CHAPTER 26: Just Another Job

"Excuse me?"

Did Annabelle hear her boyfriend right?

"Ya' heard me."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She barks while running after him.

Rick, Annabelle, Daryl, Jesus, and a few others were on the road planning out how they were going to take out the Saviors and Negan. They found a head that looked like Gregory's, they mapped out the place they lived out, now all they had to do is wait for the night to fall. That's when they will strike. But because of Daryl, Annabelle hit a speed bump in her plan. He just told her he wanted her to stand watch with Carol and Maggie. While everyone else went to do the dirty work. So Annabelle is mad for several reasons now. First reason, Daryl told her what to do and she only listens to orders when in bed. Secondly, it was her and Rick's plan they were mapped out so she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Lastly, it's just plain bullshit.

"You ain't going," Daryl says while walking to her Impala.

"And why the fuck not?!" She practically yells at him from behind.

"Because this job is risky."

"It's just like the ones we've done before the world went to shit!"

"It's different."

"How?!"

The group watches them awkwardly as they argued in front of them. Rick and Michonne send each other a worried look while listening in on the conversation. Jesus actually looked kind of excited. Glenn looks unfazed by the argument since he knew exactly why they were having it. Everyone else suddenly turned the other way from the couple. No one was going to bet their lives between Annabelle and Daryl of all people.

"Sunshine, we promise no stupid shit. And ya' goin' out there would be." He says trying to sound reasonable.

She wasn't having it though, she points at him, "You will be going out there too, Dixon."

"Annabelle, I'm putting my foot down on this." He sighs and leans on her car, "Ya' ain't goin'."

"I'm not pregnant! I'm not old! It was my plan and I'm doing this for Alexandria." She lists out random thing hoping it will make her win the fight.

"I won't let ya' get hurt-"

"And I won't!"

"Well, I'm makin' sure."

"So you don't have faith in me?"

"I do, Sunshine." He rubs his face and coming up close to her, "I'm tryin' to keep ya' safe-"

"So stick me with the pregnant and old women." She laughs sarcastically, "You're so full of bullshit."

"I'm serious. You are not going." He says clearly folding his arms.

"Fuck you."

She snaps at her man before getting in her car, she opens the door for her dogs to get in the back seat. He sighs at her dramatic voice and glances around to find everyone watching the two. Once the group sees Daryl looking at them they immediately jump and go back into their cars. He moves to the passenger seat and tries to open the door only to find it locked. Daryl leans to look at his woman and she appears to look busy with cleaning her machete.

"Sunshine, let me in." He calls out for her.

Yes, she is furious with the idea of staying back with Carol and Maggie. But if Daryl told her clearly and seriously that's what he wanted when she was going to do it. She wasn't going to be the bitch and not listen to him. She completely didn't like the idea, but if Daryl of all people made a fuss about something like this she couldn't say no. She didn't have to be happy about it either though.

All she does is a glance at him speaking up, "I'm good."

"Ya' seriously gonna act like this?"

"You bet your ass."

"Fine. You're still staying behind."

"And you'll just never get behind me again then."

"Never say never, darling."

He sends her a look while going to the RV Michonne and Rick jumped in. He had plenty of reason of why he didn't want her to do the job with them. He just didn't want to say it out loud since it might change the ways people look at them. Daryl has been thinking about this since they made the deal and all he knew is that he didn't want to put her in a position he has been putting her in since they met.

"Okay, so here it is sugar tits-"

"Redneck."

"Ya' go in the back, Daryl and I will go from either side. Most people who want the truck will be goin' from the front."

"Aren't we getting there early though?"

"Yeah, but some guys might do the same so they probably go up front."

"This is a first come first serve kind of deal, Sunshine."

The three musketeers Annabelle, Daryl, and Merle were on the side of the road going over the plan one more time before going to the warehouse. It's the time where they only have known each other for a few months. It's also the first real job they had together. Annabelle leans on her car and says what Merle explained to her earlier, "When we go in there the keys will be in the office and all we got to do is grab them and drive the truck to California. That's when we get the money."

"Yup. That's it." Merle shrugs liking the way she explained it.

The three have been living in a trailer for the months they knew each other, but now money is tight. If they did get enough money by Friday they'll get kicked out. And they didn't have the money to move out or to rent out another place. So Merle found them a job where all they had to do is get the truck full of illegal marijuana and drive it to a guy in California. The guy couldn't pick it up himself so he's is willing to pay them a shit load of money to do it. The problem is that other people heard about the same truck so now they're going have to beat everyone else to it. It's risky for obvious reason and all for a stupid trailer. The three were actually thinking instead of going back to the trailer to just use the money they get and live in California.

