#dcntopen

   Beth loved children, truly, but it felt like she had little choice in the matter. Some days she had to wonder if the debt she owed Lori was worth all this, all the tantrums and diapers and pressure. She hadn’t wanted to have a child, certainly not so young, and she could care for Judith... But it crossed her mind like a song she couldn’t remember, the notion that maybe there was more she could do.

   Walkers, cannibals, awful people -- she’d killed them all. The same hands that cradled a child had ended far more lives, and she was expected to make peace with that, all on her own. But what did Beth have to complain about, surrounded by off-white walls and warm blankets. She froze at the sound of a doorway, and at the creak of the floorboards.

   All until the familiar slant of Rick’s weary smile appeared, whether he meant it or not. 

              GOING ON A RUN with the head honcho himself was not due to needing supplies. they were stashed pretty well at hilltop with the blueprints he had brought along for gardening and fresh water. the people had no issues making potatoes and turnips, unlike nick had once before. this was more of a peace of mind outing-- even though morgan said to leave rick be.

                 ‘hey,’ nick steps into the room with a small smile and a light wave of his hand, half expecting the older man to be ready. but he’s not. instead he’s still seated on the bed with the python in his lap. part of nick wants to turn around and leave, yet that’s been everyone’s solution to seeing rick like this. ‘the car’s ready and the sun’s almost gone. it won’t be too hot out.’ he doesn’t know what to say that won’t bring up tragic memories or make rick feel worse, so he stops talking and steps further into the room. taking a seat on the bed’s edge next to the other, nick exhales deeply and stays silent.

After the prison, after everything, Shane just couldn’t do it anymore. Leading the group, it was going to get Carl killed- it did get Lori killed. He left that group of tragic misfits and headed out on the road with Carl and the baby- Judith.

Strange sentiment, naming the baby after a grade school teacher, but how was he going to deny the boy when he had been soaked through to his skin with his mother’s blood?

The memory of last winter drove Shane and Carl south. As long as they kept up their water supply, the heat was bearable, and he didn’t have to worry about Judith freezing in the night.

Eventually they came across the Hilltop, and the Hilltop was alright. Crops, walls, a pissant leader Shane could deal with. And they were paying protection. That didn’t sit well with Shane, but at least the kids had roofs over their heads. After Lori and the prison, that had to be enough.

He was on crop detail when he heard the rumble of trucks coming from outside the walls.

“Carl.” He said sharply, picking his shovel out of the dirt. He watched as the young man stepped away from his work on a length of chicken wire and headed towards the trailer, picking up Judith along the way.

Shane pulled the hat off of his head and dabbed away the sweat from his brow with it.

EVERYONE WAS ASLEEP . except for rick , who found it rather hard to sleep no mater how exhausted his body reminded him he was . it was only a matter of time before sally found him lying awake , and it was only a matter of time after THAT that she was laying lightly on top of him , taking his mind off of sleep and instead leading his thoughts to her body , her lips . the words she softly hissed into his ear made him tense up , made his eyes close , gave him a sharp inhale of breath as his body lifted slightly in ANTICIPATION . they needed to be quiet , but his kisses were greedy , hands lifting her shirt from her body before sucking at her collar bone . CONTROL YOURSELF , RICK . your daughter is in the next room .

she knew where to find comfort, how to get what she wanted, and all it took was a kiss to his neck and then, he was all hers. his hands on her hips made the doll sigh, hold on to rick’s shirt and rip it off his back in one single, smooth motion before tossing it to the prison floor. a second kiss, then another; her mouth traveling down his ear and jaw, wetting the skin she found there as her hips began rolling on top of his. wanting, begging in perfect silence to be touched, worshiped and adored, mindless of the people who were still sleeping around them.

their family, but wouldn’t they want them to be happy?

( get a text from this asshole // accepting )