[IC] The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

[QT]

Floyd - House - Jess/Abram

When he fell unconscious everything had turned to black. Not a single image popped in his head between his sudden sleep and his foreshadowed stir. There were no dreams, no nightmares that helped him pass time. But do not underestimate the pain the redneck was in. Regardless the lack of tainted conception, his physic was still being stirred by an outside force, in this case, a stranger named Abram.

In his sleep he could hear his own grunts echoing through the empty void in his mind. The pain was mesmerizing, but he held himself composed for the sake of the girl and her unborn child. He pushed himself to fight the growing pain and allow it to diminish as he was being treated. Outside of his helpless mind, Abram used medical supplies found in his truck to close the wound and prevent further bleeding. The pain Floyd felt at that moment was Abram's fingers twiddling around his vulnerable skin. It was like twenty needles slowly piercing the outer layer of his dermis.

At that exact moment his mind became clouded. He wasn't thinking straight and could only hear his own helpless screams. He called out to his beloved, but heard nothing in return. He called out again and the response was exactly the same............nothing. That's when he could see the outline of his body walking down a path. The path, like the rest of his clouded mind, was an effigy of darkness. The outline was white, exploding a straight path towards yet another outline. Once Floyd's conscious got there, he started to hear his name being called over and over. As he paid attention to the figure before him, he noticed the noise was coming from it. Floyd tried to speak, but nothing seemed to come out. "Floyd?" he heard yet again, the figure before him standing to become a large man. The man faced away from Floyd, but as it turned it transformed into a serpent that shot itself out to strike.It's venomous fangs came two inches from Floyd before the redneck woke.

Floyd's eyes opened widely as he sprung upward with a heavy breath. He looked side to side like a maniac who was lost in some kind of parallel universe. He then turned to his right to find Jess beside him. He wanted to hug her but as he moved towards her shoulders, his wound caused him to spring back into the couch. Once he realized he'd return, he started to breath normally again, stabilizing his heartbeat as he moved his hand to grasp hers. He looked at their united hands and started to play with her fingers a little. "Did he do this?" he asked her, wondering if it was the stranger who stitched him back up. Even though it was obvious, he still wanted an answer. "He didn't hurt you or anythin did he?" he added to his question. He felt as though once again he put them in this bad situation. He felt as though he had been too weak in a time where strength was necessary. He wanted to apologize but knew she didn't want to hear it. He couldn't even bring himself to look into her eyes because he feared resentment. He didn't even want to know how long he was out because he feared what had happened in the meantime.

Still he didn't trust the stranger, regardless his aid. Since his belief was that there were no good people out in the world, he trusted nobody. The only exception was the people that trusted him, which right now was only Jess. Their relationship was more complicated. Floyd then turned away from their hands and looked for the man to find him in the other room. He didn't say anything, just stared for a while before returning his attention to Jess. "Did ya eat? Don't go without eatin, it's not good for you nor the kid" Floyd worried. He wasn't sure how long she'd been by his side, but knew she was a little hardheaded. Even though he was the one that needed to be worried for, he was more concerned with Jess' health rather than his own.

[Myst]

Jessalyn - House - Floyd / Abram

When Floyd woke with such a start Jess was concerned he had been having a nightmare. She wiped his forehead and smiled. "It's okay Floyd. Everything is fine."
When he asked if she was hurt she smiled warmly and kissed his cheek. "He didn't hurt me," she assured him in a whisper. "His name is Abram. He stitched you up. And he brought in plenty of food. Here, I made some soup."
She offered it to him, helping him sit up in order to eat it.

Abram entered the room as he Floyd was eating. "I'm impressed you were ready to fight me injured like you were. You've got balls. I respect a man who risks himself to protect his family. First Sergeant Abram Chamberlin, US Army," he introduced himself and smiled at Jess. "You got yourself quite a lady here. Pregnant in times like these is not easy. But with a dad and mom like you two he's starting off right."

Jess smiled and looked at Floyd. She hoped he wouldn't be angry that she had lead Abram to believe that they were... well, you know. It wasn't just that she was worried about anyone finding out she was unattached. It was more like a hope that she prayed would come true.

"Anyway," Abram said. "I need place to rest for a few days. If you'll let me stay here I'll help defend this place til you're healed up. I've got food and other supplies to share. I've got a gun but I am handy in close range fighting too. And I swear on my mother's grave I will not screw you and your family over."
Abram was directing all of this to Floyd, the man in charge. Jess didn't mind that. Everything was Floyd's decision after all. She would follow whatever he said, because in this world of survival he knew best.

Jess yawned behind her hand.
Abram's attention went to her for a moment. "You tired ma'am? You should be, with all that's happened to you. Go on upstairs and rest while your man and I talk."
Jess looked to Floyd as Abram offered her his hand. She tried not to let the man telling her what to do bother her, it was likely his military training and he was trying to help. Jess looked back to the man, cocking her head. "I don't mean this is a bad way, but please could you refrain from telling me what to do? You did help us, but you are still a stranger. The only person I will listen to and obey is Floyd."
Abram immediately stepped back. "Of course. I didn't mean nothing by it ma'am," he glanced at Floyd. "Sorry man. Wasn't trying to step on any toes."

[Atomyk]

Rudy - New Orleans/House - Ben/Simon/Enrique

"FUCK Disneyland!" Rudy cried, stabbing a shambling biter in the back of his grey bald head.

