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SEASON ONE — CHAPTER THREE
"You're right. He is a cop, but I'm not."
▂︎▂︎▂︎▂︎▂︎▂︎
Alex was surprisingly not grossed out by Merle's detached hand and the dangling handcuffs. She simply analyzed the scene and the blood, annoyed that Merle hadn't stayed put. She couldn't blame him for doing what he did. He didn't know anyone would come back for him, but that didn't prevent irritation to rumble within her like a temblor.
Fuming, Daryl breathed in and out. Alex sensed his outburst from a mile away, pulling out her gun. Just like she expected, Daryl pointed his crossbow at T-Dog, shouting. She didn't hesitate to point her gun at his head.
Rick did the same, letting Daryl know that hurting T-Dog had no good outcome for him. Looking at the crossbow with concealed fright, T-Dog prayed Alex and Rick could calm Daryl down.
"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Rick said, pressing his gun against Daryl's temple.
"You won't do it. You're a cop." Daryl scoffed, staring straight at T-Dog.
Alex nodded. "You're right. He is a cop, but I'm not." With that, Daryl lowered his crossbow, controlling his emotions.
Glad that Daryl got the message quicker than his brother, Alex lowered her gun along with Rick, still on alert. "You got a rag or something?" T-Dog handed him a rag to keep his brother's hand in.
"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs," Daryl mentioned as he wrapped up the dismembered hand and put it in Glenn's pack. "Ain't that a bitch?"
"He must have used a tourniquet — maybe his belt. There would be much more blood if he didn't." Daryl said, examining the scene more closely. He spotted a trail of blood, prompting everyone to follow while T-Dog stayed back to get Dale's tools like they promised.
Entering a new area of the building, they went down a flight of stairs. Glenn stayed near Alex. Despite knowing she could protect herself, he still wanted to be by her side, just in case. "Merle? You in here?"
Daryl stayed in the front, leading the group into unfamiliar territory. He shot any walker in the head, hoping not to attract any more. There were already two dead walkers on the floor, implying Merle had a lot of fight in him. "Had enough in him to take out these two bitches one-handed."
Papers were scattered all over the floor, showing how much chaos enveloped the office. "Toughest asshole I've ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."
"How lovely." Alex said sarcastically. Daryl shot her a glare, and she returned it.
"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is," Rick said, knowing how unrealistic it was that Merle survived. Dagger in hand, Alex continued following the trail of blood that contaminated the tiled floor. The boys went behind her as she spotted a stove on.
She scrunched her nose in disgust, allowing the cop to get a closer look. "What's that burnt stuff?" Glenn asked.
"Skin," Rick answered. "He cauterized the stump."
"Told you he was tough," Daryl said. "Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."
"Let's not get our hopes up," Alex said, not wanting Daryl to end up disappointed if they found Merle dead or worse — a walker. "He lost a lot of blood."
Directing them toward a shattered window, Daryl said, "Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap."
Glenn's eyes widened. "He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?"
"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do." Daryl said, impressed by his brother's survival skills. "Surviving."
"You call that surviving?" T-Dog asked. "Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"
"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks." Daryl insulted, still not over the way his brother was left behind. He turned to face Rick. "You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."
"What about a thousand dumb dead bastards?" Rick said. "Different story?"
"Why don't you take a tally?" Daryl replied, determined to locate his brother. "Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him."
Although Rick didn't find Daryl's company the best, he didn't want the man running on a wild goose chase. Before the Dixon could begin following Merle's path, Rick put a hand to his chest and shoved him back a little. "Daryl, wait."
"Get your hands off me!" Daryl shouted, getting tired of how many arguments he and Rick were getting into. "You can't stop me."
"I don't blame you. He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." Rick said, allowing Daryl to absorb his words. "He can't get far with that injury. We can help you check a few blocks around, but only if we keep a level head."
Daryl nodded stiffly. "I could do that."
Rick looked at the others for approval. "Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-Dog said.
✧︎
Thanks to the plan Glenn composed, everyone was in different alleys, ready to get the bag of guns. Alex was with Glenn and Daryl, trying to keep her steps quiet.
"You got some balls for a chinaman." Daryl said as they hid behind a garbage container.
Alex said, "He's Korean."
"Whatever," Daryl said.
