Fight the Dead, Kill the Living

Cowboy Gets His Family Back

November 23, 2008

Atlanta, Georgia

The Store

I could hear him following me while I ran down the steps. His feet barely make a sound when he walks, but I could tell he wasn't trying to hide his intent from me. I ran around the corner after Dean who was following someone, just in time too, since I turned the corner right as the dead broke through the second set of glass, setting them loose in the store. I could hear their growling behind me, and hoped that their bite either didn't affect Cas, or he was smart enough to teleport away.

"They're here! Let's go! We gotta go!" I squealed, sprinting into the room, and turning to close the door behind me but Cas was already there nodding to let me know that he got it. There was a bang on the large sliding doors that we were awkwardly standing in front of, and then everyone was screaming at Andrea to open the door since she was taking so long. Why was she on the door anyway? She yanked the door open, and there Rick was. 

He stood in the back of the truck, and started to help everyone in, lifting Andrea, Jacqui, T-Dog, and Morales in, while Sam lifted Ruby in, hopping in using his big sasquatch body, and then he turned to grab Dean. Before he was able to reach down for me, two big hands gripped my waist and practically threw me into the back of the truck, and when I glanced back Cas gracefully leaped in after me, a big grin on his face as he shut the back of the truck and turned to look at Rick who was staring at him dumbstruck.

"Hi. I'm Castiel. I'm an angel of the Lord."

"Cas! Shut up!"

When we had finally pulled away from the city, the group decided it was time to question us.

"Look. Who is this guy? How did he get up on the roof? I literally saw him like... appear next to you." Andrea asked, glaring over at us.

"His name is Castiel. And... he is... an angel." Dean sputtered out awkwardly.

"An angel? You expect us to believe that?" Morales asked, disbelievingly while the others stared over at Dean like he was an alien with ten heads.

"Yeah. Uh. Cas? Can you show them something?" I asked, and Cas just nodded, smile finally gone as he moved over to Jacqui's still passed out body, and placed two fingers gently onto her forehead. She woke with a start.

"Oh my! What happened?" She cried, but the others were just staring at Cas in shock, too surprised to even look at Jacqui.

"Wait... so you weren't lying?" Merle asked, and I looked at him with a glare.

"You knew?" Morales screeched, looking over at Merle, and I slapped a hand against my head, trying not to scream.

"This is gonna be a long day." I groaned, ignoring all the accusing looks coming from everyone else, and the desperate ones coming from Sam and Dean, who had no clue what to do.

Why is it always me?

"Where's Glenn?" I asked, after the silence had become unbearable and I had finally noticed that the seat next to Rick was empty.

I didn't get an answer though, because at that moment, Glenn went blazing down the road beside us in a blaring red Challenger having the time of his life.

"Well... at least someone is having fun." I mumbled, but everyone heard me since when I looked back at them, the glares seemed to have intensified.

"Look... there are some things about the world that you may not want to know. We know them. It was our job to protect people from them. So... if you want to know... we will tell you. All of you. At the camp. Not here in the back of a truck that no one can escape. And if you have more questions after that... I have a journal that I write things in... stuff about the cases we worked on and the things we had to see. You can take turns reading it, or I can tell you about them. Story night. Whatever. But just... let it go for right now. Okay?"

It was quiet for a long time after my speech, but everyone seemed to have accepted the fact that they weren't going to get anything else from me for the rest of the ride, since they didn't say anything while the silence slowly lulled me to sleep.

I was shaken awake by Merle, who was standing awkwardly at the back of the truck, glancing around like he was afraid for someone to see him.

"We're here. Your brothers got out to meet everyone, wanted to let you rest, but I figured you wouldn't appreciate that." I nodded my thanks and got up, hopping out the truck with the helping hand of Merle and then I turned the corner only to see Rick in the tight grasp of a brunette woman and a child, both looking overjoyed to see the man.

"Oh! Is that Rick's family?" I asked quietly, noticing that everyone was silent as they watched them.

"I guess so. Kinda thought Lori was with that fella, Shane. Real asshole that one. Officer like Sheriff over there. But Rick seems alright. Shane though... real douche." Merle said quietly, pointing out a large man with a shotgun propped up on his shoulder, that honestly looked pissed. Which I guess would make sense if his new girlfriend's husband came back. But still... pissed.

"Thanks for the warning Merle. I'll keep an eye out. Got any more tips for me?"

"Oh yeah Eves. Tons. Not much else to do when the world's gone to shit."

"No, I suppose not. Where's your brother?"

"Not here. Must be out hunting. Betcha he'll be back tonight, or tomorrow if he caught a trail." I nodded as I watched Rick split away from his family, and go to hug Shane, and that's when I realized this group is more screwed up than I thought. And by the way Lori and her son reacted to seeing Rick? I betcha Shane told them he was dead. And it's only been two weeks since the outbreak. Which means either she's a whore, or he moved quickly on the sad, grieving widow. Which makes him even more dangerous and more of a jerk than I thought. 

A/N: We're getting so close to meeting Daryl! It definitely won't be next chapter, since that'll be the chapter around the fire where Evie, Sam and Dean explain the supernatural, but maybe the chapter after that? We'll see! 

I hope you all enjoyed it! If there is anything you don't like, or you want to see something specific, feel free to PM me!

Love you all!