[weallbleedxred]

Rid of the Pain || Charley and Michael

[weallbleedxred]

The boy wanted to come closer and he stepped away from his mother just as Michael took a knee before them and asked about his missing father. Mike wasn’t dumb and he certainly wasn’t slow; he knew the look in the woman’s eyes before they closed. The young son’s father wasn’t coming home no matter how many people the poor kid asked. His father was dead. The pain of the loss was still fresh with his mother, the wife that most likely had to put her own husband down. The boy went to speak and Michael redirected his blue eyes to him. The boy had a glimmer of innocence about him yet; that was hard to come by in this world. “Daddy, huh? No, I’m sorry Sport; I haven’t seen a man named Daddy at all.” He smiled, chuckling lightly at the boy’s spirit. He hadn’t lost his childish disposition at all and that was something to attribute to his mother.

The woman directed her son to go away and pee, trying to shield the boy, once again, from the horrors of this world. The truth… Her whispers were so quiet that Michael barely heard her words but the more he listened and the more he tried the more he understood. The lone tear at the end of it all cinched his understanding and whatever sympathy he had left. “Oh…Jesus, I’m so sorry.” Mike’s eyes softened and he looked over at the boy. He was so young that it wasn’t surprising he didn’t understand it all but then, if he didn’t come to this knowledge soon he might perish himself. “I can’t imagine…”

There was a span of time that went by in which no one spoke. The little boy finished using the great outdoors as a restroom and returned to his mother almost emphatically. “Is there anything I can do for ya both? I mean, I’m on my way to find my sisters but I can waylay for a couple days…get ya both to safety or somethin’…” He knew he was asking a lot but he already cared what happened to these two and he refused to see them eaten alive while he was in their lives.

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley's lips drew a tight line then. Her head moved to say no as her mouth said, "Thank you." She didn't know why she'd clung to this stranger in this manner, but it frightened her. "We have no real place to go. No home to speak of. I haven't seen another person in almost four days, I think. And the last ones that I saw weren't exactly friendly."

She'd narrowly avoided running into them face to face after witnessing what they'd done to an older gentleman they'd happened across. Her stomach rolled and she put her hand to her mouth. She felt like throwing up at only the memory.

"We could look for them together?" Sammy piped up excitedly. "Maybe my Daddy is helping our your sissies. Right, Mommy?" He tugged at her arm as he repeated the question. "Right?" 

She took to her knee and spoke softly, "Sammy, you have to understand that Daddy is gone. He's not out there lost like Mr. Mike's sisters. He can't come back..." Her voice wavered.

[bentxxnotbroken]

Shades of Gray [Charley & Rodney]

[bentxxnotbroken]

Rodney wasn’t about to deny Charley’s tease about his kryptonite, but he also wasn’t about to bare his soul to someone he’d met only a few hours earlier.  It was odd enough that he was possibly allowing her into his dwelling place, but there had been something about her, a sort of paternal instinct developing and he hadn’t wanted to leave her to die.  Still, more than anything he was nervous about how Julie felt about their potential guest and would leave the choice up to her.

Instead of giving him any direct indication of her decision, Julie continued to talk with Charley, “Of course, unless they’ve been bitten or are a danger to the group as a whole Terminus doesn’t turn away newcomers.  Everybody here has been through enough shit with those things out there, so there’s no reason to add to their problems.”

After a few minutes of conferring with Charley, Julie turned back to Rodney and he found himself relieved to see she didn’t seem angry with his offer, although he found something almost passive aggressive about her next comment. “Why don’t I show our guest where the showers are and you can get Laney to help you clear a place for her to sleep.”

Rodney was fully willing to admit he deserved to be forced to do the heavy lifting, still he wanted to reassure Charley that he wasn’t completely abandoning her and that she was safe to go with Julie. Nodding towards the two women, he responded “I guess I’ll be seeing you both back at the shed later.” as if he’d been meeting associates at a fancy diner instead of discussing accommodation plans for new refugees he added “It’s been a real pleasure” before walking off again.

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley didn't want to impose. She never would have accepted his offer to stay with them had his partner not been just as accepting of her. She wanted them both to know that she would cause absolutely no trouble at all. Trouble just wasn't her way. Never had been. Her legs were a bit wobbly as she and Julie moved toward what she could only hope was a shower.

