"You ever wonder why they call bird shit "guano"?"-
Ezekiel
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
-Chapter Summary:-
Over the past five months, things have been quiet, but training day for Oceanside and a urgent supply run for Taylor's new baby changes all of that. Deacon and Taylor take in a bandit for questioning, and a Whisperer mask has washed up along the shore of Oceanside, sending the communities into caution. An old friend returns from their travels, and Taylor gets a tattoo to truly show someone how much she cares about them as an unknown object from space plummets into the nearby forest and causes a fire. Things won't be so quiet for the communities anymore...
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
-Chapter one hundred & five; Lines We Cross-
•••
-5 Months Later-
TAYLOR
TAYLOR WATCHED AS DEACON
knocked on the glass window with his knuckles, backing up to stand beside the young mother as the two waited quietly to see if any walkers would respond.
The biker looked up at the sign of the store, "Baby's R Us...huh?".
She shrugged, "Elaina's gonna need more stuff sooner rather than later. Besides, it's only a fifteen minute drive from Oceanside. We didn't go that out of the way.".
Elaina's name always brought a smile to her face, her newborn baby girl her main source of joy currently these days...
The yoyng widow looked over at the biker, a sigh escaping past her lips as she finally asked the question that had been running through her head for the past five months, "Back at Hilltop...you mentioned knowing how I felt about losing my husband because you lost your wife. Who...Who was she?".
He scratched the back of his neck, "...Her name was Sarah...she uh...she was the prettiest woman I ever saw; nicest too. We met under some really weird circumstances...but ever since then...we were inseparable. We were a match mace in heaven, always by each other's side...that was until...until the outbreak happened. She was uh...she was stabbed, and me an' my friend got her te this evacuation chopper. We were all plannin' on goin'...but they could only take two. So...I sent Sarah on her own wit' 'em...".
The young widow furrowed her eyebrows, "Why didn't you go with her?".
He shrugged, "My friend was hurt real bad...he wasn't gonna make it on his own...I couldn't leave him te die...".
She frowned, "Deacon, she could still be out there. Why don't you have hope for her?
We—We could go look for her; me and Daryl; we'll go—" He cut her short.
"Taylor...you don't get it...me an' my friend...we went te where the chopper was goin' te fin' her...the camp was overrun...she was gone..." He explained.
"No...Deacon...I do...back...back in the beginning...I...I was separated from Mom, Dad, and Chloe. Merle and Daryl...they were the only ones around to protect me. Mom, Dad, and Chloe...they were in Atlanta during the bombing...having to stay away from thousands of walkers...even as the odds were against them, they still made it out alive, even though in the end Mom and Chloe ended up as walkers and...Negan...Negan killed Dad...I didn't get a happy ending; but Deacon, I think you can. Sarah is out there...somewhere. We just gotta find her." The young mother smiled up at the biker.
Before he could reply, a bullet whizzed past Taylor's head, lodging into the glass behind her and it shattered into many tiled pieces onto the tiled floor of the store.
The two looked out at the parking lot to see a few cars rolling up.
"Shit, bandits! Get down!" Deacon ushered Taylor over the windowsill into the store, him following in behind her as the two ducked down under the window.
"Y'all are gonna fuckin' die!" One of the bandits yelled, another bullet flying into the store, this one hitting one of the display shelves.
"How many of them are there?" The young widow asked, unholstering her silenced pistol.
The biker peaked over the windowsill, seeing the bandits exiting their cars, "'Bout ten...maybe twelve. Ye um...ye head on further into the store, get what ye need fer Hailey." He stripped off a rifle from his backpack, "I'll take care o' these assholes.".
"You can't be serious. You need me up here." She argued.
"Nah, we need te be in an' outta here. 'Sides, I ain't gonna be much help wit' baby shit. Now go." He pressed.
Sighing, the young mother holstered her pistol, unslinging her backpack, "This is so fucking stupid...".
She rushed into the isles of the Baby's R Us, clicking on her flashlight as she began scanning the shelves for anything useful for Elaina.
She grabbed an array of baby formula, bottles, clothing, baby wipes and diapers, "...Fuck, where are the pacifiers...".
That's when a bullet grazed the side of her arm, and she looked down the isle to see a bandit had made it inside, "Yer gonna die
bit—".
Before the bandit could finish, a walker emerged from the dark shadows of the store, sinking its teeth into the bandits neck as it ripped out his jugular, spurts of dark red blood pouring out as the young widow backed away from the scene, "...Oh fuck...".
