Betrayal
Song Choice: Shattered by Trading Yesterday
Tim let her go! Do whatever the fuck you want to do to me but leave Maddie the hell alone! You are so adorable Maya, thinking I'd leave you out of the fun. You're next.
Maya awoke with a start. Out of my head. Please. A knock sounded on the door. "Maya? Can I come in?" Maggie's voice sounded from the other side. She creaked open the door and saw Maya bolt up straight in her bed. "You okay sis?" Maya managed to nod.
"What's up?" Maya asked, noticing the tray of food in her sisters' hands. Going to be the size of a house if she has her way. "I'm not hungry Mags."
"You always say that. And I always force you to eat. This time is not different." Maya rolled her eyes at Maggie as she situated herself in front of Maya with her tray of breakfast food.
"When we were kids you ate like a horse. What changed?" Maggie asked, chewing on a piece of toast. Maya tensed at the question. Maggie noticed but chose to stand her ground. "No secrets anymore Maya."
Maya sighed and shrugged her shoulders, nibbling on a sausage link. "In jail, the food is less than appetizing. I just ate what I could stomach, which wasn't a lot. Got used to not eating after a while. Except for the fruit. That was pretty edible." Maya explained. Maggie smiled at her confession. "What?"
"You like fruit?" Maggie asked. Maya nodded at her question. "What kind? Wait let me guess! Mango? No, pineapple?" Maya snorted at her sisters' guesses.
"It was jail Mags, not a tropical getaway. I liked oranges mostly... oh and peaches. Love peaches. Never had a mango or pineapple. Heard about them though." Maya smiled and continued her breakfast.
A few moments passed by when Maya spoke again. "So what's up with Glenn? You and he have been eyeing one another since we got here. Don't lie either. It may be years since I've seen you but I know my little sister and when she has a crush." Maya smirked noticing Maggie blush and look uncomfortable.
"He's nice. Stumbling, but a nice guy. Kinda nosey though." Maggie shrugged. "Daddy doesn't want us to get to close to your group. He's expecting you all to leave once Carl is healed." Maya shot her eyes up at the new information.
"Does Rick know this?" Maggie shrugged her shoulders. Maya pondered her fathers' decision and couldn't shake a certain key element. "Why Carl? Why not me?"
"I think Daddy thinks you'll stay with us. Is he wrong?" Maggie asked tentatively. Maya broke her sisters' gaze. Maggie glared at her sister angrily. "Maya? You'd choose us over them right? We're family. You said so yourself."
"Yeah I did. I also said it would take time for me to forgive you and Hershel. These people took me in, they trust me to keep them safe. They're my family too." Maggie looked hurt at Maya's words. "I can't choose between you and them." Maggie stood and left the room abruptly, anger in her eyes.
Maya sighed and regained her feet slowly. She made her way down the stairs and opened the front door. "Where are you going little one?" Hershel's voice sounded from the parlor.
Maya rolled her eyes and turned to her father. "Am I a prisoner? Am I not allowed to get some air? I've been in that room for days."
"You nearly died butterfly." Butterfly. My nickname? "You need to take it easy."
"I'm going outside to see my friends for breakfast. I'm not fighting walkers." She left before her father could argue any more. She could feel the wind on her face and she was happy again. She noticed Daryl's tent under the large oak tree and walked slowly over to it.
"Dixon? You alive in there?" Daryl was flicking through a novel as Maya peeked her head in the tent. He grunted and tossed the book to the side. "What's up?"
"Hershel let you out?" He asked, picking up his arrow. He started poking holes in his tent screen with his arrow heads as Maya rolled her eyes.
"He isn't my prison guard. I was about to shoot myself in the head if I stayed one more minute in that damn room."
"And your sudden need to escape had nothing to do with Maggie running out of the house a few minutes before you?" Daryl asked again. Maya stared at the man in shock. "Observant. What happened?"
"Hershel wants the group to leave here as soon as Carl is healthy enough."
