VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴51

"Ellie!" she scolds.

"She came by the infirmary yesterday after you two left. She asked if I knew about karma and.. she kissed me."

"And then?"

"And then she ran away and avoided you," Glenn figures it out.

I pull my lips into a line and point at him to let him know he was right on the dot.

"Ellie.." mom sighs.

"I told her I didn't want to get hurt or hurt her. So, it was best we keep distance."

Mom goes to say something, but Glenn holds his hand up. They share another look.

"Ellie, in this world now.. We don't get to choose much of anything. But, we can choose if we want to survive or live," Glenn explains.

"What's the difference?" I ask. "Surviving and living are the same thing."

"No, no.. Surviving is just staying alive and getting by. Living is choosing something and building something."

"What's the 'something'?" I wonder.

"Whatever we want most for ourselves."

"These aren't times to 'want' for things."

Glenn looks to mom then to me. "You want a sibling, right?"

I purse my lips. "That's different. That's adding a new life. That's.."

"Accepting someone new and loving them."

My eyes widen. "I said we kissed- no one said anything about love!"

Mom laughs and Glenn huffs with stress.

"Besides the point," he brushes it off. "Ellie, we're fighting so hard to survive so we can live. If we don't live.. the fighting and surviving was for nothing."

I cross my arms around myself. "Did you love mom when you first met?"

"I was terrified of your mom when we first met."

"Glenn!" she cries, slapping his chest lightly.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because she had too much power over me and I'd do anything to stay alive and be with her."

Mom's face changes to a soft one. She makes an 'aww' sound and wraps herself around his side. I smile at the pair.

I comb back over Glenn's words. If we didn't live, the fighting was pointless.

"We should take advantage of the times we're happy because we don't know when the next chance will come up," Glenn adds. "Then, we remember the happy moments when we need to remember why we're fighting to survive."

I nod in understanding. Glenn smiles and rubs mom's back before kissing her head.

"And just for the record.. I'd want you to have what we have. I want you to be happy with whoever brings you the most joy," mom adds.

"Even if it's a girl?" I see through what she was saying.

"Especially if it's a girl. I want you to be happy, Ellie."

"Thanks," I say, feeling a blush crawl up my neck.

"Hey," mom greets suddenly.

I look back to see Michonne approaching. She smiles at me and I wave happily.

"We'll have these but we should hide a few," mom explains the guns to Michonne. "That way we can find them and strangers can't. In case anyone gets in."

Glenn pats her hand and steps back to the guns. "They won't."

They trade a smile and I couldn't help but mimic the expression. I pick dad's gun out of my holster.

I'd had too many close calls with losing it to people. Terminus, Saviors, God knows who else could threaten to take it away. I didn't have to always use it. I could use another gun and keep dad's kept back unless I really, really needed it.

No one could take it away, then. Where would be a good place to hide it?

Daryl's bike revs in the distance and the four of us look over to the gates he was driving to.

"What the hell is he doing?" Glenn wonders.

"Something he shouldn't," Michonne answers.

Michonne leaves to follow.

"We gotta stop him," Glenn tells mom and I.

"Is he going after the people that killed Denise?" I ask as we run. "Weren't they Saviors?"

"That's why he can't go alone. He can't go at all," Glenn says.

When we get to the gates, Daryl is already leaving.

"Stay here. You two are still recovering. Michonne and I will find him and bring him back before he does anything stupid," Glenn says, opening the van door.

"What?" I ask. "You need help in case-"

"It's gonna be fine, Ellie. Okay? Just stay here and take care of your mom, all right?"

Glenn rests his hand on my shoulder. I sigh and nod once. He forces a smile and pats my shoulder.

"We'll be back soon," Glenn tells mom and kisses her cheek. "I love you."

"Love you," mom returns. "Be safe."

Glenn and Michonne get into the van. Abraham tries to stop them so he can go as well, but Rosita argues because she thinks she knows where Daryl is going. She should- they were together when Denise died.

Mom rests her hands on my shoulder from behind. We stand together as Abraham closes the gates and Glenn, Michonne, and Rosita drive away after Daryl.