Vanessa had hoped the raiders they crossed paths with would stay away, that they would've learned their lesson after Bill and his men had scared them off, but unfortunately, it only encouraged them, and little did they know, the raiders were preparing to attack them from the shadows as revenge.
Kara's birthday was tomorrow and Vanessa was just finishing up the last of the preparations, wrapping her gift in a bunch of old newspapers, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she finished.
"Finally," Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief, setting the present aside by hers and Bill's sleeping bag.
"Bill! I'm done wrapping her gift! I'm gonna go check on Troy to see if he's doing okay on watch!" She exclaimed as she walked past his office, knowing Kara would be too distracted with her stuffed bunny to listen in at this early hour.
"Alright, I'm done wrapping mine, I'll be there in a second," He replied, looking to her as she passed his office before sighing, knowing those raiders would come back sooner or later.
Vanessa went up to the roof, stretching with a yawn as she went over to Troy's side.
"Hey, I figured you might want a break. Want me to take over for a bit so you can chill for a while or are you still doing okay?" She questioned curiously, placing her hands to her hips.
"I'm doing fine, nothing has really happened today so everything is relatively fine," Troy replied as he looked over at her.
She nodded, smiling a bit as she replied, "that's g—"
She stopped when she heard a bullet fly by her head, causing her eyes to widen and quickly tackle Troy to the ground, narrowly avoiding another bullet.
"Holy hell!" She exclaimed before grabbing the walkie from Troy, using it to speak to her husband.
"Bill! Someone's shooting at Troy and I! I can't get a good look, but there's definitely more than one shooter!"
Troy began to give cover fire, managing to shoot a couple of them.
"Shit, hold on, get down to the floor now!" He exclaimed before switching to another channel on the walkie.
"I need every good shot we have up to the roof! We can't let them take this place!"
Vanessa tried to peek above cover to see how many there were, but she had to quickly duck again, covering her head.
"I can't see them at all! Every time I poke my head out, they're ready to fire at my head!"
Becca was hanging out with Kara when she suddenly noticed the color on Shel's face leaving her.
"Shel?" She questioned curiously.
"I-I just—...I need to check something, stay here and don't move," Shel replied before quickly running to try and get a better look of the situation outside without being spotted.
Kara looked up at Becca for confirmation of whatever her sister was worried about, but Becca simply shrugged, believing that the place was too secure for anyone to break in.
"SHEL! BECCA! I SUGGEST YOU GET OUT HERE! NOW!!" Roman yelled, nearly getting shot, so he shot back, nearly hitting Troy.
Shel's eyes widened in shock, quickly running back to Becca and Kara.
"W-We need to find a place to hide! Now!" She quickly exclaimed in a panic.
"What? Why?" Becca questioned in confusion as she stood up.
"My daddy will protect the place," Kara replied, causing Shel to quickly shake her head side to side.
"He's going to get in! He has a lot more people in his group than he used to and he's not going to let me or Becca get away!"
"Who's going to get in?" Becca questioned in concern, causing Shel's eyes to soften a bit.
"R-Roman, he's here and he's going to take down that door any second now, we have to hide, and if we don't hide now then we'll be taken back!" Shel exclaimed to her sister in a panic.
"But there's no way he c—!"
"I'm not arguing with you right now Becca! Now c'mon!" She cut her off, quickly grabbing both Kara and Becca as she tried to find a spot for them to hide.
Kara was confused as she hugged her stuffed bunny, that is, until she heard some of her fathers men trying to barricade the door.
"C'mon! I want this boarded up now!" Tavia barked orders at some of the new and old recruits.
"We're trying!" Bonnie exclaimed as she tried to keep the doors from opening.
Bill went to the roof, holding an assault rifle firmly in his hands.
"I suggest you back off and head back where you came from! Now!!" Bill yelled, looking down at the few raiders.
"So, you're that Carver I've been hearing about. Look, I'm just here to get my people and leave!" Roman yelled back at him.
"Not happening! You either leave now, or we will kill every last one of you!" Bill threatened, aiming at roman.
