❛ When it comes around, then it's taken away, leaves me with the feeling that I feel the most. Feel it come to life when I see your ghost. ❜

SEASON 3, EPISODE 6
hounded

━━━━━━ day 310.

"EVERYBODY OKAY?"

⠀⠀⠀Bianca's head whipped around so fast she could hardly see Rick standing before them. She had been sitting at the tables with the rest of the group, their conversation light but now dead silent. There was a moment as they all stared in surprise.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, we are," Maggie spoke up, filling the silence.

⠀⠀⠀Rick opened the barred door and stepped inside. Just as he made it to one of the tables, he slumped over it, obviously exhausted. After Lori died, Rick disappeared into the prison with only an ax. Bianca was honestly surprised when he reappeared.

⠀⠀⠀"What about you?" Hershel asked worriedly.

⠀⠀⠀"I cleared out the boiler block," Rick answered.

⠀⠀⠀"How many were there?" Daryl asked from beside Bianca, scarfing down his soup.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca wasn't hungry but had forced herself to eat a little bit. She didn't want to hear them say she needed to eat to keep her energy up or getting too thin or even just ask why she wasn't eating.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't know. A dozen, two dozen," Rick said, shrugging. "I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl," he explained, resting his hand on his son's shoulder.

⠀⠀⠀"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies," Glenn tried to tell him, standing to his feet. "You don't have to."

⠀⠀⠀"No, I do," Rick told him simply. "Everyone have a gun and a knife?" he asked, walking over to Daryl.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah. We're runnin' low on ammo, though," Daryl muttered.

⠀⠀⠀"Maggie and I were planning on making a run this afternoon," Bianca stated with a slight frown as Rick's tired eyes turned to her. He could barely look at her for longer than a second before turning away.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca knew why. All he could see was Lori's killer.

⠀⠀⠀The knot in her stomach tightened, and she set down her spoon, officially done with her meal.

⠀⠀⠀"We found a phone book with some places we can hit," Maggie explained. "Look for bullets and formula."

⠀⠀⠀"We cleared out the generator room," Daryl added. "Axel's there tryin' to fix it in case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca would be down in the generator room to help Axel, but her mind was so lost that she could hardly make sense of any of it. She had tried so hard to remember what any of it meant, but the wires blurred, and the colors didn't make sense. Axel had to reassure her he wasn't new to fixing things, and she could always spot-check when she was feeling better.

⠀⠀⠀"Good, good," Rick nodded, finished with hick check-in, and left the way he came.

⠀⠀⠀"Rick!" Hershel yelled, but he was long since gone.

BIANCA PARKED THE car outside a hole-in-the-wall supply store in the middle of a shopping center. They stepped out of the vehicle, and the two stared at the front doors. Glenn had initially been the one that was supposed to head out with Maggie. They typically did runs together. However, Maggie convinced him that maybe Bianca needed a little space from the prison.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie didn't overwhelm Bianca with fretting over her well-being or attempting to reassure her everything was her fault. Bianca appreciated that and gladly accepted, distancing herself from everyone once again.

⠀⠀⠀"Clear outside," Maggie called, returning from a jog down the street to check for walkers.

⠀⠀⠀"Alright," Bianca nodded, walking toward the store.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey," Maggie said. Bianca turned to see her smiling softly back at her. "I'm sorry for what you're goin' through."

⠀⠀⠀"We're all goin' through it," Bianca assured her with a frown. Maybe Maggie wasn't going to leave her thoughts and feelings well enough alone.

⠀⠀⠀"No, you're going through it worst of all," Maggie argued, shaking her head stubbornly. "I know you and Lori were close, too. It makes it that much harder. But, for what it's worth, smilin' down on you so thankful you got her baby here, alive and healthy like she wanted."

⠀⠀⠀"I just wish she was here, too," Bianca sniffled, rubbing at her eyes before the rupture of emotion came back at her.

