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

[CorruptedShadow]

Jacob/Ben/Sam - Farm
Jacob heard the noises from outside. He grabbed both Ben and Sam, told Sam to bring their father upstairs, and grabbed for his Remington. Most of the windows were boarded up, but had little sections to peak guns out, but they were really only used for emergencies. He walked to one of the side windows, aimed outside at the man, and squeezed the trigger just enough so that it wouldn't fire, but he'd be ready to in case of an emergency. He called out, "Hey fucker, you better put your hands up or the knee's go first." He said. He wasn't exactly a 'tough guy', so-to say, but he sure as hell could sound like one if he needed to.

Sam and Ben went upstairs into one of the bedrooms. Unfortunately, Sam had chosen a room with wide a window had had it's curtains open. Ben sat on the bed, drinking away the whiskey which he had almost about gotten done with. Sam sat down, hushing his voice as he listened. When things started to heat up, he peaked outside of his door, and began to walk downstairs. His curiosity always got the best of him. Ben stayed upstairs, drinking away his life as usually, until he stared out the window to see two approaching men.

[Darkraven]

Valentina Vetrov - Haywood - Shannon/Emma/Rob/O'Connor/Brianna

As the doctor was waiting for a response, he was checking on his nurse turned patient. "You'll live." He said to her after straightening up, "Just apply some pressure on it and I'll get back to you." Looking around at everyone else who was present, he could see Shannon stepping forward and volunteering herself.

"I want to help, though I can only offer one hand." The woman had said, and Riley O'Connor, the doctor, looked her over with a rather dissatisfied look on his face.

"Do I look like I need *one* hand?" The doctor said sarcastically, but then decided to put Shannon to use anyway. Going closer to her, he whispered his instructions so that Valentina wouldn't hear, "Look, I need you to calm her down - talk to her, hold her hand or something. Keep her occupied while I fix her up. And the part about her hand? That's a priority - I have no idea what other surprises she might pull on me."

Then, to the rest of the crowd who had followed Rob, he shouted for a real volunteer; "I need someone to clean the blood off her face and back of her head! And someone with a pair of hands or more, please!" Before going back to assembling the tools of his trade - things he would need to fix Valentina up. Things like surgical tape, bandages and some medicine.

Despite being heavily sedated, having had an adult's dosage of sedatives in her veins, Valentina could not find it within her to fight back and struggle free anymore but tried hard to do it anyway. She was tugging limply at the handcuff that had fastened her to the hospital bed. She had only made it as far as to try to sit up, but fell back into bed as she was too weak. "No..." She cried almost unconsciously, "D-don't..."

[Myst]

Katie - Woods / Farm - Lauren, Bull

Katie woke up when Lauren shook her. A farm? Katie immediately started thinking of cows and pigs like in the picture book her daddy had given her.
Her daddy...

Tears pricked her eyes again, but Katie quickly wiped them away when she saw Bull. Usually around him she kept her head down so he wouldn't see her crying.
She wanted her daddy back, but that wasn't where all of her sadness came from.
The last time she had seen him, he had been so angry with her. That had been the last time they had been together and he had been angry. Her last memory was of him yelling at her. What she wanted, more then anything, was for her daddy to appear and hold her tight and tell her that he wasn't angry at her. Had he... gone away angry at her?

She sniffled and tugged on Lauren's hand. When the woman looked at her she lifted her arms, wanting Lauren to carry her. She knew that Bull would probably not like it, but she really wanted to be held.
When Lauren picked her up Katie buried her head into the woman's neck and held on as they walked.

When Lauren stopped walking she turned her head enough to peak out to see where they were.
A farmhouse stood there, looking surprisingly nice and lived-in.
"Lauren?" she whispered fearfully. "What if there are mean people there?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessalyn - House - Floyd

Jess put the rag down and went up the stairs when Floyd mentioned it. It was obvious he wanted her to go so she did what he wanted.
The room was very nice. The bed was queen sized, the closet was full of clothes that looked clean and didn't smell bad. Compared to how they had been living this place was The Four Seasons.
When he left the room she sighed. It was like he couldn't stand to be in the same room with her. Was it because she was pregnant or did he really not like her as a person? He was staying with her and taking care of her, but that could be because he was a man and felt that because she was a woman he needed to protect her.
Part of her wanted to ask him about his feelings, but the other part was too nervous to ask. She didn't want to make him angry at her. If she was too much of a headache he would leave her here.

A new thought occurred to her. He had brought her to this house. It was safe and dry and a good place to live. It had a bed to sleep in, food to eat, clothes to wear.
Was he... planning to leave her here?
What if he was happy to find this place because it meant he was free of her? He could leave her here without feeling guilty.
This train of thought caused a pain in her chest and tears to prick at her eyes. She could feel the tears coming on and worked frantically to keep them away.

When he came back in, saying something about a room she should stay out of, her fear was so high she couldn't help it. She went up close to him and took hold of his arm so he couldn't back away like he always did.
"Are you going to leave me here?" she asked, her big sorrow-filled eyes searching his. "I know I'm a burden, but please don't leave me here by myself. Please Floyd," she begged, using his name for the first time.
Since they were the only two around there hadn't really been a reason to use his name or for him to use hers. They both knew who they were talking to when the other spoke. But the name slipped out as she begged.
"I can't lose anyone else," she continued. "I don't want to be alone. I'll do whatever you want. I can help with anything you want me to do. Just please, don't leave."

[Atomyk]

Shannon - Haywood/Infirmary - O'Connor/Rob/Emma/Brianna/Valentina

Shannon's brow furrowed at the doctor's initial assessment of her. The idea that he'd say no to her hadn't even crossed her mind. She looked toward the little girl and the incapacitated nurse, realizing a desire to help that she just couldn't ignore. She cursed her arm for betraying her desires and she cursed the man who had almost destroyed her arm completely. Shannon was about to argue with the doctor when he leaned in toward her ear and whispered curt instructions. Shannon nodded a bit dumbly.

She walked up to the bed and swallowed down a lump in her throat. She examined the sickly girl intently for a moment before placing her good hand over hers. Shannon gave the hand a small squeeze and found it almost frightening how smaller this girl's hand was compared to her own. These small hands had pointed a gun at her. Had stabbed someone. What kind of world was this, where a little girl could become the... thing laying before her?

"I'm Shannon," she eventually managed to say. Words then began to pour out of her. "Shannon Anne Greene. I don't like it very much. My friend used to make fun of me, called me Anne of Green Gables. You know the book, right? I never read it, couldn't even be bothered. Another friend of mine dragged me to this play adaptation. It was so boring, I couldn't believe it. She really liked the book, but I don't think even she liked the play very much. I don't know if it was the acting, or..." She trailed off, blinking at tears. When did she start tearing up?

