𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter thirty; Big Spot Plane
" I count on you. "
LIFE HAD CHANGED. It had been a long six months since residents of Woodbury had joined the prison, and it had become a real community.
They had a full farm going, gardens, and animals, classes for the kids, and had even constructed a full council for decision-making.
They'd accepted even more people since.
Vex was acclimating slightly better than Daryl had been.
"Vex, come on, we gotta run to do."
The woman groaned, pulling her blanket over her head at the intrusion.
Only for said blanket to be ripped away.
"You are a cruel man, Daryl Dixon."
He scoffed, grabbing her bag.
"Get dressed," He grunted. "Come on. Carol's messin' with me since you ain't around."
Vex opened her eyes, grinning at the man.
"She callin' you Pookie again?"
Daryl scoffed, throwing her blanket back on her.
"Put some pants on. Let's go."
"I have pants on!"
"Don't look like it!"
"God, I hate you!"
Daryl smiled as Vex dragged herself out of bed, knocking once on the doorframe.
"Yeah, yeah," He mumbled, leaving the woman.
Vex might not have been adjusting very well, in all honesty.
She was glad that Zeppelin was happy. Dean was thrilled, too.
New people meant new friends.
Zeppelin and Carl reconciled almost instantly upon her return six months ago, Dean had made a tight friendship with Tyreese, and Daryl had become some sort of local hero thanks to his retrieval of many survivors, and his hunting trips.
And Vex had remained Vex.
She still took watch in the tower, taught newcomers how to take out the walkers along the fenceline, and went on runs went requested.
Hell, Vex was on the damn council.
Not of her own volition, of course.
But she wasn't great at living with tons of people she didn't know.
The woman shrugged on her clothing, throwing her bag over her shoulder along with her rifle.
It had taken her a full month to even meet the people from Woodbury.
Nobody blamed her after Daryl relayed what had gone down.
"Morning, Momma."
Vex smiled as Zeppelin fell in step with her, a stack of comics in her arms.
"Morning, baby," Vex greeted, throwing an arm around her daughter's shoulders, "Hanging out with Carl today?"
"Yeah," Zeppelin said, "Those other kids. . . they're just too weird."
"What do you mean?" Vex laughed.
"I don't know," Zeppelin shrugged, "I guess they just don't get it. You know?"
Vex let out a breath as she emerged into the courtyard.
"I do," She nodded.
"But Carl gets it," Zeppelin said.
"I'm glad Carl gets it," Vex said honestly, "Go on, y'all both have chores to do before you spend the rest of your day in those comic books."
Zeppelin nodded, taking off toward the garden.
She stopped in her tracks, turning and rushing back to her mother.
"I love you," Zeppelin smiled, kissing her mother's cheek, "Never lost."
"Always found-- it's just a little run, honey," Vex laughed lightly, "We'll be back before you know it."
Vex felt Daryl join her side.
"Be safe," Zeppelin said, seemingly undeterred by her mother's comment as she hugged Daryl quickly, "See ya later."
"Later, kid," Daryl said.
Vex watched her daughter run through people, holding the stack of comic books high as she caught Carl's attention. He cheered, meeting her halfway.
"Who's all comin' today?"
"Regular," Daryl said, following Vex toward his bike, "Sasha, Glenn, Tyreese, Beth's boyfriend--"
"Zach," Vex supplied with a laugh.
"Yeah, whatever," Daryl waved, "Michonne, too."
Vex grinned.
"And I guess Bob's comin' too."
"Hm."
Daryl looked at the woman as he started the motorcycle.
"Barely here a week."
"Just get on the bike, stop draggin' your feet."
Vex rolled her eyes, climbing onto the bike without another word.
🗡
Zeppelin didn't mind hanging out with other kids, but sometimes she wished she could go back to when it was just her and Carl.
"Heads up!"
Zeppelin quickly kicked the soccer ball coming her way, sending it flying over Patrick's head.
"Sorry," She winced.
"It's okay, I got it!"
