when i look at you | TWD

chapter twelve. just them

ELLIE RUBBED HER TEMPLE, ANNOYED AT EVERYONE'S ARGUING. The group was currently trying to figure out whether this kid Randall should live or not. They were all yelling and the girl wasn't liking it. Her parents would yell at each other almost her whole childhood and that just brought back old memories.

She looked to her wrist and saw it was a faint purple color from when her father had gripped her. Ellie didn't expect him to do that. Ever. Looking up, she saw Daryl looking back at her with squinted eyes. Feeling uncomfortable with his stare, she instantly looked away, pulling her sleeve over her bruised wrist.

"Why is this even up for debate? He's a human being!" Dale yelled, everyone sighing.

"He's also danger to the group." Shane pointed out, Ellie looking anywhere but him. "I won't have him here with... with my daughter. I won't have him here if his group is gonna come looking for him!"

Rick glanced to Ellie and then looked back to Shane, shaking his head. "His group left him to die. They're not coming."

"Yeah? How do we know that he won't try to escape?" Shane was starting to get angry and Ellie took notice. She scoffed and walked out from the room, tired of all the yelling.

Ellie inhaled deeply and not moments after that, Jax was next to her, attempting to comfort her. "You okay?"

"Yeah..." Ellie trailed off, holding herself closer. Glancing up at him, she saw something switch in his eyes. Something soft once he looked back at her. That look immediately went away once his eyes darted down to her bruised wrist.

"What the fuck happened?" Jax gripped her arm gently, the girl wincing and tried pulling back, making him get a better look at it.

"It's nothing-"

"Nothing?" Jax scoffed, dropping her arm completely. "That's not nothing, El. Tell me."

Right as she was about to speak, the door swung open, revealing her father.

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and pulled herself closer once again, avoiding eye contact with him. Jax looked to Shane and then looked to Ellie. He widened his eyes in realization.

Shane walks up to his daughter, sighing deeply. "Ellie, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Ellie's eyes meet the pleading ones of her father, hands on his hips, a stance of subtle demand. She pulls her hair behind her ear nervously as Jax stares down Shane, ready to pounce on him at any moment.

"Yeah." Ellie says before even realizing it. She just wanted Jax and Shane to get away from each other and her brain spoke for her. "Yeah, sure."

Shane sighs in relief, rubbing his hand over his head. "Okay." He speaks just above a whisper.

Ellie walks where they had their old camp set up from when they first got to the farm. Which was until Hershel was kind enough to let them stay in his home.

"What did you wanna talk about?" El says, crossing her arms against her chest.

Shane's eyes immediately go to her arm that he grabbed so harshly the other day. "You know I would never hurt you, El, okay?" He takes a step closer and she lets him, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "You have to get that."

A tear rolls down her cheek, then another. She wipes them away and shakes her head. "Then why did you?"

Shane's face drops at that, guilt running through his body. "I-I'm sorry, baby..." He reaches out to touch her and she takes a step back. 

"I know what you did to Jax." Shane stops all his movements, eyebrows furrowing. "Did you not mean to do that, too?" Ellie watches as his eyes flicker in between hers, his mouth closed in a tight line.

She scoffs and walks back towards the house. Jax see's tears running down her face and immediately comes to her aid. "Hey... what happened?"

"It's fine, let's just go in." Ellie says desperately, pushing her way past him.

Rick was the one to walk out, almost bumping into Ellie. "Everythin' alright?"

Jax looked to Ellie and she shook her head, her eyes pleading for him not to tell his father. She doesn't know what would happen if Rick had known that her father had almost sprained her wrist.

"Uh, nothing. Just worked up about this Randall thing." Jax told him and she let out a silent sigh of relief.

Rick was very skeptical about his answer. He was a cop after all. His eyes scan Ellie's demeanor, then his eyes land on her wrist, eyes slightly widening in concern. Nevertheless, he nodded his head, clearing his throat lowly. "Okay. I'll let y'all know what happens." With that, the man walked off towards Shane who stood outside the barn, pacing back and forth.

"Shane!" The man turned around and he widened his eyes slightly in fear of what he was going up to him for. He covered it up by looking back inside the barn, Randall moving his hands around while they stayed in the cuffs.

"What's up?"

"You talk to El recently?" Rick asked, wanting to see what his reaction was.

Shane nodded his head and rubbed nose, a nervous habit. "She is my daughter. Why?"

Rick shrugged and then placed his hands on his hips. "She seemed stressed about somethin'. You notice her wrist?"

"Man, what you tryin' to say?" Shane was starting to get angry.

"Just wondering if you had something to do with that is all." Rick wasn't stupid. He knew that was how daughters react when her father or family had done something bad and this is how fathers reacted when they had done that said thing.

Shane scoffed and shook his head, looking back inside the barn. "Nah, man. I don't."

Rick inhaled and then looked back at Ellie and Jax on the porch, sitting on the bench as the two looked at her arm. "Alright." Rick started to walk off and Shane watched him, wanting nothing more than to strangle the man from accusing him of hurting his daughter.

"You need to tell my dad at least." Jax spoke, Ellie looking at him with a slight pout and her puppy dog eyes.

"I can't. I don't know what would happen if I do." She told him, looking back down at her bruised wrist.

Jax sighed deeply and then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She gave in and leaned against his chest, feeling his heart beat faster.

She loved these moments between the two of them, like there was no one else in the world but them. Eleanor wished it was always like this. No end of the world shit. Just them.

Jax felt something too. There was a stir in his chest once he felt her body relax against his and when she spoke, it sounded like an angel speaking. He didn't know what he was feeling and he didn't know if he liked it or not. Falling for your best friend? Not only your best friend, but Shane Walsh' daughter.

His thoughts were interrupted by Rick walking up to them, an expression of fear all over his face.

Jax got up and Ellie followed, her face going up in confusion. "Dad?" He spoke, his voice wavering.

"Randall's gone."