He turned to his current companions- Simon, Ben, and the guy called Enrique- and laughed. "That place was a dive. It was a shitty place before and it especially is now."

Ben turned from his spot by the windowsill and pouted. "No it wasn't. Just imagine it, seeing that magical land in all its glory-- With no rides!"

"Ain't so glorious now," Simon said, sitting on a kid's bed. It had a space pattern and was shaped like a rocket ship. Rudy shoved the dead biter out into the hall. When he returned, he closed the door to give the group a moment of peace.

"There still will be lines," he said. "They'll just be filled with biters now." Seeing Ben's frown, Rudy continued, "It might be cool, actually. Imagine cutting down a ton of them on a roller coaster. That's the kind of shit I wanted to see in a video game. Or a movie!"

"Forget all that," Simon said. "That just makes me depressed. I never even got to see Disneyland before all this."

"I never got to do a lot of things," Ben added.

"... Are you two serious?" Rudy said incredulously. "This, all of this--" He raised his hands. "--It's just... easier."

Ben turned around, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Hmm! Let me think," Rudy said with a grin. He sat down in a swivel chair and raised his hand into the air. "Our priorities before- our life goals, so to speak- included going to school--" He lifted a finger. "--then getting a job. Then going to school again, so you can get yet another job! Oh, and let's not forget meeting a pretty girl and marrying her. Maybe even pop out a few children, huh?" Rudy grimaced. "Life before was bullshit, but things are different now. Simple. No more fucking celebrities to bother with, no more vapid television shows to keep up with, no more listening to anybody but the people that matter."

Grumbling, Simon scratched at his junk. "Is that it, really? What if we can one day make things like they were? We can change it all if we keep working at it--"

"That's bullshit," Rudy said, rolling his eyes. "There's no cure on the horizon. Compared to the amount of fucking biters out there, we're nothing. We're an insignificant speck amongst a sea of utter shit. All we can do is make sure Outpost is a damn fine place to live. You guys are my family. Out post is family now and you're all a damn better family than I ever had."

Ben was staring wistfully out the window. "I lost my mom. And my girlfriend."

Rudy glared at him. "You think I haven't lost anyone important to me? A piece of me was ripped out the day I lost someone very special. A whole chunk, just fucking gone. I said I had a shit family, not shit friends, do you get me?"

Slowly, Ben nodded. Simon wasn't so content. "You have a point, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, dude."

"I don't care." Rudy stood up. "Whatever floats your fucking boat. I was just telling you how I feel."

---

Shannon - Haywood/Daniel's House - Emma/Daniel

Shannon and Daniel stepped through the door to his home after having gone out for a quick supply run. "I'll get this stuff put away," he said, walking toward the kitchen that had so recently become the set of a Mexican stand-off. Shannon threw off her shoes and stepped into the living room. She'd been happy changing into a pair of track pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The dress was nice, but hardly suitable for the kind of day that had fallen on her.

She collapsed on the couch and smiled at the scented candle burning softly on the coffee table. She figured Emma must be upstairs then.

It really was a quaint house. Aside from the second floor, it reminded Shannon of her old apartment. She looked around the living room and spotted patterns that felt very familiar to her. Parts of the living room were rather sparse, containing entire patches of free space. Some parts were furnished with a touch of personality, like the end table with the vase of flowers. The living room was both equally Daniel and Emma's, much like her own home had been both equally Danny's and Monica's. Shannon had had her own touch as well, but she always found it funny how the living room table somehow maintained an equilibrium of junk and sophistication. Danny would leave books and magazines scattered on the table, leaving Monica to put them away and replace them with candles and coasters. Of course then those would be removed, only to be replaced with more books and a half-empty can of soda.

Thinking of these things was not relaxing. It made Shannon upset and angry. She knew she had to forget about Danny and her old life, but that was impossible to do. That stupid idiot was still making her life hectic even when he was gone.

Shannon's head fell into her hands. She found herself sobbing and hated herself for it. After so long, how could she still be weak? Tears stung at her eyes and a lump was forming in her throat. She might have actually started crying if Emma had not then walked into the room. "Shannon?" she said quietly.

Shannon quickly lifted her head and wiped at her eyes. "Yeah, sorry," she replied.

Emma stared at her for a moment before taking a seat in the armchair. "I was putting Katie to bed."

Shannon looked at her confusedly. "That girl? You've got here here?" Emma nodded and her eyes looked downcast. Shannon felt like she should argue, but she refrained from doing so. The little girl couldn't have exactly helped who her father was.

"Were you crying?" Emma eventually asked. Shannon shrugged uncomfortably. She wasn't sure how to respond. God, where was Daniel? Had he run into another thief?

"Kind of." Shannon sighed. "Is there anything you miss, Emma?" She let the question linger, but when Emma took too long to respond, Shannon decided to fill the silence. "I miss a lot of things. I miss going to school. I was in college, studying fashion design. Really dumb idea in hindsight, but I'm making up for it. I miss my parents a whole bunch, and my... friends. But I guess everyone misses their friends..." Shannon rubbed at her forehead and stared into the candle's flame. "I miss going to the movies. I liked scary movies a lot, even though they made me scared. It was kind of fun being scared, to believe in ghosts and spooky stuff. I miss the internet a lot, because I used to look up scary stories on there. I mean, I used the internet for a ton of stuff, but I really miss those stories. There were websites dedicated to them. I even made this dumb little blog where I'd talk about them..."

As Shannon trailed off, she fell backwards into the seat of the couch. "But those scary stories aren't so scary any more."

