𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter twenty-two; Left Behind
"Can't you yell at me 'bout this later? "

  IN A HAZE of smoke, Vex and Maggie dropped the walkers surrounding the brothers, before focusing on the people.

  The scene descended into chaos quickly, townspeople running off while others stayed to fight, Rick had joined the women in picking them off as quickly as possible.

  Vex's eyes searched the chaos for Daryl, for even a sign of him.

  "Daryl!"

  She let out a breath as he and Merle came rushing toward their group, the woman standing to cover them as they took up behind them.

  "Let's go," Rick said, "Go!"

  And then the group ran.

  "You asshole," Vex let out as she ran beside Daryl, "You said you were right behind me."

  "I was," He argued, watching the woman take out another man on their trail, "Can't you yell at me 'bout this later?"

  Vex grumbled as they finally approached the wall.

  "They're all at the arena," Merle said, "This way."

  "You're not goin' anywhere with us," Rick said.

  "You really wanna do this now?"

  Merle quickly started kicking in the wall as the rest of the group covered him, following out after only to face a handful of walkers.

  "Little help would be nice!"

  Vex joined the man quickly, shooting at the walkers closest to him.

  Merle turned, pausing just for a moment.

  He had seen her face before.

  "We ain't got time for this!"

  The group walked in silence back to the car, Vex's eyes scarcely leaving Daryl.

"Glenn!"

  "Rick? Rick. Oh, thank God."

  Glenn and the woman rushed to meet them in the brush of the forest.

  "Now we got a problem here," Rick said, "I need you to back up."

  "What the hell is he doing here?!"

  Both Glenn and the woman pulled their weapons, ready to lunge at the eldest Dixon brother.

  Vex was getting the sense that Merle hadn't been very popular, even before his allegiance to Woodbury.

  "We barely got out of there together, and now we're pulling weapons on each other?!" Vex yelled.

  "He helped us get out of there," Daryl started, "Get that--"

  "Yeah, right after he beat the shit out of you," Rick argued.

  "Hey, we both took our licks, man."

  "Jackass," Daryl mumbled to his brother.

  "Hey, shut up--"

  "Enough!"

  "Seriously, talk about the dude, but put your gun down unless you actually intend on shooting one of us," Vex said, staring at Glenn from Daryl's side.

  "V, you don't know the guy," Glenn said, readjusting his gun, "Trust me, you don't want him to come back with us, either."

  "I know you from somewhere. . ."

  Vex scoffed at Merle's words, "I doubt that."

  He stared for a moment, shaking his head.

  Until he grinned.

  "Paul," He pointed, "Carries a picture o' you around."

  Vex's face dropped.

  "Shut the hell up," She mumbled, turning back to Glenn, "Put your gun down."

  "Man, get that thing outta my face," Daryl yelled.

  "Man, look like you've gone native, brother."

  Daryl turned to Merle, "No more than you hanging out with that psycho back there."

  "Oh, yeah, man," Merle said, "He is a charmer, I got to tell you that. Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea, big time baby."

  The woman seemed affected by the comment, but it was Glenn who spoke up.

  "What?" He said, "Andrea's in Woodbury?"

  "Right next to the Governor."

  The woman lunged again with her sword.

  "I told you to drop that!" Rick yelled. "You know Andrea? Hey, do you know Andrea?"

  "Yep, she does," Merle called, "Her and blondie spent all winter cuddled up in the forest mm-mmm-mmm. Yeah. My Nubian queen here had two pet walkers. No arms, cut off the jaws, kept them in chains. Kind of ironic, now that I think about--"

  "Shut up, bro," Daryl called, turning to Merle.

  "Hey, man, we snagged 'em out the woods," Merle continued, "Andrea was close to dying."

  "Is that why she's with him?"

  "Yeah. Snug as two little bugs. So, what you gonna do now, Sheriff? Huh? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs, and cowards."

  "Shut up!"

  "Oh, man, look at this, pathetic," Merle called, "All these guns and no bullets in them--"

  "Merle shut up!" Daryl yelled.

  "Shut up yourself! Bunch of pussies--"

  Vex heaved a sigh as Rick hit the back of Merle's head, sending him to the ground.

🗡

  It was a heated debate. Whether Merle or the woman was coming back with them to the prison.

  Granted, Daryl was the only one defending his brother.

  "But Merle," Daryl said, "Merle's blood."

  "No, Merle is your blood," Glenn said, "My blood, my family is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison."

  "And you're part of that family," Rick urged to Daryl, "But he's not. He's not."

  Daryl hesitated, looking to Vex.

  "I don't know the guy, except that he was gonna execute two of our own," Vex said, shaking her head, "If all these people, all these people that have actually met the guy don't think he's safe. . . I can't put my girl at risk, Daryl."

  He shook his head, looking over at his brother who stood feet away.

  "Man, y'all don't know."

  "Daryl," Vex said quietly.

  "Nah, you have your brother," He argued, "You don't know."

  Vex frowned, unable to argue this point.

  She recognized it was difficult. Having to leave family, even if they were bad, was difficult.

  But she was taking Rick's word, that this was better for the group, and only hoped Daryl would too.

  "Fine," He said, "We'll fend for ourselves."

  "That's not what I was saying--"

  "No him, no me."

  Vex stared.

  "So, that's it?" She laughed humorlessly.

  ". . . That's it."

  Her mind was racing, her heart climbing into her throat-- she had no words. Even as Glenn and Maggie argued with him. Even as Rick followed the man to the car, even as Daryl grabbed his things.

  She stood, motionless.

  Daryl looked for her, after he slug his pack over his shoulder, shutting the trunk.

