Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Howe's Hardware was attacked by a horde of walkers.

Tavia and the others tried to fight back but to no avail, they didn't make it.

The walkers got onto the roof where they were and ate them.

It was only Shel and Becca left as they were standing outside.

"They surrounded us!" - Becca said in a panicked voice.

"It's going to be okay, we're going to make it out, alright?" - Shel tried to reassure her.

"We're not fine! This is horrible!" - Becca was breathing heavily due to stress.

"We can't give up now. We need to go!" - Shel tried to get Becca to move.

"But where?!" - Becca asked.

Shel quickly looked around.

"That forest! Over there!" - Shel pointed at it.

"What makes you think it's safer there?! Maybe there are more walkers...?! W-we are safer inside!" - Becca said.

"We can't!" - Shel replied.

They noticed that the walkers were coming even closer.

"Alright, alright, fine, I'm going!" - Becca reluctantly agreed.

They both sneaked into the woods.

"...Do you think they noticed us?" - Becca asked her.

"No, no. We were quiet..." - Shel replied.

"What even caused this herd to come in? I mean, those speakers just turned on so randomly!" - Becca was frustrated.

"I don't know... Maybe it was one of the new people?" - Shel replied.

"Ugh, I'm gonna rip them to shreds when I find them..." - She murmured.

"Hey, now, don't say that."

"They destroyed our home." - Becca sounded angry.

"...Maybe it was a mistake-"

"Mistake?! Like when you accidentally stole an RV and left everyone behind?!" - Becca interruped Shel.

"Hey, calm down. I know you're feeling bad, but we need to keep walking."

"Do you think I enjoyed it when you stole that RV and broke their barricades?! You betrayed OUR group!" - Becca's voice was accusatory.

Shel was quiet.

"You promised me we would be safer... Now look where we are now!"

"Roman wanted to kill Stef. It was wrong, even if she did try to steal our supplies we shouldn't just forget that she's our friend."

"Oh, remember who else you've saved?! That bandit guy! And you guess what?! He and his group returned and killed Boyd!"

"Ugh, everything could've been so easier if you've just listened to Roman!"

"...Becca, do you truly believe that...?"

"..."

"...I'm sorry, Shel...We're still together and we will stay together, okay? We just need to find some other place..." - Becca replied.

Becca noticed a group of people a few meters away.

"Hey, look! People!"

"Careful, they might be bandits." - Shel said.

"...Look! We can sneak behind those bushes." - Shel pointed at the bushes.

They both went over there.

"Let's just not make a noise, alright?" - Shel said.

"I know, I know..."

Becca tried to start a conversation.

She whispered to Shel.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what I've said earlier... You know I don't mean it."

"It's alright, but we need to stop talking. They'll hear us."

Suddenly, Becca accidentally stepped on a twig.

The bandits were alerted by that.

"Who's there?!" - one of them said.

"Come out already!"

They pointed their guns at the bushes, they've noticed Becca.

"There is no point in hiding." - The bandit leader, Albert said.

One of the bandits forced Becca out of the bushes. They didn't notice Shel because it was really dark.

She laid fully inside the bushes, not making a noise.

"Don't touch me!" - Becca yelled defiantly.

"We're not here to play games, where's the rest of your group?" - Albert asked.

"...They're dead! I'm alone!" - Becca lied.

"We- we were at Howe's before it got overrun. They all died defending the place." - She continued.

"Well, that's unfortunate isn't it? You're coming with us." - Albert said and grabbed Becca.

"Wait, no! No! Don't touch me!" - Becca screamed.

"Stop yelling." - The other bandit said.

Becca tried fighting back, but it didn't work. She was taken away as Shel was forced to listen.

Chapter Text

"Just leave me alone! "

Shel still heard Becca's loud screams as she slowly got out of the bushes. She was panicking.

"How could I let her get taken away?!"

"Could have I done something?!"

A million thoughts were going through her head right now, she was terrified.

"Just need to follow the light..."

She said to herself as she walked, not trying to get any attention.

Shel heard more and more of Becca's voice.

"Get away from me!" - She screamed.

"Agh, goddamit this bitch bit me!" - Albert screamed in pain.

Becca was thrown on the ground as Albert pointed his gun at her.

"If you're gonna try something again, I'm gonna be forced to shoot you, understood?"

"...Fine." - Becca said unenthusiastically.

"Good." - Albert grabbed her again.

"Hey, Al, chill out. She's just a little girl" - Albert's friend Johnny said.

"Well, she still bites like a rabid dog, that's for sure." - He replied.

Johnny looked over at the bite.

"Damn, you can mistake that for a walker bite, man!"

"Oh, trust me. They'll never get a hold of me." - Albert replied.

After a few minutes they made it to the base.

Shel looked at it.

The walls were made out of wood, didn't look stable.

The gates closed as the bandits and Becca entered.

"I need to find a way in..."

She looked up and she noticed a look-out tower.

"I won't get noticed if I'm in the dark..."