[CallaLily180]

Hazel + The Pub + Outpost Scouts

Hazel smiled lightly, lowering her arms and sighing in relief. "Well then, welcome to The Pub. Do you want something to drink? I can cook something." Hazel looked back at the kitchen; it was large and fit with all your kitchen needs. She smiled slightly and took a small step back. "I'm going to go make myself a drink." She turned fully and inched towards the kitchen, these men looked a little too trigger happy.

As she entered the kitchen she let out a hefty sigh, walking towards the fridge and opening it. Inside there were a few items that fit her tastes, she reached for the sprite and grenadine. Taking them to the counter she grabbed a dusty cup, cringing she grabbed a towel and cleaned it out. She then poured the non-carbonated soda into said cup, along with an overload of the cherry syrup. Smiling she took a sip, it tasted like heaven. A few years back, she would have spit it out and requested a new one. But this was worthwhile.

She walked back out and looked over the armed men, a smirk suddenly washing over her features. "You guys are from some big group, aren't you? Are you from the Outpost? Or Haywood?"

[Atomyk]

Bex - The Pub - Hazel/Luke/Jerry

"The Pub, huh?" Luke turned to his companions, grinning.

"Food?" Jerry said, stepping forward to join them. Bex wasn't sure he liked being chummy with this girl, but he followed suit anyway and moved behind Jerry.

"You don't have to spare much," Luke said. "We have our own supplies." As the girl led them into the kitchen, Luke continued, "I gotta say, if you've got this place cleared out, then color me impressed! You live here alone?"

Once the girl poked her head into the refrigerator, Luke leaned into Bex's ear. "Keep an eye out," he whispered. "Anyone could be lurking around here." Bex nodded, his eyes shifting toward the kitchen doorway.

When the girl poured her drink, Jerry's eyes lit up. "What other drinks do you have?" he asked. "And I mean drinks."

Luke smiled and rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him... I'm Luke, and this is Bex and Jerry. I'm surprised you've heard of Outpost. We're--"

Bex stepped forward and interrupted Luke. "Wait, you know about Haywood?" If the girl knew about Outpost, then of course she knew about Haywood. It was a lot closer to her turf, after all. Still, Bex hadn't been expecting to hear of it. If Tyler caught wind of someone talking about Haywood, who knew what he'd do.

"Actually, I don't think I've of heard of this Haywood," Luke said, exchanging an odd look between Bex and the girl. "It's a place like Outpost, I assume?" Though Luke looked at Bex, Bex only lowered his head and let the girl say what she knew.

[CallaLily180]

Hazel + The Pub + Outpost Scouts

Hazel smiled, placing her cup on the counter and taking a set of keys from her back pocket. She sighed, looking through them and finally picking out two; a rusty silver key and a par golden one. She took them off the chain and handed the silver one to the first two boys. "Yes, I own the place. It was a mess before, and it still is." She stated, sighing and turning to make some food.

She used the golden key to enter a small pantry. Inside laid many different assortments of canned-and even boxed-foods, some had layers of dust starting to form and some were still clean at top. Se ran her hand over them and finally stumbled upon a box of pasta, with a little more time spent digging she found what she had been searching for; a jar of white sauce. It was more then likely expired, but this didn't seem to faze Hazel. She pulled it out and turned towards the boy that had taken up her offer. "Alfredo?" She asked, and not waiting for his reply she turned. Grabbing a few bottles of water from the fridge and opening them. She then searched for a stable pot, they were of course covered in dust, but she used her shirt as a rag and cleaned it up.

The next few steps were simple, she poured the bottles of water into the pot, and set it on the stove, she turned her head away and started it. It made a strange clicking sound and with a puff it lit. She smiled proudly and set her hands on her hips. With a smile she turned back to the boys. "Oh, and by the way. To answer the question about Haywood, it is supposed to be a great place for survivors. I was thinking about heading there if this gig didn't work out."

[OutlawedPanda]

Emma - Haywood - Shannon

Emma listened as Shannon spoke, almost laughing when she spoke of the scary movies. She was completely right... Those movies were nothing compared to their world now. She let the silence linger for just a minute when Shannon was done. Emma liked Shannon, but she didn't know much about her. Apparently Daniel liked her very much... and that was good enough for her.

"I- uh..." She began. "I miss a lot of things... I miss doing things like gymnastics and free-running... There isn't much time for either and I've kinda been shot in the rib cage." She thought for moment. "What else.... I miss my books. I had over two hundred in my room; loved to read all the time." She took a breath for a second. "I can't really say I miss my friends... I didn't really have many. I was quite the introvert." She then added, sarcastically. "Believe it or not."

"Back to books, I miss having my journals. I loved writing and I had kinda wanted to be a novelist when I got older." She picked her feet up and curled into the chair.

"...I miss my Dad...." It was all she had to say to bring tears from her eyes. The girl rested her chin on her knees and sat in silence.

[Myst]

Katie - Haywood / Emma and Daniel's House - Shannon / Emma

"Katie?"
The voice called for her. A man's voice...
Daddy! It was her daddy!
"Katie? Where are you?"
"I'm here Daddy!"
"Where are you?"
Katie ran in the darkness, searching desperately for her father. But the more she ran, the further away he sounded.
"Daddy! Daddy! I'm here!"
"Katie?"
"Daddy! Don't leave me!"
"Katie..."