"Are you included in the group?" Daryl mumbled. Maya shook her head in response. "Ah so little sister is asking big sister to stay. Big sister said no and now little sister is having a temper tantrum.' Daryl snorted.
"I didn't say no." Daryl froze. "I said I couldn't choose between families." Daryl nodded at the girl in understanding. "She's so much like me I'm not even worried about it." Daryl looked confused. "She'll get mad, take her anger out on something or someone, then she'll get over it." Maya explained.
Daryl snorted and pointed at Maggie and Glenn near the RV. Words were exchanged, heated words by the looks of it and Maggie stormed off. "Phase two is complete." Daryl mumbled.
Maya groaned and held her head in her hands. "Daddy is going to hate me if I choose to stay with ya'll."
"Daddy?" Maya clapped her hands over her mouth when she realized what she said out loud. "I knew you'd forgive him sooner or later." Daryl smirked.
"Not so much forgiven completely. But I nearly died Daryl." The archer froze at Maya's words. Yeah angel, I know. Worst day ever. "In this world…today could be the last. Why waste it pissed off and full of distain? He's my father and he's alive. Not many people can say that nowadays. I should count my blessings instead of blowing them off."
Daryl continued his stabbing of the tent as Maya started picking at her fingernails. "Something's on your mind angel. Spit it out."
"Why are you trying so hard to find Sophia? You nearly died trying to find her. I have a reason; everyone knows it. What's yours?" Daryl froze. He isn't going to tell me. Don't push him Maya. Instead she stretched over to him and placed a kiss on his bandaged forehead. "You don't have to prove anything. You're every bit as good as Rick and Shane. Every bit." Daryl met her eyes awkwardly.
"Watch it I got stitches."
"You probably did more for Sophia in the last few days than her father did her entire life." With that, Maya exited the tent to find Andrea.
The next morning, Hershel allowed Maya and Daryl to leave their beds and join the group in regular activities, much to Maya and Daryl's' excitement. They ate breakfast with the family under the shade of trees next to the RV. Glenn was pacing the exterior and stopped with hands on his hips.
"Umm guys? There's walkers in the barn." The group froze.
"We can't sweep this under the rug!" Andrea spat at Rick. The blonde had taken to circling the camp fire they had going, trying to calm her anger down.
"This isn't our land! We have to respect Hershel's rules." Rick reminded her gently. Hershel would never agree to have them kill those walkers. He didn't even let them have their weapons on them.
Shane was pacing as well, rubbing his head in annoyance. "We aint' safe here Rick. Either we leave, or we get our weapons to defend ourselves." Shane offered.
Daryl looked at Maya, expecting her to input her thoughts, but she shook her head at him. No way was she going to voice her opinions on this. She was biased considering this was her family's farm. They'll probably say I was in on it.
"Walkers living thirty feet from where we sleep and we just gonna let it go?" Shane asked, looking around at the group. Shane has a point. One could easily escape and get them in the night.
"Hershel see's these walkers as people, not monsters." Dale explained to his friends.
"You knew?" Shane asked the elder man.
"I talked to Hershel last night."
"Why did you not say anything?" Shane spat.
"I thought we could survive the night, and guess what? We did." Shane backed off slightly. "Hershel doesn't know what these things from walkers to his neighbors." That comment unlocked the combination that held Maya's concerns back.
"He's lived a sheltered life here." Maya finally spoke up and met Daryl's gaze. Daryl nodded his head in encouragement. The group stared at her in shock in her attack against her father. "This farm is basically isolated. He doesn't know the real threat of a walker. He probably sees them as friends and family like Dale said. I know for a fact that his wife and step-son died and are probably in there." The group nodded their heads in understanding. "He can't abandon them."
"He abandoned you." Shane spat. Daryl squared his shoulders ready to rebuke, but Maya held her hand up.
"Yes he did. That's how I know he won't abandon his family again. He's now living in denial. He doesn't know what they can do. He needs to see that they will kill him and his family. He doesn't realize what keeping them locked in there is doing." Maya offered, her eyes noticing Glenn and Maggie having more heated words off in the distance. Something told Maya that Maggie knew but didn't tell anyone about the barn either. Makes sense now.