Vanessa grabbed her gun and quickly checked to make sure it was ready before getting ready to fire back, watching from a small spot where she noticed his men were attempting to break the doors down.
She glanced over at Roman, noticing his determined gaze as he stared back at Bill, causing her to realize neither one of them would be backing down.
Shel meanwhile found a connected cabinet space where she hid Becca and Kara, getting ready to close it.
"Aren't you staying with us??" Becca questioned in concern until Shel handed her a gun.
"I can't fit, I'm going to find somewhere nearby to hide, but whatever you two do, do not make a peep until I come back for you two. Okay?" She replied, giving them stern looks to which they both nodded.
"Good, now be safe," Shel spoke once more before closing the cabinets, quickly finding a spot nearby to hide.
This spot wasn't as hidden, but she refused to be far from her sister in case Roman did find her.
"Alright then. Men! Fire away and get in there!"
Bill began to fire at Roman and his men, doing his best to kill the whole group.
Suddenly Vanessa heard the doors crumbling from the pressure so she quickly joined in, shooting at the group until she was fresh out of bullets.
Becca heard the doors giving in and quickly covered her ears, Kara doing the same.
Bonnie gasped and tried to close the doors again with some of the others, but she was hit so hard she was instantly knocked out, blood coming out from her nose.
"Dammit! They're in Bill!" Tavia shouted into the walkie as she began to fire on the raiders.
"Shit! Troy! Make sure those bastards don't get up here, and keep a watch of her!" Bill ordered as Troy nodded, continuing to fire at the raiders until he went down to go help the others.
"I'll be there in a second!" He exclaimed as he ran towards the others.
"Where the hell is Shel and Becca? Oh shit, kara!" He exclaimed in worry, quickly scanning the area for any sign of his daughter.
Suddenly Kara screamed and cried, dropping her stuffed bunny as she was being carried away along with Becca.
"Becca! Kara!" Shel exclaimed and was about to shoot the man carrying them until suddenly she was knocked down, gasping in pain as one of the men began to take her as well.
"Dammit!" Tavia exclaimed as she tried to help, but ended up having to focus on pushing them out to prevent any casualties.
"They're taking them! We have to stop them!" Russell shouted as he shot at a few of the men.
"Can't do that if we're dead!" Tavia yelled back as she shot a few more men, beginning to force the raiders back out the door.
"We have to kill these fucks first!" Bill exclaimed, shooting most of them before he went go help Shel, killing the man dragging her.
"Come on Shel, can't have you die here."
Shel winced in pain as the man dropped her, shakily standing back up as she wiped some blood off her lip.
"W-We can't let them get away Bill, w-we have to take them out," She quickly spoke as she pulled out her gun and started shooting at the men.
"We ain't gonna let them get away, we are killing every last one of them," He reassured as he looked back at the men fleeing from his group.
Shel nodded firmly, taking aim and shooting again, her face having a mixture of fear and anger.
"I should've warned you about them, but I thought Becca and I were safe...I should've known no one's really safe until the thing we fear is dead."
As Vanessa was firing on the men from the roof she spotted Kara and Becca being dragged into a van, causing her eyes to widen.
"KARA!!!" She screamed and quickly made her way down from the roof, running towards the doors until Tavia grabbed her arm.
"Let go!"
"If you run out there they'll either take you too or kill you! Calm down and help us with this first!" Tavia exclaimed.
Vanessa gritted her teeth and shoved Tavia, about to run to the van until she saw it drive away, causing her to tremble.
"K-Kara..."
"I know hun, we're gonna get her back. Russel, Vince, Shel, let's go, we have to follow them," He spoke up as he looked over at his group.
She nodded, taking a deep breath before looking down at the ground.
"If only I hadn't been caught by that raider when we were scavenging, this never would've happened."
Shel gently placed her hand to her shoulder, giving her a soft look as she replied, "This wasn't your fault, it's mine. I should've known Roman would find Becca and I eventually, I'm sure they've been watching us for a while now, even longer than when you had been attacked. Let's just focus on getting them home safe and sound, alright?"
"Alright," Vanessa sighed before seeing Kara's stuffed bunny, picking it up and putting it in her backpack.
