𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻

𝐴𝑅𝑅𝑂𝑊 𝑂𝑁 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐷𝑂𝑂𝑅𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑃

ANASTASIA WAS BRAIDING MEL'S HAIR, SHE HAD FINISHED BRAIDING MADDY'S HAIR, Val was waiting for her next. The three Watson girls smile a little, knowing their mother hadn't done this since before the world went to shit. And it gave them a bit of normalcy.

"Ooh, Can you do me next?" Ash teases her sister.

"Uh! I'm next!" Val says.

"I'm after Val!" Bella adds coming to them. Her feet carrying her quickly.

RICK, DARYL, JOAQUIN, AND HERSHEL ARRIVED AT THE AGRRED LOCATION, HERSHEL stays in the car while Rick, Daryl, and Joaquin scope out the place. They kill a few walkers they see and Rick goes inside the building. Joaquin and Daryl see from the outside that the Governor is already inside before Rick even went in. The two make their way towards the front. Hershel pulls up in the green car,.

"He's already in there. Sat down with Rick." Daryl tells him.

Hershel says, "I don't see any cars."

"It don't feel right. Keep it running." Joaquin tells Hershel.

A car approaches them, "Heads up." Daryl tells them, and Joaquin goes into survival mode. "What the hell? Why's your boy already in there." Daryl asks.

Andrea asks getting out of the car, "He's here?"

Daryl says, "Yup." Andrea opens the door to the building and goes inside, nor sparing the rest a second glance. Joaquin looked at the two men that were in the vehicle with Andrea. Ash and Rosa had told him about her, that she was a part of the group, since Atlanta. Her sister died the night that Rick, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog, went looking for Merle. Joaquin was pretty much caught up with the entire drama in the group.

After a while of silence,  Hershel speaks up, "Maybe I should go inside."

Milton tells them, "The Governor thought it best if he and Rick spoke privately."

Daryl asks, "Who the hell are you?"

Milton says, "Milton Mamet."

Daryl says sassily, "Great. He brought his butler."

Milton corrects him, "I'm his advisor."

Daryl asks, "What kind of advice?"

Milton says, "Planning. Biters. Uh, you know, I'm sorry. I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen." Joaquin had a feeling Milton was the type of kid who would get bullied at school, for being smart and the teachers per.

"No pues, despantalonado." Joaquin says in Spanish making Martinez crack a smile and chuckle a little but he covered it up with a cough. Joaquin was a class clown, he was smart about it, had all his work done and didn't miss an assignment. But he still enjoyed made making the class laugh.

Daryl tells him, "You better watch your mouth, sunshine."

Martinez says, "Look, if you and I are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day, do me a favor, shut your mouth."

Hershel intervienes, "We don't need this. If all goes south in there, we'll be at each other's throats soon enough." Joaquin looks at them amused, it was a like a telenovela to him, one his mother used to watch.

        AT THE PRISON, IN THE CAFETERIA, EVERYONE WAS SORTING THROUGH THE SUPPLIES, that was brought yesterday.

Glenn says, "Carl, come here. You stash these at the loading dock. All right? Beth, put more up on the catwalk. If anyone gets pinned down, we need to make sure that they have plenty of ammo. I'll go work on the cage outside."

Merle says, "What we should be doing is loading some of this firepower in a truck and paying a visit to the Governor. We know where he is right now."'

"Are you suggesting that we just go in and kill him?" Glenn asks him.

Merle says, "Yeah, I am."

Michonne says, "We told Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put."

"Our people could get injured in the cross fire." Ash says.

Merle says, "I've changed my mind, sweetheart. Being on the sideline with my brother out there ain't sitting right with me."

"My brother is right there, too. He's risking his life. They all are." Rosa tells him.

Glenn says, "The four of them are right in the middle of it. No idea we're coming. They could get taken hostage or killed. A thousand things could go wrong."

Merle says, "And they will."

Carl says, "My dad can take care of himself."

Merle says, "Sorry, son, but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon."

"Don't say that to him." Anastasia glares at him, "Don't even speak to him." Everyone sees the anger radiating off of Anastasia. She was ready to attack Merle if she had to.

"Moma bear came out to play." Merle says and Anastasia is about to lung herself at him, Rosa and Maggie hold her back. Carl looks at her with admiration.

Glenn tells him, "It's not the right move. Not now. Can't take the risk of putting them in the crossfire. That's my decision. It's final."

     
    OUTSIDE THE OLD FACTORY, DARYL, AND JOAQUIN LOOK BORED, ANDREA HAD JOINED them not to long ago, being kicked out of the   meeting. Milton was writing in his little notebook, Martinez wanted to be anywhere but here. Hershel was calm but ready to shoot a bitch if they tried it. Daryl sighs.

Milton says, "There's no reason not to use this time we have together to explore the issues ourselves."

Martinez tells him, "Boss said to sit tight and shut up."

"Don't you mean el Gobernador?"  Joaquín asks him making fun of the little town, and their titles.

Milton says, "It's a good thing they're sitting down, especially after what happened. They're gonna work it out. Nobody wants another battle."

Daryl says, "I wouldn't exactly call it a battle."

Milton says, "I would call it a battle and I did. I recorded it."

"It was a fuckien ambush." Joaquin looks at Milton, "write in your little fuckien book."

Daryl asks Milton, "For what?"

Milton says, "Somebody's got to keep a record of what we've gone through. It'll be a part of our history."

