Radioactive Chapter Twelve
Jessica smiled as Glenn drove them back towards the camp in the jeep that Shane had let them borrow. They had barely made it out of the city but they had made it and that was all that really mattered to her. She was safe and alive and she'd be going back to her family and Merle.
At the thought of Merle, Jessica sighed knowing he was probably pissed at her for leaving but she had, had her reasons. She was sick of everyone looking at her as Merle Dixon's side piece. She just wanted to do something for the group other than fuck someone because she was lonely even if she had convinced herself that maybe there was more there.
"You okay?" Glenn asked as he looked over at Jessica who so far had remained calm on the drive back to camp. On the way into Atlanta he couldn't get her to shut up as she told him stories about her family but now, now she was silent and if he was honest he preferred her talking. At least it gave him something to do than get lost in his own thoughts.
Jessica shrugged, "Thinking about Merle," she admitted as she forced a smile. "He's going to be pissed when we get back," she said as she looked back at Glenn. "I mean I didn't even wake him before I left."
Glenn rolled his eyes when she mentioned Merle, "Who cares what he thinks? You did what you wanted. Merle doesn't own you."
"No he doesn't," Jessica said shaking her head. "You know my mom would hate him because he's a sinner or he would in her eyes. He's definitely no saint but I like him and I need him still," she frowned as she looked away from Glenn. "I see how people look at me since I'm with him but he helps me since Joe died. He helps me forget and just not by getting me drunk. Just by being there and knowing someone else is there."
Sighing Glenn guessed that made sense, "But why Merle? I mean there are other single men there at camp."
Jessica laughed some knowing her answer was going to sound childish, "Because he had what I wanted at the time which was alcohol and also because he was the kind of man my family hated. I guess I wanted to rebel and now I'm just attached."
"Attached to the worst man at the camp," Glenn muttered under his breath before going silent now.
At Glenn's silence Jessica just looked around her and the closer he got to camp the more she bit her lip and felt her heart hammer hard in her chest. When he eventually parked the jeep she unbuckled and got out grabbing the bag she had taken with her.
Following behind Glenn she took the bag into the RV and laid it on the counter by the sink before leaving the RV. The moment she stepped off though she swallowed hard as she came face to face with the man she had been dreading to see.
"What in the hell where you thinkin runnin off like that darlin," Merle muttered as he came face to face with Jessica. "Trusting your life with him. You could've died."
Jessica walked past Merle as she shook her head, "But I didn't die," she told him as she walked to the tent she had unofficially moved into. "I'm alive. I came back and I'm fine."
"You shouldn't have even went," Merle said following Jessica to the tent. "Pretty thang like you doesn't need to be risking her life out there. You need to be staying here with me."
"You're the main reason I went," Jessica snapped feeling aggravated at the man now. "I'm sick of the way people look at me since I've been with you. I wanted to do something to help besides being just your fuck buddy," she spat as she reached out and pushed him away from her some.
Getting angry when Jessica pushed him Merle inched towards her but before he could make it he felt someone come between them and he came face to face with one of Jessica's brothers.
Zac glared at Merle and he shook his head, "You lay a finger on her and I'll kill you," he growled before grabbing a hold of Jessica's arm and pulling her away from the man he hated. "I think she needs a little breather from you right now."
As Zac pulled her away from Merle, Jessica sighed, "We would have been fine Zac."
"Really Jess?" Zac asked sarcastically as he raised an eyebrow. "I come back from fishing to see that asshole about to hit you or worse and you say you would have been fine."
"He wouldn't have hit me," Jessica defended Merle as she moved her arm away from Zac but followed him to where he was leading her which happened to be where Avery and Zoe were sitting with Amy. "I pushed him but he wasn't going to hit me for it."
Zac rolled his eyes at Jessica defending Merle, "You didn't see the look in his eyes," he told her as he locked eyes with her. "If that man had hit you I would have killed me," he said to her again. "So you better be glad I got you away from him when I did," he said as he broke their eye contact and turned his back to her, heading towards the bus.