Shannon sniffed and wiped her eyes on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. It's really going to be okay."

---

Lauren - Farm - Katie

"It's going to be okay," she whispered back. "If they're mean, we'll let them be."

Lauren pushed through the brush at a slow pace, cautious of whatever potential danger the farm held. Bull followed along behind her, a silent giant. When they reached the clearing, Lauren quickened her pace slightly. She stopped in the middle of the farmhouse's backyard and looked up at the house in an attempt to see into the windows. She thought she saw a flicker of movement for just a moment, but it was gone before Lauren could register it. Shaking her head, she placed Katie down next to Bull. "Watch her for a second," she said, her tone indicating she was in no mood for discussion. Bull only crossed his arms, letting out a deep sigh. He looked off to the side, his expression not unlike a grumpy ol' lumberjack.

Lauren stepped away from the pair to move toward the house. She tried to catch a better look of the inside, but the view between the boarded up windows was slim to none. With slight hesitation, Lauren went to knock on the front door.

Then, suddenly; "Hey fucker, you better put your hands up or the knee's go first!"

The shout had come from the other side of the house, but Lauren began to panic anyway. She spun around toward Bull and wildly motioned with her hand for him to get down. As she watched Bull grab Katie and pull her back into he brush, Lauren dropped to her knees, pushing up against the side of the house. Her hands were shaking slightly and she formed them into fists in an attempt to calm them. She considered making a break for it into the brush, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Not a single part of Lauren's body dared to move, anchoring her to the spot.

[OutlawedPanda]

Henry and Audrey - Haggerton Farm - The Farm People

As Henry Donnell stared down the scope of his hunting rifle, one thought plagued his mind. Why is Anthony here already? Something was wrong, Henry knew as much. Daniel had given them specific details. Robert seemed unstable, so Daniel wanted Henry and Audrey to go back to the farm to make sure no one was there. Apparently, Daniel questioned whether Robert would be sparing to any survivors, so they were to clear anyone out before the group came in the morning. It was still noon on that day, and yet here were Robert's men; armed and looked down the barrel of a rifle. "Holy..." Henry came to his feet, looking around for Audrey. He called the girl's name quietly.

Daniel had been right; something wasn't right. "Audrey!" He called again. This time, she answered, appearing from a ring of trees a few yards away. He hurriedly motioned her to him and took her by the arm, pulling her to the white fence of the farm. The pair silently trekked closer, just in range of ear. As if realizing that what Henry said was true, Audrey's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh..." She muttered. She delivered her next sentence rather loudly. "There is something wrong with Ro-" Henry clapped a hand over Audrey's mouth.

"Shh!" He snapped, and removed his hand. He settled in and prepared to listen.

[QT]

Haywood Militia - Farm - Farmers/Lauren/Bull/Katie

Johnson stared directly at the house from afar. His rifle had a scope and everything, making him the right man to be in that position. Everything spiraled out of control when the farmer inside the home yelled out. He abruptly threatened the armed men, making both Wilson and Johnson uncomfortable. Out of control, Wilson pressed the trigger of his MP5K. Rounds of bullets sprayed over the farmhouse door, bullets penetrating the inner walls. As he was firing, Wilson stopped backtracking and started forward, attempting to infiltrate the facility.

As Wilson fired, Johnson remained still, until he saw something with his peripherals. He saw a shadow on the side of the house from the very edge of his right eye and turned towards it. He looked through his scope to see what it was, finding out there was another person that who not Haywood on the side of the house. "Dammit" he cursed as he cocked his rifle and aimed. Without further notice, he fired his weapon, aiming for the woman. Unfortunately he missed because right when he fired, it seemed the woman luckily jumped out the way. With a grunt, Johnson reloaded quickly, aiming yet again.

Wilson became startled by Johnson firing his weapon and stopped shooting to see what was happening. The idiot completely turned to Johnson and urged him to follow, standing defenseless right in front of the door. "C'mon Johnson!" he yelled at the man, Johnson turning away from his scope and looking up at Wilson. From afar he couldn't tell what Wilson was trying to tell him. Johnson's eyes widened as suddenly Wilson's body went flying off the porch. His gun started going off uncontrollably as he fell to the dirt below him. Wilson grabbed the side of his neck in attempt to stop the bleeding. His entire body was fighting death, but couldn't prevent it as suddenly he came to a halt. His eyes wide open as his mouth full of drooling blood. Johnson couldn't believe his eyes, the entire operation went to hell. Instead of returning to the woman, Johnson took his sight and pointed it at the door as he began to shoot.

On the other side of the house, Anthony and Elliot heard the shots and took precaution. The men laid against the home's walls and started towards the back door. Anthony motioned Elliot to go and open it, but as he started for it Elliot heard voices and stopped. The voices weren't coming from inside the house though, they came from the side of it. Elliot turned to Anthony who ordered the man to go see what it was. Elliot slowly traced around the back of the farmhouse from one side to the other. He poked out his head off the side to find a woman pushed against the wall. Before pursuing, he turned to Anthony and then jumped out. Anthony tried to call him to stop, but it was pointless, Elliot had already moved out.

"Hands up lady!" Elliot called out. "I don't wanna hurt you" he added, pointing his automatic weapon at her. "Maddam, if you move I'll have to shoot, so please, don't" Elliot begged Lauren. He obviously, from the start, didn't want to have to kill anybody, but if his life was on the line, which it was, he would have no choice but to do so.

All this was happening while Anthony started to pull the knob on the back door. He started smashing it wish the grip of his handgun and pushing the door with his shoulder. He grunted loudly as he tried to get in, but was unsuccessful. He turned away from the door to find something he could use, but his eyes met something other than a useful tool. "No..." he said as about ten walkers headed their way. "Elliot! We gotta get out of here!" Anthony called out. As the man's voice rang in Elliot's ear, the Haywood soldier turned his attention away from Lauren for just one second. One second that could change the entire situation between the two.

---

Floyd - House - Jess

"Let go of me girl!" Floyd yelled, taking a hold of her wrist and jostling it away forcefully. Then he stepped backwards to put some distance between himself and Jess. Accidentally, his back ran into the door frame behind him, preventing him from leaving. "Damn" he cursed, turning back to Jess who continued to beg him to stay. He didn't understand why she suddenly felt this urge to say these things. For three weeks he's been taking care of her, nurturing her and her child. Even before that he risked his own life to save her, fighting every odd that appeared. But even through those damn efforts Jess felt he was going to just disappear one of those days, just like Bruce had that day.

