The day was beautiful. Just outside the sky was blue with a few stray clouds drifting on by. The sun was streaming through the windows of the kitchen, lighting up everything with its golden touch. Up and early the Grime children were sitting at the dining table enjoying a quiet breakfast while having small talk. Giggling between the two was heard every now and then as Rj kept playing with his scrambled eggs.
"No playing with your food Rj" Daryl gently spoke, giving the kid a look as he walked up to the table placing his own plate down in front of the smiling two.
"I don't like eggs" the boy complained while teasing his leftovers with his fork. Pulling out a chair for himself Daryl gave a sigh.
"You gotta eat them bud. You can't leave the table until you do."
"Why?"
"Cause your mom told me so."
Of corse Rj gave his usual pout before stabbing a piece of egg on his fork and putting it in his mouth, chewing. To get the kid to eat his vegetables was one thing, but when it came to other foods like eggs, Daryl was able to persuade him a little more with just a few words. He was grateful the kid listened and didn't push his plate away pouting and shaking his head, refusing to eat. He didn't feel like arguing today at least not over eggs. Though Daryl did find the weakness to Rj's eating habits when he'd been pouting one day over the green beans on his plate.
Many times Daryl told him that he needed to eat them. He went far enough to even throw in a little story about how if he ate his green beans then one day he'd grow big and strong like his mother. It was enough to have the child think the story over just for a second before he crossed his tiny arms and whined.
Daryl remembered sighing. With one last shot he then told the kid that if he ate his green beans then he'd give him chocolate milk. Sure enough Rj perked up and grabbed his fork.
Chocolate syrup was a luxury to have especially when it'd been hard to find, so once in a while chocolate milk was allowed to be given to the kids as Michonne once told him.
Before going to sit down in his chair he'd remembered that he'd forgot to grab himself a fork. Making his way back towards the kitchen, Connie was turning off the stove after their morning of making breakfast together was over. Walking just past her, he stopped right beside the sink, pulling open a drawer that held the utensils. Grabbing a fork, he felt a light tap on his shoulder just before shutting the drawer.
Turning, he was met with Connie's questionable gaze before watching her hands raise," Hey, so how did yesterday go?"
Something in his stomach knotted at the question. A wave of aversion crossed his mind at the reminder of how his day had went. He didn't want to think about it. It was done and over with.
""Was fine" he shrugged," why?"
Watching her, she'd had a knowing glint in her eye that showed she'd known yesterday had been rough. Maybe he'd showed that by shutting a door too hard or being more quiet than usual. She read him and knew something was up.
"I felt the bed shift on your side when you left last night" she signed," around three in the morning you stayed up and didn't come back to sleep" she frowned, searching his blues for some kind of answer," is something bugging you?"
His eyes dropped from hers when she'd spoke of his distraction. Something was on his mind and hadn't stopped since the incident with the two men.
"M'fine." He lied through his teeth because she'd been through enough lately and he didn't need her worrying or being concerned about him. She didn't need to know about the troubling two and the continuous mishaps that occurred daily. The taunts they threw his way about Connie and the smirks that followed right after stung- burned even.
The stare downs and the jabs about how he "couldn't hunt" or wasn't "good enough" for the community let alone her. It was all said and done for a reaction. They wanted him to tick. To get a reaction so they could win an on going argument that wasn't settled between them with the council. He found himself staying behind the walls of Alexandria yesterday given the fact the two men had went off into the woods to hunt, so he couldn't be out if they were out for many reasons.
It left him anxious. Itching to be in the woods and checking the perimeter. Needing to know if they were safe from any threat that loomed in every corner. They'd known what they had been doing by keeping him cooped up for the day while they took his place. Leaving him to linger behind thinking about what they had done and gotten away with. And when they'd showed up with a decent buck at the gates it was the salt to the wound ending their victory. With an arrogant glance his way they'd finished him off with raised middle fingers.
With another gentle touch, he felt Connie's hand lay on his forearm. He hadn't realized he'd been staring at the fork he was fiddling with in his hands before her touch brought him back to reality, glancing back towards her frowning brown eyes.
He sighed. Breathing deeply before giving a brief glance to the kids smiling and giggling at the table to make sure they weren't listening.
"Since the incident with those guys, have you had any issues with them?"
She shook her head," No. Not that I can think of. I'll usually see them and they'll advert their eyes and keep walking" She shrugged," they've followed their rules." Daryl gave a light nod, eyes dropping back to his fingers that continued to pick at the fork in his hands.
He was anxious. He could feel his heart beating faster with every second passing and hadn't known why he was so nervous. He wasn't about to admit anything serious about the men, but his change of heart rate and twitching fingers told him other wise.
"Good.."
Seeming wether he wanted to take a step and leave, he was contemplating his decisions at the moment. Did he want to say what was really going on or did he just want to leave it at that?
He didn't have much time to think when another tap to his shoulder brought his eyes back to hers. The look in her eyes were different now. She was upset.
"This isn't about me anymore isn't it.."
As long as Connie was fine then so was he. He had to be.
He shook his head," it's not like that" he assured," your fine and that all that matters."
"And you don't?"
"This ain't about me."
"It is."
He shook his head and Connie disagreed with a glare, eyes narrowed and arms crossing.
He sighed,"It ain't nothin I can't handle."
The topic made his shoulders tense and his breathing pick up. His eyes wanted to drop from Connie's, but he'd known better than to look away from her and face their problem.
Watching her gaze narrow her hands rose. About to speak on her behalf until the loud clang of a fork hitting the floor brought his attention away from Connie and towards the kids who were giggling at the mishap.
"Sorry. It slipped." Judith apologized with a smile before getting up from her chair and reaching for her fallen fork on the floor. Turning, she made her way towards the pair.