As the walker tackled the bandit to the floor to continue its feast, the young mother ran in the opposite direction back to the front of the store, freezing as the remaining group of bandits bursted through the front doors.
"Fuck!" The young mother dove down behind one of the shelves as bullets flew to the spot she stood paralyzed in moments before as she scrambled for her holstered pistol.
"You four go find the drifter. Us three'll go find the girl." One of the bandits said.
That meant there were several left, meaning Deacon took out two while that walker took out the one.
That walker could become a problem soon once it was done feasting on the bandit, and so could the bandit if he reanimated...
"Fuck it..." She muttered, sliding her pistol across the floor to where it crossed over into the isle across from her as she unsheathed her hunting knife, and one of the bandits went right for her trap.
She walked towards the young widows pistol, recovering it from off the ground as Taylor snuck up behind her as she knelt down, cupping her hand over the bandits mouth before slitting her throat, the bandit choking on her own blood, gurgling sounds following as she collapsed to the tiled floors.
"The hell was that?" One of the other bandits questioned, beginning to move over to the noise.
Taylor hid behind the shelf as he walked up, and at the last second, she spun around the corner, gripping his wrist as she twisted it and grabbed his gun, keeping her free arm locked around his neck as she pressed his gun to his head, the other bandit aiming her gun at the young mother.
"Put the goddamn gun down or your friend gets his brains blown out!" Taylor demanded, and the bandit lowered her gun.
Taking the advantage, Taylor quickly shot a round into the bandits head before shooting the other, the two's bodies falling lifelessly to the ground.
"Fucking assholes..." She muttered, sliding the bandits gun into the waistband of her jeans before retrieving her's from off the tiled floor.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up as saw Deacon had taken care of the bandits, dragging with him the remaining one, who was currently clawing at the bikers arm, "Let go of me you fuckin' asshole!".
The young widow furrowed her eyebrows, "Why the hell did you keep him alive?".
"Questioni—" He stoped short, and the young mother cocked a brow as he pulled out his handgun, "Duck.".
Doing as the biker said, the young mother ducked, two shots ranging out quickly after, and she turned around to see the walker and the bandit it attacked earlier, who was now reanimated, lying dead on the ground.
"Well that could have been bad." She muttered, turning back to Deacon and the bandit.
"Ye get what ye need?" He asked, to which she tugged the strap of her backpack, "Good. Let's get this asshole back te Oceanside fer question'.".
As the young window and biker began heading back for his bike, the bandit sneering, "Let me go you asshole!".
Deacon groaned, stopping in his tracks when they exited the store, "Oh fuck.".
Taylor sighed, "What?".
The biker gestured down to the bandit, "How the hell are we gonna get him on the bike. We're not all gonna fit.".
"I'll radio Daryl..." She muttered, sliding her walkie talkie from off her belt as she grabbed the raider by the collar of his hoodie, "Listen here, asshole. You try any shit, I will end your life so fast it's not even funny.".
He scoffed, spitting in her face, "Fuck you, bitch.".
Whipping out her hunting knife, she pressed the blade to his cheek, "You wanna say that again, asshole? If I were you, I'd keep your
big—ass mouth shut.".
"Hey hey hey," Deacon ushered Taylor away from the bandit with his free hand as she wiped away the spit from her cheek, "We need him alive. Just radio Daryl.".
Muttering a few cuss words, the young mother stepped to the side as she kicked her walkie talkie to life, "Dad, you there?".
"I'm here? What's up, Babygirl?" The voice of her adoptive father replied, the roar of his motorcycle in the background.
"Can you swing by the Baby's R Us off the side of the highway? Me and Deacon ran into a bit of...trouble..." The young widow explained.
The redneck scoffed, "What kind o' trouble?".
"Bandits. Deacon wants to take one back for questioning, but we don't have enough room. Think you can come help us?".
The Dixon sighed, "Fine, fine, I'm on my way. Was gonna go see Carol.".
"Carol's coming back today? Shit, it's been five months since the last time I saw her." The young widow realized.
"Yeah...she jus' uh...she jus' needed some time te clear her head. Anyway...I'll uh...I'll be there in a few. See ye.".
She killed her walkie talkie, slipping it back into the belt of her jeans as she walked back over to Deacon and the bandit.
"Carol comin' back today?" The biker questioned.
"Yep. Guess her little voyage around the world is done..." The young mother remarked.
"Yer still mad...aren't ye?" He pointed out.