Zeppelin sighed as Patrick chased after the ball, looking at Carl.
"When do you think we'll be able to go on runs?"
"Never."
"Ugh," Zeppelin groaned, "I'm just so. . ."
"Bored."
"Yeah," Zeppelin said quietly, "Like. . . it's too quiet here. It's too normal."
Carl nodded in understanding.
"Kind of cool sometimes," He said after a moment, "We never really had time to. . . read comics. Or just. . . hang out. Before."
Zeppelin smiled.
"You like hanging out."
"Of course, I like hanging out," Carl scoffed.
Patrick came running back with the soccer ball in hand, but before he could kick it to Carl, Zeppelin heard the increasing volume of the other kids.
The girl turned to spot them by the fence, Carl and Patrick doing the same, listening in to what they were yelling at the walkers.
"They shouldn't be taunting them," Zeppelin said quietly, "They've been piling up recently."
"They're naming them," Carl added.
The boy started toward them strongly, Zeppelin and Patrick following suit.
"You're naming them?"
The four kids turned toward them.
Zeppelin couldn't quite remember everyone's name, there were a lot of new people, but she did remember the siblings, Lizzie and Mika.
Lizzie was closest to Zeppelin in age, but after Lizzie made an offhand comment about the still-pink scar on Vex's cheek, Zeppelin had written the girl off entirely.
"Well, one of them has a nametag," Mika said, "So, we thought all of them should."
"They had names when they were alive," Carl retorted, "They're dead now."
"No they're not," Lizzie argued.
"They are dead," Zeppelin said, "That's. . . kind of the whole thing. You die, then you become a walker."
"They're just different."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Carl said, "Okay, they don't talk. They don't think. They eat people. They kill people."
"People kill people," Lizzie said, "They still have names."
"Have you seen what happens?" Carl said, "Have you seen someone die like that?"
"Yeah, I have."
"They're not people and they're not pets. Don't name them."
"You shouldn't be talking to them, either, too many in one spot is dangerous," Zeppelin said, crossing her arms.
Lizzie only stared at her for a long moment before speaking.
"We're supposed to go read. Come on."
Lizzie lead two of the kids away while Mika hung back for a moment.
"You coming to story time tonight?"
"Um," Patrick said, "Yeah, I am."
"See you then."
Mika walked off, leaving the trio alone.
"I go sometimes," Patrick said, smiling, "I'm immature. You wouldn't dig it, it's for kids."
Carl nodded.
"I'm gonna head up there, too," Patrick said, "I'll catch you two later."
"Yep."
Carl and Zeppelin stood side by side, watching Patrick depart.
"I hate Lizzie."
"Woah," Carl laughed, "I didn't know you were capable of that."
"Shut up," Zeppelin said, lightly smacking his arm, "She said that thing about my mom, and now she's acting like walkers are people."
Carl twisted his lips to the side, turning to face Zeppelin.
"Well, we could go do our chores," Carl sighed, "Or. . . we could go read the new comics Michonne brought back."
"Comics, duh."
Carl grinned, nudging Zeppelin's shoulder.
She frowned, noting his growth spurt.
"You're almost taller than me again."
"I am taller than you."
"No, you're not."
"Okay, we're gonna get someone to measure us."
"Don't be mad when I'm taller!"
Carl scoffed as Zeppelin took off toward the prison.
"You aren't!"
🗡
The group arrived at Big Spot, fanning out to do a quick sweep of the parking lot.
Vex followed Daryl, her gun lifted until they reached the building, Daryl taking a seat on the window ledge, banging an elbow on the glass.
"Just give it a second."
He dusted off the brick beside himself, holding a hand in offering to Vex.
She rolled her eyes but accepted the seat regardless.
"Okay, I think I got it," Zach spoke up.
"Got what?" Michonne questioned.
"Oh, I've been tryna guess what Daryl did before the turn," Zach informed.
"He's been tryna guess for, like, six weeks."
"Yeah, I'm pacin' myself," Zach said, "One shot a day."