Shel walked around the base, luckily there was no one patrolling around it.

She found some pallets scattered around, maybe she could use them to climb up the wall?

"Alright, I've got this."

She stacked them on top of eachother, but this wasn't enough. The wall was too big.

"I need to find some more."

As Shel was about to get down she heard the bandit's voice and Becca's yelp.

"How many times have I told you to stop causing trouble?!"

"What? Are you gonna shoot me?!"

"Al, goddamit, stop! Just put your gun away. We can just lock her up." - Another bandit tried stopping him.

"...Yeah, you're right. You go do it. I've got some more important stuff to do." - Albert unenthusiastically agreed.

That was a close call. Shel was relieved for a bit that some bandit convinced "Al" to not shoot her sister, but they still locked her up somewhere.

She had to hurry.

Shel tried to jump over using pallets again.

She suddenly got an idea as she saw 2 walkers behind her.

She stabbed and killed both of them and dragged their bodies on top of the pallets.

Finally, she managed to climb over.

She fell on the cold ground.

"Ugh..."

"Did they hear me?"

She looked around, luckily no one did.

"Phew..."

Shel sneaked forward, surprisingly there were not many people in the area.

She looked around, looking for the cell where Becca is in.

As she was looking around she noticed that most of the buildings were simple tents.

Shel finally found the tent where the cells were in.

She was about to get in, but suddenly Johnny came out of it.

She quickly hid in the shadows and luckily he didn't notice her.

She made her way over to Becca's cell.

"Becca!" - She called out.

"Shel, how did you get in?!" - Becca asked.

"I climbed over, did they hurt you?"

"Well, thanks for asking. I was almost shot here!"

"...Yes, I've heard that... I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you..."

"...Shel, can you open this cell already? I've got a feeling he'll come back..."

"But how?"

"I, err, I don't know. They have to keep a spare key somewhere."

"...Shel! Hide!"

Albert walks in.

"Well, well. Becca, I thought you said your group was dead?"

Shel pulled out her pistol.

"Let her go. This doesn't have to be this way!"

Albert put his hands up in the air.

"Alright, alright. You've caught me. I'll open the cell."

Albert reached over to grab his keys, but instead grabbed his gun.

Shel tried to shoot but she missed.

Albert shot her in the leg.

She screamed in pain.

"Shel! No!" - Becca screamed.

"Is this everyone? Or are there more on their way? You're better say that now or I will shoot her." - Albert asked menacingly

He pointed his gun at Shel's head.

"No! No, this is everyone! Please! Just don't kill her!" - Becca pleaded.

"Alright, I'm gonna trust you this one last time."

Albert grabbed Shel and threw her roughly into the cell.

"I guess you're having a roommate!"

"What the hell?! She's bleeding! You're just going to throw her in here?! She's gonna die!

"Well, that would be extremely funny if she turned into a walker and ate you, huh?"

"You can't be serious!" - Becca said in an enraged tone.

Johnny entered the tent.

"Hey, Al, what the hell is going on here? I've heard a gunsho- who is this?"

"That's Becca's 'wanna-be rescuer' right here."

"Oh, man. She's bleeding. I'm gonna go get her bandages."

"Do you seriously want to use our supplies on her?"

"Listen, Al. She won't be off any use with a rotten leg, you get it?"

"Fine, whatever. Go get her bandages and then go help me with actually important stuff."

Albert and Johnny left the tent.

Meanwhile Becca got Shel down on the bed and sat next to her.

"Shel, do you hear me?"

"...Yes... Oh god it hurts..."

"They're gonna get you bandages..."

Becca sighed.

"Fucking jerks..." - Becca said.

Johnny returned and entered the cell with a bandage roll.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about my friend here... Things have gotten a little out of hand..."

"Why are you still friends with him?!" - Becca asked in an angry tone.

"Well, I can't just leave him..."

He approached Shel.

"Alright, I'm going to get the bullet out."

He used the tweezers to carefully pull the bullet out.

"Gh..."

Shel yelped in pain.

"Steady, don't make sudden movements."

He finished taking the bullet out.

"Alright, now I'm gonna-"

"Just use the bandages already!" - Becca interrupted Johnny.

"Alright, alright..."

He wrapped the bandages around Shel's leg.

"Great, now you just rest for a bit and you're better than new."

Albert yelled from far away.

"Are you done there? Get your ass here now!"

"Okay, Al needs to see me now... I gotta go."

Johnny left and locked the cell.

"These fucking bastards... What are we gonna do?!" - Becca asked Shel.

"I can't go anywhere with my injured leg... I guess we are going to be forced to stay here for a while..."

"A while?! I can't stand being here for a minute!"

"It is what it is... I also don't want to be here..."

"They're just jerks! Do they lock up every person they see?!"

"...I guess so..."

"I should have been more careful..." - Shel said.

"It's not your fault! We are going to get out! I promise!"

Shel chuckles.

"That's the spirit."