With that, Glenn prepared to make a run for the guns, hiding behind cars and keeping a steady pace. Hearing some footsteps that didn't belong to Daryl, Alex readjusted the grip on her dagger. Daryl seemed to sense someone else's presence too, getting out of their hiding spot and pointing his crossbow at the unknown kid.
"Whoa, don't shoot me! What do you want?" the kid said, eyes broadening.
"I'm looking for my brother. He's hurt real bad. Have you seen him?" Daryl asked. The kid was wearing a gold chain around his neck and a white tank top that was soaked in sweat and grime.
Spooked by the proximity between his head and an arrow, the boy shouted, "Ayudame!"
"Shut up!" Daryl said, pissed. Alex stayed hidden, knowing that the kid belonged to a group. His shouts for help would only lure in his pals and geeks, and she wanted to make sure she had the element of surprise. "You're gonna bring the walkers down on us. Answer me."
Alex believed that would be enough to shut the kid up, but it had the opposite effect. "Ayudame!" Resorting to violence, Daryl hit him across the face and demanded him to shut up. Unfortunately for Alex and Daryl, two men came running to the guy's aid. While one ran toward Daryl, Alex surprised one with a fist to the face. She used her dagger to create an incision on his leg, making it harder to walk.
The man stumbled and dropped his bat, but quickly got back up. He limped to get the bat and swung at Alex, who evaded the man's first two attempts. The third time was when the man got lucky. She got distracted by Glenn hurrying into the alley and got hit on her side. "Leave her alone!"
"Glenn, run!" Her body declined to the ground, grunting when she felt another wave of pain ripple through her. She gritted her jaw to repress her groans of agony and latched onto her knife, stabbing the man's leg. He wailed and swung. She rolled to dodge another hit to the ribs and stood, wondering why Glenn hadn't run. "Glenn!"
"There it is! The bag of guns, vato." The men were suddenly no longer interested in their opponents, dashing to obtain the bag Glenn held. "Take it! Take it!"
Stopping Glenn from rushing out the alley, the man latched onto his shirt and yanked him to the ground, commencing to hit him. Ticked off, Alexandra impaled one of the men on his side and twisted the knife to inflict as much misery as possible. Daryl shot the other in the ass, their distressed screams echoing off the alleys' walls.
"Let him go!" Alex demanded, kicking the bag of firearms toward Daryl for safekeeping. Her eyes flared with indignation, capable of making a full-grown man tremble. A car parked near the end of the alley, indicating that the men's getaway was near. Going after the man who was bringing Glenn closer to their car, Alex completely forgot about the other man until his bat was pressed against her neck, blocking her airway. Her back collided with the alley's wall as the man put more pressure on her neck.
Memories threatened to drown her, but with Glenn in danger, she forced herself to fight. She kicked the man where it hurt most. His bat clattered on the ground as he wailed. No longer caring about him, she grabbed his bat to retaliate, but it was too late. The two men were already entering their car, dragging Glenn along. "Alex! Alex!"
They drove off, prompting a bundle of walkers to follow. Not thinking straight, Alex was about to run out the alley and pursue the car, but Daryl stopped her, grabbing her arm. "Daryl, let go!"
"You'll be killed!" Daryl said, getting the walkers' attention. He had the bag of guns slung over his shoulder, leaning against a wall. "We have to go."
Hating that he was right, Alex left him to close the gate and went after the guy that caused the entire fucked up situation. "I'm going to kill you!"
The guy screamed, rushing behind Rick and T-Dog.
She didn't even know where they came from, and frankly, she didn't care. All she wanted to do was strangle the location of his group out of him before they harmed a hair on Glenn's head.
Daryl seemed to have the same idea, but T-Dog stopped him. Daryl shouted, "I'm going to kick your nuts up in your throat!"
Despite the guy being their enemy, Rick stopped her from attacking him, knowing damn well that she wouldn't hold back. "Rick, move!"
"Alexandra, you know I can't do that." Rick said.
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Alex shouted, gripping the abandoned bat. She knew several ways to get the kid to talk, all of which were definitely illegal. "Rick, they took Glenn. This little bastard and his little friends!"
"I'm going to stomp your ass!" Daryl shouted.
"Guys! Guys! We're cut off!" T-Dog said, bringing attention to the walkers that were swarming the entrance. The gate was the only thing keeping them from passing through.