Floyd then stared directly into her eyes, his own eyes red with rage. "That's what ya think of me?" he asked, not waiting for a response. His veins appearing all over his arms and neck as he started to feel that irritated anger like before. "Ya think after all this time, after EVERYTHING I've done for you, ima just leave?! Ya think im just like him huh? Ya think im like Bruce!" he continued. Every word he spoke just added to that infuriating tone he adapted. He waked to a counter in that room, taking the glass vase and throwing it towards the wall, the glass shattering everywhere. He then took the counter and threw it down too. "Ya ain't got no damn clue what I feel girl! Ya don't know nuthin!" he yelled in her face.

He then stood there, a silence filling the air as he just walked side to side looking at her. "Ya think im like him huh? Then let me act like him!" he said, taking her by the arm. His grip had no limits to how hard he grabbed her. "Let me show ya" he said, pulling her out of the room and along the hallway towards that room. He kicked the door open, breaking it from one of its hinges and shoving Jess inside.

Inside the room was a crib, on top of it a baby mobile hanging from the ceiling. The walls had a wallpaper with small yellow ducks all around it. A rocking chair sat beside the crib along with changing table behind it. What made this entire room off limits was what covered everything...................blood. The walls were covered in red, the yellow ducks barely visible. The rocking chair was still rocking as though a ghost sat there in grief and sorrow. The wooden changing station was basically broken, the wood completely shattered and in pieces. The thing that made the entire room ever more horrific was the crib. The originally white crib was now stained completely red. Blood spilled from the sides, not anymore, but it had. There was a dried up pond of blood right beneath it, showing that spillage. The sheets were covered in that gore. To a future-mother like Jess this was the most gruesome view one could ever witness.

Floyd then pulled Jess out of it and closed the door the best he could. He stared at her for a second as she took it all in. "If I wanted to leave I would have already" he said, stomping his was downstairs and into the kitchen. He hadn't wanted to show her that, he was indeed trying to protect her. But when she attacked him like that, something seemed to click that made Floyd just burst into wrath. He couldn't believe she had said all those things, thinking that everything they went through meant basically nothing. The girl was just so naive.

[CorruptedShadow]

Jacob/Ben/Sam - Farm - Others

Jacob had fallen back, baffled from the sudden spraying of fire that was happening. He couldn't believe this was happening. They had lived on this farm for so long, but now he knew it was time to leave. Taking his Remington, he fired some shots at Johnson, but they were blind shots. He could only guess his position from where the firing was coming from. Sprinting upstairs, he quickly opened the door to the bedroom, where Ben and Sam looked up at it. "We need to go, now." He took Sam, but Ben stood on his own. "If I can grab one of them, I can hold them hostage...hopefully we can negotiate. If all else fails, I'll join you guys in the Barn. Go!" Ben grunted, showing that he obviously was non amused with the turn of events, but Sam quickly took his arm and led him downstairs.

Jacob, following after them, came flying out the back door first, as he used one hand to try and disarm Anthony, while with the other to sock him straight in the face. The only thing running through his head was the fear of being killed...no, that his family would be killed. He knew what he had to do though. On the other side of the house, Ben and Sam quickly began to run over to the barn, trying to avoid as much gunfire as possible. While all this happened, the house began to catch on fire in the inside...the stove was left on.

[Atomyk]

Lauren - Farm - Elliot

A shot rang out, whizzing above Lauren's head. Having felt the bullet just barely miss her, Lauren found herself crying out in fright. She muttered under her breath a string of, "No... No, no, no!" How could she have been so dumb? Why did she think the farm would be safe? Why did she think anywhere would be safe?

Lauren rose slightly to get a better look into the brush. She looked for Bull and Katie, but could not see either of them in the tall foliage. "Okay, okay," she said to herself. "Let's go." She began to move from her spot on the wall when a man with an automatic weapon emerged from the side of the house. He trained his gun on her and Lauren quickly raised her hands, freezing in place.

"Maddam, if you move I'll have to shoot, so please, don't," he said. Lauren didn't doubt him, but his voice had lacked something. It was something she had heard most every day back in the Catacombs. It was in all of those raiders, even sometimes Bull. She believed this man would shoot her, but she didn't think he had it in him to kill her.

She heard further gunshots, indicating that this guy had friends around the farmhouse. If they were willing to shoot at her for just wandering by, she understood what kinds of people they were. They were no better than Tyler, willing to step on whomever threatened their ideal world. She had just gotten away from these kinds of people, had just gotten Katie away from these kinds of people. She couldn't associate with these kinds of people anymore. She would die first.

That was why Lauren took a chance. Another man spoke up, and the man aiming at her turned his attention away. She immediately bolted toward the foliage. Toward Bull and Katie. Maybe the guy aiming at her would be sympathetic enough to let her go, but she wasn't counting on it. All she knew for sure was that she could never surrender, not now and not ever.

[Myst]

Katie - Farm - Bull, Lauren

Katie was scared. A man shouted at Lauren, pulling a gun on her. She whimpered and Bull shushed her, but she could tell he was worried too.
Suddenly Lauren ran towards them. Katie gasped. The man had told Lauren not to move. He had a gun.

"Lauren!" Katie screamed and jerked away from Bull. Racing out from the bushes, she ran towards Lauren screaming. "No!"
When she reached the woman Katie jumped, wrapping her little arms and legs around her. She was crying. Looking over Lauren's shoulder at the man with the gun, her eyes were wide with terror.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessalyn - House - Floyd

Jess couldn't believe Foyd's reply. He got angry at her. When the vase smashed against the wall she cried out, covering her ears against the sound. She had never meant for this, would never have believed that Floyd would be this violent with her. Apparently he took it as an insult that she wanted him to stay.
But he was right in a way. She was comparing him to Bruce. Bruce had left her, why not Floyd too? But it was just her experience with men. They left.
And they abused.

Then he was pulling her arm, hurting her as he dragged her out of the room and down the hallway.
What she saw in the room horrified her beyond words.
It was a baby's room. Covered in blood. She couldn't stop her eyes from going to the crib. The gore inside...
The whole scene burned deeply into her mind, staying with her even after he pulled her out and shut the door. He snarled at her one more time before leaving.

Without him to hold her up Jessalyn crumbled to the floor. His footsteps echoed down the steps. Jess covered her mouth to stifle the sobs. She rocked back and forth, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to force the image of what she had just seen from her mind.
She had never thought she needed to be afraid of Floyd before. But that temper was more fearful then anything she had seen or experienced so far. Really the blood and gore of the child's room could be forgotten, but the sense of betrayal she felt at that moment couldn't. She felt betrayed and hurt at Floyd's reaction and his way of dealing with his anger.

Getting to her feet slowly and shakily, Jess stumbled along the wall to the bedroom. Once inside she shut the door and went to the bed. Pulling back the covers revealed that the bed was clean so Jess climbed in and pulled the covers up over her, like a small animal hiding in a nest. She curled into a ball and closed her eyes, trying to focus on stopping the shaking of her body.