As Zac walked away Jessica looked down feeling her cheeks grow hot as she blushed. When she turned to look at her sisters and Amy she wasn't surprised to see them all looking at her. "I just had a disagreement with Merle that Zac happened to see," she said as she walked over and sat down beside Avery.
"Sounded like it was more than a disagreement between you and Merle," Zoe piped up as she laid the cards that she was holding down. Her,Avery, and Amy had been playing war with a deck of cards Mac had found on the bus yesterday.
Jessica semi-glared at Zoe, "That's all it was," she said shaking her head. "He was pissed I left and I got pissy with him. I pushed him and Zac thought he was going to hit me."
"He probably would have," Amy spoke up as she eyed the older Hanson sister. She hadn't hung out with her ever but then again Jessica rarely hung out with anyone but her family and the Dixon brothers except for recently she had been hanging out with Glenn when he had night time watch duty. Her and Andrea had heard Glenn and Jessica talking during one of those nights. They had both been trying to sleep but just couldn't so instead they had listened to Glenn talking to Jessica.
"And who are you to know what Merle is like?" Jessica asked Amy as she turned her glare to her. "You don't even know him. No one tries to get to know him."
Avery sighed, "I have tried but what I do know about him I don't like. I think he is an asshole," she stated watching Jessica turn to her now. "But I don't think he is the type of asshole to hit you."
Smiling some at the last thing Avery said Jessica ran a hand through her hair, "I just really like him and I don't expect anyone to understand why. But he helps me in so many ways and he's all I really have."
"That's not true," Zoe frowned feeling offended. "You have your family," she said before standing off and running to the bus.
Jessica sighed as Zoe ran off. "Should I run after her?" she asked Avery as she turned to look at her other sister.
Avery shook her head no to Jessica's question, "She'll come around on her own. She's twelve she just needs time to calm down and sulk because big sister hurt her feelings. I mean you remember how moody I was at twelve over every little thing."
"True but sometimes you had your reasons," Jessica shrugged knowing that Avery had a right to be moody. From all the things their dad had done. She still felt awful for the things she said to her their first night here. She wasn't sure she'd ever get over that.
Going silent at Jessica's words Avery nodded and then turned her attention back to Amy. "How about another round of war? This time we can involve Jessica if she wants to play."
"I do," Jessica smiled nodding her head. Maybe Zac had done her favor by getting her away from Merle for awhile though she knew she'd go back to him. Merle was a sinner and she was finding she was in really deep like with that sinner which probably had her mom rolling somewhere in the great beyond.
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Jessica sighed as she left the camp fire several hours later. She had decided to stay away from Merle from the rest of the day and she was glad that Merle had even ignored her at the camp fire that he usually attended just to throw insults at others. Tonight had been no different except that he had ignored her and that hurt her.
Making it to the tent she stopped when she found Merle outside of it smoking a cigarette, "Come to apologize?" he asked her his tone coming out rough and cold.
"No," Jessica said honestly as she looked down. "I don't have anything to apologize for. I went out cause I wanted too and I got angry cause you think all I am good for is being here with you."
"I was only angry cause I don't want you gettin hurt blondie," Merle admitted as he locked eyes with Jessica. "You and my brother are the only two people in this camp I give a rats ass about and I want you both safe."
Jessica smiled hearing Merle's words. It seemed that maybe he cared in some way about her. "Then do you forgive me?"
"I thought you weren't apologizing?" Merle asked as he threw his cigarette butt down and stomped it out.
"I'm not but I don't want you mad at me." Jessica shrugged as she ran a hand through her hair.
Watching her Merle just sighed, "I won't be as mad if you give me a kiss blondie."
Laughing Jessica just looked at him, "I think that can be arranged," she nodded as she leaned in to kiss him on the lips briefly.
