❪ 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗟'𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘 ❫
𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗇𝗂𝗇𝖾 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━
how can we come back. ╱ season four, episode sixteen.
EVEN AS THE MORNING sun rose over the trees, nothing deterred Frankie as she sat quietly to herself, looking down at what was left of her old self. Her thumb rubbed lightly against the matted faux fur of her coat, as she tried to piece together her scattered mind. Nothing felt quite the same, after she watched the men die, something in her shifted. Watching the life drain from their faces, made nothing but numbness bleed onto her features.
She ached to feel numb, to just ignore the rush of her adrenaline that never seemed to leave her body. Even after the darkness of the night faded into the colorful sunrise, nothing could stop the painful trepidation that still racked through Frankie's body. She was waiting for something to happen, she didn't know what would come of this day, but she knew it would be nothing good.
She could hear shuffling and hushed speaking behind her, but she didn't bother to even look back. It didn't matter, she had no words to say. She knew people were occasionally looking back at her, she could feel their looming eyes. But Frankie didn't feel like meeting their gazes, it would open a conversation she didn't know if she was ready to have.
The girl wanted to bury her feelings along with her coat, but she knew the people around her wouldn't let that slide. They would eventually make her open the wounds she was desperately trying to forget about. Her eyes would occasionally wander over to the dead body that lay a mere four feet from her.
There was an aspect of uncomfortableness that flowed through her when gazing toward the dead man, just glancing at him would bring flashbacks of last night. She could still feel the hands crawling all over her, she could feel the tight grip, and the bruises that they left on her pale skin. Every time she remembered it, she shifted in her spot, cringing at the way her body recoiled from their invisible touch.
Her heart ached significantly as the feeling of guilt racked over her body, she refused to look at them partly because she felt like this whole night was all her fault, the pain that had been embedded in people's hearts was because of her. She was the reason Carl got attacked, that a knife was held up to his throat. She could've run, left Sydney and Gabi to stay with the others, she could've gone on her own, leading those men to another state. But she was a coward and feared the crippling feeling of loneliness and stayed put. She was leading those sick men straight to them.
Her thoughts were immediately ripped away from her when she heard the soft moan seep into the morning air. Snapping her head to the sounds, she was met with the sight of Randy staring at her with glazed-over milky-white eyes. He was no longer alive, just yet another reanimated corpse that was bound to stumble around the earth. Frankie couldn't let him have that.
Even if he wasn't himself, his hungry eyes remained the same, only now wanting something different. Frankie didn't remember how, but she noticed a knife gripped in her fingers. She was grasping so tight that her knuckles were turning white as she shook with fury. The redhead could hear Everyone's conversations quickly cease once their eyes fell upon a reanimated Randy making his way toward Frankie.
Charlie was the first one to notice the shuffling noise and gargles. Rick and Daryl quickly followed his stare as they stopped their conversation to see what he was gaping at. He immediately sat straight up against the truck, moving to go take care of the walker, but as he made it to his feet, Sydney stopped him. He opened his mouth to protest, but his words were quickly muddled in his throat as he watched Frankie stand up on trembling legs as she made her way toward the man who hurt her.
The girl didn't hesitate to sink the blade of her knife into his skull, the reanimated body immediately going limp in response. Charlie expected her to make her way back to where she had been sitting for hours prior, but she didn't. He could hear heavy breaths escaping Frankie and she repeatedly sunk her knife up and down into the man's skull, not caring if the man was already gone. The squelching of her knife echoed through the small camp as all of them refused to take their eyes away from the scene in front of them.
With every stab of the blade, Frankie's hands and face got splattered with blood. The fury burned aflame in the girl's eyes, no one had seen this amount of intensity...this amount of anger before. The man below her no longer looked like the grimy person he once was, his features looked intelligible. The only thing that was a reminder of his humanity was the blood and bone that splattered the area.
