A/N: Wow! I am honestly shocked at the amount of responses I've gotten to this story in such a short amount of time. To everyone who's reviewed so far…thank you! I'm seriously so grateful. It makes me really happy when you guys actually share your theories on the origins of Al and Del. I won't say whether or not you're getting warm or cold, but keep the theories coming! It shows me that you're all actually invested in the story. ;)
Oh, and if you guys are interested, I made a drawing of Delta! i-have-a-daryl-addixon tumblr com/post/152078297766/what-i-do-instead-of-going-to-sleep-at-a
Just remove the spaces and add periods. You guys know the drill. ;)
Disclaimer: As always, AMC owns everything but Alpha, Delta, and any other character or plot point I bring into this.
"…Just for the record, I am not comfortable with this."
Alpha sighed heavily. Delta had been complaining to him ever since Deanna told them she wanted to interview them separately. "Come on, Del. It makes sense to interview us separately. She's going to interview everyone in Rick's group by themselves!"
Delta folded her arms across her chest. "None of them are siblings."
Alpha raised a brow. "No, but they're just about as close as we are. Besides, part of the reason she wants to talk to us separately is because we're siblings. You do see the logic in that, right?"
Delta scowled. Of course she saw the logic in it. Seeing each of them without the other gave Deanna a chance to get a feel for them as individuals, without the influence of the other sibling. She understood Deanna's reasoning, she wasn't stupid. But the thought of facing anything without her brother made Delta feel sick. Alpha was the people-person, not her. He was designed to interact with others – she was just a fighter. Ask her to take down a walker, infiltrate an enemy base, she could do that no problem. Having a conversation with a stranger, without Alpha by her side? Now that…that was a whole other ballgame. "I hate being separated from you," she mumbled. "Especially in unknown territory. Surrounded by strangers. Even Rick's group would try to kill us if they thought we were a threat, and we know they're good people."
"This isn't unknown territory," Alpha said gently. "And I've met some of these people. They won't stick a knife in my back the moment we're separated from each other."
"I don't know that," Delta snapped. "You scouted this place out on your own. You made contact with its people without telling me. I haven't had the chance to judge them myself."
Alpha winced. "…That's a fair point." He put his hand on her shoulder. "But Del, if you had any serious doubts about this place, you wouldn't have agreed to try and live here." He gave her a slightly frustrated look. "For God's sake, sis, you're a grown ass woman. It won't kill you to be away from me for more than five minutes." Delta recoiled slightly. She knew he was right. She was being a brat. Delta clenched her jaw. Push it down…push it down. She closed her eyes and repeated the phrase over and over, like a mantra. Slowly, she felt her fear and frustration fade.
"…Okay," she said flatly. Alpha gave her a look – the look he always gave her when she locked herself away like that. Filled with sadness, anger, and maybe even pity. Delta tried not to think about it.
Deanna emerged from the house they stood in front of. "Delta," she called. "I'd like to see you first. If that's alright?" Delta nodded slowly. Alpha gave her an encouraging pat on the back. The pain in her shoulder, which Pete had done a surprisingly good job stitching up, had been reduced to a dull throb. After giving her brother one last, anxious look, Delta followed Deanna into her house.
"Do you mind if I record this?"
Delta glanced over at Deanna in shock. "...Record? As in...on video?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise. She knew Alexandria had some pretty nice things, especially for a settlement in the apocalypse, but working cameras? She couldn't remember the last time she saw one.
Deanna smiled. "Yes. We like to be very transparent here in Alexandria. Do you mind?" Delta shook her head. "Good." She pressed a button on a video camera mounted on a stand behind her chair. Then Deanna sat down, while Delta stood awkwardly off to the side. Deanna chuckled at her nervousness and gestured to the seat across from her. "Please, sit. I don't bite." Wordlessly, Delta slid into the chair. She was wound a little too tight. "You seem nervous," Denna said gently.