"Get to the lab, go!" Rick said to T-Dog. Obeying the cop, he grabbed onto the kid and forced him to run by his side. Daryl passed the bag of guns to Rick, who grabbed his long-lost hat. Making sure she still had her gun, knife, and the guy's bat, Alex dismissed the discomfort in her side and ran, determined to find Glenn if it was the last thing she did.
✧︎
Every time she looked at their young enemy, the more she was battered with agitation. Rick was the calm one, monitoring Alex and Daryl. The emotionlessness in her eyes frightened the cop to the bone. He said, "Those men you were with, we need to know where they went."
The guy replied, "I ain't telling you nothing."
Alex chuckled humorlessly, yanking out her knife. "Tell me, kid, which hand do you write with?"
"Woah, wait." the kid said.
"Right or left? It's for research purposes." Alex repeated, faking a sweet smile.
"Alexandra," Rick warned. Scoffing, Alex put the knife back in her waistband, making sure it was still visible to the asshole.
"What the hell happened back there?" T-Dog asked. Alex didn't respond, maintaining her glare. Based on the way her body hurt, she knew a mark from the bat would form on her neck, along with some bruises on her ribs.
"We told you, this little turd and his douchebag friends came out of nowhere and jumped us," Daryl said, walking back and forth.
"You're the one that jumped me, puto, screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault." the guy retorted. If he had to choose which person scared him the most, he would pick Alexandra. Arms crossed, her eyes seemed to see right through him.
"They took Glenn. Could have taken Merle too." Daryl suggested. Alex didn't mention it, but she didn't think it was likely that Merle was with the guy's group. People helping others was no longer as common. Not everyone would help a goner during the end of the world.
"Merle?" the guy said in disbelief. "What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."
Insult after insult, Daryl was beginning to lose his patience. He went to attack, but Rick stopped him again. "Damn it, Daryl. Back off."
Tired of getting no answers, Alex went through Glenn's bag and pulled out the concealed hand. She handed it to Daryl, knowing he understood her plan. Doing exactly what she needed him to, Daryl unfolded the rag and said, "Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed us off?"
He tossed the hand onto the guy's lap. His scream of pure terror made Alex's lips curve into a small smile. He jumped out of his seat, backing up into a wall to create some distance between himself and the dismembered hand. "I'll start with the feet this time." Daryl threatened, grabbing the guy's collar.
Ruining the fun, Rick pulled Daryl aside to talk with the boy. "The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out."
Alex added, "It's either that or you lose a hand. Your choice."
"I think he's a righty." Daryl said.
Alex smiled at the man. "Me too."
The guy raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you."
✧︎
"You sure you're up for this?" Rick asked T-Dog. He received a nod. He didn't need to ask Alex. The gun in her hand and her determination was a good enough answer. T-Dog separated from the group, going to follow through with their plan.
"One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass. Just so you know." Daryl threatened, ready to make the other group a deal.
The guy retorted, "G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so you know."
Alex chuckled. "Does he ever shut up?"
"G?" Rick asked.
"Guillermo." the guy clarified. "He's the man here."
Cocking his gun, Rick said, "Okay then. Let's go see Guillermo." They snuck in through the broken side of the fence, making sure they were aware of their surroundings. They stopped in front of a door, waiting for it to open.
Although it had only been a couple of seconds, Alex felt as if she had been waiting an eternity. The man who she assumed was the boss, Guillermo, walked out, making eye contact with Alex.
His gaze returned to their hostage after a while. "You okay, little man?"
"They're gonna cut off my feet, carnal." the guy replied, his fear clear.
"Cops do that?" Guillermo said, wishing things had gone differently. Despite his past desires, he was willing to fight for the guns. Guns gave him and his group the chance to survive.
"Not him. This redneck puto here." Miguel said, gesturing toward Daryl. "Him and this girl cut off some dude's hand, man. They showed it to me."
"Shut up." Daryl muttered, keeping his crossbow aimed at the kid's head. Revealing more of his men, the door opened wider.
"Hey! That's that vato right there, homes. He shot me in the ass with an arrow!" one of the men said. Alex nearly smiled, knowing the man would have a hard time sitting down from now on.
"And that bitch stabbed me. Took my bat too!" another man said, which Alex did in fact recognize.
She gave him a taunting smile. "It's a wonderful bat. Might come in handy." Wanting to wipe the smile off her face, the man took a step forward. Alex's eyes dared him to come closer, her finger hovering over the trigger.