"Never gonna get it, kid," Vex sighed as he took a seat, "Unless you get enough wine in him."
"Oh shut it, Rosy," Daryl said, elbowing the woman.
She only snickered.
It had been about three months ago, Vex had gone on a run and found her favorite wine perched lonely on a checkout counter.
So, naturally, she rescued it.
Vex's honest intentions were to keep the wine more as a decoration, a happy memory of her life before, but Daryl had seen the bottle and teased her relentlessly about using alcohol as decoration.
So, she told him he had to share it with her.
Naturally, it turned into a competition, that ended with no winners and two people who hadn't had anything to drink in a little over a year wasted on the floor.
During this time, one of the things Vex had asked was about Daryl's life before.
And, in his drunken state, he'd recalled his days. Told Vex all about his and Merle's life as drifters, always moving. He'd told her it wasn't far off from their first winter together.
And then he'd made her promise not to tell a soul.
She hadn't. And she had no intention of telling anyone, least of all Zach, but she did find humor in recalling Daryl Dixon being wine drunk.
He found humor in how pink her face got when she became intoxicated.
"Alright," Daryl said, looking to Zach, "Shoot."
"Well, the way you are at the prison. . your being on the council, you're able to track, you're helping people, but you're still being kind of. . . surly," Zach said, "Big swing here. Homicide cop."
Michonne and Vex both let out laughs.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Michonne said, "It makes perfect sense."
"Actually, the man's right," Daryl said, "Undercover."
"Come on really?"
"Yep," Daryl nodded, "I mean, I don't like to talk about it, 'cause it was a lot of heavy shit, you know?"
"Dude, come on, really?"
Vex cracked a smile.
"Okay," Zach said, "I'll just keep guessing, I guess."
"Yeah, you keep doin' that."
Walkers banged on the window behind them, sending everyone to their feet.
"Come on, detective, we doin' this?"
Vex snickered, joining Michonne's side much to Daryl's dismay.
They swept the store quickly, taking out the sparse walkers inside. The group split up, each grabbing carts to go through the list of what they needed.
Vex drove her cart purposefully into Daryl's.
"Hey, watch it," Daryl said, before looking up to find a grinning Vex. His expression softened, shaking his head, "Gonna get your license revoked."
"Yeah, yeah," She waved off, starting her stride alongside him, "Suddenly you're fond of. . . Covergirl magazine?"
Daryl glared, steering his cart away from the woman.
"Dixon," She laughed, following the man.
"It's for Zep."
"Ah, because Zep is so fond of makeup tips," Vex nodded.
"She might be."
"Girl doesn't have makeup," Vex shook her head, "Come on, we can find some kinda comic book or Skittles in here-- I'll let you take credit."
Daryl smiled, following the woman.
"Hey, uh, Vex?"
"Hey, uh, Dixon?" Vex mocked, craning her neck to see him.
He looked serious, something normal for Daryl, but not with her. Not recently. Recently, it had been jokes. And light-hearted arguments. It had been nothing heavy, not since Paul.
So it was normal for her heart to sink, for dread to set it.
"Everything okay?" She questioned, but he only stared.
The woman self-consciously lifted a hand, running her fingers over the still-healing scar on her cheek, before dropping it quickly.
"Yeah," He said quickly, "Just. . ."
And then glass shattered.
And then there was a loud crash.
Vex abandoned her cart as Daryl did, the two moving quickly in sync toward the sound, finding an entire shelf of alcohol had collapsed, Bob underneath it.
"You alright?" Daryl questioned, crouching to peer under it, "You cut or somethin'?"
"Nah, man, but my foot is caught."
"Alright," Daryl said standing as Zach and Tyreese joined them, "He's just caught. Come on, help me up."
The four began lifting the shelving units slowly.
"I was movin' fast, man," Bob said, "I drove right into the drinks."
"Man, you lucked out," Tyreese said, "If this thing had come down on you the wrong way. . ."
The ceiling groaned, and before Vex could process it, a walker fell through, caught on his intestines, danging feet from her.
"Yeah, uh we should probably go now," Glenn said.