She sighed, "I'm not...I'm not mad...I just wish she would've told me goodbye...".
"...Things were rough on everybody after what happened...think she was in a rush te escape..." He mumbled.
The sound of a motorcycle engine pierced through the air, and a few moments later, Daryl came speeding around the corner on his bike, rolling up to the three by the front entrance of the Baby's R Us.
Coming to a stop, the redneck kicked his bike's kickstand down after cutting off the engine, walking up to the two, "Who the hell is this?".
"Don' know, man. That's what we gotta figure out." Deacon replied, walking up to Daryl and patted him on the back.
The young mother picked up the bandit from off the ground and dragged him over to Deacon's bike, "How'd training go?".
"Went fine. The trainees did well." Daryl replied, unsheathing his hunting knife.
"Whoah man, you don't gotta do this, alright!?" The bandit tried to reason.
"Shut the hell up." The Dixon grumbled, slamming the handle of his knife against the bandits head, knocking him out cold before he slung him over Deacon's bike.
The young widow placed her hands on her adoptive father's jaw, "You didn't get hurt at training this morning, right?".
He placed his hands gently around her wrists, lowering her hands, "I'm alri', babygirl. I didn't get hurt.".
She wrapped her arms around him for a hug, "You had me worried.".
"Hey, we should probably head back. We gotta get that shithead questioned." Deacon said, walking up to his bike.
Taylor pulled away from Daryl, following the redneck to his bike.
The young mother hopped on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as the Dixon kicked up the kickstand and cranked up his bike, following Deacon out of the Baby's R Us parking lot.
•••
DARYL
DEACON HAD GONE OFF TO
question the bandit while Taylor had gone to check on Elaina, who was currently being babysat by Judith.
Word from Michonne was that the young Grimes was doing quite well with the infant.
Meanwhile, Daryl stood out on the docks of Oceanside with Ezekiel, waiting for Carol's boat to arrive.
"You ever wonder why they call bird shit "guano"?" The ex-king asked the redneck.
"Nah. I jus' call it bird shit." The Dixon simply replied.
"Yeah. Me too." Ezekiel agreed.
That's when Taylor walked along the dock with Elaina in her arms, bouncing the young girl up and down, "Say hi Grandpa Daryl. Hi Ezekiel.".
Elaina babbled happily, outstretching her chubby baby hands towards Daryl and Ezekiel.
The redneck chuckled, taking his youngest granddaughter from his adoptive daughters arms, "Hey, darlin'. Ye have fun wit' Judith today? I bet ye did.".
The young infant giggled, pulling at the long strands of her grandfather's hair.
Cocking a brow, Taylor folded her arms, "Why the hell are you and Ezekiel talking about bird shit?".
Grinning, the ex-king gestured to the vast ocean around them, "It's quite a fitting topic for the scenery around us.".
Giggling, the young mother rolled her eyes, "Seems like a reasonable answer. Anyway, I wanted to know what you guys think about these.".
She slipped out a black case from the back pocket of her jeans and opened it, pulling out a pair of black circular glasses before sliding them over the bridge of her nose and tucked the glasses snug over her ears, letting her hair fall over them, "So?".
Both Ezekiel and Daryl seemed shocked at the young widows new appearance as Ezekiel asked, "You need...glasses!? Since when!?".
"Well uh...my Dad...he had glasses...and my Mom needed glasses too, but she just refused to get them. I was bound to need them at some point. Besides, I don't need them all the time, just when I'm reading." The young mother explained.
The Dixon grinned, bouncing his granddaughter, "They uh...they look good on ye, babygirl. They suit ye.".
The young widow smiled up at her adoptive father, "...Thanks...".
Behind them came Connie and Dog and Daryl went to pet him after handing Elaina back to Taylor, "Hi. Hi, buddy. Hi.".
Tapping the rednecks shoulder, Connie lifted up her notepad, 'I think you lost something.'.
"Uh..." Taylor couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips as her adoptive father thought over what to say, atleast how to say it in sign language.
He had come to her asking how the hell he was he supposed to learn sign language, and the young mother recommended that he search a library for a sign language book.
After that instance, she caught him once in a while reading over it, and it warmed her heart sleeing him try so hard to learn it for Connie.
"No. He just lkkes you better." He signed.
Connie nodded with a smile, genuinely impressed.
"Right?" He patted his chest and Dog leaped up on his back legs as the Dixon scratched the German Shepherd behind his ears, Connie writing something else down on her notepad.
