Love After Loss (Teen/Adult)

((I was trying to figure out how to start the part we spoke of. Do you have any ideas? Or do you want to bring it toward that point?))

(We could bring it to that point lol xD)

(Alright, so should I just start at a new day from where we left off? (

You can do xP lol))

Both Beth and Stephen had done their best to stay on their own — neither of them wanted to cause anymore problems in this house. Not to say everything was their fault. It wasn't. Though, both of them had already started several things — good and bad — with other members of this group. Sometimes, in this case, it was best to let things cool down before they jumped in head first. 

The sound of the crying child kept Beth up for the first couple of nights she had him with her. Of course, it stopped as soon as she picked him up. Lucky for her in several senses. Now, it'd only been three days since all hell broke loose in the household and during that short amout of times things had calmed down quite a bit—or that's what it seemed like. No one was really arguing anymore, though a few of them – Eve and Alvin – were probably upset about everything still. 

Stephen was upset. He just couldn't help himself after that, what she told him sent him into a rage. . . It hurt like hell to know he was the one who pretty much screwed up everything with the one he loved. Who knows if she was still pissed at him or not. He wouldn't blame her if she was. He was out of line.

Throwing on her shirt and shorts that had recently been washed, Eve stared at herself in the filthy mirror. A broken woman glared back. She'd been seeing the same for the last couple of days. Eve tied up her hair and buckled her belt, setting her knives in their places. She sighed heavy heartedly, closing her green eyes and sitting back on the bed. Nothing was the same. Nobody was talking. The whole group was split apart, and at times like that, it wasn't good.

Alvin on the other hand, was doing all he could for the house. Even though he kept to himself, he cleaned and made meals. He wanted things to seem like they were okay, he wanted to promise safety but he knew that was the only thing he couldn't promise. Tucking away knifes and screwdrivers, Alvin was preparing to check the perimeter. "Move you ass and hurry up." Eve appeared at his door, the two having took it upon themselves to do the dirty work. "These walkers ain't gonna burn themselves."

"Yeah, yeah." Alvin shook his head, walking with her out to the starting point, putting down as many walkers as there were on the spikes, as well as the ones that were roaming. "There's more than usual." Alvin said as he retrieved his knife from the skull of a walker.

"No shit." Eve huffed, putting one walked down to be grabbed by another. She knew better than to scream and draw more. Kicking the back on its leg, Alvin drove a screwdriver through it's hard skull. There'd be no getting it back.

"You need to get your shit together, Eve." Alvin told her as she composed herself, wiping the walkers blood from her cheek which only smeared it more. "You're becoming a liability." Eve glared after him, before tailing him. Alvin saw it in her. She wasn't focused on living anymore.

Beth and Stephen both watched out the window while the two worked. Stephen, he had no excuse. He was a perfectly capable man, and probably one of the most adgile there. Well, for his gender. Beth, who had her little girl wrapped in a blanket— that tied around both Beth's shoulders and waist. It was almost like a carrier, but easier... I suppose — had also been spending a lot of her time staring out the windows, but she wished to help. If it werent for her embarrassment, she would have. But facing Alvin after she tried to kill herself? It just didn't seem logical at the moment. 

However, when Stephen saw the walker nearly take Eve down, he went out the door to help. He could tell they needed it -- if they didn't, then she wouldn't have nearly gotten bit. "You need to be more careful, especially with this many around." He started taking them out, one by one, with them. He was probably slower in a way, because he'd spent a lot less time stabbing them through the skull —which takes a hell of a lot more effort than pulling a trigger— opposed to shooting them dead. 

He knew he wouldn't be treated like a good person, like someone they could trust — he'd pretty much ruined both of their relationships. Alvin must have hated it, how he hurt Eve. The hell, Stephen hated the fact that he hurt her. But, she's the one who wanted it. He was trying to let her get it over with... Somehow, in his mind at that time, it was right. Though now, he realized just how wrong it was to do that. To push someone who was already hurting, it's just not something you do. 