Hershel says, "That makes sense."

"I've got dozens of interviews--" Milton says and they hear walkers grow and snarls, Daryl, Joaquin, and Martinez go check it out. The three reach the walkers.

Daryl tells Martinez, "After you."

"No way. You first." Martinez says.

"No mames." Joaquín sighs shakes his head walking past the two killing a walker. Andrea sighs and kills one too.

Martinez comments, "Pussy."  Andrea sighs and walks away, Martinez kills a walker with a bat to the head, Daryl shoots a walker, Martinez is about to kill another when Daryl throws a knife at it. Joaquin looks at the entire situation amused.

Daryl says pulling out a pack of cigarettes, "Look what he's got." He offers one to Martinez and Joaquin, Joaquin takes one.

Martinez says, "Nah, I prefer menthols. Douchebag."'

"You army or something?" Joaquin asks.

Martinez says, "Nah, I just-- just hate these things."

Daryl says, "Yeah."

Martinez says, "After what they did to my wife, kids, and sisters."

Daryl says "Sucks." Joaquin nods in agreement.

Martinez says, "Thanks."

Martinez says, "This is a joke, right? They ain't gonna work anything out. Sure, they'll do their little dance and tomorrow, next day... they'll give the word."

"Politicians." Joaquin mutters.

Daryl says, "I know."

Martinez says, "Hey." Daryl gives him a cigarette.  Martinez turns to look at Joaquin. "You're Latino?"

"Yeah, Mexican, You?" Joaquin says taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Yeah, Mexican. I saw your nopal." Martinez says making Joaquin laugh.

"I saw yours too." Joaquin says, Daryl looks at the two Mexican men weirdly not understanding them.

"You're army?" Martinez ask him.

"I was." Joaquin says. 

"Couldn't keep you for long?" Martinez asks.

"Something like that." Joaquin says. "Had to leave that little town, without killing my apá."

"I know the feeling, he rode your ass?"

"First born and only son." Joaquins says.

"No manches." Martinez says knowing what that was like, being the first born male in a Mexican house hold. "Hermanas?"

"Younger." He says.

"Walkers?" Martinez asks.

"No, they died before this." Joaquin says, Daryl notices how he lies, about Rosa but he can't blame the guy, he would lie too if he was in his position.

                 AT THE PRISON, EVERYONE WENT BACK TO WORKING AFTER THE ALMOST ALTERCATION, between Merle and Anastasia. In all honestly Anastasia just wanted to fight Merle, for what he put this group through, the comment he made at Carl just pushed her over the edge. Ash kept an eye on her sister knowing she was a hot head, she was protective of the ones she cares for, especially kids.

Glenn tells Merle, "Hey, you're not going."

Merle goes up to the door, "I don't need permission."

Glenn closes the door, "I can't let you."

Merel says, "You can't stop me."

Maggie says, "If you're gonna live here with us, it's gonna be on our terms. If Michonne can do it, why can't you?"

Merle says, "Cause it's my brother out there, that's why. What's the matter with y'all?"

"So is mine! You're going to get him killed! I'll kill you before you do!" Rosa says.

Glenn says, "I'm not gonna let you put them in danger."

Merle says, "Nut up already, boy. This guy cops a feel of your woman and you pussy out like this? Get out of my way."

Glenn says, "No."'

Merle says, "Get out of my way!" Glenn holds his position. Merle and Glenn both go at it

Ash and Maggie try to pry him off as he chokes Glenn, Rosa smacks him across the face with a pan, "puto." She says and Ash and Maggie manages to pull him off. Beth shoots a gun at the ceiling, catching everyone's attention.

Merle struggles to Maggie because of the hit with the pan, and chokehold she has him in, "Let me go! Let me go!" Maggie let's him go.

The Watson kids look between the women and admire them for being bad ass women. Bella has never been prouder of her mother with the pan.

             EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR THEIR LEADER TO COME OUT, WHEN RICK AND THE Governor walk outside. They each get in their cars. Andrea looks between the two cars, undeceived  before she decides to go with the Governor.

      THE FOUR MEN ARRIVE AT THE PRISON, AND THE GROUP WELCOMES THEM, OUTSIDE, Rick says, "Let's get inside." And they all walk inside the prison.

        INSIDE THE PRISON, THE PRISON CELL CORRIDOR THE GROUP GATHERS AROUND RICK, as he informs them, "So, I met this Governor. Sat with him for quite a while."

Merle asks, "Just the two of you?"

Rick nods, "Yeah."

Merle says, "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro."

Rick looks at the group before saying, "He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury. We're going to war." He walks away from the group. Mel and Maddy look at their mother worried, what were they going to do. Val and Frank both look terrified. Bella hugs her mom Mavis tightly. Joaquin shares a look with his sister, and Rosa gives him a small smile. Ash looks at the group worried, for all their safety. Anastasia looks at her kids giving them a small smile to reassure them everything will be okay, which she didn't know, but she only hopes they would be okay. Deep down Anastasia was terrified if she couldn't protect her children and new found family. She knew she had to whatever she had to, to protect them.

_________

Words 1935
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter it has more of Joaquin, which I love. Don't forget to vote, comment, and share. Check out my other stories on tumblr and here. Some of my work is exclusive to tumblr @ Wincherthottie so it would be greatly appreciated if your check it out. Wear a mask, get vaccinated and stay safe.
Updated August 30, 2021