[QT]

Floyd - The House - Jess

The kitchen was silent as well as the entire house at the moment. Not even the noises from outside were heard at this point, both guest were lost in their own thoughts. Floyd sat in one of the stools near the kitchen center table. He had his knife out, stabbing at the tabletop from time to time in attempt to stop the escalating anger. Only thing that came to mind at the moment were questions. Why did Jess think he'd leave? What made her believe such a thing in the first place? Did she only want him there to stay alive? Was she just using him?

Obviously Floyd didn't know how Jess actually felt. He'd been so afraid to get close to the girl, that she hardly shared anything with him. But the incident that just occurred scared not only Jess, but Floyd as well. Witnessing her fright, the fright she bore in her eyes was not desirable, but it happened. It was apparent to Floyd that he obtained that uncontrollable rage from his father, like it were a trait or gene. He didn't want to be that man though, he feared him as much as Jess does Floyd at this moment. He used to whip him when he got angry, used to abuse him every time something didn't go his way. It was an unimaginable brutality. There was a time he was stabbed in the side by his own father. Luckily, Floyd wasn't harmed intensely by it.

Regretting his actions, Floyd stopped stabbing the table and let his knife fall flat. He put it back into its sheath all while picking up the rag from earlier. He tired to turn the water on, but it wasn't working, so instead took a bottle from his bag. He started up the stairs slowly, not trying to startle Jess if she was still there. Once he got to the second floor, he noticed she had locked herself in the room from earlier. Floyd looked away and headed into the baby's room.

He placed the rag and the bottle of water on the floor as he pulled out his knife. He started cutting the wallpaper from the edge then continued by peeling it away slowly. Apparently, the pink wallpaper with ducks was laid on top of yet another wallpaper underneath it. He had to do this to all the walls, he didn't want them covered with blood any longer. After doing so, the walls now had the older wallpaper which was completely yellow with a colorful abstract design on it - rainbows and such. After that, he removed all the blood spoiled covers from the crib. He used the rag and water to clean off crib itself. It was difficult to take the dried up blood from the floor, but Floyd accomplished that as well. The changing table was irreparable though, it was cracked on nearly all sides. Without any use of it, Floyd dragged it out of the room then took it downstairs and outside, taking it behind the house and scanning the area in the meantime. He noticed the sun was coming down so he was on high alert.

Once he returned inside, he went back into the room and cleaned off everything else, making sure it was completely scoured. That took about thirty minutes to an hour. Sweating from all that, Floyd took off his jacket and placed it on the rocking chair. He left the room and closed the door, one of the hinges still damaged. With a sigh he just stood there quietly. He scratched the back of his head before starting towards the room Jess was in. He laid on the wall next to that room's door and knocked. From outside the room he said "I'm sorry" before once again starting towards the stairs.

---

Haywood Militia - Farm - Farmers/Lauren/Katie

"Dammit, he killed Wilson!" Johnson said as he started aiming for the old man and the kid. He had them on the scope sight but didn't fire, instead he started running away himself as he witnessed the light inside the farmhouse. He was heading back to the truck, leaving Anthony and Elliot behind.

In the meantime, Elliot turned back to see the woman running away from him. "What the-" he exclaimed as he turned his weapon towards Lauren. He turned the safety off and cocked his weapon. The entire time he had his safety off, Elliot wasn't the man to look for violence. Before deciding to fire, he turned to see if Anthony was next to him, which he wasn't. Instead, Anthony was chasing after Jacob, the man that sucker punched him. Turning back, Elliot continued to watch the woman get farther and farther. "Uhhhh" he mumbled, not knowing what to do.

The man shook his head a couple times and finally made an executive decision. He pointed his weapon and started to shoot at her feet, only wanting to scare her and prevent her from getting any farther. He didn't even aim to injure her, merely to frighten her and have her enter a state of shock or something. But his firing stopped when a small kid came running out of the woods. Elliot put his gun down as his eyes widened. He couldn't believe that these people were fending off for their own. From where he stood, Elliot could tell the child was about ten years old by her height. He started to hesitate, not knowing what to do until he heard Anthony scream from afar.

Before Anthony screamed, the man was running after Jacob. He planned on shooting the man until he noticed the direction he was headed. Jacob was running towards the walkers Anthony saw earlier by the back fences. "Fuck that" Anthony said to himself, running back towards the farmhouse to find it was already being destroyed. A flame had emerged from the inside, the house starting to collapse on itself as it burned brightly in his eyes. "Elliot, WATCH OUT!!!!" Anthony yelled.

Suddenly, the wall behind Elliot collapsed on the man, completely eradicating him from presence. Anthony's eyebrow raised in surprise, he couldn't believe everything was going so wrong for him. At the moment, he stood there motionless, looking side to side as he tried to find an escape route. "Dammit" he cursed, urging himself to run passed the side of the house and back towards the truck. He ran as fast as he could and actually managed to pass up Johnson who hurt himself trying to escape. The man twisted his ankle, possibly tearing some kind of muscle. Anthony passed him up until he could see two noticeable people before him near the gates. Henry and Audrey were down there, obviously trying to hide, but failing. "Them bastards" Anthony cursed in a whisper. If they went back and told Daniel what happened everything would go to hell. Therefore, it was time act.

Anthony started back towards Johnson who was using his rifle as a walking stick to get away. But after one step, Johnson stopped in his tracks. "What are you doing Anthony?" he asked as Anthony raised his gun at him. Anthony had his gun held with both hands, one on the trigger, the other holding his trigger hand. Loudly and clearly he spoke, all in order to get Henry and Audrey to hear him. "You weren't suppose to shoot at them man!" he started. "Our mission was to bring back the survivors man, not try and kill them!" Anthony continued.

"What are you talking about? Robert said to kill them!" Johnson angered. The man feared for his life, so his voice raised in volume.

"Robert isn't the leader man, its Daniel, we take orders from him. I can't let you go back to Haywood man, you're a killer Johnson!" Anthony yelled.

Johnson feared what was coming, so he quickly raised his rifle, but was met with force. A bullet sprung from Anthony's gun and pierced him through the head, causing the man to fall back into the dirt. The rifle fell on top of Johnson as his body deceased along with the farmhouse.

Anthony then turned and acted as though he'd never saw Henry and Audrey, running towards the truck. Robert's mission failed.

[Atomyk]

The Bull - Farm - Katie

Bull crouched low, holding Katie close to him. His while body was shaking and he could barely contain himself. His adrenaline was soaring, but not because he felt his own life was in danger. It was because of Lauren, who was still stuck back at that damned farmhouse. He could barely see her through the brush, but when shots started firing, Bull felt like his heart stopped.