Beth gently bounced the new baby girl in her arms to keep her form crying. Violet, she was a very vocal baby and had been since her birth. Beth was doing everything in her power to keep her form attracting even more walkers, but trying to hush the child was no easy task to preform. Beth was a smart girl, but she had no idea what to do with newborns. She'd never been around any new babies before — no brothers, no sisters, as she was the youngest of her siblings. Truth be told, she was more scared of being a bad mother than she was of walkers. 

"Shh," She whispered, leaning down to kiss the child's forehead when she began to cry. "It's ok, it's ok... I promise. None of those things will ever touch you, my baby Violet..." She soothed, sitting down on one of the chairs in the living room so she was able to take her out and actually hold her. See, Beth was still weak from the birth of her first baby. Believe it or not, but that was a lot harder than she'd ever thought it would be. If it wouldn't have been for that, she would have been out trying to help too.

"Go fuck yourself, Alvin." Eve rolled her eyes, driving her knife through the walkers stuck on the spikes. The man shook his head, taking the few that remained since Stephen came out to help. Eve only glanced over to him, shoving a dead walker into the ground from the spikes before moving off to the next ones.

Alvin watched her walk away and he could tell why. He would walk away too if he didn't have a job to do. "You sure are a great home wrecker," Alvin began, his tone sarcastic as he picked up a walker to throw into the fire pit he had dug especially for burning purposes. It was big enough to jump out if you knew how. "If this ends, you should turn it into a profession." He nodded, dropping the walker in the pit, a few live ones who had fallen in and snapped a leg were snarling and reaching out.

Eve was walking through the forest where the numbers seemed to lessen in the direction she was going. She drove her knife through the walkers head, using a separate one to carve it out after it got stuck. She was mor than annoyed with everyone in the place. Nothing ever seem to work out for her. She planned a safe life for her brother, but instead witnessed him being killed. She had a promising relationship and that went straight into the gutter. "There is no point." Eve muttered.

"Oh?" Stephen asked, turning to face Alvin with a slight snarl on his face.  "Says the one who took another mans woman while he was away. At least i never stole someone, or acthally wrecked someone else home... That much I can say." He growled, before going back to knocking the brains out of the walkers. "You, sir, have no goddamned room to speak."

He wanted to stop Eve, God did he. He wanted to talk to her, to make things better. However, he was too scared of rejection to even speak to her. Though, he'd never touched another woman while they were together. His first wife? Once. When he was shit-face drunk. And since then, he'd regretted it. Every second of it. Though, he still wasn't going to stay away from the child that was his. He couldn't help that he'd fucked up... What did they expect him to do, leave the baby alone it's whole life? And watch it? 

"Know what, go to hell. You're just as bad as I've ever been -- if not worse. So, do you even know what a home wrecker is? Isn't that someone who sneaks between someone's relationship? I never did that to anyone. Not once." He growled, then turned to drag some more walkers into the fire pit. However, being careless, forgot to even make sure there were none left. "Go fuck yourself, asshole. You really should look up what you're talking about before you speak."

"Wrecked a home." Alvin told him. "I wonder why no one is talking in this house?" He said, shoving some more walkers into the pit. "That question points no fingers." He said sarcastically, looking back to the man. "I have plenty of room to speak. Not only have you got a child with the woman I love, you've broke the heart of a girl Ive grown to call a friend." Alvin said, sliding his knife into the holster of the belt. "You, have no room to speak, and I will never be as bad as you. Beth didn't love Daryl when I was with her."

Dragging two walkers by the backs of their shirts, Eve soldiered her way through the back yard, having caught some of their conversation. "Arguing is not gonna get those walkers in the pit Alvin." She told him, sliding them in and kicking in a severed arm that had just fallen. "Damn thing messed up the grass." She sighed, moving back to where she had come from, Alvin walking back to the spikes he had cover of.

