CHAPTER ELEVEN,
a little competition.

Rick, Carl, and Michonne had left to go on a run to Kings County.

Aiden was asked if she wanted to go but she wouldn't go to a place where she once lived a happy life with people who were now dead. Where she had memories with Lori, with Rick and Carl, with Shane, with Payton and Xavier.

Payton. God, she missed him. She desperately wanted to know if he was alive or not. She needed closure. Same with Xavier, she needed to know if the youngest Reed brother was living.

Aiden and Glenn were left in charge. The brunette glared at Merle when he sat beside her. "What the hell do you want?"

"Well, I would say you, bu' you got my baby brother wrapped round your lil finger, don't ya?" Merle smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aiden quizzed.

"When we left, he couldn't shut up 'bout you. Went on about how he needed to be back with you." Merle told her, "you know if the Governor really is gearin' up for war, none of us have longer to live."

"He's not killing my family." She said to the man.

"He will. He'll kill me first, then Michonne, my brother, you, Glenn, Maggie after that, then the old man, the girl, Carol, Carl and the baby. And then finally Rick." Merle said to her. "He'll force you down onto your knees and put a bullet in the back of you brain after forcing you to watch Daryl and Glenn get their brains blown out."

She stared at Merle for a second before speaking, "and what if I put him on his knees? What if I put a bullet in his skull?"

"You won't get the chance."

She huffed, "Phillip. What a pussy name."

»

Aiden watched Carl walk into her cell. The three had got back home unharmed with heaps of guns and ammo. Carl had a bag in his hand. "What's in the bag, kid?"

"Just wait." He said to her and sat down on her bed. He unzipped it and pulled out a picture. One of her and Shane.

"Did you go to my house?" She asked with a small smile.

"Yeah. Michonne and I did. It was the exact same." Carl stated. "We went to Payton's house too." Carl pulled out three more items. Another picture and two police badges.

The other picture was of Aiden and Payton, the two were smiling with a beer in each other their hands. "Fourth of July, 2009." Aiden smiled before grabbing the police badges.

She sniffed and stared at them. "These are mine and Payton's, aren't they?"

"Yeah." Carl nodded. "I miss him."

"So do I, bud. I miss him and Shane every single day." Aiden told him.

"I miss my mom everyday."

"She's with you, ya know. In spirit, and in your heart." Aiden said to him.

"In spirit? I thought you didn't believe in religion." Carl said.

"I used to. Not after the world ended, God wouldn't let this happen to his children." Aiden stated.

»

Aiden got off of Daryl's bike as the group of four pulled up to a barn.

Aiden walked between Daryl and Rick as they scanned the area.

Daryl stopped and pointed at a building. The three ran towards it, seeing a dead walker. "Someone's here." Aiden whispered.

Rick walked into the building while Daryl and Aiden left.

Aiden and Daryl got back to Hershel just as a truck pulled up. "Heads up."

Aiden raised her gun while Daryl raised his crossbow and Hershel got out of the car.

"What the hell? Why's your boy already in there?" Daryl snarled.

"He's here?" Andrea asked.

"Yup." Andrea sighed and went inside the barn.

"Maybe I should go inside." Hershel said. Aiden shook her head.

"The Governor thought it best if he and Rick spoke privately." The man with glasses spoke.

"Who the hell are you?" Aiden and Daryl asked at the same time.

"Milton Mamet." Aiden snorted at the name and how ridiculous is sounded.

"Great. He brought his butler."

"I'm his advisor."

"What kind of advice?" Daryl asked.

"Planning. Biters. Uh, you know, I'm sorry. I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen." Milton glanced over at Aiden, "and uh, henchwoman."

"You better watch you mouth, sunshine." Daryl countered.

"Look, if the three of us are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day, do me a favor, shut your mouth." The Hispanic one said.

Aiden raised her eyebrows and scoffed while Daryl walked forward.

Aiden stepped up and placed her hands on both men's chests. Her challenging brown eyes met another pair of brown ones before she looked at the comforting blue eyes. "Play nice, ladies. We don't need a cat fight."

"We don't need this. If all goes south in there, we'll be at each other's throats soon enough." Hershel said.

Daryl grabbed Aiden's hand and pulled her away for Martinez who's eyes racked up her body.

