𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter twenty-six; The Start Of War
" Don't tell me you're goin' soft on me? "

"THIS CAN'T BE a good idea."

  Daryl craned his neck, watching Vex approach him.

  "I ain't arguing with you."

  Vex sighed, watching the man load his motorcycle.

  She was uneasy as soon as she heard the idea. 

  Meeting the Governor, even in neutral territory, to have a conversation after what he'd done made Vex sick to her stomach.

  And the thought of her going, when she knew the chances of seeing Paul were impossibly high, chased away any idea of calm she'd had.

  But Rick wanted her there. In case anything went south.

  "You ridin' with me?"

  Vex eyed the man, crossing her arms with a mischievous grin.

  "You gonna let me drive?"

  "You know how to drive a bike?"

  "I'm a goddamn Navy SEAL and you're surprised I can drive a motorcycle?"

  "You ever heard the nickname 'Squid'?"

  Daryl couldn't fight back a smile at the glare that washed over Vex's face.

  'Squid' was a common name tagged onto any member of the Navy, oftentimes by other military personnel (most often marines), but Vex knew the origin of such a name, and it wasn't an offhand choice based on marine life.

  It was because Navy men used to be notorious for spending all money earned on deployment on a motorcycle, without any real training, resulting in many crashes.

  And, in nature, squids were very fast animals but, like an inexperienced biker, had difficulty changing direction quickly.

  Now, granted, this nickname for sailors formed back in the 1960s when these situations were more prevalent, but it was clear Daryl know exactly where it had come from.

  "You're a dick," Vex informed shortly.

  "Whatever you say, Squid," He retorted, "Come on, we ain't got all day."

  She grumbled but climbed on the back of the motorcycle.

  They made it to their location without incident.

  Rick climbed out of the car Hershel had driven, as Vex and Daryl got off the bike.

  "You stay with Hershel," Rick pointed to Vex, "Daryl, on me."

  Vex nodded to the men, circling the car and leaning against the driver's side.

  "You know. . . he might be here today."

  "Yeah, I know," Vex sighed, turning to Hershel, "It's weird seeing you with a gun."

  The man laughed.

  "The world has changed."

  "That, it has," Vex nodded, watching the landscape around them, "I haven't told Zep. That Paul was in Woodbury."

  "You think you should?"

  "And scare the girl half to death?" Vex blew out a breath, "No. No, I don't think I should."

  Hershel nodded.

  "You gonna be alright if he shows up?"

  "Hey, you have my back," Vex teased, pulling a smile out of Hershel, "We have bigger things to worry about. . . If he's not gone crazy, he'll see that."

  Vex hopped in the car, she and Hershel circled the building and spotted no men or cars. They slowed when they saw Daryl approach, Vex climbing out of the vehicle quickly.

  "He's already in there," Daryl informed, "Just sat down with Rick."

  "We didn't see any cars."

  "It don't feel right," Daryl sighed, looking around, "Keep it runnin'."

  Daryl looked to Vex as she joined his side, her rifle in her hands.

  "Look like a boot," He nodded, noting for the first time her faded 'NAVY' hat, the dog tags around her neck, and the t-shirt she'd tucked in.

  "Gives off a vibe," Vex joked lightly, "Figured if he rolls up, they'd be more hesitant than if I came in a nice dress."

  Daryl scoffed.

  "All I had," She informed honestly, "Dean said the same thing."

  Daryl went to speak again, but the sound of a vehicle caught his attention.

  "Heads up," He said, hitting the side of the car Hershel was in.

  Vex raised her rifle as Daryl lifted his crossbow, watching the SUV come to a halt and four doors open.

  Three men she didn't recognize, one she did, and Andrea climbed out.

  "What the hell?" Daryl said, "Why's your boy already in there?"

  "He's here?" Andrea questioned.

  "Yup."

  Andrea took off into the building without another word.

  "Not even gonna say hi?"

  She was frozen. Like her heart had climbed into her throat, stopping both speech and breathing, staring at him like a deer in headlights. 

  He looked the same. Her skin crawled at that. Despite the world ending, he still had his stupid haircut and toothy smile, and clean clothes. He still looked like the same perfect husband everyone congratulated her on. 

  Vex only sucked in a breath when Daryl's arm came in contact with her own, signaling her to lower her weapon as he did.

  He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, attempting to bury his surprise at her state. Daryl understood why she felt how she did-- he would never judge her for it-- but it was shocking. To see someone who had only ever argued with any call he'd made, so entirely terrified.

  Daryl eyed the man, making the very safe assumption that this was Paul.

