Love After Loss (Teen/Adult)

(I've not been on there in FOREVER.)

Stephen's eyes went wide. "Wait, wait..." He let his hands slip from hers just as she finished her sentence. Kill themselves? Had she gone crazy? He couldn't even believe the words that were falling from her lips. Nor would he want to at this point in time. "No, no." He shook his head rapidly. "Eve, we're not going to kill ourselves. Period. It's not happening. If you feel like that, sit down and talk to me about it. But, I swear to god, I will tie you to that damn bed and leave you here without a gun every night. I'll be here, but I will not risk you hurting yourself." He stood up, and wrapped both of his hands around each of her upper arms as if to attempt to shake her out of it.

He looked deeply into her eyes, shaking his head as his brows furrowed. "And here I was, thinking you had some sort of hope." He swallowed hard, letting out a shaky breath. "I can't believe this... I mean, I thought you were stronger than this. Stronger than all of this, but I guess I was drop dead wrong about you, weren't I?" He shook his head, finally letting her go as he went back to his window. "I just... I can't even fathom that, eve."

----

Beth, without another word, rested her head against his shoulders. She felt bad, of course, and it was easy to see. However, she was still so young, so frail, so easy to hurt, and she knew Daryl took advantage of her feelings every time he had the opportunity. He'd been known for the verbal abuse he'd caused some of the other members at the last safe-house. I suppose Alvin wasn't there for that, but she was. She remembered the way some members would suddenly just. . . disappear after 'screwing' him over.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remind you, but I mean it's not like you don't know what goes on in that bedroom... It makes me sad, as well, but theres no way around it right now. Unless, that is, that you want to. I'll back you up, then... I just need you to do it. I can't do it on my own, Alvin. He'll kill me."

(Haha xD I've become addicted since my parents are adamant in not letting me ride for as long as I'm breathing -.- It's not like they can't afford it either. We've just come into some money, and they're throwing it around like crazy, yet they can't afford a tiny amount for me to have at least one lesson *sigh* I've been wanting to ride since I can remember.)

Eve watched him quietly, still shaking. Even more so when he let her go. "What else is there to live for?" She asked. "We only have each other, and what happens if one of us gets bit?" She questioned. "You said yourself that you'd kill yourself." Eve told him, walking towards him. "I thought you were dead, Stephen. Hope was what kept me living. If I didn't have that, I'd be out there, in the same grave as my brother." Eve pointed out of the window where there were two small patches of dirt with crosses at the top.

Sitting on the floor, she covered her head with her arms. "I don't want this." She murmured. "I want my mom, Calvin. My dad." She breathed. "The world has gone to shit, and I feel like I'm stuck." Eve told him, moving her arms from her head, showing how vulnerable she really was. "I need to know its gonna be alright. I need to know that they're safe where they are now." Now she was rocking slightly, in an attempt to calm herself.

--

Alvin sighed softly, rubbing her back gently. "We'll do it your way. We'll wait." He nodded. "I trust your judgement on this." He added. "Maybe if you keep refusing him, after a while he'll give up and move on, if he's really like the way you describe him." He said hopefully, moving her to the living room where he sat down with her. "You just godda remember that I love you, no matter what." He added.

All the pretending was killing him. He knew Eve knew anyway. She'd had her suspicions but since Calvin's death she kept to herself, keeping everything bundled up inside because no one wanted to listen. Alvin could relate to her perfectly, however he thankfully had never witnessed a loved one die, and hopefully would never have to. It sounded horrific.

(Well, that doesn't sound like any fun. I've been riding my whole life, I don't know what i'd do without it at times. Maybe you can try and convince them into it? That really does suck. )

Stephen shook his head softly as he looked back at her. "How can you even talk to me after what you just said, Eve? I don't want to be an ass, but I can't ever look at you the same knowing that you'd rather us both be dead than try and make it through this fucking hell." He sighed, shaking his head as he walked back to her and knelt down beside her once more. "I love you to death, but just because you want me to pull that damn trigger doesn't mean I will. I will never, ever hurt you and I intend to live with you for a long time, so get that through your thick skull."

He hated it, but it was the truth. He had a hard time looking at her without thinking back to what she just said... that they should both kill themselves... there was always going to be a part of him that would be uncomfortable with that. He wasn't going to lie to her and pretend like everything would be perfectly alright after that. Hell, he'd be constantly worried about rather or not he would come home to find her brains blown out. Could you imagine having to live with that?