Katie managed to wiggle out of his grasp in his shocked state and she made a beeline for Lauren. The big man had no choice but to chase after her. He broke out of the foliage just in time to see the man behind Lauren take aim and fire. "Lauren!" Bull shouted, his voice strained with fear. This couldn't be happening, not now. As Katie was about to reach Lauren, the older woman cried out in pain and tripped over herself, slamming into Katie. The pair fell into a heap and all Bull could do was yell out Lauren's name repeatedly.

When he reached the fallen pair, his body wracked with heaving breaths. His entire body shook even more violently than before as he attempted to help Lauren up. His gaze was drawn to her leg, now sickeningly bloody. "Lauren. Lauren..." Bull pulled Lauren closer to him, but he took a sharp intake of breath when he saw the wound on her head. She'd hit the ground hard, knocking her unconscious. He felt for her pulse and found her heart still beating, but he still felt tears sting at his eyes. Sobs overtook him as he held Lauren closer to him. "God, no... Lauren, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

[Myst]

Jessalyn - House - Floyd

Jess stayed under the covers for quite a while before peeking her head out. Things were no different then they had been, but she knew she couldn't hide forever. She would have to face Floyd, hoping that his anger had cooled off by now.
But maybe she would put it off for just a little longer.

Getting up, she went to the closet and started sorting through the clothing. The woman who had lived her before had kept a few of her maternity clothes but she had been taller then Jess. She changed out of her dirty travel clothes into a pair of shorts, the openings for the legs were a little big, and a flowing bohemian style maternity top. It was white with blue flowers on it.
The rest of the clothes, the ones that wouldn't fit her, Jess pushed into the back of the closet.
Next came the men's clothes. The man had been about as tall as Floyd but not as muscular. The shirts would probably not fit, but the pants looked like they would work alright. If she found a needle and thread she could probably take the hem out of the shirts and resew them to make them bigger.

She was still in the sorting process when she heard Floyd's footsteps. She tensed a moment before she realized he was not coming in.
A knock and a faint 'I'm sorry' was all she heard before he walked off again.
Jess stared at the clothes, thinking. He had apologized. Maybe he really hadn't meant to get so angry. He still needed to learn to control his temper though, especially with a baby on the way. She wouldn't have him losing his temper around her child.

Picking up a few pairs of pants that she thought would fit him, Jess opened the door to see he had started down the stairs.
She walked to him without shaking, proud of herself for it, and held out the clothes to him. "The shirts are too small, but I'm going to try and fix them. The pants should fit, if you want a change of clothes."

She went down the stairs, waiting for him to follow. She wasn't going to mention anything about what had happened. He had apologized and that was the end of it. But there was something she needed to do.

They went into the kitchen and she pulled out a chair for him and another for herself. "Please sit and talk with me," she asked.
When he sat she took a deep breath. "I think you need to understand me more, and I need to understand you. So I am going to tell you about myself and, in turn, I am hoping you will feel comfortable enough to tell me about yourself. I am not going to force you," she added quickly. "It is your choice."
Taking another breath, she began.

"My father left when I was five. He was an alcoholic. He wasn't mean or abusive, he was just stupid. He couldn't hold a job because of his drinking problem and he did dumb things when he was drunk. I think he sort of cared about me, in his own way, but I wasn't the boy he wanted and he loved his alcohol more then me. One day I came home from school and he was... just gone. My mom would never talk about him to me until I was 13 and I forced her to tell me about him."
She cleared her throat before she continued. "I had a brother. A half-brother that my mother had before she married my dad. His name was Nick. He... He hated me for being born. Always did. It went from him being mean and teasing me as children, to him either ignoring my existence completely or yelling at me for things I didn't do. He even tried to kill me once. We were swimming in a pool and he tried to drown me. When the outbreak happened, we were in all in the car trying to get away. He shoved me out of the car and drove off without a second glance."

Jessalyn had to take a moment. This was hard for her to talk about. "For some reason I loved him. I tried everything I could to win his love. I would have done anything if it meant that he would treat me as a brother should treat his sister. Pretty stupid huh?"

She wiped her eyes and breathed. "So anyway," she continued, her voice a little hoarse. "After all of that I met Bruce. He said he would look after me, that he would take me somewhere safe. All I had to do was do him a favor : Lay still. After he was... done with me, he took me to Lynn and left me with her. I found out I was pregnant three months later. I didn't see or hear from Bruce until Eli took me to Haywood. He was the leader there. He was going to trade me to Tyler for supplies, as he had done with other women, but there was an uprising and he was overthrown from his leadership. They brought him to me after Eli was killed, wanting me to kill him. He lied to me again, filling my head with apologies and saying how he wanted to love me and take care of our child. I stupidly believed him. I wanted it to be true, even though unconciously I knew it wasn't. He attacked me the moment he was loose. He almost killed me before they shot him."

She smiled, but her smile was not humorous in the slightest. "So, as you can see, my track record with men is not the best. So if I come across as needy or clingy or scared of being abandoned, now you know why. It is not because I think badly of you, I am just afraid that whatever is in men that makes them hate me will make you hate me. I don't know what I do that makes every man I let in hate me, but I'm scared of it happening with you too. That I will do something to make you hate me and you'll leave me behind like everyone does."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katie - Farm - Bull, Lauren

Katie heard the shot and saw Lauren fall. "NO!" she screamed. "No Lauren no! Don't go away!"
When Bull appeared and held the woman Katie looked around. The man who had shot her was arguing with another man. "You bad man!" she shouted angrily.
The next minute there was a shot and the man was the ground, dead. Katie screamed and ran behind Bull.
"Go away!" she yelled at the man who had shot the mean man. "Leave us alone!" she ordered.

[QT]

Floyd - The House - Jess

Floyd said nothing in response to everything Jess had said. He felt like an idiot because his actions caused her to bring forth her past, the one thing he did not intend to have happen. There were many similarities between them, something Floyd just now learned. Throughout her speech, Floyd could not find a way to make eye contact with her. He just stared at the table before them, biting the inside of his bottom lip.

It seemed that all her experiences played a huge toll on her. That emotion, that fear she felt was due to everything that has happened to her. She's been drowning in the attempt to have a man, a male person accept her. Acceptance was also a big issue Floyd dealt with as well. He wasn't nor is the nicest person someone had to deal with. His entire life he struggled, trying to prevent himself from turning into the one man he hated, his father. And now that Jess' words were coming to an end, he'd tell her about it. For the first time he felt comfortable around her, like the entire room became warm in unity.

