CHAPTER SIX,
red, red, red.
The five women left the Hilltop to meet the people. They came to a stop once they saw a van parked at a crossroads with two women standing in front of it.
"Okay." Michonne mumbled as they got out. Aiden had her beretta in her hands as she stared at the two. They opened the door to the van. A older woman with a suit on, and short hair stepped out.
"My name is Georgie," she introduced herself, "and these are my friends, Hilda and Midge. And you are?" The woman asked and none of them responded. "Suspicious. But curious enough to what I have to offer for food and music. I do hope the records are music. I don't accept spoken word. If you're out here, you know how to take care of yourselves, and I like that. I don't care to share with the weak." The lady said and Aiden's eyes shifted to Rosita who walked out of the woods with her gun pointed at Georgie.
"Good." Maggie said strongly, "Enid." Enid walked up and her and Rosita took the weapons off of Midge and Hilda.
Enid approached Georgie before the woman said, "none for me." Enid gave her a look before patting her down.
"Give us what you have." Maggie said to her.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I come bearing knowledge to trade- essential knowledge for the future, primarily in my head, and uh, I prefer to keep that where it is." Georgie said and Aiden furrowed her eyebrows.
"You're trading knowledge." Aiden stated.
"That's what I have. I've made the same offer before- fill the crates, get the knowledge- simple as that. It's not a trick, just a fair trade. I promise you."
"It's an act of benevolence." Hilda spoke.
"Why would you do that?" Maggie asked the woman.
"What else should I do?" She retorted.
"Rosita." Aiden said and the Latina moved to the van. The three women looked at Rosita.
"Uh, what's in there isn't part of the deal." Georgie spoke.
"There isn't a deal." Aiden said sternly.
"How many communities have you found?" Rosita asked her as she moved from the van.
"Communities like yours?" Georgie looked at her. "Not many at all. And not one for a very long time. What you have is special, unusual. The dead have brought out our best and worst, and the worst has been outpacing the best lately, but that won't last forever." Georgie spoke.
The new world had treated Aiden like shit but she knew if the world hadn't collapsed she never would've met her new family. She never would've met the love of her life or had Elliot. She never would've met Glenn. She'd never regret meeting him.
But it threw many curveballs at her. She lost more people than she could even count.
"It won't." Midge butt in.
"If, perhaps, people can believe in people again, four crates of goods is worth far less than a sustainable future and perhaps an exercise in trust." They only stared at her. "I know- trust sounds like a made-up word now, like flibberschticky." Georgie spoke.
"Or klompf." Hilda said.
"Or moisture." Midge piped up and Aiden made a face. Georgie turned and looked at the woman like she was stupid.
"Stop. This isn't real. No way anyone survived going around doing what you say you're doing." Enid said.
"But we do. And we will, because I can decide that you are a fine group, manners notwithstanding." said Georgie.
Aiden and Michonne both approached Maggie, "we can make a deal."
"No. These people and their van are coming with us back to Hilltop." Maggie said and Aiden sucked in a breath.
"I don't know, Mags. I don't wanna put Elliot and Judy at risk. I don't think they should come back with us."
»
They ended up coming back with them. Aiden stood in front of a picnic table where the three strange people sat.
She turned her attention when she heard the door to Barrington House open. Jerry walked out and stopped beside Aiden. He placed his hand on top of her head, making her furrow her brows, and spoke, "these people? You trust 'em?"
"Nah. I didn't want them here but Maggie thought it was best. Just gonna go with the flow, Jerry." She said.
Jerry nodded, "I think I taught Elliot how to wink." Aiden looked at him oddly.
"Wink? Jerry, he's only a few weeks old." Aiden said to him.
"He's a fast learner!" Jerry spoke with a smile. "Ha, I'm a damn good teacher."
Aiden rolled her eyes with a small smile, "go, weirdo." She laughed and he stalked off grinning like an idiot.
After a couple minutes Maggie walked out with a crate of records.
"No spoken word?" Georgie asked her.
"I'm agreeing to your deal. We'll fill your four crates, and then you can go. You're gonna want that to be sooner than later." Maggie said to her.
"I accept. But I'm changing the terms. This one, no more. In addition, you can have a sideshow portion of my food stores. From the looks of things around here, you need it far more than we do." Georgie said and Aiden grinned.
"You're giving us food?" Maggie asked her. Georgie nodded and Maggie asked, "in exchange for what?"
"Records and good faith. To be clear, this isn't a gift, it's barter. I'll be back. Maybe not for a while but I will, and by then, I expect great things." Georgie moved to the van where Hilda and Midge were getting their food. "Here is the aforementioned key to the future. Inside, there are handwritten plans for windmills, water mills, silos, hand-drawn schematics, guides to refining grain, creating lumber, aqueducts- a book of medieval human achievement so we may have a future from our past." Georgie said and Aiden moved away from the interaction.
»
Aiden stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She took her shirt off, leaving her in just her plain black bra. She stared at her scars that littered her stomach, arms, and chest.
She traced the bullet wound from when she was shot by Otis. She didn't really remember much from after it. Only hearing Carl's screams and holding his hand as Hershel pulled the bullet fragment from his stomach.
She did remember the pain she felt when Hershel pulled and yanked out the bullet that was wedged between her ribs.
"It's on!" She heard someone yell. She threw her shirt back over her head and left the bathroom.
»
Night fell quickly and Aiden could hear the Saviors approaching the Hilltop. Aiden currently stood behind a car with Payton and Xavier. She heard gunshots from outside the walls. She knew it was her husband and the others returning.
"Now!" Maggie screamed. They all popped up and started firing at the Saviors.
"Lookouts, fall back! Front line, give 'em cover!" Maggie screamed to them before she ran inside.
Arrows were raining down of the Hilltop. Aiden looked and saw that Daryl was okay. "Tara!" She heard him yell. She looked and saw an arrow land in her shoulder.
Aiden sprinted over to the woman. Enid ran over as well. She saw Simon and Dwight. Aiden growled and stood quickly, "Aiden, stop!"
Everyone watched in shock as Aiden Dixon let out a yell and fired at the two men.
All Aiden could see was red.
She was angry.
She was ruthless.
Aiden was blood thirsty.
She was trying to kill them.
"Aiden! Come on, Maggie gave the signal!" Michonne screamed to her. Aiden looked at her before running over to her and Daryl.
The gun fire stopped. They all ran back into Barrington House. Wife stood in front of one of the windows. She stared at the Saviors who walked towards the house before the lights cut on from the trucks, signaling to commence their shooting.
The Saviors started to flee before more headlights cut on and Rick and the others returned shooting at them and killing several of them.
But eventually, the Saviors did escape their wrath.
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word count: 1,355
episodes: the key & do not send us astray
here's another edited chapter, i didn't do very much to it, i just changed up the end fight scene a little bit.
aiden blacked out once again 😬. the new world really has treated her like shit. i love her sm 🥺.
jerry and aiden's friendship is top notch. their so precious. him teaching elliot to wink is too funny and adorable 😂. but he actually taught the baby to wink.