ELLIE COULD ONLY grip at the rough sheets of the bed, her mind plaguing her with graphic nightmares of what truly could become of Coda. Where could a small child have truly gone alone? Nowhere that would keep her safe, potentially putting her at risk every moment she wasn't in the safety of Ellie's arms. As if the very moment she announced aloud that she had been gone that her bones would wither away. The pain in her chest had been so tight that no air would surpass.
Each moment she remained separated from Coda had been a step closer to plummeting down the darkest rabbit hole that one could find. Ellie was the sole survivor of her family, entirely separated from the entangled web of their family. No matter where Ellie went, destruction was sure to follow, as it always had done since the very moment she had been born. Ellie had simply been the storm that followed danger.
"Stop blaming yourself," Glenn whispered from where he was sitting in the RV, reloading his weapons idly, with his eyes briefly observing Ellie, "It isn't your fault, El."
"I should have been with her," Ellie gritted, her chest surging and collapsing as she barely moved a muscle at his comment.
"You can't be with her every single moment of the day," Glenn scoffed at her as he strode closer, and sunk down on the bed next to her, kindly handing her a tissue, "Ellie, I know you're hurting, but we're going out to look for them. If you want to join."
Ellie propped herself up from her position, shifting her gaze to Glenn's eyes as she wiped at her face with the softness of the tissue, letting out a sniffly sigh, "My mind just keeps racing with—"
Glenn broadcasted a deep sigh of sympathy, slowly placing his hand on her shoulder in reassurance, "It's easy to fall into the habit of overthinking, but they couldn't have gone far. It's Andrea we're talking about."
Ellie chuckled softly, feigning a brief happiness that seemed to slip away as easily as it had appeared as her lips curved into a frown, "I'm so angry at Daryl," she yanked hard at the thin fabric of the hem of her shirt nervously, "Is that bad?"
Glenn shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, his eyes darting around the RV as he gulped at the intense question. He sighed once again before stating, "He was supposed to be looking after her. But, at the same time, it's not like he just left her alone."
"You're right," Ellie announced, nodding slowly at his comment as she rose to her feet, "I'm not resting until my daughter is found."
"Our," Daryl's voice gruffly stated from behind her, instantly shifting her body upward as she turned her face to stare at him. Their eyes briefly connected before Daryl averted his gaze to the ground, quietly adding, "You don't gotta say she's just yours, no more. She's ours."
Ellie's eyes softened entirely as she found herself swallowed whole by the crystal caves of his irises as she hesitantly snaked her arms around his torso, whispering, "Well, then we better make sure to find our daughter."
"Believe me..." Daryl whispered huskily, allowing just arms to fold around Ellie's small frame as he held her close, "I'll do anythin' to get her back."
Glenn awkwardly cleared his throat during the moment, flashing the two a grin of embarrassment as he gesture toward the exit, stumbling over his feet on his way out. The two broadcasted soft chuckles as they observed him slamming the door behind him, finally, allowing the two stand alone in silence.
Daryl tucked his hand graciously around Ellie's curves, holding her close as she rested her head against his chest that had barely contained his thumping heart. She slowly snaked her fingers up his chest, drawing goosebumps across his skin as she trailed it upward, lingering across his chest and neck as it journeyed up to the sharpness of his jaw.
Ellie's hand tucked gently against his cheek, cupping it lovingly as she gazed into his nervous eyes. Her lips curled into a devious smirk at his anxiousness, but merely shifted her lips slowly to connect with his. Daryl's heart leapt into his throat at their connection, feeling the love that her fingertips had been leaving behind.
As she drew her lips away, Daryl found himself blinking repeatedly, unable to fathom how such a dull man as he deserved such a wondrous woman as Ellie. She slowly twisted her lips into a toothy grin, searching his eyes for the eagerness he once displayed so openly.
"I'm sorry for how I reacted," Ellie declared softly, tugging Daryl toward the bed as she assisted him in sitting beside her, "I blamed you for not taking care of her, but I know it isn't your fault."
"I–I didn't know..." Daryl muttered, overcome with a crippling anxiety that almost forbade him to speak, condemning his speech to a mere squeak, "I didn't think it would be this hard. I don't exactly got a good role model for this. I wanna be... good."
Ellie's lips formed into a dazzling smile as she clutched his hand close, squeezing it gently in reassurance as she announced, "I know you can be." Daryl's eyes instantly fluttered a distinct uncertainty, allowing his mind to draw comparisons of his own father. Ellie recognised his concern, and pulled him closer, "You are nothing like him."
