Thread: the new beginning // randomname & sixlikesgoree

XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx MAGGIE GREENE xxxxxxxx As Maggie sat there, in her usual chair with the only man she'd ever come to love romantically beside her, the brunette felt as though she'd never lose the smile that was constantly pulled at the corners of her lips, even though chewing. Carl's sudden question had instantly made her freeze, even for a moment, and her eyes shot over towards the young man, eyebrows pinching together just as Lori silence him. Setting her fork down softly on her plate, the oldest Greene sibling reached for the glass of water in front of her, lifting it to take a mouthful and swallow the lump of tension that had built within the back of her throat. Despite who'd asked it, Maggie knew how much everyone else had probably wanted to as well - to know the truth behind what had really happened out there, in the thick of things. And Jacob, just like the man she remembered him to be, didn't take the sudden question to heart. Instead, he reassured Lori it was fine, and began to explain his side of what had happened. A feat that caused Maggie to lean in as he told his story, and press another admiring kiss to his cheek. His patience, and forgiving nature, were things this world needed the most of his show of such things causing her smile to return right back over her lips. As Jake started to explain, Maggie kept her attention closely focused on him, her eyes narrowing softly as she looked to him with compassion, knowing that anything he was about to tell them was told out of trust, and confidence, that they wouldn't shove any of it back at him. And she desperately wanted to hear what his days were like without her as he struggled to come back to the farm - to know if he underwent terrible tragedies, or if he was lucky enough to scrap by with minimal confrontations. It hadn't necessarily been a topic that Maggie had wanted to be brought up in front of the entire property, but it was what it was. The hand that lingered over his own upon her leg squeezed tighter and tighter as Jake's story continued, her eyebrows pulling together tenser and tenser. Just hearing about him being shot at was enough to cause her breath to hitch within her throat no matter if he'd enrolled into the Army beforehand when she learned more about his eating and traveling habits, it left a pitted feeling in the base of her stomach. To know that he was out there, unable to rely on anyone but himself to get by, had her feeling tremendously guilty. And at the feel of Jacob's hand squeezing against her leg, she snapped out of her small phase slightly, leaning into him a bit more to snuggle discreetly into him better. Food was suddenly the last thing on her mind, and for a moment, the green-eyed woman nuzzled her face against Jake's shoulder, taking her time to inhale his scent. At Carol's words, her eyelids fluttered open slowly, and she nodded her head in agreeance automatically. I can't stop lookin' at him.. she whispered in a soft voice, glancing up to Jake with a smile again. I know he said he was the lucky one.. but I haven't felt right since the day he left. I don't know what would've become of me if he didn't drive up that dirt road. Giving him a reassuring smile now, Maggie lifted her fork off her plate once more, resuming her meal in order to get it done and over with. It was still the last thing that held her interest, but she knew that under no circumstance would her Father allow her to leave that table without having a full stomach. God could've been descending from the Heavens in their front yard, and he'd still make her finish ever last scoop of potato off her plate before she'd be allowed to witness it with her own eyes - it was just easier this way, ensuring there wasn't a fight. Luckily, her lack of appetite was given more than enough time to finish her meal, as the women of her family hounded her soulmate to eat more than he had originally been given on his plate. If it weren't for her own rush to get into a quiet room with Jake alone, she might've even joined Beth and Patricia in trying to get him to accept a few more mouthfuls of anything they had leftover. But the more they sat there, letting their stomachs digest after the meal they had all shared, the more Maggie felt her anxious demeanor slowly starting to show through. Before anyone else had started to collect their plates, the twenty-two year old started to round them up, stacking the empty plates onto each other before carrying them to the sink. Beth had taken her place beside her older step sister, rounding off things that had been used as miscellaneous items within the meal, like salt and pepper shakers, putting them back where they belonged. Just as the woman was about to twist the nozzle to the hot water for the kitchen sink, Carol grasped her softly on the shoulder, giving Maggie a soft smile. Don't worry about the dishes, dear. We've got them covered, she offered, gesturing towards the remaining women in Rick's group. You've got some lost time to catch up on. Giving Maggie's shoulder a soft rub where it'd been grasped, Maggie couldn't resist the urge to hug the older woman, whispering a soft 'thank you' before releasing the embrace. The smile she bore to everyone who was going to help wash up could only be described as a beaming glow, one that only grew as the brunette came to retrieve Jacob from his seat. After he got to his feet, she firmly took his hand within her own, and lead him from the kitchen with nothing more than soft 'goodnight' to everyone there. That didn't mean that she was going to go to bed, no, but the rest of her night was going to be focused solely on the love of her life. If she did cross paths with anyone else in the house, or of Rick's group, it wasn't going to be from an intentional situation. She'd had so many months with her family in Jacob's absence, and it didn't matter what Rick's group could open her eyes to - in this moment, all she wanted was Jake. The end of the world could finalize, and it wouldn't matter, so long as she was in his arms. Leading the way up the stairs, Maggie couldn't resist the playful glance she cast over her shoulder towards the same aged man. As she reached the top step, her feet allowed her body to pivot, turning to face him as he climbed the last few steps to meet her raising on her tippy toes, Maggie pressed a deep kiss to Jacob's lips, now that they were well out of sight of everyone else. Releasing his hand, Maggie's palms came to rest on his chest, slowly sliding up towards his neck, where they curved to interlock around him securely. By the time her body was pressed flush against his, Maggie's breath had started to hinder within her own chest, the rapid, passionate kisses causing her cheeks to flush with desire, and nearly gasp with want between them. A floorboard in the lower corridor sounded, however, causing the twenty-two year old to jump slightly, departing the kiss with a startled laugh, before she seized his hand again, and playfully darted into the privacy of their bedroom before anyone could see what had just taken place. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx CHARLOTTE ARCHER xxxxxxxx Much like the first man who'd entered the cabin, a third corpse was now added to the growing pile, making Charlie's eyes narrow slightly as the examined the bodies. None were a threat to come back, brains being destroyed in all three, but it didn't take the impact from the sight. These were people, or at least, they had been. Americans, most likely, who had lived in this Country their entire lives. But now look at them nothing but bloody messes on a dirty floor, with nothing to show for their efforts but a shoddy bandit camp that was going to get taken down - one by one, if they had to. With the gun she'd wrestled from his hands securely within her own, Charlotte pulled the magazine out to examine how many bullets were in the clip - a motion she wasn't given much time to do before the sound of gunfire opening up bit into the side of the cabin's walls. Instantly, she flinched low, cussing under her breath as her right hand slammed the clip back into place, her eyes wildly seeking out the other captive with her. It seemed as though he was on the move - something that made her slightly worry, but at the same time, her fingers were mentally crossed that he didn't have any plans to just bail on her. Taking cover, Charlie fired off a return shot out the window, hoping the stray bullet would invoke more of a reaction from the group - if they started spraying and praying, by the time the duo got outside to meet up with them, they wouldn't have nearly as many bullets to work with. By the time her eyes had come to focus once more on Shane, he was already ducked behind a tipped over table, yelling at her to hurry her ass up and move to his position. A small peg of annoyance washed over her face, but Charlie bit through it, and zipped over to join him as fast, and as low, as she could. Between the sound of gunfire constantly echoing, and the adrenaline ripping through her ears, focusing on his words wasn't exactly the easiest - but her eyes could pick up what her ears couldn't, reading his lips easily through the noise. However, it wasn't until he started to peck at the floorboards, searching for the weakest ones out of the bunch, that Charlotte's mind clicked into the same wavelength as Shane's. Once the hole was big enough, she was definitely expecting the male to take off before her with the first chance he could.. but surprised her greatly. Giving him a nod, Charlie dropped down into the crawlspace, ignoring the small sting the impact had on her knees from the jolt. Gun at the ready as best as it could be, the twenty four year old started to make her way through the narrow passage, trying to ignore the fact that she now had two factors, one in front and one in behind, that she couldn't entirely trust. One was she didn't know what she'd possibly be coming out of the passage to - secondly, she had absolutely no idea what kind of man was behind it. For all she knew, he could be planning something, and she could've just given him the perfect opportunity to execute his plan with her back turned. To say she was a tad distrusting would be an understatement, especially as her body broke free from under the cabin, and she scrambled to get her combat boots securely underneath herself again. Keeping low to the ground, Charlie's hazel eyes darted around, looking for any sign of movement as Shane finished the length of the crawlspace, gun at the ready to snap in any direction needed. When he was at her side, a gentle breath left the back of her throat, and she nodded her head towards the back end of the cabin. They're gonna be expecting us to come out from the windows, or door. I can get around to their flank, push them into you. As her eyes shifted back to the man she now had no choice but to rely on, she waited for a verdict, before setting off to continue their second part of escaping. Careful, cautious steps were made, taking a bit of a longer route than most might've when trying to flank around a group of crazy attackers, but Charlie wanted to be damn sure she wasn't heard. It also gave her time to scope out the surrounding area, and ensure that everyone focused on the two captives was accounted for. The last thing they needed was to think that they'd taken care of everyone, only for a remaining straggling bandit to wound or take one of them out. Getting into position, Charlie lined up her first shot, aiming purposely at one of the remaining male's legs. Firing off a bullet, it connected several milliseconds later with the man's knee cap, causing him to release his rifle, and fall to the ground in agony. Before anyone could ask where the shot had come from, Charlie lined up again, catching the fallen man in the temple. Shit! They've got back up! screamed one of the men, turning his attention immediately towards the woods that the shot had come from, aiming the barrel of his gun erratically around. Where the fuck did they go- where the fuck did they go!? Slipping further to the left, backtracking slightly, Charlie lined up another shot. As her exhale carried, the merc squeezed the trigger once more. Only, unlike her last two shots, she didn't want to remain in the same spot as long, rendering her full impact to be unknown. The sound that cried from the man she'd aimed at clearly indicated that she'd hit him, at least - but as to where, she'd find out before reaching her next spot to duck and cover. Fuck! Mark's turning! screamed a woman, and gunfire erupted all over again, the group now distracted with dispatching one of their own. The perfect opportunity Shane and Charlie needed to get the upper hand. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX