Chapter Twenty Five
"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl yelled as he aimed his crossbow.
"Ken. Jack ordered me to get in here," he whimpered.
"Get out of here, now!" Rick ordered while throwing the man out of the gate. "Willow, go on up."
She drove up to the yard and called for everyone to help unload the goods.
"Carl, here's a tub for everyone," she said handing him a tub of gummy bears and worms. "We have two types of salt, and so many spices we can use."
Carol hugged Willow, but released quickly when the younger woman grimaced. "What happened?"
"And where's Axel?" Glenn asked.
"Carl, Beth, can you take the smaller tubs inside? Use the dolly." She waited until the two youngest were gone before sitting down at a table. "Axel tried to harass me. I had already warned him."
"He tried for Beth originally," Carol said to everyone.
"I fought him, then shot him in the head." Willow couldn't look at anyone, especially not Rick.
"Thank you," Rick said to Willow. She looked up with a questioning look. "Not for killing Axel, but for returning."
"Come on, let's get you checked out," Carol said quietly.
"Daryl, Glenn, give me a hand with the salt," Rick said. "I'll take watch after we're done."
That night, Daryl laid with Willow in his arms. Neither could sleep; both thinking of similar things.
"I wouldn't have shot him," grumbled Daryl.
"My original threat was to cut his arms off and give him to the walkers," she smiled
"Didn't think about that; good idea." He held onto her tighter. "Jack is becoming a pain."
"Always was."
"How'd ya meet 'im?"
"He was a repair guy for the building I worked in. Jack and I ran into each other, then the next thing I know, he kept making excuses to see me."
"When did he start hittin' you?"
"Week after I moved in with him; two months after we started dating." Willow could sense Daryl's anger building. "Hey, now that the world changed, I'm with you. You'll always protect me and watch my back when we fight."
"I love ya, Willow."
"I love you, too."
Daryl grazed his lips across Willow's, feeling her respond. She gently bit his lower lip to deepen the kiss.