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I'll Keep You Alive If You Show Me The Way

Chapter 27: Bubbles

What? What?! I felt like screaming. They had just left me! I prepared to fight my way out of here by loading my bow. I anchored my wrist and aimed at the door as it began to dissolve.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HARLEIGH!?" Nathan's voice shouted above me.

My head snapped back, ok, maybe I had panicked. You'd do the same right? His hand was outstretched for me to grab, relief washed over me and I snatched it. He heaved me up but my hands were slippy with sweat and I began to slide from his grip. I felt something snatch my ankle. I screamed and looked down into the face of one of the scientists.

I felt Nathan's finger tips leave mine only to be caught by his other hand. Half of his body was hanging in through the window. I stared down at scientist as he rolled up the bottom of my jeans. He leaned into...bite me? I kicked him in the face, his nose crunched under my boot. He screamed as blood ran into his mouth. He slumped to the ground, holding his face. Others stepped over him or dragged him out of way.

"Shoot Nathan!" Another yelled.

I watched as one pulled out a gun. I grabbed my revolver and shot him just as Nathan regained the strength to pull me up. I lay on my back, panting.

"HE TRIED TO BITE ME!" I screamed at the starry sky.

"No time to stargaze, woman! Let's go!" Nate yelled.

I got to my feet. Nathan ran to the side of the roof and jumped, landing gracefully on the wall. I picked up Charlotte and tossed her over. Nathan caught her and settle her on the wall beside him.

That's how light she was. I followed after her. Nathan then turned quickly and went to jump down but slipped. He fell to the ground with a loud thud and the snapping of twigs.

"FUCK!" he swore.

"What?" I called down to the darkness.

"Sprained my ankle!"

"Can you still catch us?"

"Yeah, think so."

"I'll go first this time," I said to Charlotte.

She nodded, shaking slightly. From fright or the cold I couldn't tell. It was freezing cold but I didn't have time to think about that. Nathan caught me, grunting slightly. Charlotte jumped, eager to get away from the hell behind her.

"Which ways the car?" Nathan asked.

I felt as if angels had descended from heaven because I actually remembered. I opened the door for Charlotte and the got into the driver seat.

"Buckle up," I told her.

"Hurry now, they'll be at the cars soon," Nathan panted.

I nodded and reversed quickly out of the forest and onto the road, speeding back to the prison.

xxx

Rick was mad... no scratch that. Rick was pissed... no, no... Rick was blinded by furious rage when we arrived back early that morning. I mean, I was delighted he was up and about and HAD the energy to roar at me.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, HARLEIGH BENNING?!" he bellowed.

Wow, full name... This was somewhere in the middle of his long screaming speech. I shrugged my shoulders. We were outside, the majority of the others stood around watching.

"I wasn't," I mumbled to the ground.

Nathan and Charlotte had been excused to go into the second cell block. They both had injuries. I wish I did. I felt horrible.

"We were worried. Sick." Rick said, staring into my tired eyes.

I nodded slowly. He rubbed his forehead and turned and left down to the yard. I felt to ashamed to look at any of the others so I walked straight into our cell block. To my surprise Daryl sat at the table, stabbing it with a knife. His elbow rested on the table and his head on his hand. He stared blankly at the knife as he yanked it out of the crack that had formed in the table. He looked up slowly, noticing my presence. He gave me a dirty look. I sighed, annoyed now.

"What?" I snapped.

"Did y'have fun with y'boyfriend?" he asked, coldly.

"What?" I frowned. Really?

"Y'went off t'screw 'em dintcha?!" he shouted, jealousy laced his words.

"Fuck you," I spat, shaking my head. He stood up quickly, causing me to jump.

"NO! Fuck you, Harleigh!" he bellowed, shocking me. Anger riled up inside me.

"Shut up, Daryl. I went to get medicine to help us. I SAVED A LITTLE GIRL! What did you do? Sit around wondering what I was doing with my body?"

The volume in my voice matched his.

He glared at me, if looks could kill. He crossed the room towards me. He raised his fists and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the blow. I felt something warm on either side of my face.

He cupped my face in his hands, leaning down he pressed his lips to mine. I kissed him back once I got over the shock. He kissed me roughly. I reached up and laced my fingers through his brown hair. He moved his hands to my hips and pushed me against the wall. We kissed for what seemed like forever. He pulled away abruptly and took a few steps back. I wiped my mouth, staring at him. He looked so... sad...

"Why would you think I'd go off with him?" I asked softly. He raised his shoulders slowly and looked at the floor.

"'Cause he's more ya type... ain't he?" he muttered, blushing lightly.

"Whatcha mean?" I frowned.

"I'm jus' a redneck."

