❝ You're caught in my crosshairs again. ❞
In which a Navy SEAL,
a doomsday prepper,
and an extroverted
12-year-old find life in the
apocalypse alongside a
group of...
Few people in her life ever saw her as a hero, and she surely hadn't planted the idea in her daughter's head that she was a saint.
But, still, somehow, Zeppelin saw the best of her.
Vex was beginning to think that was Zeppelin's gift and burden. A heart of gold, too much kindness, and the kind of optimism a girl who had lived her life didn't often have.
"What about dessert?" Zeppelin gasped, "If he eats dinner, he'll want dessert."
"Baby, that man is not as nice as Carol was, I think we better--"
"We should still give him a chance," Zeppelin said, "What if he's really nice underneath? Like you?"
Vex narrowed her eyes.
"Did Uncle Dean put you up to this?"
Zeppelin giggled.
"I'm serious, kid."
"I know," Zeppelin continued laughing, "D'ya think Daryl likes chocolate?"
Vex sighed, standing straight.
"Well, if he doesn't, then there's really no hope for him, is there?"
🗡
Daryl had hardly expected Carol's visit and was downright shocked when the door opened for a second time.
"You should've listened when I told you to take a radio."
He groaned at the voice.
"Or when I told you not to take that horse," Vex noted, crossing her arms.
"D'ya just come in here to say that?"
Daryl sat up, only to be shocked into silence.
"I hope you like chocolate; my mom said if you don't, then there's really no hope for you."
Everyone who had seen her thought the same thing, but as it was Daryl's first glimpse of the girl, he couldn't help it.
She was a normal kid.
Not like Carl or Sophia had been-- her face was clean, hair neatly braided to stay out of her face, a clean, albeit loose, Guns N' Roses t-shirt paired with neat jeans.
And Daryl could not fathom how anyone, anyone, let alone a child, could look completely unscathed from the apocalypse.
"Oh, I'm Zeppelin, sorry, don't mean to be rude," She continued.
"Zeppelin?" He repeated, "Like--"
"The band," The girl supplied with a grin, "Do you want the cake?"
Daryl accepted the plate hesitantly.
"Get ready for bed, baby," Vex said, resting a hand on Zeppelin's shoulder, "I wanna talk to Daryl for a second."
Zeppelin agreed, pressing a kiss to her mother's cheek before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.
Vex took a seat in a chair beside the bed, folding her arms in front of herself.
"Listen, you're not the first person I've met that doesn't play nice with others," Vex said, "But I can't have another person to look after, so, maybe just hear me out when I talk."
Daryl, in all honesty, wanted to retort in one way or another.
But he couldn't deny that Vex Williams was the first and only person who had ever come to his rescue.
"You stay to your side, I'll stay to mine," She added, "But I haven't even done anything to make you be such an asshole."
"Just the way it is," He mumbled, taking a bite of the cake.
"Well, it's pissing me off," Vex sighed, "So, fix it, or leave."
She pushed herself out of the chair, entirely finished with the conversation. Vex's hand was on the doorknob when he spoke up.
"Thanks."
"For the cake? That was entirely Zeppelin's idea."