"Open the barn and shoot the motherfuckers." Shane said blatantly. Andrea nodded in agreement, as did Daryl. Even Maya agreed, it was harsh, but it had to be done. Rick looked at his group and hung his head.
"I'll talk to Hershel. Then we decide what to do." Rick decided half-heartedly.
"Shouldn't Maya? I mean…she's his daughter?" Carol chimed in quietly.
"I'd prefer not to. Rick's the leader. I'm just a girl with a gun." Maya mumbled.
Rick nodded and turned away to find the old man. The group dispersed to their jobs and duties, most keeping a wide berth from the barn.
Daryl tilted his head to Maya. "Ready?" They began their Sophia search. After a few miles of silence, Maya spoke up. "Do you think we'll ever find Sophia?" Maya asked Daryl as they trekked through the woods.
"You have that look in your eyes like everyone else does. She's alive and she's out there. We'll find her." Daryl growled, his eyes darting from side to side.
"Speaking of eyes, yours see everything. You're always aware. You're always ready." Maya noticed, smirking at Daryl and his cocked crossbow.
"Gotta be angel. Not being ready gets you killed." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. Maya noticed Daryl had his leather jacket on again, even though it was hot as hell outside. But this was the first time she had noticed it had angel wings stitched on the back of it. Angel. Clever bastard. The duo walked on through the forest, Daryl heard Maya breathing slightly heavy. "You ok? Do you need to stop?"
Maya shook her head. "I'm good. Hershel said my lungs are really battered and bruised. It'll take time for them to heal completely. Sort of like that wound you have on your side. Trying to hide that limp aint working Dixon." Maya murmured, her knife in her hand. I miss my pistols.
Daryl eyed her and then his wound. It was smarting, but he thought he could get away with not saying anything. "Your eyes see everything too." Maya obviously was as stubborn as he was to not wanting to stop as she was still struggling to breathe.
An hour went by when they heard shouting coming from the farm as they crept back. "Something's happenin'. Maya said, taking off into a run, followed closely by Daryl. The pair arrived at Shane shouting to the group, trying to open the barn up with a pair of shears.
Hershel and Rick had two walkers attached to a pole, leading them back to the barn. "Hershel? What the hell are you doing?" Maya asked, running up to the man. The walker Rick was holding growled and tried to grab her. Maya reached for her knife.
"No Maya!" Beth called from behind her boyfriend Jimmy. Maggie ran behind her. Her sisters ran up to their father and begged for Shane to stop.
"Are you with me?" Shane asked Maya and Daryl, handing Daryl a shotgun and pulling out Maya's pistols from the duffel bag. Both nodded and took aim as the barn burst open. Walkers poured out, but their staggers were cut short to Andrea, T-Dog, Daryl, Shane, Maya, and eventually Glenn shooting bullets at them.
Maya could hear her sisters crying behind her, but she had to think of her new family now. With every bullet that she released from her pistols, she remembered the destruction these monsters caused. The jail. Maddie. Mama. Everyone. Soon, all walkers lay dead, the air was finally silent. The barn door creaked slightly as another walker stumbled out. The group gasped.
Maya retracted her pistols, recognition hitting her. "Sophia?" Carol wailed and ran for her daughter until Daryl caught her. She cried to her daughter, reaching for the dead girl. Lori had Carl cradled in her lap as Rick came up to the girl reluctantly and aimed his gun at her head, but he struggled to pull the trigger. *bang* Sophia fell to the ground.
Carol was crying uncontrollably and pushed away from Daryl, storming off to the RV. Maya walked over to Sophia and saw the bite mark that took her life. Rick came over to her and knelt to Sophia's level. Before he could say anything, Beth ran to her mother's body and wailed. "Beth!" The body moved towards the teen and roared. Maya jumped to her sisters' aid, shooting her sisters mother in her head. Beth cried louder, despair in her baby blue eyes. "I'm sorry Beth."