Delta looked carefully at Deanna, her red eyes unwavering despite her anxiousness. Despite the kindness this woman was showing, she was still this community's leader. Showing weakness was not ideal. "...Alpha has always been the social one," Delta said slowly. "He has a way with words. I usually let him do the talking."
"I noticed that your brother has a certain…charm about him." Deanna tilted her head, giving her a secretive smile. "But you're special in your own way too, aren't you? In a way that your brother isn't."
Delta clasped her hands together. Deanna was very observant. "...I'm the fighter," she said quietly. "If Alpha can't talk us out of a situation, I fight our way out. On that, he usually follows my lead."
"Sounds like you two are pretty dependent on each other." Delta clenched her jaw tight and didn't respond. That was basically the same as saying yes, but she didn't want to confess to such a thing on video. Deanna, sensing that she wouldn't get a response out of the albino girl, changed the subject. "So…Delta. Any middle or last name?"
Delta stared at the older woman with blank eyes, taking all signs of anxiousness or fear and shoving them aside. "No." Her curt reply gave little room for argument.
Deanna blinked, a bit taken aback by the short response. "That's…a little unusual." She put her hands up when Delta narrowed her eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not going to pry." After a few beats, she started up the questioning again. "How long have you and your brother been…out there?" Deanna gestured outside with a slightly disdainful expression.
"Always," Delta replied shortly.
"Always?" Alexandria's leader seemed to have adapted quickly to Delta's clipped answers. "You mean since it all started? Neither of you have come across other groups?"
"If you've really talked to my brother before now, then you know that we have," the albino woman said monotonously. "Finding other survivors is our…job."
"Would you care to elaborate on that?"
Delta shifted uncomfortably in her chair. All these questions were making her nervous. What if she answered something wrong and got the two of them kicked out of Alexandria? "We…sought out other groups," she said slowly. "We would follow them for a while, discreetly, so we could make assessments of their characters. If we found them to be good, we would watch over them. Protect them, if our services were required."
"Like guardian angels." Deanna nodded thoughtfully. "And you never revealed yourselves to them?"
"Eventually, if we didn't think they would shoot us on sight." Delta looked around nervously. "You should…you should really ask Alpha these questions. He would be able to explain it to you better than I could."
"Fair enough. I just have one last question for you, Delta." Deanna leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "What was your job before all this?"
Delta froze. That was the one question she had hoped Deanna would avoid. "I-I don't think that matters anymore," she mumbled, her soft voice wavering. "Do you?"
"Of course it matters." She tilted her head. "I used to be a congressperson. Ohio, 15th district. My husband, Reg, was an architect." She nodded towards the open window, which gave a clear view of Alexandria's wall. "That wall out there, the one that keeps us safe? My husband designed that. Without his prior knowledge of architecture, this community might not have survived this long." She stared at Delta intently. "So, yes. I believe it matters."
Delta swallowed hard, her pale red eyes focused on her lap. "I...worked for the government," she said quietly. "Infiltration. Espionage. You'll excuse me if I prefer not to go into specifics."
Another thoughtful nod and a borderline-smug smile. "I see...I thought it would be something like that." Delta hated the way Deanna pretended she knew everything. All nods of understanding and mutters of, I see... , like she knew what Delta would say before she said it. Like she knew Delta. Like she knew anything. Her fists clenched in her lap. It made her blood boil. "Alright, Miss Delta, I believe those are all the questions I have for you today."
Delta frowned. "...That's it?"
"That's it."
"...Oh."
Deanna got to her feet, and Delta rose with her. "I believe you would be best suited to work with Aaron, scouting people for possible citizenship. As long as you and your brother plan on staying?"
Delta perked up. That sounded almost exactly like what she and Alpha had already done. Which meant she wouldn't be in a job that was very far out of her comfort zone. "Y-yes!" Delta replied, a little too quickly. "Yes, we want to stay." Deanna turned off the video camera.
"Good. Take a few days, get to know Alexandria and have some rest. Aaron will let you know when he's ready to take you scouting."