Suddenly the girl stopped with her hands raised in the air, ready to make her decent, but something stopped her. The girl shuffled back, finding her previous spot on the crumbling cement as she caught her breath. The wrath that once littered her features was now replaced with nothing but exhaustion as her eyes were glued to the mess she made on her hands.
Charlie stood back slightly aghast, shocked that someone like Frankie would be capable of such ferocity. But it took him a second to realize he didn't know who she truly was. He has only experienced what Frankie wanted to show him. The light-heartedness that she was willing to show. This side of the girl is always clearly hidden away, there was a shame in the aftermath of the brutality. He could feel the emotion hanging heavily in the air. She had every right to act the way she did, yet Charlie could see a feeling of remorse swallowing her features.
Frankie couldn't stop staring at the mess that covered her hands, it made her sick to her stomach. The blood and specks of the man behind her were wrapped around her skin, she couldn't believe what she had done. She didn't feel bad that she had done that to the man, he deserved it, even if he was no longer alive. Frankie just hated how her cruelty reminded me of her father. His approval echoed in her ear, she could hear his proud tone mocking her mind.
Good job kid! I knew you could handle yourself, reminded me of myself there!
She could almost feel him right next to her, his off-brand cologne wrapping around her nostrils. His impressed gaze looked down at the mess she had made. The thought of even being remotely like the man she detested with everything in her made bile rise up her throat. Without even realizing it, she noticed herself trying to wipe away the blood on her hands as a few tears trailed down her cheeks. No matter what she did, the blood never left, only smearing deeper into her skin. The frustration only made her tears more violent. But a familiar shadow made her movements freeze completely.
Looking up she met the color of chestnut, as Charlie looked down on her with sympathy swirling in his eyes. Frankie let out a small huff of frustration, hating the way he was looking at her. The last thing she needed was for him to feel bad for her. Frankie opened her mouth, feeling the words of hatred rising in her throat. But the angry words faded in her chest when she watched him kneel to her level.
The boy delicately picked her hands up from her lap. Nothing but caution in his movements, as if he was waiting for her to snatch her hands right from him. But she didn't. The irritation she felt disappeared in the Georgia wind as she stared at him with curiosity. The boy's movements were careful and soft as he used a wet rag to wipe away the blood that she was so desperately trying to get off. There was a relief that washed away the moment the coarse crimson was fading from her skin. With each delicate wipe of the cloth, Frankie's chest no longer ached, and her father's presence faded into nothing.
Once the blood was no longer visible, Charlie removed the cloth and put her hands back where they rested previously. Frankie's eyes didn't hesitate to meet his, as the boy seemingly searched hers for her reaction, waiting for her to yell at him for overstepping. But the only thing he could find was relief swirling in her crystal eyes.
Before he could even react, the girl was falling in his arms. She wrapped herself around, hugging him tightly. At this moment, she was grateful. Grateful for him ridding the pain of what she had done, but also thankful for him saving her life the night prior. She didn't know him, and he didn't know her. And yet, he willingly put himself at risk to save her from that man. She didn't have the courage to give him a proper sentence explaining her gratitude, so her hands holding him tightly would have to do.
The boy couldn't stop his heart from pounding as he felt the girl's warmth wrap tightly around his senses. Everything around him was her, and he didn't know how he felt about it. He was overwhelmed with Frankie, there was a part of him that wanted to push her away, to reject her affection. Yet he didn't. He couldn't stop awkwardly wrapping his arms around her waist, hugging her back.
"Thank you,"
Frankie's words were short and breathy, clearly only meant for his ears. She didn't need to elaborate, he knew what she meant. He knew was she was grateful for. No matter how many breaths Charlie took, his heart refused to stop pounding. No one had hugged him like this in a long time, so kind, so thoughtful. He couldn't believe the girl who was capable of such damage that transpired not even twenty minutes ago, could be capable of such delicateness.