"Ya' up for this, Sunshine?" Daryl asks Annabelle slightly uncomfortable of putting her in a dangerous position.

"Hell yeah. This isn't my first rodeo." She smirks and goes to the driver's side of her car.

"First wit' us." He sends her a look before going into the passenger seat of her car with Merle following him with a knowing grin.

"Won't be the last though sugar tits." Merle winks at the woman before jumping into the back.

"Redneck." She mumbles going into her car.

"I agree with you by the way."

"'Bout what?"

"About Annabelle."

Rick drives the RV with Daryl in the passenger seat. Annabelle obviously didn't want him to ride with her. Glenn, Maggie, Jesus, and Michonne are in the back of the RV. Annabelle is driving like a madman in front of them and they had a car following behind them.

"Yeah? Tell her that." Daryl mumbled while looking outside the window.

"She wouldn't understand." He shrugs thinking about his sister, "Anna gets justice, owns up to what she does. You and I... we protect, save Alexandria. Sad to say it but she doesn't know how to do that."

"I know." Dixon sighs, "She won't see it that way though."

Rick burst out laughing, "She never does."

Annabelle was reckless and prideful, like Merle. Smart and reserved like Daryl, she's also a leader and responsible like her brother. She has a little bit of all of them in her, which honestly makes her dangerous. She wasn't simple like them, she's complex, a wild card. Always had been always will be.

After a moment of silence Anna's brother speaks up again, "I'm glad you told her to stand this one out."

"Why?"

"Because if I told her she wouldn't listen to me."

"Once we get back I'm ordering a bed. Your couch smells like cat piss."

"I told ya', Sunshine."

"Well, I didn't think I was going to stay this long."

"We didn't think ya' were going to stay at all, sugar tits."

"I guess I'm just full of surprises then, redneck."

"Or ya' just that desperate."

Annabelle parks her car out of sight, the truck is inside a rusty old building. It looked like it would fall down at any moment but they're desperate. They're in a town smaller than the one they're living in which makes Annie feel better for some reason. She has the gun her brother gave her in the back of her pants, Daryl has his hunting knife and Merle has a pocket knife in his pocket plus a bat in his right hand. They were packing, they knew the plan now the only thing they had to worry about is people going after the truck and the police.

"Somethin' goes wrong don't be afraid to yell." Daryl blurts out next to Annabelle as they look around for any movement.

She snorts and begins walking to the building, "If you're worried you can stay back and guard."

Merle smirks and follows her to their destination, "I'm likin' ya' more and more."

"That makes one of us." Daryl mumbles and walks with them but a few feet away.

"Remember, once we get on the road we have to drive safe," Annabelle thinks out loud, "Can't risk getting pulled over."

"I'll drive." The youngest Dixon announces, "Merle can't drive for shit."

Merle glares at his little brother but doesn't comment knowing Daryl was right. The three get closer to the abandoned building. They don't notice a few trashy cars also parking a few streets back, they were too focused on the building in front of them. Once they finally reach it they all give each other a look before separating to different sides of the place. Annabelle goes to the back, Daryl goes on one side and Merle goes on the other.

"Little bitch broke my nose."

"Aah."

"Okay, looks like you learned. I'll get your guy, you'll go home, and you bring us more stuff next week, hmm?"

Andy stood in front of two Saviors with a now empty bag. The one that throws the head on the ground goes inside the building. Once the door is shut Daryl gets his knife ready and runs up behind the only Savior outside. The man is whistling "Happy Birthday" while staying at Andy, he didn't even notice the man coming up behind him. Doing this for Annabelle Daryl covers the guy's mouth and slits his throat. The man falls to the ground and he stabs him in the head. Suddenly people from all around run up to the scene. People grab the dead man and hide him as other people hide in the bushes. The moment everyone goes into hiding the other Savior comes back out with the Hilltop's man.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is." The man smirks but doesn't do anything else since Michonne's sword goes through his chest.

The Hilltop's man is about to scream when Andy cover his mouth whispering, "It's okay, it's okay. We're bringing you back. We're bringing you back."

The man is covered in cuts, bruises, he looked like shit. It only fueled Rick's group more to kill Negan and the Saviors. Rick kneels down and checks the dead man's pockets for the keys to the building. He throws them to Glenn and he goes in with Heath, Michonne, and Abraham hot on their tails. Andy and Jesus get there man back to the car with Tara along their sides. One by one the group goes into the building with guns ready to fire. The halls are quiet with lights to guide Rick's group. They barely make any noise on their feet. Looking around Rick goes up front whispering to his family.

"Check the doors. Find the arsenal. We take them out."