Delta suddenly felt like hugging Deanna, her earlier animosity all but forgotten. "Thank you!" she cried. "I won't disappoint. Neither of us will."
Deanna chuckled at her eagerness. "I know. Welcome to Alexandria, Delta." She shook Delta's hand, and after giving her a quick nod, Delta made a beeline for the front door.
"I thought you were gonna talk to those albino freaks after the doc was through with 'em."
Rick regarded Daryl with a curious eye when the gruff man stormed up to him. "Yeah, I was." He folded his arms across his chest. "Deanna got to 'em first. I told 'em not to wander far. If they're smart, they'll listen, and we'll have no trouble findin' 'em." He took a step towards Daryl. "You spoke to 'em before we came in. Any thoughts?"
Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek. Yeah, he had thoughts. Questions, mostly. Thinking about the two strangers was driving him crazy. "I think we need ta find 'em," he muttered. "Have a little chat. Sounded like they been followin' us for a while."
Rick nodded. "Yeah, I know. I meant, do ya got any thoughts on them? Their characters."
Daryl frowned. "What're ya askin' me for? Carol's better at judgin' people. Ask her."
"Ooh, are we gossiping? I love gossip." A man's voice startled the two of them. Whirling around, they found Alpha standing just a few feet away, a giant grin on his face. Daryl found himself instantly irritated.
"It ain't polite to eavesdrop," Rick drawled, his face hardening in the presence of a stranger.
"Nor is it polite to talk about people behind their backs." Alpha's smile twisted into a smirk. "Well? Go on, then, Daryl. Tell Rick what you think about my sister and I." Daryl's eyes narrowed, his mouth tightening into a thin line.
"I think you need ta keep that attitude-a yers in check," Daryl hissed. "Yer not doin' you or yer sister any favors by actin' like an arrogant prick."
"So you're suggesting I act all buddy-buddy with the redneck who tried to kill my baby sister?" Alpha's smirk turned scathing. "But that would be so dishonest, wouldn't it?"
Daryl took a menacing step forward. "Listen here, pretty boy-"
"Al?" A soft, melodious voice made Daryl freeze. He didn't even have to look over to know that the voice came from that albino girl, Delta. She came up behind her brother, looking between the three men with a curious frown. Daryl clenched his jaw shut tight and stepped back. "Al…" She repeated her brother's name. "What's going on?"
Alpha's scornful grin immediately softened at the sight of his sister. "Nothing, Del," he told her gently, patting her affectionately on the head. "Just saying hello to these fine gentlemen, that's all." His change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by the other two men. He was a completely different person when his precious sister was around. It attested to how deep their bond was, if anything.
"Oh…" Delta glanced over at Rick and Daryl. The latter felt himself tense up under her gaze once again, her eyes narrowing slight with suspicion. "Is that so…?" She tilted her head at them. "I...hope my brother's not bothering you," she said softly, almost timidly.
Daryl just kept his mouth shut and took a step back, scowling at the two of them. "Tell yer brother to keep his animosity to 'imself," Rick snapped. "I won't tolerate any threats against my family."
Delta glanced over at her brother sharply. "Al..." Her tone sounded like that of a scolding mother.
Al rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Busted. "He...he shot you, sis," the man said insistently. "You can't expect me to just smile and shake his hand!" That...was understandable. He couldn't say he wouldn't act the same way if someone had hurt a member of his family. Didn't mean he had to like the guy, though.
"That's exactly what I expect you to do." Delta leaned forward, speaking softly enough that Daryl had to strain to hear. "You were trained to control yourself better than this. Please, Al, for me." Alpha pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.
"How did your talk with Deanna go?" he asked, in a clear attempt to change the subject. Delta suddenly looked tired, eliciting a small chuckle from her brother. "I'm sure you did fine. This is the apocalypse, she won't fault you for being a little awkward."