Charlie silently thanked Frankie for pulling away, knowing that he didn't have the courage to do it himself. She sat back in her spot, picking up the remanence of her beloved fur coat, running her fingers through the matted faux fluff. Charlie felt slight remorse for the coat, knowing how much it truly did mean to the girl next to him. He couldn't believe the evolution of his emotions when it came to this girl. Just a day ago, he couldn't care less about her well-being, let alone her emotions. But here he was, saving her life, washing away the blood on her hands, and now feeling sympathy for her. He couldn't believe how much she had infiltrated his mind.
"I'm sorry about your coat,"
Frankie looked up at his words, she merely shrugged in response. "It's alright, I knew it would be ruined eventually. I just didn't think it would be so soon,"
Her disappointed tone made his lips twitch as an unfamiliar emotion swirled in his chest. And before he could even think about his next action, he was shrugging off his jean jacket. Frankie stared at him with confusion as she watched him do so. But realization dawned on her as he gestured his jacket to her. "Here."
Frankie opened her mouth in surprise, "Oh no, I can't-"
"You can and you will," Charlie interrupted, dropping the heavy jacket in her lap. "Don't make me regret it, Red,"
The girl gripped the jacket in her hands, taking a moment to really take in the fact that the boy had just handed her the jacket he had been wearing since she had met him. She knew Charlie was looking at her expectantly, so without thinking she put it on.
Charlie couldn't help but stare at her, watching her so delicately putting her arms through the material. Seeing how the jacket practically swallowed her whole. In that moment, he didn't regret his decision anymore. He knew the jacket he'd had since the farm, the one that was his only link to his old life, would be in good hands. And he realized he didn't hate Frankie, not as much as he thought he would.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
THERE WAS AN UNFAMILIAR emotion that bubbled in Frankie's stomach as she trudged in tow with Carl. The sun shined directly on her back, causing a warmth to spread throughout the jean jacket that covered her frame. The world around her felt numb like she wasn't really there. She felt like a ghost or living through someone that she couldn't recognize. Everything that had happened recently was beginning to catch up in her mind. Even though the blood that painted her hands long ago was gone, every time she glanced down, she swore crimson covered her skin.
She can still feel the nagging remembrance of her father, she can feel him strolling behind her, a wide smirk resting on his lips. Taunting her, reminding her of what she had done, how she was doing exactly what she was supposed to.
"You can't pussy-foot around in this world, you've got to be calculated and cruel. You can't let people get ahead of you. If you do, you're gone."
Those certain words were something Frankie had become quite accustomed to since her father had turned into her villain. He knew she was capable of more than what she showed, he had always believed that. He thought she let her humanity get in the way of the true carnage she could cause. After all, she was her father's daughter.
But she was never able to let him see who she could be, to see the darkness she was capable of. She couldn't, she didn't want to be him. Frankie held onto the humanity he desperately hated, she thought it was what made her the person she was.
But after everything that happened, she doesn't recognize this version of herself. Frankie endlessly thought of the person she was going to show Terminus. Do they deserve to know the things she's done? Will that make them turn her away? Or will she get a pat on the back?
The what-ifs wracked her brain violently, and the thoughts never were able to completely disappear, even as they snuck up the fences lining Terminus, it was all she was able to think about.
Even as they all surrounded the perimeter, peaking through the fences, looking at all the exit points. Frankie's thoughts didn't stray. She stayed silent through Gabi and Sydney's conversations full of doubts and worry. No one knew the true circumstances that were going to come out of this place. But the lack of people guarding the walls made the group weary.
Fear and hesitance began to prickle at the back of Frankie's neck as she had been watching Rick dig a hole, with their bag of weapons by his side. It was obvious to all what he was doing, the precaution he was taking. Going in there with all of their weapons wasn't a good choice. The chance of them taking it all for themselves was very likely today, and they couldn't think of taking that chance. A thought arose in Frankie at that thought.
The thought was childish, but her mind wandered to the music that lay at the bottom of her bag. Taking off her bag, clutching it to her chest, she needed to take a moment, preparing herself for the incoming harsh judgment. She knew it was viewed as none-essential to them, but the thought of having someone take something so dear to her, made her stomach wrench.