The little girl woke up crying. It took her a moment to remember where she was.
That's right, Emma's house. She had brought her here after that mean man had talked bad about her daddy. He had said such horrible things. Katie frowned darkly.
She hated that man.

But could he have been right? Could her daddy still be alive? Was he out there, looking for her?
They had left the underground that was their home. He might still be there looking for her. She needed to get back there! She needed to find her daddy!

With new determination, Katie jumped out of the bed and ran down the stairs. She saw Emma and a strange woman in the room. She shied towards Emma, watching the unknown woman uncertainly.
She tugged at Emma's hand. "I want to go outside. Can I?" she whispered.
She didn't want to tell Emma that she was going to find her daddy. Emma would only worry. Once she found him, they could come back and get Lauren and Bull. Maybe Emma would come with them too. Then they could go home and everything would be good again.

[Atomyk]

Bex - The Pub - Hazel/Luke/Jerry

Luke took the silver key the girl offered. He examined it intently, rubbing at the worn key with his fingers. "Excuse me for a moment," he said. Luke then turned away and pulled out his radio. Bex moved to sit next to Jerry, who had already helped himself to a seat. "Hey, Reggie? Yeah, we need to talk about this hotel we found..."

"I'm not so sure about Haywood," Bex said, looking toward the girl. "I've heard there's not much to it. Not even worth mentioning." Really not worth mentioning. Bex laced his fingers together and stared. He had thought the girl to be older when he first saw her, but he saw now that she was really just a teenager. Maybe not even that much older than that girl Emma. A sudden pang of empathy rose in Bex and he was forced to look down at the table.

"I have a request," Luke said, having finished with his conversation with Reggie. He sat down next to Bex, smiling. "Would it be all right if our group stays here for the night? It's a hotel after all. You'd be doing us a big favor."

---

Shannon - Haywood/Daniel's House - Emma & Katie

Shannon listened intently. She was glad that Emma was talking. "You can still be a writer," Shannon said. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "And people can still read your stories. I bet you have a lot to tell. You can even start a journal again. It might be a big help for you, amidst all of... this."

Then, as Emma started to tear up, the little girl arrived. Shannon watched her move toward Emma automatically and almost cling to her. They were both so young, it was no wonder they'd already bonded. "It's getting late out," Shannon said to the girl, Katie. "It's probably best you stay with Emma for now." Her mind drifted toward those raiders she had arrived with. That man who... Shannon didn't want this little girl anywhere near them.

"How about we do something together? Right now..." Shannon's head spun around the room, looking for something to write on. "Let's make up a story. Maybe a scary one, I don't know."

[QT]

Floyd - House - Jess/Abram

The soup had been heated to perfect temperature, something Floyd wasn't used to. Even before the breakout, the only hot food he ever had was the meat he cooked over the campfire. All other food - canned foods - were eaten cold, merely out of preference. Anyhow, the soup was pretty good, better than half the stuff they were forced to eat throughout their journey anyway.

The pain continued while he ate, but it wasn't as mesmerizing as it had been at first. It seemed as though he was slowly becoming immune to the pain. Having Jess by his side also helped lessen the mental toll. She was providing support and stability, things Floyd never experienced.

To disturb his peace, the soldier Abram came into the living room from the kitchen. The man was obviously bigger than Floyd - physically - but this didn't bother the redneck. Throughout his experiences in the new world, it has been shown that Floyd had hardly any fears. The man lived by a certain code that does not allow him to be afraid.

Anyway, when the soldier began to compliment Floyd's bravery, Floyd wasn't too find of that. He found the military man to be quite annoying. Floyd never had any good relations with men if the law. He had never become aquatinted with a soldier, but believed them to be just like cops. He didn't like cops, not one bit. Then suddenly the soldier began to speak about family and fathers, mothers.

When he mentioned Jess' medical health - meaning her pregnancy - Floyd stopped eating and became altered and defensive. He didn't like some random stranger speaking about her in any context. But then his eyes turned towards Jess when he called him the father of that unborn child. He spoke to him as though Jess was his woman, as though they were united by law or something.

That was not his child, it was not. Instead, the child belonged to a random deadbeat. Floyd couldn't even recall the monsters name, all he knew was that it pissed him off thinking about it. He couldn't bare the thought of Jess being hurt. He had been protecting her for a while now, and vice versa for that matter. Like him, she has also been there for him in time if need. The fact was. Floyd did indeed feel a bit disturbed to being called the father of the child, but he wasn't about to speak our against it. He had stayed with her this long for a reason, and it wasn't because he felt sorry for her. He accepted the fact that they had some dirt of relationship, strange or not.

Once Jess left the room, her little comment gave Floyd assurance. He felt good to know she was still on his side, even though he was currently weak. After that, Abram and Floyd remained in the living room. It was more silent than the inside of their unworkable refrigerator, which sadly stored all their remaining food. Floyd turned towards Abeam after finishing his soup. "Where'd ya come from before runnin into us?" Floyd started. That silence between the two had become awkward. But after he asked the question, the silence returned. But once again, it was broken by another one of Floyd's questions. "How long do ya expect to stay here?"

He didn't like this situation, with the stranger and all. It wasn't like him to depend on anybody to aid him or Jess. He was a man and found his masculinity jeopardized by Abram's presence. The man was stepping in his place while he was injured. That.........that was unacceptable.

[SheriffLlama]

Abram - The House - Jess and Floyd

Abram listened to Floyd after Jess left the room. He sat in chair, watching the man's facial movements. There was one thing that stared the man in the face; this guy obviously didn't like him.