I shook my head.

"Shuddup, Daryl," I mumbled.

He looked up again, this time his face showed anger.

"I am, Leigh. And you're... y'would'n ever ev'n look at me if all this hadn't've happened."

"Well it did. You wouldn't have looked at me either."

"Y'd be with some one else, some one who doesn't scare-"

"I don't want anyone else, Daryl. I like you," I laughed slightly.

"Y'crazy," he said, shaking his head.

"Maybe," I smirked. "Ain't afraid of you either."

I moved closer to him and pulled him into a hug. He held me tightly and we rocked side to side slowly.

"Why were you ignoring me?" I asked, hearing the hurt in my own voice.

He stood back from me again.

"I din't mean ta," he muttered.

I scratched my shoulder awkwardly and glanced down at the ground.

"I jus'..."

"Go on..." I pushed.

His forehead scrunched in a frown.

"Y'know I'm bad with this stuff, Leigh!" he grumbled. I grinned.

"I don't care, so am I."

"Y'can go first then."

"Nah, I've nothin' to say. Now tell me!"

He scratched the back of his head, shaking it. I shrugged.

"Alright, if that's all, I gotta go yelled at," I said, turning away.

"What? What were y'doin'?"

My eyes widened. Oh shit, he's gonna kill me.

"Oh y'know, just... some... stuff," I mumbled, slowly turning back around to face him.

He raised his eyebrow at me. I huffed a sigh.

"I went with Nathan to this asylum full of people who wanna kill me for a bag of supplies, rescuing a little girl along the way."

He blinked.

"Y'kiddin' right?"

I could hear the anger beginning to rise in his voice again. I shook my head.

"HARLEIGH! ARE YOU NUTS?! WHAT IF THEY CAUGHT YA?"

"Well, apparently I'd be tortured to death, I don't know," I rambled.

I was slammed against the wall.

"THIS AIN'T FUNNY!"

"I know, I know," my voice shook from fright.

He pinned his body to mine. That's pretty confusing for a girl, y'know? Are you angry or you wanna make out? I don't know.

"Y'can't do that," he whispered.

"Why not?" I asked, determined for an answer.

Confusion crossed his face for a split second.

"Well, we need ya here, don't we? Carl needs ya... Judith 'n' Rick."

I arched my brow.

"I don't owe Lori anything, remember?" I whispered.

He glared at me for what felt like forever.

"Y're a pain in the ass, Harleigh Benning," he muttered, resting his forehead against mine.

I smiled up at him.

"I kicked a guy in the face," I told him proudly.

Daryl leaned away, stepping back once more.

"I don' wanna know, Leigh," he sighed.

I nodded, kicking off my combats and pulling on some converse. We then went outside. Confusion hit me, some one was crying. We walked out to the group, it was little Charlotte.

"HARLEIGH!" she cried, racing towards me.

I crouched down and she flung herself into my body. I hugged her tightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning.

Over her shoulder the group stood watching us. She sobbed into my shoulder. I sat down on the floor and held her shoulders arms length away from me.

"Hey, nobody's gonna hurt you ever again ok?"

"Promise?" she sniffed.

"I swear," I said, putting a hand on my heart and holding the other up.

She giggled, then turned her frightened eyes up to Daryl who stood by my shoulder.

"That's Daryl, he's cool. Y'wanna meet Carol? She'll look after you real good," I smiled.

She bobbed her head and I stood up, taking her hand. I led her through the group, Daryl following behind.

"Can you guys not do that? You'll scare her," I muttered, passing them by.

They separated out to do whatever work they had for today. I led Charlotte into the second block where Carol was, helping the older survivors.

"Harleigh! You should be sleeping!" Carol scolded, spotting me.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"Your friend is knocked out," she giggled, pointing over to Nathan.

He sat up in a torn armchair outside one of the cells with his mouth wide open, slumped over to one side. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"This is Charlotte," I said, introducing the little girl gripping and hiding behind my leg.

"Heya," Carol beamed down at her. "There's other kids to play with if you want."

Charlotte nodded her head. Carol pointed out the children playing on the stairs. Charlotte let go of me and made her way slowly over to the other children.

"Isn't she adorable?" I remarked.

"She sure is," Carol smiled. "Was she um..."

"Experimented on? Probably, she's real jumpy."

"And her family?"

"I'm not sure."

Carol placed a hand over her heart.

"Oh the poor thing."

"I know, y'mind watching her? I'll be around if she wants me okay?"

"Sure thing."

"C'mon," I said to Daryl.

"Oh Harleigh! Try not to wander off again, Rick's head may explode," Carol told me trying to hide her smile. I nodded and followed Daryl outside.