"My father was also a drunk" he started, pausing for a second before continuing further along. "I didn't think anythin of it until I was about nine or ten. Behind my back he would hit my mother when things didn't go his way. I once saw him do it and confronted him. He put me down too, slapping me across the face like I was sumbody's bitch. From that day on, he would hit me instead of my mother. For sum reason I was relieved by that. I didn't want my mother to get hit, she was a gud woman, always supportin me" he recollected, feeling those bruises from more than a decade ago.

"The fighting continued for years. I would come to school to find my mother crying. She'd always try and hide it from me, but it was always obvious. She'd ask "How was ur day? Did u make any friends today?", but the answers were always the same. It was okay, and no. I didn't make friends cuz I like u know, I ain't the nicest person. I took that anger, that rage I had for my father and would apply it towards my classmates. In third grade I got expelled about five times for fighting. I tried to find other ways to shun those emotions but I couldn't. I was weak and I still am" he said, getting up from his chair and laying on the wall behind him, still facing her.

"One day my father came home drunk as hell. I can still picture it. His staggered walk, that f*ckin drool spillin from his lip. He came home talkin bout sum stupid horse race, sayin he lost or sum shit. He said he bet, what, twenty dollars. I tried to get em out the house, pushing him back towards the door. He takes me by the neck and pushes me to the ground. He goes to the kitchen, gets the fryin pan and starts hitting me with it, nobody there to stop him, not even my mother. The woman just watched and cry as I got hit. But what could she do anyway right? Call the cops? Right, that never happened. Three days later or so my father just vanishes from sight. Finally, the man I hate finally leaves. But what happens then? Were stuck with the house bills. Were the ones that have to pay off everythin!" he urged, sitting back down.

He paused for a second to breathe, his eyes as wide as they could get "I get a couple gigs after that. I start fightin for money when I was still in school. Ya might not believe it but I've got a high school diploma. Yeah, I ain't no idiot. Anyhow, my mother passed away about a year later. Those rich folk come in and take everythin from me. The house is gone, her possessions, everythin. Apparently it all went to my father. They told me I had to go live with him because I was under aged still. I was what, seventeen? yeah, that's right. Moved in with my punk ass old man and once again got beat for showin up. Every damn day he would beat me, maybe once a day, maybe even five times a day, it all depended on how he felt. The f*cker died three months after my nineteenth birthday. I figured everythin will go to me, the farm, everythin, but that's not how it turned out. Tax collectors came, said I couldn't fund paying rent or sum shit, so they took everythin. I was forced to live on the streets until Eli helped me out. Guess one could say he truly was my only friend. Whoda thought right? Friends with a slave distributor" he huffed.

"From then on I did what I do best, I fend for my self. Then I found you on that train yard" he paused yet again, this pause longer than the others. "I'm angry that I keep failin you and failin you. Over and over I question why I can't get it right, why I continue to push away when I see ya tryin to get closer and it enrages me. I turn to anger for an escape route...........im sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you from Bruce. I'm sorry I couldn't save you from Tyler. I'm sorry I couldn't save Lynn" he said, his voice breaking down as he once again stood up from his seat.

"The more I try to be less like him the more I turn out just like him. Believe me, I am tryin. I am" he said, starting to break down. "I'm tired of failin, I'm tired of......of bein so distant from people, I don't want that anymore Jess, I don't. I don't want that" he repeated, falling to the ground, sitting in the cold lumbering floor. His teeth started to grind against each other as his eyes shut in attempt to prevent his tears from showing, but failed. A tear ran down his cheek, quickly he wiped it away with his forearm, but they continued. "I wont leave ya, I........I wont. Not again. No-" he finished, his own tears preventing him from speaking any longer. Finally she got to him. This was the true Floyd, a broken man in the shadow of his father's wrath. A man trying to get away from what he hates yet becoming it. But this outbreak helped him surpass that, it helped him understand his true purpose. He no longer had to take care of Jess because he wanted to prove his father he was not like him, he had to take care of Jess because he felt for her the same way she felt for him.

[OutlawedPanda]

Henry and Audrey - Haggerton Farm - Katie, Bull, and Lauren

Audrey shrieked as Anthony put the round in Johnson's head, ending the man's life. "Son of a-" Henry cut his sentence short as he vaulted over the fence, taking a shot at Anthony's truck as he drove away. He ran to assist the three people, one of which was a little, another a man larger than even Daniel or Robert, and the third a wounded and unconscious. "Folks! We gotta get out a' here! Walkers will be swarmin' the place!" The large man produced a firearm which he pointed at Henry.

"Back of, pal!" He roared viciously. This was one man that Henry swore never to get into a fight against. Henry threw his hands up in surrender, removing his hand from the trigger. Meanwhile, the girl sobbed. "Go away, you bad man!"

"I'm a friendly." He promised, then turning to the little girl. "You're lady friend seems like a mighty nice woman, sweetheart. You see that woman over there?" He indicated an elbow to the forthcoming Audrey, who's cheeks still streamed with tears. "Her name is Audrey, and she's real sweet, too. Is it okay if she helps you?" The girl nodded, and Henry turned his focus to the man. "I got a car back in the woods. We can get you to safety and to a mighty fine doctor, but we need to hurry!" As Audrey's eyes fell on Johnson's corpse, she continued to cry. Henry gave a quick embrace, before softly delivering a few things to the girl. She nodded, sobbing and choking back tears as she lowered herself and spoke to the little girl.

"H-hi, I'm Audrey." The girl responded by giving her name. "That's-" She jerked slightly as her chest heaved another forceful sob. "That's a pretty name, Katie. If you can hold my hand, we can go to be safe." Katie followed Audrey's directions with surprising obedience.

"Alright, buddy, I need you to cover us; I can't do that well with my rifle, but you've got a better gun." The man seemed defiant, but then reluctantly relinquished the woman. Henry nodded, thankfully. He picked the woman up with small effort; she was light in his arms. The group hurried over the fence and through the woods, to a beaten up Murano SUV. Audrey and Katie got in the back, where Henry gently laid the woman. He then climbed in to the front and sat beside the large man. As they drove down the rode, Henry looked at the man.

"I'm Henry, and that's Audrey." The older man gave a backwards nod to his companion.

"Most people call me 'Bull'. That's Lauren..." Bull responded.

"Bull... I promise you, we're gonna help you. We've got a doctor; he's a good man, too." Henry explained as they drove towards Haywood. He'd the look on Anthony's face; he'd seen him meet his eyes... Anthony was lying about Daniel's orders, he knew as much. Anthony had murdered Johnson, and he had to get their before the murderer.

[Myst]

Jessalyn - House - Floyd

Jess couldn't help it. The more Floyd told her, the more tears came to her eyes. By the time he was on the floor and crying she was sobbing. Especially when he promised not to leave her. She got down on her knees and knelt beside her, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She didn't say anything for a while, just hugged him.
Finally she pulled and smiled through her tears, brushing his hair out of his face. She cupped his face in her hands. "If we stay together, everything will be okay," she told him. "I can feel it."

