~Rebel's POV~

"Porter."

It was him. He was back to kill me.

My heart raced and I felt the beads of sweat forming on the back of my neck and my palms were getting heated.

Standing directly behind Porter was Gunner. He was holding one of those things you use to control rabid dogs that goes around the dog's neck. Inside of the loop was a walker.

It was gasping out of hunger and reaching out towards him, trying to reach and satisfy it's hunger. The flesh that had once covered it's face was now shredded and hanging off of the thing's chin where it dangled and wobbled back and forth.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked Porter, trying to sound menacing.

Porter inspected his nails and rubbed them on his shirt, "It's a free country." he responded cooly.

"Not anymore." Rick spat.

Porter sighed, "I guess you're right, aren't you?" he asked him rhetorically.

"So if it's not a free country, then I can do this."

Before we could react, Porter had grabbed me and tugged me over to stand by him. I let out a cry of pain and tried to break free, but it was no use. Gunner had given the walker slack and I was almost within its reach. It's groans of hunger were resounding in my ear and it's sticky breath blew across my neck.

"Let 'er go!" Daryl yelled at him, his face turning a boiling red.

Porter smiled at the combat group and reached his hand up slowly, wrapping around my neck tightly. My vision was blurring and I knew Porter would stop soon.

He wanted me to suffer. He wanted to warn the pain that he inflicted on me. He didn't care that I was his sister, as far as he knew, I was a traitor.

"Please," Rick begged, "It doesn't have to be this way."

Porter laughed, but it contained no humor. "Of course it has to be this way. This is all Rebel's fault."

Confusion took over the combat group's faces and they all looked at me, some with confusion, some with malice.

I tried to pry Porter's hands off my neck and he let me. He released his grip and I fell to the ground gasping for air. Black and red spots blurred my vision as I struggled to stay conscious.

I took my opportunity and started to crawl back to the combat group, foolishly thinking I could make it without Porter or Gunner noticing.

Pain spread throughout my ribs and it took a moment to register the fact that Porter had kicked me.

"Not so fast, dear sister." Porter said, trying to get to me.

But, Daryl was faster. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me behind him while he raised his crossbow. Porter had a smirk on his face and he was looking between Daryl and I.

"So I was right. Little sis' is slumming it with the Redneck. I know someone who wouldn't be happy about this."

Porter's words made me tense. Only one person would ever be unhappy about it.

"And it just so happens, that person is right here. Right now." Porter signaled to Gunner and he went into a different room, taking the walker with him.

Daryl looked over his shoulder at me "Ye' okay? Ye' look pretty out of it."

I shook my head and continued to stare at the doorway Gunner has disappeared into. For what seemed like forever, we stood in the shabby living room while tension ran thick through the air.

My heart stuttered as Gunner re-entered the room. Following behind him was a man.

He was tall and lanky with long legs. He was wearing a hoodie that covered his face, but you could see the tufts of hair sticking out awkwardly. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his jeans had several holes, making him look rugged and worn.

"Head up, boy. Show the bitch her surprise." Porter cooed at him, his eyes never leaving mine.

Slowly, the boy raised his head, staring me straight in the eye.

I gasped, recognition taking over. Both his eyes were blackened and his nose was running with blood. His lip was busted and it was swelling. The biggest difference was his eyes, instead of being warm and caring, they looked hard and unforgiving.

Yes, this boy-man- was different, but I knew exactly who he was.

This man was Saxon.

The one I had watched while he died. The one who had given me an engagement ring on his deathbed.

The man I still love.

"Rebel?" he gasped,obviously shocked that was real.

"Saxon." I breathed.

He ran forward, reaching his arms out toward me. I met him halfway, throwing my arms around him. He kept squeezing me tighter, as if he was trying to make sure I was real.

"How is this possible? I watched you. d-die." I choked out the last word, my hope in the fact that he was really still alive.

Before Saxon could reply, I felt him being pulled from my arms. My body felt cold and the warmth he had always given me dissipated.

I too, felt myself being pulled away by someone. Sparks shot up my arm and I knew it was Daryl pulling me back.