"Let's go."
Kara looked at the unconscious Becca with concern before gazing back over to Roman through teary eyes, wondering what he was going to do to them.
"You won't be staying long, your daddy gives us Shel and we give you back, simple as that," Roman spoke, looking to her as one of his men kept a gun pointed at them.
She sniffled, curling up beside Becca as she looked up at him.
"Daddy would never give back Shel, h-he's gonna save me and Becca" Kara replied with tears in her eyes.
"Right, that man only cares about your survival, we saw how he reacted when he realized you were in danger," Roman spoke confidently.
Bill hopped in the truck and began to drive after everyone got in, driving as quickly as he could.
Vanessa was loading her gun as Bill drove, remaining deathly silent as she regretted not having killed the raiders from before, narrowing her eyes.
She hoped Kara would be okay, she had to be okay.
Russel looked between Bill and Vanessa, concerned for the both of them as Bill drove the truck.
"...So, what's the plan?"
"Take down anything standing in our way of the kids," Vanessa replied blankly as she continued to load her gun.
As Bill continued to drive, looked over at his wife.
"That is not a plan hun, we find them, and we get both of those girls back. No matter what, injure them so badly they wish they were dead."
Vanessa nodded, staring at the raider camp ahead of them, glaring at the men as she sighed.
"I just want our baby girl back safe and sound."
Shel looked down, taking a deep breath as she readied her weapons.
"...I'll try to bargain for both Becca and Kara. If there's any chance he'll be willing to take me in their place, maybe we could keep bloodshed out of it altogether."
"Becca needs you, we're not doing a hostage swap, even if he would go for it," Vanessa replied.
"Hell no, we aren't losing anyone. If we're not leaving Kara, we're not leaving anyone," He replied firmly, parking in the woods as he grabbed his assault rifle.
"Let's move, we're gonna surround this place. Vanessa, you go with Vince. Russell, you go with Shel. I'm going up front, and I am going to be the last thing this bastard sees."
She nodded, quickly readying her weapons before turning to Vince.
"I'll be right behind you," She spoke before quickly following Vince, keeping herself ready to attack.
Russell nodded, standing beside Shel with a determined look.
"Be careful, last thing we need is you getting hurt. Signal us if you need help."
Shel looked up at Bill with concern, nodding a bit as she added, "Don't underestimate him. You're stronger, but he still has some tricks up his sleeves. Don't let your guard down..."
Kara sniffled and woke up Becca, causing Becca to slowly open her eyes.
"Huh...? What happened?" Becca questioned as she sat up before seeing Roman, her eyes widening.
"Holy hell!" She tried to reach for her gun, but quickly realized they had taken her gun from her while she was unconscious.
"Dammit!"
Kara tried to comfort Becca a bit, but it was clear Becca was both enraged and terrified
"Where's my sister!? What did you do to her!?" Becca shouted at Roman.
"Alright, let's go," Vince spoke as they walked over to a section of the woods that kept them hidden from plain sight.
"I'll try my best. We'll get Kara and Becca back," Bill assured Shel before he approached the entrance, holding his assault rifle firmly.
"Stay calm Becca, we're getting your sister and then we are leaving," Roman spoke as gazed down at her.
Becca narrowed her eyes, quickly shuffling in front of Kara protectively just in case to keep her out of the line of fire.
"Why do you even want us so bad!? We didn't take any supplies! We just left in our rv! Just leave us alone! And why even involve Kara!? That's not fair to her! She's not even eight years old yet!"
Kara looked between the two of them in concern, hoping her father would come soon to save them from the strange man before them.
"You two destroyed our wall and when the walkers came through, we lost everybody, and now you two are next. That kid is our ticket to getting Shel," Roman replied before gunshots were heard.
"ROMAN! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!!" Bill shouted from outside their base.
Becca was about to reply angrily, but the moment she heard Bill, she froze, blinking in surprise.
Kara's eyes lit up at her fathers voice, knowing that this time, he was angry for her sake.
"Daddy!" She exclaimed happily, bouncing a bit.
