𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒, Daryl Dixon

⁰¹, A LIFE LIKE MINE

  "No," Zeppelin whined, "Mom, I want you to teach me how to hunt."

  Vex's eyes flicked to Dean, the two sharing a silent conversation in a single glance.

  "Zep, we've talked about this. . ."

  "I know," Zeppelin said quickly, "But, I wanna pull my weight!"

  Vex's jaw clenched, looking to Dean who deflated.

  "Zep," Dean sighed, resting a hand on the girl's chair, "I'm just messin' with your mom when I say that, okay? We're in this together, it's not about anybody doing enough."

  "But still," Zeppelin frowned.

  Vex tapped the table with her nails, pursing her lips as Zeppelin pouted.

  "Maybe," Vex said, earning a wide grin from Zeppelin, "Eat your dinner, do your chores, head to bed, and we'll talk about it in the morning, okay, baby?"

  The rest of dinner was filled with Zeppelin's conversation. She seemed content with her mother's response and moved on to other topics; homework, the weather, when they would next visit the Greene family, her game of chess with her uncle, and why they should have a pet squirrel.

  Vex and Zeppelin cleaned up from dinner before the latter headed up to take a quick shower.

  "It's a bad idea."

  "I know, Dean," Vex sighed, bracing herself on the counter as she hung her head, "But, fuck, she barely gets to go outside."

  "We go to visit the Greene's."

  "The other six days a week she's behind metal shutters," Vex mumbled.

  "Outside isn't safe."

  "Nowhere is safe," Vex argued, turning to face her brother, "Nowhere, okay? But, hell, she'll be with me, I never have to go far, and it would be a good idea to start her with some--"

  "She's just a kid, V."

  "She is my kid, Dean," Vex said plainly, crossing her arms over her chest, "She is my daughter, which means it is my call."

  Dean pursed his lips, staring at the woman.

  "She's smart and tough as nails," Vex shook her head, "She wants to help, she wants to learn. I'm going to scout out early, make sure it's clear of walkers, then we'll go out and grab some squirrels-- small game to start."

  Dean nodded.

  "And you want me to stay back," He assumed.

  "Someone has to," She shrugged, "And you always do."

  "Yeah, I stay back and watch my niece," Dean argued, "Where she's safe, behind shutters or underground, not out there."

  The corner of Vex's lips twitched up, uncrossing her arms.

  "What?" Dean grumbled, "What's the face?"

  "You have come a very long way from hating children."

  "I still hate children, I just like this child."

  Vex shook her head just as Zeppelin returned downstairs, her curtain of wet hair swinging behind her.

  "Night, Zep," Dean said, accepting a hug from the girl, "Sweet dreams, girl."

  "Night, Uncle Dean," Zeppelin smiled, "Don't forget; count sheep if you can't sleep, okay?"

  Dean hid a glare as Vex smiled tauntingly.

  "Alright, Zep, thank you."

  "C'mon, chickadee," Vex said, approaching the girl, "Let's get you tucked in."

  Zeppelin grinned as her mother knelt, the girl quickly climbing onto her mother's back, giggling at her mother's dramatic steps up the stairs.

  "Good day?" Vex questioned, plopping the girl onto her bed.

  "Good day," Zeppelin responded, crawling under her blankets, "Good day?"

  "Always a good day when I'm with my baby girl," Vex smiled, taking a seat on the edge of Zeppelin's bed, "Get some good rest tonight, alright? We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

  "I'm too excited to sleep," Zeppelin whispered with a wide smile.

  "Well, if you're too sleepy tomorrow, you don't get to shoot my gun," Vex whispered.

  Zeppelin looked as though she would simply explode due to excitement.

  "Goodnight, baby," Vex smiled, pressing a kiss to the girl's forehead, "See you bright and early."

  "Goodnight, momma," Zeppelin smiled, "I love you to the moon and back."

  "And every single star in between," Vex smiled before cutting the light off and pulling the door closed.

  Although, Vex Williams knew she wouldn't be getting any much-needed rest, as she collected her rifle from her bedroom, before re-joining her brother downstairs.

  "I got it tonight, V, you're out tomorrow."

  "You have to be on high alert while we're out, I'll sleep when I'm back," Vex waved off, "Night, Dean."

  He seemed to hesitate but chose not to pick the fight as Vex took a seat by the front door, which had already been locked up and armed for the night, keeping her rifle in her hands, between her knees.

  Dean lingered on the bottom step, watching his sister tap her fingers on the gun slowly.

  It was strange, he thought to himself, Vex's connection with that gun.

  Even before the apocalypse, guns made some people feel safer, and now, you were dead in the water without one.

  But it was different. Vex and hers. Like it was an extra limb, so rarely without it.

  He shrugged it off as the remnants of her previous job, shaking his head as he climbed the stairs to his room.

WORD COUNT: 1291