She hugged him again. "You are not your father. If you were, you would have left me in the city with the walkers. You would have left me underground in the catacombs. You are a good man Floyd. A kind man. I don't mind you being a little rough around the edges, because you show by your actions that you have honor. Stop living in his shadow. You are a good man. You have to start believing that. Okay?"

Giving in to the impulse, she kissed his cheek gently. Then she kissed it again. The third time she changed the angle at the last moment and kissed his lips.
She pulled back quickly, face bright red from embarrassment. She looked at him from under her eyelashes.
Compared to him she was little more then a child. She hoped he wouldn't be offended, or worse treat her like a kid with a crush.
Because that was what she felt like she had. She genuinely, seriously liked Floyd. He was tall and strong and kind. He had the ability to protect her, to provide for her and her child. With him, she felt safe and secure.

"Your anger scares me, but it doesn't change how I see you," she said, staring at his chest because she couldn't meet his eyes after kissing him, afraid of what she would see in them. "But you're so strong, you can beat it. I don't just mean physically. You have a strong character. One that I hope you will always have."

[QT]

Floyd - The House - Jess

Her embrace helped Floyd fight the urge to scream and shout. He felt as though his lungs were calling for anger, but her words prevented them from unmasking. Floyd felt her tears fall on his arms as she continued to hold him. He also felt her stomach press against his side, feeling that motherly warmth he so long desired. Like her he was also breaking down, his tears getting heavier as she spoke.

When her hands then reached his face, he stopped the flowing of the tears, not wanting her to see them. He stared directly into her sunny bright eyes, listening to every word that came from her soft tender lips. Then she embraced him yet again, telling him that he was not his father and appreciating everything he's done for her. He couldn't help but feel her emotion run from her touch through his body. She was very optimistic and was showing her true colors.

Those same solemn lips then came in contact with his rough and tear-filled cheek. Not only once, but twice. Floyd didn't fight it though, the loving sensation proved far greater than what he though. But without another second to spare, her alluring lips came crashing into his. But without notice, they pulled away faster than he could process. He didn't even have time to react when she moved backwards, befuddled by her own actions.

Unlike every other time, Floyd followed her, escaping his solitary confinement. At this point, the two were still on the floor, but Floyd stood, helping Jess up as she couldn't look into his eyes. She continued to speak, but did not break away from his chest, she wasn't making eye contact, which was ironic. But Floyd didn't care anything about that, he felt some kind of connection that was drawing him to her. Taking one step closer, his body came in contact with her belly. He used his hand to raise her chin, making eye contact inevitable. Electricity ran through his veins as he felt himself get even closer than before. His heart pounded louder and faster than ever before. At that moment he wanted to know everything about this girl, more than he already did. But most of all, he wanted to her delicate lips to meet his. And just like that, Floyd's lips met Jess'. The warmth of her mouth sent a current through his body, arousing him. His right hand reached for the lower arc of her back as his right followed.

But all good things must come to an end as a sudden impact came ramming against the front door. Floyd broke away from Jess, pulling out his knife quickly from its sheath. "Stay here" he ordered her as he walked quickly towards the front door. The noise came again, which eventually was made out to be a knock. Somebody was knocking on their front door. For a minute, Floyd just stared at the door from the inside. There was no peephole, so there was no telling what was outside.

Floyd's teeth came together as his eyes squinted in aspiration. He held his blade up in defense as his left hand reached the knob. Slowly he twisted the knob then quickly opened the door. "Help me!" a man yelled, entering the home. "It's following me!" he called out again, nervous as hell at both the one walker that was walking towards the house and at Floyd, the man who was pointing a deadly weapon at him.

Making a vital decision, Floyd pushed the man to the side and busted out the door in a light jog. He ran up to the walker and jabbed his blade straight through its head, causing it to collapse instantly. He then pulled his knife out and took a deep breath before running back inside. But as he closed the door and turned to the stranger, he was met with a revolver pointed straight at him. "Put the blade down ma man!" the stranger commanded. Floyd followed and threw his knife to the wooden surface, kicking it towards the man. "Now, give me all your food and everything you got."

"No" Floyd answered, his eyes red once again. "Do you wanna die?" the stranger asked all while cocking his revolver. "C'mon man, don't be stupid, just give me your stuff and I'll be on my way. No harm no foul" the man said. Floyd just stood there without words. If he went to the kitchen to grab his supplies, the man would see Jess and possibly hurt her, but if he did nothing, he'd get shot, the stranger would most likely find Jess, and he'd do things to her Floyd couldn't even imagine. "C'mon buddy, I know you've got some food in here, where's it at?!" the stranger angered. "This way" Floyd said, starting to go upstairs, looking off to the side hoping Jess wasn't in sight, which fortunately she wasn't.

The stranger followed Floyd into the baby room. "What the hell is this? Where's the dam food huh? Tryin to tric-" he wondered, cut off by Floyd's sudden jerk of the hip. A fist came flying into the strangers face out of nowhere. Suddenly a shot rang through the house, both the stranger and Floyd then came rolling down the stairs, smashing against the walls. Floyd crawled back to his knife and flung it at the stranger, stabbing the man directly in the chest. The stranger lost the grip of his revolver so it fell to the floor. He then lost his own balance and also fell to his side, crashing against the lumber. His body fidgeted for a couple of seconds before it lay motionless. Floyd stood and made sure he didn't come back by stabbing him directly through the skull, piercing the brain. But as his breath started to calm down, a sudden pain came from his side. He looked down to see blood dripping from the right side of his stomach. Fearing the worse, he fell back down to his back, applying pressure at wound with both hands. He seemed to be in a state of shock as his eyes grew wide and his breaths uncontrollable. It all just went downhill so fast.

[CorruptedShadow]

Jacob/Ben/Sam - Farm

Jacob shut the barn doors behind him. All three of them were hunched up inside, with Walkers pounding away at the blocked doors. He sat there, silent, waiting for some kind of miracle to happen out of nowhere. "Damn it...how in the hell are we supposed to live no-" He looked at Sam and rushed over to him, with wide as. "Sam...you feeling alright?" A bullet had pierced Sam's leg, but the adrenaline and shock most likely stopped him from feeling the stinging pain. "I think I'm okay..." Sam replied, looking at the wound.

Ben only stared, rubbing his chin. "That boys a goner now...", "Shut the hell up!", "I'm only speaking the truth.", were the only audible things coming from inside that barn that could be heard. With a grunt, Jacob picked up Sam on his back, and kicked down the back door. Luckily, the walkers were paying attention to the barns front doors. He led Ben out and continued to walk, sighing out as they progressed from the open fields of the farm, to the woods. It was time to start looking for a home.