Delta glared half-heartedly at him. "Deanna's called for you," she said, making her own attempt to change the subject. Delta nodded towards the older woman's house. "It's your turn to be interrogated." Alpha grinned and ruffled her hair, giving Daryl one last dirty look before sauntering off. Asshole. Delta turned back to the two of them, her soft features twisted into a concerned frown. Daryl felt his anger slowly dissipate. There was just something about those freaky red eyes of hers that wouldn't let him stay angry...and that only made his walls go up higher. He'd be damned if he fell for some chick's puppy-eyed bullshit. "I'm so sorry," she said in that soft voice of hers. "My brother is a good man, he's just...protective."
Rick observed her for a moment, and Daryl could see him deflate as well. "...I get it," he sighed. "We'd be the same way if one of our own got hurt." Delta visibly brightened. Not too hard to please her, was it? "I'd like to talk to you. Is now a good time?" He framed it as a question, but his tone really left no room for argument. Delta's frosty-white brows furrowed slightly, like she was nervous. The girl didn't seem to be as comfortable socially as her brother was...Daryl could relate. On the other hand, maybe her whole "shy little angel" thing was just an act...if so, she was one hell of an actress.
"Of course." She straightened her back to appear more confident. "I'd be happy to talk to you."
Rick nodded. "Good. Comin', Daryl?" The man in question pursed his lips, but gave a small nod. He didn't really want to be there, but he had to admit that he was curious about the albino siblings' intentions. It was also a good opportunity to have some of his questions answered. He knew next to nothing about those two, and it was driving him nuts. What kind of lives did they lead to be able to track their group so effectively? From the damn trees, no less. Deanna had already accepted them into the community from what he could tell, but Daryl didn't know them; he didn't know anyone in their new "home." It had him constantly on edge, surrounded by so many strangers. Strangers were unpredictable. Strangers were dangerous.
"...Daryl?"
Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Delta was staring up at him, head tilted, her eyes filled with concern. His muscles tensed and his stomach flipped. Those eyes still unnerved him. "Aren't you coming?" she asked him, making him realize that Rick had already started walking. He glanced at her briefly before walking away, not even bothering to answer. If he had looked back, he would have seen her crestfallen expression.
"Alright. This place is as good as any." Rick held out his arm to stop Daryl and Delta when they reached a secluded corner of Alexandria. The former sheriff turned on his heel and pinned Delta with his glare. "We're gonna ask you some questions, and you're gonna answer truthfully. Got it?"
Delta gulped. Being alone with the two men clearly made her nervous. "Yes," she said. "I understand."
"Good. First of all, what were you doin' in the woods with Daryl?"
Daryl watched Delta closely. She fidgeted, like she was nervous. Was this shy girl really the one who shot a walker perfectly between the eyes from the branches of a tree? It was hard to believe, but then again, perhaps she wasn't as fragile as she appeared to be. Appearances didn't mean shit anymore. "I was making sure he was alright," she mumbled. She looked at Daryl straight-on and his body tensed almost reflexively. Why did he feel so uneasy when all she did was look at him? "You went off on your own," she told him. Daryl just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Yeah, he went off on his own. So what? He had shit to deal with. It pissed him off that a stranger saw him at his weakest. "You were dehydrated. Weakened. I wasn't trying to spy on you, I just-"
Rick waved his hand dismissively, uninterested in her justifications, making Delta snap her mouth shut. "Why were you and your brother followin' us to begin with?" he asked.
Delta breathed in deeply, her red eyes slowly closing. When they reopened, all signs of anxiety were gone, replaced by a sort of...emptiness. Like she had taken her emotions and just shoved them to the side. Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly. He'd never seen anybody do that before. Well...he supposed that was one way to keep your weaknesses hidden. Can't argue with that. "That's what we do," she said. Her voice was louder, stronger, but rang a bit hollow. Her eyes locked with his. There was a spark in them, and something within those red orbs resonated with him. "We help people. We find survivors, we make sure they aren't scum, and then we help them."
Rick's eyes narrowed. "Why would you put your necks on the line for strangers? Seems pretty reckless to me."
