𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter nine; Romance Readers
" No matter what you've done, no matter who you were or who you turn into, V. You're my sister. "

"YOU STAY BEHIND me, and don't you dare do anything else!"

Zeppelin obeyed her mother this time, watching as the group of newcomers gunned down the walkers coming toward them.

It was silent when they had fallen. Everyone standing before everything they'd done.

And then one final walker emerged from the barn.

Vex heard Carol's cries, her anger turning to pain as Daryl caught the woman before she could rush to her daughter. Vex cradled Zeppelin's head into her stomach, forcing her daughter's eyes away as Rick, who had not fired a single shot, approached Sophia, drawing his pistol.

The shot was deafening.

Only Carol's cries sounded out for seconds before the woman took off back toward the house.

The Greene family was in shock, Beth sobbing before approaching the bodies littering the ground to be beside her mother.

Only the walker hadn't died fully.

Vex moved instantly, along with the group, separating Beth before ending the walker's life.

Vex held Beth tightly, her eyes meeting a silent Hershel's.

🗡

There was a bit of a scuffle between Shane and Hershel, which ended only with Maggie slapping the man and Hershel ordering them off of his land.

Vex walked Beth to her room, Zeppelin close behind.

The woman brushed Beth's hair from her face, watching the girl cry endless but silent tears.

"I'm here, Bethie," Vex said quietly.

"You're leaving, too," Beth cried, "You said so--"

"Honey. . ."

"Just-- just stay, please," Beth cried, throwing her arms around Vex, "Just a little while longer."

Vex tightened her jaw but hugged the girl tightly, brushing her hair smoother.

"I need to talk to your dad, Bethie, but I'll be back," Vex whispered, "I'll be right back, okay?"

Zeppelin took a seat on Beth's bed when her mother stood, not saying a word as Vex left.

The woman went to Hershel's room- he wasn't taking visitors, but she didn't particularly care.

"Don't chastise me now, I'm in no mood to argue."

Vex stood still as Hershel collected his wife's things.

"I'll stay for the funerals. Then Zep and I are leavin'."

Hershel slowed his movements but never stopped.

"Dean'll probably stay. He'll be enough to keep you safe."

"Vex, you're family, this was not--"

"My family wouldn't have kept that from me."

"You only woulda left sooner. Did what that man did."

Vex turned, turning the doorknob to leave.

"I would've told you the people you think were sick were the same ones that killed half my team and burned down Atlanta. That I want to protect my daughter like you want to protect yours, and having some monster's feet from us is not the way to do that."

Vex nodded, leaving silently.

🗡

Dean helped dig the graves.

Vex and Zeppelin came for the service.

Dean stayed afterward, helping clean up the remaining bodies.

Zeppelin returned to Beth, while Vex decided to pay Carol a visit.

"I'on't think she wants company."

Vex eyed Daryl silently, walking past him toward the R.V.

Carol sat alone, staring out the window, with a blank expression on her face.

Vex slid into the seat across from her, clasping her hands on the table that separated them.

"I don't want any more apologies."

"I'm not here to offer one."

Carol looked up.

"But I'll be here until you tell me to leave."

Vex leaned back, pulling a small paperback from her back pocket, and cracking it open.

Carol laughed at the cover.

"Hey, don't judge," Vex dared to smile, "Girl's gotta get her fix, you get it."

Carol shook her head as Vex switched the seat beside her, placing the romance novel between them.

"I think I read this one before," Carol smiled.

Vex let out a loud laugh, resting her head on her hand.

"It's a good one if your husband's. . . unskilled."

Carol went quiet, shifting in her seat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just. . ." Vex said softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't think about that one."

Carol shook her head, rubbing her brow for a moment before speaking.

"Mine's dead."

Vex softened.

"Glad he is. That must make me sound terrible."

"It doesn't," Vex said quietly, earning Carol's full attention. "Kinda hope mine is, too."

Vex turned her eyes back to her book but remained beside Carol.

"I think we might have a lot more in common than we thought, Carol," Vex said.

"Yeah. . . I'm startin' to think so, too."

🗡

Dean informed Vex that Beth had collapsed, and Hershel was missing. He told her that Rick and Glenn were going after him and that Maggie and Zeppelin were with Beth.

Much to Dean's surprise, Vex only walked out the back door and sat in the wide-open field.

Her brother followed her, silently taking a seat beside her.

  "I don't want to keep you at arm's length," He said quietly. "They don't, either."

  She said nothing.

  "He was worried he'd lose you if you knew."

  They sat in silence for a while. Nothing but the sounds of cicadas around them.

  "I want to go home."

  "I know, but. . . how much have metal shutters really done for us?"

  "No, Dean," Vex said tiredly, picking at the grass by her feet, "I want to go home."

  He looked at the woman, furrowing his eyebrows.

  "I can't be around these people," She whispered thickly, "Dean, I ran out of my meds a week ago, there's none back at the house--"

  "We can go look for some--"

  "So that's it, that's the rest of my life?" She questioned in a breath, looking to Dean, "Scavenging for some pills so I don't fly off the handle and kill some innocent people?"

  "Vex. . ."

  "I can't do it, Dean," She said, feeling the burning in her eyes, "I can't let someone hurt Zeppelin again, and I can't promise that I won't hurt anyone just because I'm getting flashbacks."

  Dean reached out, putting a hand on the back of her neck to bring their foreheads together.

  "You're my little sister, Vex. I have you."

  "Dean. . . I'm no good to a group."

  "You are my sister."

  "I've killed more people than I can count, even before the dead started walkin'."

  "No matter what you've done," He said, keeping her forehead to his, "No matter who you were or who you turn into, V. You're my sister."

Vex nodded as a tear fell from her eye.

  "Head back to the house, make sure there's no extra-- I swear I had 'bout a five year supply," He said with a soft laugh, "Clear your head, however long you need. Take a walkie."

  "But Zeppelin--"

  "I'll keep her here, she'll want to be with Beth."

  Vex nodded, pulling back to wipe her face free of tears.

  "I'm a shitty mother, and a shittier sister," She laughed, shaking her head.

"Just because you're not invincible, doesn't mean you're a bad mom, or sister, V," He said, "You're probably the best thing that came out of our fuckin' family."

Vex didn't exactly believe this, but she had no energy left to argue with him.

Dean pressed a kiss to her forehead, before helping her up.

She'd set out for the house in an hour, Vex decided.

She needed a moment with her own mind or she very may well lose it.

WORD COUNT : 1202