She shoved her hands into her pockets. "I guess I could wash my clothes out while I shower. They'll be wet, but if you have a towel, I can stay somewhere quiet and alone while my clothes dry." She ached for the little bit of belongings that she had to leave behind at the prison. Her picture of Sammy and Evan were among them.

"I don't want to be any trouble at all for anyone. I swear. I can't thank you and Rodney enough for opening your home..."

[bentxxnotbroken]

Treading Water [Charley & Jack]

[scavengerslikeme]

Jack watched her carefully as she took the cans. She seemed nervous, but he didn’t blame her. It was hard to trust people now. He’d gotten in a couple of close scrapes that could have meant his life. He knew it was much harder for women.

He followed her when she offered for him to tag along. He could use the company any way. He’d been on his own for quite a while lately, and even though he liked the quiet, he wouldn’t mind a conversation with someone other than the dead.

"Can I help you with anything? He pulled back one of the chairs at the table and sat down, crossing his ankle over his knee and tapping at his boot heel lightly. "Nice of ya that, burying the family and all."

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley managed to get the lamp lit. It wasn't quite bright enough for them to see one another clearly in the semi-dark kitchen, but the lamp helped some. She tried to use the kerosene sparingly. It would be all she had until she managed to get out there and scavenge for more. She shook her head. 

"No. No. That's okay. You've been traveling. I'm sure you're tired. Your feet must be sore." She didn't miss that part of being on the move at all. And she only suspected that no one really came to this house because she never changed the way the outside looked. She never cleaned up the yard. She didn't want to broadcast that there was someone that wasn't the living dead staying there.

She managed to find the pan she cooked with in the dish drainer. "Would you like some water? There's a well out back. I have plenty inside to last us until morning. Shouldn't need to draw more." She started to open the cans with the opener. "You must be starving."

[bentxxnotbroken]

{Catching Fire} Charley & Rick

[quickdrawcoltxrick]

Rick heard the unclipping popping sounds of the belt buckles coming undone and he reached down with one hand, unclipping his as well. Those ever vigilant blues of his never left the road ahead, watching, studying, calculating. He may have not been able to do anything about the herds they came across but he could watch their surroundings and the road ahead so that the way out, an escape route, would be ready just in case. It seemed like this was all the former sheriff’s brain did anymore, calculate and assess a situation for any probable problems.

After a couple meters, Rick looked back in the rearview mirror and caught Charley looking back at him in that same mirror. Her voice was earnest, wanting to know everything would be alright; this way had to be better than the last one right? There couldn’t be herds everywhere, surely. “I’m sure this way will be clear. Once they start moving they keep going in a given direction until another sound changes their direction, grabs their attention. The place we’re going is exactly the opposite from where the Walkers were headed. We’ll be alright.”

They continued driving, taking the 102 exit, making the curve as the exit took them away from the interstate. It was all quiet and Rick didn’t see any sign there would be blockades up ahead. They just might be lucky, for once, this time around. “Yeah…thank God.” He murmured low, not sure what to believe in anymore. He’d never really believed or prayed and yet he never fully disbelieved either. He was in a state of tentative adjustment, trying to believe because then it would mean there was something good left for them somewhere and unsure because of what all he’d seen.

“About a half hour and we’ll be there…it might take longer if we run into anything but let’s not push that thought process until we get to it, if we do.”

[bentxxnotbroken]

Glenn glanced around at Rick and gave a nod. "Good plan." He let himself fall back against his seat and took a steadying breath. He was just glad to be out of that herd, but he wouldn't completely relax again until they rolled through those prison gates and his eyes landed on Maggie.

Charley sat up again, something she'd never allowed Sammy to ever do, and pointed off to the side. "Whatever you do, don't go off road here. We'll be stuck for sure with all that rain we got the past few days. We'll muck up and far as I know there isn't a tow service in business since Hell done come to earth." 

She leaned against the passenger side seat and let out a low whistle. "Half an hour? Maybe more?"

[thedoctorispresent]

Healing [Emily & Charley]

[thedoctorispresent]

Blissfully and childishly unaware of how hard it seemed to be for the woman to talk, Libby continued her babbling.  However, Emily immediately noticed the tears pricking at the other woman’s eyes.  The last thing she wanted was to appear to be a harsh guardian in front of the stranger, but it couldn’t be more obvious that the child’s prying was too much.

