~Rebel's POV~

This wasn't a journey. Every journey ends, but we go on. The world moves on and we move on with it. As dreams disappear, reality takes over. The cold truth hurts and love is thrown around like a play toy.

When you're a child, people tell you "It's you and me against the world.", but it's not. As you grow, you realize that it's not you that's against the world, it's the world that's against you. People fight to take you down and they try to mar your dreams and your hope.

You can't let them win. If you give up, if you stop fighting, you've lost. I never though it was fair that something so small could make such a big impact on your life. Or how something so big can make the smallest difference.

When the outbreak came, you had to adjust. It was either that, or you die. So many people failed to do so because they didn't want to give up the comfortable lives they had. I was not one of them. Yasmine and I had always joked about how one day there would be a zombie apocalypse and how we would survive it.

Now it wasn't a joke. It was reality.

Fighting for your life wasn't a game, it wasn't a lifestyle. It was a choice, and if you didn't make the right choice, you're dead or dying. You had to be fast on your feet and quick in your mind or else you wouldn't make it.

Living was an option. It was an option most people didn't receive. Some people take it for granted while others can't help but beg for it.

This world was cruel, it didn't give second chances. You had to kill or be killed. It was really that simple. If you were to soft, the world wouldn't overlook that. It would cut you down in a matter of seconds. It would take what was most precious of you and it would do it without a second thought.

These thoughts spun through my head as the camp was packed up. Amy had woken and Andrea had shot her, after that, we decided to leave. This place held too many bad memories for us to stay, The cars were packed stiff with the little amount of supplies we had left and Rick was dealing out seating arrangements.

"Rebel, the only room we have for you is on Daryl's bike. You good with that?" Rick asked me. I nodded my head. I hadn't spoken to Daryl since the truck and I knew he was still mad at me. According to Rick, we would round up the back.

I turned to say goodbye to Piper, but she just ignored me. She had been ever since the night when the walkers came. I didn't blame her. She was almost killed because she came with me and it was my fault.

Well no. It wasn't. She didn't have to come with me. She didn't have to follow me. She could've stayed with Gunner and Porter. It's not my fault she came here. It's not my fault she was nearly killed.

Those thoughts helped me to roll my eyes at her while she was staring daggers at me. She didn't have to be here. No one was forcing her to stay. For all I cared, she could leave right now.

Bitch.

Everyone piled into their seperate cars, leaving Daryl and I standing awkwardly near his motorcycle. He cleared his throat and climbed onto the front of the bike seat, leaving the back portion for me. I swung my leg over and perched myself comfortably behind him.

"Ye' gonna hold on or are ya gonna fall off?" he asked me. He was practically treating me like an annoying little sister. I huffed and wrapped my arms around his waist, ignoring the little electric sparks that flew through my body wherever we were in contact.

Stupid hormones.

He reved the bike engine, signaling for the others to get a move on. Slowly, car after car, the camp emptied and there was no one left. Daryl made no move to even start his bike. He pulled the key out of the ignition and placed the kick stand down.

"Daryl. What the hell? Go." I demanded. He chuckled and placed his hands over mine that were still wrapped around his waist.

"We're fine." he told me while leaning his head back on my shoulder. It seemed like forever as we gazed at each other, not once looking away from the others' eyes. His piercing blue ones connected with my softer ones and I didn't dare blink.

He twisted his body around, maneuvering around me carefully, not once did he touch me. By the time he had finished, he was completley facing me. It was like he was refusing to touch me. He had moved his legs back so they weren't near mine and his hands were shoved in his pockets.

He casually leaned in, brushing his lips against mine and pulling back again. My breath hitched and he noticed as a smirk played on his lips. Again, he leaned in, this time he put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer to him.

He pressed his lips to mine, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips slowly, teasing me and asking for permission at the same time. I denied him time and time again as he asked. Once he became frustrated with me, he moved down to my jaw.

He slowly kissed down the base of my jaw before moving to my neck, leaving little open-mouthed kisses on his way down. When he reached his destination, above my collarbone, he started sucking and biting softly. As time passed, he sucked harder and I let out a small moan.

I could feel his male satisfaction on my thigh as he pulled away, turning on the bike again, acitng like it hadn't happened. I wrapped my arms around his torso again and he kicked the bike into action.

Several minutes later we pulled up beside the worried group. Most of them were out of the cars including Rick and Lori.

"You guys okay?" Rick yelled over the roaring engine of the motorcycle.

"Bike trouble." Daryl shouted back. Rick nodded and Lori was staring at my neck. I reached up involuntarily and felt around for anything. Nothing felt unordianry so I shot her a curious gaze. She just shook her head and boarded the camper again, not saying a word. I rolled my eyes and the cars sped off again in a single-file line.

"Okay. What the hell did you do?" I snapped at him.

"Don't know whatcha mean." he drawled, starting the bike.

He kicked the bike into animation and we tailgated behind Shane's jeep, making sure not to get too close, but not to stray too far so as not to get left behind. My body was vibrating with the roar of the engine and with the sound came images of the past. Images that I had tried so hard to forget.