Stephen tightened his jaw. "I tried to apologize. Though, you wouldn't kboe, would you? She doesn't talk about any of that, I know." He murmured as he glanced back to the house. What did he have to do in order for Eve to forgive him? He had tried to explain the whole thing before, but it was of no use. None of it. Yet, he still wanted her forgiveness. God, that night had been bad in the first place, and he knew he acted out of context. If he could go back and change things, he would.. But he didn't know how to. 

Beth took a step out of one of the side doors the  to make sure that everything was still safe, but as soon as she opened the door, she could see a couple walkers pushing themselves through the small gaps between the stakes -- appatently they do learn. At first, she wasn't too worried. They were easy to take care of, but just as quickly as those two were getting through, more and more began to flood in from the woods. She wrapped her arms around her new born, slammed and locked the door, before she ran out back where the rest of the group was. "Walkers! Lots of walkers!" She said, practically Tripping over her own feet to get to them, but carefully made sure Violet wasn't hurt. "There's tol many of them. It looks like they came from a near by town," she said, taking deep breaths. "Well don't just stand there! I can't do anything!"

Alvin opened his mouth to reply, before he heard Beth. Eve rushed back to the two men. "Eve, back as much food as possible and get it to the car. Formula, food, water, everything." He pointed back to the house, grabbing a shovel. It was good enough for now. "Beth, get Violet and go to the car." He instructed quickly. "Get blankets." He added.

"But I can help fight them off." Eve told him, to be met by a glare of what seemed like authority. "Fine." She sighed, running into the house and grabbing the rucksacks and bags, emptying cupboards among cupboards of them, getting the last little girl to help her. "Mika, you're gonna have to be quicker, honey." She said softly.

Alvin looked to Stephen. "We need to hold them off for as long as possible." He nodded, bringing his gun out of his holster, resting the head of the spade on his shoulder before running to the front of the house, beheading the ones close enough, as well as shooting the ones that were far away enough. There was no point in making less noise. It was too late for that.

Beth did as she was told, but she couldn't help but know she needed to go back; to get violets formula. She sat her in the very back of the hummer, between two blankets Stephen and Daryl had taken while they were in Atlanta. She pushed the door shut quietly, just so no walker would wander up and try to get in. She then turned and ran inside to help Eve. 

Stephen, on the other hand, was doing his best to help Alvin take out the walkers. There were so many of them... He was emptying clip, among clip into the walkers heads -- 36 rounds, at least. Only 29 or so actually hit the walkers. Some in the chest, shoulder, neck -- it wasn't good enough and he knew it. His aim was way off. "We need to go, now. There's too many of them to try and hold off." He said, grabbing Alvin by the shirt to pull him back a couple steps. 

They were overran by the things. 

Daryl eventually stepped out to help as well, doing his best to slow the herd  of, but no matter how many rounds they emptied into their skulls, how many they dropped, the walkers just continued to appear. It was never ending. 

Beth ran to her room upstairs to get her things for Violet: a little teddy bear (she knew it wasn't something she should waste her time on, but she couldn't help it.), a few re-usable diapers, a change of clothes, her formula and bottles, then she was out. She ran back outside to the hummer, then pushed her stuff under the back seats quickly, making room for anything else they needed.

Eve ran back and forth to the car with bags, getting Mika into the car before she ran up the stairs and past Beth, into Calvin's old room. She hadn't stepped foot in the room since his death. With no time to dwell on the past, Eve snatched the blue, tattered blanket from the bed and ran downstairs. It had been his since he was a baby and she wouldn't leave it behind. She already had to leave his body.

Alvin had lost the spade to two skulls, and resorted to shooting at them until his last clip emptied. He heard the vacant click of his gun before he felt Stephen grab his collar. He let the empty clip fall to the ground as he darted to the Hummer, just as Evie climbed in next to Mika. "Fuck." He growled, the "perfect" home they built belonged to the dead.