Becca quickly pulled Kara back behind her protectively to keep Roman from her, shaking a bit.
"You wouldn't have let us go, you didn't give us a choice. Do you really want to die just to prove a damn point?"
"I know that Bill would do anything for his precious baby girl," He replied, picking her up and putting a gun to her head as he walked out.
"I suggest you back up Bill! Give me Shel, or your daughter dies!!" Roman yelled, looking to him in anger and determination.
Kara whimpered, squirming in Roman's arms.
"D-Daddy!" She cried, trying to get out of Roman's arms to get to her father.
Becca tried to help her, but was quickly hit by one of Romans men, causing her to fall back to the ground in pain.
"You put her down God damn it!!" He exclaimed, looking at Roman with nothing but fury in his eyes.
"You give me Shel and I give her to you," Roman bargained, keeping his gaze locked on him.
Bill sighed, taking a breath before yelling, "Shel, come out!"
As Kara cried, Shel came out of hiding, having a gun hidden in the back of her pants as she kept her arms up.
"Roman, I'm here. Let her and Becca go, they have nothing to do with this. I was the one who drove the RV through the wall, Becca was not an accomplice. You and I both know she's just a kid...so let them go."
Kara looked up at Shel through tears, worried for her safety.
"Shel no!" Becca exclaimed, but Shel kept her gaze on Roman.
"Shel, come on," Bill said, taking her hand and walking her up to Roman.
"Good, glad you could see it our way," Roman spoke before pushing Kara to Bill.
Unfortunately for him, Bill quickly opened fire, shooting Roman directly in the head.
"No one messes with my family!"
Kara quickly hugged her father, sobbing as she clung to him tightly.
"I missed you daddy!"
Shel saw one of the men about to use Becca as a hostage and quickly shot him, grabbing Becca and pulling her behind her as they began to open fire on the men.
"Vince, Russell, Vannessa! Get out here! We need the extra firepower!" He exclaimed, looking to the men coming at him as he shot most of them down.
"You can't take them down on your own!" Russell exclaimed, but Vanessa nodded, gripping her gun, about to move before one of the men running shoved her.
"H—" Vanessa stopped and screamed in pain before shooting a walker's head, keeping her hand firmly over her shoulder.
"Mommy???" Kara questioned in worry as the walkers started coming.
"I'm fine honey! Stay by your father!" She replied, shooting more walkers as she followed Vince.
He started to try and shoot everyone one of them down, looking over to Vanessa and thought she was just injured, trying his best to keep all of them off his team.
"Vannesa! Are you alright!? I'm coming over to you!" He exclaimed, grabbing Kara and beginning to run towards her.
"I'm fine! Focus on getting to the truck with Kara! I'll be right behind you!" She replied, keeping walkers away from them with her gun.
Shel found an opening and took Becca into the backseats of the truck quickly, making her duck onto the truck floor as they waited for the others.
Russell made it to the truck and continued to shoot both the men and the walkers.
"Hurry it up guys!"
He tried to get everyone in and went after Vanessa.
"Come on! Let's go!" He exclaimed once more, looking to her as he shot the remaining walkers away from them.
After Vanessa hopped into the truck with Bill she buckled up and refused to take her hand off her shoulder, watching him begin to drive before looking towards the backseat.
"Did they hurt you at all Kara?" She questioned in concern, to which Kara quickly shook her head side to side.
"I'm sorry mommy, I should've shot them, but it's a lot harder to shoot people than the monsters," The young girl sniffled, causing her mother to smile.
"That's perfectly normal, in fact, I'd be more concerned if you were able to do it just as easily. You'll get the hang of it someday sweetie," She replied with a smile before looking to Bill.
"Are you hurt at all...?"
"No, I'm more worried about you hun, let me see," He spoke, looking to her as he went to take her hand off her shoulder.
Vanessa quickly pulled back, holding onto her shoulder a bit tighter as she looked back at the road.
"I'm fine, we'll deal with it when we're back at Howes," She replied blankly, not wanting to freak out the kids.
He sighed as they drove back to Howes keeping his gaze focused on the path ahead so they wouldn't get lost.