----

Beth nodded softly. "I-- I..." She paused, pulling away when she felt a sharpesh pain hit her. "Whoa," She moved her hands down to her stomach. (I'm going to pretend she's farther along, lmao.) "So, when is it okay to start having contractions? Would now work?" She looked up, her eyes softening. "Maybe it's not contractions, though.. Maybe it's just cramps." She nodded, moving back into his arms, closing her eyes once her head was back on his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, but each time she cramped up she gripped at his shirt.

She was only seven or eight months along, right? Or, god, she couldn't remember. She couldn't believe this. If it would happen now, how could she take care of it? She'd need so much help and Eve wasn't exactly the most stable right now. She'd be scared the woman would murder her child to get her back for what happened to Eve's little brother. She wouldn't do that, would she?

(It isn't Especially when they've decided to treat my little brother, and my eldest brother -_- Being the middle child seriously sucks ass xD)

Eve looked up to him. "I tried, and look at where that got me." She told him. "Almost everyone I love is dead, and I can't live with the fact that every time you leave this place, you might not come back." Eve said, looking up to him. "Why can't you accept that? That I'm scared. I'm scared if the door creeks. I'm scared when the wind rustles leaves. Hell, I get scared when one of the babies cry." Eve watched him when the came closer to her, she moving onto her knees.

Watching her hands, she thought back over the past year. She had lost so much in such little time. She came to the conclusion that she didn't want to die like them. Like her family had. She wanted to be a good age, and then die in her sleep. Have someone put her down when she stopped breathing. It was either that, or end it all as soon as possible, but she couldn't do that. Eve didn't want to die afraid, she lived her life knowing that any day may be her last. "I need to check on the babies." She said quietly, sighing softly as she found the strength to get to her feet.

--
(Aha, that's fine xD)
Alvin held onto her tightly, though not enough to hurt her. "Come on, we need to get you somewhere comfortable." He soothed. Through living in conditions like these, he had learned not to panic, even though this was nothing like anything he had experienced before. "Cramps, my ass." Alvin attempted a small smile, helping her to his room. It was probably the cleanest part of the house, since he hardly slept there. The sheets were spotless, and the duvet was plush and comfortable. It was all he could offer.

Sitting next to her, Alvin took her hand. "Squeeze on every contraction, alright?" He asked, gently moving the hair from her eyes. "I wont be going anywhere." He soothed, looking to the door. He figured Eve knew the most about kids, since she wasn't that young when Calvin was born. "Eve! We need you in here! Like, now!" He called, scared that he would be of much help on his own. Eve was the one that packed away all the babies things in case of an emergency. He had no idea where that was.

That's how my elder cousin is. He's the middle child, and for some reason is always the one they don't treat like a prince. His little brother? Spoiled to death! I'm glad I'm an only child. )

Stephen tried his best to understand exactly how she felt. Even after losing everything, he still had his sanity. Not to say it didn't hang on by a thread, but it was still there. He had spent this whole time in thought of his wife and unborn child, how they had parished. It was something he thought of often, but right now, he caught himself wondering rather or not he should continue to move on. Maybe Eve was right; maybe there really was nothing left to live for.

Around that time, Stephen had pretty much blanked out of this conversation, for lack of better words. His mind was on how he could fix things. How he could help them both. In that time, and idea popped into his head. "Eve, wait." He walked over to her and took her hand in his just as she gathered the strength to stand back up. "Before you go, I kind of just had an idea. A good one, I think. Since we both say there's nothing left for us, let's make it. Let's make something to live for. That would do it for the both of us, don't you think?" He asked softly. However, he knew after she heard Alvins call, she wouldn't be susceptible in the way he wanted her to listen.

----

Beth shook her head. She wanted to say that this might not have been contractions, but even if that was the possibility, she thought it was best to hope for the worst in this case. The worst basically meant that she could be in labor in these horrid conditions. Not to mention, the heat was almost unbearable. Lucky enough for them, they still had a bit of power left thanks to the solar panels. That meant the fan could continuously run.