The soft noise of a fist on flesh reached my ears and I looked over to where Gunner was holding Saxon from behind while Porter hit him in the face repeatedly.

"No!" I sobbed, trying to divert Porter's attention from Saxon.

You could see that Saxon was becoming weaker. His eyes were drooping and he doubled over at every hit Porter sent his way.

Daryl was still restraining me and the combat group was slowly backing away towards the open door. I lashed out, trying to get Daryl to let me go, but he wouldn't budge.

"Please, leave him alone!" I called back, only hoping Porter wouldn't kill him.

The one person that I have ever truly loved.

∞

"Rebel, talk to me."

This had been going on ever since we had gotten back. I tuned it out every time, not bothering to answer anyone that had asked.

All I knew was that Saxon was here and he was alive. He was also being beaten by my brother. Worry was consuming me which caused me to shut everyone out.

"Rebel. Come on. Talk to me, Reb."

This time was different. Daryl gripped my shoulder, trying to bring me back to reality. I turned my head and met Daryl's surprised, blue eyes.

"What." I spat. The words came out harsher than I intended, but I didn't take them back.

"Who 's that guy?" He asked me, jealousy and curiosity consuming his rugged voice.

"Doesn't matter." I muttered, hoping he would just go away.

"Yes it does." Rick said, "If we're going to bring someone into the group, we might as well know who he is. I don't want someone dangerous near or children."

I sighed, "He's not dangerous."

"Who is he." Daryl demanded.

"His name is Saxon." I said, trying not to give too much away.

"Okay. Maybe I should rephrase that for Daryl. Who is he to you." Rick asked giving Daryl a pointed look.

"Doesn't matter." I spat.

I stood from my camp chair and walked away from the men. I was tired of answering questions and everyone was getting on my nerves by asking.

I moved towards the purified lake, hoping to be left alone, but obviously that wasn't possible. Rapid footsteps approached me as I sat beside the edge of the lake, dipping my toes into the water.

"Rebel. Ye' gon' talk to me?" Daryl asked, sitting next to me and placing his hand on my thigh.

"Depends. What do you want to know?" I answered with my own question.

"Was tha' the guy ye' told me 'bout? The one ye' loved?" he asked, tilting my chin with his hand to make me look at him.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I didn't know how to answer it. If I told Daryl, would he stick around? I couldn't ask him because he would already know the answer to his.

"Yes." I managed to choke out.

Daryl pulled his hands away and looked at me, "Though' so."

"Daryl. Don't be that way. He was dead the last time I saw him. I watched him die! I don't even know how he's alive."

"What are ye' sayin'? They got a cure?" he asked.

I shook my head, a cure for death? Highly impossible. Saxon had lost so much blood that it was a miracle he survived. The only reason I believed Saxon is alive is because I saw and felt him.

"Someone had to have done something. His intestines were spilling all over the highway!"

"He nee's to be questioned." Daryl muttered.

"We're organizing a rescue mission. We leave tomorrow." Rick said while joining Daryl and I's group.

"Tomorrow? He could be dead by then!" I yelled.

"Rebel, he is obviously a motive. They need to keep him alive or else they have nothing against you." Rick said, trying to get me to calm down.

I huffed, not believing what they were telling me. If they wanted to wait until tomorrow, that's fine. I'm leaving tonight.

"I'm going to bed." I muttered, making my way up the stairs.

No one questioned me going to bed at this time because they knew better than to upset me. It really had been a long day and they must've assumed I needed a break. Which I did, but I needed to save Saxon.

I walked down the narrow hall, all of a sudden feeling claustrophobic about being contained in the walls of the house. I turned into the room Daryl and I shared, locking the door behind me.

I snatched my bow and arrows off the bed and continued over to the large bay window on the opposite side of the room, grabbing a towel on the way.

I wrapped the towel around my fist and made sure that no skin on my arm was visible. I peeked over my shoulder and looked at the door for a moment, listening for any sounds that would indicate that somebody was nearby.

Minutes passed and no sound was made, so I resumed the act of escaping. I pulled my arm back and let the momentum rush through my limbs.