[Darkraven]

Valentina Vetrov - Haywood - Shannon/Emma/Rob/O'Connor/Brianna

When it was all over and Valentina was given the medical attention she needs, in the form of a bandage around her head and stoppering of the bleeding in her nose, the girl was left to rest on her own. The handcuff was still on, and Valentina had to curl up closest to that bedpost, paralysed with fear due to how powerless and immobilised she had become, forever afraid that someone might come and hurt her, as illogical as her fear was.

In dealing with such fear and uncertainty, Valentina had shut herself off, and was staring blankly at whoever was on the other side of the room. With a hand sticking out awkwardly, she had to wrap her other arm around her legs and shrink herself down that way.

O'Connor, the doctor, did not seem to care, or at least tried to get the girl to lie down straight but gave up anyway when she wouldn't. Instead, he was busy with Brianna, fixing the slash wound around her stomach.

[Rithas]

Rob - Haywood - Shannon/Emma/Valentia/O'Connor/Brianna

Rob sighed as he heard Emma telling him to be careful, "Well yeah! I'm not going to just punch her in the face" Rob tilted his head in an annoyed manner. Suddenly there was a scream, Rob was confused for a moment until he realized what happened. "Dammit why didn't you search her Rob!" The nurse seemed to very angry at him, understandably but still. Rob looked at the girl with a slightly disappointed look, "Of all the things..." Rob looked at the Doctor. Volunteers? Of course Shannon volunteered and swiftly got told to....talk to her.

Rob helped with the stuff the doctor asked someone to do. But he did turned at the had at Shannon talking, and then she got a bit teary. "Umm.....Your-.....nevermind" Rob shrugged as he looked around. The girl seemed to be doing okay. "Should I just leave or?"

Matt-Outpost-Rudy

Matt grinned, "I agree, even if I'm in the council...But then again, a lot of ways have flaws...Do you think there's a better way? Because if you think there is...Then, poof. It could happen, who knows?"

[CallaLily180]

Hazel + The Pub + Herself

Hazel was collapsed on a now nice looking bed, she had her body splayed and was relaxing there. As she looked around the new room she smiled and nodded her approval, she had gone through all the cuts and bruises now on her frail body twenty to be exact, five bite scares, and even a horde. Just to get the rooms cleaned and smell of bodies out of her new hotel, she was still working on the power though. Those machines on the roof confused her, but she had other things to occupy her time.

Though it was a nice motel, and the interior looked good, it was defenseless. Which was something she would not handle. She had to keep this motel for herself and weary travelers. Looking at the pile of boards, solid flooring, drywall, and even some paint she sighed heavily, picking herself up and grabbing her tools.

She decided to start on defense, the back wasn't accessible, so that would be fine. For now she had to work on the front. So she huffed and put boards in the windows, no more natural light, it was all gone now, dark and silent. After some of the widows were boarded she decorated some with nice looking grey curtains, they covered the boards and made the room even darker. When she got power she would need to work on lighting, she wanted an indoor greenhouse, for fruits and vegetables. That would be simple enough...she hoped.

She had boarded almost every window, it was three floors up, and she had the first two floors complete with curtains and cuteness. The air here felt warm and fun too, she was able to relax here but she didn't. Instead she started to patch up the drywall, her parents had done this many a times when the walls were shot up accidentally, so she patched up some of the more minor holes with mud, then with a frustrated sigh, placed drywall boards on every place that was too major for her skills. Afterwards she was tried, she had hurt herself, she was sweating. But the walls, the walls looked...good enough. Once the mud dried she would paint, she needed a partner!

Walking over to her room, the only one she had fit with furniture and good bedding, well it was the only one on the third floor. Locking her door she smiled, taking her dagger and putting it under her pillow. Then she was bored, it had been only five minutes and she was ready to start again. Maybe she was an insomniac now? But she decided to go with the fact she was determined.

With a groan she started up once more, painting tomorrow, flooring wasn't needed yet, and all she had to do was fix the power! So, climbing up onto the roof she looked at the directions she had held down with a rock and started to read, after going through it twice she started, murmuring the directions out loud and using all the strange, harmful power tools she had too.

~*~

So far...she had one panel done, she was finishing one half of one too. It was all, confusing. Her hands had been electrocuted, she had almost put a screw through her finger earlier, and still she worked.

After getting two more panels done, she smiled. They would have to sit for a day to get started, then they would all work well, she once again hoped. Getting to work on the other panels she smiled, being as confident as possible. She was tired and yet knew this was vital. Once she was done here she had to set up a steady supply of trade and or have a good amount of food stocked up. She had to go back to the store, or raid houses, whatever it would take.

~*~

They were done...kind of. Some of the screws were loose still, the wires, she had to work on tightening them but for now it would be enough. And so, feeling proud she looked over the rest of the roof. This would be part of the garden area, she would still have the indoor garden, so she wouldn't have to worry about raiders.

Climbing down the rickety ladder carefully she sighed, muttering things about having to fix something else. Walking back inside of the motel she grabbed some soil, old paneling, seeds, and some of the water the couple had stored there. This was good, she had a steady foundation already. A steady foundation that smelled of fresh mud, air refreshers, and any good smelling perfume sample she could find at the store.

First she brought up the paneling, it was some of the mildewed stuff and some of the newer stuff she had destroyed so she decided on using it. Next she took up the soil, and then the seeds, lastly she took up the water. All with precise care and her Glock in her belt. Starting the greenhouse was simple enough, she took screws that hadn't been used and nails that had been bent to make the structure. Though it took a horribly long time.

After the simple foundation was set, she took an old piece of rusted metal from the roof; that looked like a huge tin can, and used it as a shovel. Taking out the rocks and weird sandy clay stuff to reveal the simple concrete. She then used her hands to rip open the sacks of soil. Pouring them out into the now two feet trench, taking her rusted tin can thing she made small lines. Then taking the seeds and placing a few of certain types; carrots, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and then some spinach. She didn't know how exactly it worked but the packages had directions and they also said 'beginner' in bright red letters.

~*~
After taking her time to plant the vegetables she smiled, now working on those fancy upside-down tomato growers and a few kits of strawberries, blueberries, something called rhubarbs, and even raspberries. Then she decided on doing a simple top, made of the weird stringy stuff she had found on the windows and ripped off.

Once finished she covered the seeds in dirt, and watered each plant. Going downstairs and smiling, this was the worst and best day of her lifetime. It was worth it though, since the rooms didn't 'need' painting, The Pub was officially open for business. Right smack dab in the middle of New Orleans.