"Alvin, if this is actually happening, what if it won't work? What if I need to be cut open to save it? Would you knowing you'd save one of us?" The thought had just came to mind that they both may not make it, or she may hemorrhage. Being the fact this was her first child, it might have been hard for her to do anything, including the fact that she was small enough as it was. Maybe too small for the child to pass through her birth canal. "I'm scared..." She admitted. "I'm scared we're both going to die..."

(Sometimes I do wish I was an only child xD)

Eve watched him quietly, listening to his every word. "What would that be?" She asked, glancing to the door when Alvin called her again. She figured Beth had gone into labour with the urgency in his voice. "We'll talk after this is outta the way." She said softly, kicking back into gear and grabbing the bag of birth supplies from under her bed and rushing off towards the noise. Eve was becoming more like her old self because she had to be. She wasn't prepared to let all of this go to shit because she was upset.

"How far apart are the contractions?" She asked in her Georgian drawl, setting the bag on the floor and unzipping it to produce blankets and towels in an array of sizes. She darted into Alvins bathroom to wet a smaller towel, folding it and setting it across Beths forehead.

"I will not let that happen, Beth." He told her, gently squeezing her hand. "You know I wont." Alvin said, kissing the top of her hand. He watched Eve as she moved around the room with purpose. "A couple minutes? Maybe more?" He said, looking to Beth for confirmation as Eve got IV bags out of the bag in case they needed them for Beth and the baby.

I bet! XD I think that's probably the only reason I get anything lol)

Stephen opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get the words out, she was already gone. He put on a straight face and ran toward the direction she was going. What he saw, though, he hadn't at all expected. He hadn't thought she was that far along. His mouth dropped open, and he had to force himself to close it. "No, no, no. Not again. No." He turned around, with his head in his hands, and walked out. He couldn't even stand there and watch. He warned them before that she wouldn't make it. Now, he was praying he was wrong.

Beth, on the other hand, was calm up until the contractions hit her. This time, they were quite a bit stronger. Beth gripped at Alvins hand, but nodded her head when he answered for her about the contractions. "T-two minutes at least. Maybe less now. I - ah! I don't know."

Less time by the time the contraction had gone and came just in the same manner. Worsening each time. That was probably the only thing anyone could have read from her expression; pain. "I'm gonna die. Im not going go make it through this, and I'm going to die." She cried softly. "I swear to God, I'm never having sex again! Never! It's not worth this."

(Haha xD Sorry for the late reply, I decided to make muffins lol xD)

Eve watched him go, but she couldn't leave her station. She wouldn't. Not while Beth and her baby needed her. "Right, we don't have as much time as I hoped." She said softly, looking up to Beth. "You are not gonna die. I will do everything in my power to make sure you two survive this, you hear me?" Eve asked, setting the necessities close to her so they were on hand if she needed them.

"It'll be okay." Alvin soothed, brushing the hair from her face as he turned the towel on her forehead. "We're safe here, and we will be for as long as it takes." He said, carefully removing her trousers and underwear when Eve told him to. She threw a blanket over Beths legs.

"I need to check how far dilated you are." Eve began, sliding on the sterile gloves they had packed a while back. "Now its not gonna be pleasant for either of us, but it has to be done. I gonna know how much time I have before the little one makes an appearance." She sighed, moving towards her as Alvin moved back to her side.

That's dine! XD )

Beth watched the two, helping in every way she was able to. However, the whole thing was totally new to her. She didn't know how these things worked -- she couldn't really help that. "Wait, so, how? Could I do it myself? Do you have to do it?" She asked, moving her self into a position that would make the job easier for Eve. "I'm sorry about all the questions... I just don't know what to do. I'm scared and in a lot of pain..."

She took Alvins hand back into hers, and slowed herself to relax as much as possible until the next contraction hit her with what seemed like a vengeance. It caused her muscles to tighten, and that time it got even worse. She was sitting up again, moving around, what ever she could do to try and get comfortable. Too bad noting was helping! "Will it hurt when you check to see how dialated I am?" She asked, just as soon as the contraction finally calmed down.

(Ha! They turned out better than I expected! ^.^ Haha, I'm proud of my cooking skills lol))

"I don't think you'd be able to do this yourself. If you could, by all means but unfortunately not." Eve said softly. "I don't have to do it personally, but I'm the only one who knows what they're looking for." She explained, shaking her head. "Its alright, ask away and I'll do my best to answer." She told her, resting a hand on her knee as she tested how dilated she was. "You're not too far away. You'll be able to start pushing soon. I'm thinking you're about 9, close to 10cm." Eve said as she moved back and disposed of the gloves.

