▎SAFE HAVEN  ▎
»»————　act two. on the hunt
CHAPTER FIFTEEN ━━ Sophia

Lori didn't take the abortion pills. And Josie gave her a massive apology for how she reacted, which Lori understood as the two women shared some words and hugged it out.

Josie promised Lori she would do anything to keep that baby safe. Josie knew it was Shane's, but if it was Rick's, she would do the same. They were the two people she cared about, her brothers.

She sat with a plate of scrambled eggs Carol had made everybody, Shane and Tiffany by her  side.

Josie looked up as Glenn stood up, anxiously looking down at the group. "Um, guys." He spoke as ever turned to him. Josie raised a brow as she looked up at him, knowing what he'd say. But, she wouldn't stop him. "So...The barns full of walkers." He told everyone.

Josie lowered her head as everyone turned their attention to Glenn. Josie could see her brother's face without even looking at him.

Thats when everyone followed Shane down to the barn, the older Walsh looking through the barn as everyone stood back and watched.

"Can you believe this?" Tiffany whispered to Glenn and Josie, who didn't reply back to her. "This is insane."

"You cannot tell me you're all right with this." Shane walked over to Rick, his police hat in his hands and a frustrated look ok his face.

"No, I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land." Rick told him as they all looked over at Shane.

"Oh, god." Shane hissed as he turned to Rick. "This is our lives, man!" Shane half yelled as josie bit down on her tongue.

"Keep your voice down." Glenn told him, lowering his hands.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea sighed as she shook her head.

"It ain't right. Not remotely." T-dog also added, agreeing with Shane and Andrea.

"We either got to go in there, we got to make things right, or we just got to go." Shane told them, pacing back and forth. "We have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time-"

"We can't go, Shane." Josie spoke up, shaking her head as Shane turned to her.

"JJ's right, we can't go." Rick held out his arm as Shane raised a brow.

"Why, Rick? Why?" Shane asked, hands on his hips as he looked at Rick for an answer.

"'Cause my daughter is still out there." Carol uttered as she stepped forwards, hugging herself.

"Okay." Shane let out a scoff as he cupped his hands over his mouth. "Okay. Okay." He sighed as he lowered his hands. "Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility."

"We're not leaving that little girl behind, Shane." Josie shook her head as Tiffany held onto Carols arm in a comforting manner.

"I'm close to finding this girl." Daryl then spoke up. "I just found her damn doll two days ago."

Shane let out a sarcastic chuckle, lowering his head. "You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a doll."

"He did more than you have for Sophia." Tiffany glared at Shane who scoffed.

"Look, I'm just saying what needs to be said here!" Shane argued as Daryl stepped forward, Rick holding out his arm so Daryl didn't move. "Now, you get a good lead, it's in the first forty eight hours-"

"Shane, stop!" Rick held onto his best friend.

"Let me tell you something else, man." Shane continued as Josie let out a frustrated groan, running a hand over her face. "If she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction, man!"

Thats when Daryl went for Shane, Rick trying to stop them both as they threw words at each other, yelling and swearing.

Josie grabbed a hold of Shane's arm, pulling him away from Daryl, Rick pushing him away as Lori also grabbed Shane. "Keep your hands off me!" He hissed at her, making Lori back up.

"Shane!" Josie narrowed her eyes as her brother started to walk away.

"Now, just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out." Rick continued as Shane turned around, stopping in his tracks.

"And what are you gonna figure out?!" Shane yelled as he moved towards Rick, Josie pushing Shane back.

"Enough, shane!" She breathed out, raising her brow as Rick moved back.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it." Rick continued as Josie lowered her arm, keeping her eyes on Shane.

"Hershel and his family sees the walkers as people." Josie turned to Rick, not even realising she let everyone know she knew. "Sick people."

"You knew?" Shane spat as he pointed at her, making Josie lower her head. "And you didn't tell me."

"Because I knew you'd act like this!" Josie pointed back at him, breathing in as she turned to Rick. "That's his family in there...and he doesn't want to realise they're gone." Josie watched as Rick let out a sigh, lowering his head.

"The man is crazy, Rick, if Hershel thinks those things are alive—"

"Just let me think!"

"No!" Shane yelled as the barn doors hit against each other, making everyone turn to the barn, the chains rattling.

Rick was speaking with Hershel about the walkers in the barn, and Josie was not looking forward to Riley or Maggie's wrath.

She sat on top of the RV, looking into the fields as she tapped her hands on the sniper on her lap.

Josie looked over at the camp with her people, her brows raising as she saw Glenn without his normal hat.

He walked towards the RV, eyes on the ground as Josie sat up. "Where's your hat, pizza boy?"

Glenn looked up at her, letting out a sigh as he shrugged his shoulders. "Riley put an egg in it and placed it on my head." He said as Josie bit back a chuckle.

"Really?" She raised a brow as Glenn tilted his head. "God damn." She chuckled slightly as she lowered her head. "Shes fiery, ain't she?"