Plastering her face with a forced smile Emily turned to her daughter.  ”Libby, I think you need to go help your sister, she’s going to have trouble carrying everything.” as soon as the little girl had bounded out of the room, she turned back towards the stranger.  ”You know, if you want to cry I’m not going to judge you.  Everybody in this camp has been through some horrible things, both before and after the outbreak.  It doesn’t help to hold it in.” Emily paused before continuing, “Look at me, I’m barely thirty five and I’ve got too many gray hairs to count.”

Emily stopped speaking, realizing she was probably talking too much.  The little ones, especially Libby loved to be involved in constant conversation, it seemed to make them feel safer.  Because of this Emily had often found herself continuing speaking even on the more mundane topics, however this woman could possibly feel patronized by the excessive almost babbling.  Still, as she checked the woman for bites, she hoped the stranger would feel comfortable enough to not feel the need to keep everything bottled up emotionally around her, from past experience Emily knew it could be toxic to keep emotions bottled up.

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley watched as the child obeyed her mother and left the room. She never minded questions or hearing other people speak. If they  were speaking, it meant she didn't have to, but this woman felt genuine, and it set her immediately on ease. She lifted her arms so that the doctor could do her job. She was just going through the motions right now. And probably would be until she got some sleep.

She looked up meeting her eyes and gave her a slight smile. She nodded. "Sometimes I think that is all I do is talk about him," she admitted. "It just hasn't gotten any easier." But what could anyone that wasn't a parent themselves know about losing a child?

Charley's lips quivered.  The loss of the children at the prison was still just too fresh for her to face, so she went with Sammy. She cleared her throat when the sound wouldn't surface. "He...he was killed. Not long after my husband. The walkers took him right out of my hands." She held up her hands like she was still trying to make sense of it.

[celebritieseverywhere]

Katie Holmes

[jacqui198801]

[andrewjara]

[bentxxnotbroken]

Shades of Gray [Charley & Rodney]

[senatorclark]

Rodney smiled and waved in return, still holding Julie’s hand with the hand he wasn’t waving with. “That’s good news.”  he turned slightly to gesture towards Julie, “This is Julie, my girlfriend.” 

Julie let go of Rodney’s hand and stepped forward to greet Charley. “Rod seems to think well of you.  Normally he tries to play tough and hide that he’s just a big teddy bear.”

"Well she needed help." Rodney found himself almost blushing.  Normally he wasn’t like this, especially around people he wanted to make a good impression around, but Julie comparing him to a teddy bear made him feel awkward and uncomfortable.  He hoped Charley wouldn’t judge him to be weak in his girlfriend’s presence, but in a way maybe he was.  After all, he’d felt guilty when offering her the room without asking Julie first.  Now, despite his years campaigning to become senator and all the charisma he thought he’d had he wanted nothing more than to shrink into the shadows and leave the two women to talk.  Still, he knew Charley would be more comfortable around him than around Julie so he couldn’t just leave.

Finally Rodney regained his composure, “I suppose somebody needs to show you to the community shower.”  

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley shook the woman's hand firmly. She wasn't usually one to meet a stranger. Her past as a teacher opened her up to meeting several new people a day, but she was very out of practice. She still offered the kindest smile in which she could muster and gave a slight nod. "Most men are, aren't they?" she teased Rodney. Every hero had his kryptonite, right?

She returned her attention to Julie and said softly, "I was likely to have passed out straight away had he not helped me inside and offered me a drink. I could never repay all the kindness I've already received, but I'd like to try and help earn my keep. If you should let me stay..." She chewed a little at her fingernail again. Dirty old habit that it was. 

At Rodney's mention of a shower, her knees went weak again. "I'd love that. A shower and somewhere to curl up and sleep for a week," she stated softly. Her hunger was long forgotten.

[bentxxnotbroken]

Treading Water [Charley & Jack]

[scavengerslikeme]

"Aye, that’d be real nice. But I did at least bring dinner with me." Smiling, Jack reached into his pack and pulled out a can of chili con carne along with an additional can of beans. Handing them both to her, he let his finger drift just along her arm for a moment before pulling away.

"If ya mix them together it works pretty well. I only do that when I’m a place for a couple of nights so I can store the extra, but it’s nice ta have company." He turned away from her for a moment, in a way to help build the trust between him, but also out of curiosity. He took in his surroundings. It had been a nice place once. A family had lived here, loved here.