That when they all go in twos to different doors. Everyone slowly and quietly opens the door and stabs whoever is sleeping in the room. As they do so they notice pictures of people with their heads smashed to pieces. Making the group feel better about what they were doing.

Annabelle is walking through a few halls trying to find where the garage is. The place is surprisingly bigger than it looks. Daryl and Merle told her where it would be but she must have forgotten since she doesn't have a clue on where she is going. The place was filthy, humid and falling apart, figures this would be the place they drop off a truck full of weed. She curses herself as she keeps walking down the hallway, she has passed a few closets, an office and a few empty rooms but no garage. She continues trying to remember which way they told her to go. Seeing a door down the hall she decides to at least check it. She's about to open the door when she hears a few voices in the other room. Anna stops breathing as she tries to make out what they're saying.

An angry voice says in terrible English, "Wha' ya' mean ya' can't find the keys?!"

"I assumed it is in the truck, man."

"Well, go look for them!"

The office, Annabelle's eyes go wide remembering where the Dixon brothers said it would be. Quietly walking away from the door she heard the voices she goes to the office down the hall she was just in. Once reaching the door she gently opens it hoping no one hears the sound of it being opened. Walking into the room she looks around to find a normal Office. A very dusty, unused, plain office. Annabelle walks up to the desk hoping the key would just be on the desk but there is only dust bunnies and pencils. Walking around the desk she begins opening drawers quickly. She didn't want one of the men she hears coming in. Odds are these weren't the men she con in pool at the bar so she wanted to avoid them at all costs. Moving the cheap worn out chair out of her way something shiny comes into her view. She looks at the chair and sees a car key in the middle of it. Smirking she picks it up and looks at in pride. Not all she had to do is find the truck, meet up with the Dixon boys, and go to California. Easy another.

"Where ya' think ya' goin' with that, darlin'?"

She looks up in shock from the strange low voice. A man is leaning on the doorway sporting a smug look. He looked Puerto, African or Spanish, she wasn't sure. All she knew is that he has a gun in his hand, but she also has one too. She stands up straighter and puts the keys into her pocket. Stubbly moving her other hand behind her towards her gun she smiles slyly at him.

"I suggest you walk away-"

"Or what?" He smirks and walks closer to her, "Ya' gonna shoot me? Good luck with that."

His gun is now aimed at her making the air from her lungs leave. Slowly walking to her he tilts his head with a wicked smile, "Give me the keys, honey."

"If I don't?" She questions emotionless.

He's so close to her now when he whispers in her ear, "I'll do more than take the keys from ya'."

As his free hand goes to her waist she slaps the gun away from him making it fall to the ground. He curses when she kicks him in the balls and goes for the gun. Grabbing her by the hair he yanks her away from the gun and shoves her to the ground. She trips him and he falls down next to her. As she lifts herself up using the desk he grabs her leg causing her to fall. She takes things on the desk with her to the floor. A glass vase hit the ground next to her making it shatter. The shards get in both of their flesh, a sharp one goes into her cheek and she cries out in pain. The man uses that moment to get up and go for his gun. Seeing him go for it she immediately gets up on her knees and take her own gun out. She aims it at him just as he reaches the gun making her yells at him.

"Touch that gun and you're a dead man."

He stands up at the sight of the gun and raises his hands slowly. She keeps the gun aimed at him and stands up. The closer she gets to him the more steps he takes backward. As they slowly circle around until she is near the gun and he is in the corner of the room. Anna picks up the gun on the ground and aimed it at the owner of it.

"Sorry." She whispers before shooting him in the leg, "Can't have you following me."

The man falls to the ground in pain but Annabelle didn't have time to feel guilty. People probably heard the gunshot and him wailing so she has to move. Taking the bullet from the man's gun she shoves them into her pocket and drops the empty gun. She leaves the room with the man cursing and crying out. Annabelle's done bad things before but she has never shot someone. She never shot someone weaponless for keys. As she ran down the hall she kept thinking of the many reasons she had to, but she still felt dirty nonetheless.

"You still a priest?"

Tara blurts out to Gabriel in the car with Jesus in the back. The irony was silently killing her, she sat with Jesus, a priest, and a lesbian. The three were all waiting for Rick's group to come back out. Gabriel glances at her and slowly answers.

"Rick and Carl taught me about guns, other weapons. How to contribute." He then nods and officially answers her question, "I'm still a priest."

"I lied to my girlfriend this morning." She begins to explain in a whisper, "I, um- she caught me thinking about something, so I told her that I loved her. For the first time. That's how I told her, covering something up."

"What were you covering?" Gabriel turns to her worried, even Jesus is watching her.

"That I'd done something like this before." She answers in a nervous voice, "That I didn't like it."