"It isn't funny, Jo." Glenn sighed as Josie slowly nodded her head.

"Yeah, totally." Josie uttered as she lowered her head into her hands. "I'll ask Maggie if she can wash it. I think they like me better than you." Josie shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe Dale has a spare hat?"

"Yeah, I'll ask him." Glenn nodded his head as Josie looked back at the fields, tapping her fingers against the gun.

"Yeah, you take watch whilst I go speak to Maggie or someone." Josie sighed as she stood up, placing the sniper down as she climbed down the ladder, moving to stand beside him. "Your cap in your tent?" She breathed out, tapping his shoulder as he nodded then she walked past him.

Josie sat on the steps, looking over at the barn. Both Rick and Shane had gone, nobody knew where. She turned to Glenn, who had dales hat on.

"I cannot take you seriously with that hat." Josie let out a chuckle as she gently took it off his head. "Maggie agreed to wash your cap, you're welcome."

"Thanks, Jo." Glenn said as he ran a hand through his hair, smile on his face.

"Where is everyone?" Tiffany asked as she walked towards the two. "Rick and Shane still gone?"

"Do you know what's going on?" The turned to see T-dog and Andrea walk towards them. Josie stood up as Glenn followed, falling towards the pair.

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn frowned as Andrea shook her head.

"He went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago." Andrea answered as Josie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, you were." Daryl and Carol then walked towards them. "What the hell?"

"Rick told us he was going out." Carol then added to the conversation.

"Damn it. Isn't anybody taking this seriously?" Daryl grunted as he turned around. "We got us a damn trail." He then narrowed his eyes as he saw Shane walk towards them, bag of guns over his shoulder. "Oh, here we go."

Josie frowned as she looked at the bag of guns, slightly moving forwards. "What's all this?" Daryl asked as he pointed to the guns.

"You with me, man?" Shane asked Daryl, holding out a gun for him to take, making Daryl take it. "Time to grow up. You already got yours?" He asked Andrea.

"Yeah. Where's Dale?" She asked as she followed Shane.

"He's on his way." Shane uttered as he grabbed another gun.

"Thought we couldn't carry." T-dog frowned as Shane passed him a gun.

"Yeah, well, we can and we have to." Shane told him as he turned to the rest of them. "Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe." He breathed out as Josie narrowed her eyes. "But now we know it ain't." He nodded at them all as he pulled out another gun, walking towards Josie and Glenn. "What about you, man?" Shane asked as Glenn turned to Josie, who was glaring at her older brother.

Glenn wearily took it out of his hands as Josie scoffed at Shane. "Can you stop?" Josie told him, shaking her head. "Shane, this ain't your call to make. You do this, Hershel will make us leave."

"We have to stay, Shane." Carl piped up as he walked down the steps and stood beside Josie.

"What is this?" Lori asked as she walked towards them, Maggie and Riley by her side.

"We ain't going anywhere, okay?" Shane looked over at them as Riley raised her brow. "Now, look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand."

"No, you need to understand. This isn't your home, it's ours!" Riley challenged as she glared at Shane.

Shane ignored the blonde as he kneeled down in front of Carl, pulling out a hand gun. "Now I want you to take this." He spoke to Carl, holding out the gun. "You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe."

"Shane!" Josie stood in front of Carl, moving him away from Shane. "No. Stop it! Rick said no guns!" She looked down at him as he let out a sigh.

"Of all people...I thought you'd be with me, JJ." Shane stood back up as josie passed Carl to Lori.

"Oh shit." T-dog uttered, making everyone turn to him, seeing Rick, Jimmy and Hershel with walkers around a pole.

Shane slowly moved towards them, then he started to run. Josie let out a groan as she quickly followed her brother, everyone following her. "What the hell are you doing?" Shane yelled as he ran towards them.

"Shane, just back off!" Rick told him as Josie came to a holt, stopping in her tracks as she looked at the walkers.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked, wearily, eyeing the guns.

"Are you kidding me? You see?" Shane yelled as he circled around the three and the walkers. "You see what they're holding onto?"

"I see who I'm holding onto." Hershel fired back, keeping his hands on the pole.

"No, man, you don't." Shane shook his head as he pulled out his gun. "These things ain't sick. They're not people! They're dead! Ain't gonna feel nothing for them! 'Cause all they do, they kill!" Josie breathed out as she looked at her older brother. "These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy! They killed Otis! They're gonna kill all of us!"

"Shane, shut up!"

"Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something." Shane breathed in as he aimed his gun at the walker. "Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this." Josie jumped, slightly as Shane fired three bullets into the walkers chest. "That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that? Why is it still coming?"

More bullets were fired as Josie backed up. She was afraid of her own brother, what he could do. "That's its heart, it's lung. Why is it still coming?" More shots were fired.

"Shane, enough!" Rick yelled as Shane nodded his head, walking towards the walker.