"Here" Daryl spoke reaching his fork out towards her and swapping for the fallen one.
Her smile seemed to grow at the kind gesture of her uncle Daryl before her eyes switched between the two," Uncle Daryl are you and aunt Connie going to eat breakfast with us?" She partially tried to sign only spelling out "aunt Connie" and "breakfast" to get her point across.
"Of corse" Connie smiled, signing the words to the young grimes," we'll be right over." That seemed to make Judith's smile beam with joy as she unexpectedly reached a hand out towards Daryl and grabbed his hand.
"Your plate is getting cold"
With a glance towards Connie, Daryl saw her give him a nod assuring him it was okay to be dragged away by the twelve year old to the table. Before being toed away, she reached for the fork in his hand and let him be taken away.
Turning, she turned the faucet on, gently washing and rinsing off the fork. Briefly drying the utensil off, she thought of the two men. They were trouble. More than what they'd led everyone on to believe in the beginning. She'd had a knack for observing and picking out scumbag men easily in a crowd of people. Before the world went to waste, she'd been a journalist and all she ever did was seek the truth behind twisted facades.
They had to be the reason for Daryl's late night walks and waking up early in the mornings when the sun wasn't even out. His tossing and turning hadn't gone unnoticed and he'd kept more to himself than usual lately.
She had to do something about this or at least try if it meant justice for the both of them.
•
•
•
After breakfast he stood on the porch. Leaning against the white railing with his elbows, he watched the wake of the community in its early hours with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. A few people strayed here and there. Walking the streets were mothers and fathers holding their children's hands on their way to "school". Right by the church the school house was open and ready for the kids to start pouring in to stay for the next five hours.
The air was crisp with a light breeze that wafted the smoke of his burning cigarette in its travel. Raising his hand, he took another puff of the tobacco stick between his fingers while continuing his watch from the porch.
Guards were up and stationed by the walls. The streets weren't so lively, but eventually as the morning would carry on the community streets would flood with Alexandrias working on their daily task for the day, out and about.
He knew cigarettes weren't good, but he only smoked when he was stressed. When he was thinking too much. He'd find a spot away from everyone and light up a stick and smoke it away until it'd bite at his finger tips. He figured it was his chance to relieve some of that stress he'd been feeling that week. He got his moment when Judith and Rj finished their breakfast and headed off to the school house with Connie as their chaperone, holding their hands.
With one last puff, he brought out his cigarette and watched its burning embers waft in the breeze. He was at the last of his smoke. Nothing left but some burning ash and a couple more puffs that he didn't want to take. Slowly the embers lingered in bits of red and orange that burnt brighter to him than they should have like an irresistible sign.
He hadn't realized he'd been staring longer than he should have until he'd absentmindedly noticed his left hand had been resting on the railing an inch below from his burning cigarette that had somehow made its way above his hand. It was hovering just below an old burn. Waiting to make its mark as if his mind was setting him up to do the deed until he chose to make the move.
He hadn't moved though.
Drawn to the smoking bud as if he'd been some kind of bug drawn to a light, he felt numb. An inch away from marking his skin, he went for it.
That was until he heard some steps entering the porch. Stopping seconds before marking his skin, he turned his head to find dog walking from inside and towards him. He watched as his friend neared him before stopping beside him and sitting down.
"Hey, boy.."
Turing to face the mutt, he dropped the bud of his cigarette onto the porch and put it out with the bottom of his shoe. Reaching his hand out he gave dog his good morning pet. Scratching his head and behind his ears before he was content enough to lay down next to his feet to keep him company.
Strange in a way Dog came in the nick of time before he'd done something stupid. Leaning forward against the porch railing, he dropped his eyes from the community and to his furry friend laying beside him.
Good boy, he thought with a small smile ghosting his lips.
Good boy.
•
•
•
Later in the early afternoon they split ways. Connie had wanted to stay back and watch the community while Daryl had other plans, bringing out his bike and starting its engine.
She watched him ride outside the walls until the gates closed. The sound of his engine heard as it gradually faded into the distance. She stood, arms crossed for a moment staring at the gates before she decided to turn the other way.
The kids had an hour left until they were out of the school house and that gave her enough time to meet up with her group and see how everyone was doing. Walking the same street back to the grimes house, she passed a couple Alexandrians on the sidewalk before strolling by the bushes Daryl kept his bike parked most days.
The smell in the air had changed when she had walked by. It was a chemically smell, so potent that she knew what it was from the top of her head. Stopping in mid way, she stepped towards the bushes. The smell was much stronger now, burning her nose with each whiff and it made her a bit lightheaded.
Gasoline.
Examining the area, the small patch of dirt beneath her feet was pretty saturated in the potent toxin. A feeling of nerves caused her stomach to drop at the realization of the situation.
There was no way Daryl would leave if he'd known his bike was leaking. Quite a bit of the bike fluid soaked the grass all around the area to a point the grass started to wither.
Her gut was telling her what the problem was. She had a pit feeling that his bike had been tampered with. Someone had emptied his tank. Wether it was before or after Daryl left it unattended over night. Worry set in when she realized one thing.
Taking a step back out of the soaked grass, she stared at helplessly at the serious problem she was facing.
She didn't know much about bikes, but she did know that whatever gas was left in his tank before he left was just enough to get him out of these gates as far as possible until his engine would sputter to a stop.
He wouldn't have enough to come back.
Without any further thought, she turned her heel and headed towards the council office with a pep in her step. This was important.
Daryl was in danger.
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-So I thought this was it, but Part 4 is the last stretch. Everything goes down in the last chapter and a special character shows up in the nick of time.
Anyways, stay safe and be careful everyone! In the mean time re-read some chapters and I'll be posting again soon! Sorry for the delayed wait.
Sincerely, Disney girl 🧟♀️