  He didn't want to leave. Hell, he didn't want to leave any of them, least of all Vex Williams.

  But he wasn't so sure he could say goodbye, either.

  "What about her?"

  Daryl looked to Rick, who nodded at Vex.

  "What about Zeppelin?"

  "They'll understand."

  "You and I both know they won't," Rick said quietly.

  Daryl looked toward his brother.

  He couldn't leave Merle. Not again.

  "They will."

  And with that, Daryl joined his brother.

  Vex didn't speak.

  She didn't even react to anything until they'd stopped to get a truck out of the road.

  Glenn argued with Rick, but Vex had no interest.

  Until Glenn started screaming. Asking Rick if he knew what had been done to Maggie.

  And the woman yelled back, asking him to stop.

  "Glenn shut your mouth."

  The man looked up in shock, furrowing his brows at Vex-- ready to yell at her, too.

  "It's not your story to tell," Vex said quietly, "So shut up about it."

  Vex nodded to Maggie, joining her at the truck.

  The rest of the trip back was entirely silent.

🗡

  Vex climbed out of the car as they entered the first gate, greeting her Carl, Carol, and Zeppelin.

  The woman breathed for what felt like the first time as her daughter hurried to hug her.

  "Where's Daryl?" Carol questioned, scanning the car before it continued on.

  Zeppelin lifted her head quickly, looking between the people around her.

  "Mom. . ?" Zeppelin questioned shakily.

  "Hey, he's alive, baby," Vex said gently, brushing her daughter's hair out of her face, "We found his brother. They went off together."

  Zeppelin's lip wobbled, tears welling up as she buried her face in her mother's neck in another hug.

  Vex turned her head, meeting Carol's eyes.

  The woman let out a breath, resting a hand on Vex's shoulder.

  Vex lifted a hand, covering Carol's, squeezing it tightly.

🗡

  "Dean, we need to talk," Vex called as she approached the rest of the group, both Carol and Zeppelin under her arms.

  Her brother nodded with furrowed brows.

  "I'll be inside in just a second, babydoll," Vex said quietly, kissing the top of her daughter's head.

  Vex nodded to Dean, the man following her further out into the courtyard, away from Rick and Hershel.

  "Hey, Mag told me about Daryl. . . I'm so--"

  "I saw Paul."

  Dean recoiled in shock.

  "He was there, at Woodbury," She continued, "And the Governor, he knows where the prison is."

  "D--did he see you--?"

  "No," Vex said instantly, "But it's only a matter of time before he shows up here-- finds me, finds Zep."

  "Hey, nothing's gonna happen--"

  "Yeah?" Vex laughed dryly, "Yeah, nothing's gonna happen? He has a gun now, Dean. And a whole town behind him."

  Dean tried to reach out, but Vex recoiled.

  "Hey, I won't let anything happen to you or her," He said quietly, "I swear, Vex."

  She chewed the inside of her cheek, fighting off the lump in her throat as she brought her brother into a tight hug.

  "I'm scared."

  "I know."

  Vex breathed out, pulling away as her brother brushed her hair back.

  "Vex," Rick called.

  The woman turned, approaching Rick.

  "We have company inside," He said quietly, "Group of survivors. Four of 'em."

  Vex only nodded, following the man into the prison.

  She eyed the survivors but didn't speak to them, climbing to the landing she'd set up camp in.

  The woman faltered, seeing the messy makeshift bed that would now remain empty.

  She flung her items onto her side, staring at the emptiness facing her.

  "Want any company?"

  Vex looked up, spotting Carol with an old USPS box. She nodded, the woman joining her.

  "Made this for little Judith," Carol said, setting the box down.

  Vex looked up, unable to hold back a smile when she read the side.

  "Lil' ass-kicker," She read, shaking her head, "Only he would call a baby that."

  "Yeah," Carol said with a quiet smile.

  They stayed in silence as Vex cleaned up her side of the landing.

  "You gonna be okay?" Carol said finally.

  "I'll be fine," Vex whispered, "He left with a brother who kicked his ass. I'm more worried about him."

  "I think you and I both know men like Merle," Carol said, "They make you want to stay. . . make you think you deserve the abuse."

  Vex swallowed, piling up her laundry.

  "He'll be alright."

  Vex breathed, turning to Carol.

  The woman was shocked to see her eyes brimming with tears, Carol approaching quickly.

  "Hey," Carol said, "Did something else happen?"

  Vex only nodded, her tears spilling over as Carol brought her into a warm embrace.

  It was what Vex imagined hugging her mother would feel like.

  "Zeppelin's father is in that town."

  Carol didn't speak, because she didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to comfort Vex, how to make the woman feel okay with the hand she'd been dealt.

  "And Daryl left," Vex whispered thickly, "He doesn't know. That he was there. Or why that matters--"

  Vex cut herself off, muffling her cries into Carol's shoulder.

  "Now there's a group, and-- and I have to--"

  "You need to rest."

  Vex shook her head, Carol pulling away only to hold her face.

  "You rest," Carol said softly, "We're gonna need you."

  Vex nodded, attempting to wipe her tears as Carol lead the woman to her bed.

  Vex climbed in the sleeping bag without a fight, Carol smiling down on her as she did. 

  "You know where I am," Carol said quietly, "Say the word if you need a thing."

  Vex thanked her quietly, before Carol stood, gathering the box, and departing.

  The woman stared at the empty bed long into the night, her tears turning silent after a while.

  She knew Daryl had meant something to her. That he'd been the first real friend she'd made, outside of the military, in her entire life. The first one she'd trusted, joked with and talked to.

  But Vex couldn't have predicted how unsafe she'd feel without him right beside her.

WORD COUNT : 2032