Alvin stroked her hair gently as Eve replaced the wet towel. "We have sterile scissors for the chord. I know its a thing of the past, but is there anyone in particular you want to cut the chord?" Eve asked so she knew whether or not to cut it straight away. Eve set up the IV and inserted the needle into Beth's arm with precision, taping it into place. "We don't want you getting dehydrated." She said softly.

(What kind did you make?? XD)

Beth shook her head, "no one left." She gritted her teeth, moaning softly once another contraction hit. "My parents are dead, the dad is god-only-knows where..." Se trailed off, glancing to Alvin. "C-could you cut the cord?" She asked, moving her hand to touch his cheek. "If you don't want to, you do not have to. I just don't have anyone else to do it." She gasped, moving to where she could sit up.

Her contractions were getting stronger and stronger. Though, regardless of all the pain, she was trying hard not move around too much. "My water hasn't broken... Shouldn't it be ruptured so this goes faster? I, I think I should get up and walk around some..." She said softly, glancing to eve. "Maybe we can take the iv out so I can?"

(Choc chip xD I wrote The Walking Dead character names on them with icing xD I saved the Daryl one for myself haha xD)

Alvin nodded softly. "Of course." He said softly. Eve nodded slightly at the arrangement, watching the two. She had no idea where Daryl was in fact. She assumed he was still sleeping, but who could tell.

"You'll need to keep the IV in Beth, to make sure you don't pass out on us." Eve said softly. "Alvin can carry the bag, or you can. Just make sure it's vertical and the waters dripping through the filter." She instructed them, Alvin getting up slightly.

"We should stick to this room anyway. In case you go into labour somewhere else." Alvin advised, Eve glancing up to them from her preparations and giving a nod. She had always wanted to be a midwife or something involving childbirth, and finally her extracurricular reading and classes were coming into effect.

You sound obsessed with TWD. XD LIKE I USED TO BE! Ugh I have a thing on pintrest, and it's all TWD stuff and zombie apocalypse crap.)

(Give me a second to switch onto my laptop! My phones dying. XD im trying to reply though!!)

Haha I am xD It's taking over my life xD haha, that's alright! XD)

(https://www.pinterest.com/saragilbert16/the-walking-dead/ ! and... https://www.pinterest.com/saragilbert16/zombies/ LOL I already have told you I majorly ship Bethel. So... Yeah. XD My household is already prepared for a national disaster. We've got this under-ground hiding thing, that's filled with TONS of foods and such that should last a while. XD)

As soon as she saw the look on Eve's face, Beth was kind of confused. Did she think that Daryl was the father? If she did, man would she be in for a surprise. The father of this child was someone the group had ran into several, several months back. Of course, what happened with him was something she could have avoided if she actually wanted to. But, being honest, she'd just wanted a change. She never intended to get pregnant.

"Oh Fuck." As Beth sat up, she rolled her head back and moaned loudly. "Oh my god, I swear this thing is trying to rip me in half." She whispered, her eyes began to fill with tears, and that's around the time Daryl walked in to see Alvin holding his woman's hands.

"What are you doing?" He asked, rushing to her side once he knew what exactly was going on. "Get your hands off of her, before I rip them off." He growled, pushing Alvin aside to kneel in front of her. "Who the hell was planning on telling me that she was in labor?!"

(Wow haha xD You are prepared lol)

Eve looked up to her. "I have some pain meds ready for after you've given birth. I don't wanna chance it by giving you them now." She said softly, getting Beth a cup of water and setting it beside her bed. She could do no more than watch Daryl walk in and practically drag Alvin from her. Eve stayed back and literally watched Alvin boil with anger, to the point where the man grabbed Daryl away from Beth.

"I'm going to be sitting beside her, helping her through the labour and keep her and her baby safe after she gives birth. That's what I'm doing." Alvin snarled, shoving him onto the ground. "Don't pretend that you give a single shit about her, because we all know that you're just using her because its better than you hand." He snapped.