"He's lookin' at you." Daryl growled.

"Jealous, Mr. Dixon?" Aiden asked with a smirk.

"Only I can look at you like that." Daryl insisted with a low snarl.

Red tinted her face at the flirty comment. "Okay, buddy, don't be flirtin' when your friend could die any minute."

»

Andrea soon exited the building, leaving the two men to talk.

Milton walked up to Daryl, Aiden, and Hershel. "There's no reason not to use this time we have together to explore the issues ourselves."

"Boss said to sit tight and shut up." Martinez spoke.

"Don't you mean the Governor?" Aiden asked sarcastically.

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

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

"I would call it a battle and I did." Milton said to him. "I recorded it."

"For what?" Aiden asked him.

"Somebody's got to keep a record on what we've been through. It'll be a part of our history."

"That makes sense."

"I've got dozens of interviews-" Milton was cut off by metal clanging and walkers snarling.

Aiden, Daryl, Andrea, and Martinez all crossed over to where the walkers were. "After you." Daryl said to the Hispanic.

"Oh boy, a competition!" Aiden cheered sarcastically.

"No way. You first." Martinez said.

Aiden scoffed and walked forward, a smirk covering her face. She slammed her foot into its chest, it stumbled back into the silo. She pulled out her green handled machete and stabbed it into the walkers head. She smirked down at it before winking at the two men.

She let out a puff of hair at the sharp pain in her sides. Maybe she shouldn't have kicked the walker with three broken damn ribs.

"Pussy." Martinez said to Daryl before twirling his bat and smashing it into the head of another walker. He looked back at the other man.

Daryl shot one with his crossbow while Martinez did another fancy twirl and killed another walker. He went to kill the last but Aiden grabbed her knife and threw it at the walker. It landed perfectly between its eyes.

"Those were some fancy twirls." She said to Martinez.

"That was a fancy ass kick and accurate aim." He said back to her. "What'd you do before all this?"

"I was a cop."

Daryl grabbed a half empty pack of cigarettes from the pocket of a walker and offered one to Martinez, "nah, I prefer menthols."

"Douchebag."

"You army or something?" Aiden asked him.

"Nah, I- just hate these things."

"Yeah."

"After what the did, fo my wife, kids." Martinez said.

"Sucks." Daryl said.

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

"This is a joke, right? The ain't gonna work anything out."

"Sure, they'll do their little dance and tomorrow, next day... they'll give the word." Martinez spoke.

"I know."

"Hey." Daryl handed him a cigarette.

"That was a fun little competition, boys." Aiden smiled.

"You won." Martinez said.

"I know I did." She smirked and walked away to join Andrea, Hershel, and Milton.

"That your girl?" Martinez asked Daryl.

"Yeah, she is." Daryl responded.

"You're lucky. Don't fuck it up."

"I already did once."

"What happened?"

"I left her. I'm back now. She don't see that." Daryl said. 

"She sees it, man. She does."

»

Soon enough the Governor walked out. Aiden's glaze hardened on him once he looked at her and smirked. Rick followed seconds later.

Aiden quickly hugged Andrea, "stay safe." She whispered in her ear.

"You too."

Aiden got on Daryl's bike and wrapped her arms around his middle. The three vehicles went in two separate directions.

»

Aiden and Daryl got off the bike, "you okay?" Glenn asked her quickly.

"I'm fine." Aiden nodded.

"Let's get inside." Rick called out. The group soon all stood around.

"So, I met this Governor. Sat with him for quite a while." Rick stated.

"Just the two of you?" Merle asked.

"Yeah."

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

"He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury. We're going to war." Rick said and walked out.

Glenn met Aiden's eyes. Speaking with his eyes, we'll kill the Governor.

______________________________

word count: 1,546
episodes: clear & arrow on the doorstep

and boomskalaka!!!! another edited chapter. i personally liked martinez just a little bit.

martinez was actually a decent character in my own opinion.

daryl called aiden his girl 🥺. omg i love them. (yes. they are still together)

but aiden's little scene with carl made me so freaking sad. aiden really does miss shane & payton everyday.

i hope to get a flashback scene in soon of aiden and payton. maybe even one of aiden, shane, and the grimes family.

maybe even a flashback scene of her and dalton. i'm still so glad i killed him off as quickly as we met him.