Forget The Horror Here (A The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Forget The Horror Here: Chapter 23- Wouldn't It Be Nice

~Wouldn't It Be Nice~

(5 months later)

Like I said a while back, life's a bitch. But lately I've had a slight change of heart. The world may still be a death infected wasteland but sometimes a little happiness shines through the dark clouds. For example: I'm alive. That's all I could really ask for. Also the fact that I have a 'family', an awkwardly molded group of humans who keep eachother alive.

Sometimes I think 'What if none of this had happened?'. I would be graduating college finally, I would probably have moved somewhere big where I could pursue whatever career I had settled on, I wouldn't know Daryl, Rick, Sophia, or anyone, Carol would still be abused by her dead husband Ed, Andrea wouldn't be married and expecting a baby, Rick, Lori, and Carl would be a normal family, Greyson would be living in Boston with his stepmom and dad, and Daryl would still be in a rut, living inside his shell.

What happened almost two years ago has had its positive and negative effects on us all. There's no question when It comes to the horrid world around us but we're trying to keep being human in our emotions and sanity. Without these amazing, fucked up people... I would probably be dead.

***

"Score! Look at all of this!" I tossed can after can into our food bag.

"Three cheers for shady E-Z Marts!" Sophia said, throwing her fist in the air.

"WOO!" Grey laughed. He shoved some expired candy into his pockets.

"I second that." Daryl said, taking the now heavy bag from me. "Careful, Grey. You're gonna give yourself a stomach ache." Grey threw a bag of rock hard M&Ms at him, which were quickly whipped back with more force.

"Break it up you two." I laughed. Daryl gave me a peck on my cheek as I proceeded to look around the small gas station. "Daryl, why don't you take Carl outside and try to get some gas out of those pumps." The two of them left, leaving Sophia, Grey, and I. As I knelt down, pushing around some items on a bottom shelf, Grey sat down next to me. He'd changed so much in the past several months. He'd hit a growth spurt and was becoming way more outgoing in general.

"I think I have something wrong with me." Grey finally whispered

"What do you mean, sweetie?" I asked, still searching the shelf. He hung his head.

"Well first off, don't tell anyone this, ok?" I nodded a yes. "Sometimes when I'm just hanging around... my stomach gets all jittery and, uh, get all anxious and my face gets all red. I think I might be sick." I stop what I'm doing and look at him confused.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" He rubbed his face and sighed.

"B-because... because it only happened around Carl." He whispered almost inaudibly. My eyes grew wide and I pulled him into a hug.

"Oh honey. You're not sick. Not at all." I smoothed his midnight hair. "I would never tell anyone. I promise."

"I know I'm not normal." His voice was thick, as though he was close to tears. "I grew up in an environment where feelings like I'm having are extremely frowned upon. To my family, gay people were like Satan. My parents were so judgmental about every odd feeling."

"You're not with your old family, though. We're your family now. With us, you can be however you want to." Grey smiled.

He hugged me tighter and rested his head on my shoulder. "Thanks, mom. I mean... Sawyer." 'He just called me mom.' I thought. 'What do I say?'

"Anytime, Greyson." I held him in a hug for a good three minutes before the bell above the front entrance dinged, meaning someone or something had opened it. I stiffened and grabbed my knife. I slowly turned my head to the right and saw Sophia crouched behind the check-out counter. She had panic in her eyes. She was mouthing something at me. After the third or fourth time, her unspoken words finally clicked.

"It's. Not. Daryl."

I motioned her to sit quiet. She nodded, holding her knife at the ready like Daryl had taught her. I looked up into the glass drink cases trying to see a reflection. I couldn't see anything. Shit. I heard slow footsteps in the isle beside us walking to one end to possibly turn into our isle. I silently pulled Grey toward Sophia, staying low to the ground. We snuck behind the counter and I tucked the kids into a broom closet in the wall. "Stay. Here." I mouthed. I crept back to the edge of the counter. I took several deep breaths before pouncing up to face our threat. Nothing. I looked in every isle for someone but no. Whatever it was was gone.

I looked outside. No Daryl or Carl. I held my breath. I went to step out the door when a firm hand grabbed me from behind. I tried to scream but another hand pressed over my mouth. I fought to get away but the arms tightened their grip.

"Alright, girly. You come along easy," a gruff voice said, "and I won't have to hurt you." The voice chuckled. I broke free of the restraints and uppercut the man. My arm reached for the handle to run and lead him away from the kids but my feet were kicked out from under me. My fingertips skimmed the metal handle before I hid the ground hard. My face slammed against the tile with a sickening crack. I laid there, not having much energy to fight back, knowing I was done for when I was rolled onto my back. A blind fold was tied around my face and the same gruff voice said, "Now, let's get you somewhere where it's safe, huh?"

~AN~ The picture in the header is what I imagined Greyson looking like, only with darker hair. ALSO. Prepare yourselves to put a certain voice to a certain character next chapter... Just saying... Peace out, walkers!