"I'll stay as long as you'll let me. Heck, if you want, I'll pack my stuff and drive away right now." The man cocked an eyebrow. "However, you'll force me to leave with a guilty conscience." Abram straightened his posture in the chair. "Sir, I know that you're looking out for the girl." He crossed his arms. "However, you've been shot. I know how it feels; I've been shot a total of four times. The last time, it took someone larger than me to get me to safety; his name was Master Sergeant Daniel Crowe... He was good, that boy was."

"My point is that it takes a lot to defend someone who's injured. I can tell that your friend is a fighter; she's tough!" He motioned his head at the ceiling. "But she's still just a little girl; she can't lift you and carry you to safety. I still stand by my earlier statement, but I honestly don't think that letting me stay at least until you've recovered is not a terrible idea. I've served three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan; I know how to defend my friends."

"Now: Let's talk about the elephant in the room." Abram exhaled exaggeratedly. "You don't like me. It's not hard to see. I'm a black man living in the south, I know contempt when I see it. I don't know if it's a racial thing or the fact that I used to be a soldier, but we are obviously not on the same page. I can't do jack to change that."

"I do believe that you two think I am the stupidest man alive." Abram chuckled when the man didn't respond. "Look, buddy, I know that you're not that her baby's father. Heck, I would have been surprised if you were. She's, what, nineteen? You've got to be in your later twenties. Something messed up if you were the little baby's daddy. Don't worry, I ain't holdin' nothing against her; heck I'm even glad she didn't tell me the truth, me being a stranger and all."

"I'll also admit that this ain't the first time I've seen Jessalyn, either." The man adjusted his seat. "I used to live near the old catacombs. See, you live in New Orleans so I'll bet my rifle you know who Tyler and the Raiders are. From my window, I could see every girl that went in to that hole and never came back. Three weeks ago, back in November. "Big Man" Tyler, himself took that girl in. Sound about right?"

"I also saw, that same week, the attack that destroyed the catacombs. I don't know who was at liberty for it, but I do know that the raiders are no more. But they did leave a ton of walkers for me to put a bullet in. I'm guessing that you rescued Jessalyn from the raiders during the attack. You ain't a raider, so much is obvious. And you're on your own so I suppose that army of firepower wasn't yours either."

[CallaLily180]

Hazel + The Pub + Outpost Scouts

Hazel looked back at them, she seemed surprised at everything they said, mostly about spending the night here. She turned back to the stove, gripping her spoon and stirring with a passion, as if that was the only thing she could do. She then found that there was nothing in the boiling water, and frowned silently, pouring in the noodles and nodding. Her mouth popped open after a moment and she brushed off her shirt. "Huh..?" She croaked, wringing her hands and standing still, she found that she was being suspicious so she nodded. "I guess...that key is for room eighteen on the second floor, seeing as I thought you would want to inspect it." She shared the man's smile, though it was awkward and not quite right.

"By the way...my name is Hazel." She stated, looking through the small swarm of people that would be occupying her hotel for the night. At least she chose a good room. Without waiting for their replies she walked away, squeamishly approaching the front desk, and scribbling down a guesstimated time. She looked at the date and shrugged, that was going to be left blank. But as her pen trailed over to the names she glanced back at the kitchen, leaving the section blank as well, for price she sighed...what could she ask for in return. Labor? That would be fairly rude..but she needed someone to help her with the garden, seedlings were starting to form and she had no idea what to do.

She walked back over to the kitchen and folded her arms, taking her chain of keys back out and pawing through them one last time. She chose another silver key and tossed it on the ground. "Room sixteen I think." With that she turned back to her stove, absolutely silent.

[Myst]

Katie - Emma's House - Emma / Shannon

Katie pouted a little. This lady wasn't the boss of her. Why did she tell her what to do? But she didn't want to be bad so she went to a chair and sat.
Then the woman wanted to make up a story. That was silly. She wasn't going to get invovled with it. She was just going to sit and be quiet and not pay any attention to this lady and her silly ideas.

A minute later she was swinging her feet in the chair. "One time there was a bear named Bull and an eagle named Lauren. The bear was always roaring and being loud until he met the eagle. She pecked him on the head whenever he was loud, so he started being quiet when she was around. As long as he behaved, the eagle stayed. But one day Lauren found a kitten named Katie. Katie's daddy, a wolf named Tyler, had disappeared. He was looking for her but had gotten lost. Katie was very very sad that her daddy was gone and she was all alone. So Lauren promised to take care of her. Bull didn't like Katie that much, because she took Lauren's attention. Katie didn't mean to be trouble, she really didn't. She just really wanted her daddy. Because Katie had been bad before and her daddy had gotten angry at her."

During her story, Katie had curled up in the chair. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her knees to her chest.
"Then the eagle got hurt. Bull the bear tried to help her, but he couldn't. He felt really sad. Katie the kitten didn't know what to do. Then some people came. They didn't like Bull, so they locked him up. They didn't like the kitten either, but they tried to fix Lauren. The kitten didn't know what to do. She just... just wished she could have her daddy back... she would never be bad again if she could just have her daddy back..."

The little girl strated to tear up. She wiped at her eyes and stared at the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessalyn - House - Floyd / Abram

Jess went upstairs but could still hear them talking. It was faint, but at least it sounded civil. To be honest, the man Abram scared her. Every man she had ever come across, except Floyd, had ended up betraying or hurting her. And Abram wasn't a small man. If he decided to hurt her or Floyd, he could do some serious damage. Especially to Floyd since he was recovering.