However, his leader stopped him. "Chill, ese, chill."
"This true? He wants Miguelito's feet? That's pretty sick, man." Guillermo said.
"We were hoping for a more calm discussion." Rick said.
"That hillbilly jumps Felipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet, Felipe gets an arrow in the ass, Jorge gets stabbed, and you want a calm discussion? You fascinate me." the leader listed, not seeing a way to have a calm conversation. The only solutions he saw ended with blood tainting their front doors and bullets piercing the wind.
"Heat of the moment. Mistakes were made on both sides." Rick admitted. Alex bit her tongue, holding back the urge to say that she didn't regret stabbing one of his men.
"Who's that dude to you anyway? You don't look related." Guillermo said, looking back and forth from Rick to Daryl.
"He's one of our group, more or less. I'm sure you have a few like him." Rick answered, giving Daryl the opportunity to bring up his missing brother.
"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asked.
"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys. But I've got Asian. You interested?" Guillermo said, studying his enemies' reactions. To his surprise, Alex stayed emotionless.
"I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade." Rick said, proposing a bargain that they hoped the other group would accept.
"Don't sound even to me." G replied, shaking his head.
"G. Come on, man," Miguel said pleadingly, dreading another five minutes with Alex and Daryl.
"My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering? More to the point, where's my bag of guns?" G said, eyes narrowed.
"Guns?" Rick asked, trying to play dumb.
"The bag Miguel saw in the street. The bag Felipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns." G declared.
"You're mistaken." Rick scoffed.
"I don't think so." G shook his head.
Rick added, "About it being yours. It's my bag of guns."
"The bag was in the street. Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word? What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now and I take what's mine?" G said, gesturing toward his men. Alex had to admit, they had the numbers. Each member of his group gave off a rude stare, making it known that they wouldn't go down without a fight.
"You could do that," Rick said, pivoting his gaze toward T-Dog, who had his gun ready to shoot from a distance. "Or not."
Guillermo let out a breathy laugh. Signaling his men, he said, "Oye!" He looked up at the roof, redirecting Alex's gaze. She felt her eyes widen when she spotted two men dragging a man with a bag over his head closer to the edge of the building. Distressed, the man struggled against their grip, but it was futile. They removed the bag, revealing Glenn's terrified expression. Preventing him from talking, they secured a piece of duct tape over his mouth.
Guillermo smiled when he saw fear finally overpower Alex's features. It proved that something in this world scared the girl. She hated the terror that caused her pulse to race. Fear inhabited her soul, quickening her heartbeat at the thought of surrendering control.
Glenn kept his eyes on her, increasing her guilt. If only she had been quicker, Glenn would be by her side. Everyone would be headed home soon.
"I see two options. You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks." he explained, glad that he was being taken seriously. "Or you come back locked and loaded. We'll see which side spills more blood."
✧︎
Once they were away from the other group's settlement, they placed the guns on the table, rethinking their strategy. Daryl mentioned, "Them guns are worth more than gold. Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table."
Alex glared at him, already knowing where the conversation was headed. He finally said the important question, unaware of the looks he was getting from Alex. "You willing to give that up for that kid?"
She was about to argue, but T-Dog spoke. "If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree. But you think that vato across the way is just gonna hand over?"
"You calling G a liar?" the kid said, willing to defend his leader's word.
"No one is talking to you," Alex uttered. Everyone in the room irritated her. To her, Glenn was worth way more than the guns they currently had in their possessions. Guns did provide protection from the walkers, but if it was just her, she would choose Glenn over the guns no matter the circumstances. She would never admit it to his face, but he was invaluable. "Shut it before I do it for you."
"Question is, do you trust that man's word?" T-Dog declared after Alex made sure Miguel wouldn't speak up again.
"No, the question is what are you willing to bet on it? Could be more than them guns. Could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?" Daryl asked, disregarding the ticking time bomb beside him.
That was Alex's last straw, her temper reaching its limit. "You are a fucking asshole," Alex muttered, getting the group's attention. "How many fucking times has Glenn sacrificed his life to go on runs for things all of you need? If it were one of you in there, he would give up the fucking guns, no questions asked."
"Is he really worth that much to you?" Daryl asked, baffled that Glenn of all people was close to Alex, a person who rarely let anyone in. He already knew the answer.