"Do y'wanna go asleep?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine for another while."

"Don' think there's much to do today... y'wanna go hunt?"

"Sure," I smiled, we headed towards the gate.

"HARLEIGH!"

I turned around to face Rick.

"Where are you going?" he asked, striding over.

"Hunting..."

"You're not leaving this prison," he said firmly.

"Ehm, yeah, I am," I said, furrowing my brow.

"How do you know they're not on your trail? Huh?"

"Think they'd be here by now," I grumbled.

"You're not leaving. I thought you'd agreed with that Daryl," Rick said, directing his voice at Daryl.

"Nothin' t'be done 'ere Rick. She'll be fine with me."

"There's plenty to do. If you can't think of something then go lookout and I'll find something to do," Rick said to me.

I sighed and nodded. No point in getting on the wrong side of Rick. As I walked past him he caught onto my shoulder.

"I just don't want you out there Harleigh," he said, softly.

"I get it," I mumbled, walking towards one of the towers.

I climbed up and stood beside Michonne. I leaned my elbow against the rail and watched Daryl and Rick talk. Probably about me. I watched as Rick pointed at the forest and Daryl shook his head, walking back this way.

"So, see anything?" I asked Michonne.

"Nah," she sat on a wooden chair leaning against the wall with her feet up on the railing.

I loved how chill she was, she didn't seem to give a damn too much. I admired that.

I blew my fringe out of my eyes, I needed a haircut, badly. We all did.

"I bet I can hit that walker from here," I said to her pointing at a walker on the other side of the fence.

"Y'can't," Daryl said, reaching the top of the stairs. "S'too far, for a bow like tha'."

"I think she can," Michonne commented.

"You think your lil crossbow can beat mine?" I asked, arching my brow.

"Didn't say that. But yeah," he smirked, taking it off his back and loading it.

Michonne looked amused with our little competition and sat up to get a better look. Daryl aimed the crossbow, paused for a moment and pulled the trigger. The arrow zoomed through the air, past the fence and hit the walker in the shoulder.

"Not bad, but it's still walking," I said.

I stuck my finger into my mouth and held it to the wind. I moved over to the side and took out my bow, placing an arrow on it. I shut one eye and lined the shot. Still wasn't going to make it. I climbed the rail.

"Careful, Leigh," Daryl warned as I stood up on the highest one.

I tried not to look down or I would faint. I inhaled deeply and sprung to my tip toes, and I mean the very tips of my toes. I let the arrow lose, it zipped past the fence and plunged straight through the face of the walker. I began to wobble so I hopped down quickly and took a bow.

"Thank you, thank you," I said to the imaginary clapping.

"Told ya she could do it," Michonne mumbled, leaning the chair back against the wall propping her feet up.

"Le's try with guns," Daryl challenged.

"No fair," I grumbled. He smirked again.

"Gotta teach ya how t'shoot some day, Leigh."

"I'm never allowed out again," I muttered.

"Y'will once Rick calms down," Daryl shrugged.

xxx

The beach. Now there's something I wouldn't mind seeing before my time runs out. I leaned my elbow against the side of the bath, pulling my legs up to my chest. The water was boiling my skin but I didn't care. I needed to get the dirt off my body. Also I had bubbles. Loads of bubbles, I mean when's the next time I'll have a bath?

I was alone now for the first time in ages, apart from Sam who lay at the side of the tub. I never really had time for him, he often played with the kids or followed Carl around. I was happy that at least some one could give him the attention he deserved. I stared at my bruised knees taking a slow drag of my cigarette. I had found a dilemma as soon as I slipped into the water. I had forgotten a towel. The wooden tub was plonked down in the middle the white tiled changing room. You think they'd have some in a changing room right? My ears picked up the sound of some one walking past in the corridor.

"Hey!" I called out.

I began to get nervous as no one replied, what if it was a walker... I can't fight a walker like this! But Sam got up, wagging his tail as the door slowly creaked open and Daryl peeped in.

"Get me a towel will ya?" I asked quickly.

I didn't want him to see me! I was a wreck. My hair was long and lifeless, I should be cast as the Grudge. My skin, ugh don't get me started apart from being covered in layers of dirt, bruises and cuts it was unhealthy. I was also freaky skinny, bones stuck out from places where they shouldn't. I looked like an abandoned dog in an empty street. Daryl nodded and left briskly. I hated myself for beginning so worked up and worried about how I looked. I don't have time for that!

My mind then wandered off and I began to wonder if Daryl had high expectations of women. I doubt he really cared now but what if... I am such a stupid girl. For the first time since this the world went to shit I wished to be pretty. Maggie was gorgeous, so was Alexandria and even my sister. I used to be. A glamorous, little pretty pink ballerina. I cringed at my girliness and how superficial I used to be. Daryl was right, if I gave him a second glance it would have been out of disgust.