"I knew I should have build more spikes." Eve was blaming herself already, holding the blue blanket close to her. "Or put up more wires.." She sighed, cuddling Mika when the scared 9-year-old hugged her.

Beth slid into the car, then reached over the seats to get her baby girl. Though, Violet was generally a vocal baby, right now she was beyond quiet. Maybe she knew that now wasn't the time to make noise... Maybe she could catch on to the feeling in the atmospher. She cradled the little girl against her chest, her hand supporting her back, while her other arm wrapped around and held her little butt up. She felt insignificant in comparison to all that was going on... She knew she couldn't change it. They were being forced out of the one place theyd felt safe in months.

Stephen and Daryl weren't far behind. Stephen pretty much took over driving-- it was his vehicle, and he probably was one of the only people here who could actually drive it. Once Daryl got in the very back, and everything was situated, he locked every one of the doors and began to drive away.... Away from what seemed to be their last hope.  "Now what?"

Alvin was situated in the passenger seat, rubbing his forehead. "We just keep driving. As far away from those things as possible." He nodded, watching out of the dusted window. "We've godda try and find somewhere new. Safe. There's no point living on the road with a newborn. Not only is it dangerous for us, she deserves a safe place to grow up." He said, rubbing his hands together quietly.

Eve held the girl in her lap, closing her eyes as she rested her head on top of hers, her arms wrapped around her. "What if there isn't anyplace safe anymore?" She asked. "Even that house wasn't completely safe, before and now." Eve told no one in particular. "If we stand a chance of surviving out here, we need a place with gates. Metal gates."

Beth shook her head. "We can't keep driving. This thing is a gas guzzler, And if you haven't noticed, we're almost on empty..." She pointed out. Her baby girls hand was wrapped around her left pinky, holding onto her mother with all her might. She looked so scared... Poor thing wouldn't have much of a life, now would she? "You're right... You guys won't survive with us... We're more of a risk than help, especially because she's so young and I'm too weak to even carry much... She'll call them to our camp, no matter where we go. Don't you get it? We're trapped in a never ending loop... We'll find shelter, then the walkers will come and take it away... We're lucky we lost no one back there..." She sighed, "my point is, there's no use in finding somewhere permanent. It's not posible."

Stephen looked down to his meter. They had just under a quarter of a tank of gas --for the Hummer, that would last another 20-30 miles at most. After that, they'd be walking. Without their supplies. He couldn't allow that to happen, not to his group. "We need to find somewhere to stay tonight, then a hell of a lot of gas. If we can find those two things, we will be prepared to look for a more simi-permanent situation..."

Eve sighed quietly, shaking her head. "I know I'm not one to speak, but negativity will get us no where." She told the group. "We're all broken. One way or another, and there's no strong links between us." She added. "If one of us was in a life or death situation, I think the most likely outcome would be to leave them." Eve said, glancing to them all. "We don't function anymore. We've hit hard times, I know. But we have to make it better for ourselves." She nodded. "That house was a stepping stone to somethin' bigger. Better. We just godda find it." Eve told them. "We have to drop the extra baggage we carry around in our minds and focus on survival, and each other. Because I, for one, don't wanna lose any one else."

Alvin glanced back slightly, watching the hands in his lap for the longest time. He would probably be the only one to think she was right, but he didn't care. It was true. They had all grown apart to the point where they only spoke if they had to. "We should build our own place. Insteadda lookin' to find someone elses." He nodded. "Find a nice enough lookin' street, pull a couple cars or trucks together. Blockin' off entrances and exits. I won't be easy but its been done before."

"You're right, you're not one to speak." Beth commented, then shifted in her seat. She was right. They were right. They had to get along if they wanted to make it. Survival was key here... Sadly enough, people lose hope when they have nothing but their lives to fight for. Beth and Stephen had both seen that too many times in the past. 