⠀⠀⠀"We all do, honey," Maggie whispered, her sweet smile still pinned to her lips, and she pushed a strand of her hair back. Then, she pulled Bianca into a bear hug, holding her tight against her chest. It'd been a long time since Bianca had hugged anyone. Even longer since she's accepted it and felt safe in the arms of the person holding her.

⠀⠀⠀After a minute, Bianca began to feel suffocated and batted her hands, muttering, "Alright, alright."

⠀⠀⠀Maggie chuckled, pulling away, and whispered, "Remember, it's a beautiful day."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca smiled hesitantly, then fell back into their original mission. She grabbed the bolt cutters from the car and snapped the locks off the front door. Unfortunately, when she opened the door, a flock of trapped birds flew out of the building and scared Bianca enough she let out a small scream.

⠀⠀⠀"I fucking hate birds," Bianca muttered, walking inside with tense shoulders and a scowl.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca started pilfering through boxes while Maggie stood outside, keeping watch.

⠀⠀⠀"Bianca, get that duck," Maggie called to her.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca looked up to see Maggie's giddy expression. She furrowed her brows and asked, "What?"

⠀⠀⠀Maggie pointed with her gun toward a stuffed duck on the floor.

⠀⠀⠀"Get that duck," Maggie repeated. "A kid growin' up in a prison could use some toys."

⠀⠀⠀"I got that girl ten stuffed animals. She's gonna be spoiled before we know it," Bianca said with a chuckle but threw the stuffed duck into a bucket she was piling supplies into.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca stepped further inside, gathering things from food to toys to batteries and anything that could be transported back with ease. Then, she walked back to the front door with Maggie, discussing what they had found with broad smiles. Bianca hadn't felt this light since Tomas' death. She felt like there was hope for her, yet these demons that haunted her could be something she could live with.

⠀⠀⠀"It's a straight shot back to the prison from here," Bianca said, walking to the open trunk and throwing her things inside. "Probably make it back to dinner."

⠀⠀⠀"I like the quiet," Maggie sighed, a frown coming to her face. "Back there, back home, you can always hear them outside the fence no matter where you are."

⠀⠀⠀"You and Glenn should come here for a date sometime," Bianca suggested.

⠀⠀⠀A smile began to break across Maggie's face at the thought, but then a voice like nails on a chalkboard interrupted them.

⠀⠀⠀"And where is it y'all good people are callin' home?"

⠀⠀⠀Maggie turned first, mouth slack in shock that he had appeared without notice. Bianca cracked her neck as the tension grew just thinking of the man that appeared. Bianca unholstered her gun, whipping around the car to face him. Maggie started to join her, but Bianca quickly threw her hand out, keeping her from moving.

⠀⠀⠀The crow's feet at the edges of his eyes deepened. All of his teeth showed in amusement, and the previous harshness to his voice contorted into amusement. Only Merle could be behind that thick southern accent, yet Bianca wished it hadn't been.

⠀⠀⠀"Well, I'll be!" Merle exclaimed, setting his gun on the ground, and raised his hands up in surrender.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, back the hell up!" Maggie shouted, moving from behind the car and toward Merle. Bianca shot her a glare, annoyed she hadn't listened.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay, okay, honey. Jesus!" Merle shouted, stopping in his tracks and turning his attention to Bianca. "Well, c'mon, Bianca. You ain't gonna greet your old pal Merle!"

⠀⠀⠀Merle had never called Bianca by her name. Not once. Only derogatory nicknames he reserved for women or Asians. Mainly Yellow, which got under her skin the most. However, this seemed worse. He was trying to play at an angle. She narrowed her eyes and readjusted the grip on her gun, unamused.

⠀⠀⠀"What do you want?" Bianca asked him, scowling as she held her gun to look through the scope.

⠀⠀⠀"Can you tell me? Is my brother alive?" he asked like he was worried about Daryl. Bianca knew better. He only worried about himself.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca didn't answer, but it seemed to answer enough for Merle.

