❛ Don't sell your heart. Don't say we're not meant to be. Run, baby, run. Forever we'll be. You and me. ❜

SEASON 4, EPISODE 1
30 days without an accident

━━━━━━ October 11, 2011

BIANCA'S HANDS WERE RAW with callouses and exertion as she pulled the rope taut and then knotted it around a stake. Sweat beaded down her forehead as the Georgian sun tumbled down the open field. She wiped the sweat with a cloth from her back pocket and then moved from one guard post to the next.

⠀⠀⠀The walkers were coming in droves over the last few months. The stink of life called to them. They piled against the chain-link fence and weakened it by the day. They first needed to thin out the oncoming groups if they wanted to stay safe. Then, they needed to find a long-term solution.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca rammed her hammer into the final stake. A huff passed her lips as she stood. Bianca rested her hands on her hips and stared over her early morning work. She grew exhausted by the day, but that familiar jitter in her veins kept her going. She had a million thoughts in her head as she tried to figure out the best way to keep the prison community safe. And yet, there was a stillness to her mind she couldn't find anywhere else.

⠀⠀⠀A walker limped toward Bianca as she lifted her sledgehammer from the ground. The walker's hands were in reach, and her grip tightened to swing. Then, a muffled gunshot was fired, and it crumpled to the ground.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca turned to the watchtower to see Glenn standing at the railing. She raised her hand with a slim smile, and Glenn waved back. Her lips pressed together, her head bowed as she trudged back inside. She was about to get an ear full.

⠀⠀⠀"Morning," Bianca greeted Glenn at the gate.

⠀⠀⠀"Morning," he muttered. He raised his brow and scowled. "You know you're not supposed to go out alone. What would Cal say?"

⠀⠀⠀"He wouldn't say anything because you're not gonna tell him," Bianca stated with a shrug and a threat on her tongue.

⠀⠀⠀Glenn rolled his eyes. "And why not?"

⠀⠀⠀"Because I cook this week, and I'll make you only get your hands on rat soup," Bianca said smugly. Glenn huffed in annoyance, but she continued. "Besides, I told him you were watching out for me from the watchtower."

⠀⠀⠀"Not the whole time," Glenn protested, his voice heightening in annoyance.

⠀⠀⠀"I know." Bianca winked at him. "You and Maggie suck at your jobs."

⠀⠀⠀"We do not—shut up!"

⠀⠀⠀"Glad you agree."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca and Glenn walked toward the prison. Their pace was slow to draw out their time together before Glenn had to return.

⠀⠀⠀"Like you and Cal are much better," Glenn muttered.

⠀⠀⠀"We don't fuck on the job," Bianca said with an amused smirk. "Everyone would know."

⠀⠀⠀"Nobody knows."

⠀⠀⠀"They know," Bianca shot back with a twinge of finality in her voice. "You guys going on the run?"

⠀⠀⠀"I am, but... I don't think Maggie should," Glenn admitted. A worried crinkle sat in the middle of his brow.

⠀⠀⠀"Y'all worried she's pregnant?"

⠀⠀⠀"I'm worried," Glenn said firmly, then shook his head. They paused halfway back up the hill before he had to head back. "She doesn't think she is."

⠀⠀⠀"She might not be," Bianca sighed. "But I get it. She should stay."

⠀⠀⠀Glenn nodded. He was thankful to hear at least one (not-so) sane person was on his side.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I hope she'll listen," he agreed. He pointed back toward the tower and smiled. "I should get back. Talk later?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, see ya!"

⠀⠀⠀Bianca trekked down the hill alone toward the outdoor common area. Before, it was an open area with a concrete floor and hardly any space for shade. Now, there was metal shading, tables circled around the courtyard, and a grill in the center. Bianca's stomach gurgled at the latter, eager to eat, but her eyes landed on something else.

⠀⠀⠀She lowered her stance as she ducked behind clusters of people. Her eyes trailed him and tracked the path he wanted to take. She went the opposite, coming up from behind, and jumped down with an ear-piercing shriek as she landed on his back.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl released a guttural laugh rather than the frightened grunt she wanted. Bianca had gotten it out of him once, and her mission was to bring it out of him again. Today was not her day.