"Yes, Daryl!" Alex seethed, looking at him as if he were insane. She hated showing weakness. From a young age, she learned emotions got people killed. "Yes, in fact, he is worth that much to me! Is that what you want to hear? If you guys don't want to fucking help him, fine. Go and leave me with a gun because I'm not leaving without him."
The men remained quiet, processing the hostile words that just spewed out of Alex's mouth. She scoffed at their silence, taking it as an answer. She was about to pick out a gun, but Rick gently grabbed her wrist.
"What life I have I owe to you two. I was nobody to you and Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank," he said, letting her go after he was sure that she would listen. "You guys could've walked away, but you didn't. He didn't. Neither will I, and there's no way I'm letting you go alone."
Alleviated that someone was finally having some sense, Alex almost smiled. Daryl said, "So you're gonna hand the guns over?"
Rick shook his head. "I didn't say that. Nothing is keeping you two here. You should get out, and head back to camp."
"And tell your family what? What do I tell Dale? No, I'm going." T-Dog said, standing up to get a gun. It took little time to get Daryl on board and for the group to equip for war. They were getting Glenn back, whether or not blood spilled.
✧︎
Leading Miguel toward his group with a towel over his mouth, Alex inhaled deeply before the door opened. Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog were right behind her, ensuring that they had her back. She shoved Miguel through the entrance, examining everyone's faces. Half of them seemed to be shocked to see a woman holding the gun against Miguel's head, her eyes possessing no sign of cowering.
Making their way to the center of the room, they found Guillermo, his face filled with discontent. "I see my guns but they're not all in the bag."
"That's because they're not yours," Rick said, hating to repeat himself. "I thought I mentioned that."
"Let's just shoot these fools right now, ese." one of his men said, yearning for this conflict to end. "All right? Unload on their asses, ese."
Guillermo disregarded the suggestion, looking at Rick and Alex to urge them to reconsider. "I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation."
"We're pretty clear." Alex nodded. She lowered her gun and cut the restraints off Miguel. Not taking her eyes off the men, she shoved Miguel toward them. She declared, "You have your man. I want mine."
Guillermo stepped a bit too close for her liking. "I'm gonna chop up your boy. I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale. I told you all how it has to be. Are you woefully deaf?"
"Are you?" Alex said, tilting her head. "How many times do I have to tell you? Give us Glenn."
"You said come locked and loaded," Rick said. Everyone cocked their weapon, waiting for Rick's signal to fire. "Okay then, we're here."
Alex's gun was pointed straight at Guillermo, hands steady. He glared at her, and she felt it was rude not to return it. "Don't tell me you're chickening out, Guillermo."
"Felipe! Felipe!" a soft voice said, making a line appear between Alex's eyebrows. Confused, she watched as an old woman emerged from the crowd of dangerous men.
Felipe urged, "Abuela, go back with the others — now."
"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl said.
Guillermo said, "Abuela, listen to your mijo, okay? This is not the place for you right now." Instead of leaving the room, the woman went to the leader's side, completely clueless about the shootout that both groups promised.
"Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing." she continued, urgency dripping in her tone. "He needs his asthma stuff. He needs his medicine."
"Felipe, go take care of it, okay? And take your grandmother with you." Guillermo demanded.
"Who are they?" the grandmother asked, ignoring her grandson's pleads. She went up to Rick and said, "Don't you take him."
Bewildered, Rick asked, "Ma'am?"
"Felipe's a good boy. He had his trouble, but he pulled himself together." the old lady said. "We need him here."
Clearing her throat, Alex lowered her gun and gave Guillermo a look before diverting her attention to the old woman. "No one is taking your grandson."
The woman looked at Alex. "Then what are you guys here for?"
"Your grandson is helping us find a missing person. You might know him. His name is Glenn." she said, assuring that no harm would come to her grandson.
"The Asian boy?" the woman asked. "He's with Mr. Gilbert."
Alex asked, "Can you show me?"
"Of course, mija. Come, I show you." the grandmother said. She grabbed Alex's hand without warning, slightly startling her. Alex never enjoyed being touched, but in this case, she allowed the woman to lead her and her group to Glenn.
On her way to Glenn, she noticed all the old people sitting around, enjoying the protection they had. It wasn't at all what she expected. When she peeked into a room, she spotted a doctor examining an elderly patient. The entire corridor led to similar rooms. She thought there would be men joking around, their eyes indicating that they were nothing but trouble.