Stephen glanced over to Alvin. He knew they could somehow get off better... They needed somewhere smaller, somewhere with less cracks and crevices for the walkers to sink through. "I know you want us all safe," Stephen said, his eyes returning to the road to swerve safely away from one of the wondering walkers. "But I'm afraid that won't help us. We're not big enough to take on all of that responsibility, Alvin... That's all I'm worried about. Maybe if we can get more men, just enough to help around." He kept his eyes on the road, though when they came up on what looked like barn in decent condition, with no walkers swarming. "We should rest here for tonight... I know it's not the best, but we can drive the hummer into it, then lock the doors behind us. There's a blow up mattress in the very back. We can lay the seats down, and the girls and children can sleep in here while we sleep wherever else in the barn... We need the rest. So do they."

"Who asked you?" Eve muttered, glancing back to the girl before looking back to the front, playing with the older child's hair. She figured Alvin's theory was doable. It was just convincing the rest of them. "Well we godda start somehow. Even if we find other survivors, they wont wanna be around a dysfunctional group without shelter." Eve told them, looking out of the window.

Alvin nodded slightly as they approached the barn. "I just think it would be the best thing for us. While its not too late." He shrugged, glancing around as they drove into the barn. He got out once they were stable, retrieving the air mattress after closing the barn doors and securing them. "You should back up into the doors, so if they come they shouldn't be able to get in. And we can always move the Hummer to get out." Alvin said, setting the air bed down.

Eve climbed out of the car with Darcy (I think that's what I called her), allowing her to wonder around while Eve climbed up the wooden ladder to the bale loft (I think that's the term. Well it is here anyway I think lol), glancing out of a crack between two planks of wood. "Looks like a storm comin'." She told him, glancing down to them. "Probably be best to have the bed go the side or sleep in the hummer."

Stephen moaned softly. This was just what they needed; a storm. Wonderful. He crossed his arms over her broad chest. "Alvin, take a look outside, please. We need to know rather or not there are any trees there are leaning toward us... If there are, then we either move on or fix them. Daryl," he glanced back to the man who had taken a seat on top of an old hay-bale. "Go help—"

"No, you know, I don't think that's a wonderful idea. Alvin and I don't get along so well." Daryl replied quickly. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice. He couldn't just sit there and sulk over losing someone he cared about to that asshole. "But, fine. I'll try not to slit his throat." He murmured as he pushed past Alvin and then pulled open the barn doors. "Are you going to come, or are you going to watch as a tree hits the barn and kills one of us?"

Beth, on the other hand, wasn't about to move from the Hummer. She didn't want to risk her child's life. Well, I guess it was Stephen and her child's life... But who was keeping track? He didn't give a shit about the kid anyway, but — you get it. She hated just how everyone never wanted her help. I mean, don't you just love that? Not even Alvin wanted her around anymore. Daryl wouldn't give her a second glance. Stephen blew her off.

Eve watched them all, rolling her eyes slightly. "What's a little rain gonna hurt?" She huffed to herself, holding Darcy close as she watched the clouds draw near. "Doesn't seem like there'll be thunder, just a lot of rain and hail." She said softly, having learned to tell from the clouds by her father when he was sane. The guy liked to make sure the weather was perfect for his animals and crops, as well as the buildings.

Alvin watched Daryl, watching him walk out. "Fucking pathetic child." He huffed, following the man. "I wouldn't mind if it killed you." He quipped as he went out, studying the trees and testing the direction of the wind. "Should be alright," Alvin figured, glancing around the slight clearing. "As long as the trees blow that way, they'll land on each other and not us." He concluded, moving about the forest, finding a blackberry bush. He observed them before picking the ripe ones. He figured he'd give them to Beth, kinda as a peace offering.

Eve in the meantime made up some stupid story for Darcy, to keep her spirit up during such a terrible time. She had taken notice that Stephen had pretty much ignored her existence since their fight, and she could hardly blame him. She turned quite bitter after Calvin's death, because she didn't know where to put all the emotion she was feeling. Eve knew crying didn't help, it just made a bad image for herself. She didn't want to be the weak link in the group. Not by how tough she was trying to be.