She entered the room and took off her borrowed and torn shirt. Tossing it aside, she looked in the mirror at her swollen stomach. She cradled it, turning to the side and cocking her head.
"We'll be okay," she told herself and her baby. "Floyd will be okay. Everything is going to be fine now."

Among the maternaty clothes that had been left behind was a large nightgown. It felt nice against her skin, luxerious after all they had been through.
Pulling back the sheets, she climbed into the queen sized bed and snuggled under the covers. A bed felt like heaven to her. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
Before long she was asleep.

[QT]

Floyd - House - Jess/Abram

To him, the entire conversation had been pointless. None of what he said really gave Floyd any sort of second thoughts. Instead, when Abram spoke of Jess, he became irritated. He didn't want this stranger speaking of the girl in any form or fashion. When the soldier said he'd seen Jess before - back at the catacombs - Floyd couldn't bare to listen to the man any longer. He couldn't comprehend why he hadn't helped her back then. He ignored all the facts about Tyler's militia and focused on the saving Jess part. He wanted to comment about it, but it would be pointless because what he had to say next would make any further conversation futile.

Floyd dragged the blanket off of himself and put it aside. He held his wound with his left hand as he used his right to force himself to stand. He walked towards the stairs, not making eye contact with the soldier. Before starting up the stairs, he spoke.

"You can spend the night here. There's a room under the stairs over there. But I need you gone by noon tomorrow" he stated, resuming his walk and heading up the stairs. Deep in his heart he truly did appreciate the man's hospitality, an appreciation he would never reveal to him. But even with all that, Floyd didn't trust the man. He was a stranger, just like anybody else. For all he knew, the man told nothing but lies - lies that would eventually give him the upper hand. Nowadays, anybody could be anybody. For all they knew, Abram was a criminal or terrorists - not that it was likely - but there was indeed a chance. Trust is not given, it's earned - earned through time.

But Floyd's reasoning is too long to explain, so he pushed it aside - like everything else - and finally made his way to the second floor of the house. While up there, he started down the creaking hallway, walking slowly in order to prevent the loud noise. In due time, he ended up before the door of Jess' room. He desired to knock and make sure she was doing fine. He wanted to open the door and make sure she was tucked in, hoping she was asleep because it was getting late. But even with such desires, he didn't want to bother her.

When Floyd found out Jess labeled him as the father of the child, for some reason Floyd was actually content. She was willing to name him - a man who's shown nearly all his bad sides to her - the father of her child. There were times where he deserved to be slapped for his actions. He'd screamed at her more times than he could recall, yet she remained by his side. But it wasn't for protection, she's shown she can handle herself. That's what Floyd couldn't comprehend, and still doesn't. He didn't understand why she felt the way she did for him. He was a lot older than her, yet she showed the signs to him. He still felt the heated tenderness of her lips on his.

Soon enough, Floyd found his palm on the door of her door........silent..............motionless. His forehead also leaned against the wood, still he didn't make noise. He knew it wasn't right. Even that untrustworthy stranger stated the fact.

".....Something messed up if you were the little baby's daddy....." Abram had stated.

But it was true. He was much older than her, much more mature. He was locked in a tans like no other, one he'd never felt before. He was battling against his conscience, and it was definitely winning at this time. It was telling him to push her away, to make sure she starts understanding that she was too young for him. Maybe at this point she didn't have an opportunity to be with a person her age, but being with Floyd wasn't any good for her, and that's what he was feeling. He couldn't be that child's father, nor father figure. What sort of image was Floyd, a man tattooed to the bone. He was basically a monster filled with undeniable rage. He was not good. So he didn't knock on her door.

Instead, he started to walk away towards the other room, the child's room. He would sleep in there for the night. Before entering, he looked back towards the room Jess was in and nodded right and left with sorrow. He turned the knob and entered the child's room to sleep. It would bee a long quiet night.

[Myst]

Jessalyn - House - Nightmare

Jess wasn't sure how long she was asleep, but she woke up violently after having a nightmare.
She had dreamed that she had gone into labor, but her baby had been born a walker. It was enough to make any woman horrified. She had enough anxieties about the birth of her child without nightmares like this.

Jess reached over next to her and found the bed empty.
... Right... of course... Just because she was pretending to be Floyd's woman didn't mean he had to be in the room with her.
Of course...
But the bed seemed so large... and cold...

She got up slowly, taking the blanket with her and walking carefully across the floor so as not to make too much noise. It was after dark and she didn't want to wake anyone up.
Going down the hallway, she spotted the door to the baby's room was slightly ajar. Looking inside she spotted Floyd on the floor.
Did he really not want to be in the same room as her? She wasn't that repulsive to him. Was she?

Ignoring the nagging feelings of doubt, Jess took a bold step for once in her life.
Getting down on the floor, she laid beside Floyd and pulled the blanket over them both. She didn't know if he woke up when she laid beside him or not, but she didn't really care if he did. She wasn't leaving. She needed someone beside her. She didn't like sleeping alone.
Laying on her side, facing him, she tucked her hand gently into the crook of his arm, holding on to him like an anchor. Her belly brushed against his side. Inside, her baby shifted a little, like he was settling in for the night too. Like he was content where they were.