The sound of her bag unzipping caught the attention of the group around her, and with a coy smile, she reached into her bag, pulling the small zipped bag that contained her prize possessions. She could see a few eye rolls for the people who recognized the bag.
Her shy laugh rang through the air, lightly resting the denim bag on top of the guns. "I'm just gonna slide this in there as well,"
"That's not important," Charlie spoke, his tone devoid of anything except annoyance.
"Yeah well, it's important to me," Frankie threw back, her voice deadly serious. "I don't know who these people are, I don't want their grimy hands on the things that matter to me."
Rick gives her an odd look, ready to argue back about its importance. But Sydney was quick to cut him off, "Just let her do it, she won't shut up unless you let her do it,"
The leader let the fighting words on his tongue disappear in the Georgia wind, as he began scooping the dirt back into the hole. A slight relief spread through at the thought of them giving her a break. She enjoyed just having a slight judgment seep into her back by just their stares. That was something she could deal with.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
FRANKIE BROKE OUT in a slight sweat as she lifted herself over the fence, her legs swinging around to the other side. The others were watching, waiting for her to tip over by accident, but the girl stayed on, not faltering for a second. She lighting dropped to the ground with a satisfying smile on her lips, proud of herself. She could see the others roll their eyes at the look on her face. But the small twitch of her lips didn't last long as she took in her surroundings. Her gun was taken out of her holster as she looked down both sides of the tracks, nothing was coming either way.
Her group quietly shuffled along the side of the building careful not to utter a sound. Frankie was suck between Carl and Charlie and they pushed her along. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, noticing how quiet this place truly was. The only sound she was able to pinpoint was the whistling sound the wind made as it traveled between buildings in the sparse train station.
With a gun aimed into the unknown, Rick led the group into the closest building. The large building was spacious, voices echoing as they walked into the darkness. Frankie let out a nervous huff as she rushed along behind Charlie, her guard completely up. The darkness was not welcomed, but as they traveled closer towards the voices they noticed an open door, emitting a light that sliced through the darkness.
"Those who arrive survive."
The girl furrowed her eyebrows at the words, confused at the repeating words leaving a woman's mouth. It sounded like she was recording a message. There were people along with the woman, bustling around maps and talking amongst themselves. They were completely oblivious to the eight survivors shuffling into the giant room.
"Terminus. Sanctuary for all. Community for all."
Frankie lowered her gun, dropping it to her side. A slight confusion ran through her at the fact they didn't even notice their entrance. That simple fact made a concerned feeling run through her. She exchanged skeptical glances between Gabi and Sydney, who stood next to her, ready for anything.
"Hello."
Rick's intrusion finally caught the attention of everyone working quietly in front of them. The woman speaking into the radio trailed off the moment she heard Rick speak up, a slight fear swirling in her eyes at the eight strangers in front of her.
A man in front of them let out a loud sigh at the sight of them, dropping the pen he had to the table below him, "Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch."
The younger man walked past the tables that surrounded him, walking towards the group as they silently stared at him. "You here to rob us?"
Rick gave him an odd glance, "No, we wanted to see you before you saw us."
"Makes sense." The man agreed, an odd smile resting on his features. Frankie's gut swirled with hesitation, she did not like his energy. "Usually, we do this where the tracks meet. Welcome to Terminus, I'm Gareth."
Frankie couldn't help the look of judgment painting her features, just by his name, she did not like him. Especially as time went on, and the further his gaze traveled over the group. "Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."
"We have." Rick stared at him for a second, taking in the man in front of him. "Rick. That's Carl, Frankie, Charlie, Michonne, Gabi, and Sydney."
An awkward wave was sent their way as the man followed down the line at each interaction. "You're nervous. I get it, we were all the same way. We came here for sanctuary. That what you're here for?"
"Yes." The curt word was all he got in response.
