The New World | The Walking Dead x Male Reader, OC

Say The Word

THIRD PERSON

Beth still had her arms wrapped around Mason. Rick was on his knees and spaced out and so was his oldest son.

"Mason..? Mason? Baby, you with me?" Beth shook her boyfriend, finally getting his attention.
"What? Yeah, yeah. I'm here." He whispered as he shook his head and stood up.

Maggie handed the baby to Carl.

"Let me see the baby." Hershel said to Carl as he walked over with the newborn.
"What are we gonna feed it? We got anything a baby can eat?" Daryl asked, walking over to Hershel.

"Hey. I'm sorry, man. I am." Glenn said as he gave Mason a hug.
"Thanks." Is all Mason was able to say as he returned the quick hug to his best friend.

"The good news is, she looks healthy. But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive." Hershel said to Daryl.
"Nope. No way. Not her. We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run." Daryl said.
"I'll back you up." Maggie said.
"I'll go too." Glenn said.
"Okay, think where we're going. Beth." Daryl said as he tapped her shoulder. She walked away from Mason for a moment.
"Kids just lost their mom. Their dad ain't doing so hot." Daryl whispered.
"I'll look out for them." Beth said.

Mason walked over.

"You two, get the fence. Can't let any walkers pile up." Mason said to Oscar and Axel, surprising everyone that he's still mostly level headed even after losing his mother.
"Glenn, Maggie. Vamos!" Daryl said.

Rick finally stood up but only to grab his hatchet that was on the ground. Once he picked it up, he walked back into the walker infested prison.

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Mason sat on a short pair of steps, watching his best friend dig his mother's grave from afar. A shovel resting beside him as he debated going to help dig his own mother's grave.

"How are you holding up, son?" Hershel's voice rang our from behind the teenage boy.
"I'm fine. I have to be. Dad's checked out, so that leaves me in charge." Mason said.
"You just lost your mother. Give yourself time to grieve, to mourn. Let the rest of us handle things." Hershel said. Mason stood up, grabbing the shovel.
"Time is one thing we don't have anymore. Check on Carl for me, please." Mason said before walking off into the field. Hershel nodded as he hobbled back inside, looking for Carl.

"Hey. Where are you going?" Beth said as she walked over to Mason.
"I'm goin' to help Glenn." Mason said. Beth was still shocked that he seems so level headed. She had no words.
"We lost a third of our group cause of one asshole. I'm done watching people I care about die." Mason said as he tried to walk away but Beth grabbed his arm.
"Come with me. Let's go back inside." Beth said with a gentle tone. Mason sighed and dropped the shovel, following his girlfriend back into their cell block.

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A few hours pass and it's nighttime. Everyone waited inside the cellblock for Maggie and Daryl to come back. Beth and Mason were sitting at one of the tables alone while Mason's eyes were glued onto his baby sister who who carried in his arms.

"When everything went to shit I was in school. Walkers started filling the streets and killing anyone nearby. All of us saw it through the school's windows. Shane called me. He told me to go pick up Carl while he picked up my mom." Mason broke the silence between his girlfriend and himself.
"My best friend Jason saw me start to leave the school through one of the side doors. He tried to stop me but when I mentioned that I had to pick up Carl he decided to come with me. We barely made it five minutes out of the school when they attacked him. He told me that if I ever find his family to tell them he died a hero." Mason said with a sad chuckle.
"I'm so sorry, Mason." Beth said, not knowing what else to say.
"I'm done letting people I love die. I'm done." Mason said as he finally looked his girlfriend in the eyes.

Daryl and Maggie walked into the cell block. Maggie took out tubs of baby formula out of her bag as they made a bottle for the newborn. Maggie handed the bottle to Mason who grabbed it, holding his sister with one arm as everyone else circled around him while he fed her. Everyone had smiles on their faces.

"Hey, baby brother. Think of a name yet?" Mason said with his first smile of the day.
"Not yet. I was thinking maybe Sofia. Then there's Carol too, and... Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or... Lori. I don't know." Carl said, every word reminding Mason of all the people they've lost.
"Or Little Ass-Kicker." Daryl said which made everyone laugh.
"How 'bout that? Little Ass-Kicker." Mason said with a chuckle of his own.

"I love you, Little Ass-Kicker." Mason said as he gave his baby sister a kiss on the forehead.