"Do you really think that a few blackberries will do the trick for her?" He didn't have to guess what he was doing. Though, right now, was Daryls only chance to take his revenge. No one would know if something happened to happen to Alvin while they were out here — a walker could have bitten him, and so Daryl would 'put him out of his misery.'

"You took the only thing I've ever had," he growled, pulling out a knife. "You. Took. It. All. You took her away from me... I know I used her, but she was still all Ive ever had... You just had to sweep her off her feet, didn't you? Before I kill you... Tell me, why? Why her? Couldn't you have taken the one Stephen loved? Wouldn't she be easier?" He pressed the knife against the mans cheek. "Give me a goddammbed reason not to kill you right here."

Stephen, on the contrary, had played quite a bit of attention to all that she had been doing. He still loved her, regardless of their argument. He just felt as if he had no room to speak to her after what he said or did — but to be perfectly honest, he hadn't cheated on her. He loved her... He wanted a family with her one day... But, he took things too far. He jumped, and he claimed something he swore he never would. He took a breath; and made his way toward Eve. "I need to talk to you," he whispered softly, looking down to his hands.

Alvin watched him quietly. "It'd be fine without, I'm just sure she'd prefer something else than eating canned food." He murmured, setting the berries in his gun holster. "She loves me, and I love her." He turned to Daryl to see the knife, sighing quietly. Here we go. "Exactly the point, you used her. She never loved you if she's with me. Unlike you, I love her for who she is, not what she can offer me. All I want from her is her love and companionship for however long I still breathe on this Earth." Alvin told him. "Call me a pussy, I don't give a shit. Eve's my friend, and she loves Stephen, Beth I will fight for." He said, edging his head away from the knife as he pressed his gun firmly into Daryls stomach.

Alvin was unsure whether or not he would shoot, it was unclear in his mind. "Now walk away. No one has to die." He murmured. "And no one has to know about this." The man added lowly, moving his gun, pressing it to the mans neck. "Did I mention I have a trick finger?" He asked as his index finger twitched over the trigger.

Eve laid Darcy down as she fell asleep, fiddling with her hair as she heard footsteps and finally Stephens voice. "Don't you think everything's already been said?" She asked, not looking up to him. Without her knowing, Eve was beginning to push everyone around her away, as though she had to prove a point that she was strong on her own too. That she could handle everything on her own and she didn't need people watching over her like it seemed with Alvin always saving her from one walker to the next.

"Oh? You pull the trigger and I'm going to stab you either way. Be it my dying wish, or whatever you would like to call it." He growled, kneeling beside him to look to the grass. "You don't love her." He added, pushing the knife back into the holder (gah. I cannot remember what it's called) on his side. "You've used her more than I've ever thought. Haven't you? How many times has she given you the privilege of being wrapped up inside her during the night?" He chuckled, Rolling his Eyes at the younger man. He really had no clue; did he?

"Did she tell you just how much she needed you? How, she couldn't live without you by her side? Oh, oh, or my favorite.... Did she ask you to run away with her? You're pathetic for thinking that she'll ever love you. For thinking that you'll be anything more to her than her protection... Why? Because I was there. I was you... She told me all those things... And I honestly started to believe her until you stole her from me." He growled, pulling the knife out once again. "Pull the trigger. I dare you..."

Stephen shook his head softly, looking back to her. "I think we're on two different pages... You think I am okay with all of this, but I'm not... I'm hurt. I want you back into my life, and I want to be by your side again... I know I messed up—I messed up on biblical proportions. You have every right to hate me... To rid yourself of me... But I needed to tell you just how much I miss you." With that, he slowly turned and walked back to the other side of the barn, sitting down in his own little corner so she could have her space. He figured she would want it that way.