Was it a he? Perhaps it was a girl. Jess hadn't even given thought to names. She supposed with how close she was getting she'd need to start thinking seriously about names.
Well if it was a boy she certainly wasn't going to name him 'Bruce'. With any luck, he'd grow up thinking that Floyd was his father.
The possiblity that Floyd may not want such a thing didn't even cross her mind. She couldn't see a future without him in it. She couldn't live without him now. He was as much a part of her life as her unborn child.

[OutlawedPanda]

Daniel - Haywood - The Peeps in the House

Daniel pulled the buttons on his shirt together and pressed out the wrinkled plaid patterns. He clipped down the buttons on his pistol holster and then proceeded down the stairs, his black boots resonating a loud thud on the wood. He saw the three girls sitting in the common room, the little girl named Katie seemed to be tearing up. "I hope I'm not interrupting..." He turned as Emma began to stand.

"I'm gonna take Katie upstairs." Emma stood and took Katie's hand. "C'mon, sweetheart." Just then, a knock resounded at the door. Emma proceeded upstairs with Katie and Daniel went to the door. He was surprised when he found a red-faced Audrey standing on the doorstep.

"M-Mister Mayor-"

"Audrey, you can call me Daniel."

"Daniel, y-you were right, a-about Robert." Audrey said. Daniel stepped outside and closed the door. "Henry and I went to the farm- t-to look for survivors like you said. I-it was crazy, that's when we found the new three. Robert's pals opened fire on the farmers, but they got away. Th-then Anthony saw us. I-I thought he was gun shoot, but- but he just shot Johnson! We came back, I went to the mess hall to find you; then Robert looked like he was about to snap, but he- he pulled my gun and put it to his chest, told me to pull it... He's crazy, Daniel!"

"Audrey, I need you to listen to me. You and Henry are going to be alright. You don't tell anyone about this, alright? You lay low. I don't know who all is on Roberts side."

"Are you gonna tell everyone? Cause they need to know that Tyler is still alive!"

"For all we know, he's just a walker that's stumbling around the catacombs."

"But we don't know that!" Audrey said. At that, she turned around and walked away. Daniel sighed and turned into the house, returning to Shannon.

[SheriffLlama]

Abram Chamberlin - Floyd and Jess' House

As Floyd walked upstairs, Abram grinned to himself. He liked this guy... He was as tough as nails, and man, did he look like he had some guts. The man sat on the floor against the wall, his arms hanging on his knees and his hands clasped together. Floyd wanted him gone, that was for sure. He wanted to take care of Jess by himself, and Abram knew he must respect that decision. It was a stupid choice, yes, but Abram didn't want to fight Floyd. He might have imagined that he'd overstayed his welcome, but one must be welcomed in the first place for that.

Abram couldn't protect them, but he could help. He stood and picked up his rifle, cautiously going outside and returning inside with a box of sixteen cans of food. He silently carried them upstairs and laid them in front of Floyd's door. He quickly made another trip to the car and retrieved the two boxes of 9mm ammunition and set them on top of the cans. When he was finished, he went back downstairs and slept again the wall.

[Atomyk]

Shannon - Haywood/Daniel's House - Daniel

Shannon didn't speak during Katie's story, for fear of upsetting her. In her own way, the girl was opening up to them, and Shannon was happy to let her. She felt a pang of sympathy when Katie spoke of Bull and Lauren. Despite Shannon`s reservations about the man, it seemed the pair of them had stepped up in order to take care of the little girl. That, at least, was admirable. When Lauren recovered, it was probably best to let the trio leave Haywood quietly. If the town learned who they were- and there was no doubt the town would eventually- there was no way Katie and her friends could stay.

Then Daniel appeared, prompting Emma to put Katie back to bed. Shannon smiled at them as they left. "Daniel, about the girl..." she began to say, but a knock at the door interrupted her before she could continue.

Shannon moved off the couch but stood where she was, not wanting to butt in on what was probably mayoral business. She got the gist of what was being said however, having heard Audrey's distressed tone and the mention of Tyler. When Daniel returned to the living room, Shannon stared at him. "What was up with that? Did something happen?"

---

Bex - The Pub - Hazel/Luke/Jerry

Bex watched the girl, noting the stiffness of her movements. They looked slightly erratic, and the girl's expression was strange. She looked absolutely stunned to everything they were saying. Bex looked over at the other two to see if they noticed, but Luke had already begun messaging Reggie while Jerry couldn't take his eyes off whatever was cooking.

When Bex looked back at the girl, she was awkwardly smiling their way. He remembered again just how young she was. They were a group of armed older men and they were about to invite even more into what was essentially her home. It was no wonder the girl was nervous. Bex decided to loosen up and soften his expression.

"I'm not sure one room will be enough," Luke suddenly said. He had one hand over the radio, an action Bex was more used to seeing with a phone. "There will be eleven of us in total."

Before the girl potentially became totally freaked out, Bex jumped into the conversation with, "We're very sorry about all this. We've been out on a supply run and I'm sure there's some supplies we'll have to leave behind. We could probably let you take your pick of some of it."

Jerry gave Bex a perplexed look, but thankfully Luke looked like he approved of that idea. "Is that okay?" he asked.

[QT]

Floyd - House - Jess/Abram

As the sun signed in for work, Floyd opened the window to allow some breeze to flow in the home. Jess still lay on the ground where the two had slept. She seemed peaceful, so Floyd didn't move to wake her. He couldn't believe she actually went to him during the previous night. He had actually been awakened by her touch, noticing her arrival. That doubt he had about them furthering their relationship was actually erased from his mind. Her little act of kindness showed Floyd that she didn't care about his age or the malice actions he'd shown her in the past. What she looked at was his own personal acts of kindness, just like the one she showed to him just last night. So during the night, he made sure to keep her arm interlocked with his, he didn't want to let go.