"It would be," Delta agreed, "If we didn't know what we were doing. My brother and I received special training from the military. We know how to track a target without getting caught. Besides…" Her jaw tightened. "We...I caused enough harm before all this began. This seemed like our chance to do some good. To save people. They need it now more than ever." She stared at Daryl again, almost defiantly. "You needed it."
He bristled. "The hell I did! I woulda managed just fine without you stickin' yer nose where it don't belong!" Rick held up a hand, and Daryl's mouth angrily snapped shut. The bearded man looked thoughtful, almost...impressed.
"...How many walkers you kill?" Daryl's eyes flew to Rick. Really? He was asking her the questions? Daryl looked over at her again. He wasn't one to question Rick's judgement, but why her? ...Maybe it was the fire in her eyes. Anybody could say that they were helping someone when they were really planning the opposite, but with a gaze as unwavering as hers...it was almost easy to believe. His anger faded as quickly as it appeared. There was something about her - her eyes perhaps, or her gentle demeanor - that made him want to believe her. She could have killed him just as easily as she had killed that walker, but she didn't. Any bandit with half a brain would have taken that shot. He'd been distracted, disoriented...he hadn't even known she was there until that walker hit the ground. That fact alone helped her case tremendously.
"I...don't know." She answered Rick's question, her head tilted curiously. "A lot?"
"How many people?"
That question made her recoil, as if she'd been slapped. Her eyes went wide, then drifted down to the ground, as if in shame. It was a look he knew all too well. Guilt. "...A lot," she mumbled. At least she admitted to it. She seemed to understand that honesty was the best policy when talking to them.
Rick didn't seem surprised by her answer. Then again, they had killed more than their fair share of people, too. "Why?"
Delta gritted her teeth. "Because I had to," she said hoarsely. She brought a pale-skinned hand to her face. "I...I had to." Her expression became strained, like she was struggling with something in her own mind. Hell, she probably was. Nobody was free from their demons these days. She knew there was blood on her hands, and it clearly weighed on her conscience. ...That was a good thing. It meant that, at least to some degree, she had retained some of her humanity despite the world ending.
Rick put his hand on her shoulder in an almost comforting gesture, startling her out of her thoughts. "Yeah. I'm sure you did." She looked up at him in surprise, like getting reassured by him was the last thing she expected. "I'm gonna choose to believe you," he told her. His next words held a hint of warning. "You seem sincere. Prove me wrong…" His eyes hardened. "I'll kill you. You know that, right?"
Delta's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Yeah, I know." Her head dipped a bit. "Thank you."
"If you were really watchin' out for us, then I guess I should thank you." He patted her on the shoulder, realizing too late that it was her bad one. She flinched, but it was slight enough that Daryl thought he might have imagined it. She was good at hiding pain.
He felt a twinge of guilt. She shouldn't have been spying on him back in the woods, but no matter the circumstances, she had helped him...and he shot her. That was kind of a dick move on his part. She didn't ask for an apology, and he didn't want to give one, but...hell. Why didn't she demand an apology? He would. He'd have been pissed if someone shot him right after he helped them. The girl was fucking weird, inside and out. Pretty, he admitted to himself reluctantly, but weird. And what the hell was she wearing? An open jacket with nothing but a chest binder underneath was a bit understandable, considering the heat, but why the neck scarf? Those gloves of hers probably didn't help keep her cool, either.
Like he thought before: the chick was weird.
Delta thought the talk with Rick had gone well. His eyes no longer held an immeasurable coldness when he looked at her. A pleasant feeling bloomed in her chest at the thought of Rick warming up to her because of what she said, what she did, instead of her brother. Daryl, though...her heart fell a bit at the thought of him. He didn't seem to like her much. Probably because she had seen him when he decided to let his weakness show for once. Maybe his animosity was the result of wounded pride? Men...
She liked Daryl, though. She didn't know his life story or anything, hell, she didn't even know his last name. But she had seen enough of him while tailing his group to know that he was a lot more thoughtful and selfless than he seemed. He wasn't too bad on the eyes, either. She appreciated the whole "dirty biker" thing he had going on. And those arms...God. Did he have any idea how sexy his arms were? And his eyes-
Okaaaay, let's stop that train of thought before it gets out of hand.