"Good. You found it." Gareth replied, his eyes quickly wandering the people behind as he thought for a second. He quickly beckoned a guy with an optimistic smile to come towards them. "This isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer."
Frankie's stomach dropped slightly at the last sentence, she never liked the phrase "got nothing to hide" it always meant they did indeed have something to hide. And with the way everything was playing out, she knew deep down something was up. She tried to remain calm, knowing that giving away how she was really feeling would be bad for them.
"Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. But first... we need to see everyone's weapons." Gareth trailed off, his slight hesitance made Frankie's lip twitch. "If you could just lay them down in front of you."
There was a pause that filled the air after Gareth's words. The group in front of him passed around small glances, as they wagered what to do. But Rick pulled his gun from his holster, placing it softly on the ground, which eventually led everyone to do the same. "Alright."
"I'm sure you understand."
Rick glanced up at the man from his crouched position, "Yes, I do."
The two men in front of them began patting them down, making sure all their weapons were on the floor in front of them. Frankie let out a sharp inhale at the thought of strangers touching her. Especially with the things that happened last night, she had to hold her breath and close her eyes when she felt the unfamiliar hands of Gareth.
"Something wrong?" Gareth questions, his tone skeptical, as if she was hiding something. He stood in front of her, not moving until he got an answer.
She could feel the wandering eyes of Charlie next to her, his gaze snapping from her to the man in front of her. Frankie took a breath, eyes snapping open, gritting through her teeth. "I don't really enjoy getting felt up by a stranger that's all."
Her snappy tone lit something in the man's eyes in front of her, as he paused and stared at her for a second. "That's fair, you made it through though."
As the two men finished up their pat-downs, they came back to stand in front of the eight strangers. "Just so you know, we aren't those kind of people, but we aren't stupid either. And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid." Gareth's eyes wandered between the eight, waiting for any reaction from them, but they all stood stoically. "As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions."
Gareth couldn't remove his eyes from Rick, as the man stared at him with an examining gaze. But nothing was uttered between the two, and their weapons were soon handed to them as Alex led them into Terminus.
As they progressed through the community, the quietness and the odd stares didn't help Frankie's stomach as it swirled and swirled with uncertainty. Alex was trying to make small talk but failing terribly, and Frankie couldn't care less about what the man was saying. Her attention was on the strangers around her. Their side glances made her heart drop, there was definitely something hiding beneath the surface. But she just couldn't quite figure it out.
They walked up to a lady grilling meat. Her smile was offputting as she tried to relay a kind energy, but Frankie knew it was false. She couldn't help her hand movements as it wandered to rest on her holstered gun.
"Hi, heard you came through the back door. Smart." The woman commented, her stare traveling over the eight survivors. "You'll fit right in here."
"Hey Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a plate for me."
Frankie's eyes glanced around the group around her as she watched the semi-hope that filled Rick and Charlie's eyes drain completely upon Charlie pointing out some of the people that sat a the tables a few feet away from them. Rick's face fell into a dangerous glare, upon seeing a metal glimmering from Alex's cargo pants. Just as Michonne began lightly conversing with the two in front of them, and Carl was handed a plate of food, everything changed.
Rick stormed past Carl, accidentally knocking into the boy, making him drop his plate in surprise. The simmering questions were immediately squashed when Rick ripped his gun out of his holster, placing the barrel right against Alex's head as he dug his hand into the man's pocket, pulling out a stopwatch.
The small group didn't hesitate to follow his lead, pulling their weapons out in defense, just waiting for the ball to drop. "Where the hell did you get this watch?"
"You want answers? You want anything else? You get 'em when you put down the gun." Alex bargained, his voice panicked yet calm as he swallowed the fear down his throat.
"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle, how good's his aim?" Rick inquired in a threatening tone, gesturing to the man on the roof above them. "Where'd you get the watch?"
After a few minutes of tension-filled silence, Rick repeated his question, his tone rising with fierceness. But he got nothing in return as Alex talked to the sniper on the roof. "Don't do anything. I have this. You just put it down."