But anyway, the morning came and the window was now open. Floyd walked over Jess, making sure he didn't step on her in any way. He turned the knob to the door and opened all while stepping out of the room. Suddenly, his foot ran into a box sitting right before the door in the hallway. "What the-" Floyd said to himself as he bent low to check it out. His wound wasn't as irritating as it had been the past........two days? Yeah, two days. Anyhow, he checked inside the box to find canned foods and ammunition. He proceeded by picking up the box and bringing it into the room he had slept in. He opened up the small closet and put the box within, hiding it from sight.

He didn't want to have regrets about his earlier decision to kick Abram out. Regardless the man's hospitality and aid, Floyd didn't want to trust him. He wasn't about to start relying on somebody for help because he felt as though he still didn't need any - especially from a stranger. Right before he was about to leave the room, Floyd noticed the blanket covering Jess was not really doing its job. He went towards her silently, bent low once again, and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. He then returned to leave the room as planned, going downstairs and to the kitchen.

He turned to the shelf their food was and took one of the fruit cans. He opened it up and poured it into one of the clean bowls they had. He placed it on the table and moved onto opening up another can of food - also fruit. It was basically all they had actually. Soon enough, he'd have to go hunting like he used to do during their time in the wilderness. He then poured that second can of fruit into another bowl, putting a fork into both. Then he went out of his way in attempt to get the juice from the bowl into a cup. The Floyd sat down and started eating the fruit from one of the bowls, all while staring at the stairs, waiting for Jess to come down. The other bowl with the cup filled with juice would be for her. He was also waiting to see Abram cross the hallway and exit the home, hoping Jess didn't have any objection.

---

Robert - Cells

Robert opened the door to the cell room. An entire day had passed since the incident with the girls and the movement of the male raider. The giant lay chained to a wall, sitting on the ground which was once tainted with both innocent and guilty blood. Not much had changed though, the room remained as dark as it once was and still had sinful markings all around. But as the sun had come forth, Robert entered the small facility. He was only accompanied by one of his trustworthy guards who remained outside.

Robert closed and locked the door behind him after entering. He put his gun on a small table, a table that's been there forever. It was rusty and completely filthy, but it still sat up straight. Afar from the prisoner lay a crowbar, which Robert decided to pick up before starting for Bull. He pulled the chair usually used for prisoners and brought it towards Bull. He sat down and played with the crowbar, swinging it side to side as he adjusted his bottom on the chair.

After that, he turned his gaze away from the crowbar and onto the eyes of the giant. "Good morning...." Robert started. "So, have you put some thought into what I spoke to you about yesterday? Are you ready to tell me where Tyler is hiding?" he asked the giant. "I really do not have time to be driving all the way out here just to speak to you so I hope you answer correctly" he added as he waited for Bull to answer him.

[Myst]

Katie - Haywood - Emma

Katie didn't really know what was happening, but she was sure it wasn't going to be good.
A man appeared in the house. The little girl immediately moved towards Emma, her beacon of safety. Emma said they were going upstairs so Katie followed her. Once they were in a room Katie went to the bed and got under the covers, making herself a nest once again.

"Who was that man?" she asked, worry in her voice. "Is he scary too like that other man?"
Robert had taken on the role of the 'boogey-man' in Katie's mind. She could see him hiding in the closet or under the bed very easily. Even the compliment, that Katie had pretty eyes, sounded scary coming from him.
"Where is Bull?" she asked, turning her pleading eyes to Emma. "Can I please go see him? Please?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessalyn - House - Floyd / Abram

Jess woke alone once again, but with a smile. After coming to Floyd she'd had no more nightmares. He chased the monsters and the demons away for the night.
She stretched and got up, yawning. First thing she did was go back to the main bedroom and change. She didn't mind being in a nightgown around Floyd because they had been together for so long, but appearing one in front of other people was not something she was comfortable with.
She found a yellow and white sundress in the closet. It was a little on the short side for her tastes, so she slipped on a pair of jeans. After running her fingers through her hair, she went down the stairs.

In the kitchen / dining room what she found made her smile bright like the sun.
Floyd had made breakfast. It was simple, but it was something he had done for her just because he had wanted to. That meant more to her then a full continental breakfast at the finest hotel.

"Goodmorning," she said as she sat down. She kept her bright smile as she sipped her juice. She wasn't going to mention last night. Maybe if she acted like it was a normal thing, then maybe it would become a normal thing.

A sudden movement in her stomach made her gasp and her hand flew to her belly.
"oh!" she exclaimed as she felt it again. "He's kicking," she told Floyd. "Or she's kicking," she added.
Reaching over quickly, she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach. A few seconds later the movement happened again. "There!" she exclaimed, looking at Floyd excitedly. "Do you feel it?! I can't believe it! I mean, I know I've been pregnant for a while now but still to actually feel it... this little person inside of me..." she cuddled her stomach. "It's an actual little human in there. A precious little being that will become it's own person."
She looked at Floyd, her eyes glowing with happiness at that moment.
"I haven't really thought about names that much," she admitted, somewhat ashamed. "I guess I'm not a very prepared mother," she paused a moment, then decided to just go for it. "What do you think? If it's a boy? Or a girl? What names do you like?"