Eve bit her thumbnail slightly before deciding to intervene. "Look, if you two are gonna do this, take it outside. Beth doesn't need this played out in front of her." She pointed to the door. She would make sure Beth was as relaxed as she could be, and those two weren't helping matters.

(Always! Ohhhh Daryl is gonna be pissed the hell off. O.O)

Daryl was quite literally shaking with anger as well. He had no right to talk to him like that, to even think of him like that for the most part! He was beyond livid. "Oh? Oh-kay. Yeah, that's what I'm doing!" He laughed, rolling his eyes. He stood up, and grabbed onto Alvin's collar. "I don't give one fuck what you think I'm doing, because clearly you have no fuckin' idea. Alright? So, either you get out, or i'll throw you out. Don't think for one second I'm going to let you lay your grimy hands on her."

He glanced back to Eve, then Beth who was just now progressing into a harder labor. She was gripping at the sheets to keep herself calmed. "So, yeah, leave. We don't need you here." He growled, going back to sit by Beth's side. She couldn't really do anything or say anything right now. She needed and wanted Alvin there, but she was in so much pain it didn't even matter who was at her side right now as long as she wasn't totally alone.

She looked to Eve, then back to Alvin. "I... I need you, babe. Please, please help me." She cried, getting on her hands and knees, then rested her head on top of her hands while she held her rear-end up in the air. It seemed to soothe some of the pain she was going through right now. Which, was more than anyone else was doing right now.

(Aha, its the first time I've actually wrote Alvin as angry XD Its weird! ))

Alvin laughed away the adrenaline he was experiencing. It was all so new. No wonder some men went out looking for fights. "Clearly you've had no idea what's been happening for the past few weeks." Alvin told her. "Who do you thinks been sleeping next to her? Hm?" He asked. "Who's been running back and forth with buckets when she's got morning sickness, or getting food when she's having cravings? Me! That's fucking who!" The man was alive with anger.

Eve rushed to Beth's side. "Just breathe, honey." She told her, rubbing her lower back to help the pain. "Everything's gonna be fine. You won't need these two jackasses. We can easily do this, just us girls." She smiled softly, watching the two men.

Beth's plea only spurred Alvin on to deliver a punch straight to Daryl's face, and then repeatedly. It was so unlike his nature, but once he stared he couldn't stop, and it terrified him. He didn't want to let the world change him, but he felt like he had to show - to prove - that he was the one worthy enough to stay at Beth's side and have Daryl sit outside waiting.

Beth let out a soft cry of agony. She felt everything suddenly get wet. Her eyes went wide as she moved her hand between her legs, from there she could feel the child's head crowning. "Eve, it's right there." She cried softly, beginning to rock back and forth in her position. "I swear to God I'm going to die before this is over." She sighed softly. By now, the contractions were pretty much back to back. She could barely breathe. She'd never felt so helpless in her whole life before this day, before going into labor. When she opened her eyes to look at her hands, she could easily see the fluids and then a mixture of blood. It pretty much caused her to freak out. "Why is there blood?!" She asked, gifting up to sit back into a different position. "I just thought my water broke..."

Daryl, on the other hand, was now backing down. That is, until Alvin began to throw punches. That ended that. "Oh, so, you expect me to think just because you were here while I was gone, that she doesn't still care about me?" He laughed, shaking his head as he wiped some of the blood off of his nose. "Go fuck yourself, I'm sure a pussy like you wouldn't know the real difference anyway." He growled, getting up and finally walking out of the room, and slamming the door on the way out.

Stephen caught him in the hall, and tried to ask him how Beth was doing, but there was no real answer. He just walked past. He followed the other man to ask him what his problem was, and asked all about it. Luckily, Daryl wouldn't answer him.

Eve grabbed a blanket she had set in the light of the sun that was pooling in from the window. She stayed so she had the baby in view. She looked up to Beth's face when she mentioned blood. Instead of panicking, Eve lined up the possibilities. "Sometimes there's blood in the fluids, that's normal." She told Eve, nodding softly to herself. "Alright, Beth I need you to keep pushing." Eve told her. "Try panting, it'll help with breathing through the pain." She said, demonstrating how.

"I know for a fact she doesn't care about you the same way she had before." Alvin told him, watching him walk away before wiping the blood from his knuckles and returning to Beth's side, still shaking. "I'm sorry." He apologised to her, taking her hand.