"Bob's still stuck, get him out of there," Daryl said, rushing back to the shelves.
"We'll get the others," Michonne said.
Vex joined Daryl, preparing to lift the second shelf on top of Bob, faltering only when another walker fell through. And another. And another.
Daryl grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way as yet another fell, this time on top of the shelves.
Vex let out a breath as more continued coming through, she pulled her knife from her belt, taking out two closest to her before more began closing in.
She took steps back until her back met Daryl's.
"Good?"
"Peachy," She mumbled, pulling out a pistol to take more out.
Glenn joined them, assisting in taking out the small crowd growing around them. Vex looked up as she heard a loud groan, seeing an airplane on the roof, inching toward them.
"Daryl, Vex go!"
Vex kept close to Daryl, heading back toward Bob.
Daryl quickly took out the walker inching toward the man as Vex began lifting the shelf.
"Come on!"
Daryl joined her just as Zach did, the former grabbing Bob's arms as the latter assisted in lifting the shelf.
The ceiling started caving in, Vex and Zach dropped the shelf once Bob was safely out from underneath it.
She saw Zach stumble, letting out a scream-- The woman grabbed his arm, but Zach was already on the ground, he was already bit, in the leg, in the neck. The ceiling was caving, the airplane was groaning-- but she was still trying to save him.
"Vex!"
Daryl grabbed the woman, successfully detaching her from Zach, and the two made it out of the building just as the airplane fell fully, demolishing the store.
She let out a breath, staring at the building.
"What the hell were you thinkin'?" Daryl yelled, "You woulda died in there with him."
"I was thinking I wanted to at least try to save him," Vex retorted, looking at the man.
Daryl scoffed, shaking his head.
"Come on. We gotta go."
🗡
Carl wanted to snoop in on storytime.
Zeppelin told him they were just as much welcome as the other kids, no snooping allowed, but Carl insisted.
Which was why they were currently sneaking around the prison library, listening in to the story Carol read.
Zeppelin gave the boy a look, but Carl brushed her off, crouching behind a bookshelf as Ryan Samuels, Lizzie and Mika's father, departed.
Carol halted her reading, standing and opening the trunk she sat on.
"Ma'am, should I take watch now?"
"Yes, Luke, you do that."
Zeppelin furrowed her brows, stepping close as Carl did.
"Today," Carol said, setting out a tray of knives, "We are talking about knives-- how to use them, how to be safe with them, and how they could save your life."
"Ma'am, may I be dismissed?" Patrick spoke up.
"What is it?"
"I'm not feeling very well."
"Sometimes you're gonna have to fight through it," Carol said, "What if you wind up out there alone? You just give up because you're feeling bad?"
"No, it's just. . ." Patrick said, "I don't wanna yack on somebody."
"Go."
Patrick left, Carol, continuing her lesson as Zeppelin and Carl inched forward.
All the way until Carol's eyes fell on them.
"Please," Carol said, looking at Carl, "Don't tell your father."
Carl took off quickly, Zeppelin standing still for a moment.
The girl only nodded to Carol, before taking off after her friend.
🗡
Vex hopped off Daryl's bike as soon as she could. The man tried to call for her, but Vex did not respond, stalking off into the prison without a word.
"What'd you do this time?"
Daryl scoffed at Dean's approach, the latter laughing lightly.
"We lost Zach," Daryl said quietly, "Vex tried to save 'im. Almost got herself killed in the process."
Dean sighed, looking down at his feet.
"Who's tellin' Bethie?"
"I can," Daryl said quietly, "Just. . . check on Vex?"
"I will," Dean nodded, "'Course I will. And Carol will, and Zep will, and Maggie and Glenn and Rick. . . but you know she'll only wanna talk to you."
Daryl shook his head, looking away from the man.
"So, maybe stop by after you talk to Beth," Dean said quietly, nodding, "That's all."
Dean departed, clapping Daryl's shoulder in passing. He made his way to the familiar C block where his family stayed, pushing back the sheet and leaning in the doorway to Vex's room, knocking on the doorjamb as if it did anything.