  He looked clean-cut, for a guy in the apocalypse. Freshly shaved face, dirty blonde hair, and not a speck of dirt on him. He wore neat clothes, un-creased jeans, boots, a faded red t-shirt, and a gold wedding band.

  "Well?" Paul laughed, taking a step forward, "C'mon, sweetheart, it's been a year."

  "No," Vex finally choked out, "I'm not."

  "Oh, don't do that," Paul said, frowning, "I've been looking for you everywhere, and now here you are, and--"

  "Hey, man, back off," Daryl said.

  Paul eyed him, his nostrils flaring as Daryl placed a hand on Vex's back, leading her back toward the car.

  The woman stayed there, beside Hershel and behind Daryl, attempting to brush off the specks of dirt on her rifle, focused on the scratches and dings in the metal as if somehow this would erase the truth standing feet from here.

  "Maybe I should go in there," Hershel spoke up after a moment.

  "The Governor thought it best if he and Rick spoke privately," The other man said. 

  "Who the hell are you?" Daryl asked calmly.

  "Milton Mamet."

  "Great," Daryl said, "He brought his butler."

  "I'm his advisor," Milton corrected.

  "What kind of advice?"

  "Planning," Milton said after a sigh, "Biters. Uh, you know, I'm sorry. I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen."

  "Better watch your mouth, Sunshine," Daryl said.

  "Look, if we're gonna be out here all day, at least shut your mouth," Paul said tiredly. "Veronica, come here."

  Vex shifted but didn't move.

  "Hey man, you're gonna have to back off," Daryl said, "Leave her alone."

  "You gonna make me?"

  "That's enough," Hershel spoke up, "If everything goes South in there, we'll have plenty of time to fight."

  They fell into silence again. Part of Vex was surprised Paul had actually listened.

  The other part of her knew he wanted to keep this facade up as long as he could.

  Andrea joined them after a while, silently taking a seat.

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

  "Boss said to sit tight and shut up," The unfamiliar man said.

  "Don't you mean the Governor?"

  "It's a good thing they're sitting down," Milton continued, undeterred by Daryl's comment, "Especially after what happened. They're gonna work it out. Nobody wants another battle."

  "Wouldn't exactly call that a battle," Daryl said.

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

  Vex eyed the man as he began to explain how he'd been keeping a record of history, believing it would be important to future generations of the world.

  Vex wondered how he could be so confident there would be a future.

  The conversation only halted at the disruption of walkers, sparse ones wandering up, earning the attention of the group.

  Vex clung close to Daryl as they followed the sound, along with the unfamiliar man, Paul, and Andrea.

  "Veronica, the Governor is building a new world," Paul whispered, "A place where you, Zeppelin, and I-- we could go back to normal. Be together--"

  "I don't want to be together, Paul," She said quietly, picking up her pace to match Daryl's.

  "You're confused--"

  Paul stopped himself as they found the lingering walkers, Daryl lowering his crossbow and holding out a hand.

  "After you."

  "No way," The man said.

  "You first," Paul agreed.

  Vex exchanged a silent look with Andrea, the women heading forward quickly. Andrea took one down with her pocketknife, Vex doing the same.

  The three men joined them, each killing a walker before Daryl shot another, throwing a knife before Paul could take it down.

  Vex felt like a child but could care less about her ego, as she stuck to Daryl's side, the two rifling through the walkers' pockets for anything worthwhile.

  "Look what he's got."

  Daryl held up a pack of Marlboro Reds, offering the box to Vex before taking his own. He held out the box to the other men.

  "Nah, I prefer menthols," The nameless one spoke.

  "Douchebag," Daryl mumbled.

  He flicked his own lighter open, holding it to the cigarette between Vex's lips, before lighting his own.

  "Didn't take you as a smoker," Daryl noted, putting his lighter back into his pocket.

  "Only when I needed one," Vex admitted, "Loved me some Cowboy Killers, though."

  Daryl smiled, taking a puff of the cigarette, before looking at the unfamiliar man.

  "You army or something?"

  "Nah, I just. . ." He said, looking down at the baseball bat in his hand, "Just hate these things. . . After what they did to my wife. . . kids."

  "Sucks."

  They lingered in silence for a long moment.

  "This is a joke, right?" The man said, "They're not gonna work anything out. I'm sure they'll do their little dance and tomorrow, next day. . . they'll give the word."

  "I know," Daryl said.

  "Hey," The man nodded.

  Daryl offered a cigarette, that this time was taken.