Delta felt a blush creep up from her neck. Yeah, let's drool over the man who probably wants to punch you in the face, she scolded herself. Real smart, Del.
"Well..." Rick's voice dragged her back to reality. "I'll see ya around, Delta. We'll talk more later, let you properly meet the rest of us." She realized his hand was held out, waiting, and she hastily shook it. They nodded at each other, and Rick turned on his heel and started walking away. Daryl began to follow suit, but Delta called out to him before she could stop herself. He slowly turned back around, his expression unreadable as usual.
"What?"
With his eyes on her, she suddenly felt incredibly small. "I...I just wanted to say…" She swallowed nervously. Taking a deep breath, she paused for a moment to build her confidence, then met his gaze directly. "I wanted you to know that I'm not sorry I was there to save you." He scoffed and started to turn around again. "Hey! I'm not finished." Daryl regarded her with a calm, perhaps slightly irritated, look. "I'm not sorry I was there to save you," she repeated, "But...I am sorry that I saw you when you didn't want to be seen." She leaned against the wall of a nearby house, sighing. "You needed to be alone, and I shouldn't have taken that away from you. I'm sorry, Daryl."
He didn't respond for a few moments. He just stared at her, like he was sizing her up, determining whether or not she was sincere. Then he leaned against the wall next to her, looking slightly defeated. "...S'alright," he mumbled. "You were tryna help, I guess. Thanks fer...y'know. Savin' my ass."
Delta was shocked. Expressing gratitude was the last thing she expected him to do. That warm feeling spread through her chest again. "No...I...y-you don't need to...to thank me for that," she stammered, suddenly incapable of speaking coherent English. He just shrugged, and the two of them fell into a somewhat awkward silence. Putting two socially-awkward individuals together made for an even more awkward encounter. After a moment or two, Delta timidly broke the silence with the first question that popped into her head. "...How's the hand?" She didn't forget the cigarette he had put out on his own skin. She couldn't. The angry red burn, the empty expression he wore as he did it...it was hard to get out of her mind. It worried her.
His expression hardened, and she quickly regretted asking him. "Fine," he said curtly. She didn't miss the way the hand in question curled into a fist.
Delta wanted to kick herself for being so insensitive. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "I shouldn't have...I just...it looked like it hurt, and…"
Daryl cut her off with a weary sigh. "S'alright," he told her again. Another pause. "...How's the shoulder?"
Delta blinked. "Oh," she said dumbly, as though she were just remembering the gaping hole in her shoulder. She absentmindedly put touched the bandages covering the wound. "It's fine," she told him honestly. "Pete did a great job cleaning it up for me. It should heal nicely."
Daryl nodded slowly. Was it her imagination, or did he look relieved? "That's...good," he said. He fidgeted awkwardly. "Sorry fer shootin' ya," he grumbled. A smile tugged at her lips. Getting an apology out of that man was like pulling teeth, apparently. It was kind of cute.
"I startled you, and you lashed out," she said gently. "That's all there is to it. I don't blame you, and I'm not mad at you." Before she could stop herself, Delta reached out to touch his arm lightly. He tensed under her fingertips, and she quickly pulled back, her face burning with embarrassment. Delta cleared her throat, trying to dispel the thick atmosphere of awkward that hung over the, "A-Anyway, I should probably go see if Deanna's done with my brother." She offered him a tentative smile. "I'll see you around, Daryl."
He met her gaze only briefly. "Yeah...see ya."
On that note, Delta pushed herself from the wall and walked in the direction of Deanna's house, feeling Daryl's cool blue eyes on her the whole way.
She couldn't help but sway her hips a little more than usual.
A/N: Phew! This one took me a while to put together. Life has left me with very little spare time lately. Not very action-packed this time around, just a little introduction to Delta and Daryl's relationship. As always, please review! I seriously appreciate the support you guys have shown. Until next time, my dears!
