Tonight was the night we were finally going to finally escape. To think the whole time we were trapped here it wasn't necessarily due to the walls or Negan himself, it was a fear of the world outside and a fear of having to run away from the responsibilities we had. Nothing was left for us in Sanctuary. I knew chances were slim but maybe we'd find a peaceful life out there.
I was in the courtyard waiting for Shane to bring around one of the vehicles that were left when all of the wives had run out to where I was stood. I didn't even look like I belonged with them anymore.
"You're leaving aren't you?" Amber questioned walking up to the front of the group.
"Amber-"
"Take us with you please"
"What? No." I couldn't handle having to support someone else out there and no offence to them but they didn't come across as the type of people who could rely on their own protection. Out my own love for the girls, I decided they were better off here.
"Why, it's not fair!"
"Amber, you'd be a liability. You're better off here with your Mom and Negan. Same for the rest of you."
"No! You don't just get to leave!" She leapt forward and grabbed onto the duffel bag on my shoulder trying to grab it. It had all the supplies we managed to steal last minute and was essential to our survival. The other wives just stood there watching our pathetic scrap.
"Amber just let go" For someone so small she was putting a lot of strength into this tug of war.
"No! You can't just leave me!" She screamed. I heard the hum of an engine approaching and I knew I'd have to put an end to the fight. I suddenly yanked the bag towards my body and tore it out of her grasp. She charged forward to grab it again but I sent a powerful shove to her shoulders forcing her to fall on the floor. However, I didn't expect her to hit her head off the ground and start to bleed.
The wives all rushed towards her in a panic and I took a few steps back still fuming with the anger that momentarily possessed me. She was knocked unconscious and it looked like I was already breaking my own no murder rule.
"What the fuck Pricilla!" One of them shouted while lifting her head up into their lap. Negan was already going to be 'pissed' his prized wife had run away with his best man but now another one had been seriously damaged.
I turned my head to see Shane waiting on a motorbike in front of the gates signalling it was time to go. With one last look at the scene before me, I ran over to my Prince Charming, threw open the metal door and climbed on to the bike. I checked the bag was secure on my back, wrapped my arms around Shane's waist and rested my cheek on the space between his shoulder blades.
"What happened over there?"
"I'll explain later" I grumbled.
"We've got to take the side roads, heard they're having a showdown on the main highway" He shouted over the engine.
"Where's the sunset we're driving off into to then?"
"How about we just head to the beach?"
"Sounds perfect to me"
I snuggled back into his warmth and lightly closed my eyes listening to the sounds and scenery rush past. The coastal air was going to be bliss in comparison to the the stuffy factory and I couldn't be happier to live out my days there.
- - -
When we did arrive at the coast we didn't quite get the sunset we expected, in fact, we got the opposite, a sunrise. A new day was starting at it felt rather symbolic of a new start to our lives. Apparently Shane had 'visited' a community around here before and knew the surrounding neighbourhoods were clear of walkers due to the sound defences they had set up.
We climbed off the bike when we pulled up to a cute little cabin on the beachfront and headed towards the front door. Just before we went inside Shane pulled the duffel bag off my shoulders, unzipped it and pulled something out.
"Almost forgot" he handed me the baseball bat I'd had with me all the way back on the farm and I smiled at the memory of a simpler time "Found it last night and you might need to use it."
Fortunately only two of the undead graced us with their presence and I quickly gained familiarity with my weapon. We disposed of their corpses outside and walked back in to collapse on the sofa. We stood up quickly immediately regretting the dust cloud that followed and coughed it out of our lungs in between laughs.
After rummaging around in the cupboards and draws we found spare sets of keys belonging to the house. The salty sea air that flooded into our new home flowed in a gentle breeze through the glass patio doors we now had open.
"I always pictured growing old on a farm like Hershel's with you but I guess this is just as good" he stated wrapping me in a giant bear hug. We swayed back and forth just watching the sun upon the horizon content with our new haven we'd found.
"You sure you're not going to regret growing old with me?"
"I might regret it when I dislocate my hip but we're good for now baby" he kissed my temple before we separated and turned towards our new living room. We spent hours cleaning it. Shane got stuck with all the heavy lifting but I got to take frequent trips to the seafront washing pillow covers, table cloths and rugs. Maybe it was the nostalgia of being at the beach but it all felt like a surreal dream, a holiday I wish would never end.
When we started to strip back the master bedroom I couldn't help but fix my eyes on the cradle in the corner. It had decayed with wood rot over the years but the memories I had of the past world were in no way decayed.
- - -
Flashback
"I'm telling you we're missing a piece," Shane huffed looking at the misaligned wooden cradle joint for our baby that was yet to be born. It was beyond hot in the house so we'd chosen to assemble the flat-pack in the front garden where I could sip on strawberry lemonade to my heart's content. I set my glass down on the steps before waddling over to him in my heavily pregnant state.
"Give me that" I motioned to the instruction manual and he objected.
"I'm telling you, there's a piece missing. You don't need to look at them to know that." I raised an eyebrow and held my hand out. He finally passed it over and scoffed. "I'm gonna have to drive to the market and swap it and I've thrown away the receipt" he grabbed his shirt up from the floor and as he was putting it on I held out a page in front of his face. When his head popped through the neck he looked at the guide with a frown.
"You've put the wrong piece in the wrong place dummy" I laughed as he continued to scowl and snatch it out of my hand.
"How the fuck was I meant to tell the difference? They're identical"
"Hey, I told you to stop swearing. I don't want my little girl's first word to be a bad one. Daddy is still upset Beth's first one was 'poop' so god knows how he'd react to 'fuck' " I giggled sitting down on the grass with a thud.
"I wish you'd stop being so persistent with the baby being a girl. I'm telling you it's going to be a little boy"
"Shane if the hospital says it's a girl, it's a girl" I prodded his shoulder in a teasing manner as he started to hunch over in concentration. I could put forward a strong argument that dealing with flat-pack furniture was harder for him than anything he's experienced on duty.
"Sometimes they're wrong"
"Like five per cent of the time"
"Well, this is five per cent"
"If you say so hun"
- - -
I finally snapped out of my thoughts when Shane squeezed through the gap I'd left in the doorway. It really was strange how much we'd been through and it really was strange how we'd manage to tolerate each other this whole time. When I'd first introduced him to the family momma said it would be a miracle for our hot southern tempers to not ruin the whole thing but if we pushed through it we'd have a fighting chance at a good life.
"You leaving all the work for me now?" He joked while putting all the damaged decorations into a cardboard box to be binned.
"Sorry, daydreaming again"
"Hey look at that" He picked up an old fashioned razor from within a draw and held it up, "Wouldnt mind giving me a trim later would you?"
"Course not" I smiled and strolled over to him "I haven't done that in a while have I?" I pulled the razor from his hand and slid it onto the drawers behind him. However, I decided to keep my arm leant on there and lifted my other arm to lean on there too, fully trapping him. A familiar smirk spread across his face.
"There's something I haven't done in a while too"
"And what would that be Officer?" I sultrily drawled out as I felt his hands start to wander.
"Showed you how much I love you" He leant down and brushed his nose against mine in an affectionate manner.
"I certainly ain't gonna stop you"