"Hey," Vex greeted, rifling through her stack of clothes, "I'm about to shower, you good?"
"Yeah," Dean nodded, crossing his arms, "Are you?"
Vex faltered, bundling her clothes in her arms.
"Yeah," She lied easily, "That it?"
Dean held an arm up as she tried to leave the room.
"Dean. . ."
"If you're not alright, that's okay."
"I didn't even know the kid that well."
"Doesn't matter," Dean shrugged, "Clearly it's botherin' you."
Vex sighed, rolling her lips as she took a step back.
"I just. . ." She started, "I don't know. It was a lot easier to feel like you could save people before. You know?"
"Yeah."
"Now it's just. . ." Vex sighed again, "One bad wound and you're dead. One bite, one scratch, that's it. It's just hard."
Dean nodded, lowering his arm.
"Go on."
Vex rolled her eyes, taking off, thankful her brother was satisfied with her answer.
The woman still took military showers, something entirely unneeded, but it worked.
She was in and out in two minutes flat, with a fresh set of pajamas Michonne had found on one of her runs.
Vex had thanked her endlessly for the Led Zeppelin t-shirt.
The woman padded back to her cell, braiding her hair loosely as she did, pushing back the sheet only to find a man sitting on her bed.
"Get your own," Vex said, putting a hand on her hip.
"Have my own," Daryl mumbled, "Was waiting for you."
"For what?" She scoffed, walking to her small desk, "To scold me some more, Warden?"
Daryl stood, his frustration evident as Vex began rifling through paperbacks.
"If I didn't pull you out, you'd be under than plane with him."
"What do you want, a 'thank you'?" She questioned, lazily scanning over the summary of a book before tossing it on the desk and continuing to look for a new one, "Thank you, Daryl, for saving my ass, I would be dead without you--"
"Hey, I'm not screwin' around--"
"I'm not either," She argued, spinning to face him, "I get it, okay? I was stupid, I've been stupid for the past six months, and I'm gettin' dumber by the day."
"Vex--"
"I just want to stop watching people I know die."
Vex shrugged, watching Daryl's expression soften.
"So, I was stupid, and I tried to get him out, even though he was already bit," Vex continued, "But go on, continue to scold me for it."
"You can't try and sacrifice yourself for everyone in here."
"Okay," Vex said quietly, her annoyance evident.
"You have people who count on you," He pointed, "Zeppelin, Dean--"
"Alright, that was low--"
"I count on you."
Vex pursed her lips, watching Daryl's frustration eat him up again.
"Just forget it--"
"I know it was stupid," Vex breathed out, grabbing the man's arm, "I know it was stupid, okay? I just. . . I really can't just keep brushing it all off. I can't just keep adding to the tally, Dixon. It's takin' a toll, I can tell."
Daryl's brow creased, taking a step toward the woman.
"You doin' okay?"
"Yeah," She said, her shoulder slumping, "Nightmares are hell, but I haven't had a full episode since you found me in the tombs."
Daryl nodded, but the worry in his brow never left.
"I'm just being a wimp," She whispered, lifting a thumb to work the crease out of his forehead, "Stop lookin' at me like that or you'll get wrinkles."
Daryl said nothing, so Vex sighed and dropped her hand, taking a seat on her bed.
"Seriously, it's. . . I'm getting better at handling it all," Vex said, "Hershel's been helping me a lot. Figuring out how to work through anything I feel coming on. This isn't PTSD. It's just. . . I don't want to lose anyone else."
"Me neither."
Vex gave the man a sad smile as he sat beside her.
"'least we have each other, right?"
"Somethin' like that."
"Don't be like that," Vex teased, elbowing the man, "I know I'm your favorite. I'd never tell Zep or Carol."
Daryl breathed out a laugh, wrapping an arm around the woman as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Sure," He said, "You're my favorite."
"Can I get that in writing?"
"Alright, you're pushin' your luck now."
WORD COUNT : 3621