⠀⠀⠀"Nice try, kid," Daryl laughed. He lugged her the rest of the way to the grill as she pouted on his shoulder.

⠀⠀⠀Carol stood behind the grill with a spatula and a warm smile. Her eyes were bright, and she looked much happier than months before. Bianca thought many of them had been feeling better. The prison was as close to heaven on earth as they'd get.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl shrugged Bianca off his shoulder and rested his arm around her shoulders. Then, in an instant, his arm popped around her neck, and she couldn't escape.

⠀⠀⠀"Dammit, Daryl," Bianca huffed. Her legs spread forward in front of her awkwardly as she tried to slip from his tricky grasp. Her face started to turn red, and Carol let out a burst of laughter at her attempt to escape. Her fingernails scraped at Daryl's arm, and her voice squeaked out, "Chokehold's illegal."

⠀⠀⠀"Got me there," Daryl chuckled, then let her go.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm gonna have bruises around my neck, thanks to you," Bianca complained. Her hand rubbed the tingling skin of her neck and frowned. "And not the fun kind," she muttered under her breath.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl winced in disgust while Carol shook her head in amused disapproval.

⠀⠀⠀"Good night's sleep, Bianca?" Carol asked. Her eyes narrowed curiously as she looked up from the grill.

⠀⠀⠀"Nah, I'm working off two hours of sleep and a caffeine rush from that gold mine of Folger's found last week," Bianca said. She smiled and waved her hand dismissively at her. "That crap does a number for my ADHD."

⠀⠀⠀Carol sighed like a disappointed mother as she did every time. Bianca found it amusing when Carol silently asked her to care for herself. Everyone was running on the same level of stress and trauma as she was. Some were better at hiding it than others.

⠀⠀⠀"Your boyfriend's hard at work again," Daryl said, steering away from an oncoming Carol lecture. They'd grown infamous with the kids. Even adults like Bianca couldn't escape them once they started. "Passed him when I came out here."

⠀⠀⠀"He got paint from the run last week," Bianca said. She took the plate Carol handed her, and she smiled. "Can I get one for him?"

⠀⠀⠀Carol nodded, already on it.

⠀⠀⠀"Cal's been itching to use it, and I guess he found his chance when I snuck out this morning," Bianca continued.

⠀⠀⠀"Where'd you head off to?" Carol asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Front gates. I wanted to get more tripwires set up. The walkers have been more active with the heat, and the pits have been a pain in the ass to clean out."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I've noticed," Carol sighed. She glanced at Daryl as Bianca's conversation reminded her of something. "I actually wanted to show you."

⠀⠀⠀Daryl nodded.

⠀⠀⠀"Patrick, you wanna take over?" Carol asked one of the kids.

⠀⠀⠀Patrick was one of Carl's friends, a few years older but had a more enthusiastic personality. He wore horn-rimmed glasses and a mustache beginning to grow in. He was giddy to spend time with the people he admired, such as Daryl. He wanted to prove he was a valuable asset to the community.

⠀⠀⠀"Mr. Dixon, I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat, sir, and—and, I'd be honored to shake your hand," Patrick said. He shook with nerves as he smiled from ear to ear with his hand held out.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl stared at Patrick for a long moment. He held an unreadable expression to him, but Bianca could see he was amused. Then, Daryl lifted his hand, sucked the breakfast off his fingers, and shook Patrick's hand. Daryl thinned his lips in an attempt a smile, then left with Carol. Bianca's expression soured in disgust as she watched him pass. Daryl only returned it with a knowing smirk.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Bi—Bianca," Patrick greeted. The two were alone, with only the grill separating them and a one-sided palpable tension on his end. "How, um, how've you been?"

⠀⠀⠀"Fine."

⠀⠀⠀"So, I was wondering... would you like to hang out later?" Patrick asked, a visible streak of sweat beading down his forehead. "Maybe after breakfast?"