"How long ya been here, lass? Did ya live in this how when it all began? Or did ya find it after?" He was really just making light conversation, trying to put her at ease. There were far too many dangerous people in this world now. To trust? To earn and gain. That was something special. And rare.

[bentxxnotbroken]

She reached for the cans, shivering slightly at his touch. She pulled away, slowly so as not to be rude. She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. She let out a shaky breath. "I'll do just that. Thanks." She pulled the cans in close to her chest so that he couldn't see her trembling. It wouldn't do well to betray her true feelings. Truth was, she was terrified of having someone in her life, in her home, and eventually into her heat. Even as a friend. She was tired of losing people. Yet, she didn't turn him out. She allowed him to stay.

"Found this place after. About a month or two after." She had to swallow again, clearing her throat before she spoke again. "The family that lived her was still here when I found it. Buried them out back..." She pointed toward the back of the house. That had been slow going, but it gave her closure for Evan and Sammy. Somewhat anyway. She'd want someone to have done the same thing for her and them had it been the other way around.

Her lips trembled slightly. "You want to come with me?" She gestured toward the kitchen. "We can get better acquainted while I heat this up."

[thedoctorispresent]

Healing [Emily & Charley]

[thedoctorispresent]

"He had a pretty memorable campaign ad." Emily conceded.   "I hate to make you uncomfortable, but I’m going to have to ask you to strip down to your underwear so I can check for bites.  We can…" before she could finish, Emily heard the loud sound of childish arguing outside.  She was more than used to her two "daughters" going back and forth like real sisters, but she wondered if the bickering children would bother the newcomer.

"I’m sorry.  I don’t know what they’re fighting over this time…" pausing the examination she walked over to the door…"Can you two stop arguing please?"  After a few minutes of trying to negotiate with the children, Emily was able to send Frankie, the older of the two off to retrieve the honey for the stranger’s lips.  However, Libby followed her back into the shed and perched herself on a hospital bed opposite the other woman without waiting for permission.

"Hi, I’m Libby…what’s your name?  Do you have a family?  My friend Amie has a mommy but no daddy, my daddy says the deadheads got him."  

Emily turned to glare at the six year old hoping that she’d recognize the cue to be silent and spare any discomfort.  ”I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer any of her questions…she’s just a very inquisitive child.” 

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley managed to get out of her shirt before the children's noise had gone to a distracting octave. She paused at the button on her jeans as she toed off her shoes. She gave a slight shrug. She was used to children at the prison. They usually livened her up more than brought her down, but today, she was just too warn thin. She let out a soft sigh before managing to get out of her jeans. 

Her panties were simple cotton. Same with her bra. She barely had anything to cover anyway. But as the door opened and the doctor and one of her daughters entered the room, she suddenly felt even more exposed than she truly was. She covered herself slightly as the child began to rattle off question after question. 

Her Sammy had been an inquisitive youngster, and she missed him terribly. Her eyes pricked with unshed tears. Her lips gave a slight quiver. "No. It's alright. It's not their fault that they want to know everything. It's how we grow." She managed to lean forward slightly so that her feet were on the floor, steadying her. 

"I had a little boy. Little bit younger than you. You're five? Six, right?" She gave the girl an encouraging smile even though her own heart was shattering once again. It seemed that was all she did anymore. Put the pieces back together only to have them shattered in even smaller and smaller pieces.

[widenosebroadnose-deactivated20]

[subtleelevation-deactivated2018]

Katie Holmes 

[bentxxnotbroken]

ooc: finally!

Damn it. I swear. Charley is an elusive mistress lately, but I think i've wrangled her in just enough to get my replies out tonight. *crosses fingers and toes and eyes* Hopefully, the others will follow tomorrow. I so miss role playing.

[angieflynns]

untapdtreasure said: I’m really sorry :(

I’m not going to blame you…I just wish more TWD RP blogs knew about them so I could have them interact with some people other than Charley while waiting for your responses…I’d love to have Rodney and for instance Rick have a meeting because I consider Rodney the leader of his group.  Do you happen to know of any more TWD RP blogs I could follow that might interact with Rodney or Emily?

[bentxxnotbroken]

There is a list of TWD indies [HERE]. you should be able to find a lot of still active blogs. I don't really interact with many Ricks that are active. BUT there is several on the list. They accept OCs from what I can remember.