Eve brought the two pairs of scissors to her side. One to tie off the umbilical chord, the other to sever it. "I hope you've been brewing up some names." She attempted a chuckle, setting a blanket under where the baby would arrive, to at least try and save the sheets underneath. Eve braced her hands so she could catch the baby or at least easily guide it out onto the blanket.

Beth did as she was asked, panting, pushing, moving to where she was able to do all of these things in a more comfortable way. She glanced to Alvin when he walked back, and gently shook her head. "Don't worry about-- ah!" She sat up, her face grimacing at the pain that had basically no end right now. "It'll be ok, it- it- I think he'll get it now." She cried out softly, continuing with her breathing patterns just as Eve had instructed her to.

It wasn't five minutes later that Beth was screaming bloody murder, and the child's head was finally out. Now, the hard part. "I- I thought of the name... Violet if it's a baby girl.. and if it's a boy, Tate..." She whispered, eyes closing just as the last contraction hit her. "Oh God... I think it has it's fathers shoulders..." She cried out softly, pushing soon after in hope to get this over with as soon as possible. She was so tired, so exhausted, so ready to give up. "I can't do anymore..." She continued on, shaking her head as the next contraction hit her. "Make it stop, please... It hurts so much..."

Alvin nodded softly, staying on hand with her, occasionally wiping away the beads of sweat from her forehead with a damp cloth. Eve supporting the babies head so it was an easy slide out. "They are beautiful." She nodded, loving the names. "Come on, Beth. One last little push and it'll just slide right out." Eve coaxed, gently rubbing Beth's knee as some form of comfort. "You've gotten this far, come on." She told her. "Then you can have some pain meds and sleep." Eve promised. Once she had passed the placenta, that was.

Alvin was horrified already, he didn't want her to go through this pain, but he trusted both woman to ensure everything would be alright. Though, as any man in the delivery room would, he felt useless. All he was doing was sitting there and watching it all play out before him. He knew the baby wasn't his, but he felt somewhat tied to them both.

Beth took a deep breath, then gave one last big push. She was practically bawling by the time the child was finally out and laying on the blanket or towel, whatever Eve had put out for it. It of course had to be a girl, a beautiful baby girl at that with a good set of lungs. She was bawling, screaming, crying, as soon as she was out and the cord was tied off.

Beth wanted so badly to hold the child. Now, even with the sharp pains, she was not crying because it hurt, but because she could see the beautiful child that'd spent months upon months growing inside of her. Now, it was sitting in front of her eyes, covered in fluids and blood, but it was to be expected. It wasn't like it just came out perfectly clothed and cleaned. "Can I hold it? Oh, and what gender is it?" She asked softly, sitting up to see the child. However, what was to come next she hadn't been prepared for, but knew about it. "And... what about the placenta?"

Eve easily guided the baby onto the blanket, tying off the chord and handing the other scissors to Alvin, to which he cut the chord, totally baffled. Eve went about cleaning the baby as much as she could with the equipment at hand. "Well we don't have to worry about breathing problems." She smiled, wrapping the baby up in the blanket and carefully placing her into Beth's arms. "We have a little Violet on our hands." Eve smiled, beginning to clean up, but leaving a towel under Beth still. "The placenta should pass relatively easily." Eve reassured her. "We can easily throw it out after."

Alvin smiled at the sight of Beth and her baby. He felt totally out of place, but yet belonging. He wasn't sure if it was because he had to, or if he was actually feeling part of something. "Call me when its come out, or if you need any help." Eve smiled softly before taking her apparatus out of the room and downstairs to wash.

Beth's baby blue eyes fell onto her child. "She's so beautiful." She flashed a gentle smile, then looked to Alvin. "I want you to be her dad." She said simply, resting her head on his shoulder once he sat down on the edge of the bed. Her forehead was still dripping sweat, and her body ached. However, she was trying so hard to look past all of that just to be close to her first-born child. A beautiful baby girl by the name of Violet. "Hey, Violet." She smiled, almost brightly.

Stephen, as soon as Eve walked out, rushed to her. "Hey, hey! How's she doing?" He watched her as she washed up. "So, what exactly happened with Daryl? Is he ok? He wouldn't even speak to me..." He said softly, looking down, before back toward the room she'd came from. "Boy or girl?"