When they were pulling up, the group was fixing the doors, and they were actually able to open and close.
After they entered Howes, Vanessa began to walk away, looking past the group as she walked.
Tavia's eyes widened upon seeing the blood on her shoulder, growing concerned.
"V, what happened?" She questioned, about to move her hand until Vanessa quickly backed away.
"I'm fine."
"Oh come on now don't be ridiculous," Bonnie said before quickly moving her hand and gasping in horror.
Vanessa was about to cover it back up until she heard her daughter gasp as well, slowly turning around to see Kara tearing up.
"M-...M-Mommy...?" Kara began, at a loss for words as she realized what she was looking at, almost hoping for her mother to deny it.
"What?" He asked, looking to them before looking at the injury before a wave of disbelief hit him.
"No no no no, this isn't happening," He spoke in horror, looking closer at the bite mark on his wife's shoulder.
Vanessa looked at Kara and Bill through sad eyes, taking a deep breath.
"...I'm sorry, it is happening."
Kara began to cry, knowing exactly what this meant.
"It's all my fault! You would've been fine if I had shot the man before he could grab me!" She spoke through sobs, not wanting to lose her mother.
"Hey hey hey, listen to me," Vanessa began, kneeling down in front of her before continuing, "This isn't your fault, okay? Not at all. You were put into a tough situation, it would be tough on anyone."
"Not for you and daddy—!"
"Hey," She began again, holding their daughter's face in her hands as she wiped a few tears away with her thumbs.
"It isn't your fault. I let myself focus too much on the men that I hadn't even realized the dead were coming...I know it wasn't your fault, and I know your father doesn't blame you either. It was my fault, not yours."
Kara sobbed, hugging her mother tightly.
Bill was still in disbelief, he had seen this thing happen to so many, but he never thought it would happen to his family, especially not his wife who had been there since the very beginning.
"You can't die mommy!" Kara began, clinging to her mother tighter as she continued, "My birthdays tomorrow! I don't wanna celebrate without you!"
Vanessa was silent for a moment, gently rubbing her back to soothe her as she got an idea.
"Maybe you won't have to."
Kara looked up in confusion, tilting her head slightly as Vanessa looked back down at her with a warmer smile.
"We'll celebrate today, one last time. All the preparations are done so we could, and besides, I want to give you my gift before I go," She spoke softly with a smile, gently brushing their daughters hair behind her ear with her fingers to get a better look at her face.
Kara sniffled, clinging to her mother tighter before nodding into her shirt.
"O-Okay."
As Vanessa rubbed Kara's back, she smiled, gently pulling her hair away from her face.
"Alright then, let's get to celebrating," She spoke again before kissing their daughters forehead, standing to her feet.
He smiled slightly, hugging his wife firmly.
"I'm so sorry my love, I wasn't there to help you,' He spoke as he continued to hug her.
"Hey, it's okay," Vanessa replied, hugging him and gently rubbing his back.
"There's nothing that could've been done, so don't beat yourself up over it. Let's just enjoy the time we have left with each other and our daughter, okay?"
"Okay," He replied, getting the presents and the small cake.
"Okay baby girl, happy birthday," He spoke with a smile as he looked to her.
"Happy birthday sweetie," Vanessa chimed as she kissed her daughter's forehead.
Kara sniffled, rubbing her teary eyes on her sleeve as she looked at the cake and the presents.
"...Thank you mommy, thank you daddy."
As the day went on it was clear Vanessa was growing weaker, but they still managed to do several activities together, even managing to watch a movie through their newly found electricity.
Unfortunately as the day neared its end, Vanessa had grown far more pale and weak, using most of her strength to smile at their daughter.
Neither one of them wanted it to end, but Vanessa knew it couldn't last forever, and it had to end at some point.
"Alright sweetie," Vanessa began weakly, gently running her fingers through her hair.
"It's time to say goodnight."
"N-No, just a little longer," Kara sniffled as she hugged her tighter.
"Sweetie," Vanessa began again, gently cupping her cheek.
"We'll always want just a little longer."