~

"Come on, Rebel!" Saxon yelled. "You're gonna get left behind if you don't hurry up!"

I just laughed at him. I knew he would never leave me behind, he cared too much. It's what made him weak, the fact that he couldn't say a bad word about anyone. It's what made him weak, sure, but it was also what made me fall in love with him.

"You wouldn't dare!" I screamed at him tauntingly. He jammed the key into the ignition and the bike roared to life.

"Let's go, slowpoke!" He laughed at me and urged me with his hand, keeping his bike up with his muscular legs. I jumped on to the back of his motorcycle and we barreled off down the empty highway.

It was pitch black and the front light on his bike gave off a little amount of light. Other than the boom of the engine it was deathly silent, like in the scary movies where you knew something bad was about to happen. It was like the scary music refused to play as the pavement sped past the rubber wheels.

The ebony night flew past the two of us. My life couldn't get any better. I was in love with a man who felt the same way. The first time he had kissed me I knew he was the one. The sparks between us were indescribable and I knew he felt it to.

He told me he was taking me to the surprise of my life and I wanted nothing more than to find out what it was. For hours I had bothered him about spilling the secret but he hadn't budged an inch.

The wind whipped through my hair and I couldn't hold back the smile that took over my face. Saxon must have sensed my happiness because he looked back at me and pecked my lips briefly.

Even though the it was a short period of time it was enough time for a large semi to slam into us. The pain shot through my body and I fought to hold back the scream that tried to escape my lips, I couldn't show Saxon I was hurt. He would feel terrible that this happened and that he had caused me pain.

The semi honked it's horn and rolled to a stop several hundred feet away. I lifted my head up enough to see that Saxon was lying only a few feet away from me. I ignored the throbbing pain that shot through my whole body as I crawled to him.

I leaned over his limp body and saw the critical condition he was in. Somehow, one of the handlebars had jammed into his stomach, his intestines spilling over his cool leather jacket. I felt tears rolling down my face and I couldn't help but let out strangled sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Rebel. I love you so much. Don't ever forget that." Saxon used the last of his strenghth to reach into his pocket and pulled out a shiny brown box. I could smell the thick scent of polish wafting into my nose.

"No. No, no, no, no,no!" I hollered, "Don't die, please!" Sobs coated my words and my body shook with pain.

"Saxon. Please don't die. Please." I whispered quietly. He was all I had. The box fell from his fingers and he leaned up, just enough so that our lips pressed together one last time. His eyes fluttered a few times before widening open.

A blankness filled his soft brown eyes, making them look hard and cold, something I had never seen on him. It was something that didn't suit his dark-haired figure. A single tear rolled down his face and I stroked it away, not wanting to see him cry. His eyes clouded over, signaling that his end had come. I heard the semi roll to a complete stop, the brakes screeching loudly.

"I love you too, Saxon." I whispered before I brushed my hands over his eyelids, closing them forever. I snatched the box up and tucked it into my pocket.

"Hey! You okay?" A harsh voice asked me. I shook my head and folded his hands over the gaping hole in his stomach. I stood up, leaving the only man I had ever loved. Sure we were young, but we knew for a fact that we were meant for each other.

"You need a ride, kid?" the gruff voice asked. I only nodded my head. His nametag said 'Rufus, at your service'.

I shuffled behind him to his semi-truck for Hostess cakes. Such a stupid way to die. Getting hit by a cake truck. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to get away unscathed. It was like Saxon had been my guardian angel.

I climbed into the large semi insipidly, trying not to make a fool out of myslef. I highly doubt that Rufus would judge me after he just hit me and killed my boyfriend.

"Is there some place I can be alone?" I asked him, my voice hoarse from all the crying. He nodded.

"Climb the ladder up there, it's a bunk area sort of. I don't use it anymore so it should be fairly clean." he explained to me honestly.

I climbed the rungs of the ladder as quick as possible. Whatever was in the box was tugging at the strings of my mind. I couldn't help but wonder what it was.

I sat back on the flea-ridden bed and pulled the shiny wooden box out of my pocket. Slowly, I pushed the latch of the box open and the lid flew back.

I gasped. It was an engagement ring. Saxon was going to propose to me, but he died. Uncontrollable tears slid down my face and I couldn't stop the sobs that shook through my body.

I slid the ring on to the rightful finger, it was the perfect fit. My heart shattered into a million pieces and I knew one thing for sure....

I would never find love again.

~

I still wore the ring, just not on my finger. The ring hung around my neck, it had been looped on a silver chain that Saxon always wore. When the law had given me rightful claim of his possesions I inherited almost everything he had, the rest went to his cousin that I had never met.

I didn't plan on letting Daryl find out. I didn't know his past, and he already knew enough of mine and it was all he needed to know.

My past would only scare him away, and right now, I needed someone more than ever.

_________________________________________________________

Picture to the side is the ring that Saxon gave to Rebel. I think it's beautiful!

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