"I'm tryin' not to be," Daryl noted hoarsely, allowing his forehead to lean against Ellie's gently, simply basking in the adoration. Their moment was not to last as raised voices outside arose their suspicion, prompting them to leave hastily.
"Shane, tell her to let me keep one!" Carl moaned loudly to the man, whining as usual as his mother had enforced such rules that he disagreed with.
He formed a gun in his fingers, jokingly shooting it at Ellie and Daryl as the lingered in the background.
"Hey, man. Go give them all to Dale! Go, now! Go," Shane snapped, a lot harsher than he had intended, though the antagonising memories never ceased to torment his loud mind.
With Carl's heart as heavy as his rushing footsteps, Lori sneered bitterly at Shane, harshly questioning, "What was that?"
"What was what?" Shane asked, his tone void of any emotion, as were his vacant, preoccupied eyes.
It hadn't been hard to spot that Shane had been distressed by the unraveling turmoil, seemingly done with the consistent pain Lori had been putting him through.
"You just blew him off. You crushed him," Lori groaned, insulted by Shane's behaviour with her young son, though Shane merely ignored her, "I can't believe you're giving me the cold shoulder?"
"Isn't this what you wanted? For me to stay away? It's what you asked for me to do!" Shane growled at the woman, heartbroken by her constant emotional manipulation.
Shane's dark eyes twinkled with a desire to just suddenly cease to exist. It would be far better than the painful endurance of Lori's toxicity.
"Did you forget what happened at the CDC? The meltdown in the REC room slip your mind when you tried to—" Lori attempted to belittle Shane, though he had been quick to cut her off.
"When I tried to what, huh? What do you think that was?" Shane challenged, evidently frustrated with Lori's theories and misplaced anger. He might have done arguably concerning things, but he had been battling hard to heed her ever order. Just as he always had done.
"I think it was pretty clear what that was," Lori muttered darkly, her eyes glistening with disgust,
though to her own detriment as Ellie instantly stepped out of the background.
Ellie quietly scoffed, her head shaking slowly at Lori's entranced, stunned reaction.
They had been caught in their discussion.
Lori attempted to speak, but Ellie's raised hand hushed her, prompting her to hiss, "If you have something to say, Lori, I think maybe you should just say it."
Lori stood, dumbfounded by Ellie's outburst, her voice weakly questioning, "Ellie, are you alright? What's happened?"
Ellie scoffed and shook her head, a twisted grin of disgust on her lips as she asserted, "You got too comfortable fucking Shane while Rick was in a coma," Ellie gritted sarcastically, and watched as Lori stood with wide eyes in disbelief at the fact Ellie was aware of her affair, allowing her to proceed with, "Yeah, I know all about that. Doesn't this say more about you?"
"Oh, God, Ellie...I–I don't know what to say..." Lori's voice trailed off, along with her eyes that simply could not bare the burn of Ellie's glare, "I thought you were on my side."
"You don't say anything," Ellie snapped, folding her arms over her chest boldly as she continued, "There are no sides. This about two people, who just want to be loved by you," Ellie unfolded her arms and rubbed at her temples in distress, "Shane's not innocent in this — far from it. But, you have to stop hurting people, Lori."
All Lori could do was swallow hard, feeling her own words toxicity fall back down her throat, before she weakly uttered, "I know. You're right. This is done."
"You have such a beautiful family, Lori," Ellie hoarsely declared, her eyes glazing over with tears at how destructible she truly had been, "How could you have done that to Rick?" Ellie pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation, suddenly overwhelmed with loyalty to their leader, "The only reason that we're here right now is because of your husband. He is the most incredible guy," she placed her hand on Shane's shoulder affectionately, ensuring Lori could see his face as she finalised, "But, so is this guy. We are all out here just trying to survive and you can't decide which dick you want at night? Come on, Lori."
Lori paused and sighed, her weak voice responding, "He knows I will always choose my husband," she looked up at him through tearful eyes, her head shaking as she gritted, "You've always known this."
Shane released a disappointed huff and simply nodded at her, placing his hands on his hips as he retorted, "I know."
"So, maybe it's time for you to back off, here," Ellie ordered calmly, though he flared nostrils had been an indicator she had still been angry, "Give him the space you so desperately begged him for once Rick was back."
And with that, Lori nodded and walked away from them, leaving Shane smiling weakly at Ellie. Nobody had ever defended him that way before. Ellie was the first.
"What?" Ellie gulped, a blush creeping to her cheeks once the adrenaline had washed from her body.
Shane pulled Ellie into a tight embrace and held her close, quietly whispering against her hair, "You didn't need to do that." Ellie laughed into the embrace and held him back tightly as he declared, "You're one hell of a woman."
Ellie nodded and released him, boldly asserting through a wide grin, "And don't you forget it. Stop getting yourself into messes like this," she turned to face Lori as she sat with Rick, feigning her bright smile, and rolled her eyes, "Nobody deserves it."
From a distance, Rick couldn't help but allow his gaze to trail slowly over to Ellie, whose preoccupied smile with Shane had gained his attention entirely. He could not help the smile that danced across his lips at Ellie's bright eyes once he approached them, though she had been comparatively happier to see him then Shane had.
Shane shot his friend a brief nod, before instantly sulking away from guilt at his own indiscretions with his friend's wife. It was entirely unforgivable, and Shane knew far too well what would happen if Rick were to discover their dirty secret.
With an inquisitive eyebrow raised, Rick connected his eyes with Ellie's, nudging her gently as he inquired, "What was all that about? Lori seems pretty stressed right now."
Ellie released a brief sigh, allowing her confused eyes to settle upon Shane in the distance, who merely sat in silence alone. She nodded up at Rick and quietly stated, "Sometimes, we all need someone there to distract from the pain. Someone to remind us we're much, much more than the choices we make."
Rick's eyes glistened with agreement, entirely distracted by how powerful Ellie could be when she truly wanted to be.
The man quietly retorted, "A distraction is also good for you. You need that more than anyone, right now."
"It's good to have a distraction," Dale reiterated, joining in the conversation from behind the two, his voice sweet and gentle as he stated, "Although, be careful with that one." Rick and Ellie briefly connected their gaze, stunned by Dale's comment entirely. Ellie gulped as she inquired, "Shane?"
"What about him?"
Dale let out a gentle laugh, his eyes widening briefly before he stated, "From what I've learned, Daryl doesn't like to share."
Ellie scoffed and rolled her eyes bitterly at the notion of any man having ownership over her, and notified, "Hey, Dale, no man gets to decide whether I'm shared or not," she turned to face Daryl's bike, which was left empty as he had left to search for Coda, "Besides, we're not a couple. We're partners..."
Dale raised an inquisitive eyebrow, and glanced over at Rick, who mirrored his expression entirely as he stated, "We just want you to be safe," Dale nodded towards Shane's direction, quietly gripping before finishing, "Those scratches didn't come from nowhere, and you're naïve to believe they did."
Rick gulped and glanced back at Ellie worriedly, "Are you trying to accuse Shane of something?"
Dale shook his head, and turned to leave, his absence suddenly being filled with the repetition of, "It's just something to think about."
Rick gulped quietly, whirling to face Ellie with his eyes widened with a distinct concern as he inquired, "Who do you think—"
"Ellie!" Glenn yelled in the distance, waving his frantic hand up to grab her attention, his eyes widened with a combination of bewilderment and stark fear, "We found Andrea's gun in the woods!"
Ellie's legs lunged instantly in Glenn's direction, with Rick and Shane hot on her heels with concern for their safety.
Ellie peered between Glenn and Daryl as they had returned from searching, her hands instantly cupping at the gun idly, "They must have gone in this direction."
Daryl's hand kindly cupped her hand around the gun, his softened eyes connecting with hers in an instant, to display his undying determination to find Coda. She could only smile, noting how he had safely assembled the pieces Andrea had been struggling to connect in the RV, as Dale had observed. Ellie sniffled quietly, nodding slowly as she raised her gaze to dart between the men surrounding her.
"I don't care what anybody else says — I will not give up until I find her," Ellie asserted, her teeth gritted for effect, "If anyone has a problem with that, and I really mean anyone, then tell them maybe survival is not for them."
Upon finalising her comment, Daryl slowly leaned down to whisper in Ellie's ear, "That's my girl," with a gentle kiss to her cheek, though he ensured nobody had quite been looking.
The group pressed onwards with their journey, encapsulated by the unwavering scent of pine, unmasked from the nature around them. The rhythmic crunching of the woodland leaves beneath their feet had been almost like a beat to a song, like the marching of a band. She envisioned the crunching to be the heads of walkers should they have taken her daughter, and felt a surge of anger rise through her body.
Ellie lifted up her blade as she spotted a nearby walker, and kicked its knee to topple it over, and instantly plunged the knife deep into its skull with one swift moment, allowing it to collapse onto the ground in a heap.
A myriad of walkers stumbled closer, suddenly alerted to Rick as he gulped loudly at the plight.
Though, with sarcasm laced in voice, Glenn simply muttered with the roll of his eyes, "Showtime!"
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