I released my arm, letting it shatter the glass. A loud crash resounded through the room and I didn't waste time in clearing the jagged edges that had remained after the impact.

I swung my legs out the window and pushed myself off the sill. I prepared myself mentally and physically for the blow of the ground. I was jumping from the third floor, so I had to expect the worst.

I leaned back mid-air, trying to land on my bum, but the ground came faster than expected. A jolt of pain reverberated through my body while a scream struggled to escape my mouth. I shut my mouth and forced myself off the ground.

A stabbing pain coursed through my shoulder, but I ignored it. I loaded an arrow into my bow, trying to ignore my injured shoulder. As far as I could tell, it wasn't dislocated or bleeding, so I knew I would be good for an hour or two.

I heard shouting come from the inside of the house and I saw shadows blocking my view of the room I had jumped from. The group was peering down at me, trying to figure out why I jumped.

Daryl caught on first and I knew if I could clearly see his face, it would've been a bright red color from the rage he must be experiencing.

I scrambled through the gates, running towards the house we had visited earlier. I knew Porter and Gunner wouldn't take the risk of moving houses, they wanted me to come and get Saxon. They were expecting it.

The streets were flooded with darkness and the street lamps were burned out from frequent use. Several rouge walkers littered the streets, making me take more cautious paths.

I was never spotted and I used that luck to run the remaining way to the dilapidated house that held the abundance that I was there for. I knew I had attracted the walker's attention as the groans of hunger came more distinct.

I moved towards the large oak tree that was on the left side of the yard, scaling it while observing the house. The roof was crumbling, which was dangerous, but it was exactly what I needed.

I skipped over the branches, not wasting any of my limited time. Out in the crowd of walkers, I saw the combat group fighting their way through.

They were almost unrecognizable. Their skin was coated in the blood of the walkers and most of their hair was bedraggled and their clothes were torn, making them look like every other walker that passed by.

I swung on to the roof, trying to avoid making too much noise. The herd of walkers was approaching the house quickly and I had to get in and out before the whole building was surrounded.

I saw a hole in the crumbling roof, making hope flicker inside me. I crawled over towards it and slipped in, landing in what must've been the attic.

Dust flew up around me and I did my best to see through the hazy gloom of dust particles. I found a crevice in the floor that let in the tiniest amount of light and I heaved all my weight onto it.

The floor let out a groan before a section with stairs collapsed to the second level, giving me a way out. I scrambled down the stairs and into the room I heard screams coming from.

After I had left, it seemed like Gunner and Porter continued to beat on Saxon. This time, he actually let his reactions out. Now that I had gone, he didn't feel the need to hold his pain back.

I kicked the door open and the screams faded into whimpers. Gunner and Porter had turned towards me, their guns raised.

I raised my bow and shot Porter's foot, making him let out a few colorful words. Blood seeped through his dingy socks and tears streamed down his face.

Sook.

I raised my bow towards Gunner, but he dropped his gun. He backed up against the wall and raised his hands into the air in the foremost sign of surrender.

Saxon looked up at me from his kneeling position on the wooden floor. I reached my hand to help him up and he took it gratefully. He stood up straight.

That's what caught me. He never stood up straight. He had always been taller than me, but he had never flaunted it. Saxon had always had the most awkward slouch, which I thought was adorable, but he only stood straight when he felt the need to prove something.

"Come on." I muttered, leading the way back to the attic.

Saxon pulled the stairs back up just as Gunner ran after us. He had barely made it through as the walkers invaded the second floor. I sent him a glare, but continued back to the hole in the ceiling.

"Boost?" I asked Saxon.

He nodded, staying silent. He cupped his hands and gripped my foot. I propelled myself up through the roof and landed safely on the edge of the gaping hole.

Saxon moved a chair towards the roof, jumping through while Gunner followed suit. I stood, observing the area.

There was no hope.

Walkers surrounded the house and several others. They hadn't noticed us, but as soon as we made a sound, we were dead meat.