Jessica smiled as Glenn drove them back towards the camp in the jeep that Shane had let them borrow. They had barely made it out of the city but they had made it and that was all that really mattered to her. She was safe and alive and she'd be going back to her family and Merle.
At the thought of Merle, Jessica sighed knowing he was probably pissed at her for leaving but she had, had her reasons. She was sick of everyone looking at her as Merle Dixon's side piece. She just wanted to do something for the group other than fuck someone because she was lonely even if she had convinced herself that maybe there was more there.
"You okay?" Glenn asked as he looked over at Jessica who so far had remained calm on the drive back to camp. On the way into Atlanta he couldn't get her to shut up as she told him stories about her family but now, now she was silent and if he was honest he preferred her talking. At least it gave him something to do than get lost in his own thoughts.
Jessica shrugged, "Thinking about Merle," she admitted as she forced a smile. "He's going to be pissed when we get back," she said as she looked back at Glenn. "I mean I didn't even wake him before I left."
Glenn rolled his eyes when she mentioned Merle, "Who cares what he thinks? You did what you wanted. Merle doesn't own you."
"No he doesn't," Jessica said shaking her head. "You know my mom would hate him because he's a sinner or he would in her eyes. He's definitely no saint but I like him and I need him still," she frowned as she looked away from Glenn. "I see how people look at me since I'm with him but he helps me since Joe died. He helps me forget and just not by getting me drunk. Just by being there and knowing someone else is there."
Sighing Glenn guessed that made sense, "But why Merle? I mean there are other single men there at camp."
Jessica laughed some knowing her answer was going to sound childish, "Because he had what I wanted at the time which was alcohol and also because he was the kind of man my family hated. I guess I wanted to rebel and now I'm just attached."
"Attached to the worst man at the camp," Glenn muttered under his breath before going silent now.
At Glenn's silence Jessica just looked around her and the closer he got to camp the more she bit her lip and felt her heart hammer hard in her chest. When he eventually parked the jeep she unbuckled and got out grabbing the bag she had taken with her.
Following behind Glenn she took the bag into the RV and laid it on the counter by the sink before leaving the RV. The moment she stepped off though she swallowed hard as she came face to face with the man she had been dreading to see.
"What in the hell where you thinkin runnin off like that darlin," Merle muttered as he came face to face with Jessica. "Trusting your life with him. You could've died."
Jessica walked past Merle as she shook her head, "But I didn't die," she told him as she walked to the tent she had unofficially moved into. "I'm alive. I came back and I'm fine."
"You shouldn't have even went," Merle said following Jessica to the tent. "Pretty thang like you doesn't need to be risking her life out there. You need to be staying here with me."
"You're the main reason I went," Jessica snapped feeling aggravated at the man now. "I'm sick of the way people look at me since I've been with you. I wanted to do something to help besides being just your fuck buddy," she spat as she reached out and pushed him away from her some.
Getting angry when Jessica pushed him Merle inched towards her but before he could make it he felt someone come between them and he came face to face with one of Jessica's brothers.
Zac glared at Merle and he shook his head, "You lay a finger on her and I'll kill you," he growled before grabbing a hold of Jessica's arm and pulling her away from the man he hated. "I think she needs a little breather from you right now."
As Zac pulled her away from Merle, Jessica sighed, "We would have been fine Zac."
"Really Jess?" Zac asked sarcastically as he raised an eyebrow. "I come back from fishing to see that asshole about to hit you or worse and you say you would have been fine."
"He wouldn't have hit me," Jessica defended Merle as she moved her arm away from Zac but followed him to where he was leading her which happened to be where Avery and Zoe were sitting with Amy. "I pushed him but he wasn't going to hit me for it."
Zac rolled his eyes at Jessica defending Merle, "You didn't see the look in his eyes," he told her as he locked eyes with her. "If that man had hit you I would have killed me," he said to her again. "So you better be glad I got you away from him when I did," he said as he broke their eye contact and turned his back to her, heading towards the bus.
