XXI

—/<3/—

Rory and Maggie were in charge of moving the bodies into the graves that had been dug, though Maggie grimaced every time her skin came into contact with a walker. She didn't look as effected by the slaughter as the rest of her family.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked Maggie as they lowered one of the walkers into the grave Glenn had dug. Rory assumed it was someone Maggie knew, or else they would've burnt it.

"No. I know they weren't human anymore and they were technically dead, but they were family, and it felt like they were still here when they were in the barn." Maggie rambled, her eyes getting teary.

"Do you want to get drunk and cry with Niamh and I?" Rory offered, opening her arms for a hug.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Maggie sniffled, falling into Rory's arms. "We're so gross right now."

"I know." Rory chuckled.

—/<3/—

"Where did you even get all this?" Maggie asked, eyeing the dozen bottles of spirits that were stored in the trunk of Archie's car. Rory had to invite him and Mikey to girl's night just so she'd be allowed to use it.

"We got gifted most of it on tour and the rest we bought. We never ended up drinking a lot of it because we were so busy." Archie pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels, obviously claiming that one for himself.

"What's your pick? Vodka? Sourz? Rum?" Niamh questioned, sifting through the bottles.

"I'm in the mood for some vodka," Maggie took the bottle, immediately cracking open the lid and taking a large swig, her face scrunching into a grimace.

"Slow down, we've got all night." Rory smiled, grabbing herself a bottle of gin. "Oh, Niamh, I got us something last week but forgot to give it to you," Rory climbed into the trunk, digging through one of the cage and pulling out the two dresses she'd looted. "You want pink or blue?"

"Hmm... I think I want pastel blue," Niamh answered, taking the sundress from Rory.

"I've got a similar one in yellow, should we all go change?" Maggie asked.

"Absolutely, I love matching outfits!" Niamh squealed, grabbing Rory and Maggie by the arms and dragging them towards the farmhouse.

"Don't start without us!" Rory called back to her brother and Mikey.

The farmhouse was quite for a change. Everyone had retreated to their own rooms, needing time to themselves after the barn incident, though it seemed Maggie just wanted to forget for the night. After closing the curtains, the three girls quickly changed into their dresses and ran back to Archie's car.

"That was quick," Archie said, lighting up a cigarette. Mikey was a few steps away from the car, making up a campfire.

"Can I have one of those?" Maggie asked Archie.

"Sure." He held out the pack to her and she took one.

"You smoke?" Niamh asked her, attempting to steal one of Archie's for herself. Archie pulled the pack back and glared at her, motioning to the packet sticking out of her bra.

"I dabbled in college and never smoked since but today was terrible. Don't tell my dad, he'll have a heart attack."

"Mikey you want one?" Rory asked.

"Yeah one second, just getting the fire going."

Rory sat down on the grass, her guitar next to her and her bottle of gin resting in her lap. Mikey came over a minute later, sitting next with a bottle in his hands.

"Have you played anything yet?" He asked her, eyeing the guitar.

"No." Rory took a sip from her bottle.

"What's going on here?" Daryl asked, he walked over having spotted the fire. Rory patted the spot on her other side and Daryl looked to the others in the group hesitantly for any annoyance about his presence. Once he saw that no one had any qualms with him being there, he took a seat next to Rory.

"You want a drink Daryl?" Archie asked, holding a bottle of Macallen in his direction.

"Sure, thanks."

"Why haven't you played anything?" Mikey pushed.

Rory shrugged. "Haven't got around to it."

Whilst that was true, Rory felt weird playing one of the band's songs without Jonah around. It felt wrong. He wrote all of their songs, most of them about their lives and the things they'd all gone through together, but they weren't all together anymore, one person was missing and they'd never get him back.

"We have time now, play something. You're the only one here who can play guitar."

Rory sighed and reluctantly picked up the instrument, placing her gin down next to her. Thankfully, Maggie spoke up first before Mikey could ask her to play one of Jonah's originals.

"Do you know Marty Robbins? Can you play one of his? My brothers used to listen to him all the time."

"I know a few... you want Big Iron, Saddle Tramp or—"

"Saddle Tramp!" Maggie cut her off. "I love that one."

Rory nodded and played a few test notes before she went straight into the song, keeping her eyes glued to the grass in front of her as she sang, suddenly feeling embarrassed as if it wasn't her whole career to perform a couple months ago. Things were different in front of a small crowd, it was somehow more daunting than an entire concert hall despite three out of five people there being bandmates.

She loosened up a bit when Maggie joined in at the chorus, swaying from side to side as she sang along. Eventually, Niamh and Mikey joined in too and Rory realised just how much she missed singing, even if Jonah wasn't there anymore.

—/<3/—