Looking over Connie's handwriting, he took the notepad from her and Taylor peered over the rednecks shoulder, 'Not bad—you sign with a Southern accent.'.
"Really?" The Dixon questioned.
The young widow couldn't help but laugh, setting Elaina down on the dock with Dog before she signed, "How the hell is that even possible?".
Connie took her notepad back from Daryl before writing something else down, 'And you sign with a British accent. Like Yumiko.".
"How the hell is that even a thing?" The young mother questioned, furrowing her brows.
The redneck chuckled, "Taylor, it's pas' twelve. Ain't ye forgettin' yer tea an' crumpets?".
"Wow. I'm laughing my ass off." She rolled her eyes before signing to Connie, "He's an asshole.".
That's when Jordyn walked up with the twins, "Think that might be an understatement.".
"Agreed. Anyway, where's hubby wubby?" The widow asked the redhead.
Jordyn scoffed at the nickname, "Alden went to help Deacon with that bandit asshole. From the sounds of it, it's not going too well...".
Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang out through the air, and Taylor turned to see the boat Carol left on arriving at the dock.
"Hey." Daryl called out, followed by a whistle as the boat docked itself, Carol waving down at them.
A few minutes later, Carol handed her satchel and bow to a woman on the dock before she was greeted by Ezekiel, who helped her down.
Taylor awkwardly looked over the Dixon's shoulder at the ex husband and wife before signing, "They look really awkward.".
Daryl signed back, "That's why I'm avoidin' eye contact.".
A few moments later, Carol walked up to them and hugged Connie before she hugged Taylor.
The young mother wrapped her arms tightly around the elder woman, "Don't ever leave again without saying goodbye.".
Carol smiled sadly, placing her hands over Taylor's cheeks, "I won't, sweetie. I promise. God, look at you, you get more beautiful with each passing day.".
"Yeah, an' older". Daryl commented, bringing the elder woman into an embrace and picked her up from off the dock.
She chuckled, hugging the redneck back, "Did ya miss me?".
"Not really." The Dixon remarked.
"I'll take that." Carol joked.
"That is such bullshit. He cried about you every night before he went to bed. Taylor, when is Carol gonna come back." The young widow smirked, doing her best Southern accent as she picked up Elaina from off the dock and handed her to Carol.
"Yeah, alri', think it's 'bout time ye shut up now." The redneck glared.
Carol rolled her eyes at the two's squabbling as she bounced the infant up and down, "Taylor, she's precious. She looks just like you.".
"Nah, Taylor had way chubbier cheeks than Elaina. Think I have a picture too te show ye." A devilish smirk spread across the rednecks face as he pinched his granddaughter's cheeks.
"Yep, think that's my queue to leave. You guys take care of Elaina, I'll be done in an hour or two." The young mother rushed down the dock and away from Carol and Daryl.
She looked up at the Dixon, "What's got her in a rush?".
"One o' the people from Oceanside found stuff te give people tattoos. Taylor made a trade wit' 'em." The redneck explained.
The elder woman cocked a brow, "So she's...getting a tattoo?".
"Hey, it was her idea, not mine." He replied defensively.
She smiled, "Well, I guess you two'll really be twins now.".
He scoffed, "Alri', less talkin', more walkin'.".
The two, along with Elaina in Carol's arms, made their way off the dock and back towards Oceanside.
•••
TAYLOR
TAYLOR STEPPED NERVOUSLY
inside the shack that belonged to the woman who would be giving her her tattoo: Rose.
She was a sweet younger woman who's job before the fall was actually a tattoo artist.
"Rose...you here!?" The young mother called out, dropping her backpack and crossbow by the door.
"Hey there, Taylor." Rose grinned, stepping out from her dining room, "Was wondering when you were gonna show up.".
"Yeah, sorry about that? Carol just got back." The young widow explained, biting the inside of her cheek.
Rose furrowed her eyebrows, "You nervous?".
Taylor nodded, "I...I have a fear of needles...so this is a bit out of my comfort zone...but this tattoo'll have meaning...so it's worth it.".
Rose smiled as she stepped towards the young mother, "Tattoos wih meaning are always the best. I'm guessing that means you already have one in mind?".
"Yeah. You um...you know the skull tattoo on Daryl's right hand?" The young widow asked.
Rose grinned, "Taylor, that tattoo is so
bad—ass that I have it engraved into my mine; quite literally like a tattoo.".
A sigh of relief escaped past Taylor's lips, "Then it shouldn't be too hard, right?".