[bentxxnotbroken]

Shades of Gray [Charley & Rodney]

[bentxxnotbroken]

Rodney stopped watching Charley for a moment and turned to regard the figure pushing through the crowd.  It was Dr. Emily Barrow, now that he felt Charley would be in good hands it seemed okay to address the issue he’d accidentally bought up, the place for Charley to rest that he’d offered.

Pausing to reassure Charley before walking away he spoke, “You’re in safe hands now.  I have something to take care of right now.”

As soon as he entered the courtyard it took mere seconds to find the mane of fiery red hair that defined Julie, his girlfriend.  He immediately felt a pang of guilt for offering the room to Charley without first asking her.  It had been over a year since she had been raped, but he was still extremely protective of her and knew he’d move heaven and earth if it were necessary to make her feel comfortable, and now in a moment of weakness and pity he’d invited a stranger into their private dwelling.  Julie, however seemed understanding and listened as he explained Charley’s situation and how he’d offered her their spare room.

Finally, she stood up facing him “I need to meet her before I decide if I want to let her stay with us.”

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley was grateful when Emily finished with her. She was just adjusting her clothes after being examined in her almost birthday suit. She took a shaky breath as she looked at the doctor and smiled. "Thanks." She pushed herself to stand once again after securing her boot strap.

She brushed her dirty hair back out of her face. All she wanted was a place to clean up and to sleep. She wasn't even hungry anymore. Her lips felt a thousand times better with the thinly applied layer of honey to her dry, cracked lips. She moved toward the medical bay doors, not feeling threatened to stay put.

She felt the rest of her uneasiness flee when she saw his familiar face. He was accompanied by a red haired woman. She figured this was the person that he'd spoken of. Her fingers came up part of the way and gave him a small wave. "Hey there. Clean bill of health. No bites. No scratches."

[bentxxnotbroken]

{Catching Fire} Charley & Rick

[quickdrawcoltxrick]

The silence that stretched between Charley and the rest of the people in the car was evident to Rick that he’d said or done something wrong. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said she was lucky. One person’s perception of luck could mean something completely different to someone else. It was all a matter of perception…as everything was and always had been. Rick watched her silently, on and off, through the rearview mirror. He couldn’t decide what to make of her; she was clearly stronger and more able-bodied than he’d originally given her credit for but in other ways she seemed much too scarred by what she’d seen, what she’d been through.

Of course losing one’s child had the ability to bring about a different persona, an ability not found under any other circumstances…

“Then what are we waiting for. Let’s get going and get it done.”

Rick’s hands tightened a bit on the wheel. It was easy for this woman, who’d come from being alone majority of her time out there, to come into the prison and pretend to be interested in community but with the sharp bite in her tone, the former Sheriff was certain the former school teacher was more concerned with her own well-being than theirs as a collective. “That’s the plan, Charley.” Rick said just as curtly, trying to get her to open up or calm down a bit more than she was. It just so happened they were all in knots over what they’d seen but keeping a level head about it was the only thing going to save a body in the thick of things.

About twenty minutes later the car and its occupants pulled into a long winding drive that went off-road and deeper into the middle of the woods; at least, that was the effect given from the drive. “Alright, entrance to the 102, everybody. If you’re strapped in you might want to unbuckle now, just in case…” Rick’s voice was calm and even but his words ‘just in case’ weren’t. He realized Charley would be uneasy, more than Glenn or Carl and he looked back at her. “Just in case there’s a pile up on the 102; I don’t want to chance us getting stuck in the car without an escape route if there’s been a blockade.”

[bentxxnotbroken]

Charley reached to her side, unclipping her seat belt. She glanced ahead of them, taking in the road as the scenery on both sides of them was becoming more and more open and less covered with trees. She nodded. "Good to go," she informed the other two occupants of the car.

All she could do was pray silently that this way wasn't going to prove more difficult than the other route. She chewed at the inside of her cheek, keeping her eyes focused and ever moving. They needed all the eyes they could get making sure they weren't going to get boxed in. A second would give them a leg up. A chance to make it out.

Her eyes locked on Rick's in the rear view mirror. "This way has got to be clear. Right?" She held her breath then as they pulled out onto the 102. So far so good. Her heart hammered a little less rapidly. It was clear as far as she could see.

"Thank God," she muttered. Not that she believed in God anymore.