The man he yelled at immediately complied, his rifle soon falling back. But Alex was done trying to defuse the situation. With the way the group around him acted, there was no way anything was going to defuse, they weren't leaving here without a fight. "You want to listen to me, there's a lot of us."
"Where...did you get the watch?"
"I got it off a dead one." Alex spits out, his voice cracking through his sentence. "I didn't think he'd need it."
"What about the riot gear? The poncho?"
"Got the riot gear off a dead cop." Gareth's words sliced through the tension, Rick twisted the man in his grasp so they both could face the man in front of them. "Found the poncho on a clothesline."
"Gareth, we can wait..." Alex uttered, his words holding a meaning none of them understood.
"Shut up, Alex."
"You...talk to me." Rick interrupted, his voice terrifyingly calm.
"What's there left to say?" Gareth straightened, holding his hands together in front of him. "You don't trust us anymore."
"Gareth-"
"Shut up." Gareth snapped, raising a hand to make the man held by Rick pause. Even when the man begged, Gareth only rolled his eyes. "It's okay, it's okay. Rick, what do you want?"
The man in question grunted, tightening his grip on Alex, "Where are our people?"
"You didn't answer the question," Gareth answered, closing his fist instantly, and signaling to the people around him.
All hell broke loose as Rick pulled the trigger, the bullet landing straight through the skull of Alex, the deceased man falling limp to the ground. Bullets began ricocheting as they ran off but no matter where they turned, bullets were shot at them pushing them to take another escape route.
Frankie knew they were leading them somewhere, the shots were aimed at their feet, but she couldn't stop running. Her fight or flight was activated the moment she heard the guns first go off. She ignored her labored breathing, pushing past the pain that throbbed through her tired feet. Frankie diligently followed along with the others, letting Rick and Daryl make the decisions. But she could feel the walls closing in, she could feel the trepidation fill her bones. She knew what was coming.
As they weaved through different buildings certain exists were closing off, doors were getting locked. But no matter what the outcome was Frankie followed closely behind her group. They began seeing more and more of this place and the more the views changed, she knew something was clearly up with the place that surrounded her. With the bullet holes and the decay and destruction in certain areas, there was nothing innocent and kind about this community.
And her fears were solidified as she walked past loads of cargo holds. People screamed for help, banging loudly on the metal on the inside. Frankie swallowed the terrified cry that begged to slither out her throat.
"What the hell?" Daryl questioned loudly as he led them past the holds, Terminus was getting worse and worse the longer they were pushed further in. They all dashed into a vast room and common glances of shock fell over the group. Candles and writings littered the floor and walls, Frankie saw the rants of pure evil and she knew this place was going to do much worse than kill them.
"The hell is this place?" Daryl asked, eyes turning back to the group around him.
"These people, I don't think they're trying to kill us," Michonne stated.
"They aren't, they were aiming at our feet. They're leading us somewhere." Frankie answered, her input gave the people around her a slight shock, not knowing she caught on to that.
Rick nodded in agreement but his voice trailed off the moment a door was shut a few feet away from them, the door locking sliced through the air. He didn't hesitate to lead them out a door and back into the mess they were trying to run from.
Bullets echoed through the train yard, as they were running as fast as they could toward the fences, but all of them stopped in their tracks noticing the people lining the fence, guns aimed right at their heads. Frankie let out a shaky breath, knowing what was going to happen next was not good. She couldn't help but think someone was about to die.
"Drop your weapons! Now!" Gareth demanded, his voice echoing through the yard as he stood on the rooftop, staring menacingly at the group below him. They all paused but as they took in their situation the weapons landed on the ground with soft clinks. "Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go."
Rick didn't bother to move, his eyes only wandered over to the train car a few feet away from them. Gareth didn't like that, "You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies and you end up in there anyway."
Frankie took in a fearful inhale at the thought of Carl's death, she sent Rick a begging glance, just hoping he would make his way to the train car. The man instantly began to make his trek to the train car, eyes never leaving his son.