⠀⠀⠀Bianca stared at Patrick until his face flushed, and he started to squirm. He wiped his hands on his pants and waited for her answer, but she didn't budge. She gave Patrick a pained smile and walked off without an answer.

⠀⠀⠀"I can invite Carl!" he exclaimed, but Bianca waved him off.

⠀⠀⠀Inside the cell blocks a few people lingered inside the cell block. She smiled and waved, making eye contact as she passed but didn't stop for chit-chat. Instead, she focused on a boy with paint on a ladder across the room.

⠀⠀⠀While Bianca's job incorporated what she enjoyed—fixing things—Cal had gone a different route. His people elected him to represent them on the council, but his main focus was on a wide-scale mural. To some, it might feel like a waste of time, but many agreed having a place to grieve and move on was needed by everyone. They needed a reminder of who they were, what they lost, and how they needed to move on.

⠀⠀⠀Cal claimed to not be an artist. He took art history, not art classes. He knew the backstory of mad men and prodigies, the meanings and allegories of precious works, and why pieces were created. He didn't know the technical skills of painting or the anatomical know-how of figure drawing.

⠀⠀⠀And yet, he had created the most beautiful and heartbreaking pieces of art she'd ever witnessed.

Never Forget Those We've Lost Along The Way,
For They Brought Us Here

⠀⠀⠀The phrase was painted in black, rounded letters, and a meticulous white outline. Around that was an overwhelming rainbow of names of those they lost. There was a name she recognized in every corner besides one she never knew. There were stories in the paint, ones she knew by a mourning heart and ones she would never know. Yet, they would live on in this place forever.

⠀⠀⠀Eugene, Laura, Henrik, Annie, Elena, Peter, Amy, Jim, Jacqui, Jenner, Otis, Sophia, Dale, Jimmy, Patricia, Big Tiny, T-Dog, Lori, Oscar, Axel, Andrea... even the likes of Shane, Tomas, and Merle sat up there. Despite how awful they were, they were still people who received a modicum of respect for the life they lived.

⠀⠀⠀Cal had come up with the idea after the travesty of Woodbury. He wanted to remember the good people he lost due to the Governor and walkers alike.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca smiled past the welling despair in her chest and looked up at Cal.

⠀⠀⠀"It looks good!" she called up to him.

⠀⠀⠀Cal wore yesterday's clothes with a collection of spray cans on top of the flat piece of the ladder. When he looked down at Bianca, she couldn't help but notice how beautiful he shined. There was a smile from ear to ear on his tan skin, his eyes cinched at the edges with a sparkle of appreciation. The sun caught his golden curls which had grown out in the past few months like a halo around his head. Her heart skipped a beat, and Bianca couldn't go a day without thinking how lucky she was for him.

⠀⠀⠀Some days, Bianca believed they could live like this forever. The prison, the safety, the people. There was fear, but not enough to make them dread tomorrow. Then there were others where she worked in the early mornings with dread in her stomach. A dread she felt as she stood in the school's parking lot saying goodbye to her friends for the summer. The same one that sat in her stomach now.

⠀⠀⠀"Thanks, B," Cal chirped. His excited tone broke the worry in her head for the time being.

⠀⠀⠀He flourished the Y in the name of Holly in bright pink before setting the can down. He stepped down the ladder and steadied himself on the floor. Then, he greeted her with a gentle smile and peck on the lips.

⠀⠀⠀"How are you doing this early in the morning?" he teased.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm alright," Bianca laughed, shoving his face from her. She raised his plate of food and smiled innocently. "Breakfast?"

⠀⠀⠀Cal narrowed his eyes and snatched the plate from her. He ate a few bites, chewing slowly as he held her gaze, waiting for her to relent.

⠀⠀⠀"You were gone this morning," Cal pointed out.

⠀⠀⠀"I was worried about the gates," Bianca admitted.

⠀⠀⠀"What about them?"

⠀⠀⠀"There's been more activity lately. I set up some tripwires to make sure I didn't miss something."

⠀⠀⠀"You never miss things."