⠀⠀⠀"Y'know, you're easy to read, Yellow. Just one look at you, and I know," Merle stated, smirking as he knowingly pointed a wrinkled old finger at her. "Here, I'll speak more your language. A deal. You take me to him, and I'll call it even on everything that happened up there in Atlanta. No hard feelin's, huh?"

⠀⠀⠀"I didn't have a hand in any of that shit," Bianca sneered, her blood pumping through her veins, and that anger she used to feel so vividly returned. "If anyone has hard feelings, it's gonna be me."

⠀⠀⠀"For what?" Merle sneered back, glaring at her now. The nice guy act completely gone. "I saved you. I protected you. I watched your back when no one else would."

⠀⠀⠀"That was Daryl. Not you," Bianca snapped at him.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, Daryl, my kid brother. You've grown soft, girlie. You used to be strong, vicious, could tear a man to shreds with just a look," Merle mocked her, glancing over to Maggie. "Y'know, last time we met, she nearly kicked my head in."

⠀⠀⠀"And you gave me a concussion!"

⠀⠀⠀"After you kicked me!" Merle screamed, throwing his hands to the side. Well,... hand. "It ain't my fault this happened," he told her, raising his arm, so his stump hand was shoved in her face. A knife rested on the end of a cap strapped to his arm, teasingly running dangerously close to her cheek. "I know you're dying to know, so I'll tell you. I found myself a medical supply warehouse, fixed it up myself."

⠀⠀⠀"I don't care," Bianca hissed.

⠀⠀⠀"I know, just thought you'd like to know you're not the smartest cookie in the oven, Yellow," Merle told her, shifting the weight between his legs. "Always such a cocky lil' bitch, but you're not as smart as you think you are."

⠀⠀⠀It was like that day beside the quarry all over again. Red was the only thing Bianca could see. Merle's voice was muffled but was the only thing she could hear. Her lungs expanded and contracted once before she lunged forward without fear of that knife attached to him. All she wanted was for Merle to shut his mouth for once, and it seemed by his bright red, broken nose someone else had tried and failed recently.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca wanted to be the one to finish it. She forced Merle to the ground, her hips pinning him down. Her fingers wrapped their way through the front of his shirt, and she pulled him up to her face. She could look into his eyes, see the darkness inside them, glinting as he saw the raw anger coming forth. Then, she slammed his head back into the concrete. Blood sprouted from the back of his head, but his eyes were still open. His laugh filled her ears, driving her crazy.

⠀⠀⠀How does he not die?

⠀⠀⠀Bianca tried to do it again, but Merle bucked her off. They had switched places, but he didn't keep her down. Instead, he forced her to her feet by the collar of her shirt and rested a knife at her neck.

⠀⠀⠀"We gonna go on a drive. You, me, and your pretty little girlfriend here, alright?" Merle said to them, his voice low and threatening. He nodded his head for Maggie to follow, and she complied. "Now, I know my friend here will try everything to kill me the second I let go. So, sweetheart, you're gonna have to drive," he told Maggie.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie nodded slowly and slid into the driver's seat.

⠀⠀⠀Merle led Bianca to the backseat. Bianca tried to squirm from his grip once, but Merle wasn't playing as the knife bit into her skin.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie turned on the car, beginning to pull out, but Merle stopped her.

⠀⠀⠀"Hold on, girl. We're not goin' to see my brother," Merle cooed, wiping the side of his gun against Bianca's face. "I have another place I'd like to show y'all."

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

FOOLS! ALL OF YOU! YOU THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE IT EASY! YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE REUNITING WHEN I NEVER SAID SUCH A THING! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try to update on Sunday since this is quite the cliffhanger, but anyways. I did say you guys weren't ready for this chapter (this is the one I had meant, not Cal's POV since it was hard to spot).

SONG: All My Life by Foo Fighters

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like. However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So even if you ghost read or comment every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come into this fic ♡ I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until the next one.