"Do you?" Jesus then asks her in the silence, Annabelle comes popping into his mind.

"Do you love her?" The priest asks the same question.

"Yeah."

Jesus smiles to himself and thinks out loud, "So, you know what you're fighting for."

He knew what he's fighting for, Annabelle Grimes. He loves her and even though she doesn't love him anymore it won't change how he feels about her. She was with Daryl, yes, but he believes a day will come where she comes to Hilltop to see him. To be with him. That's what he hoped would happen.

"Sunshine!"

Daryl's eyes go wide when he sees Annabelle run into the hallway he and his brother were at. Merle sighs in relief at the sight of the woman as they run to her. They hear a gunfire and they thought the worse. So seeing her running was a sight for sore eyes, they notice the fairly large cut on her left cheek.

"We thought ya' got shot, sugar tits." Merle speaks up once they reach her.

"No. I shot a guy in the leg." She says breathlessly before glaring at him and snapping, "Hillbilly."

"He cut ya'?" Daryl asks worried while lifting his hand up to wipe the blood dripping down her cheek.

"Not as bad as I hurt him." She answers then thinks out loud, "You know where the truck is? Because I know for a fact the guy I shot isn't alone and is now super pissed."

"Yeah, it's at the end of the hall but we don't have the keys." Merle looks around for any sign of life.

"Wanna bet?" Anna smirks and reaches into her pocket to take out a single car key. She smiles proudly as the Dixon boys look at it in surprise. Rolling her eyes she blurts out, "Don't look so surprised."

"Honey, I could kiss ya'." Merle chuckles as she puts the key back in her pocket.

"No thanks." She smiled before nodding the direction of the truck, "We going or what?"

"Fuck ya'." Merle starts walking down the hall, "This place gives me the creeps."

"That makes two of us." Annabelle whispers while walking beside Daryl.

The youngest Dixon watches her make sure she wasn't lying about being okay. It seems like she was right since she wasn't limping or bleeding anywhere he couldn't see. She only had the single cut on her face. It didn't look bad, it just could stop bleeding so the blood is now going down her neck. Abruptly he hears footsteps that aren't theirs and he grabs her arm.

"Come on." He whispers before the three starts running to the truck.

Annabelle paces in front of Maggie and Carol irritated. Irritated she isn't alongside with her boyfriend doing the job she planned out. Irritated she is just standing around with old and pregnant women. Irritated for actually listening to her annoying, hot, protective, badass man. She hasn't talked to her said man since their argument, that was her fault. She was too mad at him to talk. The three women are at most a mile away from the building the saviors are in. It's the dead of the night and they haven't seen a walker in sight since they been quiet the winter time. Carol kept glancing at Maggie protectively while Maggie watched the building in front of them like a hawk. They have been standing here "Keeping watch" for about an hour now and nothing has changed but the color of the sky. The silence made Carol more protective. Maggie more determined and Annabelle more frustrated. Anna suddenly stops pacing at the sound of alarms going off in the building their group went in. Panic rose in all of them, Annabelle is the first to speak up.

"They're in trouble. I'm going."

Anna is already walking toward the sound with Carol telling Maggie as they follow behind her, "Stay here."

"I'm going with you." Maggie argues as the three girl walk with weapons in hand.

"No, Carol's right. Y'all stay here. I'll take care of it." Anna says without looking at the girls.

When Maggie doesn't listen to Carol snaps, "I said stay here."

"No." Maggie bark as the three women continue to hear the alarm.

"Damn it, Maggie."

Carol barks making Annabelle look behind her to them. Maggie and Carol stopped walking making Annabelle grow impossible more irritated. A loud alarm is going on at the place their family when in to kill. And here they are wasting time, Daryl, Glenn, or Rick could be hurt. Anna didn't dare want to think about what is happening in the building. All she thought about is going and getting them out of there before a herd of walkers or other people hear the sirens.

"I have to." Maggie sends the girls a look.

"No, you don't." Carol gives her a motherly look, "You don't have to."

"Yes, I do."

"Girl we don't have the fucking time-"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Carol interrupts Anna while looking at Maggie in anger.

"What am I supposed to do?" Maggie asks carelessly.

"You're supposed to be someone else." Carol answers in frustration as they continue to hear the alarm.

"They need our help, damn it." Annabelle announce as she hears a walker growling, turning she kills it quickly before pointing at both women, "Both of you are staying here or so help me I will shoot you in the leg!"

Turning around Annabelle storms toward the building with her gun ready. As she walked she was cursing her boyfriend thinking this wouldn't happen if she was with them instead of standing in the sideline. One thing was for sure when she found Daryl she was going to kick his ass and tell him she told him so.