⠀⠀⠀"Thinking like that ends in worse things than mistakes," Bianca told him with a stressed frown.

⠀⠀⠀"I know, hun. I didn't mean it like that," Cal sighed. He set his plate down and took both her hands in his. "I worry about you, though. You're gonna run yourself into the ground one of these days."

⠀⠀⠀"No, I'm not. I'm fine."

⠀⠀⠀"Think like that—"

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, shut up," Bianca muttered, slapping his chest with their hands still entwined.

⠀⠀⠀He smiled, knowing she understood. He kissed the back of her hands one by one, then pressed them against the cheeks.

⠀⠀⠀"You need to rest. You need to let other people help. It's okay. We're all going through it," Cal said to assure her, but it only worsened the idea in her head.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, everyone's going through it."

⠀⠀⠀Cal's brows furrowed. "Do we need to talk about something?"

⠀⠀⠀Did they? Bianca didn't know. She was doing good. She sometimes worried about the day this place burned into the ground like all good things seem to. But this was the most secure she had felt in months. She felt safe and at home. Maybe that was what scared her the most. She could lose so much in just these few acres. Her family, her boyfriend, all of her life could scatter in moments if the damn fence dropped...

⠀⠀⠀"No, I'm fine. Just stressed with the walkers and the fence is all," Bianca sighed. She rubbed her forehead in annoyance.

⠀⠀⠀Cal pulled her into his chest. Her body sank right into him like she had always been a part of him. He was warm but not unwelcome, and he smelled of paint and grass. Her fingers clawed into the back of his shirt, afraid he'd disappear from her again. Sometimes she wondered if this was all some fever dream after a walker bit her and raided her mind. Only time would tell when the life would fade, and she'd become a monster.

⠀⠀⠀"Promise me you'll give yourself a break," Cal asked.

⠀⠀⠀"I promise," Bianca assured him.

⠀⠀⠀"The supply run doesn't count."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca pulled back with a scowl. "Why not?"

⠀⠀⠀"Because it's still work!"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, but it's just killing walkers and gathering supplies."

⠀⠀⠀Cal gave her a blank, unamused glare. Bianca couldn't stand it, groaning as she leaned back further.

⠀⠀⠀"Fine, fine!" Bianca agreed. "That Patrick kid did invite me to hang out. Maybe I'll see if he wants to do that now."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca attempted to flee Cal's hold, but his hand curled around her wrist, bringing her back into his chest.

⠀⠀⠀"No, no, no, you're not ditching me for some kid," Cal said into her neck.

⠀⠀⠀"Why not? Seems like it could be a fun time."

⠀⠀⠀"Really?" Cal asked, raising a brow.

⠀⠀⠀"No, but I don't see you offering anything better."

⠀⠀⠀Cal dipped his head behind her hair and flooded her skin with kisses. His teeth nipped minor bruises, then wiped the pain away with his tongue. He pulled back as an excited breath left Bianca's lips. A devilish glint lingered in his ocean-blue eyes, and he grinned.

⠀⠀⠀"Offer made."

⠀⠀⠀Bianca pulled Cal down so he was on her level, kissing him until he nearly stumbled back onto the ground. Her hands gripped the collar of his shirt, and her teeth bit with ten times the intensity on his lips.

⠀⠀⠀"C'mon," she huffed, pushing him towards their room. "Before we have to go."

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

I'm finally getting back into the swing of this fic. I'm thinking of doing updates on Thursdays or Fridays. 

Love you all! Thank you for all your patience and love for Spitfire. I have a lot of ideas for the future of this fic and do REALLY REALLY want to finish it. Just why did they have to make so many seasons... that's a lot for me, specifically, to write.

I'm updating the songs I use in Spitfire because I have slightly different vibes for Bianca's chapters and Cal's. So, you might see some repeats in this book because the songs I previously used are Cal songs. Okay thanks! 

SONG: Check Yes, Juliet by We the Kings

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like, they keep me motivated! However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So even if you ghost read or comment every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come into this fic ♡ I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until the next one.