  They sat again in silence, Vex focusing on the cigarette between her lips and Daryl on her right, on the grass by her feet-- anything to not think about Paul.

  "He'd let you in, you know."

  Vex shifted, flicking the butt of her cigarette onto the ground, crushing it beneath her boot as Paul spoke.

  "Forgive you for what happened," He continued, "You got caught up in the wrong crowd. Bunch of. . . hicks and hillbillies who think they--"

  "Stop, please," Vex said quietly, crossing her arms, "Just stop, Paul."

  Daryl eyed the nameless man, who was clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

  "We can still be together, Veronica."

  "We've been separated for years, there is no together," She mumbled, "We have bigger problems than me and you. Just. . . let it be over."

  Paul didn't say anything else. But Vex knew this didn't mean it was the end. 

  She could tell by the way he lingered. By the feeling of his eyes on her every movement-- Vex swore she could feel his anger every time Daryl looked at her.

  Vex wanted it to be over. She wanted him to be gone, but if she made a single move now, she could jeopardize whatever was happening inside the building.

  So she stood. And she took another cigarette. And she let Daryl light it, even though she could have, and even though it fed into Paul's anger.

  Maybe because it fed into Paul's anger.

  Whether he was jealous or territorial, it didn't matter what Paul thought. If he believed she was with Daryl, if they were in a relationship or hooking up or something else.

  Because Daryl was much more important than any kind of romance. 

  Vex knew love like that always fizzled out. It fell short, disappointed, it broke things-- things that were just fine before.

  Vex didn't care what Paul thought she and Daryl were because Vex knew Daryl had her back, and she had his, and this was all that mattered.

  The Governor exited the building without a word, climbing into his truck alongside Milton, Paul, the man, and Andrea.

  Rick climbed into the driver seat of his own car, Hershel entering the passenger, as Daryl started his bike.

  Vex climbed on the back, looking over her shoulder for just a moment.

  Because she knew Paul's eyes were already on her. She knew he was watching, waiting, fuming.

  "Ready, Squid?"

  She smiled a real smile, patting Daryl's shoulder as she turned away.

  "Ready, Dixon."

  Rick informed the group that the Governor wanted the prison, and all of them inside of it dead.

  He told them it was time to fight.

  And nobody disagreed.

  And that night, after Vex tucked her daughter into bed, and eased her brother's worries, she wandered back to the landing she'd not yet moved back into, where Daryl Dixon sat silently.

  He nodded to her, inviting her up the last step. Vex obliged, taking a seat beside him, and stretching her legs out in front of her.

  They sat in silence for a long time. Vex fiddled with a paperback, flipping through it lazily, while Daryl cleaned his arrows in more detail than he ever had.

  "So, first impression?"

  "Never woulda guessed you married a member of the Brady Bunch."

  Vex snorted, closing her paperback.

  "He doesn't take 'no' for an answer, either," Daryl said gruffly.

  "Yeah, that's his specialty," Vex sighed, lulling her head to the side to face Daryl, "Thanks."

  Daryl furrowed his brow, looking up at the woman.

  "For what?"

  "Just. . ." She shrugged, "For bein' there."

  Daryl didn't know how to answer that. If there was even anything to say. He could tell her it wasn't a big deal, that Rick wanted both of them there anyway. Or that this was just evening his debt. He could say this was him sticking to his word, that he'd stay with her and have her back. He could say he didn't plan on going anywhere else, that he wouldn't let anything happen to the first person that had ever gone looking for him.

  But before he opened his mouth, it was too late.

  "Ruining it again, huh?" She joked lightly, "I gotta remember. Stop talkin' about it."

  Vex stood, wiping her hands on her jeans as she did.

  "Night, Dixon."

  The woman stuffed her book in her pocket, starting down the stairs.

  "Talk about it."

  She turned, furrowing her brows as a smile cracked on her face.

  "Don't tell me you're goin' soft on me?" Vex teased.

  Daryl scoffed, rolling his eyes at the woman.

  "Maybe after that war," She said finally, "I'll tell you all about how great of a B.F.F. you are."

  The man let out a scoff-like laugh, picking up his arrow once again as Vex continued her descent down the stairs.

  He lifted his eyes, watching the woman circle over to the cell that housed her brother, his eyes never leaving her until she climbed into the bottom bunk and disappeared from his sight.

  Daryl never expected to care about someone before the world ended, let alone after. And he couldn't deny the group had already broken that, but nobody had quite earned his loyalty as well or as fast as Vex Williams.

  And he spent his night wondering how it was possible.

WORD COUNT : 2555