"Yeah, you're right, man. That is enough." He lifted his gun and fired a bullet into the walkers skull. Josie swallowed thickly as she stood still beside Glenn. "Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough. Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now, if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now."

Shane then ran towards the barn, grabbing a axe as he banged it against the lock with a grunt. Josie stepped back as she watched her brother open the barn doors.

He walked back as he aimed his gun at the barn, that slowly opened as the walkers came out. Josie didn't move. She watched as the walkers fell to the ground, one by one.

Glenn turned to Josie, making her nod her head, watching as he walked towards the line of their people and raising the shotgun Shane gave him.

Then, her heart dropped as the last walker walked out. Josie stayed beside Tiffany and Riley, josie moving to hold onto the crying Riley.

A walker Sophia walked out of the barn, carols cries loud as everybody froze. Josie held onto Riley, who slowly dropped to the floor.

Josie squeezed her eyes shut, turning away from Sophia as she cradled Riley. Rick then stepped forward, pulling out his gun as he aimed it at Sophia, then shooting her as she grew close.

Josie heard her body fall to the ground, the cries of Carol echoing in her head. All along, Sophia was dead. They had been looking and searching for a dead child.

Carol then pushed Daryl away from her, running from the scene. Josie followed her with her eyes, staying beside Riley.

Everyone turned to Beth, who was letting out quiet sobs as she walked past everyone. Her mother was in that barn, as was Riley's.

Beth lowered herself to the ground, pulling the dead walker off of her mother's body. "Ma..." she carried as she flipped her over.

Then, Beth screamed as the walker growled, making everyone snap into action, pulling Beth off of the walker.

Josie let go of Riley, quickly going over to everyone and pulling out her knife, stabbing the walker in the head.

Josie breathed out as she looked over at Riley, who stayed on the ground, her body shaking as Maggie walked up to her, helping her off of the floor.

Everybody slowly started following the Greenes, Josie's eyes remaining on Sophia's body. "Jo." She turned as Glenn placed his hand on her arm, pulling her away from the scene.

"We've been out. We've been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along?" Shane continued his rant as Josie squeezed her eyes shut. "You knew."

"Leave us alone!" Maggie told him, holding onto her younger sister, Riley.

"Hey, Shane, just stop, man." Rick grabbed
his arm, but Shane pushed Rick away.

"Get your hands off of me." Shane hissed as he turned back to the family. "You knew and you kept it from us."

"I didn't know." Hershel's voice shook as he held Beth, walking up their steps.

"That's bullshit." Shane scoffed as Josie stopped in her tracks, looking at her brother. "I think y'all knew."

"If they say they didn't, they didn't!" Josie pulled on Shane's arm, her eyes narrowed as she looked up at her older brother. "You've done enough, Shane." She let go of his arm before turning around and walking away from him.

"JJ." Shane called for her, but she didn't turn around, making Glenn shake his head at Shane and follow after her.

Josie squeezed her hands into a fist, walking over to her tent. She was fuming at Shane. He had no right to do that, at all.

He was changing, and not in a good way. And Josie was scared—scared of her own brother. He was someone who was supposed to look after her.

"Jo." Glenn spoke softly as she turned around, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she shook her head. "Come here."

Josie's lips trembled as she moved towards him, accepting his hug as she wrapped her arms around him. Josie felt like Glenn was one of the only people she could trust. She didn't know if she trusted Shane, not after that.

Glenn ran a hand through her hair, leaning his chin on Josie's head as she cried into his chest. "That's not Shane, anymore." Josie mumbled as she lifted her head up, looking at Glenn. "That's not my brother."

Glenn closed his eyes for a moment, listening to her words. "It's okay, Jo." He told her as she nodded her head. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, hugging her close.

Hershel was missing. And Rick and Glenn had gone to find him, even Josie was persistent on letting Glenn go, but he told her not to worry and that he and Rick would be fine.

Josie didn't know why she didn't want Glenn to go. Maybe, she didn't wait to loose anymore people she cared about.

But she tried to take her attention off of that and help look after Beth and Riley. Beth was in a state of shock, and nobody knew what to do to help.

Josie and Maggie stayed by her side. Josie felt like she owed them, owed the Greenes everything for what her brother did.

Josie pushed the hair out of Beth's face, a saddened look on her face as she looked over at Maggie. "Is Riley okay?"

"She's asleep." Maggie told her as she held onto her sister's hand, stroking her thumb against it.

"I hope they're both gonna be okay. Nobody else needs to..." Josie breathed out as she lowered her head, Maggie squeezing her arm with her free hand.

— Madeleine's notes

Sophia... :( she deserved better smh

I'm slaying with these chapters bc I'm just in a massive twd era and I'm loving it!!

GLENN AND JO UGH! MY HEART OMDS THEYRE SO ADORABLE. I'd sell my soul for them.

I need to make an oc for Maggie though, so comment some ideas if you want to <3

8th April 2024
3122 words