happy not knowing that everything's gone to shit.

"You're a natural." Carol cheers and softly pats my shoulders. I can't look away from her. She is beautiful, but I never would've been a good mum. I'm too scared to raise a child. I don't want to hurt it. Not like I was.

When she is done, I move her so she's facing my back. I gently rub and pat her back making sure she won't have gas later. Carol begins to ask me questions.

"SO, what happened in earlier?" she wiggles her brows.

"What do you mean?" I rub Judith back.

"In the cell? I heard yelling for a bit, but then it got quiet. Why'd it get quiet?" We colid shoulders and I shake my head, does she know about it? Did she plan it?

"Nothing, just fighting. I had to think before I spoke." Her face falls as I lie to her. Thinking about what to talk about next I feel a warm feeling spread down my back. It almost feels fuzzy, and that's when I knew what happened.

Looking to Carol to take her she laughs. I roll my eyes and force out a haha. I grab a towel and go to my cell. Shedding my shirt, I grab Carl's plaid one that he gave to me the other day. I made a mental note to return it next time I did laundry.

Entering the catwalk, I see Andrea has already taken my place with Carol. I walk past both and make my way downstairs. Rick says that Andrea will be heading off soon and that we need to get a car ready for her. Glenn makes his way outside and so doo the rest of us. I make my way to the fence but keep a safe distance to not attract more walkers than we have already.

Rick and Carl walk her to the car, and everyone nods to her as she gets in. As she approaches me I run-up to the gate unlock it and pull it out of her way. She quickly passes giving such a small nod I barely notice it and have time to give one back. I close it up and we watch as she drives off back to the enemy.

I look at Rick and nod up to the catwalk above him. He nods and says that I'll be on watch in about an hour and a half after supper. So, right after we partook of a limited supper of soup. Carrots and beef, I was up pacing on that catwalk.

I don't turn on my flashlight one to give away my position and two because the moon is bright.

The breeze is cool, so I don't have to worry about being too warm. The faint sound of sing echos in the block. I smile placing my back on the wood that is to shelter me from bullets. Enjoying the song Beth's warm voice sings from deep in the prison.

The singing stops and the door opens. I don't even need to look up to know who it is. His steady steps give it away, consistently do. Each one of us quiet, the other daring to break the silence.

"Did you mean it?" I ask him, seriously wondering if what he said was true.

"Did I mean what?" His voice was small.

"I'm not some toy you can play with, Dixon. I'm serious. Did you mean it?" I pull myself up facing him brushing off my ass and knees. He looks back at me his blue eyes glowing. He takes a few steps closing distance.

"I meant every word." He takes his hand and grazes my cheek. "Why didn't you tell me?" I direct my gaze to the moon.

"I told you, you didn't ask. You had left before we had the chance to talk." He pulls my chin, so I'm looking at him now.

"No one will ever hurt you again. I'll make sure of it." I roll my eyes.

"You can't protect me from everything." I take his hand off of my face.

"I can try. You mean a lot to me. I don't show it well, I know, but I'm working on it. I'll do bet especially if you are mine. I can see the way you are with Rick and if you want to go that way I'll let you go." I stop him.

"I don't feel that way for Rick. He helped me with my case in the past and gave me a job, but that's it."

"So, I just got the little man then?" He jokes.

"No, no only you. Listen though you pull that shit again Dixon you aren't getting another shot. You have to earn back trust now. You got t-" But I'm cut off by his lips again. This time I don't fight him off.

I let my hands explore his hair grabbing fistfuls of it and tugging. His hands go to either side of my waist. His lips are gentle for this kiss, soft and hesitant as if making sure he won't get his lip bit again. His tongue grazes my bottom lip. I giggle pulling away leaving my arms at his shoulders.

"You ain't getting laid tonight Dixon," I crush any dreams he has.

"Did I say anything about sex? I don't think I did." He smirks. I pull away plaining on heading to bed. "So tomorrow then?" I drop my mouth. "Teasing, now close that mouth before I have some more fun." I smack his chest and pull away fully.

"I'm going to bed have someone take over for me."

"Yes, ma'am." I walk around him towards the door, and I feel a light smack on my rear end.

"Daryl Dixon you smack my ass again you won't have a hand." I raise my hand at him.

"Wear looser jeans then. If you have any nightmare, just climb in bed with me. I'll keep you safe." His voice sounds nervous.

"Maybe some other day." I turn and wink at him before making my way to my cell.