"Now the Archer, the Samurai, Soldier, then the farmer, Blondie, and Red," Gareth instructed, one by one followed his directions, and as Frankie passed Carl, they couldn't remove their eyes from each other. She was scared something was going to happen, she couldn't stand the thought of it. "Stand at the door, Ringleader, Archer, Samurai, Soldier, Farmer, Blondie, and Red, in that order."
Rick couldn't stop staring at terrified Carl, he couldn't help the snarl that twisted on his lips, "My son."
An uncomfortable pause traveled through the silence as they waited for a response. Frankie's stomach twisted, a part of her just waiting for something bad to happen to the boy a few feet away from them. But nothing ever happened, "Go, Kid,"
A breath of relief left Frankie as she watched Carl make his way towards the others. But Carl wasn't even halfway there before Gareth's voice echoed through the tension-filled silence. "Ringleader, open the door and go in,"
"I'll go in with him." Rick seethed.
"Don't make us kill him now."
The man swallowed his choice words, as he made his way up the small case of stairs leading into the train car. The car was dark and as each of them walked up the steps, one by one was swallowed up by the darkness. Claustrophobia clawed in Frankie's chest, but she ignored it, knowing one wrong move would leave the boy walking up the train on the ground, bleeding out.
Once they all made their way into the dark car, the door was slammed behind them, snuffing out the light that slashed through the blackness around them. As they rounded each other to make sure the other was there, they all paused hearing shuffling a few feet away from them. "Rick?"
Through the cracks of light, Frankie saw the face of the stranger, his eyes not leaving the man in front of her. Rick couldn't stop the relief that echoed through his voice, "You're here."
People began filing behind the stranger, coming into the light. She could tell there were new faces in the group in front of them by the reactions of the people around her. But before she could even think of introducing herself, someone knocked into her as they shuffled quickly passed. She didn't even know Charlie was right next to her until she felt the impact of his shoulder meeting hers. She watched him immediately find his way into the arms of the woman standing next to the unfamiliar man.
Relief flooded Charlie in waves as he met the comfort of his older sister's arms rounding his shoulders. Frankie was very confused about who this woman was, but by the way she was cradling the boy's face, Frankie knew it had to be someone related to him, probably a sister.
While she tried to pick apart the reunion, she got quickly distracted by the unfamiliar woman speaking up, referencing the people behind him. "They're our friends, they helped save us.
"Yeah, now they're friends of ours," Daryl confirmed.
Rick quickly nodded back to the three new people behind him, in the same way the people in front of him did. "These are our new friends,"
The two people in front of them nodded in greeting, but a large redheaded man stared at them, his response cold and pessimistic. "For however long that'll be."
"No," Rick stated curtly, refusing to believe this was the end of the road for them. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."
Stares of confusion followed him as he made his way to the train car door. The redheaded man furrowed his eyebrows, "Find out what?"
Rick sent the man the most intense glare that Frankie had seen from him yet, his next words made a chill run down Frankie's spine, knowing how deadly serious this man was. "They're fucking with the wrong people."
Just from his tone, Frankie knew they were going to get out of this one way or another. And with the way Rick has been since the moment she met him, she knew none of Terminus was going to get out of this alive. And that's how it should be.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘:
HEY BESTIES GUESS WHO'S ALIVE!!
FINALLY PUSHED THROUGH MY WRITERS BLOCK FOR THIS BOOK!!!!!
so a lot happened in this chapter, we got a beautiful moment between Frankie and Charlie. Dare I say the beginning of their friendship?????? I love them and they're only going to get closer and even more cuter.
With the introduction of new characters, I'm excited to begin their dynamic with Frankie because fuck yeahhhhhhh. Maggie and Frankie 🔛🔝 fyi
ALSO‼️‼️‼️‼️
Check out my TikTok I've got some fab Charlie and Frankie edits up and I love them sm
TikTok: @gardensongsswp
hope you guys enjoyed!!!