As Zac walked away Jessica looked down feeling her cheeks grow hot as she blushed. When she turned to look at her sisters and Amy she wasn't surprised to see them all looking at her. "I just had a disagreement with Merle that Zac happened to see," she said as she walked over and sat down beside Avery.
"Sounded like it was more than a disagreement between you and Merle," Zoe piped up as she laid the cards that she was holding down. Her,Avery, and Amy had been playing war with a deck of cards Mac had found on the bus yesterday.
Jessica semi-glared at Zoe, "That's all it was," she said shaking her head. "He was pissed I left and I got pissy with him. I pushed him and Zac thought he was going to hit me."
"He probably would have," Amy spoke up as she eyed the older Hanson sister. She hadn't hung out with her ever but then again Jessica rarely hung out with anyone but her family and the Dixon brothers except for recently she had been hanging out with Glenn when he had night time watch duty. Her and Andrea had heard Glenn and Jessica talking during one of those nights. They had both been trying to sleep but just couldn't so instead they had listened to Glenn talking to Jessica.
"And who are you to know what Merle is like?" Jessica asked Amy as she turned her glare to her. "You don't even know him. No one tries to get to know him."
Avery sighed, "I have tried but what I do know about him I don't like. I think he is an asshole," she stated watching Jessica turn to her now. "But I don't think he is the type of asshole to hit you."
Smiling some at the last thing Avery said Jessica ran a hand through her hair, "I just really like him and I don't expect anyone to understand why. But he helps me in so many ways and he's all I really have."
"That's not true," Zoe frowned feeling offended. "You have your family," she said before standing off and running to the bus.
Jessica sighed as Zoe ran off. "Should I run after her?" she asked Avery as she turned to look at her other sister.
Avery shook her head no to Jessica's question, "She'll come around on her own. She's twelve she just needs time to calm down and sulk because big sister hurt her feelings. I mean you remember how moody I was at twelve over every little thing."
"True but sometimes you had your reasons," Jessica shrugged knowing that Avery had a right to be moody. From all the things their dad had done. She still felt awful for the things she said to her their first night here. She wasn't sure she'd ever get over that.
Going silent at Jessica's words Avery nodded and then turned her attention back to Amy. "How about another round of war? This time we can involve Jessica if she wants to play."
"I do," Jessica smiled nodding her head. Maybe Zac had done her favor by getting her away from Merle for awhile though she knew she'd go back to him. Merle was a sinner and she was finding she was in really deep like with that sinner which probably had her mom rolling somewhere in the great beyond.
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Jessica sighed as she left the camp fire several hours later. She had decided to stay away from Merle from the rest of the day and she was glad that Merle had even ignored her at the camp fire that he usually attended just to throw insults at others. Tonight had been no different except that he had ignored her and that hurt her.
Making it to the tent she stopped when she found Merle outside of it smoking a cigarette, "Come to apologize?" he asked her his tone coming out rough and cold.
"No," Jessica said honestly as she looked down. "I don't have anything to apologize for. I went out cause I wanted too and I got angry cause you think all I am good for is being here with you."
"I was only angry cause I don't want you gettin hurt blondie," Merle admitted as he locked eyes with Jessica. "You and my brother are the only two people in this camp I give a rats ass about and I want you both safe."
Jessica smiled hearing Merle's words. It seemed that maybe he cared in some way about her. "Then do you forgive me?"
"I thought you weren't apologizing?" Merle asked as he threw his cigarette butt down and stomped it out.
"I'm not but I don't want you mad at me." Jessica shrugged as she ran a hand through her hair.
Watching her Merle just sighed, "I won't be as mad if you give me a kiss blondie."
Laughing Jessica just looked at him, "I think that can be arranged," she nodded as she leaned in to kiss him on the lips briefly.