"You're going easy on me," Rose gestured back to her dining room, "C'mon back, I've got a generator going so we can use the needle.".
Taylor then followed Rose to her dining room, off to get her first ever tattoo.
•••
TAYLOR KEPT GLANCING DOWN AT
her new skull tattoo on her left hand, one that was basically a replica of Daryl's.
A bouquet of flowers was gripped tightly in her right hand, the flower picked by Hailey.
The young widow was going to visit her husband's grave, as she hadn't in weeks, and was beginning to feel bad about her lack of visits.
She was waiting on Deacon, as he was her ride there and back, and the young mother assumed the biker was still questioning that bandit.
As if on queue, Deacon walked towards the young mother who stood beside his bike by the front entrance of Oceanside, and she looked down at the bikers hands, seeing his knuckles bloody and bruised.
"You get anything out of him?" She asked him as he hopped on his bike and kicked up the kickstand.
"Nah, he's a fuckin' stubborn kid. Radioed, Joel, said he'd ride up an' have a go. That tough bastards had a history of interogatin' people." The biker explained, revving up his bike, "Hop on.".
She hopped on behind him, tucking the bouquet of flowers into the satchel strapped onto the side of his bike before wrapping her arms around his lower waist as he sped off, the gates to Oceanside closing behind them.
•••
THERE WAS NO MORE CHILLING
breeze at the line of spikes, and the sky was no more a cloudy gray.
Now, the grass was a vibrant green, and the sky was a shade of orange mixed with red, yellow, and purple as the sun began to set over the horizon.
The feeling of sadness and dread hadn't changed for Taylor though as she sat in front of Lee's spike, gently laying down the bouquet of flowers, "Hailey picked these for you...she said she misses you...a lot. Um...Michonne said she did great at training this morning; Daryl too. He's um...he's been teaching her how to use his crossbow. You'd be proud if her.".
A loud boom erupted through the air, and the young mother shot up from her spot on the grass, looking up at the sky as she saw a large object plummeting towards the ground, a stripe of fire following behind it, "Holy shit. What the hell was that?".
Deacon whipped out his radio, "Daryl, what the fuck was that. Did ye see that shit!?".
"Yeah, I think everyone saw it. Me an' Carol are headin' back te Oceanside, ye an' Taylor should too." The redneck replied.
"Yeah, we are. Be there in a bit." The biker put away his radio before rushing over to Taylor, "Taylor, I get this meant a lot te ye, but we need te go. Now.".
She turned back to Lee's spike, "Goodbye, Lee. I love you.".
She then followed Deacon back to his bike, and the two headed off back for Oceanside.
Whatever that was...it couldn't be good...
•••
THE SUN WAS JUST BEGINNING TO
peek over the horizon when Taylor and DeCon arrived back at Oceanside, and the biker parked his bike by the front before the two rushed off to the crash site.
Word was was that whatever had fallen from the sky had caused a forest fire, and Oceanside had been trying to put it out all night.
The young widow and biker rushed up to the burnt—out forest of the crash site, Eugene digging inside a large metal object at the center of it all, and Connie, Yumiko, Magna, Kelly, Luke, and avfew people were helping him.
Off to the side stood Michonne, and the two rushed up to her.
Breathlessly, Taylor asked her,
"W—Where's Carol and Daryl?".
"That's what we're trying to figure out. They were here not too long ago." The samurai replied.
"Shit. Alright, um...me and Deacon'll track them. We'll be back in a few. C'mon, Deacon." The two rushed deeper into the woods, following Carol and Daryl's footprints until they finally found Carol at a rock ledge.
Deacon hung back as Taylor walked up to the elder woman, "Carol, where's—".
Looking over Carol's shoulder, the young mother saw a figure standing on the other side of a canyon...
Alpha...
•••
To Be Continued...
Word Count: 4284
Edited: ❌
@Taylor_Frickin_Dixon_,2022
Tag List:
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A/n:
Hello guys! Long time no see. This chapter took a lot longer than I had originally anticipated to take, as there's just been so much going on for me, and I apologize. To make it easier for me, chapters for Friend of the Dixon's will come out every two to three weeks, as I really want to have quantity and quality within each chapter, and I don't want to feel rush. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the premiere of act ten, and I'll see you all in the next one! Goodbye!-
Taylor_Frickin_Dixon
If anyone was curious which tattoo of Daryl Taylor got, it's the tattoo on Norman Reedus's right hand. <3💖