Maybe the world ending was the best thing to happen to me. I definitely would never have cut my hair. I twirled the long strands in my fingers and remembered how Daryl had complimented me when I chopped it. That's the only compliment he'd ever given me... Now I was beginning to expect too much from him. It's closed off Daryl we're talking about. A guy who was afraid to look at me in public in case some one else noticed. I needed to stop thinking about this.

"Gonna punch myself in the face," I grumbled.

"Huh?"

I jumped as Daryl appeared into the room again, carrying a bundle of towels.

"Nothin', talking to myself," I mumbled, scraping a line of dirt off my thigh with my nail.

I frowned a little, getting pissed off that nothing was coming off.

"Y'do that a lot, Leigh?" he asked frowning, he put down the towels on the bench beside the wall.

I thanked the lord that Maggie had given me bath bombs. These suds were my saviors.

"Sometimes."

A lot.

He strolled over to the lockers at the side of the room and began to open them.

"What are you doing?" I asked through a sigh, wishing him away.

"Lookin'. Y'wanna brush?" he asked taking out a bath brush.

I nodded.

"What kinda queers were locked up in here," he said tossing the brush over to me.

"Because they tried to clean themselves?" I asked, raising my brow.

He snorted not looking away from the locker he was rooting through. I began scrubbing my legs, flinching when the bristles caught onto cuts and tender bruises.

"Never gonna be clean again," I grumbled to myself.

"Queers," Daryl repeated. I looked over at him holding up a roll of condoms.

"Least they were being safe," I shrugged.

He threw the packet over to the benches and continued searching through the prisoner's stuff. The grime was beginning to come off my legs at last. The white bristles were now blackened. I rolled my eyes. A massage would be great, I used to always get them. I reached down and picked up a vase from the floor, filled it with murky water and poured it over my head. I wiped my eyes and looked back at Daryl. He was shaking a bottle of tablets as I began scrubbing my arms, flinching because of the stiffness in my shoulders.

"Are y'sore?"

My eyes widened slightly, realising Daryl had been watching me.

"Uh yeah, kinda," I mumbled, trying not to blush.

He crossed the room and kneeled down behind me, causing my heart to hammer in my chest. He moved my hair so it fell over one shoulder like a glossy waterfall. He gripped my shoulders and began massaging my back.

"Fuck," I sighed, happily.

Silence fell as he worked the knots out of my back. I tried not to think about the filth on my shoulders and just enjoyed the moment.

"You're beautiful, Harleigh."

My body jolted with the beat of my heart.

"What?" I whispered.

"Said, y'beautiful," he repeated, louder, a little more confident.

I turned my head slowly to face him to see if he was pulling my leg. He looked back at me with sincerity in his blue eyes.

"I uh... well... uhm," I garbled.

"I see the way y'lookin' atchyaself," he said, brushing the hair out of my face.

I had a lump in my throat that was stopping me from speaking. He leaned in and kissed me gently. I felt as if I was going to faint, I had to be dreaming or something. I laced my fingers through his hair, pulling him as close as possible.

"You wanna get in this tub or what?" I asked against his lips.

He breathed a laugh and leaned away.

"Can't, Leigh," he said, standing up.

"Why the hell not?!" I asked, outraged.

He slung his crossbow over his back.

"Rick asked me t'do somethin'," he said simply, opening the door.

"Who's the queer now," I muttered to myself.

"Heard that," he said, slowly shutting the door.

"GOOD!" I called after him crossing my arms.

Notes

Hey guys! So there's chapter 27 a filler kinda... yup not much to say except thank you guys for commenting and all that I LURVE YOU

and I dedicate this chapter to Eimear because she stayed up 'til 2 am to finish it last night and then cried and demanded more. ok... you crazy ho here ya go ily x

yeeaah thhhhanks guys! tell me what you think will happen next, I love your input ;) sometimes it even inspires me

buhbye x

Comments

I'm super sad because I've realized this may never get updated. It's legitimately the best story on this site

wolvesyroses wolvesyroses
1/17/16

Oh I really love this story. I hope it gets updated >< please update!

Gilyflower Gilyflower
3/25/15

This is the most amazing story ever on this site ever please update. Harleigh is amazing and you are a great writer.

reddeadwalker reddeadwalker
10/21/14

Amazing writing, as always.

SierraaDixon SierraaDixon
3/22/14

Holy crap please update!!! This is one of the best I've read in a long time!!!

elissa_mirinda elissa_mirinda
3/16/14