Felipe was helping Mr. Gilbert with his inhaler, whispering soft assurances and instructions. Rick and Alex glimpsed at Glenn, disbelief contorting their facial features. Rick said, "What the hell is this?"
"An asthma attack," Glenn answered, completely unharmed. Alex looked him up and down, inspecting him for the smallest of injuries. Nothing. Not even one drop of crimson blood. "Couldn't get his breath all of a sudden."
"I thought they were feeding you to dogs!" Alex scoffed.
"Oh." Glenn said, pivoting his head to see the three chihuahuas he acquainted himself with. Each of them had collars, laying carefree on their cheetah print bed. At the sight of Alex, they came running. She didn't even realize they were yapping at her and scratching her legs for attention, too busy looking at Glenn.
"'Oh'? Is that all you have to say?" she chuckled humorlessly. Glenn looked at her, confused. She scoffed. "You're unbelievable."
Before anyone could stop her, she went to sit down and ran a hand through her hair. All the worrying and the fear had been for nothing. Sighing, she looked at the three dogs that begged for her attention and scratched their ears. She flinched at the feeling of someone's hand on her shoulder and looked to pinpoint a face.
"I'm sorry, mija. Did I frighten you?" Felipe's grandmother said, taking a seat next to Alex. The dogs laid near her feet, using her shoe as a pillow.
Unsure what to do while the men settled on an agreement, she said, "No, you're fine, ma'am."
"Are you the Alex the Asian boy told me about?" the grandmother said.
"Korean." Alex corrected but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, I'm Alexandra."
"My mistake." the woman apologized. "What a fine young man you have."
"What?" Alex said, confused. When she realized what the woman meant, she instantly shook her head. "Wait, you have it all wrong. Glenn and I aren't together."
"You sure?" the woman said, not even a bit convinced. Alex nodded, smiling at how much the woman reminded her of her own grandmother. "Well, he is a nice boy."
Still peeved by Glenn's speechlessness, Alex chuckled. "Sometimes."
"Don't worry, mija. Give him time. It'll happen sooner or later." the grandmother assured. "I've been alive long enough to know."
"What will?" Alex asked.
"You'll see." the woman said, smiling as if she knew something Alex didn't.
✧︎
Glenn was biting the inside of his lip, wondering why Alex hadn't said a word to him. To get her to acknowledge his existence, he said to Rick, "Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat."
"Don't tell anybody." Rick joked. The group was headed back to their van, eager to be back in the safety of their camp.
"You've given away half our guns and ammo," Daryl complained.
"Not nearly half." Rick defended.
"For what? Bunch of old farts who see gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long do you think they got?" Daryl said, able to see reality.
"How long do any of us?" Rick said. He was about to add to his question, but he was met with an empty parking spot. Astonished, Alex scoffed.
"Oh my god," Glenn said.
"Where the hell is our van?" Daryl said, believing his day couldn't get any worse.
"We left it right there. Who would take it?" Glenn asked. He looked at Alex, noticing her unusual silence.
"Merle." Rick declared. Concern flared through Alex's eyes at the thought of an angered Merle heading toward Katherine and their camp. There was no telling what the Dixon would or wouldn't do.
"He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp," Daryl said, ascertaining Alex's worst fears. As everyone began jogging, all she could think about was Katherine, praying that Merle wasn't as villainous as she presumed he was.
✧︎
Struggling to keep up with Alex, Glenn panted, stunned by the girl's stamina. "Alex." he wheezed. "Alex, wait."
"What do you want, Glenn?" she said, slowing down just a bit out of pity. Her entire body ached, especially the bruises forming on her skin.
"I wanted — I wanted to check up on you." Glenn let out, not failing to notice the way she avoided eye contact with him.
"I'm fine, Glenn." she declared. She felt a burning sensation linger in her legs, threatening to discard all her remaining strength.
"No, no, you're not," Glenn said. The two of them were farther ahead, allowing them to talk without being overheard by another member of their group. Alex scoffed, not saying anything. "Alex, please. I know I was stupid now. Please, just — yell at me, say anything."
"What the hell do you want me to say, Glenn? Do you want me to mention how fucking terrified I was when I saw them take you away and I couldn't do anything to stop it? Or that when the others were leaning toward keeping the guns, I was willing to go in there and shoot up the damn place just to know that you were safe." Alex rambled, hands balled up into fists. "And all you fucking say to me is 'oh.' I mean, seriously?"