Daryl stalked over to Maya and whispered harshly. "This is some bullshit. This group is broken." Maya stared at him astonished at his words. He was angry? He pulled the trigger too. He stormed off back to camp. Maya reached for Beth who was stone cold frozen.
"Beth? C'mon darlin', you don't want to see this." Maya whispered, pulling her sister up. Maggie strut toward Maya and grabbed Beth out of her hold.
"You don't touch her. You don't ever come near her again. I guess you chose your family." Maggie spat, cradling Beth. Maya tensed at Maggie's fury and watched her sisters walk back to the farm house.
"Bury the ones we love. Burn the rest." Maya heard Andrea say as T-Dog and Jimmy separated the bodies. Maya hung her head and helped the men. "You okay little one?" Andrea asked quietly. Maya nodded, a small understanding played between the two.
A few hours had passed and the ceremonies were almost done. Carol looked defeated and almost forced to be there beside Lori. Beth and Maggie stood between Hershel; family looking horrified. Maya stood in the shade as the bodies were buried. I hate this. I ruined them. Carol came over to Maya quietly while Sophia was being lowered into the ground. Maya couldn't bear to look at the mother afraid she was going to scream at her. Instead Carol grabbed for Maya's tensed fist and released Maya's grip on herself.
"She didn't die cold or hungry. I don't blame you baby girl. Forgive yourself. I have." Carol murmured sweetly, gazing at Maya. The young girl nodded at the grieving mother and returned her hand grip. She's forgiven me. She's the angel, not me.
After the funerals, Maya sought to find Daryl. She needed to talk to him but he was nowhere to be found. "Hey Glenn? Have you seen Daryl?"
"Last I heard he was down there somewhere. Set up his own camp." Glenn answered, pointing further down the hill behind the barn.
"Thanks." Maya mumbled and walked towards the direction. She saw squirrels and rats hanging from a wire between two trees. "Yep, he's been here."
"What the hell are you doing here? I came down here to get away from you people." Daryl barked behind her.
"I'm not letting you pull away. Like it or not Dixon, this is all we have left." She motioned between the two of them. "Yes losing Sophia was awful, the barn incident…was out of line. And I was involved as were you. But you don't get to leave. You don't get to just leave us alone over there with all this shit going on."
"All you had to do was stay with her! A simple job Maya and you couldn't even do that! Just leave me be!" Daryl spat at her, pain and anger painted his eyes. Maya remained glaring at him. "What?!"
"Go ahead and yell. Go on. If it'll make you feel better. Hell, hit me if you want. It aint like I don't deserve it. Yeah I should have watched her better, I shouldn't have left her alone waiting. She's dead now because of me. At least I own up to it."
"You're only here because you're all alone! You fucked up with Hershel and Maggie and now you don't know what to do with yourself."
"I did fuck up. I'll fix that later. But this ain't about me. You're pissed off for a completely different reason and it isn't anything to do with me." Maya spoke, meeting Daryl's eyes.
"What you gonna make this about my daddy or somethin'?" Maya nodded. "You don't know shit about me Maya. Don't pretend you do." Daryl growled, turning his back on her. Maya grabbed his arm and spun him around angrily.
"You wanna keep this up? Pretending I don't know what you're going through? I ain't stupid Dixon. For god's sake. Grow the fuck up. Stop acting like people don't need you. Stop blaming yourself! Stop having a damn pity party!" Maya shoved Daryl angrily at her last yell.
"I ain't having a damn pity party!" Daryl shouted back.
"Yes you are!" Maya screamed back. The duo glared at each other until both calmed down. "I know why you wanted to find Sophia so bad. It's the same reason I wanted to. She was abandoned, like you were, and like I was."
Daryl flinched at Maya's words. How the hell she know that? "Shut the fuck up. It aint that…"
Maya closed her eyes and reigned in her anger. "It is so and you know it. You say I'm a closed book? You're sealed shut with a padlock Daryl. And someone has thrown away the key." Daryl froze.
"One day when you're ready, I want to help you open it." Maya whispered, and turned away slowly. "Please don't go. I can't lose you too."