Kara began to cry again, clinging to her mother sadly.
"If I hadn't been so scared you wouldn't be dying!" She cried, clinging tighter to her mother.
Vanessa's eyes softened, gently kissing her forehead again.
"Don't blame yourself for this, ever. I don't regret anything out there, I would do it time and time again if it means you'd be home safe with your father."
Vanessa thought carefully for a moment before opening her bag, handing her the stuffed bunny.
"My bunny! You found him!" Kara exclaimed as she hugged her bunny, causing Vanessa to smile.
Vanessa gently pulled Bill over for one last group hug with the three of them together as she continued to sit against the wall, wishing it never had to end.
"I love you both, more than you two will ever know."
"I love you too mommy."
"We love you too hun," He replied with tears in his eyes as he grabbed his pistol.
"No matter what baby girl, mommy is always with you and me," He assured their daughter as he picked up his wife bridal style.
"I'll be up to read you a story in a few minutes,' He spoke before walking to the gate, grabbing a shovel.
Kara watched them walk outside, waving goodbye with a sniffle as she teared up again.
Vanessa smiled at their daughter for the last time as the gate closed behind her and Bill, finally slumping against him as she was becoming too weak to hold herself upright.
"...You don't have to do this Bill, I can do it," She offered, looking up at him with a concerned yet tired gaze.
"No, you shouldn't have to do anything hun," He replied, taking her out into the woods.
"We had a good run didn't we?" He asked as he laid her up against a tree.
"We did," she smiled before cupping his cheek, her eyelids half closed as she kept her gaze on him.
"Thank you for making life worth living...I'll miss you..." She began to tear up as she smiled at him, giving him a goodbye kiss.
"Take care of Kara and yourself for me, okay?" She sniffled, gently squeezing his hand.
"Same to you my love, I hope to see you again in the next life, and I promise," He replied once more, holding both her hands, showing the rings on their fingers as he kissed back.
"I love you."
"I love you too..." She replied weakly with tears streaming down her cheeks, smiling back up at him.
"I left you a goodbye gift in our bed, don't forget to open it, okay?" She added gently, leaning against the tree as she sighed, a tear falling off her cheek.
"I'll be watching over you and Kara from the next life..."
"I will, I'll see you there my love. I hope not anytime soon, but I hope to see you again my love. I'll make sure she's safe" He assured his dying wife, standing up and loading his revolver.
"I'll miss you my love."
"I'll miss you too...just don't be in a rush to see me my love," She replied with a teary smile before slowly closing her eyes, slumping against the tree as she waited for death.
"I promise I won't," He replied, his hand shaking for the first time in what seemed like forever before he fired his gun, aiming for the head.
Afterwards, he dropped the gun and began to dig her grave.
As Bill was burying his wife, Kara was sitting in her bed for a short while longer until she stood up, hugging her stuffed bunny with his new outfit from her mother as she walked over to where her mother used to sleep with her father, curling up in her mothers sleeping bag with teary eyes.
Bonnie noticed this and sighed, walking up to the others with sad eyes.
"This won't do. She's turning 8 in just a few minutes and she looks sadder than an empty fridge. We have to do something."
"It's not our place Bonnie," Tavia replied plainly.
"You can't cheer up a girl who just lost her mom, and you must be an airhead if you think there's anything we could do to take away that pain," Russell chimed in, causing Bonnie to roll her eyes.
"You know what I mean Russell, we can't just sit here twiddling our thumbs."
"You're right, we can't," Tavia began once more as she loaded her gun.
"We'll sit down doing our jobs, not twiddling our thumbs."
Bill finished up and walked back inside, looking at them as he spoke up, "What are you three doing? Please get back to your posts, I don't need anyone else dying today."
After he spoke to the group, he headed up to Kara's bed to read to her.
They all quickly nodded, exclaiming, "Yes sir!" Before running off to their stations, leaving Bill alone with his daughter.
Kara was quietly crying into her stuffed bunny as she curled up against her mothers pillow, not having noticed her father yet.
He seemed upset, not at her of course, but at himself as he sat next to her, tears falling from his eyes.