Her fingernails were digging crescent-shaped dents into her palms. Jaw clenched, she inhaled sharply. Glenn tried to stop her from shutting down, but it was too late. "Alex, I know —"
She couldn't look at him without being mad, so she decided to wait until she held Katherine. Holding Katherine was like a remedy for uncontrollable fury.
"Glenn, can we do this later? Please." Alex said, spotting the others catching up in the corner of her eyes. "We're all tired, okay?"
Glenn nodded as Alex gulped down her emotions for the hundredth time that day. "Okay."
She hated knowing that she became vulnerable in front of her group. She hated how much Glenn mattered to her. All it meant was that there was another person she could lose. It was the last thing wanted, but there was nothing that could change the past.
✧︎
All it took was a scream from their camp for Alex to forget about her problem with Glenn. Night had fallen, unleashing the crickets to replace the deafening silence. That one scream began a series of them, along with some gunshots.
There were suddenly no more aches in Alex's body as she forced herself to pick up the pace. She didn't even wait for the others, driven by trepidation.
Her heart pummeled to the floor when she heard the cries of a baby. She didn't even realize how fast she was going until she bumped into a walker. It gripped onto her arms, hungry for a live meal. She kicked it to the floor and stabbed its brain with her knife. That didn't stop her from running, the panicked screams and cries getting louder.
She reached the camp, not bothering to feel sympathy for anyone until she had Katherine in her arms. She went to her tent, huffing when she didn't find Kat.
"Dale!" she shouted. She couldn't pinpoint where Katherine's cries were coming from over all the noise. Standing around only attracted more walkers toward her, snapping Alex out of her hysteria.
"Shit," she muttered as three walkers limped toward her. She chose to attack them one by one, taking steps back to keep some distance between them. She was lucky that the walkers were strolling at different speeds. She didn't know how she would handle it if they were all coming toward her with frightening haste.
She broke the first walker's knee with her boot, making him decline to the ground. The following moment, her knife was lodged in its skull. She couldn't get the knife out in time, the walkers compelling her to back up until her spine bumped into a tree. She stepped to the side when the walker lunged at her. It allowed her to kick the third walker onto the ground and slam the second walker's head against the tree trunk until it was dead. She obtained her knife, stabbing the third walker without any fusses.
With her focused on the corpses, one walker latched onto her from behind, earning a scream from Alex. Its teeth threatened to sink into her neck. She prepared herself for pain, but thanks to a bullet piercing the walker's brain, it collapsed to the ground. She panted, her hand grazing her skin in search of a bite.
Glenn scrambled to her side, dropping the gun by his feet. "Are you okay? Did it bite you?" His voice was filled with an alarm he never experienced before. Without thinking, he cupped Alex's face, tilting her head to the side to look for injuries. Alex hated being touched. Everyone knew that. For some reason, she didn't hate the feeling of Glenn's fingertips on her skin.
"I'm okay," she assured, adrenaline pumping. A walker was approaching Glenn from behind, its hunger unmistakable. "Duck."
He did as he was told, permitting Alex to throw her knife with terrifying precision. He stood and glanced at the dead walkers. Thankful, he grabbed her knife for her.
"Have you seen Katherine?" Alex asked as he handed her the weapon. Glenn shook his head. "Damn it. Dale!"
"Alexandra!" a voice called out from the chaos. She spotted Dale near the RV, holding a crying Katherine in his arms. "She's okay!"
Tears of relief materialized in her eyes as she began to wander toward them. She killed a couple of walkers on the way with Glenn by her side.
She wasted no time bringing Katherine into her arms, allowing the tears to trickle down her cheeks without any complaints. "I'm here, Kat. I'm here." She gave Dale the biggest smile. "Thank you, Dale."
"It's no problem, kid," Dale said.
Unexpectedly, the pain in her body returned, slightly making her stumble. Glenn steadied her by grasping her arms, leaning her back against his chest. "I got you, Alex."
Catching her breath, she examined the massacre. Carl was crying into his father's shirt. Andrea's wails sent chills down her spine. Alex closed her eyes to not see the state of Amy's corpse, concentrating on shushing Katherine's cries.
Jim said, "I remember my dream now, why I dug the holes."