I spotted Daryl, Rick and Glenn in the oak tree outside of the house we had recently inhabited.. They had their weapons raised, but they didn't fire as it would just attract attention they didn't have.

Daryl glanced up at us and his eyes widened before flooding with relief. He gestured behind me and I just shook my head. I didn't need to explain this to him.

Daryl nudged Rick and he looked up at us. He whispered a few things to Glenn and Rick. They made their way towards us, crawling over the roof carefully and silently.

"What do we do?" Rick hissed into my ear.

I straightened my spine and looked around, finding an escape route fairly quickly.

The house was pressed directly against the fence so if we could jump over it and round back towards the camp where the RV was waiting outside the house, we would be home free.

"The RV and everyone else is waiting outside the gates, right?" I asked Rick quietly.

He nodded, "Okay, it may sound crazy, but it's going to work. Jump the fence and work our way back towards the cars. It doesn't look like the gate is surrounded, so we should be good once we get over."

Rick stared at me, assessing the plan I had proposed. He nodded and passed the plan on to the rest of the group, Saxon and Gunner. They all approved and we moved over the roof, staying low.

There was at least a 10 foot gap between the roof and the ground, but I would have to suck it up. Everyone else had jumped, I just stayed behind to make sure everyone got away safely.

I sprung my legs and squeezed my eyes as the ground approached faster and faster. Just before I hit the ground, arms wrapped around me. Sparks ignited over my skin and I knew that Daryl was the one that had saved me.

"Thanks." I muttered and he just nodded.

The group started to run towards the entrance gate, avoiding any noises we heard. Running was my strong suit, so I lead while the others followed.

A hoarse, heart-shattering scream pierced my ears and immediately I stopped. Everyone turned towards the noise and I almost cried.

A cold hand gripped my shoulder and I froze. Subconsciously, my fist flew up and hit the thing behind me. A loud groan escaped the walker's mouth and I turned immediately. I stomped it's skull in and turned back towards the sight that had stopped all of us in the first place.

Gunner lay on the ground, walkers surrounding him. His throat was torn out and his eyes were rolled back in to his head.

Tears welled in my eyes and I turned away, wanting to leave. Slowly, everyone joined me. The walkers seemed satisfied with my brother, so we ran the rest of the way back.

We all made it safely into the RV and as soon as the doors closed, I started crying. I felt Daryl wrap his arm around me and pull me into his lap, making me feel steady and secure.

"What the hell?" Saxon yelled at the two of us as soon as he made it into the car.

"Calm down. She jus' lost her brudder." Daryl said, trying to keep his voice down.

"She is my fiancé!" Saxon yelled, his voice getting louder instead of softer.

I pushed myself from Daryl's hold and walked towards Saxon. He stood near the table, his arms crossed and a hard glare focused on me.

"Do you even love me anymore?" he asked bitterly.

"Sax, you know I do." I told him, trying to comfort him.

"I want it back." he demanded, confusing me to high levels.

"Want what back?" I asked, the confusion clear in my voice.

"The ring. I know you have it and I want it back."

I stepped back, clearly surprised by his words. Tears took over my eyes for the second time that hour. I reached into my shirt and and clutching the chain. While I removed it, Saxon told Glenn to pull over.

The RV stopped and Saxon walked out, expecting me to follow him. As I did, Daryl stood un-trustingly in the doorway of the steps, his crossbow ready to fire.

"Give it." Saxon said, his hand out exactingly.

I placed the ring and chain in his hand, a tear sliding down my cheek. He snatched his hand back as soon as he had the ring in his clutches,

"Whore." he spat at my feet.

What he did next, I never expected to happen. Saxon pulled his arm back and collided his palm with my face, sending me flying to the ground.

A cry of pain took over and I felt the ground graze my hands sharply. The knees of my jeans tore open and blood flew freely from my hands.

An arrow flew into Saxon's arm, impaling him quickly and silently. I was now crying harshly and I made my way back towards Saxon, not wanting to believe what I had saw.

And for the second time in my life, I held the man I loved while his life slipped from his grasps.

__________________________________________

I wear yo' grandad's clothes.

I look incredible.