Maya left Daryl alone to think. She sat by the large oak tree and hung her head. Now I'm alone again. Thinking. This isn't going to be good. Lori ran over to Maya and started rambling excitedly. Maya held up her hand to silence the woman. "Stop. English. What is going on Lori?"
"It's Beth. She fainted while doing the dishes. She's in some kind of catatonic shock. Hershel is nowhere to be found. Rick and Glenn went to find him."
Maya's heart started racing at her sisters' health. "They should check the local bar." Maggie won't let me near Beth anyway. Why are you telling me?"
"Since when do you let others dictate what you do?" Lori asked. That's all that Maya needed to hear. She got to her feet and ran to the farm house. Up the stairs she saw Maggie standing guard at Beth's door.
"You have got to be kidding me? Get out of here." Maggie ordered, crossing her arms.
"You have absolutely no room to stand here Maggie. I know you can't see this now but I saved your god damn lives; me and everyone who was involved. Now get out of my way and let me help my sister." Her authoritative voice melted Maggie's stance slightly but not fully. "Maggie Greene you are not too big for me to move you." Maya threatened, her big sister voice taking over. Maggie moved to let Maya in reluctantly.
Beth lay on the bed frozen. Her porcelain skin was almost as pale as her hair now. "Beth?" Beth stirred and faced her sisters' voice.
"Maya?" Tears were staining her little face as Maya sat on the edge of the bed.
"You got to talk to me little one. What's going on in your head?"
"I wanna go." Maya noticed Beth's stitched wrists. She cringed at the thought of innocent Beth wanting to take her own life. That's going to scar.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Maya asked. Beth nodded. Maya turned her own wrists to show Beth her own scars. Beth's eyes widened. "I know how you feel right now. I felt it for years."
"But…you're so strong." Beth croaked. Maya scoffed and shook her head.
"There was a time I wasn't. I'm still building up Beth. This world has a way of showing you what you have to live for." Beth shook her head and let a tear fall. "I know you feel lost now; alone and afraid. But you are forgetting what you still have."
Beth looked confused. "What do I have?"
"Your daddy. Maggie. Jimmy. Patricia. And now me." Maya answered. "When I did this…it was after my step-father threw me into a window." Maya pointed at one scar near her forearm. "I did this one when he said I wouldn't amount to anything." She pointed at a small incision further up. "I did this one here when my uncle died." She then pointed at the largest scar on her left wrist. Beth looked horrified. "I have a story for every scar on my body. They tell a story of how I survived."
"But how are you happy? Your mother and sister are dead." Beth asked, real pain was evident in her baby blue eyes. Maya stopped to think over the question and to the best answer she could give.
"I may not always be happy and some days are still hard and exhausting. Sometimes I don't want to keep going and to keep fighting. Sometimes I am not okay, but I am more okay than I have been in a really long time and for now, that is enough."
"It gets better?" Beth asked in her small voice. Maya nodded and reached into Beth's hair. She intertwined the locks of hair in her fingers until her result was finished. Maya reached for the bedside mirror and showed Beth her hair.
"It gets better. Small things baby girl. Whether it be a braid in your pony tail or a necklace around your neck, the small things keep us going." Together, the two sisters smiled at each other in their reflections. "Get some sleep little one. I'll be back to check on you in a little while." Beth turned in her sheets to follow Maya's order. "Oh and Beth?"
"Yes Maya?"
"If I see another scar on that wrist of yours, you'll wish you'd never met me."
"Yes Maya." Her small voice sounded as she lay her head on the pillow.
Maya closed the door behind her to see Maggie crying. She enveloped Maya in her arms and cried into her shoulder.
"Mags…air…lungs…" Maya strained against her sisters tight embrace. Maggie let go quickly, uttering an apology but wiping a tear from her eye. "What happened? A complete 360 on your feelings towards me."
"I heard what you said to Beth." She reached for Maya's arm and looked at the ridged scars. "I don't want to see another one either on you sister." Maggie whispered, her green eyes burning into Maya's. Maya nodded, a silent promise shared between the two. We got each other.